Suggestions for Trust system

[Vendalwind]

I'd had all these same thoughts. currently the grind isn't worth the reward, and to be used effectively would have to spread across at least 6 classes (2 of each role) since your character classes lvl faster than the trust characters do. I mean its 13 dungeon runs to even reach the second dungeon, and that 13 has to be done again if you switch role.

Having the crystal Exarch available might be nice too cause it would allow for one multi role character to prevent issues.

I agree 100% with the original post up above, and just to add to it I came to the forums today with a mind to suggest any one of three options:
1: implement a way to lvl trusts externally like squadrons or retainers etc. OR
2: reduce the experience needed to be more reasonable so trusts are less of a repetitive grind and locked so severely to a single role OR
3: create a better reward for the trust system, whether it be some kind of voucher that you obtain as a reward while lvling, or some new cosmetics unlocked for completion or a mount; doesn't matter. but the current reward does not justify the current arduous grind trusts are in their current state.

I love the trust system My first time through with a new set of characters was wonderful I ran three trust dungeons on the way through the MSQ, and was excitedly anticipating using it to farm the lvl 73 dungeon after I cleared when i found out about the reset to lvl 71. I still again enjoyed my first run through of holminster, but that joy I felt in seeing the characters interact and react to the circumstances of each dungeon was lost when I realized id have to ruin the same dungeon at least 13 times in the same role with the same characters, wasting experience gain too as id be over leveled by that point, to even access the lvl 73 dungeon I was very demotivated. I ran it like 7 times and got my first characters lvled but since I had done a few runs as healer, and switched urianger and alphinaud once to see the differences i still needed to run it 3 more times to get my healer there as well.

Other systems with similar completion rewards also provide rewards during the process (scrips/exp for example from custom deliveries which require way less time and effort to complete as well)

Anyways, I still love the trust system, but the current form of restriction/reward it has is even less inviting than the worst portions of the eureka slog. (im one of those weird people that actually kinda enjoyed eureka at certain points)

[EdwinLi]

I'd had all these same thoughts. currently the grind isn't worth the reward, and to be used effectively would have to spread across at least 6 classes (2 of each role) since your character classes lvl faster than the trust characters do. I mean its 13 dungeon runs to even reach the second dungeon, and that 13 has to be done again if you switch role.

Having the crystal Exarch available might be nice too cause it would allow for one multi role character to prevent issues.

I agree 100% with the original post up above, and just to add to it I came to the forums today with a mind to suggest any one of three options:
1: implement a way to lvl trusts externally like squadrons or retainers etc. OR
2: reduce the experience needed to be more reasonable so trusts are less of a repetitive grind and locked so severely to a single role OR
3: create a better reward for the trust system, whether it be some kind of voucher that you obtain as a reward while lvling, or some new cosmetics unlocked for completion or a mount; doesn't matter. but the current reward does not justify the current arduous grind trusts are in their current state.

I love the trust system My first time through with a new set of characters was wonderful I ran three trust dungeons on the way through the MSQ, and was excitedly anticipating using it to farm the lvl 73 dungeon after I cleared when i found out about the reset to lvl 71. I still again enjoyed my first run through of holminster, but that joy I felt in seeing the characters interact and react to the circumstances of each dungeon was lost when I realized id have to ruin the same dungeon at least 13 times in the same role with the same characters, wasting experience gain too as id be over leveled by that point, to even access the lvl 73 dungeon I was very demotivated. I ran it like 7 times and got my first characters lvled but since I had done a few runs as healer, and switched urianger and alphinaud once to see the differences i still needed to run it 3 more times to get my healer there as well.

Other systems with similar completion rewards also provide rewards during the process (scrips/exp for example from custom deliveries which require way less time and effort to complete as well)

Anyways, I still love the trust system, but the current form of restriction/reward it has is even less inviting than the worst portions of the eureka slog. (im one of those weird people that actually kinda enjoyed eureka at certain points)

It basically is like how Eureka started in a certain point of view.

Though Eureka did not get very intereting with unique additions until later additions but newer players still had to go through the slower and less itneresting content regions of Eureka before they unlock the more interesting parts.

We will just have to wait and see what additions they make to Trust System to get more people into it because it does have a lot of potential to be a fun and interesting system but for now we have the bare bone version which lacks anything beyond just Grind leveling Trust Companions in Dungeons for the achievement/title/alternate outfits.

[Lenarr]

How far do you have to go in the MSQ for the Trust npc's to reset to 71? After the final Trial and quest turnin? My main toon is 80 and not all that far from finishing. I want to have the Trust available as I level some alts, so I'm thinking of not finishing the MSQ until my alts are at 80. On the other hand, the Trust npc's could level as I run the dungeons on alts, but I'm not sure I could stand running the Trust Dungeons over so many times with my alts outleveling them. It seems like running the Dungeons a huge number of times just to level the Trust toons is going to get horrible fast.

[Genz]

Trust losing levels after the MSQ is an horrible idea from the devs.
(again)
Players don't like sysiphean task, and with reason (we thought they learnt the lesson with the fatigue system in early 1.0)

They can make us grind trusts if they want, but only to earn something new and fun (like a special attack or something) instead of re-earning the simple right to use them, that we already had....
(and grind for the sake of grind is already a bad idea, but oh well... it's just too common and I don't expect FFXIV designers to be able to give much thought about it)

-

And yes, we need to be able to form a party of 2 or 3 players with trust. More options to play "alone with friends" or small FC is always good.

[VirusChris]

There is with a Title and Alternate Outfits for Trust as well if you max all of them being their Pre-Shadowbringer outfits.

Really? And ALL of them... ugh.

Though what of Lyna and Crystal Exarch? They're gone forever, right? Unless the Alternate Outfits somehow change them to those characters.
Still not worth it though especially with the grind.

[Chiami]

So much agreed. Having to re-level the trust is like a self-defeating purpose -- "Do this so you can do it more."

For a bit of math, if we have to do it 13 times each to unlock the next dungeon... each taking half an hour because Trusts are so slow, never aoe etc.......

That's 6.5 hours per dungeon to unlock

6.5 until Dohn Mheg
13 until Qitana Ravel
19.5 until Malikah's Well
26 until Mt. Gulg
32.5 until Amaurot

A total of 65 dungeon runs to unlock the last MSQ dungeon (if that is actually doable with the Trust after going through MSQ, idk).

If you play 2-3 hours per day, and do little but that it will take you around 2 weeks of NOTHING but leveling your trust to get to Amaurot.

And then you only got 3 of them up to that point, the others are still languishing in Switch.

Tad bit much ^^;

So yes please, improve the Trust system, and most of all... either make the leveling REALLY fast... or remove it entirely, just let us run any of the 5.0 MSQ dungeons, period.

[Alyanna_Elingval]

So much agreed. Having to re-level the trust is like a self-defeating purpose -- "Do this so you can do it more."

For a bit of math, if we have to do it 13 times each to unlock the next dungeon... each taking half an hour because Trusts are so slow, never aoe etc.......

That's 6.5 hours per dungeon to unlock

6.5 until Dohn Mheg
13 until Qitana Ravel
19.5 until Malikah's Well
26 until Mt. Gulg
32.5 until Amaurot

A total of 65 dungeon runs to unlock the last MSQ dungeon (if that is actually doable with the Trust after going through MSQ, idk).

If you play 2-3 hours per day, and do little but that it will take you around 2 weeks of NOTHING but leveling your trust to get to Amaurot.

And then you only got 3 of them up to that point, the others are still languishing in Switch.

Tad bit much ^^;

So yes please, improve the Trust system, and most of all... either make the leveling REALLY fast... or remove it entirely, just let us run any of the 5.0 MSQ dungeons, period.

It's six runs per level, and since they start at 71 they only need nine levels to max out, not ten.

[Alyanna_Elingval]

Leveling the trust NPCs isn't really different from any other time sink in this game for me. Leveling my entire squadron p to level 60, playing a triple triad NPc dozens of times to get a rare card, spamming Garuda extreme over and over to get a mount. I've been leveling my trust NPCs as opposed to grinding out 360 fates to get rank three in all six zones.

I've been leveling DNC and PLD after my main, and I have one group of trusts at lvl 75 and one at 73. Being able to switch up dungeons and NPCs helps. It was a little tedious at the start having to do the lvl 71 dungeon so many times. The one good thing is that I won't need to craft or buy gear for jobs because once I got done leveling NPCs through these dungeons I had entire sets of lvl 71 & 73 gear on retainers. I'm sure it will be the same for the rest of the dungeons.

If I was going to add something it would be a command like squadrons have to make all NPCs attack a specific enemy. I would have also added a three of four quest chain for each NPC, with maybe a duty where you fight together at the end of each one, reward the alternate outfit.

[Elkanah]

Leveling the trust NPCs isn't really different from any other time sink in this game for me. Leveling my entire squadron p to level 60, playing a triple triad NPc dozens of times to get a rare card, spamming Garuda extreme over and over to get a mount. I've been leveling my trust NPCs as opposed to grinding out 360 fates to get rank three in all six zones.

I've been leveling DNC and PLD after my main, and I have one group of trusts at lvl 75 and one at 73. Being able to switch up dungeons and NPCs helps. It was a little tedious at the start having to do the lvl 71 dungeon so many times. The one good thing is that I won't need to craft or buy gear for jobs because once I got done leveling NPCs through these dungeons I had entire sets of lvl 71 & 73 gear on retainers. I'm sure it will be the same for the rest of the dungeons.

If I was going to add something it would be a command like squadrons have to make all NPCs attack a specific enemy. I would have also added a three of four quest chain for each NPC, with maybe a duty where you fight together at the end of each one, reward the alternate outfit.

You really can't compare the trust system to your Squadron in the grand company. You can easily send your squadron out for 14+ hours and they will boost. You can train them and they will boost. Hell, I haven't even done anything with the npc's and they're all level 60 except 1 now, which is being worked on by just sending that npc out with the team too. If I could send my trusts to boost their levels, we'd be talking about the same thing. It's basically the same concept as retainers. As long as you have the level, you can send your retainers out on their 20+ hour run and they come back with a better chunk of xp than the trust system does while in the dungeon.

Something for the trust system I'd like to see implemented is if you're on healer or dps, the tank npc should pull the dungeon with you following along. If you're a healer, they continue the dungeon based on the mp you have left (50% or lower, they wait a minute or two to catch up and pull further). I shouldn't have to pull the damn dungeon before they take hate off me in any way, shape or form. Even small pulls, jfc. <.>

[Tigore]

Another thing I noticed with the Trust system is the NPCs may have a 10% chance of not getting out of the fire. Though it was funny to see both Alphinaud and Alisae die to 2 stacked trash AoEs on them, I had no way of resurrecting them for the next pull. The only way I could move forward was to make a suicide pull for my NPC team to reset back to life. This was about a week ago, so I am uncertain if it has been changed yet. If not, may we have an out of combat NPC rez please?