Those last two dungeons of the base storyline

[Silverfin]

I'm a new player who finally got his first character to level 50. I was excited to experience the conclusion of the main story line and sat down last night with time to do the last leg of the quests.

Things were fine until I hit Castrum Meridianum. After letting them know I was new, I watched the first movie. Things went fine until the movie before the first boss. A couple seconds in I got the warning on the screen that the boss would be sealed off in 15 seconds. Instead of enjoying the cut scene, I skipped it and did the boss fight. Not a big deal. After the fight though, I watched the ending scene. By the time it finished, everyone had disappeared. The map showed them a ways away and I tried to figure out how to get there. With both doors shut, I finally asked. Thankfully someone responded with the chute on the left. In this case I was able to catch up with them. From there on out I sadly skipped all the cut scenes and was at least able to keep up. (Why only 1000 characters?)

[Silverfin]

Not happy, but wanting to press on, I queued up for Praetorium. After watching the entire group completely bypass the first few fights to run for the teleports, I realized I had found another group of speed runners. At the first boss I skipped the movie right away to keep up. When they actually paused for a moment before the fight I joked "Wait, were you going to let me actually watch the movie?" which garnered a few laughs before the tank got started. We killed the boss and kept moving.

[Silverfin]

Then the worst part happened. As I know now, you have to hit a button to get access to the mech riders at the top of the lift. Not knowing that previously, I spent about 30 seconds wondering why I didn't have authorization before asking in chat. After about another 30 seconds, someone finally told me to hit the button. I went back down the lift, hit the button, and back up. After just getting started in my mech, another cut scene happened. They were fighting the boss and I was incredibly far behind. So I'd miss one, no big deal. I kept pushing and looking for the group. Not having any idea where I was and no one to follow, I turned left instead of right back in the center room and found my way back to Cid. By this point another boss had started and I had missed out on two. At this point I was pissed. Complaining in chat would only get me laughed at, so I kept trying to find a way. After finally finding the way down, they had finished the fight and was up to Ultima weapon.

[Silverfin]

At this point, the game ported me to the ultima weapon chamber thankfully and I finished the dungeon.

I understand speed running a dungeon, it's not the end of the world and I can see the cut scenes later at an inn. They aren't as good when not in the moment and the entire climax of the game was spoiled without them, but that's not my complaint. My major complaint is the button to get authorization for the mech riders. I've worked through most of the leveling dungeons previously and can't think of a single time where a button or item needed in the dungeon needed to be picked up by everyone individually. For example, in Haukke Manor, the small keys can be picked up by anyone in the party and used by anyone in the party. In the Sunken Temple of Quarn, the stones/items that are picked up can be used by any part members to open the various doors. In Tam-Tara Deepcroft, the rosary can be picked up by anyone and used by anyone to unseal the last two beams before the final boss.

[Silverfin]

Why is this the first time in the game where the individual players need to activate the switch? And why is there nothing that tells me this? Why does everyone need to individually get authorized for the mech suits? And if you're going to introduce a new mechanic like that, why isn't there anything that tells me "Hey, you shouldn't be going up this lift until you've gotten authorized!"

And to finish, I'd like to offer a suggestion. An opt in option (So you have to choose it, not by default), that will try and match people who don't necessarily want to speed run. I realize that the content gets boring after doing it more than a few times for dailies, but for the people who want to take it slow, and enjoy the game as originally intended, there should be an option for that.

[Silverfin]

Either that or gate the content. Have a room that requires all eight people to be present. Thematically, there's 8 consoles in the room that need to have a code inputted at the same time. Or, if someone is AFK, someone or something could hack it, it just takes 60 (Or XX) seconds real time. Speed runners wont be effected at all, new people will be given a chance to catch up (And encouraged to so the rest can continue), and if there is an AFKer, the dungeon will continue after a short break.

Last night I honestly regretted getting the game. The conclusion was horrendous, getting left behind and lost like that. Yes I'll keep going into Heavensward, but if I continue to run into that (Getting lost, new mechanics with no explanation, being left behind), I don't think I'll be sticking around.

[Silverfin]

If you read this whole thing, thank you. I don't know why the forum forced me down to 1000 character a post, but hopefully you get the jist of it. Sorry for the rant, but I woke up this morning still unhappy and just wanted to get it off my chest. Thanks again.

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

If you read this whole thing, thank you. I don't know why the forum forced me down to 1000 character a post, but hopefully you get the jist of it. Sorry for the rant, but I woke up this morning still unhappy and just wanted to get it off my chest. Thanks again.

Sorry to hear about it. For future reference, you can bypass the character limit by editing your post from a PC.

[ServerCollaps]

#nerfbutton


just redo both dungeons with your actual knowledge and it should work fine for you

[Ashelia_Ferron]

And this is why ever since those two dungeons, they have never put that kind of stuff in content again.

No content since those two has that problem anymore. Don't let it sour your experience.