Do you consider fun to memorize fights?

[ShinigamiB06]

I was curious about how the general population in the game felt about this game mechanic. I for one don't technically dislike the way some fights are where you just need to memorize the enemy attack patterns (e.g. titan hard mode), but at the same time I am not sure its my preference. I think I would enjoy it more if attacks were random and reacting to attacks as they happen, as opposed to knowing that an attack is coming.

Again, not hating on the system. Just have my own preference...

But at the same time, i understand the benefits of this system. People can get better at memorizing and dodging a predefined attack pattern. whereas, you can't really get better at dodging random attacks.

EDIT:

This thread was made initially to hear if people enjoyed or didn't enjoy memorizing facts. But it seems many people strayed from that, and instead commented on whether fights should or should not be scripted because of difficulty. So let's add on to the original topic and ask: are scripted fights REALLY easier than random fights?

People will most likely jump out immediately and say that scripted fights are obviously easier. But as a dragoon myself, i can say that is not necessarily the truth. Maintaining a dragoon's perfect rotation is a bit of a challenge. and if you add on to that the fact that you have to memorize a fight, and keep track of the boss's attack pattern, it requires a huge amount of attention, memorization, and reaction. So, no. scripted fights are not the obvious easier choice. In my case, i think it might be easier if fights were not scripted because i would only have to keep track of my own rotation, and simply needed to react to the current boss's attack. Hence, less things for me to keep track of at a time. But let me be clear that does not mean i feel fights should be randomized. I'm honestly torn 50/50 on this. Hence, the reason i made this thread.

Even though I expanded the topic, i STILL want to hear if people do or don't ENJOY scripted fights.

[Synapse]

This system is made for the people who can't do well when the monsters do random things. Things needed to be in pattern for these generation to "win" anything. Even with that people fail. If the monsters do random attacks, most of the population would never finish anything.

[BozoBlanco]

Some people struggle with the current system let alone a randomized one.

[Eruantien]

I prefer random myself. It's got to the point I help people on Titan where I can basically snooze my way through getting hit when I have a rare lag spike or trying to get in that extra hit when I know I can survive.

I missed Garuda from 1.0 where you weren't sure if when she disappeared she would jump to the middle or what.

[Dedayius]

The trouble with set patterns from bosses is that SE makes them all one shot or nearly one shot you. The idea being that once you have memorized the fight, there is no challenge because you can avoid all damage. It makes the fights very boring once you get over that initial hill.

Personally, I think this is poor design and would much prefer a more random rotation with more room for error. This would require the removal of one shot mechanics that SE loves so much though so I sincerely doubt it will ever happen.

[Kadas]

A bit of both is what works best.

You have one skeleton of moves to memorize, while in the meanwhile some are done at random.

Like Ifrit EX, for example. Incinerates are thrown off here and there, whereas the rest can be broken down into patterns.

It's extremely fun to play, as you have to adjust and you can't just memorize the whole fight like you can for Titan Ex.

What matters is to also find balance in randomized moves, as if they're too punishing, it can become frustrating and perhaps too hard to manage. That is, if it's all about managing your stacks and/or popping a CD, it's very well doable, but if it's capable of randomly one shotting a tank or somebody else, that might be a tad too much.

[Bigby]

How is a tank supposed to mitigate moves like mountain buster without knowing they are coming? I don't memorize whole rotations but I know when big moves are coming.

[Miiu]

Personally I understand why the bosses are designed this way. But I'd prefer a more random approach with limitation on how often a boss can use a certain ability in a specific time frame. So potential party wipe abiltiys can't be spammed over and over because the "AI" feels like it.

[Rivienne]

I don't actually memorize any fight usually. I do memorize the specific attacks however. So from my standpoint, if they made things a little more random, within the existing structure, it would be perfectly fine. But it would drastically diminish the ability to win of those who have poor lag, beyond even what it is now. With the current approach you can do things before you see attacks. But if you don't know what attack is coming next, and you have bad lag, you may never be able to win.

So I think it is a tradeoff. I think they could probably do a little more random. But perhaps not as much as you might like.

[Eruantien]

How is a tank supposed to mitigate moves like mountain buster without knowing they are coming? I don't memorize whole rotations but I know when big moves are coming.

Casting bar, same way people did in 1.0. Set log to a battle log and can see when a move is going to happen and react. Or have the enemy do something, like Titan lifting his foot you know he is going to push you to the end.