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.

[Iriadysa]

That's funny so the whole point isn't defending difficulty now? Make up that mind of yours.

If it was bad connection or the players would've disconnected or weight of the land would've just appeared out of no where and killed him.

You clearly have no idea how this game handles network data. Here, I'm going to try to educate you, even though I'm sure you'll just come with a victimist rhetoric instead of actually going out and trying it yourself.

Your client will try to hide lag from you as much as possible. What the client does is accept your input as if everything was working correctly without actually waiting for the server to reply and acknowledge all of your moves. It will literally act as if everything was going ok.

You can cast and finish spells, then start new spells, without the client even waiting for confirmation of the effect of those spells. The client simply tries to give you an experience as smooth as possible in an attempt to mask latency fluctuations. This is really easy to try for yourself.

However, that the client makes you believe something doesn't mean it's actually happening. Sure, you finished casting that spell and were able to start another but it's very possible the packets for that action were lost or arrived late so the effect of your action may not even show at all.

With movement the problem is exactly the same. While the client will lie to you so that your experience is smoothed out there's a point where the lie is exposed if your connection keeps on acting like a POS instead of just having a hickup. The lie is revealed when the server sends your client information that does not match what your client predicted should've been. In other words, your latency didn't allow you to send the information to the server in time and the server replied "you've been hit". The reason you keep seeing people complain "but I was outside mommy, I shouldn't get hit!" is simply because of what I've already explained: the client lies to you in order to try to smooth the experience and mask latency fluctuations.

And it works. As long as your connection isn't a constant 400ms POS.

Just go out there and cap your upload speed then try to play. You'll see everything I've described and more.

Stop being ignorant if you are seriously going to try to discuss this.

There you go with that exaggerated tone and assumptions.

Sorry to burst your bubble but FFXIV focus target is not a perfect indicator for Twintania during that phase since it happens when you're forced to focus on add dps. Which is why I said, "VoIP is really needed".

I really wish I was a horrible player so you can sleep well at night. Yet no I know exactly what the issue is that you choose to ignore constantly to soothe that elitist attitude you have. I'm glad that a Lead Design of a very successful online multiplayer shares that philosophy.

1.) Your own fun can't come at a huge WTF expense to others.
2.) Depth in design doesn't require encyclopedic knowledge to do basic functions.
3.) Create unique and memorable experiences not unintuitive designs that reek only of elitism just for the sake of having confusing and convoluted patterns.
4.) Complexity and confusions are costs; never goals. Designs can be made to be memorable experiences you want without making it so that only you and x amount of your friends can enjoy.

He also mentioned why those designs you defend only house such a small player base.

What on earth are you babbling about? Do you even understand what focus target is?


Look, I've done this as a SCH I assure you I never target Twintania at all. I only target the adds if for some reason a DD derped, to help kill them. Focus target is absolutely a perfect indicator of when she's casting Twisters. This doesn't even make sense, I'm seriously thinking you have never even tried twintania! I've done this as DPS (as MNK, specifically) and I can assure you that Focus Target works perfectly. I don't need to guess at all. As soon as I see the cast bar, I know it's time to maybe think that I should be moving (yes, you actually have a huge window to start moving!)

How can you even dare to criticize game design when you don't even know how it works?

I find it funny you think I'm being an elitist. I have most likely helped more random strangers to learn and beat Titan Extreme and TT than you have, considering it's pretty obvious you can't get past the mechanics correctly.

I'm not an elitist, you are just a really bad player with a very big nack for complaining.

If enough of those casuals and mainstream players quit because they can't do what they want to, or they stop having fun, this game will eventually die and there will be no more game for you to play. If you're too stupid/blind/ignorant/retarded to understand that, there is no hope for you. I'm sorry.

And if the "casuals" in this thread get exactly what they want (i.e. the OP), the game would already be dead for some of us.

Do you understand?

This game has many problems that should be solved. The OP shows none of the right ones.

Edit: I skipped a page by accident! I see you got educated about Focus Target now, while you tried to dodge the bullet and save face as much as possible. I loved it, when you were shown you could see the cast bar using focus target you switched to "in the middle of the fight" and then when you were shown you could do it at the start you said:

Well you go ahead and rely on players outside a static to do so. I wouldn't especially when I've gone through countless experiences where players don't feel the need to do such things for 1 fight and try and get by without it.

Which again, VoIP is a simplistic solution to something like twisters over all other methods and expectations followed by macros.

This is gold. And you call me an elitist when you are clearly diminishing your fellow players, complaining that you are too good to be partying with other players that are not at your level and that's why you keep failing.

You probably missed it so I'm gonna say it again: all of my Twintania kills are with PUGs. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. I even have a SCH book from TT!
And in fact, all of my Titan Ex kills have been with half pugs too, because I don't run in a static.

And really, trying to pass "focus target now please" at the start of a fight as something hard to do for a PUG... Yeah, who's the elitist here, I wonder.

[ToffeeCoffee]

I personally can't wait to do coil on tuesdays because i find it fun to get loot and practice on turn 9.

I'll assume you're in a static, am I right? Coil is fun for those who are in a static party.
My static fell apart 2 weeks ago after 3 members quit the game but I was lucky enough to get some nice loot (just fail RNG on the sand).
Now I have to PUG SCoB, last week was just horrible dealing with ragers (people pointing fingers and playing the blame game, but when they themselves died they were quick to type "lol" and "lag").
I am officially boycotting SCoB until I'm in a static again, not that anyone cares. Days pass and I now ignore PUG groups looking for pro Renaud kiting SMN's because I'm just over it.
SE please make SCoB more accessible so that people can get it done on their own time, not forced to rush it on Tuesday or Wednesday when all the competent PUG groups go through, please get rid of the stupid lockout.

It's the same static parties who have T6-9 on farm for their subclasses and alts so I'm not sure what the point of the lockout is. It just ostricises the majority of your playerbase from participating in this content.

The flipside to not doing SCoB is T5 and Levi (and that carebear Novus grind) and that's just not cool.

[Iriadysa]

I'll assume you're in a static, am I right? Coil is fun for those who are in a static party.
My static fell apart 2 weeks ago after 3 members quit the game but I was lucky enough to get some nice loot (just fail RNG on the sand).
Now I have to PUG SCoB, last week was just horrible dealing with ragers (people pointing fingers and playing the blame game, but when they themselves died they were quick to type "lol" and "lag").
I am officially boycotting SCoB until I'm in a static again, not that anyone cares. Days pass and I now ignore PUG groups looking for pro Renaud kiting SMN's because I'm just over it.
SE please make SCoB more accessible so that people can get it done on their own time, not forced to rush it on Tuesday or Wednesday when all the competent PUG groups go through, please get rid of the stupid lockout.

It's the same static parties who have T6-9 on farm for their subclasses and alts so I'm not sure what the point of the lockout is. It just ostricises the majority of your playerbase from participating in this content.

The flipside to not doing SCoB is T5 and Levi (and that carebear Novus grind) and that's just not cool.

I really believe the major problem with SCoB is, indeed, the lock outs. This alone is what causes the "static only" mentality, which makes the SCoB such exclusive content.

Obviously the intention is to make content last longer by stretching the amount of loot you can get in a single week and while I hate this idea, I suppose it's understandable that it's either this or really low drop rates. Seems unrealistic to expect them to be able to pump enough content for player consumption. The alternative would be to follow CT's model and give one drop per week instead of one clear per week, but I'm not even sure if this would actually help move people away from the "static only" mentality.

I'm honestly not sure what the solution to this is. Not the OP though, that's for sure.

[ToffeeCoffee]

I really believe the major problem with SCoB is, indeed, the lock outs. This alone is what causes the "static only" mentality, which makes the SCoB such exclusive content.

Obviously the intention is to make content last longer by stretching the amount of loot you can get in a single week and while I hate this idea, I suppose it's understandable that it's either this or really low drop rates. Seems unrealistic to expect them to be able to pump enough content for player consumption. The alternative would be to follow CT's model and give one drop per week instead of one clear per week, but I'm not even sure if this would actually help move people away from the "static only" mentality.

I'm honestly not sure what the solution to this is. Not the OP though, that's for sure.

I think lower drop rates (chance for nothing to drop) with dungeon cool-down is a much better option than the weekly single clear lockout. Players get to learn, experience and enjoy the content and aren't able to gear out so quickly. Addresses two issues there and then. Only people who might not like that are the easy clear hardcore farmers.

[Gormogon]

I think lower drop rates (chance for nothing to drop) with dungeon cool-down is a much better option than the weekly single clear lockout. Players get to learn, experience and enjoy the content and aren't able to gear out so quickly. Addresses two issues there and then. Only people who might not like that are the easy clear hardcore farmers.

Also add that you only get 1 hr to do all of it if not you're locked out for the week.

To bad there's no hardcore option of, if you die you character dies forever.

[Yukiko]

I think lower drop rates (chance for nothing to drop) with dungeon cool-down is a much better option than the weekly single clear lockout. Players get to learn, experience and enjoy the content and aren't able to gear out so quickly. Addresses two issues there and then. Only people who might not like that are the easy clear hardcore farmers.

Welcome back to FFXIV 1.x, no thanks!
No Drop is bad Gamedesign.

To bad there's no hardcore option of, if you die you character dies forever.

Lets add this and we will see all those so called Hardcores whine about "Content is too hard"

[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.