Goodbye Garuda Hard?

[Seif]

I know that power creep is a thing that to a certain level just has to be dealt with in the landscape of MMO gaming.

However I feel kind of bad for newer players who are just now reaching content like Garuda Hard mode.

Out of all the trials I thin especially Garuda has 3 modes that play completely differently in their original intended form.

The fight used to have all this in it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGPVGdsNMO0

Anyone in Gar EX knows there's know way to faceroll that fight especially if you're a tank. (btw if you are facerolling then you're the reason tank grabs fail!)
Garuda Hard used to be a merry go-around of death and chaotic pulls to changing locations.

Now it's just a brainless smack fest from beginning to end of battle.
The players who weren't there will never get to experience how fun this fight used to be and I can't help but think the current form of that fight is broken.

If I were to recommend this fight to a non XIV playing friend I'm sure the current way this fight happens has nothing of interest to anyone.

If every single complex mechanic can just be powered through then isn't that broken game design?

Please take a look at what's happening in the current 3 minute speedruns and make some adjustments.

Full Disclosure: I'm saying this even as I'm in the light grind phase myself. Rewards shouldn't be more important than the actual content.

[Lyrinn]

Imposing a ilvl sync would fix it easily. The problem then is you would see a huge drop in numbers of people running that content. Striking that balance is difficult.

[sayafrost]

I remember the time, when I first came doing Garuda HM, and we wiped because of failed mechanics. I haven't done for some time Garuda HM and then I come back, and it's this thing that I got confused and didn't know what to do, because it was just: HIT GARUDA IGNORE EVERYTHING ELSE! - this is also leading to the thing that now people think they can ignore mechanics for everything and just win, because: HEY OVERGEARED! I can smack it alone!

[Ooshima]

What adjustment do you suggest? Forced ilvl sync for every old content?

And btw 3 mins is slow. When I did my Zeta we run it under 2mins.

[Aldora]

Garuda Hard Mode was designed for people wearing their original AF, so it's no surprise that people will obliterate Garuda if they are wearing their Zeta with Upgraded Poetics/Dreadwyrm gear. But, that doesn't mean that SE should adjust Garuda to make it more interesting for everyone (even the End Game geared players).

Garuda Hard Mode can still be a challenge if people would put on their AF/Darklight gear and iLvl 70 Weapon and take her on that way. But, let's be honest... Would you do that? And what about the other people who would just want to kill her in 3 minutes and queue up again to farm the Nexus or Zeta lights? People would make it more challenging for themselves, but in the meantime they are prolonging the battles of someone else.

If you really want to promote a battle like Garuda as it was intended, try creating a PF party with 8 people, put on your AF and try it like that. (^_~ )

The only thing i can imagine SE would do is putting a level sync on the Trails so that their gear won't go higher then... Um... Let's say... iLvl 90 for the Hard Mode Garuda Trail. But i don't think SE would want to change older content from patches like 2.0 to make them more challenging when we're getting this close to the expansion. (^_^ )

[Satia]

If you really want to promote a battle like Garuda as it was intended, try creating a PF party with 8 people, put on your AF and try it like that. (^_~ )

^ This... Absolutely this.

[seekified]

I think all story content should be iLvl synced, really. I agree with you - Garuda HM in its intended form is a very fun fight, but much like CT is now with i120+ steamrolls you just don't have to care about mechanics half as much as you used to and that's a shame.

Keep the EX fights unsynced, but the story fights/HM primals need a sync to work the way they're meant to.

[TessaJalloh]

I think all story content should be iLvl synced, really. I agree with you - Garuda HM in its intended form is a very fun fight, but much like CT is now with i120+ steamrolls you just don't have to care about mechanics half as much as you used to and that's a shame.

Keep the EX fights unsynced, but the story fights/HM primals need a sync to work the way they're meant to.

Garuda Hard mode isn't a story battle, so... it's kind of not necessary to sync it. it's optional content that's only necessary for unlocking trial roulette.

[Nestama]

Garuda Hard mode isn't a story battle, so... it's kind of not necessary to sync it. it's optional content that's only necessary for unlocking trial roulette.

It's also required to unlock Binding Coil of Bahamut (well, Titan HM is, but you need to beat Garuda HM first).

[ruskie]

It's also required to unlock Binding Coil of Bahamut (well, Titan HM is, but you need to beat Garuda HM first).

And for relic.