Level Syncing isn't the best solution

[Spiroth]

No. You can't have that.
When you are doing a lvl 30 Dungeon, you are basically doing it time-approppriate.
When this dungeon was opened to the Warror of Light, it was when he was Lvl 30.

You cannot have that because the Wwarrior of Light didn't have these skills yet.
People must understand that this game is FINAL FANTASY and Story is first unlike any other MMO.

Plus, there IS a setting that can help you get what you want, Unssynced Reviosinst Trivial Mode, or URTM.

[Darrcyphfeid]

People must understand that this game is FINAL FANTASY and Story is first unlike any other MMO.

Story first is this game's Achilles heel. And XIV is neither the first nor the best Final Fantasy MMO with its approach to storytelling, expansions and gameplay feel.

Plus, there IS a setting that can help you get what you want, Unssynced Reviosinst Trivial Mode, or URTM.

Recommending that people just unsync the older content if they're unhappy with sub-cap rotational feel will kill this game. Because "story comes first," and story demands that new players do dungeons and trials. Which will have reduced population as more and more people refuse to do synced instances. That's exactly why we have duty roulettes and the rewards they give to begin with.

In any event, designing the jobs so they feel good at all levels bypasses this and also provides a better experience for new players that would otherwise still have to slog through this crap for dozens of hours before getting to the "real stuff." Which, you know, seems to be a good business decision as well as a good design decision.

[Spiroth]

Story first is this game's Achilles heel. And XIV is neither the first nor the best Final Fantasy MMO with its approach to storytelling, expansions and gameplay feel.


Recommending that people just unsync the older content if they're unhappy with sub-cap rotational feel will kill this game. Because "story comes first," and story demands that new players do dungeons and trials. Which will have reduced population as more and more people refuse to do synced instances. That's exactly why we have duty roulettes and the rewards they give to begin with.

In any event, designing the jobs so they feel good at all levels bypasses this and also provides a better experience for new players that would otherwise still have to slog through this crap for dozens of hours before getting to the "real stuff." Which, you know, seems to be a good business decision as well as a good design decision.

It IS the best FINAL FANTASY MMO with its approach to storytelling, that is undisputable.
And of course "Story first" it is NOT this game's Achilles heel, as evidenced by the reception of it and the marginally bigger total player count than any other FINAL FANTASY MMO at the same point of its lifecycle.


As for the "Real Stuff", LOL. This mentality that "Real Stuff" is only current end-game content is the Achilles Heel of "Players" that think likr you.
If you don't enjoy the game, offer valid solutions.
Lore-breaking Nastrond User Lancer at Sastasha, is not acceptable.

[Darrcyphfeid]

As for the "Real Stuff", LOL. This mentality that "Real Stuff" is only current end-game content is the Achilles Heel of "Players" that think likr you.

You jumped right to the end and missed the entire point.

The "real stuff" isn't the endgame, because this game barely has an endgame. The "real stuff" is having a toolkit/rotation - the basic gameplay loop for XIV and the subject of this thread - that doesn't put you to sleep or otherwise feel like garbage. Unless you think jobs feel fine synced down in the ARR leveling dungeons, but then you should argue that instead of what you currently are.

If you don't enjoy the game, offer valid solutions.

I did. Look at the first page.

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It IS the best FINAL FANTASY MMO with its approach to storytelling, that is undisputable.

No, sorry, it's not. The contents of the story being better or worse between the two is subjective, but one of these games forces players to slog through something like 150 hours of fetch quests and cutscenes to access basic game features/modes.

The other drops you into the world and lets you do whatever you want, when you want to do it. You gained access to all jobs (quests) once you hit lv30, and going to expansion areas was simply a matter of 1) figuring out where they were and 2) getting there without having your face ripped off. Very few content types were locked behind the story missions, and the ones that were didn't require the full completion of its story to unlock.

Oh, and the stories still managed to reference one another and feel connected.

And of course "Story first" it is NOT this game's Achilles heel, as evidenced by the reception of it and the marginally bigger total player count than any other FINAL FANTASY MMO at the same point of its lifecycle.

Take a look at how many threads crop up (on Reddit, to be fair, but still) about people quitting the game around Titan's arc (30~34), towards the end of ARR or during the 2.1~2.55 stretch. Consider how many basic and obvious design choices, like Frontlines Freelancers, weren't implemented in a timely manner (or at all) because "lore reasons."

Overall player count is irrelevant; XI came out in an entirely different era. When they start giving away story and level skip potions with purchases of the game because they see a decline in player adoption and retention, will it still be story first?

[Spiroth]

You jumped right to the end and missed the entire point.

The "real stuff" isn't the endgame, because this game barely has an endgame. The "real stuff" is having a toolkit/rotation - the basic gameplay loop for XIV and the subject of this thread - that doesn't put you to sleep or otherwise feel like garbage. Unless you think jobs feel fine synced down in the ARR leveling dungeons, but then you should argue that instead of what you currently are.


I did. Look at the first page.

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No, sorry, it's not. The contents of the story being better or worse between the two is subjective, but one of these games forces players to slog through something like 150 hours of fetch quests and cutscenes to access basic game features/modes.

The other drops you into the world and lets you do whatever you want, when you want to do it. You gained access to all jobs (quests) once you hit lv30, and going to expansion areas was simply a matter of 1) figuring out where they were and 2) getting there without having your face ripped off. Very few content types were locked behind the story missions, and the ones that were didn't require the full completion of its story to unlock.

Oh, and the stories still managed to reference one another and feel connected.


Take a look at how many threads crop up (on Reddit, to be fair, but still) about people quitting the game around Titan's arc (30~34), towards the end of ARR or during the 2.1~2.55 stretch. Consider how many basic and obvious design choices, like Frontlines Freelancers, weren't implemented in a timely manner (or at all) because "lore reasons."

Overall player count is irrelevant; XI came out in an entirely different era. When they start giving away story and level skip potions with purchases of the game because they see a decline in player adoption and retention, will it still be story first?

You did not. That post has zero valid solutions.
Nastrond using Lancer in Sastasha is not acceptable, and everything you "offered" mandates that. So no.


And no, "real stuff" are not what you choose to include.
REAL STUFF is everything, not only endgame stuff.

[Aylis]

No. You can't have that.
When you are doing a lvl 30 Dungeon, you are basically doing it time-approppriate.
When this dungeon was opened to the Warror of Light, it was when he was Lvl 30.

You cannot have that because the Wwarrior of Light didn't have these skills yet.
People must understand that this game is FINAL FANTASY and Story is first unlike any other MMO.

Plus, there IS a setting that can help you get what you want, Unssynced Reviosinst Trivial Mode, or URTM.

Also technically according to the devs with the lore of redoing dungeons you're not actually doing the content again. You're just reliving it through the power of the echo. Since the echo is all powerful and in trials even buffs you as a recollection of your failures as the Warrior of Light. So the idea of taking max level spells and abilities in a weakened state isn't really far fetched with the lore the devs laid out, because Echo and magic rocks. The first time you did it was time appropriate, all other times is because echo.

Anyway as per the topic, I would adore bringing all my abilities in all places despite being dropped to dungeon level it's true. However the issues I see coming from it would take a few overhauls that I really don't think SE wants to put the time and money into resolving balance issues. The first being abilities tied to level and class quests. I doubt they would overhaul the system to be like a Guild Wars 2 system where you basically have your full kit long long long before you even set foot in the first dungeon. The second being balancing issues within the dungeons themselves. Aurum Vale comes to mind just because I know I can't be the only healer that spent nights wishing they had access to their level 50 heal spell which would have made the dungeon a ton easier. AV was a level 49 dungeon if I recall right. That one level difference to open up the spell could easily tip the scales from a living nightmare to a cheese fest.

[Lunavi]

The problem with a system like that is that either new players will feel worthless compared to synched players, which is a terrible feeling that does not really make one want to play the game further, or it will make experienced players feel like they are pulling more weight for the same results, which is ALSO a terrible feeling. It is a losing move no matter what you do.

[Nabril]

The problem with a system like that is that either new players will feel worthless compared to synched players, which is a terrible feeling that does not really make one want to play the game further, or it will make experienced players feel like they are pulling more weight for the same results, which is ALSO a terrible feeling. It is a losing move no matter what you do.

I mentioned "scaling down". This isn't about power- it's about the powers that I earned by reaching level 70. "Scaling Down" would be the operative term here. It's very important.

[Lunavi]

I mentioned "scaling down". This isn't about power- it's about the powers that I earned by reaching level 70. "Scaling Down" would be the operative term here. It's very important.

Yes, you say scaling down, but that process is not going to be perfect. Either you have players with all skills being able to heavily outperform those without those skills, or those with the skills needs to work harder than those without them to do the same amount of damage/healing/tanking, which is a lose/lose situation as neither is enjoyable.

[Nabril]

Yes, you say scaling down, but that process is not going to be perfect. Either you have players with all skills being able to heavily outperform those without those skills, or those with the skills needs to work harder than those without them to do the same amount of damage/healing/tanking, which is a lose/lose situation as neither is enjoyable.

The word "Perfect" has never been accurately used to describe any feature in an MMO because they grow and evolve all of the time.

With testing and patience, it could be made to be very close, but if you think that the current system is "Perfect" the way it is, you're very mistaken. Even now, with level syncing and item level reduction, people slaughter old dungeons. A brand new level 58 with quest or vendor given gear (you know- the normal gear that's available to a brand new level 58) vs a level synced 58 with reduced level 70 raid gear is going to notice a huge difference. The level synced guy is going to absolutely dominate the DPS chart. The system now is far from "Perfect".

I don't understand why it would be better to the game to keep this current system when it's clearly not perfect. I mean, if your concern is that the system I proposed would have to be perfect, aren't you concerned about the current system that's in place? Because the level syncing isn't perfect either. It's unbalanced and badly. Doesn't that bother you?