Why Do People Set Oddly High iLvls for Party Finder?

[Izscha]

Itemlevel doesn't represent player skill though.
It only represents how much time someone invested in grinding tomestones or doing daily roulettes for any particular class.

You can have a horrible healer in i520 gear that ruins a run or also a i510 healer that knows what they're doing (could be the other way around too - but its not the itemlevel number that matters).
Also note that on healer itemlevel makes a smaller difference than on dps, as there's generally more healing tools than necessary - and the difference in dps is smaller on a healer compared to a dps' gear.

But even on a dps, one that knows what they're doing will output more damage than someone clueless even if their gearlevel is a bit lower. Gearlevel indicates grinding and time investment, not expertise with a class.

Ofc it doesn't mean anything unless it's savage raid ( even tho today with echo on it's a joke ) but still you have no idea who you'll get, and you do know that you'll get a majority of bad players, bad players with better gear > Bad players with no gear.
That's the point.

[Moonlite]

Itemlevel doesn't represent player skill though.
It only represents how much time someone invested in grinding tomestones or doing daily roulettes for any particular class.

You can have a horrible healer in i520 gear that ruins a run or also a i510 healer that knows what they're doing (could be the other way around too - but its not the itemlevel number that matters).
Also note that on healer itemlevel makes a smaller difference than on dps, as there's generally more healing tools than necessary - and the difference in dps is smaller on a healer compared to a dps' gear.

But even on a dps, one that knows what they're doing will output more damage than someone clueless even if their gearlevel is a bit lower. Gearlevel indicates grinding and time investment, not expertise with a class.

You aren't taking into account how simple the PF is. How would you create filters like that? Or better yet how would SE build more functions into PF? People need to pick from the filters that are available. Getting upset about being excluded because of ilvl like the OP, seems weird.

[Saraide]

OP could just make their own PF if they dont like any of the currently existing ones. Surely if it is like they say, it will fill very quickly and also have clean runs because everyone who is on lower item level is going to make up the difference by playing very well. Put your money where your mouth is please.

[van_arn]

I could see the thought process as "510 is no current tomestone gear, so we'd rather wait until we have someone that couldn't potentially be a fresh 80." Even the 520 crafted gear still requires some tomestones to upgrade.

I don't think it's a guaranteed way of filtering, but it does more than nothing to filter players without a certain amount of time on a job.

A party lead could see someone with gear a year old and 40 clears as someone that knows the fight, but has taken a long time away from the game and might be rusty. That's less likely the higher the ilvl requirement.

[Liam_Harper]

Itemlevel doesn't represent player skill though.
It only represents how much time someone invested in grinding tomestones or doing daily roulettes for any particular class.

That's indeed true. All it's meant to eliminate is the chance that you're getting a fresh lv80, an alt class they've barely played, or someone who can't even be bothered doing their roulettes/hunt trains or buying a cheap crafted set before tackling endgame. In the second example, someone who can't be bothered to that degree is very unlikely to be a skilled player who researched their class and tries their best.

Of course you can still get bad players at 520, but you've reduced the odds of getting a really bad player who also has bad gear, and the gate you set really isn't that high a demand in terms of effort to prepare your character. Literally anyone can meet those requirements if they want to, it's not exactly unfair.

[Vyrerus]

It's the most basic way to vet player power... even if it's not entirely accurate.

I have a fond memory from when Sephirot Ex was brand new. A PF up for it for farming had i210 as the join requirement, but only wanted a BRD or MCH for the last slot. I'd finished the fight 12 times, mostly as MCH, but a couple times on WAR, and I was raiding on WAR so I had the axe already.

I sent the leader a tell, asking for my MCH i205 to join, said that my iLvl was still kinda low because I hadn't upgraded belt/accessories, but I had over a dozen clears on MCH.

His/her response?

"There's no way you ever beat this fight as an i205 MCH." So I linked him my totems and my axe while standing in Mist housing, and his response to that was, "So you took the wrong weapon, and you're trying to nerf my party on your crappy MCH. You can't join and I'm blacklisting you. You're a shitty player."

Was probably one of the nastier interactions I've ever had in game. From that, the thing to take is basically... if you see PFs where the iLvl requirement is ridiculously beyond what's required to clear, just make your own PF with the iLvl you have. More people will be able to join, and less people will try to parse hound loot farming runs. You might not get all the nice skips, but generally slower, more laid back parties tend to farm for a longer amount of time. Just my experience/two gil.

[Hix]

Itemlevel doesn't represent player skill though.
It only represents how much time someone invested in grinding tomestones or doing daily roulettes for any particular class.

You can have a horrible healer in i520 gear that ruins a run or also a i510 healer that knows what they're doing (could be the other way around too - but its not the itemlevel number that matters).
Also note that on healer itemlevel makes a smaller difference than on dps, as there's generally more healing tools than necessary - and the difference in dps is smaller on a healer compared to a dps' gear.

But even on a dps, one that knows what they're doing will output more damage than someone clueless even if their gearlevel is a bit lower. Gearlevel indicates grinding and time investment, not expertise with a class.

No one's gonna trial someone for a pug extreme so how are they going to filter out skilled or unskilled people?

[Deceptus]

You aren't taking into account how simple the PF is. How would you create filters like that? Or better yet how would SE build more functions into PF? People need to pick from the filters that are available. Getting upset about being excluded because of ilvl like the OP, seems weird.

No one's gonna trial someone for a pug extreme so how are they going to filter out skilled or unskilled people?

Easiest filter is the Duty Complete button.

Filters out a LOT of the chaff.

[Ama_Luna]

Easiest filter is the Duty Complete button.

Filters out a LOT of the chaff.

Chaff? Wow....

I hope most people in-game don't think that just because someone hasn't completed a duty that means they are worthless fodder. Just wow...

[MilkieTea]

Chaff? Wow....

I hope most people in-game don't think that just because someone hasn't completed a duty that means they are worthless fodder. Just wow...

If you’re joining a pf farming party and you haven’t completed the duty the chances of you doing things correctly and not running around like a headless chicken are pretty low.