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

[Luvbunny]

Eh, Clavaat is right, the reason there weren't any detailed guides for FFXI bosses is because there really was no need (though YouTube not being a thing back then also contributed a lot). They were simplistic enough for text to be more than enough. How hard is it to explain Kirin? How hard is it to explain Faf/Nid? How hard is it to explain DL?

Then you probably never done the new FFXI boss battle. Delve Version 1 was and still hard to do for most newbies. People complaint so much they had to nerve Delve Version 2. I am ok to have normal difficulty for those dungeons at 50 we have to farm every single day..... no need to make it such a PITA for everyone. Most of FFXI content - whenever they are freshly introduced, is HARD until you figure out what jobs best to bring for the said Bosses. Voidwatch when it was introduced was quite punishing until people figure out what to do (due to there is no "message" to move here or move there or watch out for this and that).

[Dashuto]

Then you probably never done the new FFXI boss battle. Delve Version 1 was and still hard to do for most newbies.

I remember when Einherjar was brand new and people couldn't even get halfway through the fights.

FFXI managed to be hard without instant-wipe mechanics or puzzles, and thats part of what made its challenge feel better.

[NovaUltimatum]

FFXI managed to be hard without instant-wipe mechanics or puzzles, and thats part of what made its challenge feel better.

There kinda were instant-death mechanics and puzzles to an extent though. ADL could instant wipe alliances if he spammed tera-slash, and there was some RNG involved to killing the right clone. Still, not knowing how he would respond made the fight a lot more intensive and exciting.

Puzzles came in the form of not being told how to kill the boss, and having to study the mob's hidden effects. Nyzul Isle was a greater example of puzzle/maze content that got the player problem-solving for each floor. A battle type I hope comes back for FFXIV.

[Dashuto]

Nyzul Isle was a greater example of puzzle/maze content that got the player problem-solving for each floor. A battle type I hope comes back for FFXIV.

I love Nyzul too.

Only a true Nyzul veteran will understand this image

[Luvbunny]

Puzzles came in the form of not being told how to kill the boss, and having to study the mob's hidden effects. Nyzul Isle was a greater example of puzzle/maze content that got the player problem-solving for each floor. A battle type I hope comes back for FFXIV.

I do agree that there are so many great things from FFXI that they should straight up "COPY, STEAL, APPROPRIATE". I rather have they do this than trying to copy "WoW, Guild Wars, and twitchy FPS" game on every single things. It's ok for the first year content, but please... SE already have another great golden game that has good mechanic and battle system, why not adapt it and put a FF14 spin on it. Though I can just imagine trying to clear any delve content via Duty Finder lol.... Nerd Rage drama rama will ensue when you see half of your team mate has no clue on how to play their roles.

Nyzul is basically "kill everything" with a twist, and all is dandy until you hit the "lamp floor" lol. ToAU is the shining jewel of that game. Abyssea is another great example of "plug and play" - customize your play style and do what you want. Adoulin is shaping up to be a great expansion. And yes it's ok to slap newbies hard - you either learn how to play your class, or don't try to do more advanced content.

Though you gotta admit, the beauty of FF14 is, 90% of their content can be cleared with ANY combination of classes here, as long you understand the "jump rope" mechanic and not a complete noob. While FFXI prefer you clear with certain jobs combination that are optimized, effectively prevent 75% of the classes in the game to be utilized.

[Sandpark]

The issue is not mechanics. The issue is the game has a high degree of situational awareness danger,but lacks reactional awareness skills for the entire party besides dodging. Most danger is telegraphed but because there are no skills to deal with each scenario specifically. It becomes a game of "jump rope". This problem began with the omitting of elemental wheels and non existence of bar-spells,etc. Bad situations wouldn't be so bad if there are avenues of diminishing the effect. Gear & level & resistances should play into diminishing bad situations somewhat but never trivialize the effects.

The jump rope extends to battle classes. Rotations exist in every rpg. But I find it dull if the same rotation is supreme in all circumstances. Enemies should have unique properties that need to be handled differently depending on situations.Here don't matter what enemy/environment does. Most class have no way react to dmg besides dodge.Dodge or eat dirt.If dmg lowered that situations bring. Cause no skills to counter each situation on case basis=jump rope. I brought up XI not cause all class had em, but "some had em beside the tank".If mnster AoE fire. What has more multi engagement?
1.Dodge
2.Tank cast AoE dmg reducing skill to counter specific enemy AoE & ppl dodge
3.Tank & mage cast dmg reducing skill to counter specific enemy AoE & ppl dodge
4.All have small dmg reduction to counter enemy AoE,ppl dodge

People know what used in these dungeons.It lacked variety in XI at times due to the enemy tact were 1 dimensional.Developer choice, a choice they could change. Here is small repeating rotation in player skills,enemy tact,environment situations.

Barspell/Wheel: No, barspell required countering one of eight spells with a specific counter, if any counter worked for any spell that is bloat. Mana-ward requires no thought like the former chess match. Does one defense fit every situation? Look at all chinese kung-fu, does the same suit a fireman uses the same as a deep sea diver? Would creatures made out of electricity,stone, skin, rubber, or water all be weak to fire? No sir it does not, nothing is monotone.

[Gilthas]

This problem began with the omitting of elemental wheels and non existence of bar-spells,etc.

I'll have to disagree there. The elemental wheel and bar-spells does nothing to lessen the problems you mentioned.

It's odd that you say that the game lacks reactional awareness skills for the entire party and then bring up FFXI mechanics. How many jobs in FFXI had these reactional awareness skills? The answer is very few.

Elemental wheel and barspells? You entered each fight in FFXI already knowing what you were going to use in the fight. The only thing the elemental wheel did was make you use different spells for different mobs to do the exact same thing. That's not variety, that's just bloat, because you're not really doing different things in each fight, you're doing the same thing but your spell animations are different.

[Sandpark]

Here don't matter what enemy/environment does. Most class have no way react to dmg besides dodge.Dodge or eat dirt.If dmg lowered that situations bring. Cause no skills to counter each situation on case basis=jump rope. I brought up XI not cause all class had em, but "some had em beside the tank".If mnster AoE fire. What has more multi engagement?
1.Dodge
2.Tank cast AoE dmg reducing skill to counter specific enemy AoE & ppl dodge
3.Tank & mage cast dmg reducing skill to counter specific enemy AoE & ppl dodge
4.All have small dmg reduction to counter enemy AoE,ppl dodge

People know what used in these dungeons.It lacked variety in XI at times due to the enemy tact were 1 dimensional.Developer choice, a choice they could change. Here is small repeating rotation in player skills,enemy tact,environment situations.

[Gilthas]

Because all you need to know with the stuff that happens randomly is "when boss does this you do this". I don't even see how you can possibly argue that FFXI fights were hard to make a guide for when for the vast majority of FFXI endgame fights I entered blind and just got a brief explanation that was more than sufficient.

- If Kirin is casting an AoE run away from him.
- If we get claim on Faf/Nid tank party stands on right foot and DD parties on left foot. No DoTs so we can sleep him if necessary.
- Tank party stands here. Mages/ranged stand here. Melees rush in after the tanks position DL and Red Mages start chainstun. Burn him down as fast as you can and hopefully we'll kill him before he kills us.

You don't really need a detailed video for this kind of stuff.

As for skillchains and magicbursts. They were needed in FFXI because most jobs barely had anything to do during fights. FFXIV keeps me busy enough.

[DurtiMonkeyToe]

Someone give me an example of an old MMO boss fight that was so much harder than XIV boss fights so I can do a compare and contrast, please?