What's your first impression of Eureka?

[RiyahArp]

The hotfixes werent even fixes.

Exp gains are too modest to matter. I don't think they will increase chain parties or soloing. The get rid of fireworks didn't even work; you still get fireworks, about half as much. You now get potions for the other half. The percentages for everything else but grade V materia suck. I don't know about the boss rendering better, and I guess the draw in thing being fixed is nice, but none of this changes anything really. You don't get increased crystals from soloing or partying, you still get anemos crystals only from FATES, and you can't actually do exp parties without a tank player and a healer player. You still have the big level penalties to exp in party, and you still can only chain solo from things your exact level.

IDK why they bothered, except for the rendering and draw-in.

[Hestzhyen]

Exp gains are too modest to matter. I don't think they will increase chain parties or soloing. ... I don't know about the boss rendering better, and I guess the draw in thing being fixed is nice, but none of this changes anything really. You don't get increased crystals from soloing or partying, you still get anemos crystals only from FATES, and you can't actually do exp parties without a tank player and a healer player. You still have the big level penalties to exp in party, and you still can only chain solo from things your exact level

That's a shame, my buddy and I were hoping we'd stop getting punished for wanting to do the instance as a duo rather than join a bunch of strangers. Oh well. We'll still give it a go but if what you say is true we'll probably be back to ignoring Eureka and wishing SE understood what "fun" meant to us soon enough.

[Miste]

That's a shame, my buddy and I were hoping we'd stop getting punished for wanting to do the instance as a duo rather than join a bunch of strangers. Oh well.

You can duo in there.

My boyfriend and I duo'd all the way to 20. Never joined a party except for Pazuzu kills once we got to 19 since we weren't sure if we'd get full credit for the feathers.

We just did both of us on tanks or we did tank and healer and followed the NM trains (if you don't have at least one person on tank it might not be doable though). Got gold just the two of us. Mind you we sometimes ignored higher level FATEs cause we might get bronze if we died too much or silver (silver isn't bad though you still get around 75%? of the EXP that you would from gold credit)

Once you get to around level 13+ it starts to get easier and easier since most FATEs you can go to easier and also get credit easier.

Took us about a week, but we spent quite a bit of time in there for that week. Less time to play would take longer but it is still manageable.

[Teiren]

That's a shame, my buddy and I were hoping we'd stop getting punished for wanting to do the instance as a duo rather than join a bunch of strangers. Oh well. We'll still give it a go but if what you say is true we'll probably be back to ignoring Eureka and wishing SE understood what "fun" meant to us soon enough.

I could expand a lot on this, but to put it simply: Soloing and duoing is still completely viable and just fine for EXP, especially now. Just pay attention to the map every once in a while for NMs. The only problem is its still almost worthless for Protean Crystals compared to just NM zerging, and you still can't get a single Anemos Crystal or Lockbox. Of course, all of this and what "viable" means changes depending on what you enjoy/tolerate doing.

[BillyKaplan]

Of course, all of this and what "viable" means changes depending on what you enjoy/tolerate doing.

Actually, the fact that you don't get Anemos crystals which are required - forget even the weapons, required for the level 17 quest, means that just soloing and ignoring NMs is really not viable in the least. The game mode itself requires you went NM hunting several times just to progress the story. And NMs being FATE bosses, yeah playing single or even duo isn't as viable unless you can really generate a mountain of agro to offset your few numbers as someone testified to doing a couple of pages back.

[Texa]

generate a mountain of agro

I've gotten gold using assize and 2 medica IIs in a duo before it's pretty simple.