Trusts and squadron

[Mibgestalt]

I just have a feeling it will be broken at the start.

I just need them to expand on squadrons. I worked hard to level them up. At least they can do is make them playable outside in the open world such as fates.

I can't imagine they'd ever let you roll around with a Scion or Three, because goodbye immersion, but taking your Squadron members, or one at least, as a partner in the open world would be cool.

I think the best they could do with the Trust system is... once you reach a certain level of trust, let you do a short (15-60?) second phase in open world stuff where you control the Scion via the tech they've shown for the Alphinaud and Yshtola scenarios. Just a cool high-power mode for fun on a longer CD. Though it might be awkward if two people... or everyone... turns into Yshtola during an S rank hunt.

[kikix12]

Though it might be awkward if two people... or everyone... turns into Yshtola during an S rank hunt.

Y'shtola is overpowered. She one-hitted two of the most powerful Steppe warriors with some sort of super-holy that the Warrior of Light or the Padjala don't even seem to have an inkling of. And she did that with ridiculous ease. And did you see her heal and mana regeneration? Man. She's totally broken. Why do they need the Warrior of Light again?! Keh.

On a more serious note, I doubt they intend to make the trust system for anything more than instances. That's the role that Squadrons may receive at some point simply due to the fact that they fit more thematically...and mechanically. They already have levels and what not. But they need to fix their coding, seriously. Their AI is horrid.

[Jandor]

To flesh out a little further on the overarching system thing, it could be done sort of like the Doman reconstruction.

So, going back to ARR when you first join a GC. They come and recruit you, because you're you they give a special area to work on.
At first it's just empty land, a rough progression might go something like:

- Add some striking dummies and a stable for your bird.
- Add some GC vendors in tents.
- Get a Huntmaster to move in.
- Get some permanent brick built facilities up.
- Unlock your squadron and move them in.
- Unlock using your squad in dungeons.
- Unlock trust system for story NPCs. (They slot into the list with your squad, with special abilities but less customization because they're story NPCs.)
- Maybe can build special facilities depending on recruited NPCs. (library for Alphi, bar for Thancred, etc.)

Overall, just one place and one set of systems for your NPCs and (to a degree) GC stuff.

Edit: I mean, going crazy, you could stick a house in there too. Let people decorate it all, add housing vendors along with hunt and GC vendors. Make a full little GC themed estate with your recruits and NPC friends visiting from time to time.

[kikix12]

To flesh out a little further on the overarching system thing, it could be done sort of like the Doman reconstruction.

This actually sounds quite fun and would help land and hand get some significance for yer average player. If they do plan on making an instanced housing, this would be a good way to go about it.

And seeing as it could be some sort of instanced "personal land HUB", both the Squadron and Trust system being located in it wouldn't really be lore-breaking nor cause mechanical issues either. Maybe it'll tie into the "farm" that they mentioned as well? I don't think they'd make the mistake of making limited farms like there is with houses, so instanced content like that is not unbelievable at all.

[Nalien]

I'd hope Squadrons will be moved into a more Grand Company focused piece of content; Something like a return of Hamlet Defense I think would fit wonderfully with Squadrons. The existing Squadron content will be pretty redundant alongside Trusts though, but then again IMO it pretty much always has been... I guess it was aimed more at people leveling than people like me, but this game already has a fairly ridiculous amount of leveling content and something like New Game+ potentially adds yet another...

Hamlet Defense with Squadrons could be amazing though... Lets say four player content, plus you each bring along some of your Squad? Gameplay based around ordering your individual Squadrons around to best use them in the defense? Could be really fun IMO. The rewards and purpose of such content is the hardest part though, but that's the case with everything in XIV; That's the trouble with purely vertical based progression. Grand Company story progression would be a nice short term reward, would be nice to see a bit more than the "You sent your Squadron off on a Retainer Venture and they returned! We're promoting you!" that we currently get... Hate to say this, since I know how this place reacts to the mere mention of the game, but Yoshida should look at XIs Nation questlines and work something like that for Grand Companies... Each nation there had its own unique problems and story, their own flavour... In XIV? They have their own Glamours and that's about it. There's absolutely no flavour beyond that, the progression up the ranks is almost a complete copy/paste across all three... It's really quite sad, actually... Why doesn't the Twin Adders have a story revolving around issues in the forest? Why aren't the Maelstrom dealing with Pirates and the like? Why are all three just sitting in their barracks doing nothing? OK, lorewise stuff is going on, even with the Squadron missions we send them off on, but we don't see any of it. It's just glorified Retainer Ventures (worth noting that you can see Retainers wandering around in various places, which gives a sense that they're out there in the world when you send them off that you don't get with Squadrons) and it's utterly terrible...

[Nyvara]

I'm hoping that trust will be a system like EQ2 which has Mercenaries. They are NPCs sometimes notable sometimes generic which level as you do can be equipped with gear. They come in different rarities the more rare they are the stronger they are. But none are so strong as to carry you in endgame content.

Anther thing that will make some of you moan they sell packs of mercs for RL $ in the typical gatcha fashion. Not as bad as it sounds since quests and rep grinding can reward some pretty strong companions.

[Beckett]

Jeez, I forgot all about the chocobo companion. More completely dropped content from SE. I hope they don't drop Squadrons in the same way.

At the very least, I hope we can use our leveled up Squadron members as Trusts. At least then all the work we've put into them won't be completely wasted.

[Hayden]

There are days I don't feel like doing content with other people, as strange as that sounds, yea It is an MMO and "people are the effing point". Most of the time I don't mind hopping in a PUG and meeting new people, it is fun. Personally, it'll be nice to have the OPTION to skip the 18 minute long DPS queue once in a while....

[Alleo]

I am honestly not sure why they did not just use the Squadron system for this because this sounds a lot like it just with certain NPCs. If there is nothing more behind that, then they could just have used a new glamour options that turns your squadron into certain NPCs.

In the end this is still a MMO and I am not sure if I like it that they are part of Shadowbringers thus current content. First squadrons still cant go into every dungeon becaue of the mechanics so I kinda wonder if they made it better (and if so why not use it on Squadron?) or if they made dungeons with less mechanics so that even NPCs can go through with it, which would be horrible..

Also what if they are easily unlocked and are better than the random players? Wouldnt a lot of people just use them to run through dungeons? How would this affect the queues?

I can understand squadrons for older stuff, especially for DD players. But for new content? Shouldnt there be 100% enough people trying to do it so that they dont need them?

I will give my final judgement when its in the game, but right now I kinda wonder why we even need that...

[Delmontyb]

How do you guys feel about the trust system? Is it going to be standalone or part of the squadron system? Or will it replace squadrons?

I'm curious about this as well. Personally, I am hoping for some type of joined system. Meaning, it's fine to have a "Squad" and a "Trust" but let's say "Squads" are only for dungeons, and Trust is only for the open world, that will seem silly in the long run. I'd love it if you are able to build out a squad via your trusts, that way it's not just in-game NPCs but also characters from the Squad. What I'm getting at is, I don't want new systems that do similar things but aren't related in any way.