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

**Arkghyom** · 01-27-2014 03:10 AM

That's how it is, even if we don't like what's going on.

**Swishytail** · 01-27-2014 03:11 AM

It's funny because this is how MMOs will be for either a long time or forever from here on out.
These are the standards the majority wants, so these are the standards the majority gets.

So until the tables turn in favor of the super hardcore, the treadmill/recycling/hand-out
games will continue. Either play, or don't. A game like XI will never happen again.
Not in this day and age.

And just to clarify, I am enjoying XIV very, very much. I look forward to 2.16 and
2.2

**Gwaeron** · 01-27-2014 03:21 AM

Doesn't the increased item level alone make the old content easier? Seems like a way to decrease the difficulty that makes sense, better stats => easier kills. It's the god mode buff I don't get... (no, you will not have to clear turn 6-9 to get better gear, new tomestones are coming too).

**ApolloGenX** · 01-27-2014 03:43 AM

My only concern is obsoletion of content... like WoW..most the content is empty because it's pointless. You have to buy expansion packs just to stay current, but the other packs you bought become worthless.

It's like the Magic the Gathering card game treadmill. I don't expect content to last forever... but with such a linear progression path, it means there isn't a whole lot of content relevant for max level at any given time - unless they start releasing a LOT more.

**NefGP** · 01-27-2014 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by ApolloGenX

My only concern is obsoletion of content... like WoW..most the content is empty because it's pointless. You have to buy expansion packs just to stay current, but the other packs you bought become worthless.

It's like the Magic the Gathering card game treadmill. I don't expect content to last forever... but with such a linear progression path, it means there isn't a whole lot of content relevant for max level at any given time - unless they start releasing a LOT more.

That's actually not really an accurate reference; For standard sure, but EDH and Modern allow for a much wider card pool.

Otherwise I agree with your point.

**Zfz** · 01-27-2014 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by Fendred

1) takes the higher difficulty of that content away from the players that wanted a grinding-their-teeth challenge

In the live letter, it was made very clear that all we need to do is to click off the buff, and we can experience those content the way it is now.

Originally Posted by Fendred

2) No special rewards/trophies for beating the harder difficulty level that isn't the same thing rewarded at the lower difficulty level.

Some of us would say, we got to walk around with that Allagan weapon for 3 months and that's enough of a trophy. We'd be getting new trophies (gear) in 2.2, who even cares about a trophy from something we have on farm for the past 3 months already?

The problem is, even at 2.0, there exists a big difference between people who ventured into T4 in full Darklight, versus people who got there with mostly iLv90 gear. So should we get a special reward/trophy for doing it in full Darklight? It's the same problem you're presenting in your point #2.

Originally Posted by Fendred

3) they are forced to throw out the old content with this model

This exists not due to nerfing content, but due to the whole "tiered architecture" design paradigm. It's a whole different story, a whole different debate.

**TinaTeenie** · 01-28-2014 11:56 PM

The difficulty level, I wish they would keep. The fact that between normal titan and end game actually taught you and improved on playing skills is awesome. If they make the game too easy to cater to those who aren't willing to learn then it will end up dying.

The complaint about needing a trophy every time you complete something large... completing it is a value in itself. You don't hear people talking about how much coil gear they have, you hear them saying what Turns they've completed.

As for the "throw out," the great part of this game is you do want to try everything. Its also nice to have easier raids to take newly 50 fc members on. It has also given groups a chance to go in with unconventional parties to see how far you can push yourselves.

I do find it funny reading forum posts. A lot of the complaints are "ITS ALL BAD" instead of figuring out how to use it to the best of it's ability. Take a step back and try to look at how you can use them to your advantage.

**Buddhsie** · 02-04-2014 04:32 PM

I'm completely fine with the way content is progressing. With my playtime (~4 hours a day) I can complete the content of the patch quite comfortably before the new one without losing interest. If you play more than that and complain that you're running out of things to do.. Well you're really just shooting yourself in the foot. But that is for a different thread..

So now we have pretty much only vertical progression each patch. SE has kind of backed themselves into a corner on this one with the way that items are setup. You have 4/5 unique stats per item, with no negatives. Say you have i90 belts for Dragoon. You have 4 unique stats to put on them, det, crit, acc, spd, along with the standard STR/VIT. If each item follows the current standard and has 2 of each of these on there, then the amount of combinations of those unique stats is 6. This means that to allow horizontal progression in a new patch, you would have to release variations of these 4 stats 6 different ways. This is not a good idea, 2 is already bad enough, with 3 in the case of jewellery.

I've said it since beta that the item stats are boring, and they are, holy shit they are. But what this is doing to the game is really restricting horizontal progression. We see slight variations in these stats, with 2-3 different combinations in the item level. If they added new stats, new additional effects, negative stats, larger variations etc etc then it would be "too difficult to follow" for the majority of players. SE is playing it too safe, and trying not to scare morons away by having an even remotely complicated stat system.

Going back to my original statement, I'm completely fine with vertical progression. It really doesn't matter to me how they progress the game because I enjoy playing it. Just find the item system lame, and interesting to note how SE doesn't even have a choice in their progression system because of the way item stats are set up.

**Thunderz** · 01-27-2014 04:15 AM

Vote with your wallet

unsub!

:P (srsly tho check out 2.2 if you like it then stick around if not then off to the next best thing!)

**NefGP** · 01-27-2014 06:28 AM

^ well, that's where the optimist in me says otherwise, or at least wants to believe differently.

YP proved with 1.23 that he and his team are capable of delivering a real successor on par or better than FFXI. It baffles me why they continue to simply emulate what others have done, rather than look at their own successes and improve on it and for the last time that doesn't mean carbon copying FFXI.

It only means looking at the game and what made it so successful - THE most successful FF in the series history and a groundbreaking MMO. I'm beginning to wonder if forcing Tanaka into early retirement was a mistake, and little more than scapegoating to please the investors. I railed against the man for years, because XI's problems were legion, but it was still built on a solid foundation and the good more often than not offset the bad. I could go into a massive rant about what I hated about XI, but I won't - I've made my peace with the game and was happy when I quit it. I've had my fun with it, left it in the past as a cherished memory. But I'd hate to see XIV go down before it even has a chance to be that next great JRPGMMO. Again, not a clone of XI, but a spiritual successor - big difference.

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

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