What bothers you most about the current synthesis system?

[Vaen]

First off, let it be known to all the angry crafting-haters; crafting got some HUGE improvements in 1.21. The exp is more than doubled if you play it right, even without rested exp, all the different skills are actually useful, and it takes strategy, carefulness, and experience with the flow of the system to maximize your quality and exp while not breaking your synth.

It's much less boring than it was before, it makes a lot more sense, and it's a lot more rewarding to those who can do it skillfully.

HOWEVER, I would agree with you that it's still somewhat boring. I would want to "gouge my eyes out" too if I did nothing but craft. But that's where you're doing it wrong by doing nothing else while you craft.

You see, the Big Secret to crafting is to watch stuff on Netflix or Youtube or Animeseason, listen to a podcast or audiobook or music, find SOME other way to entertain yourself WHILE you're doing your synths. It makes it so much more bearable and fun.

I know, it's not exactly an.. "orthodox" solution, but it works well and I rather like it. It allows me to tune in to other interesting, entertaining things while still not falling behind in FFXIV, which tends to consume so much of my time.

I'd be cautiously interested in synthing turning into a Bejeweled-like minigame, but I think that could get even more tedious over time, especially if I have to give it my full attention.

p.s. NEVER make synthing into a "sliding-tile" puzzle. I hate those damn things in Professor Layton so @&$#ing much



p.p.s.: I voted they should make more content for synthing and gathering; stuff like the group crafting a giant cake and hamlet defense synthing! And more lore and cutscene-quests. That would be great. Also, I totally agree that there should be much less running around for synthing leves. Make the ALL the same-level leves doable in the same places... or give us battleleve-like one-time teleports to our craft leve destination.