Levequests... what's your opinion?

[Aketo]

On another note it should be made that I love a good story be in a mmo or a standard rpg.

The journey does and has always matter to me I have many characters maxed in many mmos to attest to that and played more rpgs then I can count.

If a game lacks both good enjoyable game mechanics and even mroe so a good story then it doesnt matter how much you say the journey is what matters.

I have been playing for quite some time now and I can tell you aside from the main story line chain which is too far in between job ranks that the game has some poor side quests that are not really story driven the you have the leves.

How I loath the leves for being so repetitive yet at the same time I know its the main way to level up in this grindfest of a game outside of high level parties grinding mobs.

To me that is just well not a very epic journey aside from the friends you make the game is a copy and pasted and rushed broken example of what not to do and if the original developer was such a visionary why is it that even people that love final fantasy xi were not able to stomach xiv?

I believe the answer is because it was rushed both in combat,crafting and quest wise outside of the main storyline.

Anyone who has been playing for quite some times know the woes of grinding up any crafting job or any job for that matter while you make it seem like the game is easy it is far from it if anything its a misable grindfest that rewards parties that can continue in the mad attempt to rank up while soloer are left behind.

If you prefer to warp the fact go ahead but I have played long enough and listen to enough people in several link shells to know that change is the only reason outside of friendship and fellowship that anyone outside of people that enjoy boring grind are even still here.

From what I got it seems you enjoy boring grind but a word of warning as you get higher up in rank you'll find even regular mobs conned your same rank will at time hand you our butt if alone or even in a group so enjoy the game and talk to me when you have experienced it for another few months or so but sadly you'll not have it worry about some of the broken grinding and luck driven mechanics in a few months even.

The coming patches will fix that but still if you believe the original developer leader was so great then why are we at this point right now, I mean it took final fantasy xiv to fail before SE would listen to its customers on both sides of the pond even native people that played agreed the game was a mess.

As it was clearly made post after post to Se in beta peoples thoughts but they chose to ignore people and got what the game currently is in, with a new developer team working to unfix the long standing damage and half complete mess the game is in.

I mean if you enjoy the grind I am sure there are plenty of Korean grinders outside of aion that will satisfy you Dragon otherwise don't hold your breath that the game will end up like aion or old school final fantasy xi.

[Aketo]

True leves are behest are are both boring and zergfests right now well in a group setting anyways.

SE has not given us many other options to level and to be honest even a grind party is still a bit of a zergfest unless its against a NM.

[Perrin_Aybarra]

I didn't read all the posts mostly just the beginning and the last few posts. I want to specify right off the bat that I am a casual player (meaning limited play-time) but also hardcore (still play for long hours sittings) and while I understand what Aketo's concerns are, I believe that Dragon (even though you are rough about how you say things lol) has more valid points.

What I mean is that I also think that leveling (or ranking up, call it what you want) should not be a walk in the park and be achievable in 1-2 months for just everyone. It is true that the leveling process in FFXI was hard and long and tedious at times, but even though I stopped playing that game 5 years ago, I still have very fond memories of it and like Dragon said it really felt like a journey.

Today's mmos are more like "LETS RUSH TO CAP LEVEL AND DO ENDGAME STUFF!!!!" and then you are left with absolutely nothing to do until the next update (quit WoW not so long ago because I was so bored with it, even leveling a new char was just so boring) So yes, I think that FFXIV should be soloable to an extent but of course party play should be more rewarding in terms of SP.

Solo play should not be an option for everything in the game and gears should be available accordingly to reflect that. To be able to solo to max level, that I don't mind at all but solo players should not be rewarded the same SP than people who party up (and I'm mostly leveling solo).

It's good for everyone that way. FFXI's problem was not that leveling was long and getting parties could be long if you were not a RDM but it was that solo was NOT an option (except BST and SMN soloing bombs). But FFXI was a journey and it felt GOOD every level you were getting. Getting new spells was also WAY more rewarding than the current way in FFXIV where you just rank up and BOOM you are suddendly aware of how to cast a new spell (I would really hope they change that).

Anyways I go off topic, all I wanted to say was that although Dragon has a harsh way to go about it, I still think that she/he has the most of it right.

[Aketo]

I do agree that groups in general should be better rewarded, however as I stated in a few posts back that if the game end up making you sit around to get into a group that will take you then its just the same as if I didn't log on for several hours.

Even with time I still find getting a party task that is a very non desirable in any mmo and easily turns me off and would most likely not be something people short on time would be able to participate in.

My opinion right now from what I experience unless you have very good LS that is helpful getting a group is a very hit or miss ordeal.

So much so that in most cases the trouble of getting one together for leves boring as they are is a very painful experience.

While I agree that soloers shouldn't be able to level as fast I do not think at the same time they should be punished so much that it is clear that partying is the only viable way to go.

As it stands until they fix the boring and repetitive nature of leves and the limits on them, or add real quests that help the game, otherwise the drive and journey to getting maxed rank feels at best lackluster right now in my opinion.

[Perrin_Aybarra]

if it's doable to solo then it is viable. Even if party is way more rewarding, you should not complain that you get less SP and that it takes a lot more time if you solo because.. well you are soloing so why should it bother you that it takes longer since if you don't have time to party now, what will you do at max rank anyways?

What should be fixed is the LFG thing so that finding a group is easier. Not up the solo play just because you wish to level about as fast as people taking/having time to party. Is it unfair? maybe, but at least you CAN solo and are not at all forced to party up.

Again, I wish to remind you that I am mostly a solo player but I would party more if the LFG system was better designed.

solo should be viable and it is now, it just takes longer, any class can solo to max rank so sayig it is not viable is not a valid argument.. you are just frustrated that it will take you longer than people who can party up which is in my opinion a very moot and "I want everything for nothing" point of view.

[Aketo]

When I said viable I meant that it was so boring to grind mobs in the field that unless I was with a party it would almost be like having my teeth pulled boring.

No game should be so boring and combat so lackluster that I have to resort to doing leves only to keep from feeling mind numbed, and even leves are boring after doing them enough times same goes for behest if you can get in them.

I do agree however that the party system needs a revamp as it stands the current one is rarely used.

But as it stand assuming I could swallow grinding mobs solo it would take so much loner that even after play 10-12 hours a day factoring in fatigue mind you I still wouldn't be maxed on a job for at lease 3-4 months if that.

Sadly soloing higher rank mobs becomes far more tougher the higher you get which unless you have so great skills to back you up your more likely to take a dirt nap then to get sp slow but sure.

Otherwise again grind parties are the only way to go after 34-38 max assuming you can get to that point with behests and leves which I can say I have.

[Perrin_Aybarra]

Well the point you bring about it being boring applies just as much when you solo than when you are in groups... they are the exact same leves and are boring either way. Which is the topic of this thread. Making the leves more diverse and interesting would make it a lot less painful and boring, but soloing them would still be less rewarding.

Also, I don't know about grinding mobs at higher levels, I know that it's not as rewarding as leve mobs but it's still better than not being able to get anything at all. Also, you probably don't need a full party to make it more viable as you call it. I mean yay for solo but are you that anti-social that you cannot make 2-3 friends that can grind with you when they are on then maybe mmo's are not the games for you. Just saying.

Getting more leves per reset might make it better for solo a bit since at least you can have something to do in that 36hrs reset.

All in all, the game is ok solo-wise as it is now, a few tweaks could help but I don't think everything should be made with the solo players in mind. It's very easy to make a group of 2-3 person to go grind if you don't have any leves left and if behest bores you too much. If it's too boring for you, then go do quests (they should add lot more mind you) crafts and gathering to cut you boredom. If you are still so bored that you prefer to have your teeth pulled, then please make everyone a favor and just quit mmo altogether.

[Aketo]

Whether or not I agree with the system as it is I have played many mmo's over the years.

I have been in that time able to get to max level in almost all of them, as I can recall some were the grindfests that this game now employs.

While I can get to 50 in due time solo or with a few friends /LS members I tend to get on when people are not on or are already doing something else.

Most of my current friends in game are already far too high for me rank wise and have little desire to go to a low rank job to join me as it stands.

Also most people want me to play a certain class or role with no concerns to what I want to do in any game where I am restricted and others are not I feel tied down.

I find the irony that in game it quote some along the times (your free as a bird, to do as you please) however people I interact with rarely believe that same statement.

I mean I have sacrificed for the greater good in many clan, guilds, and LS over the years to do what others need but it seems I find even if I find people most are selfish and want you to do what tehy want.

Sadly I have run into too many that will party with me only if I play a certain way, mind you I am not a horrible player however the arrogance that I have no right and basically a heal bot or some other job task that is not what i need ranking up wise sets me off.

I love interacting and talk with people, but sadly I have had not the greatest luck with group leaders that wont let you have a break and keep going and tell you to keep moving yet those same people if they need a break walk off for a few minutes and no one in the group says nothing?

I am sorry I suppose I like being in control of what I can do at my own pace most of the people I have grouped up with are on a speed rush to zerg everything down as fast as possible while having no conversation or even trying to get to know each other and to me that is far from what I would consider a health community.

Perhaps you have fared better then me?

Then again perhaps I have not tried hard enough to find the right people that demand I be such and such I am sure there are people that are far more understanding and easy going out there.

Otherwise I have played MMOs way too long to quit now like any online game I like talking to others as living alone is a lonely reality, sadly not everyone online is there for chatting or having good time but about rushing to get as much as possible as quick as possible.

Another note most of the grindfest MMOs I played it was actually fun and not frustrating to kill mobs over and over unlike this game where spells don't go off half the time and other times lag plays a factor along with missing dodging and evading or resisting from equal leve or low level mobs even to make for a very undesirable combat experience.

Still a good questing and leveling system would go a long way along with what I hope will be a better combat system along with and a start on better leves would help, as for you I wish you the best of luck in game as for me I suppose I should try harder and try to endure until change comes?

[Enma]

I want my FFXI back...

[Mortikhan]

I want my FFXI back...

Don't take this the wrong way because I am not targeting you specifically...but I really don't like this when people say that. Although FFXI had its epic moments (most of which were in the original CoP IMO), it also had quite a few failings. Some were near start (Drg/Sam Pentamonster, Ranger Cannons, BLM Cannons), some midway (War/Nin Cannons, Summoner Cannons), and from what I have heard some things now.

I really do not want to see anything like FFXI for this game...the interface maybe but that is about it. I want everything else to be different and to be quite honest the biggest disappointment for me in this game was the similar theme of FFXIV and FFXI. I would have preferred to see something with more of a modern spin on it like FFVII, FFVIII or FFXIII. I feel like all they really did was switch a few theme songs around and switch different aspects of the cities from FFXI (ie. Limsa Lominsa has Sandorias castle and Bastoks port with more piers...useless piers at that.). I just feel like they turned this into a sequel and I have never felt like that with any of the other FF titles.

Sorry this might be way off topic but I have just seen this sentiment a lot lately.