The Stormblood Capstone fight pretty much killed my enthusiasm with the game.

[AmiableApkallu]

And for these players, iLevels increasing with each new expansion so that over time fights become easier is an important part of this game; I know numerous players who intentionally wait a few extra patches before doing MSQ content so that the trials won't be as hard. A design that locks in the difficulty of fights at a specific point forever leaves such players behind.

I think that the only content you can really outgear is the Lv.x0 content that lacks an ilvl sync, and that's because of the massive jump in max ilvl at Lv.x0. In general, Lv.x1-x9 content is implicitly ilvl synced by virtue of the character level sync. There's a reason why certain dungeons (Lv.41, Lv.65, Lv.71, etc.) are still called out as being a step up in difficulty: gear can only do so much for you.

Secondly, all of the MSQ was designed to be cleared by casuals on its release. Asking that everything have an ilvl sync down to, say, 20-30 over the minimum, or down to whatever happened to be the max on the content's release, isn't asking to pin them to some ridiculous level of difficulty. In fact, the Lv.79 and Lv.89 dungeons are already synced down to 30 ilvls over their minimum, so this is nothing that the game itself hasn't already shown itself willing to do.

Really, the major advantage of waiting to run the MSQ is not gear. It's the fact that the people you're randomly grouped with will likely have experience, and it's hard to understate how far knowledge and experience will get you and your party.

[OgruMogru]

Toxic casual attitude is now seeping into affecting new players, it's so gross lmao. "Take breaks ^^ but don't take breaks [or learn to time travel] if u wanna experience content how it's supposed to be or it'll affect ME retainer logging and being carried by everyone else in roulettes."

It's like they're standing at the bottom of an escalator refusing to move and ignoring all the people falling behind them and breaking their ankles because they can't get past

OP's right, we need a level sync for this stuff.

[Remember_The_Name]

This is exactly why the Party Finder and iLevel sync were created. To give you the opportunity to set your own terms of engagement. If you want to experience the content at its hardest level, you need to use PF with iLevel sync engaged. Maybe even with fewer players. This will take more time but you can absolutely make that decision for yourself. That is the trade off.

Oh, excuse me, there seems to be a problem. It seems CBU3 forgot to add a proper incentive for players to bother and join MINE parties, especially for "normal" level difficulty.

Players are doing MINE runs for Coils, old extremes and savages, because they are challenging and interesting on top of giving you rewards. But "normal" content, as we know it, even with MINE is still easy and straightforward. The difference is that the enemies are now doesn't explode from simply glancing at them and some mechanics can now be considered as "threatening". And there is ZERO rewards for doing that.

The whole idea about new player forming a PF group just to run a "normal" duty on a difficulty level that is not braindead is disingenuous and should not be taken seriously.

The game main selling point is that no matter when a new player joins XIV, they can experience the entire story to its fullest. But, in reality, all duties from older expansions are ridiculously outgeared and powercrept. And new duties from newest ones are laughably undertuned (with some notable exceptions).

If you want iLvl sync enforced, then be there when the content comes out.

You weren't.. so you missed out. Sorry about that.

I can't believe you actually said that in a good faith. Get the hell outta here.

[LilimoLimomo]

I think that the only content you can really outgear is the Lv.x0 content that lacks an ilvl sync, and that's because of the massive jump in max ilvl at Lv.x0. In general, Lv.x1-x9 content is implicitly ilvl synced by virtue of the character level sync. There's a reason why certain dungeons (Lv.41, Lv.65, Lv.71, etc.) are still called out as being a step up in difficulty: gear can only do so much for you.

Yup, agreed.

Secondly, all of the MSQ was designed to be cleared by casuals on its release. Asking that everything have an ilvl sync down to, say, 20-30 over the minimum, or down to whatever happened to be the max on the content's release, isn't asking to pin them to some ridiculous level of difficulty. In fact, the Lv.79 and Lv.89 dungeons are already synced down to 30 ilvls over their minimum, so this is nothing that the game itself hasn't already shown itself willing to do.

I'm not sure if I agree; I'd really want to hear from the most casual players to see how that would impact them before claiming that it wouldn't be negative for them. Though I would caution against underestimating how unskilled casual players can be, especially since on of FF14's weaknesses is its poor ability to teach players how to play the game.

What I can definitely say is that there have been times in the past when in my opinion CBU3 has missed the mark for casual content in MSQ. For example, on release "Seat of Sacrifice" is exactly the kind of content I'd like to satisfy my "midcore" needs; needless button-mashing aside, it hit the sweet spot for me and was meaningfully more difficult than the bulk of other MSQ content. And I saw this reflected in my casual friends' experiences as well, as trying to do this content on released stressed them out and resulted in them waiting longer to reach the conclusion of a story they were really into.

Really, the major advantage of waiting to run the MSQ is not gear. It's the fact that the people you're randomly grouped with will likely have experience, and it's hard to understate how far knowledge and experience will get you and your party.

This is definitely true. But I would also say that the improved gearing also improves knowledgeable players' ability to carry the newer/less-experienced players who are beating it for the first time.

[Deceptus]

To a first approximation, the answer is simple: ilvl sync. For example:

• ARR capstone: At Lv.50, your max ilvl is 130/135. The trial has a min ilvl of 42 and syncs you down to 60. Everyone is, at best, only 18 ilvls over the minimum.
• HW capstone: At Lv.60, your max ilvl is 270/275. The trial has a min ilvl of 142 and does not sync you down. A lot of folk will be a whopping 128 ilvls over the minimum.

You can probably guess how "true to its original design" content will be in practice by comparing the gap between the min ilvl required and the max ilvl you're allowed to enter in as.

I have no idea why SE doesn't put ilvl syncs on more content.

They have a bit over the years

ARR: difference between min ilvl and max is essentially double, almost triple. 55 (artifact gear) to 130 (ironworks).
HW: difference between min ilvl and max is roughly 80%. 148 min ilv (Gubal) to 270 (Aug Shire).
SB: difference between min ilvl and max is roughly 25%. 288 (Valerian) to 360 (Scaeven)

From SB on, the difference between the capstone ilvl (70,80,90) and the max ilvl of the expansion isn't much at all. 20% or so.

[AmiableApkallu]

What I can definitely say is that there have been times in the past when in my opinion CBU3 has missed the mark for casual content in MSQ. For example, on release "Seat of Sacrifice" is exactly the kind of content I'd like to satisfy my "midcore" needs; needless button-mashing aside, it hit the sweet spot for me and was meaningfully more difficult than the bulk of other MSQ content. And I saw this reflected in my casual friends' experiences as well, as trying to do this content on released stressed them out and resulted in them waiting longer to reach the conclusion of a story they were really into.

I'm curious. How many lockouts or days or weeks did they have to spend trying to get past Seat of Sacrifice?

But I would also say that the improved gearing also improves knowledgeable players' ability to carry the newer/less-experienced players who are beating it for the first time.

Yes, improved gearing helps people in combat. That's a truism barely worth mentioning.

Min ilvl runs of Endwalker's final trial clear on the first pull -- with a first timer or two, a few folk who maybe remember the fight, and a few folk who know it well. What exactly does gear have to do with that? That's the point.

[RitsukoSonoda]

Yeah guys! Just get a time machine and go back to when it was fresh! What are you? Poor?

My Delorean crashed into a police box that was floating in the time stream before ending up in a hot tub...

[Renalt]

My Delorean crashed into a police box that was floating in the time stream before ending up in a hot tub...

I know we aren't suppose to cross the streams...but does that apply to time machines?

[SannaR]

My Delorean crashed into a police box that was floating in the time stream before ending up in a hot tub...

Are you sure it didn't ricochet off the police box into a telephone booth and then into said hot tub?

[ninjasoldier014]

What the f*ck is a capstone and why are you not calling it a final boss