Hunts bring down this game.

[EmilySummerstar]

I've played the game for quite a while but this has been my first post. I probably should not have posted anything at all. I was actually interested in looking to see if my experience was truly unique or if what I experienced was common behavior and that I should just put up with it.

For the most part I love the FFXIV player base. Friends who play other games have probably tired of hearing me rave about the people who play this game. By the responses that I've gotten so far from you and others, I stand by this sentiment. The game is wonderful in all of the different activities that are offered and there is plenty for me to do such that in the years that since Stormblood, I've had practically no experience with fighting A-Rank hunts. I am perfectly fine with going back to that.

[Nadda]

You have every right to say what you want. Especially on a Forum of all things don't worry.

Only A-Ranks or what have you I go after are prior expansion ones that can be solo'd and it's only if I see them and only on a whim. Not because I'm trying to take rewards from other people, I don't even think about such things, but because I enjoy the adventure and the challenge of fighting a big monster out in the open world.
Always have since I first saw Forneus in Central Shroud fighting it as a level 12 conjurer sprout and he killed me and my FC mates came to my rescue when I first started playing the game coming back at level 60 and managing to defeat it in single combat is one of my most precious memories.

It's at least proper etiquette to call out a mark before engaging with it for whatever time you deem reasonable. For current content. How broad you want to call these things out is up to you, can be in the zone, can be each major city etc. I don't agree with the notion there is one Official ™️ Elite Mark Hunt train Link Shell or Discord. Nobody has exclusive rights on hunts. They are kill on sight. The paltry rewards for one should be of little consequence to anyone.

So if you see one and you want to kill one not current expansion go for it. You see one in current expansion call it out. Maybe you'll meet someone in one of those Official ™️ Hunt groups and you can tag along with them in the future. Anybody who tries harassing you on it is wrong. You're not a bad person for engaging with the game.

[dspguy]

I see it as trying to maximize benefit to the community. If I kill a level 80 A rank with a handful of people, we each get 40 sacks of nuts. Let's say, 200 between the 5 of us. Or... on the hunt train, you kill it with 100 people and collectively earn 4000 sacks of nuts.

If I'm going to snipe marks without the hunt train, then I should never join the hunt train. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

[Toutatis]

If I'm going to snipe marks without the hunt train, then I should never join the hunt train. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

I know the above post is a bit old but this attitude that A rank belong only to hunt trains is over the top. I agree with trying to make Hunt marks available to the greater number but the intransigence and attitude of some players is toxic and non sensical.

The ShB A rank hunt train on my server is usually around 10 am (Do people not work?). The other day it was somewhere between 8-10 pm and I sent a shout about some A ranks being available. Verbal abuse immediately followed with things such as x is going to kill you; if you touch that everyone is going to hate you and other niceties.

What was the harm in killing a few A rank at 8-10pm when the hunt train is at 10 am the next morning? Everything would have respawned by then. Why claim exclusivity over something that is not meant to be exclusive and that respawns 4-6 times a day and when the Hunt train is at hours where most players are not available anyway? If the Hunt train would have been in the next few hours, I would understand suggesting not to kill the marks but the next morning? It’s nonsense. And verbal verbal abuse is not needed. A simple “there is a hunt train coming soon, why don’t you join us” would do.

[Jojoya]

I know the above post is a bit old but this attitude that A rank belong only to hunt trains is over the top. I agree with trying to make Hunt marks available to the greater number but the intransigence and attitude of some players is toxic and non sensical.

The ShB A rank hunt train on my server is usually around 10 am (Do people not work?). The other day it was somewhere between 8-10 pm and I sent a shout about some A ranks being available. Verbal abuse immediately followed with things such as x is going to kill you; if you touch that everyone is going to hate you and other niceties.

What was the harm in killing a few A rank at 8-10pm when the hunt train is at 10 am the next morning? Everything would have respawned by then. Why claim exclusivity over something that is not meant to be exclusive and that respawns 4-6 times a day and when the Hunt train is at hours where most players are not available anyway? If the Hunt train would have been in the next few hours, I would understand suggesting not to kill the marks but the next morning? It’s nonsense. And verbal verbal abuse is not needed. A simple “there is a hunt train coming soon, why don’t you join us” would do.

Most of the current hunt communities don't understand how SE intended hunts to work. They were invited by friends who told them "X, Y, Z happens" and assume that's a full explanation of the Hunt.

I do my best to explain if I run into someone who thinks marks can't be killed outside of train.

As you say, some people have to work or have other real life obligations. They may not be able to make the trains but might want to get a kill or two in while they are still online. That's their right per SE's design. The part of the community that wants trains should have made certain to get one organized and rolling sooner if they wanted those marks included in the train.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the pre-set scheduled trains because of the drama they can cause. But at least now with world visit and data center travel, players can attend trains on other worlds if they can't make the scheduled train on their world. I'm even seeing Travelers show up at the off-off peak trains I sometimes run.

But if people have reasons to kill outside of train, no sweat. There's always the next time and there are other ways to earn tomestones and seals/nuts.

Reminds me it's time to stock up on popcorn. 6.2 is coming soon and the community is going to turn into a whinefest as raiders appear to farm clusters and nuts for materia.

[Toutatis]

But if people have reasons to kill outside of train, no sweat. There's always the next time and there are other ways to earn tomestones and seals/nuts.

Reminds me it's time to stock up on popcorn. 6.2 is coming soon and the community is going to turn into a whinefest as raiders appear to farm clusters and nuts for materia.

I agree with what you said.

See I do like hunt trains, I find them practical when you can catch them but I don’t get angry when a mark is down; we’ve already received a bunch of nuts and it’s usually the same people killing the marks over and over.

In the case I mentioned above, not only the train happens at off hours, I was on a character that could not yet access all areas in Novrandt and even less fly around them so a hunt train was a big no for me.

However, I made the shouts knowing that there would be no interference with the hunt train as it was in 12 hours only. The marks would have had the time to respawn at least twice so the hunt train would not even have been affected and everyone would have had their nuts plus a bonus yet my shout was met with angry replies. The structure has become so rigid, people can’t use their brain anymore...pardon the expression but this is nuts.

[Acesfool]

I participate in hunt trains on a regular basis. It's simply the most effective way to cap tomestones and all of the other goodies come in handy as well. I do take issue with those who think hunts belong to the trains. They are open world content, there for anyone to experience. And in many cases the people fighting them outside of a train don't even realize what it is they're fighting. It's simply a new experience for them.

With that said, hunt trains have become complete crap since they added cross DC travel. It used to be common to get around 60 players for a hunt train. At the busiest times that could jump up close to 100. But lately it's been 200+ in every hunt train. Hell, yesterday I did one with over 300 people. And it was a sea of traveler tags. Even worse, many of these people appear to be former WoW players because they are completely rude and refuse to give others a chance to get in the zone in time for the kill. Even when the conductor tries to slow it down by setting a meeting spot before giving the mark location, these trolls scout ahead and kill it anyway. When you ask them to please give everyone time to get in the zone they spout ignorant comments such as "Quit being entitled" or "Quit being selfish" or "Quit disrespecting my time". This is something SE needs to look into. Maybe make hunts unkillable by cross DC players. I don't know. I just know that an aspect of the game I used to enjoy has sudden;y become very annoying to do.

[Jojoya]

I participate in hunt trains on a regular basis. It's simply the most effective way to cap tomestones and all of the other goodies come in handy as well. I do take issue with those who think hunts belong to the trains. They are open world content, there for anyone to experience. And in many cases the people fighting them outside of a train don't even realize what it is they're fighting. It's simply a new experience for them.

With that said, hunt trains have become complete crap since they added cross DC travel. It used to be common to get around 60 players for a hunt train. At the busiest times that could jump up close to 100. But lately it's been 200+ in every hunt train. Hell, yesterday I did one with over 300 people. And it was a sea of traveler tags. Even worse, many of these people appear to be former WoW players because they are completely rude and refuse to give others a chance to get in the zone in time for the kill. Even when the conductor tries to slow it down by setting a meeting spot before giving the mark location, these trolls scout ahead and kill it anyway. When you ask them to please give everyone time to get in the zone they spout ignorant comments such as "Quit being entitled" or "Quit being selfish" or "Quit disrespecting my time". This is something SE needs to look into. Maybe make hunts unkillable by cross DC players. I don't know. I just know that an aspect of the game I used to enjoy has sudden;y become very annoying to do.

For the past 3 weeks, raiders who don't normally attend trains have been showing up to prep for the new 6.2 raid. They're a good way to farm all tomestones, not to mention the nuts and clusters for buying materia.

I've been conducting trains for 4 years now. This is a completely normal pattern for hunts. It always happens at the major patch releases.

Their behavior has nothing to do with what other games someone plays. FFXIV players can be just as rude and toxic. It's a person problem, not a game or community problem.

Their attendance will start dying off in another couple of weeks and trains will get back to the 60 or so that you're used to seeing until 6.3 releases, when the pattern will repeat.

I absolutely agree that it's annoying. It's why I tend to take a "vacation" for patch releases and limit my hunt attendance. There are plenty of other sources for tomestones and skipping a couple of weeks of nuts won't bother me. There are also conductors like Rin who love the bullet trains that will conduct so the trains are still running for those who want to attend the chaos.

[Acesfool]

This is a completely normal pattern for hunts. It always happens at the major patch releases.

Yes, there is always an increase around patch time. I've never seen it get this crazy. But there has never been DC travel before either.

Their behavior has nothing to do with what other games someone plays. FFXIV players can be just as rude and toxic. It's a person problem, not a game or community problem.

WoW breeds and encourages toxic attitudes. Although every game has its toxic players, when I see that "Me me me" attitude I'll bet dollars to donuts it's someone who recently came from WoW.

Their attendance will start dying off in another couple of weeks and trains will get back to the 60 or so that you're used to seeing

I certainly hope so.