Level Syncing isn't the best solution

[Nabril]

You're welcome to reply, but that comment was addressed towards another poster.

my apologies

[Bourne_Endeavor]

That's leveling for you. It not that its synced that its less engaging, it's less engaging because it's not 70 content. Your mindset will adjust next expansion, and pre-80 content will be an eyesore for you much like pre-70 is now. Granted, things like AST not getting any AoE until 52 sucks, but all jobs play as they are intended when you are synced to the level of the instance

Actually, it's because a lot of the content was either nerfed or we out-scale it to hilarious levels. LotB has a min ilvl of 50 while we're synced down to i120. Even Weeping City and Dun Scaith suffer, though not to the same extent. Allowing Warrior to Inner Release isn't going to trivialize it any more than it already has been. Regardless, they don't need to re-balance old content. They simply reduce the damage abilities do and call it a day. Instead of Nastrond doing 20,000 it does 7,500, for example.

And that is blatantly against the ToS.

Actually, it isn't. You can kick someone for literally any reason; the whole "difference of playstyle" argument makes it virtually impossible to police. Regardless, kicking people for speed running dungeons simply doesn't happen often enough to matter. You have no way of guaranteeing you'll get someone better unless you know people. In which case, you'd have queued up with them beforehand. If the whole "kicking to do speed runs" happened with any regularity, you'd see non-DPSing healers kicked all the time. But they aren't.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Actually, it's because a lot of the content was either nerfed or we out-scale it to hilarious levels. LotB has a min ilvl of 50 while we're synced down to i120. Even Weeping City and Dun Scaith suffer, though not to the same extent. Allowing Warrior to Inner Release isn't going to trivialize it any more than it already has been. Regardless, they don't need to re-balance old content. They simply reduce the damage abilities do and call it a day. Instead of Nastrond doing 20,000 it does 7,500, for example.



Actually, it isn't. You can kick someone for literally any reason; the whole "difference of playstyle" argument makes it virtually impossible to police. Regardless, kicking people for speed running dungeons simply doesn't happen often enough to matter. You have no way of guaranteeing you'll get someone better unless you know people. In which case, you'd have queued up with them beforehand. If the whole "kicking to do speed runs" happened with any regularity, you'd see non-DPSing healers kicked all the time. But they aren't.

I believe the biggest change, and therefore nerf, was that when you sync down now, you get synced to HQ gear values. Before, you got synced to NQ gear values.

After this change was the biggest noticeable change in speeding through synced older dungeons.

This makes a bigger difference than some will realize.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

I believe the biggest change, and therefore nerf, was that when you sync down now, you get synced to HQ gear values. Before, you got synced to NQ gear values.

After this change was the biggest noticeable change in speeding through synced older dungeons.

This makes a bigger difference than some will realize.

That would do it. Although, I suspect there have been stealth nerfs since Dun Scaith is noticeably easier and were running it with i270 gear. Unless the sync/stats are even higher than Creator Savage gear. Either way, I wish they could sync content to either the highest relevant ilvl or even better, the ilvl of the gear that drops. 270 or 260, respectively in the case of Dun Scaith. I know it's old content, but I miss seeing it actually pose some type of challenge.

[Deceptus]

While I have, admittedly, been hesitant in this past. I have to agree. There are jobs I almost refuse to play in low level content because they're simply awful. Astro's lack of an AoE until 52 makes ARR content a needless chore, especially now that they've gone back and nerfed everything. Warrior is downright dreadful below 60. And even then, not much better until you have Inner Release. Monk and Ninja feel naked without Form Shift and Armor Crush. And Machinist... only hell is Machinist bad below max level.

The current synced system simply makes non-70 content much less engaging. Granted, I'm more annoyed at how easy it all becomes due to how high our synced level is stat wise. But that's another discussion.

DRK's are really bad about this as well.

Let me put it this way: It sucks, and I mean outright sucks to level a tank when you're behind. The reason is because the DPS and sometimes even the healer have capped stats and you do not. This makes it more difficult for the leveling tank to maintain aggro despite using their enmity tools and mitigative CDs. Now you got SMNs and BLM using Death Flares and Fire IVs on top of it... in Dzamael Darkhold??

As long as you keep your gear up to date, and there's no reason not to with gear vendors in cities, aggro "shouldn't" be an issue. Sometimes it might, but overall you should be fine.

And if the DPS did have all of their abilities, so the mobs die a ton faster and less overall damage goes out? Regarding low level content, there's been times where I as the SCH has had more hp than the tank due to them being new. I simply told them to do the best they could but dont' worry if someone rips aggro.

And you know what? WE DID FINE. In every case this has happened. Completed the content with zero issues. At some point, you have to stop coddling EVERYONE.

Even if the DPS rips aggro, perhaps they'll learn to use their aggro reducing tools which people at 70 don't even use because tanking is so effective leveling up.

[Gemina]

The problem with this is that pre SB content was not designed with SB abilities in mind, so it only makes sense to take those abilities away when you are synced to lower level instances. Otherwise the dev team would have to go back and redesign old content to accommodate those abilities. No way that's happening. You can use and practice your 70 rotation to your heart's desire in lv70 content.

[Nabril]

The problem with this is that pre SB content was not designed with SB abilities in mind, so it only makes sense to take those abilities away when you are synced to lower level instances. Otherwise the dev team would have to go back and redesign old content to accommodate those abilities. No way that's happening. You can use and practice your 70 rotation to your heart's desire in lv70 content.

Same thing as above- the old dungeons weren't designed with a 370+ item level in mind. So someone may have a few toned down abilities. It doesn't matter since I can go into an old dungeon and do way more DPS than any sprout can.

The players in this game seem to feel that the dungeon system is perfect the way it is, but it isn't. It is very broken. So maybe it would be a good thing if the devs went back through them because they may improve things. Yes... even level synced I can out perform any sprout. I can pull agro off the tank. I can out DPS the other damage dealer... Anyone who is level synced will outshine anyone who is new and the game survives. It moves forward. Can't break something that is already broken.

[Gemina]

Same thing as above- the old dungeons weren't designed with a 370+ item level in mind. So someone may have a few toned down abilities. It doesn't matter since I can go into an old dungeon and do way more DPS than any sprout can.

I never said anything about ilv. Do you think dungeons like Aurum Vale were designed with abilities like Earthly Star, The Blackest Night, or Ten Chi Jen in mind? Even if toned down, abilities like these are going to give players a distinct advantage over not only the content, but also the other players who are not at max level. That's one of the problems. It isn't just about dmg output. Passive traits are another factor here as well, and not just abilities. Tiered passive traits are meant to scale as you level, so you shouldn't have a tier 3 when your level only allows for tier 1. The list goes on why this isn't a thing.

[Nabril]

I never said anything about ilv. Do you think dungeons like Aurum Vale were designed with abilities like Earthly Star, The Blackest Night, or Ten Chi Jen in mind? Even if toned down, abilities like these are going to give players a distinct advantage over not only the content, but also the other players who are not at max level. That's one of the problems. It isn't just about dmg output. Passive traits are another factor here as well, and not just abilities. Tiered passive traits are meant to scale as you level, so you shouldn't have a tier 3 when your level only allows for tier 1. The list goes on why this isn't a thing.

I still maintain that item level is important to this discussion. But no, they were not designed with those in mind, but I don't see the point of keeping them out when there's such a huge push to keep old dungeons relevant. This is where most of our currencies come from. This is highly important to becoming a mentor. This is something that everyone encounters repeatedly in this game... over and over again. Level-syncing.

Once you've done all of the current content, most of what you do requires level syncing if you want to quickly max out all of your currencies- or go back and do content that you missed (job quests, or solo-duties for example). Hell, I out leveled the MSQ as I tore through them and was level synced just doing the solo duties. It's what this game is. Doing old content as if it were relevant.

And so with such a huge push, the majority of my time is spent not casting Fire IV. (replace Fire IV with any high level ability that happens to fit your job).

If this were a small monthly event like it is in the MMO World of Warcraft then it would not be an issue to me. But it's part of the main course in FFXIV.

[Gemina]

I still maintain that item level is important to this discussion. But no, they were not designed with those in mind, but I don't see the point of keeping them out when there's such a huge push to keep old dungeons relevant. This is where most of our currencies come from. This is highly important to becoming a mentor. This is something that everyone encounters repeatedly in this game... over and over again. Level-syncing.

Once you've done all of the current content, most of what you do requires level syncing if you want to quickly max out all of your currencies- or go back and do content that you missed (job quests, or solo-duties for example). Hell, I out leveled the MSQ as I tore through them and was level synced just doing the solo duties. It's what this game is. Doing old content as if it were relevant.

And so with such a huge push, the majority of my time is spent not casting Fire IV. (replace Fire IV with any high level ability that happens to fit your job).

If this were a small monthly event like it is in the MMO World of Warcraft then it would not be an issue to me. But it's part of the main course in FFXIV.

Let me put it this way: It sucks, and I mean outright sucks to level a tank when you're behind. The reason is because the DPS and sometimes even the healer have capped stats and you do not. This makes it more difficult for the leveling tank to maintain aggro despite using their enmity tools and mitigative CDs. Now you got SMNs and BLM using Death Flares and Fire IVs on top of it... in Dzamael Darkhold??

I will also add that earlier content isn't going give you much practice to keep your max level rotations sharpened. Again, the content is not designed around these abilities, and the earlier content will serve to be a whetstone about as good as a striking dummy. If you wanna git gud with your70 rotation, you need to use it in content where mechanics are designed to disrupt it.

Take it from me who isn't max level anything. I constantly hear and read about the relevant content. Not the old stuff. It's important to keep old content relevant, but not at the cost of new player morale.