Thread: Patch 2.2, Accessibility, Difficulty Levels, and Throwing Away Content

Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

Honestly - was your response even necessary? Even in the slightest? An achievement doesn't necessarily need to be difficult; it can also relate to time invested. If you want to call Twintania easy, then so be it. I'd honestly be floored if even close to 10% of the game's subscribers have cleared it.

I don't disagree that achievements do not have to be hard, but I'm pointing out that beating it at all, in any version, would be an achievement and we'd end up needing SquareEnix adding 100 achievements per dungeon so that we can show people exactly how we beat it.

I beat my dungeon in a pick up, with a tank wearing gear score 50, and by killing the boss in 7 minutes. So I need a special achievement showing exactly this, else my achievement is not accepted by SquareEnix and my work is totally lost!

So instead of being ridiculous about this and demanding stuff to prove ourselves, why not just accept that achievements are in our own hearts and for story telling. We don't need them to invest months of development time into something that will give you an icon so other people say "Oh I don't care, but do keep believing you are a special snow flake".

Originally Posted by MasamuneBranford

I don't believe that hard content should prevent less skilled players from enjoying all of the story content. However, I believe there should be rewards that create incentive for players who are able to defeat the tough challenges

There is a reward. It's called self fulfillment and gear that's higher than the average on the server.

What on earth gives you entitlement to special treatment just because you're playing the game more than others?

Originally Posted by Edellis

What on earth gives you entitlement to special treatment just because you're playing the game more than others?

Wow...i'm not sure how you could misinterpret that so badly. The achievement system I have been vouching for is to directly benefit those who don't play as much as others so that they can one day return to an old battle (under its original conditions) and earn an achievement for doing so. I even said, I feel that all players should be able to enjoy the story. Similar to other MMOs, you are going to have a player level to 50 and deactiviate their subscription till the expansion is released; reactivate and level to the new level cap, and then clear all of the vanilla content they couldn't clear before and then deactivate. I'm fine with that; but I think it would be more fun if there was ALSO an incentive to play the "vanilla" content under its original conditions.

The player who reactivates upon the release of the expansion will level up and quickly surpass the ilevel limit of the original content. That player is free to clear all of the older content with ease; but i would propose an achivement for clearing that older content under the original ilevel cap (91) and without the echo. Via an ilevel synchdown system this is easy.

Turn 1-5 is a good learning curve to the game. Making it easier takes away the challenge. I still enjoy completing turn 1-5 every week! I would hate to see people not experience the same challenge we did when I started. With CT and myth gear, it shouldn't take people long to be at least turn 1-4 ready. Turn 5 takes practice and dedication. It should remain that way even with turn 6-9 released. I remember looking back at FFXI days airship fight. All i wanted to do was sea with my friends which drove me to completing COP and it was the most fun I had in game. People will just expect content to become easier and the people who earned it will never be recognized for their achievement. My point is take away the challenge and the game becomes very boring!

I think Echo buff is an awful bad idea. Under storyline, the game just becomes a mindless click-through, so dropping it on a dungeon is shameful.

Optional you say? Because the party I'm in are going to be thrilled that I demand to be handicapped... /votekick

If you are resolved in implementing this piece-of-crap system, please do prevent treasure chests from spawning, as suggested earlier, to at least give some incentive to clock up a normal-mode win.

I've taken a break from gearing my DoW/DoM the last month or two to focus on my crafts and gathering and hence earn gil more efficiently for my small FC. I now feel obliged to make that secondary just so I can experience Coil how it was designed, instead of with this awful buff.

Geez, I remember when The Echo was the best thing about this game; we had an intricate and detailed storyline thanks to it. I've had to put up with a dull, uninspiring plot since ARR launched and now you're taking the game challenge away from me. Boo on you.

NOT GONNA STOP ME PLAYING THOUGH. :/

casual game. I dont want to mindlessly hit my head against my keyboard just for an onion shield that I think looks cool. You want extreme content and rewards or accolades? Fine have them in the form of couches or Titles but dont demand cosmetics or higher level gear. 90% of the people I've asked, at random, on my server have admitted that they cannot even beat Garuda EX....more than 60% have stated that they had to opt in for 3-4 healers and a solo tank party just to beat Titan HM. You honestly believe content progression should be tied to more difficult content? I'll probably be gone before 2.2 even launches

To me this isn't about hard mode vs easy mode. What i read is that instead of fixing the horrible delay (server side), that is bottle necking so many ppl on titan hm. To appease them and hopefully keep there subs., they are "dumbing down" content.

I mean whats the point of sticking around and paying for a game when the culmination of your endgame is Titan HM?

I see a "bait and switch" here, maybe lose a few "hardcore players", but keep a lot more "casuals" w/o really fixing anything or actually dealing with any issues.

The smartest thing SE could do is make it so all items received from turn 5 while under the echo buff are just i90 like they were before. That way pre echo or those who win without echo can have the "i95" version showing there feat and making everyone happy. The elitist get their gold star to help them sleep at night and the rest can get the weapons that will work just fine because post 2.2 it REALLY won't matter.

Originally Posted by Laoch

The smartest thing SE could do is make it so all items received from turn 5 while under the echo buff are just i90 like they were before. That way pre echo or those who win without echo can have the "i95" version showing there feat and making everyone happy.

That would work - but say the Ilevel raises to 110 at 2.2. Twintania is going to be much easier by default. In 5 years when there's ilevel 300 gear floating about - Twintania is going to be a total joke. That's why I feel it's important to implement a "Time Capsule" achievement system. So 5 years from now, a player who wasn't around when Twintania was initially released - can try to earn an achievement by defeating Twintania with gear under Ilevel 91 and without an echo buff. There could ultimately be a "Time Capsule" mount that is rewarded for completing several different "Time Capsule" achievements, etc.