Level Sync needed ASAP!

[DyskoFox]

More players to play with would solve this problem. A level sync would not be needed if we had people to create parties with.

[Kitfox]

Level Sync, yes please.

[TheVedis]

Using a low server population as a reason isnt valid since we will be having server merges

your problem will then be fixed

[AndySolace]

Bring it back, who cares. Too easy to pl and no achievement or satisfactin in ranking up either.

Just reinstae weaponskill levels as a countermeasure. Nerf the people who want an easy life on their way up and give those of us who put the effort in to do things properly some reward for playing the game as intended. Quested weaponskills spring to mind, WSNMs, with additional effects or aftermaths - anything to deter people from begging constantly for a shortcut.

XIV does not need level synch. The concept will destroy the hard work put in to creating all the brand new camps and party locations. Who here remembers having to stay camping r15 Worms in Qufim Island until they could get a synch at level 30? Waste of time. And if if MUST be instigated then it should create nerfed results. Undertrained, unskilled charcaters played by people who don't know what they're doing. All these unskilled players then spill over into the endgame scene, complain its too hard and time consuming and give The Dev Team another excuse to make the game too easy. Viscious cycle, waste of time. If you can't handle the fact that an MMORPG should exist to require your time and effort, perhaps you shouldn't be paying for one. The time-sink element is what keeps people connected to the servers in an MMORPG. The anticipation of achieving something is what gets them to connect in the first place. Put level synch in place in this system and watch both of those gameplay keystones crumble.

Rather, the most important thing is keeping the servers breathing. Merging, advertising, patching; these three things keep players signing up and playing together. More people to play with means more parties. This is the Dev Teams priority, not "adding level synch yesterday."

I apoligise to those who feel the tone of this post is too stern for these forums, but imho the aggressive, nonsensical manor of the OP was just the sort of thing that this game does not need.

[SniperRifle]

No cliff notes cause even I forget what I wrote.

I like some of the points being made clear in this thread. That FF14 is an MMO and that multiplayer should be encouraged. Rightfully so, they could have a simple, efficient, basic, easiest-thing-in-the-world-to-pick-up search system. Like, one button on the UI that allows you to see what anyone would typically want to see. I had all my DOW DOM at 50 thanks to leve cancelling, so I can't give an accurate scenario. But for instance, you just got out of like 3-4 hours of content grinding with your LS, and you're all a little worn out and no one really wants to level a lowbie. So on the class you want to level you click a button and instantly;

1) A Comment Box appears in the middle of your screen where you leave a very brief description of what you want, PT Lv20-25, anywhere but Gridania region. Materia O, Food O. (example)

2) Once you finish the comment box you are now in the LFG search and anyone (any lvl/class) who is also LFG will be in that search, which can also be viewed by the simple click of a button.

3) You craft/farm/idle while rechecking the LFG list every few minutes, and the class you are LFG on will still remain the same.

4) If you want to level multiple classes, you can either;
a) LFG on the one you want to level most
b) a new feature is implemented where you can LFG on multiple classes (infact I think we have this right now) and it is shown in the LFG list.

5) When you log off it removes you from Queue.

6) There is a little hrs/mins highlight stating when the person first queued LFG.

7) As well as everything I listed, include everything that worked automatically (not manually) in previous search systems like language, nation, rank, name (maybe even Linkshell), current zone location.

8) Above all else, and I stress this as much as possible, make it quick, easy to use, and user friendly. When people log on, after that opening cutscene, it should be the first thing that players are accustomed to learning. Just bam, some NPC walks up to you baddass/seductive/cutsiepoopsie (depending on starting class/region/race) and tells you how to use the search feature. The NPC can emphasize REMEMBER! IF U WANT EPIC FUN MMO N LEVEL FAST WITH FRIENDS THEN MAKE SURE U USE UR LFG BUTTONZ ERYTIME U LOGON! NOBODY WANTS TO BE A LONER!. And if people like to solo, who cares, nothing anyone can do and it doesn't hurt anyone, but the point is to encourage party play. And if the game does not make party play easily accessible or rewarded adequately, why the hell would anyone do it?

Now I know the game isn't this extreme, but for instance, if the second someone started an MMO the game said Pssst, I don't say this to anyone, it's a secret, but if you solo, you'll get infinite money, gold, bragging rights, and are 10000x stronger then any other player, and they won't even know because it's a secret, they'll just respect you and assume you did everything they did but just better faster and smarter. Then I'm sure there would be atleast, a slight increase in players who prefer to solo over party play. And like I said the game isn't this extreme but using the same context, if the game explained easy to use party play, taking pride in your character, meeting new players w/ similar interest, showing respect, and frowned upon LS hopping, bad pug manners, playing for solely your own benefit and not the friends/players who helped you achieve your goals, then the community would probably be molded into something we'd all like to see.

And no, no one has to abide by these rules, which isn't even the proper word. It's etiquette. Which people who have only sunk a fair chunk of time into MMOs can recognize and follow. Instead of having new players come in trying to level up and give up somewhere down the line because they didn't know getting into a party would be faster, making a positive name for themself on the server would be beneficial to getting PT invites/quality LS, making friends who play the game the same hours they do would come in handy.

There always will be players who stick to their small group, players who solo, and players who spontaneously do w/e it takes to get what they want. However, if there was a proper form of efficient grouping that players could easily hop in and out of while maintaining a good rep and not waste time then it would be a pretty close secondary style of play for those players who primarily stay in small groups, solo, LS/PuG hop to the top.

Some things to note are the system we have now probably does work perfectly fine, the server populations are just so low it difficult to evaluate grouping features.

I'm assuming, popular self-questions are asked when thinking about playing FFXIV;

Why level when you don't have a proper LS to do content w/ consistantly?
Why level when the game has no content, and will not have content til 2.0? (feel free to argue 1 week of killing a moogle or running through a 25minute dungeon is content, i really don't care lol)
Why level when the game is unfinished, going through a massive overhaul, the classes are unbalanced, and it will probably be 10fold more fun, easier to group, with better rewards and unlockables in 2.0?

It's only my assumption that 2.0 will be a success because if it isn't, there is no FF14, and if you're assuming 2.0 won't be a success and playing just because FF14 is in it's optimal year of play currently, then you'd be crazy (yet still entitled to your own opinion). With that said, I'm implying we all have the same perspective on 2.0 and FFXIV as a whole, that doing anything in game until 2.0 is miniscule in comparisin to the grand scheme of things.

I know, there are those of you, and myself included, who think/thought you could level up your character, make close friends and do tedious stuff together in game to pass the time til 2.0, meanwhile all benefitting your own characters and reputation in game. And come 2.0 you'll have a strong solid group of LS member who magically, aren't burnt out on playing FFXIV 5 days a week at the level cap grinding the 7 days worth of content for the span of 2-3 months inbetween patches.

Different color because this is very subjective, kind of irrelevent, and probably not worth reading. It's essentially just advice if you have a couple 50 classes and keep logging onto 14 for unknown reasons (god forbid you enjoy the game in its current state and have been playing since launch with STILL no clear defined goals to strive for)

It just really isn't worth it. Encourage your LS doing stuff outside of FF14 together to bond and that will make your LS stronger, doing things together for the fun, not the profit or the benefit. Anyone who can seriously sit and play this game with like 200 players on their server (20-30 actually active) I highly advise taking 1millmeter step back and look at wtf you're doing. 1.21 is here whenever it's here, come to lodestone once or twice a day taking a 60second glimpse if there is new info/1.21 info, then (if you planned on playing 14) go play with your linkshell mates but in a fun game. You're literally doing the exact same thing you would've been doing in 14 but not in game.

The concurrent server populations are dangerously low on all but 3 servers, so that would greatly effect the amount of xp parties, search displays 60%+ of the populations to be 50, and 40% to be 1-49. 1-10 can be done in less then an hour using 1 standard attack to hit everything you see outside any of the 3 regions gates. This isn't counting any DOL/DOH classes. You're just getting ridiculously low numbers here, for a game with nothing to strive for (unless you count being in vain). Yup, there is a server merge, and we can assume there will be slight increase in pug's after that has happened. It won't fix the game though, and it won't take away every other detrimental reason there is to leveling right now in FF14. The same can be said for level synch (even if it was just until 2.0), a slight increase in active sp parties.

I doubt thousands of players will come flocking in just for level synch, which I know, it's not the primary point, the point is to make it easier for the laughable active server population this game has left. You can go 10-20, or 20-30 easier with level synch... Which, if finding a group was as easy as level synch, players could take all 8 DOW/DOM 1-50 in game breaking times. Probably 1-50 in a single day if you had 7 people with you at every optimal xp spot from 10-50.

This brings me to the next problem, the problem w/ 14's leveling system is not just the 1-50 same zone, copy pasta environments/mobs, the ability to go 1-50 insanely fast in a PT around your level, painstakingly repetitive and boring solo (which all need to be fixed for 2.0), it's that there is no consistant/fun form of gaining SP. The fact leves are still an option as solo xp is evidence of this theory. Fun =/= Solo'ing leves. If leves are still a primary (imo secondary or tertiary as well) form of gaining solo xp the concept will fail. I'm trying to figure out what leves even serve a purpose for other then a tedious task players must endure if they choose to solo for XP, thus, in return, making them want to group xp.

Let's take a look at the leveling system as a whole in FF14. It's very brief, and boring. Using optimal methods you can do 1-50 very very fast, using the least effective methods (solo leves), it's still pretty damn fast, but 10x more boring. Essentially, you suffer through boredom which Yoshida insists on making as quick and painless as possible because he wants to focus primarly on content. Currently the game has the quick boring leveling down, it's just lacking the content, and will lack (due to server structure issues which they have stated, meaning, this is never going to be fixed until the new server arrives, meaning the amount of content we have seen in the last 3 mega patches, is going to be noticabley the same with every patch we recieve) until 2.0.

Still want to play? Okay, fair.

Prepare you and your LS for the 1 week of content (for lack of a more accurate word) that will ensue for each of the patches otw til 2.0.

I get it, a couple players can't level at the speed of 1-50 in a week in a group/level synch, and they don't want to suffer through the drudgery of 1-40 doing solo leves in 2-3 weeks, (with 40-50 being done in a single day stronghold, plus level synch wouldnt be able to change the effectiveness of 40+) so they can't get prepared for content (I don't blame them for not wanting to solo leves or put any effort into their character when there is so little to enjoy/do at the max cap). That's not the lack of level synchs fault, the game is just unfun and broken, resulting in no one wanting to play it, so the masochistic people/new oblivious players left playing have twice as hard of a time finding groups.

[ChiefCurrahee]

So on the class you want to level you click a button and instantly;

1) A Comment Box appears in the middle of your screen where you leave a very brief description of what you want, PT Lv20-25, anywhere but Gridania region. Materia O, Food O. (example)

2) Once you finish the comment box you are now in the LFG search and anyone (any lvl/class) who is also LFG will be in that search, which can also be viewed by the simple click of a button.

3) You craft/farm/idle while rechecking the LFG list every few minutes, and the class you are LFG on will still remain the same.

4) If you want to level multiple classes, you can either;
a) LFG on the one you want to level most
b) a new feature is implemented where you can LFG on multiple classes (infact I think we have this right now) and it is shown in the LFG list.

5) When you log off it removes you from Queue.

6) There is a little hrs/mins highlight stating when the person first queued LFG.

7) As well as everything I listed, include everything that worked automatically (not manually) in previous search systems like language, nation, rank, name (maybe even Linkshell), current zone location.

8) Above all else, and I stress this as much as possible, make it quick, easy to use, and user friendly. When people log on, after that opening cutscene, it should be the first thing that players are accustomed to learning. Just bam, some NPC walks up to you baddass/seductive/cutsiepoopsie (depending on starting class/region/race) and tells you how to use the search feature. The NPC can emphasize REMEMBER! IF U WANT EPIC FUN MMO N LEVEL FAST WITH FRIENDS THEN MAKE SURE U USE UR LFG BUTTONZ ERYTIME U LOGON! NOBODY WANTS TO BE A LONER!. And if people like to solo, who cares, nothing anyone can do and it doesn't hurt anyone, but the point is to encourage party play. And if the game does not make party play easily accessible or rewarded adequately, why the hell would anyone do it?

.

You pretty much just decribed the current LFG system.

you can flag yourself as seeking PT, What job you want to get XP on, even seek on that class while playing another, and it's fairly easy to use.

Like others have suggested yes, higher server populations will help with the problem of finding pt members. But that still no excuse to not have some type of system to match a lower level to play the game with them.

Level Sync didn't hurt XI, sitting in jeuno for hours/days seeking PT hurt XI. EXP is EXP is EXP no matter where you get it, at least you're playing the game.

If you're opposed to level sync in XIV, sit in Ul'dah all day and craft, or go solo you're leves. Or leech from a PL. But don't let it ruin it for people who want to play with others in a multiplayer game.

like it or not, Level Sync will ultimately do more good than harm for XIV.

p.s. Level Sync is coming. I'm just saying it should have more priority on implementation before ver 2.0

[indira]

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET OUT OF THE XI MIND SET AND GET INTO THE MECHANICS OF XIV!

FFXIV is going to be a theme park type of MMO so its gonna be a grind in a instance like WoW and wow was the only theme park mmo that survived the longest. so were looking at another wow clone or a ffxi clone by 2.0 sad days ahead if it gos that way.

[Rhomagus]

I'm for level sync and I've seen the disadvantages from not having it in XIV.

Right now there is a great disparity in levels and people lfg (this includes Besaid). The only thing a new player can hope for is coming during a large influx of new players or on the coattails of new class releases. If a new player enters during a time when the majority of the playerbase is outside of the level range (now until 2.0) it doesn't matter the server population. 10 people who are outside your level range is the same as 10,000 people outside your level range. You can't play with any of them.

I'd much rather have level sync rather than the current PL system. My roommate just started the game and there is no one his level on Besaid during his playtime he can feasibly party with. He really just wants to play with me but he has to level at least 30 levels before he can. The only alternative I can find is to level a whole new character with him, show him how the game works, and then switch over to my main. Fortunately for him I'm willing to do that. Unfortunately for every other new player they will only be able to enjoy low level party play when 2.0 is released and that's not even really a guarantee. I honestly don't think 2.0 is going to be XIV's rapture as much as we think it will be. Level sync doesn't require 2.0 to be a gaming/advertising miracle for two players at different walks on their path to enjoy each others company and reap a mutual benefit from each other.

Other new players I know are only concerned with getting a class to level 50 and I don't blame them. With the PL system the way it is, it negates the "not trained" criticism that level sync would "supposedly" bring. Level sync, at the very least, would still encourage the presence of the gamer to control their avatar. I don't think anyone really wants to "play" a game they can just walk away from.

I'm for an XI style level sync system as the criticisms against it in XIV's context do not apply.

[Riv]

My friend joined the game. Quit after a couple months cuz all my stuff is 50 so we couldn't lvl up anything together....and since leveling is the only thing to do in the game, yeah. Level sync would be nice.