Trusts and squadron

[Balipu]

If it will reduce the downtime with queue times as a DPS, I'm all for it. The amount of game time lost waiting for a dungeon queue freaking sucks. I started maining tank classes because the queue times were instant. And while I don't regret it because I learned to love tanking, I shouldn't have to change my playstyle to get actually prgoress in the game the way I want to.

I started leveling healers in HW because I hated the 3.x version of ninja. One of the reasons why I don't understand the SB hate and HW veneration I see a lot on the forums.

[Shougun]

From the limited information we have now, it sounds like a glorified Squadron system. FFXIV already has two seperate systems for combat npc joining us: Squadrons and Companions. Rather than adding a third, I'd prefer for all three to be merged into one master system that keeps all battle npcs under one roof. Allowing chocobos, squadron members, and whatever trust npcs there are to join us in any content, have skill trees, customizable appearance, etc.

But for now, the Trust system isn't something I'm looking forward to. Sounds like it will be another over hyped and under delivered system that's only slightly different from what we have already.

Would love for them to consolidate and organize these systems! Even if the trusted, squads, and companions have some rule difference they could at least not be in 8 (exaggerated lol) tabs and make it easier to manage your mini-army.

An aside, gaining trust with beastmen and then being able to hire a member from their tribe would be kind of neat. Hire a bunch of moogles or what have you :3. M-make chocobo paradise as a beastmen tribe... I will please the fat chocobo and fill my army with boco..

[Beckett]

Squadrons are there to help you level your grand company rank.

Yeah that's all they are now, but they were marketed as a system to let us do dungeons without having to queue for the DF. A system that would get improvements and new dungeons added to it over time.

I'm not quite willing to call it dead content yet, but the fact that they're introducing a new type of NPC companion after updating Squadrons once once in 2 years, makes me think that they're going the way of the chocobo.

[Alleo]

I read through the questions and answers of the event for certain journalists and there they told the people that its also on one hand like a tutorial for people that feel anxiety about joining group content and that can try it out there with NPCs but that in the end its still better to play with other people because it will be getting harder and harder to do dungeons with these NPCs.

This feels a bit strange because they have stated at the keynote that it would be for Shadowbringer content...which should be far away from beginners content thus should have people with enough experience in it. So I dont understand how this can be tutorial if this is not for low level dungeons. If it is suddenly for low level dungeon than it would make squadron useless. Also I am not sure if its a good way to teach people group work if those NPCs are not that great. I just had a squadron run as me being the healer in the vault and it was horrible because of their A.I. I cant imagine how great that would be if they dont change much (and if they do I hope they update the squadrons too..) and someone runs a higher dungeon with hard mechanics with NPCs.

It just feels so useless right now. (Final judgement of course when its out) Because if those NPCs are worse than randoms, why should someone use them for current content if they are good players? The only good thing might be the waiting time but if on the other hand it takes longer to go through a dungeon with them, I dont know if that is so much better. For newer people they would need something like that for the first dungeons. These were the dungeons I was most afraid of because it was new and the player itself is new. But if you can somehow use those NPCs there too, then why not just give the squadron the better A.I and take away the restriction with the lvl 50 job and a certain rank. This way squadron would not feel useless and later on in higher levels people can just unlock the option to glamour them into the look of certain NPCs and unlock more GC features.

[Sandpark]

Why does it matter what the NPC is characterized as? They are all jobs except Chocobo.
Unless there is actual story content or voice actors, they are just skins or glamours.

• Chocobo- You choose role then customize abilities from a predetermined set and level up the Chocobo.
• Squadrons- You choose the job or class, can glamour them and have no customizable abilities.
• Trusts- You choose a famous NPC and have no customization and perhaps don't have to level them up?.

I would like to see them consolidated as well all in one nice flashy character select menu. Have them all work the same way, before it gets kind of convoluted like glamours can be.

Rules regardless of NPC type:
Name> Job> Customize glamours> Level them up
Have chocobo squadron members that comes in actual job forms like squadrons.
Expand squadrons/Trusts to be usable in any content area.



Just a simple menu like the one above:
The main three header menus are Squadrons and Trusts and Favorites.

If you select squadrons a dropdown showing your entire squadron list is shown.
Each character has the name below it.
Above it is the NPC's job and level.

If you select trusts a dropdown showing your entire Trusts list is shown.
Each character has the name below it.
Above it is the NPC's job and level.

If you select favorites a dropdown shows groups of NPCS you normally uses as a group.
Group 1,2,3.

You can set any image of an npc or group of favorites to a hotbar for instant summoning provided there is space in the party.

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

If it has better AI and Soul Crystal actions, by all means, please replace Squadron.