Higher Requirements

[Tibian]

I think what could be a decent idea is a higher requirement to do some of the future content.

Dungeons for example - At the moment it's just do the single prequest and you're in.

I'll come back to this.

I think it would be nice if the requirements were a bit steeper. For example, you must have "X" amount of achievement points to do "Y". Perhaps not achievement points system, as this was only intended as an easter egg implementation, but I personally believe something more is needed.

I understand this was just an example -- but no to this idea.

I understand that this game is to cater to all types of people, and that casual players don't nessecarily have the time/desire to do the "side elements" of this game (Sidequests, Doh/Dol ect), but every feature/content shouldn't be so easily accessible.

It is difficult to determine who should be able to do what instance, what craft, etc. The best SE can do is leave all options relatively open.

One of the reason's why MMORPG's like WoW's content last so long is that they require not only prequests, but also the prior dungeons to be completed (hard mode + standard mode), aswell as maintaining a certain level of gear to even enter.

Here is where things unravel for me. WoW has zero prereqs these days. Everything is the same trifling pile of monotony piled on more monotny. Burning Crusade had a great story progression that had a lot of prereqs involved quests via instance running to get into the raids. Unfortunately, Blizzard saw this as a huge issue because guilds were losing available guild recruits to continually refresh guild populations. Blizzard quickly removed the attunement process (hardcore people complained vehemently) but ultimately it was a better deal for everyone involved. Life moved on. Since then, the only prereq that you have is running a dungeon on normal mode, thus enabling heroic. Same applies to raids. Very little is "restricted" in WoW, in fact if anything, WoW has been made easier -- even reputation grinds (which are bad in general) have been made 10000% easier via tabards. Put simply, if you WANT to do it -- you generally can. Very little stops you.

I'd like to see something like this implemented aswell. With a future cross server dungeon feature being implemented, I don't see any reason why not to make the requirements a little higher to weed out people who are unprepared/inexperienced and didn't take the time to "Earn" their position.

In a game, you shouldn't necessarily "EARN" in the context you're using. Is it nice to achieve for something prestigious and rare? Of course. The entire existence of MMOs really plays off of that. But lets be real -- its better and more enjoyable when the content itself is challenging enough so everyone can ATTEMPT it. If WoW has taught us ANYTHING it is that accessible yet challenging content is the best form of content yet.

There are things plaguing XIV that can't give us challenging content yet. They are slated to be remedied in 2.0. Lets also remember, that challenging content is on its way. Remember Odin? Yes the PDF Odin. The one that roams through various zones and has loot and difficulty that grows after every killing? This is the type of creative content we need to see and URGE to see more of. This is completely accessible content for anyone who wants to attempt Odin, but it is also incredibly challenging -- and maybe eventually unrealistically killable.

I think this game works well as a casual one, but should give us something to cater toward the other playing style sprectrum. I remember half of the required prequests in FFXI were extremely difficult, and felt a strong sense of accomplishment/immersion and pride after completing even just a few.

And now your posts comes into full spectrum. The "I want more XI in my XIV." No thank you. You might have felt accomplished, but there were about 5 more people that simply felt helpless because of it. Do you have the right job capped? +1 gear? Right sub job? Subjob capped? Lets not even go into the issue of having PEOPLE do do OLD content. Put simply, XI's prerequisites are the reason many hate XI. XIV has done a reasonable attempt at keeping such garbage to a minimum.

Sadly, I can only feel pain and longing for the new players who will vehemently struggle with finding a group to tackle the new job quests further on in the lifespan of the game.

At the moment this game feels like almost anyone can just walk into anything as long as they have read a strategy for the dungeon. I think balance is really important in an mmorpg, but the scales feel well and trully tipped towards the casual side. Whilst this has be dubbed a "casual game", that doesn't mean that there should be no hardcore elements at all.

I agree with you on this. I do feel that sometimes walking into an instance on WoW is TOO easy. In fact, as a veteran WoW player I can say that I simply brute forced my way past almost every new heroic instance added in Cataclysm. I was overgeared and I've been playing with the same players for several years. At times I wish the heroics could be more challenging, but then I remember that heroics are only one aspect of the game. Some people log in to do their daily heroic and they find that fun and engaging. The issue is -- they can. They aren't limited by what capped jobs they have, or if their gear is all +1 gear, or if they have NINJA as a stupid subjob. Running heroics is really all these casual players have though. They don't have time to sit for six hours and camp an open NM, or do a five hour raid where only one boss is even attempted. While the "hardcore" quickly clean up of 'easy' content, they also move onto other activities.

I can't recall ever running into anything remotely challenging in this game outside a primal fight / dungeon. Can you?

Finding a party for literally anything. That is a pre-req in itself.

Yes to more challenging and "optional" content. No to stifling prerequisites.

Also, as a slight tangent. No to heroic modes either. I'd rather have SE develop a completely brand new instance than just re-hash an existing one with "hard mode" mechanics. No thanks. I am all for rewarding creative and efficient play though. If beating a boss under x minutes gives you an extra chest with the same loot table that everyone else gets, then yes I'd love to see 'bonuses' like that.

Fatigue can tell us a great many things, one of which is to reward your players for playing, don't punish them for trying.