Guildleves Reform info up

[Eekiki]

In regards to 36 hour refresh time, the development team is looking into increasing the refresh time. In doing so, there may be the sense that there won't be anything to do, so they are considering possibly increasing the amount of leves you can hold at once. However, there are a lot of elements this would affect, so please let us know your thoughts and opinions.

I'm sorry, but I'm not seeing the logic of this. If the team admits that increasing refresh time could possibly add to the sense of having nothing to do (which is already prevalent in many aspects of the game), why is it even being considered?

There is only one way I would be okay with increasing the refresh time, and that's if regional levequests were separated into 8 battlecraft leves and 8 fieldcraft leves per cycle. Even in that case, I think 36 hours is plenty long already.

But why not handle the refreshes differently altogether? Instead of saying "You can only do 8 levequests every 36 hours", why not say you can only do whatever levequests are available one time each, and those reset every, let's say, 7 days. So we can do every regional levequest at every adventurer counter one time per week. This would be about the same as it is right now, but it gives us more freedom to choose when and how much we do our levequests, while still having those limits SE loves so much.

It's time SE learned that the only way to remove the lifeless 24/7 players (I do not use the word "addict" because there is no such thing as video game addiction), the cheating botters, and the RMT groups from the game is to physically log them off. Those groups will find a way around any limit you put on them no matter what.

Analogy time. When I was in high school back in the 90's, the popular style was to carry your wallet attached to a chain (I think this is still popular among the emo crowd). The school considered them weapons, because in suburban Detroit so many kids get beaten with chains, right? At the same time they acknowledged that gentlemen fellows quite liked to carry their pocket-watches on chains (along with their kerchiefs and their snuff in the pockets of their pantaloons, good sir), so they said a pocket chain could be no more than 6 inches long. When the principal stopped my friend in the hallway and reminded him of this policy, my friend said, "If I have a 6 inch chain it just means I have to be that much closer to hit you with it." That was the last time I recall anyone getting hassled about their pocket chains.

Abraham Simpson mode off. The point is, If high school kids want to beat each other up, it doesn't matter if they have a 12 inch chain, or a 6 inch chain, or no chain at all. Likewise, if someone wants to grind away for 16 hours a day, they're gonna do it no matter how much fatigue nor how many quest limits you throw at them.

Some of you may say, "Kiki, I love the pony in your signature! But if you're a casual player these limits won't affect you, so why do you care?" Well, they do affect me. I'm sure they affect a great deal of people who also have full-time jobs and a limited amount of time to play. That's why I want them removed, or at the very least reduced. The game population in its entirety is being held back due to the actions of a few. That is not logical. Haven't you guys seen Star Trek II? And thank you. I think Rainbow Dash is awesome too.

[Coombah]

Regarding searching for ways to rank up with the upcoming guildleve reform, I just recently posted a comment from Yoshida on that topic >> here.

very nice ^^

[VydarrTyr]

Hi Vydarr,

You bring up some great points. I agree with most of them, but a few things to consider:

Re: Party Diversity - At first I was thinking of this as well, but remember one key thing Yoshida-san said - that Guildleves are going to be Solo-focused - there isn't going to be a need for Guildleve Parties the way we're used to, now.

So it's not going to be as much of an issue for Party Diversity for Guildleves, because they're going to be refocused to be more Solo activities.

In addition, people will get to a point where they don't need / want Guild Marks any more for their class. At that point, if they want to still do Leves with friends, they can go wherever suits them (but again it's more of a Solo activity now).

So for SP Parties (out in the open world), we can still have parties as they are and diversified just fine.


Re: the other changes and spreading the players out, I agree that right now, it's tough (with low populations), but at the same time, *something* needs to change. The game is stagnating, there are 2 entire Nations (LL, Gridania) that are ghost towns and abandoned, wasting away.

It'll be good to get some traffic and incentivize people to move about.

The status quo of everyone on the server sitting, crowded in Ul'dah all day and going to Broken Water only is making for a stagnant, boring and dying gameplay experience (even with its many conveniences).

Good point, Kiara. You're right. Since leves are going to be primarily solo-content, party diversity in leves is not a concern. (Thanks for correcting me. )

I guess I'm mostly concerned about the timing of these changes.

They're taking away leves as party content before they add in other party content. They're (potentially) nerfing SP from leves before they add in other ways to get SP. They're forcing us to travel before they implement new ways to travel. They're sub-dividing the economy before they fix the economy. They're spreading out the population before the population increases.

I realize we should all be looking long term. And I hope to be here long term. I'm just concerned that the short term might end up being a drag. At least until they implement more stuff to fill the holes in content.

My primary problem with the game is lack of content. I understand that they can't add too much content until they fix the basic battle system. But they're taking away content before they add new stuff in to replace it. They're adding 2 dungeons, but they're taking away leves. Maybe the 2 dungeons will be more content than all the leves, but that would be pretty surprising.

Another example -- In the gathering Q&A, lots of people mentioned that fishing has grade 6 - 10 gathering nodes, but Mining and Botany only go up to grade 5. So people were asking for grades 6 to 10 for Mining and Botany. Instead, SE said they were going to be getting rid of the grades 6 -10 fishing nodes. So instead of adding in more content, they're taking it away.

Of course, 1.18 may have some surprises. Maybe it will actually increase the amount of content. So maybe I'm worried over nothing. Man, I really hope that's the case. We'll probably just have to wait and see.

[Kiara]

Good point, Kiara. You're right. Since leves are going to be primarily solo-content, party diversity in leves is not a concern. (Thanks for correcting me. )

I guess I'm mostly concerned about the timing of these changes.

They're taking away leves as party content before they add in other party content. They're (potentially) nerfing SP from leves before they add in other ways to get SP. They're forcing us to travel before they implement new ways to travel. They're sub-dividing the economy before they fix the economy. They're spreading out the population before the population increases.

I realize we should all be looking long term. And I hope to be here long term. I'm just concerned that the short term might end up being a drag. At least until they implement more stuff to fill the holes in content.

My primary problem with the game is lack of content. I understand that they can't add too much content until they fix the basic battle system. But they're taking away content before they add new stuff in to replace it. They're adding 2 dungeons, but they're taking away leves. Maybe the 2 dungeons will be more content than all the leves, but that would be pretty surprising.

Another example -- In the gathering Q&A, lots of people mentioned that fishing has grade 6 - 10 gathering nodes, but Mining and Botany only go up to grade 5. So people were asking for grades 6 to 10 for Mining and Botany. Instead, SE said they were going to be getting rid of the grades 6 -10 fishing nodes. So instead of adding in more content, they're taking it away.

Of course, 1.18 may have some surprises. Maybe it will actually increase the amount of content. So maybe I'm worried over nothing. Man, I really hope that's the case. We'll probably just have to wait and see.

Hi Vydarr,

Oh definitely, you have a right to be concerned (as am I). (^_^;

We can only hope 1.18 and 1.19's content and changes make up for the things they take away. Not sure if you saw it, but in one of the JP Interviews, they did mention that 1.18 is going to come with a major storyline (I'm guessing the opening of the Grand Companies of Eorzea / Garlean Empire Invasion / War).

Hopefully 1.18's The Dzemael Darkhold (R50 Dungeon) is tied into a long term Grand Company progression and rank / reputation system, where we can earn rare items and rewards.

No matter what, I hope for the best. Soon!

[Duelle]

I'm more concerned if they'll up the chances of getting marks from leves. Since I usually went from UD to LL to see if I could get guild marks. Grid sometimes to if I had some leather to skill up on.

Hopefully they'll also increase the number of leves available per reset, that way you can have a slightly higher chance of getting leves with guild marks while leaving options open for those who want gil/loot rather than marks. I sigh when the "good" levels give marks for a class I don't plan to level past 20 due to lack of actual alternatives in that region.

[Kafeen]

i hate leve in general, can we just delete them?

Just don't do them then. Fixed.

[Glyder]

Q.Q Don't increase the time...at least not in the near future. Until there is some content added to the game and means to party with others and such. One of the things that made me a loyal ffxi player was the hustle and bustle of the game. To me at least there always seemed like there was something to be done.

[Rizon]

FFXI continues to be my main game and I gather with my friends in the evening. Therefore I only play this game during the daytime when there are few English speaking players on so therefore I have been strictly a solo player up til now and cannot comment to much on the party aspects to the game. Before you ask I am 64 and retired living on a fixed income so therfore I have alot of time to play.Having said all that here are my impressions on the upcoming changes.

1. I have already commented in previous post that I believe SE put the cart before the horse. They should have developed the new content needed to implement the changes they are proposing for 1.18. Wether you play solo or in parties these changes will leave large gaps in playability

2. at present time I can complete 8 local levees and 8 Regional Battle Quest in about 5 hour. That 5 hours is valid even if I have to travel to Uldah from Limsa to round out my lists. Gridania is strictly a no go for me as I will waste neither the time nor the Anima traveling there. So, unless they increase the number of Levee Quests and increase the number of quest for each level group an increase in the reset time is an utter waste. I already use 2 accounts to fill the time that is alloted now.

3, I have stopped playing my level 45 Mrd until I see if the new system fixes the problems that I see in regards to the player/mob relationship. I am tired of gearing up in level appropriate equipment and finding out that I am having difficulties hitting mob 3-5 levels below me because SE doesn't have a clue as to how to compute Acc.

4. The proposals for the redistribution of the bonus SP are fine by me as I always complete my quests. Only difference I should see are those associated with computing the bonuses. Only problem is there will be no real SP for ranks 45-50 under the new system unless they add quests for that level group. <see point 1>


I am probably reiterating points made by others in this post but Bayohne asked for feed back and here is mine