Suggestion: Level Sync for S rank Hunts

[Vnolan]

It has become an extreme issue on my server of old hunts being instantly detected by 3rd party software

Adding a sync system would permanently fix this issue

How? Synced means a designated area on the map like FATEs. Making it like Odin where it's only visible when close to it still gives those players an advantage. Making it like regular FATEs where it's visible from anywhere would allow more players to act as you describe. Many can use such software now but choose not to as they either see it as cheating or don't want to risk getting punished for breaking the ToS. Making it 'official' removes both barriers.

There used to be some natural "deterrence" preventing this from being an issue

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...ir-Take-a-look.

preserving hunts as the big, tough monsters they are supposed to be.

Even synced, the hunts will melt when the majority of the server shows up.

a level 50 S rank was simply not feasibly solo-able or duo-able back at level 50. At level 70, that deterrence is gone, the old ARR hunts are little more than health sponges.

The proposed change doesn't address this. Sync down, damage the hunt, unsync when in danger, top up, repeat or have an unsynced healer in your party heal you.

Players using unsanctioned software to cheat in hunts is a problem, but it's not the only one. Depending on your server, there are also the problems of too many people showing up to hunts and the majority of players not having an incentive to 'hunt'.

A suggested solution needs to take all of that into account while also requiring minimum effort on the part of the devs.

The ingredients are all there: Docile S ranks with no cooldown or spawn conditions with no rewards for simply killing (like B), 30 minute FATEs that players don't do more than the once and seals. It's just a matter of finding the right combination.

[Unease_Lemming]

How? Synced means a designated area on the map like FATEs. Making it like Odin where it's only visible when close to it still gives those players an advantage. Making it like regular FATEs where it's visible from anywhere would allow more players to act as you describe. Many can use such software now but choose not to as they either see it as cheating or don't want to risk getting punished for breaking the ToS. Making it 'official' removes both barriers.

I'd like a Sync feature, not necessarily a "make it a fate" feature. You are right though that the likeliest way this could be handled is that way.

Honestly if it WERE changed to a "visible from anywhere" fate, that would be fine by me, that would actually level the playing field for everyone, regardless of any add-ons. Remember, the issue is not about early pulls, it's about player power creep in regards to overworld content. The main point of all this is the reduction of stats back down to 50/60.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...ir-Take-a-look.

Remember again, this is about the actual person spawning the hunts not reaching it in time before it can feasibly be killed. This was not an issue back at level 50, since even a full party needed significantly longer to do so than two level 70's do now.

Nothing is going to stop the cheating, this has been proven time and again over the years. All we could do is alleviate the issue, and my suggestion certainly does that.

Even synced, the hunts will melt when the majority of the server shows up.

Which has never been the issue in my post. The majority of the server showing up and the hunt melting even when we're all synched down to its level I would consider great success, because that means many people were able to benefit rather than two.

The proposed change doesn't address this. Sync down, damage the hunt, unsync when in danger, top up, repeat or have an unsynced healer in your party heal you.

Absolutely does address this. Two level 50 characters, even assuming invincibility, are going to need a massive amount of time to kill an S rank, plenty enough for anyone that was actually in the area putting forth effort to spawn it to find it through manual scouting.