Fishing... we need to talk.

[LineageRazor]

I agree with some of these points and disagree on others.

On "too RNG based", I'm in near complete disagreement. All the RNG-heavy fish are completely optional - there's little or no market for them (and, in fact, the hardest to catch aren't even tradable). You fish them up because you want to catch 'em all - that's it. Making them easier to catch undermines this achievement, bigtime. Filling out your fishing log is a test of patience and persistence, and that's just how it should be. For the majority of "commercial" fish (useful, sellable fish), there's usually a lure or bait or location that makes fishing them up in large quantities easy; we don't need any additional methods for "focusing" on such fish.

I'm in agreement that some of the FSH abilities aren't well thought out. Chum is an excellent example - there's almost never a good reason to use Chum, and it's WAY too expensive for what it does. Another peeve of mine is the fact that you can no longer use Hooksets when Patience wears off, in spite of the fact that the catch rate penalty for Patience persists. I can see no good reason for this.

[KupoSan]

I agree with some of these points and disagree on others.

On "too RNG based", I'm in near complete disagreement. All the RNG-heavy fish are completely optional - there's little or no market for them (and, in fact, the hardest to catch aren't even tradable). You fish them up because you want to catch 'em all - that's it. Making them easier to catch undermines this achievement, bigtime. Filling out your fishing log is a test of patience and persistence, and that's just how it should be. For the majority of "commercial" fish (useful, sellable fish), there's usually a lure or bait or location that makes fishing them up in large quantities easy; we don't need any additional methods for "focusing" on such fish.

I appreciate your insight! I do not want the achievement undermined. You misunderstand. I want more options to be able to catch these fish or reducing the RNG factors that play a role. For example, Anomalocaris is one fish I have yet to catch. So far, there has not been Clear/Fair weather at 8:00 game time in Coerthas since I went to bed last time and got home from work. Looking at the tracker, it won't be up as far as I can see (I can see up to about 4 hours in the future for weather). The times that I have the right weather and time window, it's rare to get the storm rider HQ to mooch to get a chance to get it. Then, it doesn't necessarily have to be my fish. It can be a NQ regular blind manta... or it could tug heavy and be my fish IF RNG wills it to reel in. Do you think this is fair in terms of comparison with other facets of this game? Yes, the fish is 'optional' (I have problems with that term, but that's another time and day), but is it okay for me to have 1 or no chances to get it a day? I want these odds increased.

I agree that finishing the log should be a momentous achievement! However, I disagree that it should be as random as it is. Make it grindy or make it difficult... but don't put useless restrictions where I only get one attempt every 24 hours. Another poster above commented on how we don't want Fisher like Botanist or Miner. Well, I have news for you... this whole game is copy/paste. All tanks have such similar moves with reskins. All healers have similar moves with reskins. All crafters have same moves baring one or two, but the process and concept is the same. So to say we want to be different in a game where it prides itself on equality doesn't really match up here. That's another point I'm making... make it *fair* with the others. Let it be a viable option.

To those who feel I'm whining... you misinterpret my passion. I'm not complaining that I can't catch these fish. I'm giving an observation and critique of fishing as my experience of big fishing, regular fishing, pre and post Heavensward, to stimulate debate and to hopefully make some QoL changes to make Fisher even better. I want to see more people out there fishing, not saying, "It's boring. It has no purpose." If a FC member wants me to make bouillabaisse, I have to fish Rothlyt Oysters and Razor Clams. Let's say she is a Botanist and agrees to get Desert Saffron and Dzemael Tomatos. She wants 20 food total. By the time she has gathered 20 of each of her two ingredients, I'll be lucky to have 5 of each of mine. VERY LUCKY. In a copy/paste world where there is supposed to be balance... I don't see it here.

[Feyona]

I am haveing problems catching red and blue script since the new patch. Previously I could catch 3 to 5 thunderbolt eels with no problem now i get one if im lucky. Tiny axolotl I have been 3 times and got one. When fishing illuminati perch i had to fish for an hour befor i got one. I have a friend who has red script fishing rod and is having the same trouble. Is anyone else finding that the better gear they have the worse the fishing gets? I wondered of there was a bug or something I also just got through 2 bladed jigs in half an hour.

[Tint]

I am haveing problems catching red and blue script since the new patch. Previously I could catch 3 to 5 thunderbolt eels with no problem now i get one if im lucky. Tiny axolotl I have been 3 times and got one. When fishing illuminati perch i had to fish for an hour befor i got one. I have a friend who has red script fishing rod and is having the same trouble. Is anyone else finding that the better gear they have the worse the fishing gets? I wondered of there was a bug or something I also just got through 2 bladed jigs in half an hour.

it's just all RNG. i am wearing full i180 set with i170 belt and don't have any problems. at least not more than usual xD the chance to lose the bait (only the crafted ones) is higher if you lose the fish. and you lose the fish more often if you use patience but not the right hookset... so yeah, to save baits be careful with patience ^^/ to save GP you should only try to catch the fish you really want. so watch the animations when the fish bites and only hook the fish if he has the animation you are looking for. otherwise let them eat the bait and don't hook it.

[Ashkendor]

II'm in agreement that some of the FSH abilities aren't well thought out. Chum is an excellent example - there's almost never a good reason to use Chum, and it's WAY too expensive for what it does. Another peeve of mine is the fact that you can no longer use Hooksets when Patience wears off, in spite of the fact that the catch rate penalty for Patience persists. I can see no good reason for this.

Chum is useful on fish with short windows that are straight catches. There's quite a few big fish that it works on.

My biggest complaint with big fish isn't getting them to bite - it's how many of them escape once they do. Nepto Dragon got away from me 25 times before I finally landed it. That was three or four days of fishing for it every single time it was open while I was online. It was to the point where I couldn't even really be happy about landing it when I finally did - basically, all I felt was relief that the frustration was over. I just feel like the hook rate is absurdly low on some of them even now with our higher stats. >.<