Current State of End-Game Contents - A Blog Post from A Japanese Player

[Melithea]

Yes, the 3 options available in the game (Crafting, Gathering and Battle) are different, but that's beside the point, the point here is randomness and reliance on the RNG, why its used for HQ Crafting and Gathering and why its NOT used for Battle mechanics.

The obvious answer would be the fact that crafting is an extremely simple system with an incredibly low ceiling. Without RNG it would be "push button, receive HQ item". The fact that the systems are different isn't beside the point at all.

[Anyssa]

The obvious answer would be the fact that crafting is an extremely simple system with an incredibly low ceiling. Without RNG it would be "push button, receive HQ item". The fact that the systems are different isn't beside the point at all.

Woosh!

Xine, I like the idea of some RNG during a battle - but I'd hate to envision an encounter where double mountain busters come in somewhat rapid succession while there are adds on the ground, bombs, and then a geocrush at the end. (edit)

Titan Ex might be "fun", but for me, the fun doesn't even begin until after the Heart Phase when the egis show up.

Maybe if some of these battles had checkpoints within them...for example - once the group has destroyed the Heart, then it doesn't need to begin from the beginning. Perhaps, after a wipe, the group picks up immediately from the shattered heart phase.

I'd also like to add the discussion, the sheer amount of time spent on waiting for groups to even attempt some of this stuff. All those hours spent doing secondary and tertiary objectives in the game are wasted when I think about it.

[Yukiko]

It should be mentioned there is no possible way to EVER satisfy everyone and there will ALWAYS be someone who has a complaint.

^
And here i do not agree with you!

Apparently nobody has ever played around with the RPGMaker series.

As long as the Fight and special the Boss Abilities are just Boss centered it will not satisfy ALL because the Boss does not react on the Situation, but solely on his own appearance!
You have do ajust Boss Combat style and Attacks depending on the PLAYER Status too!
If you choose not to fight the Boss with a tank or a Heal, the Boss should react to that, so the player have the freedome to choose and is not forced to do "the path of the designer".
If all 8 players have iLvL200 the Boss should react different as when all 8 players just have iLvL55 - if you dont add those in the BOSS mechanics you will never satisfy ALL...
The thing with iLvL was just an easy Example, sure you can cheat it with downgrading but everyone understands this example without going dseeper into RPGMaker programming.

[Exstal]

I think the intention is cutting edge content isn't supposed to be faceroll easy. Which sadly means people who aren't exceptional players, will never win it.

[Rosy]

I think the intention is cutting edge content isn't supposed to be faceroll easy. Which sadly means people who aren't exceptional players, will never win it.

....and so players who aren't as "exceptional" as yourself will up and leave and all the exceptionals will find that there will be no more game Unlike years ago when there was little choice in the way of mmorpgs and devs could afford to not pump out so much content, and people stuck with a game for years...these days there are many more games out there, with 3 or 4 major titles arriving each year. More choice = people spread out over games, therefore developers have to listen to their bread and butter players...the not "exceptional" ones to keep enough subs coming in.

[Exstal]

....and so players who aren't as "exceptional" as yourself will up and leave and all the exceptionals will find that there will be no more game Unlike years ago when there was little choice in the way of mmorpgs and devs could afford to not pump out so much content, and people stuck with a game for years...these days there are many more games out there, with 3 or 4 major titles arriving each year. More choice = people spread out over games, therefore developers have to listen to their bread and butter players...the not "exceptional" ones to keep enough subs coming in.

I said "cutting edge". There is no reason that one needs to beat everything in the same patch it comes out. See how Binding Coil turns 1 and 2 were accessible by a decent amount of people in 2.1 with turns 4 and 5 mostly being reserved to statics? See how now it's farming those turns when a new Coil is out? That's how it should be. The ones who strive to be the best will complete the content as intended, and those who either don't want to or can't put in the time, won't. They'll just wait until it becomes more accessible.

And why do you care if they get best gear?
Do you make challenging content because the challenge or because you can show something to others with the intention "I am better than you"?

I am not saying its a good idea, i just point to that arrogance!
Gear should help to progress if you are not so skilled and not used as a reward for clearing something hard to clear...

It's an MMO. The point of challenging content is to be challenging. It's not for story, that's what single player games are for. I know I wouldn't do normal Coil if a theorectical easy Coil gave the same gear. Extra effort for same reward is a waste of time.

[Kuwagami]

It's an MMO. The point of challenging content is to be challenging. It's not for story, that's what single player games are for.

With that in mind, please explain me why Coil has a story behind it ? If it's not for the story, but only to be challenging, it should have no story behind it by taking your own words.

Or not be challenging at all.

[Nero]

With that in mind, please explain me why Coil has a story behind it ? If it's not for the story, but only to be challenging, it should have no story behind it by taking your own words.

Or not be challenging at all.

Because it is a Final Fantasy. Content, being it main or side, always has a Story behind it in a Final Fantasy. Coil is not needed for the Mainstory tho.

[Exstal]

With that in mind, please explain me why Coil has a story behind it ? If it's not for the story, but only to be challenging, it should have no story behind it by taking your own words.

Or not be challenging at all.

Side quests have some kind of reason to why you are there, no? That's why the hardest bosses aren't in the main story. It's so you can get most of the picture without being stuck on something unable to see the end.

[Rosy]

I said "cutting edge". There is no reason that one needs to beat everything in the same patch it comes out. See how Binding Coil turns 1 and 2 were accessible by a decent amount of people in 2.1 with turns 4 and 5 mostly being reserved to statics? See how now it's farming those turns when a new Coil is out? That's how it should be. The ones who strive to be the best will complete the content as intended, and those who either don't want to or can't put in the time, won't. They'll just wait until it becomes more accessible.


snip

Not sure you've been reading....we're not talking "cutting edge"...we're talking the "game" ...MANY, yup many people are still stuck at T5...there's not a lot of farming going on in the GENERAL populace. But there's one helluva lot of headbanging going on in an effort to find even 8 vaguely competent people.

Personally, I loved this game, but even with my infinite patience, 100s of wipes (literally) on Titan EX and T5, my patience wears thin and I'm looking at two new amazing games coming out in the not too far distance.

You see...what we're left with at the moment is running the same dungeons over and over for absolutely nothing except myth. Fates...oh please not fates, they were totally ruined by the forced Atma fiasco, and...crafting (if you're into that).We can't "farm" for High Allagan gear, we can't farm for Levi weapons, (we can't even see the freaking content beyond Titan) we can't do the weekly Rowena token runs, so us "non-exceptional" people, you know, we who pay the majority of subs and therefore keep this game healthy....have absolutely nothing "fun", or productive to do UNLESS WE JOIN A STATIC.

I've made a static this week, it's going to be a long haul as most of the people can only make twice a week and the majority of them are brand new to T5, which means I've put myself back to the beginning, just to be able to progress beyond the dreadknights, because there's no other way of doing it. Which leads back to the OP...there shouldn't be this reliance on getting a "static", we should be able to do stuff that is a challenge, enjoyable and fun with our guildies as in ALL OTHER MMOS so far.