Great job in 1.21 - Let's Talk Future FFXIV additions.

[TheBlazed]

General

First off i take my hat off to the entire development team of 1.21 working around the clock to turn this game around. 1.21 Was a great addition and am very excited about a raise in level cap to start experiencing these jobs.

While i was dissapointed with not having to level jobs it actually made more sense to because when level caps get increased that will satisfy my urge. I enjoy they were not implemented "Key and Chest" style like FFXI.

Patch 1.22
Now that 1.21 has come we can only begin to fantasize about future patches now. I understand 1.22 has AF weapons being implemented which is great but i speak off long term additions that should reach FFXIV before or during 2.0 implementation.

Thought, Suggestions, Future patches

What does FFXIV need? Let's be honest, FFXIV was a fail at start but is taking more of its older brother day by day, patch by patch. Going with what work's, Great! I personally Played FFXI for 8 year's because its the best game ive played since FF7.

- Multiple Angles of progression
-Introduction of Alliance and compatible raids (Confirmed for 2.0)
- Raise in level cap to 60 (Confirmed for 2.0?)
- Implementation of advanced jobs (confirmed for 2.0?)
- Public content anyone can join.
- Immersion (A war is coming up, why don't we see increased military activity. (guards walking places, Defense Mechanism being installed by npc's)
-Increased player communication about upcoming aspects of XIV.
- An updated Road-map of Febuary-2013 January.
-


I believe we need many "NEW" things to do... don't get me wrong FFXIV now has many things to do for the new gamer who may have started a few months ago but i am basing my suggestion for your customer base who have been with you since the start "action cost anyone?" This is in no way shape or form angled towards in a sense "Casual or hardcore" but simply those who progress at a normal rate. What's a normal rate well that's subjective and varies.

Lets take a peak at FFXI

Tiered HNM
Pop's in a random location every hour?


- Wandering Odin is a great example of this. (Gets stronger with each kill)
- HNM in open world, are now tiered..
- Every kill makes the next spawn stronger..
- Take the Aspect below and mix move-sets each spawn.
- Tier's would be from 1 to 10 then reset to 1 after 10th kill.
- Drops become better with each kill.
- Noticeable Strength increase in each tier HNM
1. Increased HP & attack power.
- Resistant to last method of killing. I.E resistant to magic if high % of damage dealt was magic last kill.
(That a great way for linkshell's to plan on the way they want to kill the HNM

- Hyper Notorious Monsters (Allaince required)
- Fafnir & Nighogg (Already being talked about in Dragoon quest line)
- Behemoth & King Behemoth
- Hydra
- Kirin (Needs to make an epic return with great look/animation improvements and new abilities)

These to name a few, one of the most complained about problem in XI was the pop time and camping and i have a simple solution to this:
- Every 6 hours with a 1 hour window of opportunity
- Drop rate is 5-6 pieces with individual percentage according to usefulness/rarity
- 2 drops should be guaranteed (1-6 roll dice instead of percentage)
- Other drops have between 15-20% chance
- Implemented HNM slayer counter: Kill X HNM times choice of drop from NPC
ex, Fafnir slayed 50 times choice of drop (perhaps make some RA/EX to entice killing after all gear is obtained from particular mob)
- Low percent drops could have 75-125 kill counter (unrealistic but realistic method of obtaining for those who claim to go 0/XXX without drop)

HNM Exclusive (Rage after 75 minutes)
- This is to add a versatile play of style to HNM.
Random chance of 3 move-sets
1. one that require kiting (Hard-hitting beast but has ranged that isn't as hard-hitting)
- requires attention 100% of fight
- abilities like "Must keep moving to avoid certain abilities and certain abilities where back must be turned, or no moving required.
2. one that one shot's if kited (Straight tanked with some abilities that require exact position.
3. one one that requires moving a lot (Ifrit nailed this)
Ifrit would be a perfect example of an HNM if he were not instanced.
- Mixture of kiting and tank phases.

These are designed to not be easy, Well-coordinated alliances, Vent, Teamspeak, whatever. Difficulty is easier with repetition and learning as with all NM.

- This weakens camping as those who want to claim as soon as pop... if you your setup is wrong you could wipe.




-Dynamis
This fits into the world of FFXIV original image and would work well here.

Dynamis-Like idea
Maximum - 24 people (3 Allainces)
Located in each city near aetheryte.
Ishgard
ul'dah
limsa lominsa
Gridania
----------------------------------------------
1. 10 Chest located all over each city.
- Time limit on each Enemy group determines how many pieces drop
- Each chest is guarded by a 1 HNM and 2 NM that are considerably difficult.
- Each chest also contains a Key for advancing to next chest.
15 minutes
Anima Restoration
4 Pieces of gear
HP/MP restored to Full
Defense buff for duration of instance
Key drop.
20 minutes
2 Pieces of gear.
HP/MP items
Key Drop
30 minutes
1 Piece of gear
Key Drop

After 5th chest obtain... Mobs start coming in from behind when NM are engaged and casting randomly selected status effects. Unsleepable with Mid-sized HP
- They come in groups of 5. Every 5 minutes after last group is killed.

10th Chest mobs stop coming... and there is 2 HNM guarding the chest. That is locked behind Key and door. Both HNM must be engaged at same time or they rage and wipe group.

V style setup --->










[B]- BCNM Faction Leve's used
Perhaps take the Beastcoins of the Beastmen already in the game and apply them for usage here.

Ixali Willowknot's - 50 Faction points
Your are hired as mercenaries to defend an encampment against poaching Ixali Beastmen.
- Gaurenteed reward is Anima restoration of 10 each round and with a chance for gear to drop until round 5.
- There is no level cap
Defense BCNM
10 rounds of Ixali with different job formations each.
- Unsleepable (Players are in love with sleepga)
- Some have increased move speed (Some can be kited, some cannot)
- Some Draw target in
- Some move slow but hit extremely hard
- Timer limit of 20 minutes for Each round.
- Increased difficulty after 5th round.
- only the well-coordinated advance to the high rounds.
- Every round after 5 Guarantee's 1 drop from a loot table of 10 pieces.
- After round 5, rare gear gets incorporated into loot table
- 10th round HNM has a chance drop a very rare weapon.

* Throw in a bunch of variables that make the players - Respond/React/Move/Strategize.
Don't make it simple where mobs just get slept/kited and we just kill 1 by one. This is a Survival BCNM for 10 rounds.
2 Bosses one on 5th round and a HNM possibly taken under their control for the 10th round.


- KSNM
Perhaps take the Beastcoins of the Beastmen already in the game and apply them for usage here.

Offensive KSNM Faction Leve points used
Zahar'ak Base Operation Neutralize
Player's are hired by an anonymous individual who want you to obliterate enemy beastmen.

5 Levels (This happens at nighttime and its dark.

1. 1st level Zahar'ak are unaware that infiltration has occurred and the lightest guards have come to try to defend.

2. 2nd level Zahar'ak Chief has be informed players have infiltrated base and mobilizes sentry's with classes similiar to group formation.

3. 3rd Level Trap! a Zahak'ak Shaman has cursed the 2nd level Teleporter and his split the Group of 8 into 4, They must now withstand 2 rounds of Zahak'ak captain's in a team consisting of 3.
After their defeat a nearby teleporter teleports team to level 4 and rejoins them.

4. 4th Level Zahara's Chief realized his trap has failed and prepare for battle.. he send his most talented captain's to defend the camp. 2 Enraged Zahar'ak warriors (unsleepable)

5. The Zahar'ak Chief realizes his clan has been slain and prepares for battle with the group.

- Sky (Named differently) TBA
- Sea (Named differently) TBA
- ZNM (Rage after 75 minutes)
- Alternative Method to HNM with different drops weaker than HNM counterparts.
- Require's Quest completion
- Uses 40 for Regular (Fafnir) (from 0 leve's 5 days to replenish)
- Uses 56 for King (Nighogg) (From 0 leve's 12 days to replinish)
- 3 ??? (different zones) spots known for their respective style of fighting (Practice for Main HNM) different drops from each to counter guild spamming easier style
- 15 minute ??? repop time.



Player Responses:

Credit to Actionhero for the Below
I’d like to see a change to leves in 2.0... id like to see that leves quests paint a picture with visuals rather than blocks of text. While I love story in the previous FF’s they had a fair combination of reading and action scenes. Also it would be nice to have our adventurers to have some purpose in the world… right now all our characters do is ride along being at the wrong place at the wrong time, not having any sort of impact on the decisions being made around us. Heres how we can do it!

Creating Difficulty and Party Dynamics
In 1.21 SE brought in the concept I was hoping for, where the party is split up into two groups to complete objectives towards a goal (although it’s not perfect it’s a start). In Leves 2.0 I hope that we will need to for example defend the village in 2 or more groups. One group to protect the villagers, the other to take up the front lines and prevent the incoming swam to completely overrun and the third (maybe DOH/DOL) putting out fires or parleying with NPCs (LOL). It would even be nice for disciples of hand and land to help out by putting out fires and reinforcing gates ect…. There should be mini bosses that look different (i.e. different skins, size difference) and should be more challenging than regular enemies by having increased health, and increased damage/defense.

Creating immersion and urgency
In the current leves we get a block of text that no one really reads for a back story that is completely useless for mindlessly killing mobs. In leves 2.0 hopefully when we start a leve (again using the same example with the village) you have to kill a few mobs that pop on us and then talk to a leader of some sort and they say in a short amount of text what to do. This paints a picture with visuals and allows players to feel like they have a purpose while getting right into the action.
I understand that with the current setup we aren’t allowed to see 20+ (?) characters at once which is limiting but in 2.0, but hopefully there are NPC characters that fight with us allowing us to earn bigger rewards for keeping them alive.
Preserving the idea of leves
While these changes seem like it would be changing leves into large scale battles we don’t want to change the entire concept. by keeping them short and sweet we allow hardcore and casual players to do something while waiting for large scale raids and PVP..

Credited to Cichy

Immersion at this point it's one of the biggest problems I have with the game. The world seems disjointed and non responsive.
First of all, the cities and regions are lacking any type of authority. In XI we had President in Bastok, the Royal family in Sandy, and the mages in Windy.
In XIV we had Empress of Uldah in one cs and some general but seeing them is so rare. In XI we had soldiers stationed, you could go visit the palace with soldiers and generals in there. Besieged featured TOAU defenders/generals.
I seemed like cities we're always aware of some type of danger and there was a structure in place in case.
In XIV we have primals and we are facing a garlean invasion which apparently everyone knows about and it seems like nothing is happening.
I would like to see Hall of Flames (and other company headquarters) become a part of the cities that's not in a separate room but rather out in the open. Would be great if units were gathering, generals walking around, etc, etc.

About the Future of Faction Leves
I think that's another part of the game that has lots of potential yet unexplored.
When Tanaka added the few high level leves (Buffalo, Wolves, etc) I thought it was nice. Provided us with few interesting fights and a reward for dreadful leve grinding.
I thought it was a nice start and that we will see expansion of this system.
Lets face it, leves are still boring so atleast dangle a carrot in front of our face with a promise of a cool fight after we complete number of them. I have 1000 points in each Faction and do not even bother currently using them because I've done the other ones and the rewards are outdated or waste of time.
In XI we had BCNM 20, 30, 40, 50, 75, etc, etc. Why not make BCNM type of fights that will be accessed through Faction Leves. It would elevate their value beyond that of grinding exp and occasional 10k gil.
While Company Leves deal with the empire and related content, Faction Leves can deal with super strong beast like monsters and relate to the past of Eorzea.

Some ideas for 2.0 leves
You are placed near a Garlean camp and your mission is to capture a captain who is planning on invading a hamlet. (Leve will end if captain leaves by 15 minute time limit, bonus rewards if Garlean supplies are seized.)

You are placed in a small village that is currently under attack and are required to save as many villagers and houses as possible within a 15 minute time limit. Leve will end if all villages are dead, bonus rewards for houses saved (can only be done by splitting party)

You are placed near a goblin mine and are required to steal/destroy a new goblin bomb prototype. Fighting your way to the end of the zone stealing the bomb would mean you have to fight a goblin head honcho (this will give bonuses) and destroying the bomb would still mean you fight your way out but no boss.
Credit to Actionhero for the Above

Credit to Jinko
I would much prefer them to take something like Ultimate weapons sent by the garlean empire make it massive massive big and spawn in random places around the world, it would require 60-100 people to kill it.

Make it public content so anyone can enter and help.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Credit to Rydin
Battle regimen needs to come back (More robust and in depth, mind you)
Incapacitation need to matter (I know I say this a lot but I just can't say it enough)
You can even incorporate combos into incaps to allow for special incap objectives on NMs and bosses
More emphasis needs to be placed on damage types (Blunt, slashing, piercing)

Credited to RedAffinity
I'd like to see structured / tiered content. I haven't played too much of other MMO's but in XI there was Sea / Sky / ZNM... i don't want a copy of those events in XIV, but things like THAT. You're rewarded with really great armor, and great challenges, and it takes a long time to obtain. I feel like that kind of endgame is missing in XIV right now.

Credited to Elreed
I would like to see content that is not repetitive, like moogle fight the moogles spawn randomly and its not like u stand here, we stand there and then everything is killed easily, u need to be running around kiting, evading, etc. More like random objectives, random attack waves, random NM's, etc.

So in a few words content that is not boring after a month...

The ones in bold fon't i believe could hold the player base and bring a substantial amount of players back.

These are just suggestions and i'd like to hear some imput of the community... I will edit and add later stuff and additions but this is what i have for now.

Let me know your thoughts on everything, Balance, questions, idea's for other catergories.

Thanks guys for the read!
Blazed~

[AreeyaJaidee]

Great thread Blazed. I agree 100%

Really hope the Devs look at this.

[Victor]

Sounds to me like you should be playing FFXI instead!

[Quesse]

I'm really not for the idea of taking every aspect of FFXI, renaming it, and jamming it in FFXIV.

I would prefer the FFXIV team to come up with new and unique ideas.

[TheBlazed]

Sounds to me like you should be playing FFXI instead!

While i agree, i had my time with FFXI, im more interested in this now.. but suggesting things that work from its brother.
They tried the new game approach and consequently suffered from it now im suggesting things that kept players since 2003 and to this day... but with a new angle on them.

[TheBlazed]

I'm really not for the idea of taking every aspect of FFXI, renaming it, and jamming it in FFXIV.

I would prefer the FFXIV team to come up with new and unique ideas.

Technically this game is every aspect, but i know what your saying. I am for this as well but sometimes new and uniquie like the game at beginning for example doesnt always pan out.

[DyskoFox]

The Players Poll <--- How you talk to Sqex about future editions to the game.

This isn't FFXI though I did play FFXI because I wasn't interested in the game and it was made for more hardcore players. It seems like FFXIV is more geared towards the casual players and many people like that.

[Wolfie]

I thought FF fans didn't like MMOs that are clones?

[SniperRifle]

I brought up on the poll I just want to see a variety of content. The possibility to be overwhelmed with things to do when I log on, and bi/annual goals to work towards with my friends.

[Actionhero]

>.> could this fit here?

I’d like to see a change to leves in 2.0... id like to see that leves quests paint a picture with visuals rather than blocks of text. While I love story in the previous FF’s they had a fair combination of reading and action scenes. Also it would be nice to have our adventurers to have some purpose in the world… right now all our characters do is ride along being at the wrong place at the wrong time, not having any sort of impact on the decisions being made around us. Heres how we can do it!

Creating Difficulty and Party Dynamics
In 1.21 SE brought in the concept I was hoping for, where the party is split up into two groups to complete objectives towards a goal (although it’s not perfect it’s a start). In Leves 2.0 I hope that we will need to for example defend the village in 2 or more groups. One group to protect the villagers, the other to take up the front lines and prevent the incoming swam to completely overrun and the third (maybe DOH/DOL) putting out fires or parleying with NPCs (LOL). It would even be nice for disciples of hand and land to help out by putting out fires and reinforcing gates ect…. There should be mini bosses that look different (i.e. different skins, size difference) and should be more challenging than regular enemies by having increased health, and increased damage/defense.

Creating immersion and urgency
In the current leves we get a block of text that no one really reads for a back story that is completely useless for mindlessly killing mobs. In leves 2.0 hopefully when we start a leve (again using the same example with the village) you have to kill a few mobs that pop on us and then talk to a leader of some sort and they say in a short amount of text what to do. This paints a picture with visuals and allows players to feel like they have a purpose while getting right into the action.
I understand that with the current setup we aren’t allowed to see 20+ (?) characters at once which is limiting but in 2.0, but hopefully there are NPC characters that fight with us allowing us to earn bigger rewards for keeping them alive.
Preserving the idea of leves
While these changes seem like it would be changing leves into large scale battles we don’t want to change the entire concept. by keeping them short and sweet we allow hardcore and casual players to do something while waiting for large scale raids and PVP..

Some ideas for 2.0 leves
You are placed near a Garlean camp and your mission is to capture a captain who is planning on invading a hamlet. (Leve will end if captain leaves by 15 minute time limit, bonus rewards if Garlean supplies are seized.)

You are placed in a small village that is currently under attack and are required to save as many villagers and houses as possible within a 15 minute time limit. Leve will end if all villages are dead, bonus rewards for houses saved (can only be done by splitting party)

You are placed near a goblin mine and are required to steal/destroy a new goblin bomb prototype. Fighting your way to the end of the zone stealing the bomb would mean you have to fight a goblin head honcho (this will give bonuses) and destroying the bomb would still mean you fight your way out but no boss.