[dev1026] Changes to Claiming and Engaging Enemies

[Alaltus]

To use XI as an example; at no point in slaughtering thousands of little blue crabs did I learn how to fight an HNM. Not one of those crawlers I killed for hours made me realize a better approach to a difficult mission. Not one single Puk or Colibri showed me how to do anything other than how to either use a weapon skill when my TP was 100% or to mash cure if a mob was actively being fought.

At this point in the history of gaming, especially with over a decade of MMOs out there, developers need to give players the benefit of the doubt. We know tanks tank, damage dealers deal damage and healers heal. I'd much rather learn the way roles in a specific game do those things through fun content than killing the same mob repeatedly with the only end goal being the next level.

Toto-Rak is a perfect example of what a modern day MMO grind should be. Especially since there's a threshold of how often players will start over given the nature of required time devotion to an MMO. Asking players to jump ship from a game they're currently enjoying just to climb a steep mountain with the promise that the real content will be fun is becoming an increasingly tall order.

I'd much rather gather a few friends and spend some required time learning the ropes in places like Toto-Rak. But how many battles must we go through to have a level of familiarity with our class/job's abilities? Does it really take months to figure it out? To me, that means there's something wrong with the game design, not the player.

A grind designed to take a month free of PLing seems like plenty of time to learn how one's chosen roll functions in the game world. Outside of that, it's an unnecessary time sink. I'd rather get the grinding over with and have a time sink like the materia system. One I can do at my own pace without missing out on any content because I'm not at the requisite level yet.

I agree on grinding lv's through content like raids is a good example on how grinding should be done. I loved nyzul isle in xi the situation you were put into was never always the same so that feeling of same old same old never really kicked in for me. Maybe thats also because you could only do a few runs once or twice a week though i suppose.

[Davorok]

/looks into Crystal Ball..."I see Mob-Trains and Summoner Burn Parties across Eorzea..."