Why does EVERYTHING have to be aggressive?

[Vhailor]

As I said, this is a small, almost negligible issue in the long run, but I do find that it impedes overall enjoyment. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Yes, I do.

I thought FFXI did this a lot better. The different types of aggressiveness (low HP, sight, sound, True Sight, True Hearing, magic, etc.) gave monsters throughout the world an extra layer of depth, especially when factoring in the independent linking behaviour. Couple that with the lower monster density and the real risk associated with drawing attention to yourself, and it felt like monsters were aggressive for a reason beyond annoying the player.

In FFXIV, there is very little reason for aggressive monsters beyond player annoyance. Aggro does not seriously threaten a player character, nor are there serious consequences if you do somehow manage to die. There's no variance in terms of how monsters detect you, nothing that helps to uniquely define certain classes of enemy. It's just an irritant.

Also, I think a lot of the reason it felt so rough in Heavensward is that monsters were damage sponges. Despite not feeling remotely dangerous, the average monster also took quite a long time to die (playing as a White Mage).

Edit: Sorry for the off-topic reply, but wanted to address something else.

I'm sorry, but this an extremely overly grossed exaggeration. I played FFXI for around 11years. From NA launch up to near the launch of SoA expansion. I can say for certain, it's the same there as it is here. The key was to make friends, find a good Linkshell, and have people at the ready in order to do stuff. You had to actually communicate and find people with similarities and such, friend them, actually do stuff more than once with them, and then you'd have a group at the ready to do content.

This is very different from FFXIV. In FFXIV, there is no need to make friends, no need to find a good Linkshell, no need to have people at the ready in order to do content (with Savage Raids being pretty much the only exception).

That's not to say people don't benefit from doing these things, but because they aren't forced into it (primarily the fault of the Duty Finder and cross-server parties), it's much more difficult.

FFXI and FFXIV differ in much the same way as in-person office work and working from home. There are benefits to both, and having co-workers or friends to chat with definitely improves one's day to day experience, but it's much less natural when working from home.

[raela]

Yes, I do.

I thought FFXI did this a lot better. The different types of aggressiveness (low HP, sight, sound, True Sight, True Hearing, magic, etc.) gave monsters throughout the world an extra layer of depth, especially when factoring in the independent linking behaviour.

Monsters without eyes DO aggro by sound instead. :v Go tiptoe past a morbol or axotl.

[Prestige]

Monsters without eyes DO aggro by sound instead. :v Go tiptoe past a morbol or axotl.

I know this game isn't designed around it really, but maybe there could be "elite" areas where you must be in a group? Or to get through you need to know how the enemies aggro - via sound or sight. Something akin to oldschool MMOs.

[Prestige]

The idea of just making an enemy hostile or increasing its health isn't a fun type of challenge. It is more of a frustration.

What needs to be done is increase the complexity of the enemies. Instead of simple abilities you can dodge causing every fight to be almost a mirror image of the next, perhaps get rid of the ability indicators after the intro levels so people actually have to learn the enemy's abilities (and adding more enemy abilities). Just a thought.

[SaitoHikari]

The idea of just making an enemy hostile or increasing its health isn't a fun type of challenge. It is more of a frustration.

What needs to be done is increase the complexity of the enemies. Instead of simple abilities you can dodge causing every fight to be almost a mirror image of the next, perhaps get rid of the ability indicators after the intro levels so people actually have to learn the enemy's abilities (and adding more enemy abilities). Just a thought.

I now have thoughts of an enemy that, at low HP, runs off to summon reinforcements to gank you. The devs do this in early level levequests already.

Then again, some smartass healer is going to abuse that to spawn an army of them, thus crashing the instance. Back to the drawing board...

Now I have morbid thoughts of one of those Garlean Hellsclaw-type enemies having an ability that is a reference to the Legend of Zelda Wall Masters. If you get hit by it, the enemy proceeds to drag you off into aggro range of several other Garlean enemies. (Having it be a direct reference and have it drag you off to the beginning of the zone would be WAY too cruel.)

[Araxes]

The environment is supposed to be dangerous even thou it doesnt very much look like it. Maybe its a sort of Immersion thing? Everything wants to Eat you.

[Avenger]

Are there elemental sprites in the 3.x areas? I think so and I think they are not aggressive.

That being said I would definitely like to see:

- intelligent enemies in cities and dungeons "sounding the alarm" and either attacking you en masse or fleeing as appropriate

- more meaningful day and night cycles with more dangerous predators and undead coming out at night

- more importance to weather with more varieties of enemies that spawn under different weather conditions

- more monster vs. monster battles that happen randomly or due to ongoing conflicts

- more enemies that actually wander over the whole region

- perhaps morale in some beast tribe regions so they might become more or less hostile, dangerous or numerous based on player actions

- enemy attacks on friendly outposts

- hunter enemies that try to stalk you or wait in ambush

[Nixxe]

- more meaningful day and night cycles with more dangerous predators and undead coming out at night

I like this idea, but I'd lay off of the undead, both because they don't seem especially prevalent in Eorzea and because they're really boring.

[Clethoria]

- more meaningful day and night cycles with more dangerous predators and undead coming out at night


- more monster vs. monster battles that happen randomly or due to ongoing conflicts

- hunter enemies that try to stalk you or wait in ambush

Aion actually does this. There are quests to kill certain enemies which means you have to wait until night to do so. Specific enemies will attack each other. Like wolves and boars and some will kill smaller animals for food. And there are some areas where there are traps on the field that, depending on your level, will outright kill you. Some areas are triggered to have surprise attacks from mobs like snakes that hide in the grass so good luck exploring when something comes out to bite you in the ass. Aion is by no means a good game but it had excellent ideas.

[Avenger]

Oh and also: doggedly persistent enemies that will chase you across the entire zone, and will remember you when you return