Quote Originally Posted by van_arn View Post
They could also fix the dungeons instead of encourage people to be there only for the overinflated rewards.

Braindead content + massive reward = people afk. It's a simple equation, and putting in more and more stopgaps isn't going to fix the underlying problem of the content being garbage on repeat.
Pretty much this.

I have a very good idea on how to fix this. First thing is, the dungeon is not a challenge. It used to be. But it is no longer. So item synching to item lvl 55 is the first step. When we first did the MSQ we were in the first set of artifact gear from 45 and 50 job quests. 55 avg item level will be a little higher than the 50-52 we had back in those days as well. Next step would be to add measures to prevent skipping. In Praetorium for example, the first mobs are skipped as everyone rushes to the teleporter. Leaving newbies behind to be killed by a half a dozen enemy. Bad first time experience for them. So make those areas that are skippable like that require keys and such.

So now we have two instances that will be a challenge and will be a decent experience much like every other dungeon.

Unfortunately we still have the issue of length caused by cutscenes. There's no easy way around this. But I may have an idea. Allow for a vote skip on the cutscene. But I would change how bonuses work in regards to exp and tomestones. Roulette would see reduced bonuses, no more getting a third or more of a level from the roulette itself. It would simply give what 50/60/70 gives (but nothing beyond poetics). But if you elect to not skip cutscenes, then you get the same bonus you get now (including newer tomestomes if 80), plus the bonus already stated (a net gain overall). Tie the bonus directly to the cutscenes themselves.

This all should help reduce AFKs since they will be forced to be more engaged to ensure the completion of the objective. And it would help vets get more rewards by helping newbies get through their story while having a fun time doing so.