Quote Originally Posted by Starlord View Post
Open-world NMs for the low level stuff, then Forced popped or Instanced NMs for the Uber and strong end-gear.. that way everyone can have the slice of the NM kill and possibly a reward from it. FFXI was a great game, but one of the things I didn't like was that I couldn't get Relic gear etc etc, because you needed to be in a Fuctional working LS to get them or else you lose out, and not only that but some NMs you could get sometimes because the other players get to them first, then you have to wait for 21+hrs to even try it again.
Got one problem with forced pops. People not in a party can still hit mobs. What is stopping people from getting their 40 LS members and take down an NM the developers design for 8 people? Possibly 16 if they implement an alliance system. The best way for NM's is to be instanced. Can even make it look like the area you were just in. Like you get the item required to pop one NM. When you go to the "???", you go through the classic "You are bound by duty." with people in your party go into an instanced version of the area you are in, kill the NM, then it takes you back from the instanced version to the normal open world area.

That is what I believe the best way to handle open world end game dungeons. I think a lot about Sky and Sea when I talk about this. It worked for those major end game dungeons because others outside the party could not claim mobs. So I think this is how it should be balanced. Of course, major fights be done in a special instanced area in the dungeon.