So... Heavensward.
I am sitting here waiting for Heavensward, and tbh, am bored to hell. Actuall Gameplay is reduced to grinding Poetics, farm FCoB Gears, and ponys.
so I decided ot let my sub-days go off and am just reusing it before launch so I get most of the time of it in HW.
My FC as well quite abandoned the game for now, so running around alone in Eorzea is not quite funny as well..
with my 4 main classes equiped with soon to be outdated i130, I really see no need to play, as well as those ponies, i really don´t care for.
And while I did some brainstorming about those mounts, where i never really cared about because it´s nothing to show off beating the same easy jump-the-rope boss, except for "hey, look how much time i wasted doing nothing of fun".
If getting those mount´s would at least come with somewhat skill, but no, it´s just mindless farming.
opposite to the farm content, we have the grind content... even lesser skill required, even more time required.
And here comes my Idea of some alternate Content, which also happenes to put some old-school FF flair into it.
What I am talking about are real Dungeon-raids. Not that 20 Minute Speed Run stuff we have now.
- I talk about dungoens not linearly, but a big place to explore. Going in there should take from 1 Hour to just find the boss the fastest way upto 4 if you go full explore.
- With maps not exactly the same each time but some diversity (chest and boss location)
- as well as "random-encounters"... like not placing the same enemys at the same places, thus preventing mindlessly pulling all mobs until you hit a aritificial wall, rinse, repeate...
- place in there some rare and strong enemys as well.
- Spread Chests across the Map, one or two of it filled with really interesting loot (for example, a mount), with a random but not ridicolous chance of appearence (say, 20%)... and if you the good loot don`t shows, at least it should drop something of use (not 2 Elixiers/Ethers)...
- you can make it 8 Char or even bigger, so groups may split and explore different regions of the map at the same time, but you can call your group if you encouter something big for reinforcement.
I think that would be a interseting approach: it encourages teamplay, strategy, and communication (++ on community building) eliminates mindless "always-the-same" speedruns. It makes the loot more interesting and somewhat of an achievement, but don´t lets you with empty hands if it´s not to pop.
Downside - I have to admit is: "Oh no, but if it takes so long, what about the casuals"
Well, I consider myself casual, but I really think, some points of this game should be only achievable with dedication, and not handed out by mindless repeating of *cough* hard content *cough* or mindless grinding.
I envision my fc to arrange a raid on %Weekday, set it up for 3-5 Hours, exploring things not "as seen 100 times before" and leave that instance with 2 of 8 People having maybe a real cool mount to show then, with the rest also getting payed off with some cool other stuff.
Hit +1 if you like that idea.