Level Sync needed ASAP!

[SniperRifle]

No cliff notes cause even I forget what I wrote.

I like some of the points being made clear in this thread. That FF14 is an MMO and that multiplayer should be encouraged. Rightfully so, they could have a simple, efficient, basic, easiest-thing-in-the-world-to-pick-up search system. Like, one button on the UI that allows you to see what anyone would typically want to see. I had all my DOW DOM at 50 thanks to leve cancelling, so I can't give an accurate scenario. But for instance, you just got out of like 3-4 hours of content grinding with your LS, and you're all a little worn out and no one really wants to level a lowbie. So on the class you want to level you click a button and instantly;

1) A Comment Box appears in the middle of your screen where you leave a very brief description of what you want, PT Lv20-25, anywhere but Gridania region. Materia O, Food O. (example)

2) Once you finish the comment box you are now in the LFG search and anyone (any lvl/class) who is also LFG will be in that search, which can also be viewed by the simple click of a button.

3) You craft/farm/idle while rechecking the LFG list every few minutes, and the class you are LFG on will still remain the same.

4) If you want to level multiple classes, you can either;
a) LFG on the one you want to level most
b) a new feature is implemented where you can LFG on multiple classes (infact I think we have this right now) and it is shown in the LFG list.

5) When you log off it removes you from Queue.

6) There is a little hrs/mins highlight stating when the person first queued LFG.

7) As well as everything I listed, include everything that worked automatically (not manually) in previous search systems like language, nation, rank, name (maybe even Linkshell), current zone location.

8) Above all else, and I stress this as much as possible, make it quick, easy to use, and user friendly. When people log on, after that opening cutscene, it should be the first thing that players are accustomed to learning. Just bam, some NPC walks up to you baddass/seductive/cutsiepoopsie (depending on starting class/region/race) and tells you how to use the search feature. The NPC can emphasize REMEMBER! IF U WANT EPIC FUN MMO N LEVEL FAST WITH FRIENDS THEN MAKE SURE U USE UR LFG BUTTONZ ERYTIME U LOGON! NOBODY WANTS TO BE A LONER!. And if people like to solo, who cares, nothing anyone can do and it doesn't hurt anyone, but the point is to encourage party play. And if the game does not make party play easily accessible or rewarded adequately, why the hell would anyone do it?

Now I know the game isn't this extreme, but for instance, if the second someone started an MMO the game said Pssst, I don't say this to anyone, it's a secret, but if you solo, you'll get infinite money, gold, bragging rights, and are 10000x stronger then any other player, and they won't even know because it's a secret, they'll just respect you and assume you did everything they did but just better faster and smarter. Then I'm sure there would be atleast, a slight increase in players who prefer to solo over party play. And like I said the game isn't this extreme but using the same context, if the game explained easy to use party play, taking pride in your character, meeting new players w/ similar interest, showing respect, and frowned upon LS hopping, bad pug manners, playing for solely your own benefit and not the friends/players who helped you achieve your goals, then the community would probably be molded into something we'd all like to see.

And no, no one has to abide by these rules, which isn't even the proper word. It's etiquette. Which people who have only sunk a fair chunk of time into MMOs can recognize and follow. Instead of having new players come in trying to level up and give up somewhere down the line because they didn't know getting into a party would be faster, making a positive name for themself on the server would be beneficial to getting PT invites/quality LS, making friends who play the game the same hours they do would come in handy.

There always will be players who stick to their small group, players who solo, and players who spontaneously do w/e it takes to get what they want. However, if there was a proper form of efficient grouping that players could easily hop in and out of while maintaining a good rep and not waste time then it would be a pretty close secondary style of play for those players who primarily stay in small groups, solo, LS/PuG hop to the top.

Some things to note are the system we have now probably does work perfectly fine, the server populations are just so low it difficult to evaluate grouping features.

I'm assuming, popular self-questions are asked when thinking about playing FFXIV;

Why level when you don't have a proper LS to do content w/ consistantly?
Why level when the game has no content, and will not have content til 2.0? (feel free to argue 1 week of killing a moogle or running through a 25minute dungeon is content, i really don't care lol)
Why level when the game is unfinished, going through a massive overhaul, the classes are unbalanced, and it will probably be 10fold more fun, easier to group, with better rewards and unlockables in 2.0?

It's only my assumption that 2.0 will be a success because if it isn't, there is no FF14, and if you're assuming 2.0 won't be a success and playing just because FF14 is in it's optimal year of play currently, then you'd be crazy (yet still entitled to your own opinion). With that said, I'm implying we all have the same perspective on 2.0 and FFXIV as a whole, that doing anything in game until 2.0 is miniscule in comparisin to the grand scheme of things.

I know, there are those of you, and myself included, who think/thought you could level up your character, make close friends and do tedious stuff together in game to pass the time til 2.0, meanwhile all benefitting your own characters and reputation in game. And come 2.0 you'll have a strong solid group of LS member who magically, aren't burnt out on playing FFXIV 5 days a week at the level cap grinding the 7 days worth of content for the span of 2-3 months inbetween patches.

Different color because this is very subjective, kind of irrelevent, and probably not worth reading. It's essentially just advice if you have a couple 50 classes and keep logging onto 14 for unknown reasons (god forbid you enjoy the game in its current state and have been playing since launch with STILL no clear defined goals to strive for)

It just really isn't worth it. Encourage your LS doing stuff outside of FF14 together to bond and that will make your LS stronger, doing things together for the fun, not the profit or the benefit. Anyone who can seriously sit and play this game with like 200 players on their server (20-30 actually active) I highly advise taking 1millmeter step back and look at wtf you're doing. 1.21 is here whenever it's here, come to lodestone once or twice a day taking a 60second glimpse if there is new info/1.21 info, then (if you planned on playing 14) go play with your linkshell mates but in a fun game. You're literally doing the exact same thing you would've been doing in 14 but not in game.

The concurrent server populations are dangerously low on all but 3 servers, so that would greatly effect the amount of xp parties, search displays 60%+ of the populations to be 50, and 40% to be 1-49. 1-10 can be done in less then an hour using 1 standard attack to hit everything you see outside any of the 3 regions gates. This isn't counting any DOL/DOH classes. You're just getting ridiculously low numbers here, for a game with nothing to strive for (unless you count being in vain). Yup, there is a server merge, and we can assume there will be slight increase in pug's after that has happened. It won't fix the game though, and it won't take away every other detrimental reason there is to leveling right now in FF14. The same can be said for level synch (even if it was just until 2.0), a slight increase in active sp parties.

I doubt thousands of players will come flocking in just for level synch, which I know, it's not the primary point, the point is to make it easier for the laughable active server population this game has left. You can go 10-20, or 20-30 easier with level synch... Which, if finding a group was as easy as level synch, players could take all 8 DOW/DOM 1-50 in game breaking times. Probably 1-50 in a single day if you had 7 people with you at every optimal xp spot from 10-50.

This brings me to the next problem, the problem w/ 14's leveling system is not just the 1-50 same zone, copy pasta environments/mobs, the ability to go 1-50 insanely fast in a PT around your level, painstakingly repetitive and boring solo (which all need to be fixed for 2.0), it's that there is no consistant/fun form of gaining SP. The fact leves are still an option as solo xp is evidence of this theory. Fun =/= Solo'ing leves. If leves are still a primary (imo secondary or tertiary as well) form of gaining solo xp the concept will fail. I'm trying to figure out what leves even serve a purpose for other then a tedious task players must endure if they choose to solo for XP, thus, in return, making them want to group xp.

Let's take a look at the leveling system as a whole in FF14. It's very brief, and boring. Using optimal methods you can do 1-50 very very fast, using the least effective methods (solo leves), it's still pretty damn fast, but 10x more boring. Essentially, you suffer through boredom which Yoshida insists on making as quick and painless as possible because he wants to focus primarly on content. Currently the game has the quick boring leveling down, it's just lacking the content, and will lack (due to server structure issues which they have stated, meaning, this is never going to be fixed until the new server arrives, meaning the amount of content we have seen in the last 3 mega patches, is going to be noticabley the same with every patch we recieve) until 2.0.

Still want to play? Okay, fair.

Prepare you and your LS for the 1 week of content (for lack of a more accurate word) that will ensue for each of the patches otw til 2.0.

I get it, a couple players can't level at the speed of 1-50 in a week in a group/level synch, and they don't want to suffer through the drudgery of 1-40 doing solo leves in 2-3 weeks, (with 40-50 being done in a single day stronghold, plus level synch wouldnt be able to change the effectiveness of 40+) so they can't get prepared for content (I don't blame them for not wanting to solo leves or put any effort into their character when there is so little to enjoy/do at the max cap). That's not the lack of level synchs fault, the game is just unfun and broken, resulting in no one wanting to play it, so the masochistic people/new oblivious players left playing have twice as hard of a time finding groups.