Need for 3rd tier of raiding

[Olympus]

https://www.change.org/p/square-enix...iding-in-ffxiv

As evidenced by the fast clears of A12S (less than 2 days from launch), it's time for FFXIV to add a 3rd tier of difficulty, the same as many other successful MMOs, in order to appease the varied interests of its wide player base.

While many players may be happy with the easier content, there remains a large number of people who want and need harder challenges to stay interested; and the more people playing FFXIV, the better it is for everyone!

[SpookyGhost]

But the question is: Is there really a large enough amount of people that can actually clear said content to merit spending development time on it? Gordias seemed to indicate there isn't, and that's with a cheese strat existing.

[Welsper59]

While this game is certainly in need of more mid-core difficult content, it's not JUST that that's the problem with it. Hardly anyone that argues "we need difficult content because we have fun with that" ever goes into detail beyond just that. Devs are led to believe people find challenge to be a rewarding experience, so provides you said difficulty with Savage Coil. Players only complain that there's no reason to take on said difficulty because there's no good gear rewards from it.

In comes the first tier of AS, with its better gear rewards, only to be met with countless cries of it being too hard, and that the hardest of challenges should not be THAT demanding of a task for a group to clear. Then comes easier, but still challenging tiers of AS, only to be met with cries decreeing the content is too easy because they decided to dumb it down for "casuals". The devs are likely fed up with feeling obligated to listen to players on the matter of raids (since complainers clearly don't even know what they want, or fail to properly express what they want until hindsight kicks in after the fact).

If they don't want or can't manage to make a mid-core tier raid, alongside the ever popular faceroll normal modes and difficult Savage modes, then that's that. What they need to do by a far more realistic or practical sense is introduce mid-core challenges elsewhere. Gauge proper interest through content to be done by the majority, NOT the exceptionally small minority (i.e. Savage mode raiders that are both successful and unsuccessful). Dungeons are a good start to have mid-core difficulty, since it's smaller groups (meaning more accessible for people to form pre-made parties) and is likely easier to market and balance.

BTW, I hope the change.org thing was a joke, because that site is seriously overused to the point of it being a joke lol. That is, at least within gaming or internet related communities.

[KarstenS]

But the question is: Is there really a large enough amount of people that can actually clear said content to merit spending development time on it? Gordias seemed to indicate there isn't, and that's with a cheese strat existing.

Clear rates and try rates are very different. Yoshida stated in some recent interview, he was very happy with the clear rates of A5S and A6S. So the clear rates of A8S did not reflect the amount of people trying it.

[Centershock]

While many players may be happy with the easier content, there remains a large number of people who want and need harder challenges to stay interested; and the more people playing FFXIV, the better it is for everyone!

How large do you think this number is? Is this an attempt to cater to the 1-5% of raiders in this game?

[Olympus]

How large do you think this number is? Is this an attempt to cater to the 1-5% of raiders in this game?

I guess we'll see how large the number is! SE brags about 6 million players, but we know that number is much lower.

There are over 8,000 players who cleared A8S and uploaded to FFlogs. I don't think they'll be satisfied with the difficulty of A12S, which took hardcore raiders 2 days to learn.

That's 1.3 million dollars worth of annual subscriptions from players who cleared A8S...seems like the development of a 3rd tier wouldn't cost that much!

[Zigabar]

I don't think they'll be satisfied with the difficulty of A12S, which took World First raiders 2 days to learn.

FIFY

/10char

[Centershock]

I guess we'll see how large the number is! SE brags about 6 million players, but we know that number is much lower.

There are over 8,000 players who cleared A8S and uploaded to FFlogs. I don't think they'll be satisfied with the difficulty of A12S, which took hardcore raiders 2 days to learn.

That's 1.3 million dollars worth of annual subscriptions from players who cleared A8S...seems like the development of a 3rd tier wouldn't cost that much!

Apparently, 1.0 cost about $400 million to make, and an unknown amount to rebuild it for 2.0. (Betting closer to at least 2/3 of that.) I can't find figures on how much it cost SE to make Heavensward.

All of that compared to $1.3 million doesn't really seem all that much.

[Brannigan]

I killed a4s and a8s and I'd rather not revisit Brute Justice/Manipulator difficulty in this game.

[Shinun]

With cost and development time I don't think SE needs to cater to such a small minority where it could be better spent elsewhere we aren't even talking about raiders in general but the top .01% who cares if they finish something in 2 days or 2 months. It'll take majority of raiders much longer then that