Power-leveling is absolutely BROKEN

[Travesty]

This isn't an exploit. Sounds like you're confused here.

Well, for one, you don't know that it isn't. For two, let's say "method to abuse." Happy now?

[Ava]

Well, for one, you don't know that it isn't. For two, let's say "method to abuse." Happy now?

Yoshi-P specifically stated it wasn't pre-patch. He was fully aware of powerleveling in 1.19 and supported it 100%. I specifically chose the to word what people are doing now as abuse because it's not a fun method of leveling. It's a thrill that doesn't last. Powerleveling is not fun for the powerleveler, and even less fun for the lowbie sitting there with his/her hands in their pockets leeching exp. People play games for fun and leveling, questing, doing leves, behests, etc is much more fun. I think it's reasonable to expect the abuse to become mitigated greatly after a couple weeks.

There is a similar method in WoW that is even faster. In fact, when completed, you get a free character leveled right off the bat. Granted, it costs a small fee but irregardless, it's not overly abused in the game. In XI you could bring low levels into Abyssea and get level cap in a day and it was greatly abused when Abyssea first hit. I'm not sure how it is now since I don't play anymore, but I would imagine it died down eventually. In fact, in XI pre Abyssea, it was impossible to exp in the low-mid levels without a powerlevel. People absolutely would not join a party without a powerlevel, but most people were fine with that. Is this really that much different from what other games have?

[Denmo]

Yoshi-P specifically stated it wasn't pre-patch. He was fully aware of powerleveling in 1.19 and supported it 100%. I specifically chose the to word what people are doing now as abuse because it's not a fun method of leveling. It's a thrill that doesn't last. Powerleveling is not fun for the powerleveler, and even less fun for the lowbie sitting there with his/her hands in their pockets leeching exp. People play games for fun and leveling, questing, doing leves, behests, etc is much more fun. I think it's reasonable to expect the abuse to become mitigated greatly after a couple weeks.

There is a similar method in WoW that is even faster. In fact, when completed, you get a free character leveled right off the bat. Granted, it costs a small fee but irregardless, it's not overly abused in the game. In XI you could bring low levels into Abyssea and get level cap in a day and it was greatly abused when Abyssea first hit. I'm not sure how it is now since I don't play anymore, but I would imagine it died down eventually. In fact, in XI pre Abyssea, it was impossible to exp in the low-mid levels without a powerlevel. People absolutely would not join a party without a powerlevel, but most people were fine with that. Is this really that much different from what other games have?

This is all well and good if there wasn't any low level content and all the focus was on endgame, which is what FFXI and WoW mostly became.

But XIV is still just starting, and 50 isn't exactly endgame. We have low level content and dungeons that are being rendered pointless and useless by people skipping ahead. Why should the devs support something that enables everyone to skip over half of their game?

When subscriptions hit, you can be damn sure this will be reconsidered.

[Travesty]

Yoshi-P specifically stated it wasn't pre-patch. He was fully aware of powerleveling in 1.19 and supported it 100%.

There is 0 evidence from his comments to make us believe he supports PLing to the extreme that is now possible, and several comments to the contrary, as has been pointed out in this thread multiple times already.

Is this really that much different from what other games have?

Yes.

[Preypacer]

There is a similar method in WoW that is even faster. In fact, when completed, you get a free character leveled right off the bat. Granted, it costs a small fee but irregardless, it's not overly abused in the game. In XI you could bring low levels into Abyssea and get level cap in a day and it was greatly abused when Abyssea first hit. I'm not sure how it is now since I don't play anymore, but I would imagine it died down eventually. In fact, in XI pre Abyssea, it was impossible to exp in the low-mid levels without a powerlevel. People absolutely would not join a party without a powerlevel, but most people were fine with that. Is this really that much different from what other games have?

Just wanted to qualify that statement...

Are you claiming it was impossible to exp in the low-to-mid levels in terms of gameplay? Or, do you mean it was impossible because, as you state later, so many would refuse to join or participate in an xp party without a PL?

If it's the latter, then I agree.. people became *far* too dependent on PL's in that game. Having PL became a crutch to people and I encountered people who literally couldn't function without one. Was sad to see.

If you mean it was literally impossible to xp without a PL in that you *needed* one to level through the low-mid levels... then I'd have to say that's 100% wrong lol. You could level - at any level range - in XI without a PL. Plenty of people did it plenty of times before the whole PL thing caught on 'cause people became too impatient to level alt jobs up without one.

[Charismatic]

At no point in FFXI's life cycle did a PL make great exp 'possible' for a good party. Easier, certainly (as it is the point of powerleveling), but completely unneeded.
RDM+BRD+4xDD could actually work in a lot of level ranges (was more effective, thus more common 70+) and usually you wouldn't have much, if any, downtime running that setup if the DDs who pulled hate could pass it around and sub ninja. Power leveling really made little impact on such a group, the only thing is that groups like that weren't the norm, sadly.


Anyway, in terms of power leveling in FFXIV... I don't think it's really that bad anyway. Leveling fast isn't actually a bad thing for anyone except low rank crafters. They get the shaft in a number of ways anyhow though...

[AmyRae]

To be honest, the early adopters always feel miffed when the newcomers have it easier, better, and cheaper than they did. It's a jealousy that can't be cured, no matter what product you're dealing with.

All we're witnessing here is the cane-wagging of old guard end-gamers saying how they had to walk to rank 50 wearing a heavy pack, climbing uphill in the snow (both ways!), and how these new rank 50 characters can't appreciate hard work...

[Travesty]

To be honest, the early adopters always feel miffed when the newcomers have it easier, better, and cheaper than they did. It's a jealousy that can't be cured, no matter what product you're dealing with.

All we're witnessing here is the cane-wagging of old guard end-gamers saying how they had to walk to rank 50 wearing a heavy pack, climbing uphill in the snow (both ways!), and how these new rank 50 characters can't appreciate hard work...

Several of the people who have a problem with it in this thread alone are not 50. Like me. And if it stays this way, I'll never hit it because there's no point.

[AmyRae]

Several of the people who have a problem with it in this thread alone are not 50. Like me. And if it stays this way, I'll never hit it because there's no point.

I'm not at 50 either, but, I don't think it's a big deal. Getting to 50 is not intended to be a Big Deal. It's just supposed to hook you long enough to stick around.

[Kiote]

I'm not at 50 either, but, I don't think it's a big deal. Getting to 50 is not intended to be a Big Deal. It's just supposed to hook you long enough to stick around.

Yes it is, getting Max level in an MMO is the first great achievement any player can get. In a normal MMO you say I GOT MAX LEVEL. Your excited people are excited for you, often times there is at least a minor celebration. To rob people of the Joy of finally getting max level is despicable. There is no other feeling in any MMO that comes close to the pure elation of finally getting your first Max level character. The only thing that ever came close in any of the twenty some odd MMOs i've played was getting my relic in XI. A feet that was so pain stakingly time consuming and difficult that most people never even got that joy.

When anybody can hit max level in a day and a half, no one cares..