So, how is Pagos?

[Vnolan]

Anemos was way too fast.

Probably it. Before Anemos, what was the last relic step that involved a somewhat lengthy grind?

The last step of the previous relic was running hard mode primals. The one before that was a light grind. What was the most efficient method of grinding light? Determining if A1S was on bonus, getting a party together and then proceeding to run it as many times as possible within that two-hour window. A1S had Faust (striking dummy) and The Oppressor. Because of the disparity in ilvls, the only mechanics Oppressor had were a line AoE and puddles that remained on the field. Practicing a rotation over and over, boring content, no chance to take a break without slowing progress. Sound familiar? This step only took about 7 hours, though.

Before the light step was cluster acquisition with a daily and weekly quest for clusters, eliminating any need to grind for tomes unless you wanted the weapon immediately.

However, before the cluster step was the umbrite/crystal sand step. This required a maximum of 24,000 tomes for umbrite, with no alternative to get the umbrite. What was the efficient method for farming umbrite? Aetherochemical Research Facility until the sight of it made you sick. Each run took around 20 minutes. This step involved a lengthy grind, but it was released In June 2016 - over two years ago.

I feel you’ve yet to adequately explain why mashing out a rotation on trash for hours is enjoyable.

The relic requires a grind, but it can't include any difficult (requiring skill, not time) content or it would lock out players. That severely limits options. Which part of 800 Alex runs or waiting on FATEs to spawn for beast tribes or doing FATEs (the majority of which are grinding mobs) over and over for crystals or farming the same dungeons for tomes, light or item drops was enjoyable? Any answer is going to include the ability to do other things while grinding and not the content itself.

Chaining/killing mobs in Pagos is braindead content. Chaining/killing mobs in Anemos (fuel for the train) was and is braindead content. Asking for braindead content to be replaced with braindead content when the only difference between the two is that one allows for more afking shows that it's not the quality of the content people really care about.

Same dance, different year:
you guys went overboard with this new relic

Agreed, I was looking forward to doing this but when I saw the last step, it was enough to tempt me into unsubbing. Just, no. Not enough content to actually give a care about, and this sort of struggle for something that will be outdated soon enough? I haven't even cleared Thordan EX because no one can get past tethered knights and I'd rather be doing that than this.

instead to give us grind, can't they work on true content that are really interesting outside raid for the endgame?

You people white knighting it realize by the time you are done it is next patch cycle first relic to do this, and its not even something to do its cramming mindless grind that serves no purpose but over glorified glamour at this point

"We don't really care about the game anymore, as seen in previous patches, and we have no intentions to make new things for you to play with that are fun or exciting, so just shut up and grind."

And then everyone did, and told people who thought maybe the devs should put a liiiitle more effort into this to go do something else or quit instead. And then they sat in their queues wondering why they were so long and why there wasn't anyone left playing the game with them.

Grind is one thing. Making it soul crushingly boring and rehashing old content that's already expired is not the way to keep people interested and motivated. I also like having a goal to work towards, but at a certain point it's not just 'well this is boring but at least some parts of it are fun' and more 'why should I keep shoving broken glass under my finger nails when I could stare at a wall or watch paint dry instead.'

Basically, I was ready to put my guns on and get myself dat crit scholar book until I saw that last step. I am perfectly fine with grinding out fates and fighting drop rates and the RNG god. But the last step is just SE torturing us because they can.

I don't know how anybody can defend these methods when SE could easily give us ways that are at least some what entertaining. Nobody is asking for things to be handed to them.

We just want them to stop catering to the lowest common denomjnator.

It's a RELIC WEAPON. It should be obtained by completing feats of strength. Slaying epic monsters. Completing an epic quest. Exploring me elands.

Not killing endless a mounts of low level trash

THIS IS WHY WE PLAY RPG GAMES