A request for Endwalker Dungeons (No more Undertuned)

[Aelin_Ashryver]

I was watching Preach talk about how he is enjoying the <50 dungeons because they have all these little extra mechanics to do and side areas to explore and discover and how he was excited to see how it would improve. And all I could think was how sad I was because all they did was remove those nice little extra things in favour of making a big corridor of trash boss trash boss trash boss. Because people seemingly couldn't deal with taking a wrong turn on their first run I guess? Shame. I wish they would bring back the exploring to dungeons. Because as they stand now they are just so linear and dull. The story they are in, what you see is all nice sure. But I would like to actually have something to discover, to get lost and find my way etc. FFXIV really doesn't have much in the way of exploring at all honestly and it's sad.

[Arkdra]

I was watching Preach talk about how he is enjoying the <50 dungeons because they have all these little extra mechanics to do and side areas to explore and discover and how he was excited to see how it would improve. And all I could think was how sad I was because all they did was remove those nice little extra things in favour of making a big corridor of trash boss trash boss trash boss. Because people seemingly couldn't deal with taking a wrong turn on their first run I guess? Shame. I wish they would bring back the exploring to dungeons. Because as they stand now they are just so linear and dull. The story they are in, what you see is all nice sure. But I would like to actually have something to discover, to get lost and find my way etc. FFXIV really doesn't have much in the way of exploring at all honestly and it's sad.

Because they aren't nice. They are cool exactly once and then a headache every other time thereafter. I do not understand this sentiment. What is so exciting about your tank getting lost and taking a wrong turn in totorak and your reward is... extra boring trash in one of the worst dungeons in the game? And practically, all those side paths may as well not exist because people will figure out the fastest means through a place and that trickles down pretty quick through the games playerbase. People had Qarn, Darkhold, Totorak and Cutters cry figured out by the end of the first month of ARR launch and you'd almost never blunder down one of those side routes anyway, at which point they don't serve any purpose.

Same deal with the Qarn puzzle. Like I think it's neat but the reality isn't 4 sprouts staring at the scales intently, trying to solve the puzzle, it's someone checking a wiki for the answer or someone that has already done it and knows the answer. The little mystique these things grant on first encountering them is not worth the tedium they produce on repeat encounters in the future.

[TaleraRistain]

Same deal with the Qarn puzzle. Like I think it's neat but the reality isn't 4 sprouts staring at the scales intently, trying to solve the puzzle, it's someone checking a wiki for the answer or someone that has already done it and knows the answer. The little mystique these things grant on first encountering them is not worth the tedium they produce on repeat encounters in the future.

Funny thing about that is that the side area at the beginning gives you the answer.

[ItMe]

Funny thing about that is that the side area at the beginning gives you the answer.

Funny thing about that is getting the answer involves fighting 2 trash packs where botching the puzzle punishes you by making you fight 1 trash pack.
Especially since the extra chests you get either give levelling gear or randomly gives 1 person, like, a hi-potion... it's really not worth it the tedium they produce on repeat encounters in the future.

[Roda]

Funny thing about that is getting the answer involves fighting 2 trash packs where botching the puzzle punishes you by making you fight 1 trash pack.
Especially since the extra chests you get either give levelling gear or randomly gives 1 person, like, a hi-potion... it's really not worth it the tedium they produce on repeat encounters in the future.

Didn't they update them to give decent leveling gear now?

[TaleraRistain]

Funny thing about that is getting the answer involves fighting 2 trash packs where botching the puzzle punishes you by making you fight 1 trash pack.
Especially since the extra chests you get either give levelling gear or randomly gives 1 person, like, a hi-potion... it's really not worth it the tedium they produce on repeat encounters in the future.

Yet most groups I get still do the two rooms and the puzzle. I've only had one where the tank refused to do them and pushed the party to just ignore it all. And the rest of us didn't really like doing that. There's something fun about the little mini puzzles with the heads to open the doors.

[ItMe]

Didn't they update them to give decent leveling gear now?

If you are of level, yeah the gear is relevant.
Though like a toddler rapidly outgrowing their clothes, you level up so fast at that point in the game, and the stat difference makes no real difference when the numbers are all so low and close together, that it's still not really worth going out of your way for.

Yet most groups I get still do the two rooms and the puzzle. I've only had one where the tank refused to do them and pushed the party to just ignore it all. And the rest of us didn't really like doing that. There's something fun about the little mini puzzles with the heads to open the doors.

k.
That's some nice anecdotal experience.
My anecdotal experience is I've seen the party go out of their way for this stuff so few times this expac (during multiple new player booms) that I can count it on one hand.
Our personal experiences don't really matter too much though when the writing is on the wall as far as what the devs and what the greater community think.

Personally, I believe that mini puzzles are fun, but if there is a good way to integrate them into FF14 style dungeons the dev team have not figured out how to yet. Not when one of the highlights is something like pushing the right button in Sastasha.

[Nuttymiked]

I was watching Preach talk about how he is enjoying the <50 dungeons because they have all these little extra mechanics to do and side areas to explore and discover and how he was excited to see how it would improve. And all I could think was how sad I was because all they did was remove those nice little extra things in favour of making a big corridor of trash boss trash boss trash boss. Because people seemingly couldn't deal with taking a wrong turn on their first run I guess? Shame. I wish they would bring back the exploring to dungeons. Because as they stand now they are just so linear and dull. The story they are in, what you see is all nice sure. But I would like to actually have something to discover, to get lost and find my way etc. FFXIV really doesn't have much in the way of exploring at all honestly and it's sad.

Hmmm So I'm a new player. I'm close to finishing HW and I gotta say...HW seems a lot easier than ARR. Are you saying SB and ShB is going to be even more braindead easy? I was thinking that the dungeons and trials would "progress" overtime and expect the player to have gotten better at playing, introduce new mechanics, etc.

[Shurrikhan]

Hmmm So I'm a new player. I'm close to finishing HW and I gotta say...HW seems a lot easier than ARR. Are you saying SB and ShB is going to be even more braindead easy? I was thinking that the dungeons and trials would "progress" overtime and expect the player to have gotten better at playing, introduce new mechanics, etc.

StB dungeons have some gems (parts of Bartam of Doma Castle, especially).

ShB dungeons... well, I can't honestly say they're an improvement, especially over the likes of the Vault's bosses or the originality among some others.

[ssunny2008]

StB dungeons have some gems (parts of Bartam of Doma Castle, especially).

Don´t know what´s special about Doma. Bardam is special yes, but it´s no improvement or challenging. Just wall to wall bang and an "afk" boss. Nice puzzle-feature, but shouldn´t be a boss.

Hmmm So I'm a new player. I'm close to finishing HW and I gotta say...HW seems a lot easier than ARR. Are you saying SB and ShB is going to be even more braindead easy? I was thinking that the dungeons and trials would "progress" overtime and expect the player to have gotten better at playing, introduce new mechanics, etc.

Stuff is definately getting more braindead. Away from dungeons there are only like 2 fights in the whole SHB expansion and 1 in SB which are more than the usual stuff. One is an extreme fight and the other a savage one. The rest is just more of the same. Dungeons have become even more braindead especially with more tools on any class, which mostly last in "fill the gauge with 123, press the button, enjoy the burst".

Gameplay-wise ARR is far superior than anything beyond. Devs care more about glam and a braindead mode, so any idiot will cash into the game, just to see some half-naked bunnies or cats running around. More than enough changes has shown that visuals are way more important than the gameplay and content.