This game has serious free-rider problems and it's getting worse. A suggestion.

[Ayuhra]

SE probably thought that players would actually go out of their way to gather essences, lost actions, and the like (Valor) to not be a hindrance to their party. Unfortunately, many players would rather waste their own and other's time instead of doing so. Even if essences or lost actions were permanent (no usage limits) I suspect many would STILL not use them, and even if they were automatically applied, I bet people would go out of their way not to unlock them if they didn't have to, to complete the content.

Speaking as someone finally in the last legs of a relic quest (Yes I'm casual) Bozja's whole essence thing is...uh. Bad? It's quite bad.

I'm one of those DPS people who never has a DPS essence. I'd use one if I had one. I rarely even have good DPS Lost Actions. I work most of the day so I don't have a ton of time to spend grinding mobs to maybe get fragments that will maybe give me an essence I can actually use. I do try where I can, sometimes dumping clusters (I have given up hope for saving for the mount) or gil (I have given up hope for having gil) and I am currently at 0 for dps essences. When I do get them they're only good for one run of something or other (Pures can ONLY be used in DR).

If there were a way to reliably grind for them while also making relic progress I'd do it.

So far the best combo I've had going with whatever I end up getting is Beast and defensives. Doesn't make me an impressive party member but it gives healers with profane more openings to go ham.

[Lastelli]

If there were a way to reliably grind for them while also making relic progress I'd do it.

There is. Several ways, actually.

Castrum gives dozens of fragments, for starters, and most of them are useful essences or actions. Then there are several methods to farm good or even great fragments quickly. And if you really can't spend even a few minutes grinding fragments with a friend or two, you can always buy them, they're very cheap.

Consider this: 10 minutes of good cluster farming yields several dozens clusters, that can be used to get essences and actions for delubrum that will last you for several runs. 10 minutes.

[Ayuhra]

There is. Several ways, actually.

Castrum gives dozens of fragments, for starters, and most of them are useful essences or actions. Then there are several methods to farm good or even great fragments quickly. And if you really can't spend even a few minutes grinding fragments with a friend or two, you can always buy them, they're very cheap.

Consider this: 10 minutes of good cluster farming yields several dozens clusters, that can be used to get essences and actions for delubrum that will last you for several runs. 10 minutes.

Skirmisher has a 1 in 7 chance to drop from Awakening.

I'm not saying you are wrong that there are ways to get them, but the RNG for DPS just seems greater than it is for healer or tanks (tanking essences are pretty easy to get from some very low level mobs even).

Broadly speaking essences seem designed to help each part of the trinity access the power of the other two parts

Tanks get access to healing and damage
Healers get access to damage and defense
DPS gets access to healing and defense

This allows for some very interesting group comps...in theory. For the usual pugs that form you quickly learn that many mechanics are one shot so the defense and healing doesn't mean as much so you end up with:

DPS that can do a bit of healing and can resurrect
DPS that can tank
DPS that does less dps than the other two

Obviously there are some very good ways to combine essences and LA for dps but most groups just want something like skirmisher and that's an annoying one to try to get. I've known people who get so fed up over being called lazy for not having a dps essence that they spend 50k on fragments and end up with like 2 that are gone in two runs. It gets pretty wild.

Um...you practically get a DR essence starter pack now for clearing Castrum, also 5 crystals and not having to do some alliance raids.

People deplete those VERY quickly doing the DR runs for the relic. Granted they last longer now that you don't have to it 15 individual times.

[Lastelli]

Skirmisher has a 1 in 7 chance to drop from Awakening.

I'm not saying you are wrong that there are ways to get them, but the RNG for DPS just seems greater than it is for healer or tanks (tanking essences are pretty easy to get from some very low level mobs even).

Broadly speaking essences seem designed to help each part of the trinity access the power of the other two parts

Tanks get access to healing and damage
Healers get access to damage and defense
DPS gets access to healing and defense

This allows for some very interesting group comps...in theory. For the usual pugs that form you quickly learn that many mechanics are one shot so the defense and healing doesn't mean as much so you end up with:

DPS that can do a bit of healing and can resurrect
DPS that can tank
DPS that does less dps than the other two

Obviously there are some very good ways to combine essences and LA for dps but most groups just want something like skirmisher and that's an annoying one to try to get. I've known people who get so fed up over being called lazy for not having a dps essence that they spend 50k on fragments and end up with like 2 that are gone in two runs. It gets pretty wild.



People deplete those VERY quickly doing the DR runs for the relic. Granted they last longer now that you don't have to it 15 individual times.

Skirmisher is not a good one actually, if you think it is sorry to say but you fundamentally lack any form of understanding about the content, no offense. You're much better off with beast + lost assassination. Dozens of those can be easily acquired or bought for a few thousands gil. For delubrum, you just want deep essences. Again, those are very easily acquired by the dozens, as I already told you.

And no, essences are not designed to help each part of the trinity access the power of the other two parts. I mean, they also allow that, but that's obviously something you might want to do only if you're lacking the specialized party members. In group content, you should just take whatever increases your damage because there's no reason to do otherwise.

[Rein_eon_Osborne]

So far the best combo I've had going with whatever I end up getting is Beast and defensives. Doesn't make me an impressive party member but it gives healers with profane more openings to go ham.

Even something as ‘useless’ as platebearer will still mean your healers can leave you alone longer before having to babysit you. Nothing’s more fun to my eyes than seeing myself getting more opportunities hurling Glares/Broil/Malefic on top of party’s enmity list consistently… until a tankbuster aimed directly at myself (hopefully not, lmao). It’s the “Yes I choose not to farm essence but I want my rewards so I hope my party will do the rest of the work”-players that are inevitably contributing to the peril. But should we be surprised? That’s what Yoshi-P wants. /shrug

Also yes, there are actually relatively easy ways to farm the essences. Setting aside 10-20m of productive farming with an active party is enough essences to last you probably a week or two depending on your classes preferences and options. Naturally if you are versatile with your classes choices it will lasts you longer because you have more options of essences you can use than not.