A3S nerfs incoming

[Raffounz]

I think they could really settle this debate on the next raid tier with 3 difficulties.

The normal one, tuned exactly like Alexander Normal: a DF story version, spammable for low level raid gear (no materia slots, no dye option, 20 ilvs lower than Hard/Savage)
The hard one, tuned like SCoB: a midcore raid go-to with high tier level gear (materia slots, still no dye option)
Savage, tuned exactly like today's AS3/AS4: drops augmentation items to make Hard version equips dyeable, with no ilv change. Totally superfluos, still something that the 1% super hardcore raiders can brag about and show out.

I'd be happy with this.

I'd love this.

[Destomius]

Clearly, Diadem giving BiS everything (except weapon, which relic will do) isn't enough for people.

[Fourbestintoner]

Very well, but they must make normal alex and faceroll ark 10 times harder so nothing is either 2hard or 2easy.

[SchalaZeal]

Very well, but they must make normal alex and faceroll ark 10 times harder so nothing is either 2hard or 2easy.

Either they make it so that Normal Alex doesn't give gear, so both Normal Alex and Savage Alex are tuned for similar gear (so you can't overgear Normal Alex by 25 ilv). Or they make it so that Savage Alex don't give gear and is only achievement/mount. But either way, there should be a story mode most people get to see (with random groups, not statics), before they're 2 patches outdated with echo and a higher ilv.

[zosia]

Either they make it so that Normal Alex doesn't give gear, so both Normal Alex and Savage Alex are tuned for similar gear (so you can't overgear Normal Alex by 25 ilv). Or they make it so that Savage Alex don't give gear and is only achievement/mount. But either way, there should be a story mode most people get to see (with random groups, not statics), before they're 2 patches outdated with echo and a higher ilv.

Well, is 3.2 there is a pretty high chance story mode will be gone.

There is always youtube, waiting a patch or two, or sitting out until the next expansion. I am sure players who can't raid can find something fun and captivating in the other 95% of the content designed and catered to them.

[RiceisNice]

Well, is 3.2 there is a pretty high chance story mode will be gone.

There is always youtube, waiting a patch or two, or sitting out until the next expansion. I am sure players who can't raid can find something fun and captivating in the other 95% of the content designed and catered to them.

I don't see a problem with no story mode (or otherwise keeping a part of the playerbase from seeing said story) provided that the fights do get tuned down that people can experience eventually. That was my concern with something like SCoB (specifically T7) until they introduced mechanical nerfs alongside with it. Then came FCoB where it only really needs echo to make it plausable with a DF group.

The issue at hand is just that there's no content to tide over people who can't/won't invest the time needed to learn and down savage modem and still want some sort of raid content.

[Fevelle]

Well, is 3.2 there is a pretty high chance story mode will be gone.

There is always youtube, waiting a patch or two, or sitting out until the next expansion. I am sure players who can't raid can find something fun and captivating in the other 95% of the content designed and catered to them.

No there is no chance of story mode being gone. Yoshida already stated that they are thinking about 3 different difficulties, not about removing one. Stop spreading misinformation.

[RiceisNice]

No there is no chance of story mode being gone. Yoshida already stated that they are thinking about 3 different difficulties, not about removing one. Stop spreading misinformation.

They said if they had the resources they would do a three tier difficulty (which imo is the best solution, given that they're properly tuned), but I don't think the former is the case. If it's not, then the second best is having a normal mode that will eventually tuned down to be accessible (usually in the catch up patch, or after the next tier is released) and savage staying the way it is. I mean even for S.SCoB, my group ultimately went back in there after having farmed FCoB; we had no period of time where we were stuck in a rut hitting the same content over and over, but at the same time didn't exhaust the raiding content.

And even then, I don't think zosia was spreading it as a solid fact, just the possibility that it can happen.

[zosia]

No there is no chance of story mode being gone. Yoshida already stated that they are thinking about 3 different difficulties, not about removing one. Stop spreading misinformation.

Lololol, they even said in the last live letter that that they were considering scrapping the normal/savage system is favor of something else. They also said they don't have enough resources to develope three tiers of difficulty. Both those statements were made in live letters/interview by yoshi-p himself. And I am the on spreading misinformation? ha!

I think we are returning to the ARR model of raiding, so enjoy that when it comes =p

"High chance" can mean only so many things.

The problem with it is that you are asking one group or the other to lose interest and spin their wheels. Non-raiders have their limits of patience too.

yeah, a high chance, still a chance none the less. In the last live letter, Yoshida said it himself, they might move away from the normal/savage model. That seems like a big "might" considering the second installment of alex is less than three months away.

If they came out publicly and said "yeah, we might get rid of the normal/savage model", that leads me to believe it has been talked about quite a bit behind the scenes.

Also, alex normal was so easy and the loot was invalidated so quickly, casual players were already spinning their wheels a month after alex normal was out.

[Destomius]

There's no point in even nerfing it at this point. The people who can't clear A3S have access to better than savage gear in Diadem. The relic will most likely be i210 as well.

The only reason to even do savage is for the sake of beating something difficult/challenging.