Job Quest woes from a noob

[casker]

*Editing this since people rarely read past the first post, and the flow of the topic has changed*

So, I'm a semi-new player trying to progress through the game normally as if this were the launch of FFXIV. Mostly going solo for story stuff, though grouping here and there for leves and where necessary for dungeons, ifrit, NMs for the ifrit fight, etc. So far I've been having quite a bit of fun.

So I got to level 30 pugilist, then grinded up lancer alone to 15 (bit of a chore tbh) so that I could start the monk quest. I was excited because I saw the quest also offers a new skill! Shoulder tackle! So yeah, I ran off to do the quest asap.

I got absolutely DEMOLISHED.

To be fair, the quest does recommend I bring up to 3 other people. But a lot of other quests have also had such requirements and weren't as difficult. So either way, this is still a difficulty spike, which takes a bunch of grinding to even reach, so I still have a bone to pick with how this is designed.

First off, the imps you have to kill aren't even level 30, they're level 35. Secondly, it seems more tuned to group content, which it says-- but not level 30 group content, level 35 group content. I tried it again, leveled up to level 35, upped my defense as much as possible, learned protect which I had been putting off, used fists of earth to up my defense further, got a new weapon upgrade, still got demolished. This was solo though. However, Wicka has posted also vouching that with a group full of level 30's, the difficulty was ridiculous barely killed just one imp for 5 wipes.

This.

I actually really like party play. So my buddy and I were pretty excited about the light-party recommendation in the quest info. We got a couple of other people and asked them to run as level 30ish classes so the challenge would still be present. We went to do my buddies quest for pally first, and we had him as gladiator, me as pugilist, a conjurer, and a lancer. We wiped about 5 times before the CNJ and LNC went to lvl 50 jobs, and the wipes weren't even close. We had absolutely no chance; couldn't cure fast enough, even our tank's DEF was negligible (to say nothing for my own), and the lancer and my own damage output was laughable. Out of 5 wipes, we killed ONE baddie, and that was after tank died, lancer died, I died, and tank was raised to land a killing blow only to die again.

I love a challenge. In fact sometimes I play games wrong because of added difficulty. I always choose gear that looks cool over gear with better stats (though at the time, the cool gear happened to be the good gear). But the difficulty of the job quests, at least the 2 that I have participated in, seems just ridiculous. If a party that fills most standard party conventions (tank, DD, healer), and is at the recommended level can't even pretend to have a chance, I think it stops being a challenge and just becomes stupid hard.

But I have Monk now, which is awesome. But I dread future Monk quests, and as bad as I want Bard, I am in no hurry.

Just thinking this is kind of strange, and wondering if anyone wants to discuss this, because I can see this being one of those road blocks which cause people to quit, because personally, this feels kinda stupid hard. Why would you possibly recommend a group of 4 for a level 30 quest, if they have no chance at completing it? Are Wicka and co, and I, just crap players? Even though we've gone through the game fine so far?

I know that SE mentioned they want this content to just help progression continue from 30 to 50, which I agree with on paper, but it doesn't feel like this is what they went for. Maybe if this were for 35-50. It feels like they designed this for rank50 people thirsty for group content.

I realize this is an important quest with important rewards, so it shouldn't be too easy either... but it feels like a road block, and this is what I mean:

• I got to level 30, can't do the quest, okay, not a big deal.
• Now I have to grind another class to 15. Not that big of a deal.
• Meet quest requirements, Try the fight, get clobbered. Okay. Not a big deal.
• Grind to level 35, try again, still get clobbered. Starting to get annoyed.
• Now I either have to level up more or find people who earn NOTHING from helping me, to help me do the quest. Add it all up and it just feels like massive pain in the ass.
• For Wicka, assembling a group of 30's was not enough, and eventually resorted to running through it with a 50

Here is a pic. I've got about 1100 max hp and I'm getting hit for 150-220 per hit from each of these dudes.


I know what's probably going to end up happening is a level 50 will run me through it, which isn't exactly rewarding either. *edit, it did happen*

[Endemerrin]

While the game might be "solo-friendly", it doesn't mean that you will be able to solo everything. Jobs are meant to be played in a party, and as such some quests require a party to complete. Classes are meant for soloing, and you don't need to do anything to unlock those other than purchase a starter weapon.

Suffice it to say, if you want to unlock a job tailored for party play, you will have to party with other people to do so. Can't hurt to find a nice linkshell and start making some friends. Friends help each other out, it's just what they do. I'm sure people won't have an issue with helping you with your job quests. They can scratch your back, you can scratch theirs.

[Nakiamiie]

So, I'm a semi-new player trying to progress through the game normally as if this were the launch of FFXIV. Mostly going solo for story stuff, though grouping here and there for leves and where necessary for dungeons, ifrit, NMs for the ifrit fight, etc. So far I've been having quite a bit of fun.

So I got to level 30 pugilist, then grinded up lancer alone to 15 (bit of a chore tbh) so that I could start the monk quest. I was excited because I saw the quest also offers a new skill! Shoulder tackle! So yeah, I ran off to do the quest asap.

I got absolutely DEMOLISHED.

To be fair, the quest does recommend I bring up to 3 other people. But a lot of other quests have also had such requirements and weren't as difficult. But I still have a bone to pick with how this is designed.

First off, the imps you have to kill aren't even level 30, they're level 35. Secondly, it seems more tuned to group content. Not level 30 group content, level 35 group content. I tried it again, leveled up to level 35, upped my defense as much as possible, learned protect which I had been putting off, used fists of earth to up my defense further, got a new weapon upgrade, still got demolished.

Just thinking this is kind of strange, and wondering if anyone wants to discuss this, because I can see this being one of those road blocks which cause people to quit, because personally, this feels kinda stupid hard. Maybe I just suck, which is entirely possible, but I've been able to do every other similar story quest on my own, and usually do leves either 1 or 2 stars above my level. This is hands down the hardest thing I've encountered, and unless I want to grind up to probably 40ish, I'll have to find other people to help out, which to be fair, again, it does say it recommends up to 3 other people to come with you.

I know that SE mentioned they want this content to just help progression continue from 30 to 50, which I agree with on paper, but it doesn't feel like this is what they went for. Maybe if this were for 35-50. You'd probably definitely need at least a full group of level 30's, good ones, to have a shot at this, and 35 to be safe. It feels like they designed this for rank50 people thirsty for group content.

I'm probably coming off like a crybaby, and I definitely don't mean to imply that I should be able to solo the whole game, but I gotta ask, for a quest that is based on your own characters personal advancement, is it so much to ask that you be able to solo it especially if you are 5 levels above the quest requirement?

And if you must have it be group content, you should make it so that people who DON'T have the quest ALSO get some sort of reward, so they have an incentive to actually group up. Relying on people to help others out of the goodness of their hearts is not going to work a lot of the time. If this were the launch of the game, you'd probably only find other aspiring monks to group with, and every other job quest would be similarly segmented. It wouldn't be like now where everyone has rank50 everything and just blows through all the content together.

I realize this is an important quest with important rewards, so it shouldn't be too easy either... but it feels like a road block, and this is what I mean:

• I got to level 30, can't do the quest, okay, not a big deal.
• Now I have to grind another class to 15. Not that big of a deal.
• Meet quest requirements, Try the fight, get clobbered. Okay. Not a big deal.
• Grind to level 35, try again, still get clobbered. Starting to get annoyed.
• Now I either have to level up more or find people who earn NOTHING from helping me, to help me do the quest. Add it all up and it just feels like massive pain in the ass.

Here is a pic. I've got about 1100 max hp and I'm getting hit for 150-220 per hit from each of these dudes.


I know what's probably going to end up happening is a level 50 will run me through it, which isn't exactly rewarding either.

So what if we earn nothing for helping you or other people?
I'm always happy to help and I am sure there are plenty on your server too.
I have the same "problem" as you, but I take it easy and ask my friends or strangers for help. I actually did my 3 black mage quests with total strangers found nearby. One of them was Japanese, in character, so I had no clue what he was talking about, still made it and had lots of fun.

The key is to be proactive, just don't sit in town with your party search up waiting for someone to invite you. Find people in the vicinity of the quest's objective and ask people for help. You'll be surprised!

Jobs are advanced content, expect advanced difficulty for the normal players (crazy hardcore players will still find the content easy).

[casker]

Okay fair enough, they are designed for party play, so they require a group. But to me it still seems like a roadblock, considering all the grind I had to do to still barely break a third of one guys HP. And it still seems like there is no incentive structure for group play. I feel that more can be done than just relying on "you scratch my back, I scratch yours."

Yeah, I'm SUPPOSED to group with people.
Yeah, I'm SUPPOSED to level up other classes (which, by the way, won't have quests to make the experience less boring this time around)

So I'm playing wrong, essentially. I think people shouldn't have to feel like they are playing wrong.

And I'd still contend that this is not level 30 content, either way. I wish I had tried as a group as a level 30, but I have a suspicion it would've still been balls to the wall hard.

There has been plenty of "group oriented" content that I still soloed, and this is still a massive difficulty spike out of nowhere.

[Peptaru]

Imps are also tricky because their danger is magic damage, mnks main counter to this is that fists of fire demolishes imps. then you still have to worry about incantation ws, which isn't as bad as it used to be, but it still awful to take to the face. that said, i'm on wutai, read this and ask me for help, til then i'm workin on CUL!

[casker]

@Nakiamiie: You're right, I should be more proactive. I felt I have been for other things, such as ifrit and totorak, but I wanted to try this particular quest solo.

@peptaru: thanks. I'm going to try fists of fire this time and if I fail I'll message you, though at this point I feel like I MUST do this solo for my own prides sake T__T

[Yumi_Hibiki]

there is a recommended party size in the quest description you know^^

if you had no luck till the merge and end up on masamune, shoot me a tell ill help quick

[Shneibel]

maybe you already notice but I say anyway, the mobs in jobs quest are a bit tricky than the mobs in GC quest, guild level quest or history, if the quest say you need 4, you will need at least 2-3 at equal lvl

[Nakiamiie]

@Nakiamiie: You're right, I should be more proactive. I felt I have been for other things, such as ifrit and totorak, but I wanted to try this particular quest solo.

@casker: I wanted to try this solo as well because I really enjoy watching the cutscenes and I read slowly (try to read with the character's voice, speed and intonation), which always makes me the last one to finish in a group.
However, after two tries, I gave up and realized it was pure party content (unless you are level 50, then the first two~three quests are solo-able).
Jobs are advanced content and so are the quests compared to the regular ones, that's what I realized.

[casker]

Thanks to Pepper Lai for the help. I'm still wondering if this is properly tuned for even level 30 full party group play, but I guess I will concede the point that I just need to group up.