[dev1001] The Ease of the Game

[Riposte]

The best way to increase difficulty is to add level caps to missions, where players are reduced to a certain level if they are above it. This allowed SE to design encounters better and it is why CoP is was the most mechanically interesting set of missions in FFXI. However people complained and they stopped adding level caps to missions and eventually removed them from the game altogether. End result is that FFXI's missions were very boring and easy outside the storyline. FFXIV took the feedback from FFXI and made more boring/easy missions.

Now adding level caps might not be a good idea, since apparently the majority hates the idea. However the majority also hated difficult missions as well(and right now we are only hearing a vocal minority). So maybe the best idea is make difficulty optional for bonus rewards or something. Optional level caps or optional level scaling for monsters. We have a similar system already in place for guidleves(though not very precise or rewarding), but the game doesn't feature a lot of tactical decisions or monsters/encounters who you have to "learn". One would need both strong encounter design and player limitations to base those designs around to make a fun game. (Well, people find mindlessly grinding fun, so fun for certain people.)