I refuse to run Castrum the way it is now

[KisaiTenshi]

The person you're quoting is in Queue for Castrum directly, not MSQ roulette. Assuming they're trying to get it done for MSQ... they mention skipping as in "now the only way to get it done in a timely manner could potentially be to buy the story skip potion."

The point they are highlighting is the 0/2 0/2 4/4 part, which is a direct consequence of no tanks and no healers wanting to run it, because there is no incentive to. Take a look at all the little cards some of the forum peeps have:


You'll note, that pretty much everyone that has one, has maxed out at least one healer or one tank, if not both or all of them.

Here's why I don't run it:




I don't need any tomes, the money is meaningless. I could use the EXP on a DPS class, but that time would be better invested in POTD or using the Command missions to level DPS. If I want tomes, I can do other content faster for it.



This is queued as RDM.

[DreadRabbit]

The real players who suffer from this change? The ones trying to actually run it...



over 30 min - no tanks, no healers even popped up in the queue. Such a blast with no way to skip it but the cash shop. This was a terrible idea.

What day did you try to run it? Because I'm on Aether too and on a Saturday as a DPS my wait was 15 minutes, not 30. Which was about normal for just about every MSQ instance for a DPS (if not actually faster). However when I tried to run it on, say, a Thursday then yeah my queue was more like 45 minutes plus.

And maybe it's just me but I feel like DPS wise even that's really not new. Even before the changes you were waiting at least 20 minutes to queue into anything, especially these two dungeons.

[Theodric]

They need to offer a better incentive.

I'd run it a hundred times if doing so gave me access to the Castrum Meridianum and Praetorium orchestrion music sheets. I've wanted them for ages now.

[Iscah]

On a familiar note, almost all of toxic behavior I've witnessed since the MSQ change has occurred in Castrum as opposed to the Praetorium.
It could of course merely be a coincidence, but perhaps I'm not the only who can currently handle Prae; yet hates Castrum?

I don't know if it's what you're thinking of, but having just gone through them with my alt character for MSQ, I feel like Castrum has more potential for trouble? I ended up in main tank role (both of us were warriors but after some awkward waiting around where neither of us took tank stance, I went for it), I'm know I'm rather slow, but I had one DPS who insisted on rushing ahead and triggering start-of-boss scenes while we were still in the middle of a battle with other enemies. (Same DPS kept using the cannons in the final boss battle when I know that's meant to be a 'tank job' and I was definitely coming over and trying to use them, so it's not just that they thought I didn't know what to do.) Castrum has a lot of those points where you can do that 'trigger cutscene and mess up other players' - and just has more potential for an uncertain tank to get lost - but the Praetorium is more straightforward.



On a complete tangent, but relevant while we're talking about Castrum (and instead of starting another thread that might end up in the same round of arguments again) - I know it's normal to do that crazy pull through the area after Cid joins you and up to where you fight the red colossus, but I didn't do that, partly because I wasn't confident and partly because the DPSes were also attacking things in place so I kept losing things. And in the end... we reached the final arena at the same time Cid got there, instead of standing around awkwardly waiting for him to arrive. So is there any actual point to the mega pull? Unless you're extra slow and Cid ends up waiting for you, it doesn't seem to have saved any time.

[Rokke]

(Same DPS kept using the cannons in the final boss battle when I know that's meant to be a 'tank job' and I was definitely coming over and trying to use them, so it's not just that they thought I didn't know what to do.)

Anyone can use the canons in the last room. The boss aggros on whoever last fired it but she does so little damage anyone is safe to "tank". imo its better to have tanks running around collecting the adds that spawn, leaving everyone else to load/shoot the canons.

So is there any actual point to the mega pull? Unless you're extra slow and Cid ends up waiting for you, it doesn't seem to have saved any time.

Single pulls are mind numbingly boring.


@ topic -
I haven't set foot in either since they changed the cutscenes and since all my alts have 2.0 finished I have zero reasons to ever queue again. They could guarantee a level and I'd still sit it out lol

[Fhaerron]

I don't know if it's what you're thinking of, but having just gone through them with my alt character for MSQ, I feel like Castrum has more potential for trouble? I ended up in main tank role (both of us were warriors but after some awkward waiting around where neither of us took tank stance, I went for it), I'm know I'm rather slow, but I had one DPS who insisted on rushing ahead and triggering start-of-boss scenes while we were still in the middle of a battle with other enemies. (Same DPS kept using the cannons in the final boss battle when I know that's meant to be a 'tank job' and I was definitely coming over and trying to use them, so it's not just that they thought I didn't know what to do.) Castrum has a lot of those points where you can do that 'trigger cutscene and mess up other players' - and just has more potential for an uncertain tank to get lost - but the Praetorium is more straightforward.

You could have asked the other tank? I haven't done it in a long time but if I see the other tank using tank stance I would active DPS stance immediately, or if I saw it was a slow tank I would take tank stance regardless to go and pull the entire area.
If the tanks are slow I always rushed ahead, no matter if I was Tank, DPS or Heal. I've always been rushing ahead in those 2 MSQ's and I honestly cannot remember the last time I died there.
On the last boss, as a tank one should go left and the other right to collect the mobs, that's all you need to do. The boss does no damage what so ever, just shoot the cannon and AFK in the middle untill she targets another player, even the AoE she trows at you don't have to avoid, your HP bar won't even move, I do /sit until she stops attacking me at which point I go to cannon again, shoot and then repeat.

On a complete tangent, but relevant while we're talking about Castrum (and instead of starting another thread that might end up in the same round of arguments again) - I know it's normal to do that crazy pull through the area after Cid joins you and up to where you fight the red colossus, but I didn't do that, partly because I wasn't confident and partly because the DPSes were also attacking things in place so I kept losing things. And in the end... we reached the final arena at the same time Cid got there, instead of standing around awkwardly waiting for him to arrive. So is there any actual point to the mega pull? Unless you're extra slow and Cid ends up waiting for you, it doesn't seem to have saved any time.

It's true you have to wait for CID but it's faster if you mega pull. If you take one mob at a time CID will come, he will shoot it until it's dead then sometimes move BACKWARDS (yes that's right) to the initial position from when aggro was generated. Then you take the second mob he will come again and move back etc.
You just rush trough it pick up all mobs and then park them at the cannons, they will die in about 4 shots of those cannons and then you wait for CID.

It's 'easier' with PLD & DRK to do mega pulls because you can just run trough while spamming Flash or Unleash. With a WAR you activate sprint before aggro of first enemy (that way you get 20 seconds out of it), use Shield Trow if it's one enemy or use overpower if it's multiple. You have to position yourself somewhat as it's a frontal relatively seal cone that spirals outwards (so you cannot just run trough).
But it's deff possible and do-able.
Once you have picked up all the mobs do a 180 degrees turn (so they are all in front of you), use a Storms Eye combo and then one last Overpower and then just spam Steel Cyclone, use the Storms eye combo to fuel your Beast Gauge.

For the boss itself you use Tomahawk while sprinting to him, run trough him and do a 180 degrees flip. Unchained > Storm's Eye combo and then 2 to 3 butcher blocks. Activate Deliverance, build up to max beast gauge, make sure Storm's Eye is just refreshed at this point. Unleash all your fell cleaves and use Infuriate to use an additional one. Keep the buff of Storm's Eye up and spam Storms Path to fuel your BC.

Normally you won't loose aggro, if you end up to almost loosing it you can active Defiance and throw in another BB, but we're talking about the 2 MSQ's here, a DPS can tank those bosses if he has a HOT from a healer on him.

None of those 2 dungeons can cause trouble, of course I've seen "trouble" runs like the ones you probably mean but then I just loose my faith in certain FF XIV players even more.

[Hiveer]

I actually enjoy the cutscenes, though I don't run it often because I run stuff with others and they hardly tolerate MSQ.
Though I agree, the EXP reward is really underwhelming and should be adjusted further, considering the time it takes to run the whole thing.

[Derio]

I still feel like the xp for running that content should be much much larger than it is now.

I ran it twice since the change and its not worth it. Even with the adventurer in need bonus.

[StouterTaru]

I still feel like the xp for running that content should be much much larger than it is now.

I ran it twice since the change and its not worth it. Even with the adventurer in need bonus.

Adventurer in need exp bonus has always been a joke. The GC seals and free materia are nice, but adding 5% exp at the end isn't going to make anything worth doing that wasn't before.

[Fhaerron]

They're going to release PoTD 60-70.

No need to increase this.