Ideas to improve atma-farming

[reel124c41]

If you still want us to do fates for atmas instead of doing something challenging like you did with the relic at first, these are the ways it can be improved to make it less frustrating.

1. option:
Set the droprate to 1% and increase it every 1-2 fates by 1% unless you have a droprate of at least 10% or 15%. This system counts per region.

The next 2 opions allow you to track your progress.

2. option:
Don't use a droprate. Instead change the requirements to "Get the highest fate-ranking 10 (maybe 20) times in each of the 12 regions".

3. option:
Implement fate-points. Just give the players points for every fate, depending on the fate-level (e.g. level 5-fate = 5 fate-points, level 42-fate= 42 fate-points). You can set the amount of needed points to different values depending on the average fate-level of a region. I would suggest around 200-500 depending on the region.

Let me know what you think about my ideas.

[Jeho]

I don't understand why people want to change the drop rates. Yeah, it can suck (took me 10 hours to get the atma of the fish), but that's the whole point. The atma/animus weapon isn't meant to be obtained in a weekend or two. It's supposed to take time. And when people come here to brag about how many atmas they got in an hour -so what? That's part of the RNG.

It's too bad that SE didn't make FFXI a prereq for FFXIV. Then people would have zero issues to bring up and complain about when they remember how much of a TRUE grindfest/timesink FFXI was.

[Kinseykinz]

My problem is not that it is timeconsuming and boring. My point is, that it is frustrating to do a bunch of fates without getting a feedback on your progess. That's the main reason I posted option 2 and 3. They at least give you feedback on your progress, which makes you feel better doing all that grinding. You still can make it time-consuming, but plz don't make it so damn random.

I actually kept track of my 'FATES' cleared for each zone.

While I didn't think to do this right away, after my 4th Fate, I kept track of how many FATES I did before seeing each drop. While I didn't write down the numbers, for Atma's 1-5, I know i had in my achievement history, done about 485 FATES before starting the grind. I also did this last week when even more people were actively grinding Fates.

Broke down something like this:
485-626: Earned 5 Atmas (Scorpion,Bull,Twins,Scales,Goat) or about 29 FATES each zone=1 ATMA for me. (again, these I didn't think to keep concrete track of each FATE before this)
after that I kept exact track:

Maiden: earned at the 665 FATE mark (39 FATES)
Archer: earned at the 674 FATE mark(9 FATES)
Ram: earned at the 706 FATE mark(32 FATES)
Fish: earned at the 713 FATE mark (7 FATES)
Crab: earned at the 735 FATE mark (22 FATES)
Water-bearer: earned at the 752 FATE mark (17 FATES)
Lion: earned at the 764 FATE mark (12 FATES)

In total: I did exactly 250 FATES to gain all 12 Atma. Furthermore, I didn't do 'outside zone' FATES...I only did fates where I could earn an ATMA... This means, personally I averaged 1 Atma about every 20 FATES.

So when people get frustrated, I think they really need to total up how many FATES they actually have done in THAT zone. Because unless you've done 30-40, you probably point blank, haven't done enough. And while it shouldn't matter, it probably is wisest to stick to one zone.

Also, I don't think you can count all FATES you do. I am fairly certain, your chances for ATMA are linked to your 'score' for each FATE/party score. Personally, I soloed all but 1 of my atma...mostly because I didn't want to listen to people gripe about the farming.

As to RNG, yeah it sucks....and yeah they will be outliers on both sides....so in a zone I might have done 9 FATES and gotten the drop, you might get super unlucky and need to do 90, but for most people, who get gold every single FATE, I suspect, 20-30 is the normal range to expect to see a drop.

And yes, it still takes a long time to do 20-30 fates in each zone. 3 mins per FATE x 20=1 hour for example. So this range DOES in fact fit the 12-14ish hour Farming windows many have cited.


My greater point is this: If you as a player, personally keep track, you'll find that for most zones, 20-30 FATES=drop for you. Some zones however, are lots of running/teling back and forth and more of a pain in the rear than others....it's the 'pain in the butt factor' that scews most peoples opinions. Keep track 20-30 Gold rankings (in the SAME zone) and you should have your ATMA for that zone.

[einwol]

Maiden: earned at the 665 FATE mark (39 FATES)
Archer: earned at the 674 FATE mark(9 FATES)
Ram: earned at the 706 FATE mark(32 FATES)
Fish: earned at the 713 FATE mark (7 FATES)
Crab: earned at the 735 FATE mark (22 FATES)
Water-bearer: earned at the 752 FATE mark (17 FATES)
Lion: earned at the 764 FATE mark (12 FATES)

Furthermore, I didn't do 'outside zone' FATES...I only did fates where I could earn an ATMA...

Ive already hit more than 200+ fates with 20 hours of farming in one zone. I'm in central shroud, I have flagged the quest(even tho it shows up complete which is not helpful, I have the weapon equiped, I get gold on most fates if I am there long enough.

Kinseykinz, how did you know if your fate was a required one? You said you did no outside fates...

also, what is the 665 mark number about when you said you earned at the 665 FATE mark (39 FATES).

[einwol]

I am not mad at RNG, I just want to know I am doing it right. Unlike the other quests in the relic process, it is not exactly clear how to get the atma to drop. For example, in previous quests it said defeat hydra as the job with the unfinished relic equipped. They need the same thing for atma quest so people, especially the uber unlucky ones like me, will not worry about doing it wrong.

I still love the game, just a little disenchanted..

[Kinseykinz]

Ive already hit more than 200+ fates with 20 hours of farming in one zone. I'm in central shroud, I have flagged the quest(even tho it shows up complete which is not helpful, I have the weapon equiped, I get gold on most fates if I am there long enough.

Kinseykinz, how did you know if your fate was a required one? You said you did no outside fates...

also, what is the 665 mark number about when you said you earned at the 665 FATE mark (39 FATES).

If you look in you achievements, there is a 'Date with Destiny' tier of achievements (under Battle). In here, you'll see exactly how many FATES you've done since ARR launched (by looking at the first achievement you have yet to earn). In my case, at that point, I had done 665 Fates, and used that number as my starting point for counting how many fates I did in the next zone. So started at 665 FATES cleared, earned my next drop at 674 fates (or 9 FATES later as 674-665=9) All I was doing was keeping track of how many FATES I actually did since so many people were screaming they've done 100's and 1000's of FATES to no avail. I wanted to see 1. How many do I average personally, 2. Are they plausibly correct? and 3. Really, it just helped me cope to know 'Okay silly, you only did 10 FATES here duh the stupid thing didn't drop yet'. Also....it helped me figure out roughly how many FATES one is likely to do in an hour of their time (15-20 btw).

As to the 'required' FATES. No FATE is specifically required, and all in that zone can drop the thing....buuuut. You know How they say 'Atma of the .....'? Well like Atma of the Lion, my personal experience (and FC mates) have noted a slightly better drop rate on ATMA of the Lions when doing FATES in outer la Nosca that involve courels. So sometimes, the Atma name of that zone=a specific big FATE or FATE quest chain in that area. If you watch, after clearing those fates, you seem to see yourself or party members(or random other people getting drops) ....you can tell others get b/c they tele out quick many times :P.

Again, it's not a 'just do this' and you're set thing. If any fate in the zone = 1% drop rate (I have no idea what the rates are) then maybe the 'target' FATE=10%. Still low, still likely you won't get it....but better odds.

Currently I am helping my husband farm his because he is beyond Frustrated. So on a different character, so far, he's 2/12 and when I have gotten the ATMA one was at 29 FATES cleared, the other 32.
Buuuut, then he farmed Central Thal for 48 FATES for nothing so... RNG...it sucks.


My main points in my first post were:
1. 30-40 FATES in each zone for most people should net an ATMA 90% of the time. (I personally saw drops most of the time between 20-30, but I like telling people 30-40 to make it less sad when they get to 26 and still no ATMA)
2. Hit the 'big FATES' in each zone...especially if they seem to have a mob remarkably similar to that described in the ATMA's title.
3. 1 Hour of solid FATE grinding =about 15-20 Fates (assuming each FATE took about 2-3 minutes to clear+traveling between each fate)
-this means it is likely to take 1-3 hours of grinding in each zone for 1 ATMA
-this supports many peoples reports of it taking 14-20 hours of FATE grinding for a set.
4. Some people will have unlucky range and for them I feel sorry. Just trying to show, how to count and monitor your actual progress so maybe even 1-2 people will be less frustrated/what helped me cope.

[Enfarious]

I don't understand why people want to change the drop rates. Yeah, it can suck (took me 10 hours to get the atma of the fish), but that's the whole point. The atma/animus weapon isn't meant to be obtained in a weekend or two. It's supposed to take time. And when people come here to brag about how many atmas they got in an hour -so what? That's part of the RNG.

It's too bad that SE didn't make FFXI a prereq for FFXIV. Then people would have zero issues to bring up and complain about when they remember how much of a TRUE grindfest/timesink FFXI was.

The problem with RNG based anything is that it introduces the potential for wild deviation in play time required from person to person. My 20 hours in Upper La Noscea for instance that has yet to yield an atma vs. the guy that has all 12 in under 12 hours total play time. Using RNG as a means to, as so many claim, introduce a time sink is a mistake since it won't actually be a time sink for everyone and it will be a different amount of time for everyone that does try. If you want to make people spend time on a thing to prolong the content actual farming with measurable and consistent rewards is a far better system. Anything that is so unpredictable as this is a mistake.

I played FFXI from 2004~2011 too, I know a bit about grinding lol

[Morphiana]

It's too bad that SE didn't make FFXI a prereq for FFXIV. Then people would have zero issues to bring up and complain about when they remember how much of a TRUE grindfest/timesink FFXI was.

Played FFXI for 8 years. If I wanted to play more FFXI I'd go play it. FFXIV resembles WoW met GW 2 more so than FFXI. Turning this type of game into a grind fest only means it'll do as well as the other MMO grindfests (I am lookin at you TERA / Aion / Lineage / Etc.).

[MilesSaintboroguh]

RNG for cosmetic items is fine. RNG for weapon drops when you have just as good and easily obtainable alternatives is fine. Powering up your relic weapon through RNG item drops is bad. RNG for progression is just horrible all around and most people are giving up on it.