Balance, Homogenisation and Encounter Design: The Problem.

[linay]

It is so frustrating that everything has become focused on Raids and what is necessary for that content, that jobs are being homogenized and changed so that there are no discrepancies between the jobs. Changes to healers and other jobs have made a majority of the content less exciting. What is the point of a class that is only exciting to play for a small portion of the content? Also, why do you have to have a perfect group for a specific set of numbers for raid content? To me the content is more exciting with a level of unpredictability; that is the point of a MMORPG, you are playing with other people and DO NOT control everything. Excluding people because of the jobs they play. Why even have multiple jobs if they all end up being the same? Healers have become very boring due to the changes and lack of individuality with the jobs. I hardly see MU's in dungeons any more, especially RDM and SMN. I hope the people who are so focused on the perfect raid group are happy because I know a ton of people who play for the broader portion of the content and are not. I loved the storyline of the expansion, but I feel like I am watching this game go downhill just like SWTOR, Perfect World, and other games where everything gets made more simplistic and homogenized.

The part in bold is a big reason why.

[CapricaLangley]

The part in bold is a big reason why.

If people are really being locked out of duties because of the job they play, I think we have to blame disfunctioning social features and not class balance. I mean, that's what FCs and Linkshells were made in the first place. The duty finder was a great addiction, but it's because of it if we have to deal with these situations. We are in a MMO after all.

[linay]

If people are really being locked out of duties because of the job they play, I think we have to blame disfunctioning social features and not class balance. I mean, that's what FCs and Linkshells were made in the first place. The duty finder was a great addiction, but it's because of it if we have to deal with these situations. We are in a MMO after all.

Indeed, but it's not fun waiting for the community to fix itself. It's probably an old debate of how much should the people in power meddle with the people. In this case, whether SE should deal with people being in toxic in chats resulting in more rules and punishments being enforced or regarding job balance and how should SE deal with that to ensure people can play the job they want. The old advice to "make your own group" will always be an alternative, of course.