Endsinger is fixed, now fix the rest. Max ilvl is too high on old content.

[Absimiliard]

Yeee it wasn't very in depth for sure but it did add another interesting dynamic to the role tanks could fulfill in larger group content. A better example would probably have been Twintania in T5 where the off-tank was responsible for soaking orbs, positioning the snakey adds etc etc

It's old, but I would still consider it a good example. The OT's job was every bit as important as the MT's in that fight. A single mistake by the OT had a very high chance of wiping the raid. We should go back to those days of the OT bearing as much, if not more responsibility for the group's survival than the MT.

[Amenara]

Yeee it wasn't very in depth for sure but it did add another interesting dynamic to the role tanks could fulfill in larger group content. A better example would probably have been Twintania in T5 where the off-tank was responsible for soaking orbs, positioning the snakey adds etc etc Granted that's an oooold example and 8 man instead of 24 man but it's an element that makes fights more interesting when the alternative as OT now is predominantly standing on the boss and watching for tank swaps or tank in party out mechs. I think the last time OT had any responsibility like that was.... maybe Ramuh in E5s with the orbs and Garuda and Ifrit in E6s when they split into 2. Oh and ok they got 1 thing this tier with p10 yeeting them onto their platforms. But all these examples are in 8 man raid, not 24 man. It's a shame!

Heck, look at bone dragon in LoTA, all the tanks were responsible with pulling the skeletons apart and on the far platforms so they wouldn't get super speed and run to the dragon and wipe the raid as well as give the groups time to kill all the skeletons. That was a cool thing for OTs.

[ForteNightshade]

I never said I wanted those things, that's an entirely different sentence from what I said. Stop making up arguments to dunk on for forum likes.

You've continuously stated they can't "crank up" the difficulty because people will leave. I refute that by pointing out there is a middle ground between frequently wiping and being so laughably easy old content hardly requires more than a pulse and you essentially reiterated your original stance. And now you're saying that... wasn't your what you wanted? No, you just missed my point. I'm likening the current difficulty to being borderline easier than a game designed for children, and that some of that content causing a wipe or two won't lead to some mass exodus of players quitting because well, last I checked, Pokemon is the biggest franchise in the world.

In short, I'm disagreeing with your stance. And I don't give a hoot about likes, my dude.

[Neveron]

I'd argue that the main problem is less KOs and raidwipes than it is just, well, not actually getting to see the cool stuff. And the fights where you do get to see the cool stuff, but then they're still cut short to the point that they lose their impact.

This is the problem Endsinger had: not that people didn't die to it, but that people didn't get to see the last phase. She literally died mid-dialogue.

Other fights that have this issue include Aglaia (where you sometimes skip Nald'thal's entire balance attack, and that's only going to get worse next patch) and Syrcus Tower (where Glasya Labolas doesn't get to do anything, and Scylla isn't much better either).

Note that this isn't a problem that you get from x.5 trials or alliance raids, or mid-expansion trials like Ravana or Titania, because they already get ilvl sync from, well, actual level sync. This is primarily just an issue for x.0 final boss trials and x.1/x.3 alliance raids.

As for what to sync them to... I guess just give it a generous +20 item level sync and see if that works out with some playtesting? It's similar to typical item level syncs. You still get some benefit from gearing, and obviously get maxed substats from downshifted gear, but it's closer to what you'd expect from characters in that patch, potency adjustments aside.

[W4rm0nger5]

I agree, and honestly, I would extend it to all MSQ trials, not just the capstones, and adjust the max Ilvls for most of the alliance raids in a similar way to what was done for the Crystal Tower series.

[Morphiana]

Gear level is to confirm that you're eligible for the fight, and determines what duties you can do. Being above it is a mild bonus but should not get high enough that it steamrolls the fight while still nominally synched.

I agree, and honestly, I would extend it to all MSQ trials, not just the capstones, and adjust the max Ilvls for most of the alliance raids in a similar way to what was done for the Crystal Tower series.

I agree entirely.

We paid for and continue to pay for content that was promoted as sync'd and entertaining long after its initial launch. With the current max ilvl, it's like you're excessively powerful to the point where it feels like you're exploiting the game, and that diminishes the enjoyment. The true enjoyment comes from the challenge, even if it's at a normal mode difficulty level.

[vetch]

Note that this isn't a problem that you get from x.5 trials or alliance raids, or mid-expansion trials like Ravana or Titania, because they already get ilvl sync from, well, actual level sync. This is primarily just an issue for x.0 final boss trials and x.1/x.3 alliance raids.

It definitely is starting to happen on Ravana; about half the parties I get in roulette don't even see Swift Slaughter finish casting anymore. Likewise with Dun Scaith, good parties hitting buttons and not dying too much can kill Diabolos Hollow right after he finishes casting Double Edge before he even starts to bleed himself.

A needed solution if you want players to see all mechs on those fights is probably to roll back all the potency creep we've had, and shift them from being baked into the skills as soon as you get them to being trait-based like the Endwalker ones are. So for example you get potency increases on your core combo skills at 55, 65, 75, 85, etc..

[StartouchArts]

I agree wholeheartedly. Trials, especially MSQ trials are meant to teach players almost as much as they are important to the story. If a Trial is so easy that multiple mechanics can be skipped and/or Limit Break 3 isn't filled up at all or at the 2% mark, something's wrong.

It doesn't need to be Savage difficulty, but tough enough to require people to actually pay attention to not die and learn from their mistakes. If boss fights are not testing new players, they have failed their purpose.

[Iscah]

As far as I'm concerned, you've earned your right to steamroll content after clearing it at appropriate level/item level. I derive no additional joy from being forced to spend more time in older stuff than is absolutely necessary.

I enjoy redoing older fights. They were fun spectacles the first time I did them, although as a first timer I was kind of bewildered and spent some time on the floor, so it's an enjoyable thing to see them again and now do the mechanics confidently.

If the game difficulty slowly deflates so those mechanics don't get seen, that's where the enjoyment gets lost for me.

Heck, look at bone dragon in LoTA, all the tanks were responsible with pulling the skeletons apart and on the far platforms so they wouldn't get super speed and run to the dragon and wipe the raid as well as give the groups time to kill all the skeletons. That was a cool thing for OTs.

I still try to do that if I'm off-tanking, though I'm lucky if I can wrest it off the people trying to keep them all on the middle platform and pull them outwards before they die. I don't think people even understand that is how you stop them from rushing the dragon at lightning speed.

That said, Labyrinth is one of the few raids where I feel like I actually have a tanking job to do without being the main tank.

[NekoMataMata]

I did Endsinger with min ilvl today and it was actually fine. I actually got to see the swoop mechanic and a few other things. Wasn't really hard, but I did kind of struggle to pay attention and I'm really not sure why.