[ffxiv-future] A request for "Player-Selectable Difficulty Scaling"

[Buddhsie]

This doesn't have to be solved by allowing the player to select a difficulty for a fight. The way it stands now, there are very few endgame events, one of them being quite challenging. The way that Yoshi-P envisioned endgame content throughout this string of updates is the separation of hardcore from casual gamers. I think he said something along the lines of the hardcore players will beat it first, derive a strategy and over the course of a couple months the casual gamers will catch up and beat it too. I can already see this happening on Lindblum, more and more people are running around with Ifrit weapons, and something that used to appear hard, we now beat every fight like its nothing. That is the way that Yoshi-P envisioned the game's content, and I'd say it's doing its job.

Once more content is added, say similar to the amount of content in FFXI, I'm sure that the casual players would gravitate towards the easier events to begin with, and be able to work their way up. There is no need to have a tiered difficulty system in place when there is a large range of events to participate in. If you and your linkshell can't complete something you just have to wait until either you're better or you have the time to spend practicing it. That's just the way it is in ALL games, it's why they're challenging and why they're fun. Beating something you set on easy mode would be boring as hell, I think it's a terrible idea.

Edit: Oh and anyone who disagrees with you is not a troll, fyi.

[SilvertearRen]

Here's an alternative: Instead of having these instances have scaling difficulty the minute they're implemented in a patch, why not add it a few months down the road in a later patch after the dungeon/encounter/raid's debut? That way, hardcore players can run around swinging their e-peens for those few months.

Yet another alternative: Implement an in-game method to reduce dungeons/raids difficulties by obtaining a key item that can be used only once (and you can have only one at a time). For example, let's pretend we have a raid dungeon full of Tonberries. You want to have an easier time killing the tonberries and the bosses, so you go on a long quest arc with plenty of gradually-increasing difficulties, and finally obtain the "Sacred Tonberry Lantern"! You then use that Lantern in the dungeon to reduce the difficulty of the fights in that dungeon. There are mechanics like this in FFXI, such as the Generals you recruit for the Campaign battles.

[Belial]

Here's an alternative: Instead of having these instances have scaling difficulty the minute they're implemented in a patch, why not add it a few months down the road in a later patch after the dungeon/encounter/raid's debut? That way, hardcore players can run around swinging their e-peens for those few months.

So... how it works now, minus the scaling system you're suggesting?

Edit:
Sorry, but your earlier posted asked for a smartass reply. Even if through an unfortunate turn the thread was brought back by a troll, people still posted thoughtful, valid responses without being offensive. All of which you pass off as trolls.

[Isanien]

@ OP: I really liked your post . I sure hope the devs listen and allow all players to have access to and enjoy all the content in the game (which we pay for, in the end). I believe there was a comment by Yoshi-P in an interview or something about difficulty adjustment. I just wish there were at least finer gradations of difficulty selection so that's not just easy-no reward/hard-reward.

[Buddhsie]

Here's an alternative: Instead of having these instances have scaling difficulty the minute they're implemented in a patch, why not add it a few months down the road in a later patch after the dungeon/encounter/raid's debut? That way, hardcore players can run around swinging their e-peens for those few months.

If this is implemented then the masses will complain that old content is useless, and they will be forced to add new difficult content that has gear that replaces the old. It would also make people lazy, and people wouldn't even attempt events that they found difficult because 'it will be gimped later.'

Yet another alternative: Implement an in-game method to reduce dungeons/raids difficulties by obtaining a key item that can be used only once (and you can have only one at a time). For example, let's pretend we have a raid dungeon full of Tonberries. You want to have an easier time killing the tonberries and the bosses, so you go on a long quest arc with plenty of gradually-increasing difficulties, and finally obtain the "Sacred Tonberry Lantern"! You then use that Lantern in the dungeon to reduce the difficulty of the fights in that dungeon. There are mechanics like this in FFXI, such as the Generals you recruit for the Campaign battles.

This is just silly.

I really don't think there's a viable way to scale boss fights, I think it's silly to let people experience the feats of the game by turning a dial to easy mode, in my opinion those people who can't complete certain events just need to go do something else. But don't worry, V2.0 will have plenty of options for them.

[SilvertearRen]

Btw, to those worried about complaints about old gear from the instances:

They're already obsolete, numbnuts. The gear from the Garuda fight will also be obsolete right out the gate, too.

I have one word for you: Materia.

[Buddhsie]

Btw, to those worried about complaints about old gear from the instances:

They're already obsolete, numbnuts. The gear from the Garuda fight will also be obsolete right out the gate, too.

I have one word for you: Materia.

The Ifrit weapons are far from obsolete. As for dungeon gear, I assume that any gear created before the 'dated' gear period and implementation of materia will be vastly worse than gear with it. Some materia can only be equipped in some slots, which causes some slots (such as head for DD) to lack in beneficial stats. There is and will always be unique/untradable gear better than materia gear from here on out (Yoshi-P said that there will be a balance between unique/untradable gear and gear with 1 materia in it).

[Zuellni]

It's really surprising and rather disappointing to see so many people against the idea of being able to choose your difficulty for raids and primal fights. Games are a form of entertainment made for an audience of various lifestyles. This is especially true in an MMO like FFXIV where we literally collaborate with other players on an international scale. Why is it that there's a notion that MMO or "endgame" content must be for the "hardcore" players? We're not even talking about rewards here as Ren has stated in the original post that players choosing the easy modes would not be getting NM or raid gears.

What's so wrong about allowing players to experience content which they have worked to become eligible for? Would you tell someone they're not allowed to see a film because they don't understand the underlying themes of the movie despite the fact that they are able to enjoy the story on a surface level? Adding an easy mode with reduced reward to "endgame" content doesn't take away anything from the "hardcore" players. Players overcoming the regular and harder difficulties can still keep their inflated egos with their special gear while players choosing the easy route will get to experience the full battle with higher survivability rates while foregoing the superfluous rewards.

The point is, not every player is going to be a hardened video game veteran with over a decade of experience under their belts. Some players are just here to chat and experience the content because they love the world, or Final Fantasy or just enjoy doing things with friends. And if SE's goal is to reach out to as wide a player base as possible, this would be one idea that could be taken into consideration. For the time being, I hope your friends can overcome their challenges with the high level content currently available.

[Colino]

weird, I was thinking the exact same thing about people with video game stress induced anxiety nervous disorders.....

Yet you're going to be flamed to death for that comment now because you (and I) think that people with such disorders should either avoid endgame content in mmos (it's called ENDGAME for a reason) or just play something less stress inducing like Animal Crossing or Nintendogs.

[Isaaru]

Yet you're going to be flamed to death for that comment now because you (and I) think that people with such disorders should either avoid endgame content in mmos (it's called ENDGAME for a reason) or just play something less stress inducing like Animal Crossing or Nintendogs.

That makes three of us.