[Discussion] How do you define a fun boss fight?

[Autumnfire]

I like a good combination of gimmicks, skill checks, and motion. I also love it when there are more than one way to complete the fight, yet it is still hard enough to have to do it over and over again until you get it right.

The easiest example is T2's rot vs enrage. I'm glad both strategies exist.
But also in T4, we had an unconventional team the other night and did really well using our own heads instead of doing things by the book. I love when that can be done.

[IzumiRaito]

However, the most fitting in the game would be 8 man dungeon designed specifically for armoury system. A dungeon where changing jobs inside is allowed, and every encounter requires different party composition. Of course having to complete it with same players from start to end. Example fights:
1. boss that deals 6k damage to 6 players with highest enmity every 20 seconds. Alternated with an attack that deals 6k damage to single target from 4 of highest enmity, marked 5 seconds before.
2. Flying enemy that cannot be hit with melee attacks.
3. Boss that reflects magic damage.
4. Boss whos attacks reduce maximum hp. Ignores stoneskin, succor and adloquium.
5. Fight against 3 enemies that does high damage to single target, and each does an attack that increases damage taken for 15 seconds, every 18 seconds.

Only enabling elemental weakness and resistances would greatly increase the possibilities.

[Ryuko]

Gimmicks make a fight very fun for me, but there also has to be an added level of difficulty and challenge for me to truly enjoy it. It's difficult to strike a balance between 'fun' and 'hard' because for some players, hard fights just aren't fun to them. Titan's unforgiving mechanics (knocking you off the stage permanently) frustrate a lot of people, but they really only get to me when I'm hit and I was never in the Landslide trajectory in the first place. (That is, they target, I wasn't in it so I don't move, then they hit... and I get hit even though I was NEVER in it.) It confuses and annoys me. Similarly, when people randomly drop even though they were inside the spiny plume's bubble way ahead of time. I've seen it happen to others and to myself. When the game itself 'messes up' and you get insta-killed or removed from the fight because of it.. then it stops being fun. Fortunately, these occurrences don't seem to happen TOO often, but I did have a few runs where someone was dying while inside the bubble almost every time. My only assumption is that lag is causing the game to not update fast enough, or the server thinks you are standing in a different place (but that doesn't make sense because everyone can SEE you next to them on their screen).

[IzumiRaito]

Something that is "learn 2 play" not "get better connection".
Garuda HM and EX, especially as tank, ifrit Ex, mainly as healer or smn are the good examples. Turn 4 is also good untill u get overgeared. 2.0 ifrit hm with no pld and/or no aoe lb as a way of "breaking the meta".
A boss that is using AI instead of scripted events would be very engaging.

[Mihael_Longclaw]

Amazing music, good atmosphere, unique design and mechanics, and some challenge

I know in Dark Souls my favourite bosses were Artorias, Kalameet, Ornstein and Smough, Great Grey Wolf Sif- all 4 of these bosses had the above 4 things in the perfect amounts

[Rubieus]

Yo Titan! Yo yo, yo Titan, I'ma let you finish.
But Van Darnus had one of the best fights of all time..

[Amyas]

As a tank... and this is going to sound weird, but my two favorite fights are the first two bosses of AK. I know, even 300 runs later they are still fun to me, particularly the first boss. Just dodging, losing, grabbing while grabbing up adds and dding as a tank to my fullest, is fun but not too hard. And dancing at the Demon Wall, yep, its still fun. We need a boss rush SE!

[kukurumei]

I think ultima HM and moogle are fun fights that are done right. They don't punish people, there is a fair amount of gimicks, but none of them are will break a pt. There is a fair amount of leinency, gear power, tactics, and reflexes.

You can approach Ultima HM for instance with shear reflex, with shear tactical know how, pure experience, or even push it with gear power.

[tymora]

Ultima HM is a good design in my opinion.
1. No one shots, yet plenty of dodging required. A mistake or two won't knock you out immediately.
2. Tank or healer dies -> chance to recover

Turn 4 is fun. Room for variations in strategy without reliance on one single job.

Titan HM is a hit or miss. Fun if you have a good connection. Miss if not.

[Vulpix]

Ultima HM is a good design in my opinion.
1. No one shots, yet plenty of dodging required. A mistake or two won't knock you out immediately.
2. Tank or healer dies -> chance to recover

Turn 4 is fun. Room for variations in strategy without reliance on one single job.

Titan HM is a hit or miss. Fun if you have a good connection. Miss if not.

I enjoyed Ultima HM and Titan HM, but I do not enjoy Titan EM. I can pass it, but only if I can find 7 of the right people. It's frankly no fun at all.