Dynamic Content: Using Players as Slaves

[Vesperia]

So we all know SquareEnix has a habit of making repeatable questing-content, and if you think otherwise, might I point you in the direction of Leves, Guildtasks, and Behests so you can reevaluate your position. The repeatability is mainly due to the armory system, a feature which means unique quest-progression is impossible. Everything in FFXIV, by way of necessity, must be repeatable. But repeatable though it may be, it needn't feel repetitive.

Which is why I am sure you will all welcome my latest suggestion: player-driven, dynamic questing content. This is a way for SE to disguise the copy/paste mechanics they are all so fond of without anyone ever even noticing. Better yet, we the players will do all the work for them.

And so without further ado, I present to you my concept: Encourage players to create their own content.

Everyday someone logs onto FFXIV with their own personally-motivated goal, and yet everyday someone realises they can't achieve this goal because XYZ random occurences get in the way, or more commonly, they are beset by XYZ issues that SE still hasn't fixed.

A way for players to create their own quests, offering their own rewards, would be a way for the average player to prevent his or herself from feeling overwhelmed by tasks beyond his capacities. Think of something along the lines of a public bulletin board.

For example, sometimes you cant find something in the market ward -be it an HQ material or a rare piece of equipment. A public-quest system would help serve as an intermediate for the player and facilitate him in achieving his goals. And, at the same time, it will provide other players with content/something to do.

Again, sometimes players need help finishing a quest. Well, worry no more noob! A public quest system would help in this situation also.

In a similar fashion, Linkshell leaders are often left with a million things to do and organise. Allowing linkshell leaders to set quests would go a long way to alleviating their burden. Having some kind of linkshell-currency as a reward would also help Linkshells recognise their most helpful members, and aid in determining which members were in line for a promotion.

With the introduction of Player Run Companies, such features will serve as an essential link and aide in the production and logistics of group-crafts and other large-scale multiplayer content.

So I hope you can all now appreciate how, with only a few minor changes and implmentations, SE can use the players to their advantage, optimising development costs and resource allocation, and providing an endless spree of quests and fun for years to come.

[Leeloo]

I was disappointed when logging on to one of my characters the other day, that's only focusing on Alchemy for crafting + the very small amount of sub-crafting it needs. And the whole random local leves thing totally let me down again. Sometimes it's great, this time it was 1 leve in my rank range for each city. /rage

Something as simple as me being able to tell the game "Look, I'm only interested in alchemy, don't worry about other leves" would be awesome. Like setting a character path for the time being. So I would only be presented leves that I'm interested in and at the appropriate rank. With battle it's all the same, but it could offer me marks focused on the classes I choose, etc.

[Vesperia]

I was disappointed when logging on to one of my characters the other day, that's only focusing on Alchemy for crafting + the very small amount of sub-crafting it needs. And the whole random local leves thing totally let me down again. Sometimes it's great, this time it was 1 leve in my rank range for each city. /rage

Something as simple as me being able to tell the game "Look, I'm only interested in alchemy, don't worry about other leves" would be awesome. Like setting a character path for the time being. So I would only be presented leves that I'm interested in and at the appropriate rank. With battle it's all the same, but it could offer me marks focused on the classes I choose, etc.

That's a good suggestion. I never do local leves anymore, I just grind, but I remember when I used to do them how annoying it was to never get level appropriate ones on the right craft.

[Xenor]

Leves, guild tasks and behests don't NEED to be repeatable. It just makes sense that they are. Repeatable content is never a bad thing.

[Leeloo]

Another thing is that leves don't account for all playstyles. If you're focused on one set, DoH, DoL, DoW/DoM, you're good. If you're a mix of DoH + DoL or DoW/DoM you're good. If you just like fighting & gathering or do all 3 you have to divide the 8 regionals you get between the fighting/gathering. There could be more DoL leves also and of course gathering fatigue blows.

[Sparker]

Great idea, should be implemented.

[Ilean]

The suggestion that I should be enslaved offends my sensibility. Reporting.

[SuzakuCMX]

I don't understand why Battlecraft leves have R1, R10, R20, and R30 but Fieldcraft and Local Leves only go R1 R20 R40 :X It's as if they intentionally want crafting to be as painful as possible without being unplayable.

[AuctionGirl]

I don't understand why Battlecraft leves have R1, R10, R20, and R30 but Fieldcraft and Local Leves only go R1 R20 R40 :X It's as if they intentionally want crafting to be as painful as possible without being unplayable.

Those are only the groups...

Gathering has R1 (Grade 1), R10 (Grade 2), R20 (Grade 3), R30 (Grade 4), R40 (Grade 5)... it is missing R50's just like battle...

Crafting has R1, R5, R10, R15, R20, R25, R30, R35, R40, R45 and R50 leves... (You must be within 5 ranks of the highest one to appear, example if you are R20, you can see R25's... but it is still semi-random, and sometimes there are no R25's in that city for that class or its just not there this time)

If you look under R1, you see R1, R5, R10 and R15 leve's
If you look under R20, you see R20, R25, R30 and R35 leve's
If you look under R40, you see R40, R45 and R50 leve's


I do agree with the OP, I think this might help some people, and give others things to do (if they choose to help)

[Leeloo]

It's as if they intentionally want crafting to be as painful as possible without being unplayable.

That could be said about a lot of things with this game.