Duel - Fix List

[Atreus]

So far dueling as been a very fun addition and on its first day (at least on my server) the arena was full of people trying it out, talking, sharing tips, etc. Haven't seen any BM yet, let's keep it that way!

The following is a list of things that could use adjustment to make the experience even better, starting with the obvious:

Item Level Sync
We all want it, let's have it. It has been the standard since late Wolves' Den to equalize item levels for skill-based gameplay.

Cooldown Reset
Fluid transition between duels would be a huge quality-of-life improvement, especially for jobs with long cooldowns.

Cooldowns and the duel counter
It seems everyone would greatly appreciate being able to turn on stances at the beginning of the countdown, possibly even letting stances stay on (includes Aetherflow).

Melee Range Adjustment
Player melee range, in PvP areas, was increased to deal with the server's net code in chasing down opponents. Currently in the Wolves' Den Pier, it remains as the PvE range which can cause some issues unless your character is borderline inside the opponent (the inconsistency is what is most troubling). Please look into restoring the PvP range within the Wolves' Den Pier.

Potential others?
If the ranges weren't adjusted, it's highly possible that other things may have been overlooked, such as damage calculations. I can't be sure of that, but SquareEnix might via its coding.


Kindly discuss and add your observations and what you'd feel would add to enhancing the experience.

[Cleanse]

Sprint not burning TP. - Works, just need to wait till the duel starts.

[Dumbledoremd]

Looking for duel in search info or some kind of icon to let people know you want to duel

[Februs]

Spectating platforms on the sides and back of the arena would be nice. I don't want them to be big, but having them allows better viewing of the duels, puts a shorter distance if you want to swap jobs, and gives additional opportunities to cause ring-outs instead of knock-outs. Maybe having an elevated space for viewing would be cool too.

In any case, it's not essential, but a few people mentioned it yesterday while trying to view fights near the back without actually crossing into the danger zone.

[Atreus]

Sprint not burning TP.

I don't believe that's actually the case when you're actually in a duel, but for the Pier itself otherwise that could be nice.

[Petite]

Melee Range Adjustment
Player melee range, in PvP areas, was increased to deal with the server's net code in chasing down opponents. Currently in the Wolves' Den Pier, it remains as the PvE range which can cause some issues unless your character is borderline inside the opponent (the inconsistency is what is most troubling). Please look into restoring the PvP range within the Wolves' Den Pier.

So many times, I'm chasing someone right behind them, whiffing my abilities and unable to hit. It also happens with ranged attacks. The net code is so bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ-U...ature=youtu.be

Some additional points:
- Sprint shouldn't burn TP.
- They should put a fence or elevate the spectator zone higher than the duel arena to avoid accidental ring-outs. (i.e. push-backs and elusive jumps)
- Make it so speaking to the NPC right outside the arena resets cooldowns so it can not only be useful for dueling but also for dummy practicing. (there are 4 new dummies right behind him)

[Februs]

- They should put a fence or elevate the spectator zone higher than the duel arena to avoid accidental ring-outs. (i.e. push-backs and elusive jumps)

I personally think that a ring-out is a perfectly valid way to score a win. It's not really anyone's fault but you're own if you let yourself get nailed out of the arena, especially with the entrance being so small. I've lost a round to this before, myself. I could have easily avoided it if I had just moved the fight away from the door, but I was careless in my positioning. That was my mistake, and the other player did well to exploit the advantage I gave them. It was a smart play on their part, especially considering they would have lost if they hadn't.

That said, I do think that elevating a spectator platform would be a smart move for better viewing. It's nice to get a bird's eye view on things. It would also be cool if, in the future, they could expand upon this deck once more to include varying terrain and heights that one might encounter in FL maps, to teach people how to deal with ring-outs and fall damage. I wouldn't expect something like that until much later in the future, though, and only if dueling continues to be popular.

[Atreus]

That video is showing what it is like in the Wolves' Den Pier and is not really a reflection of what it is like in instances (The Feast and Frontline).

Instances have significantly better net code than open world. Iirc that was done back in 2.0 when Titan was a problem. This in conjunction with range adjustments specifically in PvP make chasing a non-issue. Issues chasing in those instanced events boil down to the player at this point. I'm proposing those same adjustments be applied to the Pier itself.

[FreeKingStefan]

Looking for duel in search info or some kind of icon to let people know you want to duel

You literally walk into the dueling area. It's very straightforward.

[Februs]

Thats just my character launching 50 feet into the air and doing a back flip, without ever executing a skill, just for show.. I guess? Just the first random vid I opened and I found an example in a few seconds. In range and line of sight to hit AA and disembowel but a 20y Dragon fire dive? Nope, makes sense.

Totally agree here.

I didn't think to record it at the time, but I had an instance in the dueling ring where I literally chased a smn around and went through the complete and full animation of a Shield Bash three times just cuz wanted to air out my armpits or something. It was ridiculous and makes facing off against ranged players fairly pointless.

My bigger concern is in Feast, though. There have been times where this happens, and it can really have an effect on the match. If my stuns mysteriously don't go off on time, then that can cost my dps a kill. Moves like Glory Slash, as well, suffer because they have a frontal cone area of effect. The bad melee-range makes it entirely possible for enemies to simply side step the AoE. The CD gets activated, but there's no dmg or knockback. It's just a waste. That said, you're example of Dragon Fire Dive takes the cake a the most obscene failure of the system. It's a damn gap closer, for crying out loud! There's no way in hell that a move designed to close gaps should be failing like that. SE most certainly needs to address this issue and make adequate adjustments.

Your point about lock-on is also a good one. The only real reason I don't use it is because of just how firmly it gimps your mobility when under its effect. I feel like it would be far more useful in PvP if they changed it to act as a camera trace on your primary target instead of forcing your character to face target the whole time while under a range penalty. Freedom of movement is essential in the arena, so this function should be looked at.