Critical Analysis: Relic Weapon Seal Acquisition

[Shougun]

I agree that materia RNG is not the most exciting, but there's really no shame in buying a melded weapon off the wards. The wards are there for a reason. It's not like you're going to SB farm (also lame RNG) all your own low-roll tier 4 materia for it anyway, so either way you're using the wards for it. Trust me, buying your M2 vs. melding it yourself really doesn't diminish from the "relic experience".

Oh no I agree, with what system we have now your experience isnt diminished at all when purchasing vs crafting.

I just meant it would have been more exciting to be a more personal experience and quest - current system is more of a "hey you 1.0 players I see you need something to do" lol.

[Honz]

The relic quest was designed for organized linkshells/communities. Pick up groups will obviously have a harder/longer time.

For example, players without a linkshell assisting them can take anywhere from 1 week to 3 months just collecting hamlet seals. We had a new member join our linkshell recently and he only had 3 seals, he was 9/9 in 2 days.

Once the seals phase is over the rest of the quest can be a breeze with a organized/experienced group. Strongholds/AV/CC/Darkhold can all be done in a day or less. Spirit bonding takes 4-8 hours depending on job and outside help. Factions/Garuda/Ifirit can all be done in a day.

I'm sure there are plenty of linkshells who can do it even faster. As of now relic quest doesn't take more than a few days with the help of a linkshell.

[Tango]

#1. Square will always have to monitor hamlet turn ins across x servers for the entire lifespan of the game. This is a bad idea.

#2. If left as it is as servers become more populated it will remain difficult to break into the top 3, and it will become even harder to obtain the seals through top 20 provisioning since it will be more difficult. There is no consistency in the expected rate to obtain the item because it's almost like how FFXI leveling worked - it depended on the number of people around your level range. Furthermore, if future "upgradeable" versions of relic weapons rely on hamlet defense on higher ranking, competition will, at different times, become even more fierce for the same top 20 provisioner spots. This will additionally add barriers for players who haven't obtained their original weapon relic yet.

#3. The design of obtaining the relic weapon focuses on time spent and not the skill level of the player. It doesn't define skilled players from unskilled players, it separates players who have varying amounts of time on their hands.

#1. Pretty sure this is going to go away completely for 2.0

#2. As higher lvl hamlets become available the seals will continue to drop with more frequency making it easier not harder. Getting 1mil turn ins is expensive and time consuming but I did it 2x myself on a very populated server (Durandal) once with 1.5m and once with 800k. Both were done with almost 100% HQ turn in items and I farmed about half the materials and bought the other half. I crafted the finished product (bow and sword) myself. It cost me around 6M for the total turn ins plus the time to craft and gather. Its hard work but its not impossible, I think MANY MANY ppl think its impossible but they are just lazy.

#3. The skill needed is questionable but for certain some of those faction quests are very hard with avg players. Most have to abuse the full party buff and still struggle A LOT. I have done half of them and the MNK+PLD stick out to me as really tough on the DPS check. Also ifrit X is certainly a skill check to me, its very hard to carry a member in that fight.

[Chinook]

I think relic weapons quest was clearly meant as a timesink for the current version, to keep people busy until ARR.

It doesn'T hurt to continue giving feedback though.

[Babydoll]

The relic quest was designed for organized linkshells/communities. Pick up groups will obviously have a harder/longer time.

This is what basically makes or breaks the game for me. I despise how everything needs to be in an organized, SMALL linkshell commuinity to be done. Excuse me SE, I am playing a MMO...which is a Massively Multiplier Online game. I love doing things with pick ups and meeting new people, or yanno...playing with a very diverse amount of people. Hopefully this will be fixed in ARR.

[Raikki]

This is what basically makes or breaks the game for me. I despise how everything needs to be in an organized, SMALL linkshell commuinity to be done. Excuse me SE, I am playing a MMO...which is a Massively Multiplier Online game. I love doing things with pick ups and meeting new people, or yanno...playing with a very diverse amount of people. Hopefully this will be fixed in ARR.

No. Just no. Casualifying the game to the point that barely-capable-of-beating-Ifrit-level PUGs can do everything would absolutely destroy the game. You can PUG enough in the game already without demanding to be allowed to PUG relic weapons of all things. Let those of us who care about skill keep something to play for please.

[Chardrizard]

I got 2 relics from pick up groups (yes, even the ifrit extreme part), so yes it is possible to get relics from pickup groups. Just probably not NA pickups.

[Raikki]

I got 2 relics from pick up groups (yes, even the ifrit extreme part), so yes it is possible to get relics from pickup groups. Just probably not NA pickups.

That's true, too. JP PUGs are on a whole different level. If NA PUG players were willing to step it up, I'd have no problem with them being able to do it.

[RoosterAgathos]

I've seen a lot of these threads pop up as of late where people are having a rough time getting their seals.

I have to say I didn't have much issue in obtaining my seals in part because of my LS. (thanks Seraphim! http://www.seraphimls.com/home shameless plug )

I will try not to get all preachy on how i did it.. it wasn't because i farmed tons of items or spent weeks crafting items. I noticed when Atmos was at its peak no one was doing hamlet. NO one... top spot was somewhere around 300k in points so i camped hamlet turn ins and when i noticed there was lack of interest i turned in the required amounts to get top spot.. In all I turned in somewhere around 2 million gil worth of items total for all 3 areas (some gathered some crafted) So getting top spot isn't all that difficult. Especially now when I am sure you server like mine has a decline in the population.

Getting a party together might be a difficult proposition as nothing drops in rank one unless you are a top 20. So i asked LS members who were interested in the achievement aspect of hamlets. I ran several All DoW/DoM and all DoH/DoL even did a PUG group here and there.

All i am saying is its not impossible to get the seal portion of the Relic quest completed even with a limited population. IMO its the best time to get it accomplished. Its really just a matter of how you look at it.

[Babydoll]

No. Just no. Casualifying the game to the point that barely-capable-of-beating-Ifrit-level PUGs can do everything would absolutely destroy the game. You can PUG enough in the game already without demanding to be allowed to PUG relic weapons of all things. Let those of us who care about skill keep something to play for please.

Yes..just yes lol.

No, not casual. That is not what I meant, I do not want content for casuals.

For example, FFXI was not casual...not by any means. I nearly played FFXI with the eat sleep and breathe it mentality 24-7 and loved it. And yeah..with that game I could hop online and join PUG's and get shit done. Not easily though, haha nooo not at all.

I have played it since 2003...and anyway, people on that game only made statics for play times, not because of the content. That game was made so that it was very hard and challenging but yet pick ups could still do it BUT they had to invest an insane amount of time and effort in it. Does this make sense? Maybe I did not choose my words properly. I in no way want a casual game, those are boring and I give up on those fast..or avoid them at all costs.

I would join PUGs to do stuff and it would take the whole day. I am not against difficult, hardcore content...that is what I have been wanting for years. But I do not want to be forced to do it with the SAME 8 people every time. That gets stale and old fast to me. I love meeting new people and making new friends. That is the whole point of a MMO no? If you want 8 man content and want to play with the same group of people day in and day out....umm that is not what I imagine when I think of a MMO....

I got 2 relics from pick up groups (yes, even the ifrit extreme part), so yes it is possible to get relics from pickup groups. Just probably not NA pickups.

Yeah this is what I want. Thank you for sharing this ^^