Updating "Old" Content

[Teuciont]

As far as hard mode/easy modes are concerned, can they at least have some sort of lore related reason tied to them? I enjoyed reading the explanation as to why we're able to fight Ifrit over and over. It's the little things like that that make things like that okay to me. But just to have, say, Ifrit become insanely powerful or incredibly weak for no real reason other than "just because" would be sort of lame, in my opinion. I had the same problem in WoW when you can do the final boss of the expansion with a group of random people. But if you do it with normal people on your server, he's slightly stronger, and if you hit a button before you enter the dungeon he's MUCH stronger for no real reason.

Perhaps not allow people to actually "defeat" the boss in easy mode? More just make them retreat, which would explain the easy mode style loot. Just please don't go the Normal/Heroic mode with this and have absolutely no explanation as to why the monsters/boss are/is suddenly stronger or weaker, it really kills the immersion even more.

[Luhy]

They just need to let us attach materia to HNM/Darkhold/coffer armor.

All of it is worthless. Even with one single materia, most of it isn't very useful. Going for forbidden would just encourage players to keep themselves busy with a wide variety of content, rather than just the newest fight until they're 7/7.

They could also buff some of it. Tricorne could use STR+11 DEX+11 to keep up with Paragon's Crown and so on.

[Theplatter]

Hopefully with varying difficulties for the raids, they can either expand how much of the dungeons are accessible (less for easier, more for harder), increase quality of gear and/or increase drop rates with the higher difficulty.

I'd say the difference in difficulty for the primals should be between solo (easy), party (medium) and alliance (hard), but then I'd get the flames for asking to borrow an idea from XI...so maybe just increase drop rate and/or quality of gear with increased difficulty...

[Treach]

I don't want these two new dungeons comming out, I want darkhold redone again. I also don't want a new primal fight, just take the wings off the moogles and throw them on ifrit and change his name to garuda. Also don't want AF gear, just reskin old gear to look like it, im fine with no stats.

New stuff is a complete waste of time, just keep recycling old content forever.

[NefarioCall]

Easy Mode/hard Mode is a good idea. Easy, medium, hard, extra hard, super hard would be an even better idea.
In terms of lore inconsistencies, it would be easy enough in at least 'some' circumstances to lock certain bosses and scenes out of the easier modes... but in concept ... the idea is to have content for all level ranges.

Ifrit would be cool super hard, but amongst 10 ... 20 ... 25 possible primals, Ifrit is historically in the FF franchise, one of the weakest. Of course that doesn't need to hold up here, however... Well, i don't know what the answer is, but there is a danger that locking stuff out of dungeons ahead of end game could lame-ise the pre-endgame content, although not necessarily.

it just has to be done well.

[Kraggy]

we plan to introduce an easy mode and extra hard mode for primal battles and instance raids, and the rewards will be vary depending on the difficulty setting

Cue whine from the 'hardcore' about giving the 'casuals' everything on a silver platter, they'll not bother to note the rewards aren't the same.

[Valhol]

I am curious why SE or game developers in general (assumption) don't update "old" content as a game evolves. That is, periodic updating of pre-existing content to make it slightly different/more challenging so it remains challenging and rewarding.

Take the faction NMs for example. Why don't they add a layer of complexity or different piece of gear to these fights every now-and-again to give players a reason to revisit these fights?

By the time I reach 50, the only thing relevant to me, or really able to get people for, will probably be the latest and greatest Primal fight. To me, it is a waste of work not to add small pieces to old content to refresh it and make it different or new.

What are all your thoughts?

I believe just updating stats on old pieces and adding better gear set bonuses would do. It would make Templar, Buccaneers, and Harlequins sets desiarable again.

[Rhianu]

Cue whine from the 'hardcore' about giving the 'casuals' everything on a silver platter, they'll not bother to note the rewards aren't the same.

Quoted for TRUTH!

[Sidious]

There's a big difference between "rehashing" old content and making old content viable. Here are some of my thoughts on the issue from the perspective of a WoW player:

Blizzard has tried (and is currently using) a non-progression based model where "only the current content matters" and it hasn't worked out; they can't keep up with the demand for content. Why? Because they didn't build upon what they had-- their current model is to make everything before the latest and greatest patch obsolete. The problem with that is, not even Blizzard has the development resources to completely reinvent the game every patch.

Right now Cataclysm's relevant content consists of the following: Three "heroics" (End Time, Well of Eternity, and Hour of Twilight) and one raid (Dragon Soul). That's it. All of the development time they were bragging about spending on Firelands, the previous raid, has been a big waste. No one goes to Firelands now, let alone Bastion of Twilight or Blackwing Descent (Cataclysm's original raids). Keep in mind that Firelands was only viable for *a few months*.

If Blizzard can't keep up with that type of development cycle, then SE sure as hell can't either. WoW did MUCH better in the vanilla/burning crusade days when there was a progression model. In TBC, you had to do Karazhan before you could do Serpentshrine Cavern. You have to do SSC before you could do Black Temple. You had to do BT before you could do Sunwell. Etc.

People might think they want a "casual" game where they are guaranteed to see the latest and greatest content, but people rarely realize what they want until it's gone. It turns out, nobody wants to pay to play an MMO like that; Cata didn't flop because it was too hard, it flopped because there was nothing to do.

So, SE, do like you did in FFXI. Build upon your content, don't make it outdated. That way there will ALWAYS be something for EVERYONE to do.

[Venat]

Faction Leves need to be Point based system (Aka Faction Points) Used for BCNM fights for Gear. Not to say this players should do Leve quests over and over to earn points. They could add Faction Points from other things like Chocobo Escorts and Repeating Raids. They should Readjust requirements for Faction Leve cost requirements to like 50/100/150.

Doing Faction Leves randomly gives players a keyitem for completing them. (50%) These Keyitems let you access Boss fights/Special Monster Fights. After slaying it a Chest Appears and you have a chance to earn rewards. Templar Armor etc. (BCNM access keyitems should Stack up to 10)

Lower Level/Less Faction Leve Mission Requirements give you easyer low level BCNMs.

Leve Quests.. lv1-10 1 Faction Point
lv10-20 2 Faction Points
lv20-30 3 Faction Points
lv30-40 4 Faction Points
lv40-50 5 Faction Points

Grand Companies Leves

Samething but +2 Faction points every 10 levels. So at lv40-50 its 10.

Raids

Darkhold Slay Mini boss 1 Faction points
Slay Megaboss 2 Faction points
Completion Above 20mins 2 Faction points
Completion Above 10mins 1 Faction point

Toto-Raw Slay Megaboss 1 Faction point
Completion Above 10mins 1 Faction point

Chocobo Escort lv20 1~3 Random Faction Points
lv50 3~6 Random Faction Points
Full Cargo +1 Faction chance.

Ifrit Faction Point+1 From Chest
Moogle Faction Point+1 From Chest

So that's Grinding for Faction Points then paying for Faction Leves then earning keyitems. Once Keyitem is earned you can do Special Boss fights for Chests that alwas appear after fight is done and earn random loot.