State of the Game: PvE Seasons and Making XP worth something at Level Cap

[Delmontyb]

There is a lot to love about Final Fantasy XIV, and having given the latest expansion some thought, I figured I'd like to share some ideas that would add to the overall replayability of the game as a whole.

While I have a lot of ideas that I want to share, this post is focused on the idea of PvE Seasons, and making XP worth something at level Cap as these go hand in hand.

YouTube Video if TLDR

What is a PvE Season? Simple, look at PvP and each patch cycle they have a "season" a start and an end for stats, ranks and more. I think this would be an awesome idea for the PvE side of things as well… a simple way to add in some competition for doing what we are already doing and add in some bragging rights.

Season Length = 1 Month
What does it track?
• Levels Gained (post 70)
• Dungeons Cleared
• Raids Cleared
• # of Fates cleared in Gold
• Nodes Gathered
• Items Crafted
• Leves Turned In
• Eureka Levels
• POTD
• HOH
• Etc…

The specifics of what is tracked is more for personal bragging rights, but overall you'd get a rank for each season, and rewards for said rank. Then everything resets and starts over. This system would be used for glamour, and for fun, as a way to add an overall leaderboard to the game without making it needed to get to a certain rank within a season.

The item for levels gained post 70, would tie into a system that allowed the player to get a reward chest for gaining a level after they've reached the cap. Meaning they've made a levels worth of XP by playing the game. Once more, these would be fun rewards, like endgame currency, glamour, and more. I personally think this would help players prioritize adventure in need bonus' to take advantage of XP rewards that go away once you hit the level cap.

I'd love to know what you all think too, sound off and let me know what you'd like to see in a PvE season, what you wouldn't want to see, etc…

[uvuvwevwevweonyetenyevweugwemu]

While I agree with the concept of seasons, that's not really a good competitive design. The main thing to do in a competitive setting is stop devouring contents on day 1. There are always 2 seasons. Drafting season and Competitive Season. In the game pvp, drafting is mainly called preseason. You will notice that they release content during preseason. Patch release day is always drafting season, it is a time to be on public, do pugs, be world first on a purely random df (no premade party). That's how teams get/know #1 draft/pick in sports. Competitive season is always drought season, no more drafting, time to go for that cup with your picked people. This is after all still a multiplayer game, as with all competitive, you need people to rely on. Atleast that's what I have in mind on a healthy competition setting. There's regeneration. It really doesn't matter if 5 new players are #2363 on the top ranks, that new player is fresh blood and proves to devs that content deserves attention.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

The main thing to do in a competitive setting is stop devouring contents on day 1.

It would help if content lasted. 4.3 launched and I had little else to do except the MSQ, Ridorana and Tsukiyomi. That takes less than a couple hours. Let's be very generous and say it took a full week. Okay. Now what fills in those five weeks thereafter? That has been the issue throughout Stormblood. There simply isn't enough content to stretch things out the way they do. It's fine to say, "hey, you can take breaks and play other games!" But that's been less an option and more a necessity. Granted, I have Ultimate. If I didn't...

People aren't devouring content. They've starved for things to do.

[Remedi]

It would help if content lasted. 4.3 launched and I had little else to do except the MSQ, Ridorana and Tsukiyomi. That takes less than a couple hours. Let's be very generous and say it took a full week. Okay. Now what fills in those five weeks thereafter? That has been the issue throughout Stormblood. There simply isn't enough content to stretch things out the way they do. It's fine to say, "hey, you can take breaks and play other games!" But that's been less an option and more a necessity. Granted, I have Ultimate. If I didn't...

People aren't devouring content. They've starved for things to do.

I'm starting to question the truth about the content in 4.3 and to a lesser extent in 4.1 to be devoid of anything tbh.
I'm rewiewing what there was to do on 3.3 and 3.1 and honestly it isn't any better. I think we are a bit blowing the problem out of proportions.
The real problem might be related to the fact that with an easier savage and the removal off accuracy getting gear from 24 man was BLEH (besides other problems).

Because frankly during 3.3 release we didn't had potd yet and besides wiping city there wasn't much to do. Again I don't defend the act of staggered release but I think we should look at the whole picture nevertheless

Edit: I don't really see the appeal in this

It's essentially Path of exile and D3 seasons with some glamour rewards in this. I get that it tries to make XP worth at level cap, but EXP system is utter garbage in this game and eureka has limitations because of it.
The only thing that it really might work is with titles for ultimate or clearing deep dungeons but that would mean making a season long an entire expansion, then retiring the content and readding it into the next with new titles.

But outside of that I don't see the whole point but making a competition for the sake of having one, which in a game where as we say bots are ramparts feels a bit HEH

[Tiaque]

I do wish they would add some sorta infinite progression, such as FFXI's Merit system, and that other thing they now have which is a huge grind. Systems like EQs AA and ESO CP and many other examples. But problem with that is, its a content balancing nightmare. Hence why ESOs dungeons suffer from CP Power Creep. But at least if they would add something like that, would keep people playing even after capping and have done everything.

TBH? I think it would be fine, if they basically put a flat reduction in the bonus stats and passives obtained from a merit system. Like say 60 percent reduction for new 4 man dungeons. 20 percent reduction for old 4 mans, 80 percent reduction on new ex primals, 50 percent on old. 95 reduction on new savage content, 70 reduction on old.Complete removal on Ultimates. That kinda thing, but eh, spite how trivial the bonus stats would be due to reductions, their will always be that guy who plays 18 hours a day or that guy who bots to gain merit exp that will always have an edge and lord over people on it.

Ah well. But yea, need more content. Honestly I wish they would pick a new direction and shake things up considerably. Ahh....

[Delmontyb]

I do wish they would add some sorta infinite progression, such as FFXI's Merit system, and that other thing they now have which is a huge grind. Systems like EQs AA and ESO CP and many other examples. But problem with that is, its a content balancing nightmare. Hence why ESOs dungeons suffer from CP Power Creep. But at least if they would add something like that, would keep people playing even after capping and have done everything.

To add context if it wasn't clear, levels after cap would offer no bonus to your combat and stats what so ever. But would be just a way to get some fun random glamour rewards, or things of that nature.

[ChameleonMS]

The systems you are looking for already exists the rewards need to be changed though. The Challenge Log and Wonderous Tails. Do X and get Y. Unfortunately Y current has terrible value at level cap. Challenge Log rewards XP and WT rewards near useless gear.

Infinite character progression systems favour players with more time too much; a Glamour related reward is a better balance.
This MMO specifically restricts the amount progression rewards available to prevent chasms from top to bottom players at max level.

[Dustytome]

I like the idea in general, but without the competitive side, because bots.

[FPZ]

Glad to see other people are noticing this! We definitely need another 'feature' for the sake of the game, something that fills the void between 4-man and 8-man. I did a video discussion on this a few days ago, so it's pretty good to see other people wanting to do something like this.

Personally I would like a 4-man mythic + system, or at the very least something like the OP mentions. The need for 'something' in this aspect of the game is a must-have to avoid dead periods of the game IMO.

[sonatier]

It would help if content lasted. 4.3 launched and I had little else to do except the MSQ, Ridorana and Tsukiyomi. That takes less than a couple hours. Let's be very generous and say it took a full week.

Whilst this may not interest you, but there was also a new set of crafter and gatherer gear to go for. This has taken me several weeks to get sorted in addition to levelling my battle gear with sigmascape, ridorana and tomes.

I actually like how this patch has been paced since now that things are quietening down we just got HoH for more progression and not too much later we will get the next step in Eureka too (if that type of grind is for you).