I Just Don't Understand - Random Musings

[zzapp]

Every so often, I feel this uncontrollable urge to vent on certain aspects of this game. Generally, it's directed at a particular issue that happens to be my 'thorn under the saddle' de jour. Today, it's a myriad of musings:

I just don't understand why SE needs to over-react in an 'all or nothing' manner, when something in the middle - an adjustment, would seem more logical.

Some prime examples of this are:

- MP cost. Without question, MP costs were initially a joke, but I think they over-cooked it with current MP usage. Going from ridiculous to the other side ridiculous doesn't really solve anything.

- Crafting. Now we're going to dummy this down and remove requirments for books and support. Just great, so the 150K guild marks I spent are now for nothing. Instead, why not adjust some lower tier recipes to allow for the fact that @ R10, we don't have alot of books. Why not eliminate the stupid leves in cities other than the guild home city that require more than T1 support. Why not eliminate the need for support when you achieve a certain rank vs. the recipe rank. I don't think it's right that the recipe tells me @ R50 I still would benefit from additional support for a R20/30/40 recipe.

Instead of putting lipstick on this pig, how about fixing the real problem with crafting - namely, a lack of causality due to an overdose of RNG in the coding, and random, periodic synthesis 'rage' - you know - the periodic 5 crit fails in a row that happen no matter what. There's nothing quite like farming 2 entire days for HQ materials, like say, oak composite bow for crab bow, only to go to Gridania for support, use good food, etc. only to have your first synth @ an R35 oak composite bow crit fail the first 5 attempts (and yes, that did happen). I do understand the need for some reasonable aspect of RNG, but seriously, the way it is as atm is utterly ridiculous. If I invest the time to rank up my craft, I should see a causal relationship in my ability to craft successfully, as well as my ability to HQ a synth.

Grats on modifying recipes not to include ingredients 20 ranks above the synth. Grats on simplyfing some of the recipe materials. Grats on hopefully no longer requiring a R41 alchemy subcraft for my R45 carpenter jade crook synth (and I thought alc R35 was excessive sub for leather tarred voyager's belt).

- Regional leves - thank god SE finally woke up and realized the focus of this game should not revolve around intentional leve link failure for the rest of our game lives. I'm fine with the concept of reducing SP for these too. However, if the intent is to maintain leves as a viable alternative for the casual player to rank up, well, I pity the casual player. With my R29 pug @ Nanawa Mines/Nophica Wells, on 2 star by SP averges less than 90 per kill and a reward without GA of 1900 SP, with GA 2600 SP. Even on 3 star, which is sometimes pushing it, depending on the leve, the reward is rougly 3000 SP with GA. Maybe I've been spoiled, but this is damn painful @ these lower levels. While I haven't had the opportunity or need to do leves @ higer ranks, I do understand the SP is alot better there, especially if you beat the time requirements. IMO, this needs to be boosted up at lower ranks. Alternatively, there aren't exactly an over-abundance of shouts in Ul Dah for R30 parties.

While I'm on the topic of leves, with Nanawa Mines coming to mind, I don't think it's particularly appropriate that I should have to kill more non leve mobs than leve, especially when a time bonus is the focus. I don't mind having to deal with some degree of aggro outside the leve, but in this particular location, it can be ridiculous. This area is too close-quartered, with very little consideration given to this issue, in regard to mob location.

Some adjustments need be made to certain leves. I don't think @ R30 2 star, I should be seeing a R39 imp in correlation with an R33 fire element. A single TP move coupled with a single nuke and I'm dead.

I just don't understand why the adjustment to AoE. I thought it worked just fine. You still had to use it with discretion or hate issues. Essentially, by giving con only, AoE healing, not to mention the 2 new raise spells, IMO, you've essentially rendered thm useless.

I just don't understand why targeting still sucks. Where is the <st> and <stpt> etc.?

I just don't understand why macros are so inefficient. Couldn't SE have taken a page from windower?

I just don't understand why no auction house. Yes, the search feature makes retainers a bit more liveable, but right now try buying or selling a +3 crab bow on this server. There's 48 for sale atm. Also, I keep hearing how this setup is better than an AH from an rmt perspective. I want to know how seeing exactly everything for sale and what it's selling for isn't further supporting rmt actively than not? This extreme visibility isn't helping the economy either. List something at the lowest price and come back 5 minutes later and, presto, you've been undercut 3 times.

I just don't understand why Horn and Hand faction leve rewards were dummied up so. This faction was non-relavent to begin with. Now, go spend 100/200/300 hard earned faction points for what? A hempen bowstring, undyed canvas, iron nugget. Damn get serious ><

I just don't understand why different mob families give different SP at the same rank. To me, this is just plain ridiculous. When I con a mob 5 ranks higer than me, regardless of family, I should expect to get X amount of SP. If this is SE's attempt to adjust for mob difficulty, then why not adjust the mob level? This is like let's put the car in the garage. It seems to me that driving the car into the garage would be alot simpler than moving the garage over the car ><

Further, on SP variability as it relates to crafting - is it really necessary to have some large RNG swinger in the SP given for said synth? Getting 400 SP for a synth, then 260 SP for the exact same synth next is stupid. It is what it is, so knock off the RNG. There's too much of that in this game already.

I just don't understand why we have this lame party search function instead of /sea. Also, some of the other nicities from ffxi, like a message system, or deliver box, or LS message system, or LS management. My god are these features that endeared us to the game that hard to carry over or duplicate?

I can't begin to tell you all how much better I feel now lol

[HiirNoivl]

/comfort.

[Thanos]

I dont understand why you dont understand that the game is still being fixed. Issues will be addressed 1 thing at a time.

I dont understand why everything needs to be fixed right away and why you expect it to be

I dont understand why you think that everything is just a click of the button and BAM its fixed. It takes time

[Perrin_Aybarra]

Well there is some legitimate concerns but I do not agree with everything you say.

- MP cost. Sure, it does cost a lot for cure spells and it could be tweaked a little but overall if you learn to manage it you should be fine.

- Crafting. I like the changes they are doing. I get your concern with the books not being usefull but they did say they will be used for something else I believe. I do however agree that they could have left them there, just adjust the recipes that requires them at low level and maybe make it so lower level can start getting them at like level 10.

- Regional leves - The way it was before was just silly. I like how it is now, it's not too fast and yet you don't feel like you are out of options if you run out of leves. I don't want to be level 50 in 2 weeks, I want it to be an adventure all the way up. If people are really in a hurry they can do grind parties on top of leves.

Myself I have only time for leves and some behest here and there and I find it goes fast enough, it's a good pace and much more appropriate than it was before.

Yes I do agree there could be more adjustements to certain leves and they could add some different leves also but it's a good start.

adjustment to AoE. I like where they are going with this, I hated the fact that you can AoE or not when I first started the game. Sure I learned to deal with it but I prefer the have -ga spells

OR they can make it so you unlock the AoE abilitie for X and X spells when you reach the appropriate level?

targeting still sucks. Yeah, nothing to say about this.

For the rest, either I agree or have no opinions on so I will leave it at that.

[Buckles]

zzapp, what you said in your opening post highlighted a great many of my current disappointments in a frighteningly accurate manner. I actually uninstalled the game today after I surpassed the threshold of my ability to understand a great many of your points, and my own. I unfortunately entrusted my internet connection to BT, who in my area offer a poor quality of service, which results in regular disconnection. I fail on average 1-2 leve's a day due to this. Today I disconnected during a leve and lost out on 1500 Lancer marks. To me, I don't understand why everything is timed, and why disconnections are so detrimental to the player. Timers offer challenge, and a fun sense of urgency, but if everything is timed then its less of a fun feature and more of a generic chore, in my own opinion.

Maybe today was a sort of assessment day in the minds of you, myself and many; then again perhaps every day is and should be. I fully intend to return, hopefully a few months down the line when more of the still glaring issues are fixed. I hope continued welcome will be afforded me on these boards while I lurk in the background and keep in touch with the game, and the community.

I am happy you got that list off your chest, and if writing it felt half as good as reading it, then I'm sure you'll carry on just fine.

/Red

[Asukai]

<st> works for me! yay that's one thing! :3

[Verecund]

I still don't understand how they can design so many next-gen titles with innovative gameplay and features and then somehow take a giant leap backwards from that with just one title...

[Raze]

I don't understand why every vampire on TV has perfect hair when they aren't supposed to be able to see themselves in mirrors.

[Thanos]

I don't understand why every vampire on TV has perfect hair when they aren't supposed to be able to see themselves in mirrors.

HAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA

[zzapp]

I dont understand why you dont understand that the game is still being fixed. Issues will be addressed 1 thing at a time.

I dont understand why everything needs to be fixed right away and why you expect it to be

I dont understand why you think that everything is just a click of the button and BAM its fixed. It takes time

I hate to break this to you, but in just a few weeks, this game will be one year old.

I understand what you're trying to say, and I've tried to be patient. Nobody is a bigger FF fan than me, and I'm still here, but I have to say that lately, when I see that pre-purchase add for Star Wars, my eyes linger a little bit longer than they used to.