Normal (newbie) version of the new Ultima fight for casuals? xD

[LunarEmerald]

The weapons would stop being trophy weapons if they ever allowed the fights to be overgeared. So I'm against ever unsyncing them.

[Trunks]

I pretty much raid log and my static raids two nights a week for 2-3 hours (half the time we don't even get that full amount). It is hard to get more casual than that. The raid content cycle is so long that there's a decent chance we will clear the encounter before the next round of Savage raids comes out.

"I'm casual" really doesn't cut it. It's a cop-out euphemism for, "I don't want to put any effort in". 99.99% of the game's content is already right there on the table for people who approach the game that way. Ultimate fights are there for those of us who get satisfaction from pushing ourselves to improve.

Creating a "story mode" version or something of that nature ruins the sense of accomplishment and the excitement of progressing for hours, days, or weeks on something to see that awesome transition, hear the changing music, and be dazzled by that pretty spell effect. It is precisely that sense of, "I worked hard to see this" that makes such content enjoyable. To use a slightly over-the-top metaphor: if you could take an elevator to an enclosed viewing deck atop Mt. Everest, would anyone bother to climb it anymore?

[Nezerius]

Used to be the terms hardcore and casual in terms of gamers only referred to the amount of time someone actually plays a game.

The terms "hardcore'' and "casual" have always had various meanings, with most people having differing opinions on what it refers to.

[KisaiTenshi]

You know, I say let's do to these ultimate fights what happened with PvP rewards. So when 4.5 drops, make UCOB inacessible forevermore (maybe UwU too, so that only the latest ultimate can be accessed). And keep this rotation going so at any one time there's only 2 Ultimate's accessible at any one time (at most, I'd prefer only one). I think that's likely to make people git gud. Since you have to be quick or else you'll miss out on the content. Because then if an ultimate inspires you, you gotta work pretty fast to be able to access it for yourself.

Split the difference. Only have one or the other available in a locked "minimum ilevel/no unsync" mode, that switches every week, players who clear it correctly (Eg no skipped mechanics, all party members alive at the end) under the locked mode is the only time it counts as a clear. The time taken to clear goes on a leaderboard for that week. Top 3 parties of players of that week per server get a one-time reward that is independent of any achievement. When it's not locked to minimum ilevel it's simply not available, or only available as "practice mode" where the time limit is set to the current best clear time.

We have enough content that is perpetually inaccessible due to their tie-ins with seasonal events. So hard content shouldn't be like that, since the entry requirement is that you've beaten all other content before it.

[Dualgunner]

(Eg no skipped mechanics, all party members alive at the end)

No skipped mechanics? That would be a dumb constraint. There's no reason to punish people for being good at their jobs.

[KisaiTenshi]

No skipped mechanics? That would be a dumb constraint. There's no reason to punish people for being good at their jobs.

That's to avoid players finding an exploit like ungarmax again. Like the underlying thing might simply be a check that the boss actually progressed through it's stages at the right HP levels, and not because a party figured out how to break the boss so it get's stuck in an animation lock.

[Dualgunner]

That's to avoid players finding an exploit like ungarmax again. Like the underlying thing might simply be a check that the boss actually progressed through it's stages at the right HP levels, and not because a party figured out how to break the boss so it get's stuck in an animation lock.

Ungarmax was an entirely separate issue, but I can see where you're coming from. Regardless, bosses are really designed one of two ways:
1) They go on a strict timer
2) They go on HP percentage

The first variety, with exceptional dps, can lead to fights getting ended early. Not an issue but you're skipping the final mechanics.
The second variety, with exceptional dps, will lead to mechanic skipping by its very nature.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

That's to avoid players finding an exploit like ungarmax again. Like the underlying thing might simply be a check that the boss actually progressed through it's stages at the right HP levels, and not because a party figured out how to break the boss so it get's stuck in an animation lock.

Those are not remotely the same thing. Ungarmax allowed players to use an ability that wasn't available outside of Squad dungeons. Mechanic skips simply meant the party did so much combined damage, the boss phased early, thus never doing the mechanic. For example sake, let's use the ever beloved Zurvan EX. He will always phase into his next set of mechanics at 74.9%. Pushing him to that point isn't an exploit, it's just good players being good.

[Nestama]

Do Garuda Extreme minimal ilevel, Ifrit Extreme minimal ilevel, Titan Extreme minimal ilevel and then finish it off with Ultima's Bane at minimal ilevel. It'll last longer than UwU, but it's as close as you can get for a 'casual friendly' Ultimate Ultima.

For super casual, downgrade the Extreme's to Hard, but keep Ultima's Bane as the last hurdle (while all still minimal ilevel).

Natural iLev increases will also destroy the point of the fights. I've been running the BCoB that used to be one of the endgame hardcore raids. Two expansions later, even synced down, its a cakewalk.

Is this just synced? or minimal ilevel?

[Dualblade]

Do Garuda Extreme minimal ilevel, Ifrit Extreme minimal ilevel, Titan Extreme minimal ilevel and then finish it off with Ultima's Bane at minimal ilevel. It'll last longer than UwU, but it's as close as you can get for a 'casual friendly' Ultimate Ultima.

For super casual, downgrade the Extreme's to Hard, but keep Ultima's Bane as the last hurdle (while all still minimal ilevel).



Is this just synced? or minimal ilevel?

I believe the ilvl for atleast Bahamut is 345, I also believe most people who cleared it had to be at that ilvl to have a chance.