Kazra's Giant List of Suggestions

[ZDietrich]

TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Prelude/Introduction.
B. Overall Class Suggestions
C. Individual Class Suggestions
D. Large Gameplay Changes/Suggestions
E. Medium Gameplay Changes/Suggestions
F. Quality of Life (Small) Gameplay Changes/Suggestions + Minor Annoyances


EDIT: Sorry for the Quintople-post. It was too behemoth for one post! Also, sorry for the poor formatting. I had it originally spaced properly and the like, but no matter how many places I put prior to a point, it remains aligned to the left.


A. Prelude/Introduction:

a. Hello! My name is Zack, and I play Kazra Malim on the Mateus (NA) server. I am absolutely new to this game, having played a little over a month, but I’m a long-time gamer and consider myself quite the veteran of MMOs. I played EverQuest when it was released, and when WoW dropped I moved to it and have played it since (currently a heroic raider, picked this game up to play during the downtime). As such, I’m sure some of my suggestions below will be viewed as attempts to homogenize the game, a la Warcraft, but I can promise that is not my intention. I love this game because of the uniqueness of it. The class system is amazing. While the story (and dialogue) was “Meh”, there is still an ongoing, overarching plot line in which you play a large, important part. All in all, I love this game but I think there are some things that could be improved upon. Let me also state this clearly; I have not experienced everything in the game, and earlier I alluded to being new. As such, I don’t know everything there is to know; I haven’t kept up with the developer notes. It is entirely possible that my suggestions are already being put into work, or I’ve somehow missed the options to fix things listed below.
b. Because of the length of this post, I made the decision to break it down into parts (this introduction included), each with their own post. Still, I apologize for the individual walls of text. That all being said, please feel free to comment and include anything you think I may have missed. Thank you.

[ZDietrich]

B. Overall Class Suggestions

1. 2 Jobs for every Class, more versatility.
a. Gladiator = Duelist/Sword Saint (DPS)
i. In the description of the Gladiator, there is mention of Gladiators who fight without an offhand to focus on their sword arm. This isn’t implemented at all, but I feel like the potential is there.
b. Pugilist = Dancer(?) (Tank)
i. I feel as if this is an easy one to see. Warriors are the reactive tanks that regen HP, and Paladins are the proactive tanks that mitigate incoming damage. Dancer would emphasize dodging attacks and abilities, maybe through a default movement speed boost, or just through heightened dodge chance. (Since I haven’t played an endgame tank, I actually don’t know if tanks often dodge or not)
c. Marauder/Lancer = Dark Knight/Berserker (DPS)
i. I’ve grouped these two together because I think that they both have great potential in both directions. Dark Knight is a well-established role, consuming their own HP to do damage. Berserkers would open themselves up to taking more damage to deal more damage, a la Blood for Blood.
d. Archer = Sniper/Assassin (DPS)
i. Bard is great, but its offensive capabilities are shadowed by its support capabilities. A Sniper (or Assassin) class would eschew support abilities for more DPS. Think more conditional abilities, or add combos to the mix.
e. Conjurer = Elementist (DPS)
i. This, I feel, has the strongest support behind it. Conjurer’s focus on Wind, Water, and Earth while Thaumaturges focus on Fire, Ice, and Lightning. Combine the two, and you’ll have a force of destruction capable of bending all of the elements to will.
f. Thaumaturge = Time Mage? Alchemist? (Support/DPS)
i. Honestly, this is the biggest reach. I wanted another support role like Bard, but I had a really hard time thinking of one. My idea would be a Job that, through DPSing would improve the others around it.
1. Example for TM would be, hasting nearby party members after a crit or proc.
2. ALC Example would be procs/abilities that would affect the ground. Standing in these short-term spots would give buffs.
2. Missing class!
a. Yes, I know that a new class will be added, akin to Thancred/Yugiri. All that I personally know about this potential class is that it dual wields, and it seems to be a high speed DPS class. That being said, there still is a big hole in the class structure which is the…
b. Thief!
i. This is honestly just missing. Pugilist comes close, but there are no classes that truly fit the bill. A stealth mechanic is available with the gathering professions, but no where else. Dual-wielding also isn’t an option (other than Pugilist which have a pair of weapons). I would envision this as a class with an emphasis on speed. Possibly a baseline lower GCD (I admit, totally ripped that from WoW).
ii. Potential Jobs – Since I have proposed two jobs for every class, I found it only fitting to do the same for my proposed class.
1. Ninja – High-burst damage dealer. Emphasis on positioning in conjunction with timing to do the most damage. Imagine a mechanic of a “sweet spot” that if you use an ability at a proper time, it’s a guaranteed crit or has an added effect.
2. Red Mage – My personal favorite. My version of the Red Mage would be incredibly influenced by the FFXII version of it, a mix of might and magic, a true spell-blade. This class would have an emphasis on mixing TP and Mana consuming abilities, as well as debuffing enemies.
3. Better XP rewards
a. Leveling the first class is incredibly well paced. The Main Scenario takes you perfectly along the leveling path (save for the small space between 46-49/47-50? Can’t remember). After that, it gets kind of stagnant. Yes, the 50% XP bonus helps, but after the second class or third class, it just doesn’t feel like enough. Perhaps increase it by an additional 50% per max level class? Maybe even per Max 2.
b. A better idea, in my opinion, would be to simply apply the experience bonus to everything. Currently, it is just applied to monster kill experience. It isn’t applied to hunting logs, quests (if any remain), FATEs, or roulette bonuses.
4. Heirloom type items (or item functionality)
a. There’s nothing more disheartening to greed roll a high level item, just to realize the class that can use it is FAR below the level able to use it. There are two options I can see.
i. Heirloom (WoW) like items. Items you can purchase (or find) that are specifically coded to change stats as they level. Generally, they’re expensive, but they alleviate some of the problem of constantly changing gear while you’re power leveling.
ii. This is my more preferred option, as it’s already kind of implemented. Why not just allow the ability of equipping higher level items, so long as you have a class high enough to be able to use it? The syncing function is already present in the game, so stats could just be synced down to fit the appropriate level.
b. In order to combat these items being the best at all points pre-50, I propose that they be slightly undertuned to items of the appropriate level.
i. An example: A lvl 25 Character is equipped with an heirloom/level 50 item. The item would be scaled down to be a level 23-24 item. This way, the item would still be good at any level, but appropriate leveled items (aetherial/unique) would still be better.

[ZDietrich]

C. Individual Class/Job Suggestions

a. I have not played all of these classes to 50, I’ve just been working on unlocking all of the jobs. I played Pugilist/Monk to 50 with the main scenario, and have been leveling all of the other classes. At the time of this writing all classes, save for THM and CNJ (18 and 16, respectively) have been leveled to at least 30.
1. Gladiator/Paladin – Gladiators seem very GCD locked-down. My only suggestion for gladiator is to make one of their main skills an ability instead of a weapon skill/spell. The three candidates, in order of my belief of the proper choice are Shield Swipe, Shield Bash, and Flash. All of them hold a rather awkward place in the “rotation”. I personally think Shield Swipe is the best choice because it is a reactive ability. Since it only has a 6 second duration, it’s possible to miss using it. Shield Bash is next, because of its utility; as a stun, it can be used to interrupt spell casts, but it is again possible to miss using the ability due to GCD lock-out. Lastly is flash, and I merely included it because it feels weird to use in the first place. Off the GCD, though, I feel it would be overpowered.
2. Pugilist/Monk – The core mechanic of the Pugilist is Greased Lightning, and the emphasis of one ability flowing into the next. As such, I find it off putting that until level 18, you’re using the same abilities over and over, with very little variation. I understand the small stepping into it, as not to overwhelm, but the other variations come at levels 30 and 50, which I feel is just a bit too spread out. My only suggestion would be to change the skill order a little bit.
3. Marauder/Warrior – I feel that Marauder is completely well balanced, but I personally feel that the tertiary class for Warrior should be Lancer, not Pugilist. The cross class skills just make more sense.
4. Lancer/Dragoon – My issue with Lancer is much the same as Pugilist, but different. Lancers focus extensively on combos, but they only have access to one, even partially, until level 38. My suggestion would be to swap the placements of Disembowel with Full Thrust. This way, neither of the combos are finished (leaving something to look forward to as you level) while still supplying some variance.
5. Archer/Bard – Bard is a personal favorite of mine, and is honestly what sparked my idea of making this thread. While I don’t like the damage decrease while singing, I understand it. To not have it would make bard completely overpowered, and I’m fine with that. The only thing I think should be changed is the placement of River of Blood. While I haven’t yet unlocked the ability, I have a feeling it would change the feel of the Bard. Adding another proc to look for and increasing damage output.
6. Conjurer/White Mage – This is absolutely my least played, so take my opinion worth as a grain of salt. From being in parties with White Mages, I’ve noticed one thing in comparison to Scholars. White Mages seem to have a much harder time with managing mana (no aetherflow), and their off-dps output seems much lower. While the Scholar can do lots of damage over time while still healing, the White Mage only has 1 (or two, do Aero I and II stack?) and must actively not heal to dps.
7. Thaumaturge/Black Mage – As I was leveling this, I only felt one thing was really off. I love the Astral and Umbral mechanic, but I feel that the “downtime” between the two is a little off. Fire III and Blizzard III both set the stacks to 3 with no downtime, my question is, why can’t this be an across the board function? F/B III would still give 3 stacks, while II and I would both give 1, skipping the “middle” section where you aren’t in either.
8. Arcanist/Summoner/Scholar – Only idea for the Arcanist was to swap the summons. By changing when they’re learned, you would kill two birds with one stone; make the leveling process a little easier for starting players and giving them the DPS pet available as the player starts using the duty finder (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve low level rouletted to find a fresh arcanist using Topaz because they learned it later, so they thought it must be better.)

[ZDietrich]

D. Large Gameplay Changes/Suggestions

1. Chocobo/Companion Issues
a. I’ve already posted a dedicated thread on this alone, and I know it’s been discussed pretty extensively in the forums, but I’m still going to beat a dead Chocobo. Yet keep this concise.
b. Companions shouldn’t be a party member. Self-explanatory, and agreed upon across the board.
i. That being said, there should be SOME limitations on their use IN parties. Suggestion: Once a party transitions past a Light Party (4 players), chocobos cannot be used.
c. Chocobo Experience values are astronomical when coupled with the various limitations. My favored solutions are to either decrease the xp needed to level, or let them gain experience from FATEs that they participate in (I prefer this one).
d. Chocobo skill points are another point of contention. I don’t recall there being an in-game disclaimer about there being no way to respec your chocobo after you’ve allocated the points. Luckily, I had read this online prior to unlocking the companion. This is more important than it may seem, for a few reasons. First off, there are achievements tied directly to maxing out a certain tree. Combine that with there being no warning, you can see the problem. Secondly, due to the class system, it would only make sense to be able to change it as you can change your class. Leveling a healer chocobo could be immensely useful for a DPS, but would be utterly useless if you decided to change into a healer.
2. Class/Job Changing Within Duty
a. This is a giant pet peeve of mine. The game’s robust class system is canceled out by the limitations within Duty. I understand the idea behind it, a lot of griefing/trolling can be avoided by locking this up. That being said, I’ve had a Tank or Healer leave midway through a duty and had to wait 20+ minutes for a replacement, all while having an available tank or healer class. Also, there are some fights that are one tanked, but require 2 tanks (I’m looking at you, Ultima Weapon).
i. Suggested solutions
1. Allow players to freely change classes after a player has left.
2. Allow a player to petition to change classes. If a majority of the group (not counting the player in question) votes yes, the change is made. In duties, there will always be an odd number of other players, so there will always be a majority.

[ZDietrich]

E. Medium Gameplay Changes/Suggestions

1. Inconsistent Cut scenes – This was originally listed under Minor Annoyances (below), but upon thinking about it, I decided to reclassify it. It’s incredibly off putting that some cut scenes will have voice acting and others will not. I understand that voice acting can be incredibly expensive, and I usually don’t favor an all or nothing perspective, this is one situation where I do. It absolutely breaks suspension of disbelief to have Minfilia talking to you in one scene and the very next having a text bubble while her lips move.
2. NPCs “forget” you – this was also originally listed under Minor Annoyances, but moved up also for breaking suspension of disbelief. Completing class quests familiarizes you with a guild and vice versa. It’s incredibly annoying to do a crafting quest and seeing “Ah you must be from the XXX guild.” Why don’t they recognize me? This is honestly a simple fix, the line could be changed to “[Player name], you’re here from the XXX guild? Interesting!” or something of the sort.
3. Teleporting TOO accessible? – The ability to teleport all over the world is INCREDIBLY convenient. That being said, the moment you can safely teleport wherever you want (around level 20, you should have enough gil), Chocobo rides and Airships are made completely irrelevant. While it’s nice to be able to instantly teleport to a different part of the world (because Minfilia didn’t realize she could just tell you to meet Y’sholta in La Noscea via the linkshell she gave you…), it trivializes the adventure. In my opinion, a quest to unlock the mass teleport function past level 30 would be a better way of doing it.
4. Aesthetician options
a. The Aesthetician is awesome, and I love the ability to change how my character looks on a whim. That being said…
i. Overall
1. Muscle/Bust Size – This getting changed may be a little much, as it falls into the realm of plastic surgery (which the Aesthetician is not).
2. Eye Color – I feel as if this should be a changeable option. Barring surgical ways of changing eye color, colored contacts can always be used to achieve the same effect, and it would make sense for someone as fabulous as Jandelaine to have a few on hand.
ii. Miqo’te
1. Tail changes – This is race specific, but I feel it still deserves mention. While growing/shrinking the tail is implausible for the same reason as Muscle/Bust size is, changing the shape (or, cut) of the tail should be plausible. If you can cut your hair to look different, why can’t you cut your tail’s hair to look different?
5. Melding
a. I’m on the fence with this one. I understand that the melding process is barred by the trades intentionally to encourage people to level crafts, as well as the option to make money for those who did level the crafts; to meld materia into a level 30 item, you need a level 30 in the corresponding craft. That is fine and makes sense. The problem arises when you realize how many different crafts are needed. Looking at my 36 Bard, I would need the following to meld all of my gear; Carpenter 35, Leatherworker 35, Tailor 35, Goldsmith 28. One or two wouldn’t be so bad, but it’s truly daunting to need 4 different high-ish leveled crafts to successfully meld a single set of gear.

[ZDietrich]

F. Quality of Life (Small) Gameplay Changes/Suggestions + Minor Annoyances

1. Must dismount to interact – Super annoying, but livable. Is there any specific reason this is included? Only thing I can think of a WoW related issue – people parking their mounts on top of important NPCs.
2. Cannot trade items within duty – Mildly annoying. If a player needs something and realizes afterwards they didn’t actually need it (current item is better, etc) they can’t give it to someone else who may have needed it.
3. 30 Day Wait period for GC change seems excessive – The only way this makes sense is from a lore-ish perspective. Obviously, the GCs wouldn’t like someone just bouncing around between them. That being said, you basically have to be 50 to do this (can be done at 45, I believe), you’ll have progressed far enough into the Main Scenario where any of the GCs would be damn proud to have you. Also, there’s no limitation on FCs, why do GCs get the treatment?
4. Roulette Prioritization – When I first started writing this, I made the decision to level via duty finder while doing so. I remember using roulette previously, and receiving a much lower level dungeon than what I was… but now that I’ve been randoming while writing this, literally every single duty has been the highest level I can do on that class. Is this coincidental, or was it changed to prioritize properly leveled duties (as I was going to suggest anyway)?
5. No Mount in cities – Don’t really get this.
6. Name change bundled with Fantasia – Annoying. When I got my Fantasia, I changed from a Female to a Male. I had assumed a name change would be included with the recustomization, but was wrong. As such, my male character is left with a feminine name.
7. Inaccessible leaders – Would just like to be able to walk up to the city leaders and talk to them. Look, I saved the world. I’ve fought alongside them. We’re best buds. Why do their body guards not let me see them?
8. Clunky chatlog functionality – This is meh. It’s annoying, but nothing you can’t deal with. A few points, emotes and commands are case sensitive. There’s also no way (to my knowledge) to block ALL incoming whispers. Obviously, I would want the ability to filter who can and cannot whisper me (FC members, Party members, people on friends lists, people in the same zone, etc.). This is brought on by me being whispered by a spam account while I’m across the world, and having the only recourse of blocking them so it doesn’t happen again. No preventative action sucks.
9. Targeting issues – Also just mildly annoying. I swear in my settings I set my tab targeting to prioritize closer enemies (or maybe I just grossly misread the option), yet I still find situations where the opposite of that happens. A mob will be in my face, meleeing me, but tab targeting decideds the unaggro’d mob over 30 yalms away is who I wanted to target. What?

[Shinzo]

make Bust size bigger for MigoTe

[L3thal1ty]

7. Thaumaturge/Black Mage – As I was leveling this, I only felt one thing was really off. I love the Astral and Umbral mechanic, but I feel that the “downtime” between the two is a little off. Fire III and Blizzard III both set the stacks to 3 with no downtime, my question is, why can’t this be an across the board function? F/B III would still give 3 stacks, while II and I would both give 1, skipping the “middle” section where you aren’t in either.

Last I looked, that is what "Transpose" was for. Sure, it still has the cooldown, but you don't have any time where you are not in ANY state.

[Bixby]

I had it originally spaced properly and the like, but no matter how many places I put prior to a point, it remains aligned to the left.

Some options if you'd like to increase the readability:

Increase indent tag

With mutliple levels

1. Ordered lists
   1. With sub lists
   2. That can nest
      1. Multiple levels

Code tag for
    a lazy way to
          preserve spacing (though frankly it's harder to read monospaced fonts).

Hit "reply with quote" on my post to see the code that makes these work. The forum's advanced editor has buttons for them so you can select your text and click the button to wrap it in those tags.

Edit: Oh, hey, also, website feedback & suggestions. This might not reach the audience you want it to reach.

[Stylo-Kun]

Dear God, you are not the only one with targeting issues. As a bard or any ranged dps, this will get you royally screwed. And for some reason, filters do not remedy this even slightly.