FFXI all over again

[Vahlnir]

-snip-

As far as fates go, I'd probably do them even when I'm not required to if they were more like RIFT's rift system, which consisted of multiple stages increasing in difficulty. There were also zone wide events that affected quest hubs and such. While it would suck to have your quest givers killed while you're questing, the events were too much fun to really care. They weren't permanent either so everything would return to normal after a time once the event ended. You were also rewarded in the process with exp/currency to get gear and whatnot. If they implemented something like this you'd never see me in town. lol

[Themis]

Personally if I was developing this game I would of avoided the FATE system. I mean, you know they will become less popular over time after launch. No one wants to chase these things down to level up and you can't make their xp too good else dungeons become empty. I think overall FATEs should just be redesigned into rare boss fights that spawn in the world, but that would require revamping the system. Maybe they will in the expansion? Who knows. But then again I know some people that do like FATEs, but maybe we can hope they find a middle ground with it.

The concept behind FATE (and similar things in other games) is just fine. The problem comes down to the player base. Once upon a time, people played games to have fun and actually do things just because. Now it's all about speed. Speed levelling. Speed token acquisition. Is there a strategy that makes a fight easier/faster? That becomes the norm. Not many want to just take their time any more and just chill.

I would definitely favour FATEs being the NM variety. We have some, and those are great. But even then, they'd need to have some other kind of incentive other than exp or even company seals. Unless there's a reason, no one really cares.

[StubHub]

Once upon a time, people played games to have fun and actually do things just because. Now it's all about speed. Speed levelling. Speed token acquisition. Is there a strategy that makes a fight easier/faster? That becomes the norm. Not many want to just take their time any more and just chill.

Once upon a time, there weren't massive multiplayer games. You just were not subjected to it by a genre. Don't kid yourself into thinking there was ever a time where games had no competitive/efficient variable to them. I was 8, and id have been damned if my friend was going to beat my time in a Mario 2 level. But i suppose i was just part of the plague, even then, as a little boy.

[Ransu]

Once upon a time, people played games to have fun and actually do things just because. Now it's all about speed. Speed levelling. Speed token acquisition. Is there a strategy that makes a fight easier/faster? That becomes the norm. Not many want to just take their time any more and just chill.

You weren't around during EQ days were you? Nothing wrong with being casual and "chill" but competitive nature of MMO's is nothing new. In fact I'd say it was much stronger in the old days of MMO's when they had WAY more grinding and rng. Fighting over spawns of a boss, bragging about world firsts etc...This is nothing new. Try spending 5 months just to get a single chest piece from a dragon in EQ with a 1% drop rate. I mean, I cant remember the last time I was in a guild that used a point system for participation. Most loot now in MMO's is based on tokens instead of drops. Back in the day if you wanted gear you had to participate and earn points put together by the guild itself and would spend those points for gear that would drop.

[Welsper59]

The one thing I'm always curious about, when people complain about the grind of the genre being "poor" or "lazy" design... what exactly do they think is a good design in an MMORPG? Going back to only random boss drops for all equipment? Isn't that potentially WORSE than the current? I mean, if doing the same thing over and over now is a problem, like with tomes where there's a guaranteed time to gain your reward (for the most part), why wouldn't it be a problem for the game if it went back to pure RNG and you spend months longer than otherwise doing the exact same thing?

You have to remember that the genre itself does not necessarily reward "time", so much as it rewards persistence and effort (defined in more ways than one). So again, I ask... what's "good" design in this context?

[Embercrisp]

Hey I'm a let you finish, but FFXI had the best grind of all time!

[Malamasala]

Hey I'm a let you finish, but FFXI had the best grind of all time!

You are talking about Abyssea, right? Now that was the most fun grind I ever had.

[Tiggy]

Now folks, im not in any way shape or form trying to tell any of you what to play or if you enjoy or dont enjoy it, im just merely stating the OPINION that square enix is taking this game in a boring and dull direction and its only going to get worse if they keep this route.

Fixed that for you.

[FedeMax]

I think is funny how the OP and other complains about the grind of the fates, but forget to realize that is done only for one item of the game which is relics. In 1.0 there was a lot of complains that relics were too easy to get compare to what it was in XI, plus your Relic weapon should be something epic that should take effort and time to get. SE has please the crowd with a effort and time consuming quest using all of the mechanics the game have to offer for the Relic Weapon which will become the best weapon on the game.

If you don't want to do the effort that takes to upgrade your relic, there are plenty of other options that does not take time but a skill groups of players.(Coils, Primals, etc) I personally don't have the time to dedicate my self to the relic, if I did that is all I would be doing in the game. Go and enjoy the other mechanic of the game and just wait a year or so when the current relic quest will become easier if you want to be lazy.

[Reynhart]

I think is funny how the OP and other complains about the grind of the fates, but forget to realize that is done only for one item of the game which is relics.

This ! Just this !
If you want THAT reward, you have to play by THESE rules.
If you don't like it, aim for another weapon.

And by the way, if you think that relic is "like" FFXI, you clearly didn't grind for a relic in FFXI, cause that was waaaaaay more frustrating.