Can we improve chocobo usage?

[Colt47]

I've been playing this game since beta and it seems like there is a bit of a conflict of interest with the chocobo buddy system and the duty finder. Idealy, we want to use our chocobo when we are out soloing in the overworld or while waiting for a queue to pop. However, if we want to queue for a dungeon, the Chocobo counts as a party member, meaning we can't have it out during a DF queue. Then there is trying to use your chocobo during actual group events, where it takes up an entire character slot in the party.

I'm not really sure what would need to be done to make this feasible, but if I think a lot of us would use our chocobo a lot more if it didn't take up a party member slot and was perhaps subject to some other kind of limit (maybe one chocobo per 2 people in a group?). It just seems like such a waste to only be able to use our fluffy feathered buddies when we are doing menial tasks.

[Rikkustrife]

make them similar to pets instead of party members

[Colt47]

make them similar to pets instead of party members

That's what I'm thinking, but then we'd need to let summoners have two pets out at once.

[Madoka]

Chocobo does less for me than Garuda. They could definitely go about improving the companion system a bit more.

Make barding give bonus stats?
Lower the exp scaling?
Make onions worth more than one level or make them take less time to grow?
Make it possible to use them and our retainers in 4 man dungeons as a means to solo?

Stuff I've thought about passively

[Barboron]

Chocobos can't be treated as pets because of the conflict with ARC/SMN/SCH and also means a reworking of their skills.

As for onions, they are quite difficult to crossbreed. It seems the chances of crossbreeding are relatively low to the other possible crosses. The only issue is, there is all this content that requires gardening and no personal gardens. Once that comes out, issue solved. And yes, it will be a gil sink to buy a house, but it's all part of the content, I say that because someone complained about it before even though it's not really an issue.

Problem with bonus stats for barding...everyone will end up using the same barding. So, unless they can implement a glamour feature, it won't be very good but they did implement a feature which works, the food such as curiel root. While that one is an exp+ the others effect healing and damage.

As for using them in dungeons, personally, I feel there are better ways to handle a dropped player. That would be allowing a current player in the dungeon to change to the empty role with agreement with the other players within the dungeon and then allow the DF to find the newly available role instead. And retainers? That's just an odd one, not to say it's a bad one though.

Only thing I could see needing improvement is allowing us to have our chocobos out while queued for the DF. Once the window comes up, just don't let us press commence until we withdraw. While it sounds simple, I am not sure how SE structures the code for the game and like anything else, implementing a feature will no doubt cause bugs but it's something I hope they will look into.

[Colt47]

They definitely need to at least let us use them while we are queued for a dungeon. It's kind of annoying that the one time we would probably want to use them outside of solo grinding fates or leves we can't even have them out. I think they could work in dungeons as a fifth party member, though. It would add a bit more of a dynamic to dungeon running and everyone could vote on which chocobo to have out.

[Sessurea]

They definitely need to at least let us use them while we are queued for a dungeon. It's kind of annoying that the one time we would probably want to use them outside of solo grinding fates or leves we can't even have them out. .

THIS^^^^^^

And for god sake, as if we wernt limited enough, now we have to stable the damn thing for 5 hours to dye? CHANGE NAO :<

[Colt47]

THIS^^^^^^

And for god sake, as if we wernt limited enough, now we have to stable the damn thing for 5 hours to dye? CHANGE NAO :<

The irony is that is the bare minimum I'd expect from SE to do to get the Chocobo raising back on track. The reality is that we really should be able to use these fellows in dungeons and other parts of the game as well, perhaps even change the focus of what DPS roles are supposed to do in combat besides pulling big numbers. Picking the right chocobo's to have out in a fight could open up options and utility for both healers and damage dealers. They could actually "kite" adds around or get to focus on tactics in the fight instead of having to play position hop scotch to get damage bonuses (or in the healers case, watch the floor for aoe advertisements and the health bars).

[Mykll]

I would love to be able to wait in line in DF with Chocobo out. Also weird you can use it for normal leves, but not Grand Company leves. I know party member, but still.

I would also love it if I could bring any mount out for battle. Either all pets have the same skills, or each pet keeps track of their own.

[HeroSamson]

Let the devs grow the game first.