Just got done leveling....

[BobbinT]

umm....

mages had their own problems too: MP management.
So yeah, we would probably rule in early pt-ing, but we might struggle with mp just to catch up with others. And most of the times, we could feel pretty useless for having more waiting times than DoW classes. ;D

Plus, I just thought of this recently: how hardcore are u guys?
Since I'm also have real life duties like work and stuff (plus, I'm renovating my house right now), I still find the experience within the level of satisfactory. Of course if some of u are too hardcore and had less real life duties to worry about, then this could be problems with u guys if u want more active roles. No offense tho.

Kinda a classic tale nowadays. ;D

Plus, I also had share of broken pt-ing myself. So it's not probably anyone's fault, they/we might just haven't got the hang of it yet. It is a learning process. Once we got the hang of it, grind pt can be enjoyable. You just need to be more patience with this kind of problems.

[viion]

umm....

mages had their own problems too: MP management.
So yeah, we would probably rule in early pt-ing, but we might struggle with mp just to catch up with others. And most of the times, we could feel pretty useless for having more waiting times than DoW classes. ;D

Nah MP management doesnt exist really in EXP Pt's, least not what I seen, with just a 1-2 AOE's and the regen from being hit + standing still you make about half back, by the time your anywhere near low, just hit convert, and ur ready to rock, by the time your low again your convert will be up again.

Taking my blm from 40-50 in PT i never ever ran out of MP, would always have bucket loads. Felt sorry for the whm he struggled a bit haha, but then he just kept doing stoneskin at start and we'd never get hit so it was ok XD plus a decent puller,

[BobbinT]

yeah... I know we can convert. But there are times when we could get over our heads and pretty much draining mp fast even using it. lol

[Keith_Dragoon]

I do enjoy partying more then anything even if it is broken atm. My problem is I spent the past couple of days seeking and trying to get a party on my 16 thm, 19 mrd and 20 gla all while reading this thread and being unable to post because of the forums login thingy with inactive accounts(just got back in town).

I have recieved 0 xp and spent more then 6 hours each day standing in uldah, shouting, search flagged, searching for pre-formed groups and sending tells to ppl in my level range. I have not gotten one party or even one person to join me. At this rate my only option is to quit out of frustration or exchange PL with someone else auntil I get high enough to group (30+).

3 days, over 18 hours, 0 exp, tons of frustration.

I did have a few great parties like the OP but they are so rare they need to be coveted like this. Most of my exp parties, we pick a camp, goto camp, /zombiemode on and kill until we need to switch camp or someone has to leave. a few "congratulations!" for each ding and more brainless slaughtering. When I PL'd or got PL'd we actually conversed, talked about everything under the stars, got to know each other and bonded a little.

I support PL until SE puts forward a more engaging and entertaining leveling experience.

[Gramul]

Welcome to the club yo.

[Zaaku]

I understand how frustrating and downright depressing it can be trying to find a group pre-30. Even after that alls we can look forward is a pretty short ride from there to cap. Not much deviation in available mob clusters so you get a healthy over dose of Ants, Raptors, and Wolves.

That is why we need to stop going about this half foot in half foot out and up the bar a little. In FFXI when you finally made it to 10 after soloing in suburbs of your home city everyone had to make the great pilgrimage to the Dunes. That was a memoric journey in and of itself and even once you arrived at white bloom eye ruiner vacation beach you still had to contend with getting EXP.

Nasty nasty link mobs. Gobbies who are just handing out AoE bombs like candy on everythingmustexplode Halloween. Finding available members in range. Basicallt being group with a bunch of people who have no idea how to do their jobs correctly.

Not going to lie it was a big hurdle. Yet I feel it was necessary. It shook new players out of the solo play mind set and got them thinking about how they skills and ablilties could make the PT function better. Once from there the freshly sunburnt noobies had graduated into slightly less suckery noobies, but at least they are making progress. And progress is good for building a sense of self worth in time expended on leveling.


We need to slow down the leveling process. Really make players feel the weight of their EXP and how it is going to flow. Instill the notion that leveling is not going to be fast but it can be progressive. Let them earn their levels. Entice them with new WS they finally get to use and spells that will make them even better at their vocation! This will give players more job identity. Allow them to take pride in their choice and the effort they put in to level it.


As you make the game world harder the players will rise to the occasion. If you can PL to the finish. Or even straight grind it in a few days. You take away the opposition which binds us together. I've noticed people are much less willing to lend a hand in this game. There are still people willing to assist total strangers but there is a very noticeable trend of, "Me first, you maybe." (If at all) I blame this on the Devs soft balling the dangers and obstacles that should stand in our way. One may think that if everything is easier and people get stuff done faster they'll have more time to help others. Right?

Nu uh

I loved helping people in FFXI. It gave me great joy to escort a new players past the aggro mobs on their first passage to the dunes. Help them into the Mines to farm the items for their sub job. Teach them how to attain their Chocobo License. I jumped at the chance to assist others because I *knew* how hard it would be alone. By that I mean damn near impossible. You'll hear ex-FFXI players tell you about the community of the game. How it was unlike anything you'd find in other MMOs. That was a product of NEEDING each other! I mean really really needing a full PT to get much of anything accomplished. It may have been perceived as a hassle from an outsider's viewpoint but we loved it. I feel many of you would as well after the shell shock wore off.

Imagine a FFXIV where people were always willing to PT up for much wanted EXP. Where you had dozens of leveling locations as you grew higher and had to traverse across the entire world in your quest for power. Where each hour you put in actually mattered and it was a show of strength and resourcefulness when you capped.


I in no way want to alienate players from the game by forcing them to PT if they hate the concept, yet they shouldn't be able to keep pace with a bulk of the playbase who do. We have leves for solo EXP. I hope we soon get a solo-job which will give them the option to PT by themselves if they so choose or prefer. The Hamlet defense event will no doubt net some note worthy EXP which seem to amount to larger Behest session.

I suppose the point I am trying to make is this.

Leveling up is suppose to be a major part of the Final Fantasy Experience. It is critical that we cultivate this venue of the game before End Game. While I agree the leveling process right now is very badly implemented and I got a ton more enjoyement out of FFXI grinding. For the simple fact it actually felt like I was accomplishing something and becoming better at my job. There is still much to be learned and gained from partying these levels by the sweat of your own brow. It is paramount that we don't allow ourselves to become complacent with the idea of just PLing to the finish before the REAL game begins. It is cutting out so many potential encounters with friends and LS members alike that at the end of the day we are going to sit back and think to ourselves. "Where is all the comradely? Where is that feeling of being a part of a greater whole? Where are those awesome memories I want to cherish?"


I found just a few in that great grind back there. I hope I get a chance to form so new ones.

Question is, with the current trend of lack luster sense of challenge, will you?


Also tails.

[BobbinT]

Don't u worry. I still do. Still had some classes I can play out yet.

[Keith_Dragoon]

Holy crap that was a long read and I partially skipped over a chunk here and there. I don't PL all the way only up until I can get a party instead of wasting $9.99 spending 30 days hoping for the once in a lifetime sub 30 party to be formed low enough or for people around my level to join up to level my classes and for it to also happen atleast 2 more times to get my other ones out of the "gutter" I have been sitting in for the past few days waiting and watching, asking and almost begging for people to party with me.

I can only be hopeful that SE fixes this with 2.0 because I will be making 2 more characters to experience the story of the other 2 city-states and GCs with the way billing is going to be. Those 2 will need to reach cap and a brand new leveling experience devoid of PL and filled with adventure, would make this game heaven for me.

[Peptaru]

I almot would have bought the "its too hard to level solo" crap that people spew, or the stuff about "i have a rl so i don't have time" but with what they did to leves... i just say puh-lease. its not hard to get 2 levels/hr solo. People still whine "that takes soooo long!" "solo is so slow!" it isn't.

I'm always impressed at how civil some folks can remain because i'm so over this lazy, entitlement attitude that it makes me want to vomit and that is spilling out more and more.

[Nabiri]

.....

I found just a few in that great grind back there. I hope I get a chance to form so new ones.

Question is, with the current trend of lack luster sense of challenge, will you?


Also tails.

Very well said. I enjoy any party I have honestly. (Any without a PL I mean - I don't join those, but I won't get into my long list of why I hate PLing lol.) I even enjoy the bad parties where someone is being a jerk, or parties where everyone dies over and over again. Get a good laugh out of it. I don't like to take things too seriously - I like to relax and have fun. When I join a party rather than soloing, it's for the experience, meeting new people, having fun chatting about random things. Sometimes people do really bizarre things and crack up the whole group, and it just makes everyone's day. I love when we get a comic in the group.

- I do miss the feeling of learning your job as you grow that I got from XI.
- I wish battles lasted just a little longer. Sometimes Most of the time it's hard to get a single hit in before the monster dies, with everyone taking whacks at it. Feels like I may as well not even be there/not even do anything. lol
- I miss the sense of accomplishment. Levels fly by so fast that they really mean nothing in XIV.
- I miss the sense of danger that XI had, where even in just a leveling party people had to watch their surroundings, be careful of stray monsters like goblins or elementals that might appear "out of nowhere" and come pick on us. That could be exciting.
- I miss a wide variety of leveling zones like XI had. Scenery was always changing. (I have a feeling 2.0 will help with this though.)

That all could use some work. But in all I'd say things are looking up in this game. I'm excited for what is to come.

Edit: Oh, yes, and tails. lol ;3