"Taking a stand" quest

[Supersnow845]

This is interesting. It typically isn't hard, it's just that many of us are extremely annoyed that our immersion is shattered. (Like at least In From The Cold explains why we're someone else, even if the rest of the narrative is incomprehensible. But how do I suddenly turn into Alisae?) It's conceivable that entering a duty being pissed off compromises performance.

I don't remember the other Azim Steppe one which likely means I didn't find it difficult.

Additional: when we're playing as ourselves we can overgear a bit, mebbe? Like it's synched, but you can max it. Maybe that helps.

Immersion break (despite it not being immersion breaking because the WOL is still there they just aren’t being controlled) doesn’t explain why people struggle with it so much. If you are standing there failing the duty because you are fuming at having to play Wuk Lamat that’s not the duty’s fault that’s squarely on you. The game even pares down the kits massively to make this easy. Like wuk lamat’s “rotation” is 4 buttons

1) single target button when only facing bakool ja ja
2) AOE button when minions come out
3) use thrill of battle on CD
4) LB on CD

If you can’t understand those 4 buttons your issues with the game are wider than this solo duty. You should be able to intuitively understand the pared down kits of jobs outside your role. If you look at wuk’s 4 button kit and go “I’m a SMN this looks like Latin to me” then your understanding of the game is severely lacking and needs to be bought to attention eventually. If you are trying to look for things to do that you think “fits” the role you are playing that’s also a problem. Nothing in Wuk’s kit involves a semblance of tanking, so people going “I’m not a tank” don’t make any sense because nothing in this quest required you to tank

Overgearing is meaningless because the solo duties specifically prevent it, x1-x9 duties sync you only a level or two above the recommended level which is like an extra 1-2% power, capped duties sync you only 20-30 ilvl’s higher which while a bit stronger is not the difference between success and failure if you are failing on very easy

[Mawlzy]

Immersion break (despite it not being immersion breaking because the WOL is still there they just aren’t being controlled) doesn’t explain why people struggle with it so much. If you are standing there failing the duty because you are fuming at having to play Wuk Lamat that’s not the duty’s fault that’s squarely on you. The game even pares down the kits massively to make this easy. Like wuk lamat’s “rotation” is 4 buttons

1) single target button when only facing bakool ja ja
2) AOE button when minions come out
3) use thrill of battle on CD
4) LB on CD

If you can’t understand those 4 buttons your issues with the game are wider than this solo duty. You should be able to intuitively understand the pared down kits of jobs outside your role. If you look at wuk’s 4 button kit and go “I’m a SMN this looks like Latin to me” then your understanding of the game is severely lacking and needs to be bought to attention eventually. If you are trying to look for things to do that you think “fits” the role you are playing that’s also a problem. Nothing in Wuk’s kit involves a semblance of tanking, so people going “I’m not a tank” don’t make any sense because nothing in this quest required you to tank

Overgearing is meaningless because the solo duties specifically prevent it, x1-x9 duties sync you only a level or two above the recommended level which is like an extra 1-2% power, capped duties sync you only 20-30 ilvl’s higher which while a bit stronger is not the difference between success and failure if you are failing on very easy

Can't you also use food and potions when playing as yourself?

Agreed, the 4-button rotation is trivial, and I assume this means the devs compensate by making the mechanics more punishing. The problem isn't executing the rotation, it's dodging.

This of course is unironically a skill issue. But if the skill floor in these things at very easy is deemed acceptable by the devs, they should ensure that it works in all solo duties else a lot of people are going to be very peeved. There's clearly something different about Taking A Stand, and it's presumably the bugged very easy mode.

[Supersnow845]

Can't you also use food and potions when playing as yourself?

Agreed, the 4-button rotation is trivial, and I assume this means the devs compensate by making the mechanics more punishing.

This of course is unironically a skill issue. But if the skill floor in these things at very easy is deemed acceptable by the devs, they should ensure that it works in all solo duties else a lot of people are going to be very peeved. There's clearly something different about Taking A Stand, and it's presumably the bugged very easy mode.

The very easy mode isn’t necessarily bugged (nor is the easy version easier than very easy) it’s just that because this solo duty is trying to tell a particular story the very easy mode prioritises different things (I went back and played around with this to analyse it rushing through NG+ a few times)

In this solo duty you are supposed to be weaker than bakool ja ja, you overcome him with your shear force of will, this is represented by your limit breaks. Since the limit breaks heal you are required to still get belted by bakool ja ja in order to represent that wuk is transcending her limits. Due to this while very easy mode puts a damper on the damage it still keeps it high enough you need to LB to keep yourself alive because that’s what the story is trying to tell. Very easy still also applies a damage up which allows you skip some of the later mechanics

In this case in an effort to tell the story they have limited the effect very easy has on altering outgoing damage, in a similar way to how you can’t ignore the mechanics on very easy when doing in from the cold. That is just as much dev design as other very easy modes where they do more heavily alter the damage because it isn’t relevant to the story

[Mawlzy]

The very easy mode isn’t necessarily bugged (nor is the easy version easier than very easy) it’s just that because this solo duty is trying to tell a particular story the very easy mode prioritises different things (I went back and played around with this to analyse it rushing through NG+ a few times)

In this solo duty you are supposed to be weaker than bakool ja ja, you overcome him with your shear force of will, this is represented by your limit breaks. Since the limit breaks heal you are required to still get belted by bakool ja ja in order to represent that wuk is transcending her limits. Due to this while very easy mode puts a damper on the damage it still keeps it high enough you need to LB to keep yourself alive because that’s what the story is trying to tell. Very easy still also applies a damage up which allows you skip some of the later mechanics

In this case in an effort to tell the story they have limited the effect very easy has on altering outgoing damage, in a similar way to how you can’t ignore the mechanics on very easy when doing in from the cold. That is just as much dev design as other very easy modes where they do more heavily alter the damage because it isn’t relevant to the story

Uhm. That's an interesting and creative speculation/fanfic, but when the difficulty modes are indistinguishable, I just assume the devs screwed up. Have to say I didn't find the fight narratively illuminating in any way, but again that may just reflect the fact I dislike such quests and want them done asap so I can get back to watching my visual novel or getting my hair done. (<-- Bait.)

Maybe if the devs would simply communicate to the players explaining what is going on here, we wouldn't have these lengthy discussions and confused players. Equally they told us the PLD Onsal cheese was "working as intended" before they fixed it, so maybe even that wouldn't help.

[Supersnow845]

Uhm. That's an interesting and creative speculation/fanfic, but when the difficulty modes are indistinguishable, I just assume the devs screwed up. Have to say I didn't find the fight narratively illuminating in any way, but again that may just reflect the fact I dislike such quests and want them done asap so I can get back to watching my visual novel or getting my hair done. (<-- Bait.)

Maybe if the devs would simply communicate to the players explaining what is going on here, we wouldn't have these lengthy discussions and confused players. Equally they told us the PLD Onsal cheese was "working as intended" before they fixed it, so maybe even that wouldn't help.

As I said the difficulty modes arent indistinguishable they just appear that way to people who are failing. You 100% take way less damage and do way more damage but you are still taking more damage than average very easy mode because of the design of the quest (same as in from the cold)

[Mawlzy]

As I said the difficulty modes arent indistinguishable they just appear that way to people who are failing. You 100% take way less damage and do way more damage but you are still taking more damage than average very easy mode because of the design of the quest (same as in from the cold)

Given that is precisely the group who would try the different modes, I think the negative reaction to this fight is understandable.