Just a interesting artcile about FFXI (and XIV)

[AdvancedWind]

http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/03/03/the-mog-log-apparently-i-enjoy-receiving-hate-mail/

[Rau]

I don't get how he claimed forced grouping was one of the bad things in XI because he got into stupid parties. Forced partying got me into parties where I met some awesome people, and eventually a linkshell that I can remember with the good memories far outweighing the bad ones.

[ChiefCurrahee]

I don't think he meant that forced grouping was a terrible thing all around. He just meant it was a hard stop for a lot of people because you couldn't progress your character without relying on the avialability of other people. I recall sitting in Jeuno for days at a time on my dragoon LFG. and when that invite came it was like winning the lotto. Then those PTs lasted for hours.

The first ~5 years of FFXI there was no real viable way to progress even at a slow pace to level solo.
Not until they added Campaign, fields of valor and more recently EXP adjustments did they made solo a tangable option for a player.

[Xoo]

I don't think he meant that forced grouping was a terrible thing all around. He just meant it was a hard stop for a lot of people because you couldn't progress your character without relying on the avialability of other people. I recall sitting in Jeuno for days at a time on my dragoon LFG. and when that invite came it was like winning the lotto. Then those PTs lasted for hours.

The first ~5 years of FFXI there was no real viable way to progress even at a slow pace to level solo.
Not until they added Campaign, fields of valor and more recently EXP adjustments did they made solo a tangable option for a player.

No offense, but it's your own fault you spent days looking for a party. Too many people sit around with their hands in their pockets and claim design flaw. If you want it, go get it! I'll say again, it took me just 3 weeks to get 1-75 THF because I started the majority of my groups.

[Benediction]

No offense, but it's your own fault you spent days looking for a party. Too many people sit around with their hands in their pockets and claim design flaw. If you want it, go get it! I'll say again, it took me just 3 weeks to get 1-75 THF because I started the majority of my groups.

No, it's definitely a design flaw. The classes were way too unbalanced; mostly showing their bias by favouring Samurai and barely providing effective healers other than White Mage or Red Mage. For the longest time, Dragoon was at the bottom of the list of jobs to invite to groups. So, anyone who wanted to play it were forced to wait long hours for invites or forced to play another job to enjoy the game. The classes should be balanced enough to give freedom for players to play any class they want.

Also, you know that everyone is different so it shouldn't be a surprise to you that a lot of people were too lazy to start their own groups.

[Rydin]

No, it's definitely a design flaw. The classes were way too unbalanced; mostly showing their bias by favouring Samurai and barely providing effective healers other than White Mage or Red Mage. For the longest time, Dragoon was at the bottom of the list of jobs to invite to groups. So, anyone who wanted to play it were forced to wait long hours for invites or forced to play another job to enjoy the game. The classes should be balanced enough to give freedom for players to play any class they want.

Also, you know that everyone is different so it shouldn't be a surprise to you that a lot of people were too lazy to start their own groups.

*Shameless plug alert*
Thats why we need this to promote using every class:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-Battle-Theory

[Benediction]

*Shameless plug alert*
Thats why we need this to promote using every class:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-Battle-Theory

Well yeah I agree... it's mostly 4 classes you see in groups. I have Pugilist as my first 50 because I enjoyed the class, but it was basically unwated because the class is broken. So I just went over to my usual class (healer) and got that to 50 (and several others) so I can group. These classes definitely still need more adjusting.

Edit: what the... my avatar changed in two posts?

[Xoo]

No, it's definitely a design flaw. The classes were way too unbalanced; mostly showing their bias by favouring Samurai and barely providing effective healers other than White Mage or Red Mage. For the longest time, Dragoon was at the bottom of the list of jobs to invite to groups. So, anyone who wanted to play it were forced to wait long hours for invites or forced to play another job to enjoy the game. The classes should be balanced enough to give freedom for players to play any class they want.

Also, you know that everyone is different so it shouldn't be a surprise to you that a lot of people were too lazy to start their own groups.

As far as XI, which job was in highest regard was completely situational. Of course, people are going to gravitate toward the more efficient, but by no means are people going to completely deny any job who is worth their salt at what they do.
As a leader, I never looked at any job and went "Eww. No." I even preferred SMN > BRD on Imps and DRK > SAM in the same situation.

In fact, I fully believe that the majority are too lazy, which is my point entirely.

[Benediction]

As far as XI, which job was in highest regard was completely situational. Of course, people are going to gravitate toward the more efficient, but by no means are people going to completely deny any job who is worth their salt at what they do.
As a leader, I never looked at any job and went "Eww. No." I even preferred SMN > BRD on Imps and DRK > SAM in the same situation.

In fact, I fully believe that the majority are too lazy, which is my point entirely.

In terms of leveling, any class should be invited to any group. Gravitating towards one over the other just means an unbalanced job system. In terms, of end game events though, that's debatable (since you can change to any class with one character).

And yes people are lazy so they shouldn't be forced to find their own groups all the time. Balanced system = no need to force yourself to find groups. Since ideally, any job would be invited.

[Mireille]

No, it's definitely a design flaw. The classes were way too unbalanced; mostly showing their bias by favouring Samurai and barely providing effective healers other than White Mage or Red Mage. For the longest time, Dragoon was at the bottom of the list of jobs to invite to groups.

I agree with you in principle, but at the same time this is a Final Fantasy title. I'll give you an example from FF X. Auron was a great DD vs hard shelled opponents, but vs. flan you used Lulu's magic spells, for fast oponents you used Tidus, and vs. flyers you used Wakka. In X if you wanted to clear the harder boss fights you used a specific party setup and some characters didn't get used except maybe once to steal or to learn a spell.

When they created the class balance in XI they were just doing what FF games have always done in my experience. Up front I will admit I haven't played them all. In XI what was frustrating was you spent months leveling and gearing 1 job just to find out you needed another job for one particular fight, or that in endgame you had to level a wanted job to get gear for an unwanted one.

As I see it class distinction must be there in a FF game, but big events should have content for all classes and jobs. It will be interesting to see Hamlet defense because this will be the first event content that is made for DoL, DoH classes in addition to DoW, DoM classes. If they pull this off it's a sign of things to come when we get real endgame content.