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

[vientown]

i don't understand this post at all. FFXIV is the best bop-it simulator i've ever played.

[Marukoban]

I'm confused about the part where OP gave example of pre50 dungeon as interesting.
To be honest, most of the pre50 dungeons are really boring (almost fell asleep lots of times in it).
If the definition of good design is Qarn and AV, I'd rather do the current end game progression.
At least Coil is challenging to progress through. Qarn and AV ... It takes a lot to screw up in those dungeons.

[Souljacker]

I'm confused about the part where OP gave example of pre50 dungeon as interesting.
To be honest, most of the pre50 dungeons are really boring (almost fell asleep lots of times in it).
If the definition of good design is Qarn and AV, I'd rather do the current end game progression.
At least Coil is challenging to progress through. Qarn and AV ... It takes a lot to screw up in those dungeons.

You don't currently outgear coil. You do outgear the aforementioned dungeons, and likely your comrades did when you were experiencing them even if you didn't at the time. I know what he is saying - those dungeons were interactive and fun. They weren't just tank and spank or run run run out of the poo. There were interesting puzzles, and extra treasure. That's excellent design and I agree with him on those two dungeons in particular.

[Nuinn]

That was a good read. I used to do endgame before I got frustrated with having to deal with lockouts, people's temper and the rewards not being worth the trouble. The false sense of achievement for learning to behave like a well trained monkey is also a turn-off. Or, in other words, the endgame became boring (extremely so), both cause the state of mind it pushes some people into and cause of it being gimmick-driven. Mind you, this is coming from someone who finds enjoyment in grinding pointless achievements that give pointless achievement points. Yep, I find THOSE more fun than the current endgame. The moment I quit trying for endgame I found myself more enjoying everything else.

[TheRogueX]

As for the then and now comparisons for player skill. You're wrong, simple as that. Players now are so much more skilled then they used to be. 10 years ago forums and databases didn't exist the way they do now. Sites like Wowhead, Gamerescape, and these very forums were non-existent. The sphere of plat that exists for MMO has changed radically and a lot of players in this very thread refuse to see or accept that.

LOL - The fact that you think we didn't have resources like we do today is hilarious. I was playing Earth and Beyond and Lineage II 10 years ago, and we had PLENTY of forums/databases/websites to use. Hell, Lineage II had a mod you could run in the background that tracked drop rates across players, averaged them out, and placed them in a database that could be reached via a well-designed website. Even ZAM (Allakazam) has existed for 10 years. So anyway, you were either too young to play MMOs back then or were just totally obvious.

And then the boss throws one final attack after it dies, which will kill everyone instantly if you don't do something super specific. Hope you like starting over!

This is actually a common occurrence in Final Fantasy games, lol

[Dashuto]

I was playing Earth and Beyond and Lineage II 10 years ago, and we had PLENTY of forums/databases/websites to use. Hell, Lineage II had a mod you could run in the background that tracked drop rates across players, averaged them out, and placed them in a database that could be reached via a well-designed website.

God, even base Lineage II came with a plugin that let us run MSN messenger in the game, that was sick.

Also honorable mention to Space Cowboy Online and its media player that played whatever files were in your music folder while you grinded ingame.

[Seif]

I think it's weird when synced rope jumping trumps over individual dedication and skill.

Currently the only exception seems to be the SV hm boss(es) that you CAN kill even if the rest of the party has died by failing to react to the visual cues.

[Marukoban]

You don't currently outgear coil. You do outgear the aforementioned dungeons, and likely your comrades did when you were experiencing them even if you didn't at the time. I know what he is saying - those dungeons were interactive and fun. They weren't just tank and spank or run run run out of the poo. There were interesting puzzles, and extra treasure. That's excellent design and I agree with him on those two dungeons in particular.

Not sure what you are trying to say.
You CAN'T outgear Qarn or AV, or rather you can't outgear them in meaningful way. Your gear is synced down when you enter those dungeons.
Those dungeons are totally boring. What puzzle? What extra treasure?
Do you mean the puzzle where the answer is given to you on the map? :/
The chest inside isn't even worth much even for first timer.
AV is even worse. It's just the same old same tank and spank run run run.
I do agree SE could've done better in dungeon design, but the examples he gave wasn't exactly good either.

[Edli]

I think it's weird when synced rope jumping trumps over individual dedication and skill.

In a party-based challenge is not the individual's dedication and skill that gets tested but the whole party's dedication and skill.

[Luvbunny]

I think it's weird when synced rope jumping trumps over individual dedication and skill.

What we both suffer is "the curse of knowledge". I have a couple of friends who are completely new to this game. For them, most of the dungeons after level 24 is considered "intense" - especially on their first run. The same dungeons most of veterans here have run for hundreds of time. For us, we just don't understand why newbies do not "get the mechanic" when everything is spelled out for you right in front of your screen... For them Brayflox is HARD ("you want me to Esuna all of you? move out of the way? and cure three people???), Sunken Temple is "ZOMG WTF was that", Cutter's Cry was "intense" and Titan "baby trial" was "fck this, I swear I ran and out of the train track from hell".

I remember at launch last year, dungeons from level 28 and above would be considered quite a challenge when you almost guaranteed at least 1-3 newbies on your duty finder. Level 44 and 47 dungeons were "torture" - heck, I still get "vote abandon" on Aurum Vale, and we didn't even pass first boss when the whole party wipe due tank being new and not understand "DO NOT LINK" these trash mobs.

The game does have "Scripted Moves" but it is also random as well, Bosses will performs certain moves on script, but it will choose "random" players, or has "random direction" on where it will face and spew its attack moves. You do not know the direction of Titan's train track from hell will land, but you do know he will do it after certain steps or moves. For newbies, all of these seems "so random" even if you insist, "guys, pay attention please, it will always do moves 1, 2, 3...."