Zodiac Weapons Grind Adjustments

[Tav]

I'm doing my second Zodiac Weapon and I think the process needs to be updated to come more in line with the expected grind of the more recently released relics (HW/SHB).

1. Materia is a huge problem/expense as there are no valid ways to gain materia 1-2 aside from the market board where they can be very expensive. I suggest that materia could be a reward from FATES which would incentivize players doing the weapons to populate older content areas to farm them. Either that or be drops from desynthing item level appropriate gear.
   
2. Light grinding needs to be updated to include the new Crystaline Conflict. You can access it in ARR and should reward some light especially given that Bozjan FATES reward light. Bonus light needs to be buffed as throughout both experiences completing these weapons I haven't seen a bonus once. I think buffing the amount of light given from things like FATES again could incentivize ppl to play more in those zones than just undersize old content endlessly esp if the chances of a bonus was higher from FATES.
   
3. Books should either be a one-time step or the cost needs to be nerfed. As it stands now the entire step is more of an irritation than anything especially the FATES as it's inconsistent on when they'll pop. I had to wait two hours once for a FATE to become available and that just not rewarding or engaging design.
   
4. Every step of these weapons should be able to be purchased from the NPC vendor. As it stands you cannot buy certain steps of the grind and as a result have to glamour another item as that step in order to have it accessible to you. If the devs are not going to allow us to store relics in our armoire we need a way to buy them back when we want to use them for glamour.

I don't think the ARR Relic grind is the worst, that title belongs to the Eureka Weapons, but it could use some tweaking. They've reworked ARR as an experience as well as many content types released during ARR but they haven't touched the relic grind since they nurfed it last. It needs some attention especially since relic grinds serve as ways to get players doing older content or inhabiting older zones.

[Nezerius]

1. Going to assume you've never heard of spiritbonding? You can equip a set of lvl 10-ish gear and continuously oneshot low level mobs for spiritbond, then extract the materia every 5-10 min or so.
2. Light gain is already crazy fast if you just cycle through Tam-Tara/Sastasha/Aurum Vale. Possibly even Copperbell/Toto-Rak, now that both of those have been changed. Those dungeons can be completed in roughly 4-5 min, and already give a good amount of Light without bonus.
3. I'm surprised you're asking for a nerf to the costs of the books. It's 9 books at 100 poetics each. A single daily MSQ roulette will already give you 450-500 poetics (and an extra 100 if you get a first time bonus).
4. Finishing the zodiac weapon lets you buy replica versions of every single step, even the very first unfinished weapon model. They're sold by Drake, the NPC standing next to Gerolt

The only thing mildly annoying about the Zodiac weapon grind is the book part, but not really annoying enough to nerf it even further than it already has.
This is an optional grind for a glamour weapon, so I don't think it hurts for it to be slightly grindy.

[Tav]

1. Going to assume you've never heard of spiritbonding? You can equip a set of lvl 10-ish gear and continuously oneshot low level mobs for spiritbond, then extract the materia every 5-10 min or so.
2. Light gain is already crazy fast if you just cycle through Tam-Tara/Sastasha/Aurum Vale. Possibly even Copperbell/Toto-Rak, now that both of those have been changed. Those dungeons can be completed in roughly 4-5 min, and already give a good amount of Light without bonus.
3. I'm surprised you're asking for a nerf to the costs of the books. It's 9 books at 100 poetics each. A single daily MSQ roulette will already give you 450-500 poetics (and an extra 100 if you get a first time bonus).
4. Finishing the zodiac weapon lets you buy replica versions of every single step, even the very first unfinished weapon model. They're sold by Drake, the NPC standing next to Gerolt

The only thing mildly annoying about the Zodiac weapon grind is the book part, but not really annoying enough to nerf it even further than it already has.
This is an optional grind for a glamour weapon, so I don't think it hurts for it to be slightly grindy.

1. The last time I attempted that way of spiritbonding it did not work. Either way that should not be the only effective means to get required components for a relic weapon.

2. There's nothing wrong with adding more ways to gain Light. If you enjoy the repetition of undersizing dungeons over and over again awesome. Others don't and moreover by adding more bonuses or adding rewards to something like CC it funnels players into group content which is an overall net positive.

3.The step itself is janky with a lot of variability of completion based simply on luck with FATES. Compared to HW/ShB I think making this a one time step would be more in line with that standard. If they won't or can't make it a one time step then I think bringing down the cost would at least make it sting less as I doubt they could delete any more of the requirements.

4. Last time I tried to buy one of the steps it wasn't available. Did they update that recently?

I don't disagree that relics should have some grind, and I'm not advocating that they should not be grindy, I'm advocating that the grind/time requirement be brought more in line with those of HW or ShB, bc as it stands ARR are considered almost as annoying to go after as the Eurekan weapons by many people I've spoken to in game. Updating the quest chain imo will incentivize more people to go after the weapons and as a result funnel people into older zones or content making queues faster, etc.

[Nezerius]

1. The last time I attempted that way of spiritbonding it did not work. Either way that should not be the only effective means to get required components for a relic weapon.
2. There's nothing wrong with adding more ways to gain Light. If you enjoy the repetition of undersizing dungeons over and over again awesome. Others don't and moreover by adding more bonuses or adding rewards to something like CC it funnels players into group content which is an overall net positive.
3.The step itself is janky with a lot of variability of completion based simply on luck with FATES. Compared to HW/ShB I think making this a one time step would be more in line with that standard. If they won't or can't make it a one time step then I think bringing down the cost would at least make it sting less as I doubt they could delete any more of the requirements.
4. Last time I tried to buy one of the steps it wasn't available. Did they update that recently?

I don't disagree that relics should have some grind, and I'm not advocating that they should not be grindy, I'm advocating that the grind/time requirement be brought more in line with those of HW or ShB, bc as it stands ARR are considered almost as annoying to go after as the Eurekan weapons by many people I've spoken to in game. Updating the quest chain imo will incentivize more people to go after the weapons and as a result funnel people into older zones or content making queues faster, etc.

1. You have to use gear in the level range of the mobs that you're killing, otherwise you won't gain any spiritbonding progress. Spiritbonding lvl 10-ish gear will already drown you in grade 1 materia. Possibly grade 2, although I'm not entirely sure on the gear level for that one. The little amount of effort doing so makes it pointless to add other methods.
2. Didn't say I had an issue with adding Light gain to CC. You were asking for a buff on bonus light though, which is unnecessary because Light gain is already crazy fast.
3. "make it sting less" Again, we're talking about a total cost of 900 poetics here. That's only a day's worth of roulettes, it's not some crazy amount of poetics.
4. Afaik, the quest "The Vital Title" is a requirement, so you might've missed that one. It unlocks after finishing the initial Zeta questchain, and requires having a Zeta weapon equipped to obtain the quest from Jalzahn.

You're not advocating that it should not be grindy, yet the adjustments you're asking for removes a majority of the grind.

[RayneBoemir]

I don’t mind the old ones it’s Eureka and the other one that needs changing.