Duty Support needs some work

[WindyGamer]

Have other folks mentioned these things about Duty Support?

1 - Why not change the pathing slightly so they don't absolutely positively walk in front of my cursor every time I try to interact with something. Just have them hang back a step or two. Sigh...

2 - Could we have them not do every dungeon as if it's "Minimum Item Level". Just did Hauuke Manor once with Duty Support - 22 min and then with Duty Finder - 12 min. How about we adjust the NPCs item level to oh, say 20% higher than minimum? I heard a rumor that Duty Support was to allow solo play as the game continues to mature and fewer folks are playing the lower levels. Well. Whatever Duty Support's intended purpose, Let's no penalize folks when they use Duty Support please.

3 - I like to play with a friend. Or Two. How about we make Duty Support able to fill a party rather than only for Solo players? Sure, allow solo players to use it, But if I'm with a friend, and want to learn a job or practice a job or just play without others, then how about Duty Support works for us to? We could add a healer or a DPS or well you get the idea. If these NPCs can play the game, and are not just faking it, then having other real people on the party shouldn't mess them up.

Please consider making Duty Support more useful. Otherwise it will go the way of Squadrons? Oh you remember those? The completely useless things that are part of your Grand Company? I tried them once. Just a time sink with no benefit that I could find. Unless you wanna become General or Emperor or whatever of your GC, then you need them. Please let's not have Duty Support go down that rabbit hole. I can't even dress up my squadron and show them off to a friend. They don't do parties with others either. I thought Glamour was a big part of this game. Completely missed opportunity.

And of course, all the above comments about Duty Support apply to Oh what's that other feature called? Oh, Right. Trusts. All the same problems apply. Remind me again why we have Trusts AND Duty Support? I could never figure that out. Some how they are different. A difference without a distinction? Is that the term?

Anyway, I ramble on. What are your thoughts?

[Raoabolic]

And of course, all the above comments about Duty Support apply to Oh what's that other feature called? Oh, Right. Trusts. All the same problems apply. Remind me again why we have Trusts AND Duty Support? I could never figure that out. Some how they are different. A difference without a distinction? Is that the term?

I said it before and i'll say it again. Squadrons will always be superior to the "Trust System™" for many reasons. No Yoshida, i'm not grinding the trusts to lv 90 so I can party with Yish-toe-la wearing a new hat. What's the point of letting the playerbase glamour their squad when you are pushing your knockoff persona characters on me? Why yes, i'm still bitter about how every major character's personality has devolved into basic tropes, thank you for asking!

[Jeeqbit]

1 - Why not change the pathing slightly so they don't absolutely positively walk in front of my cursor every time I try to interact with something.

This is a problem in general where you can click other characters in front of you when you don't want to. If I wanted to click a character I would use the party list.

2 - Could we have them not do every dungeon as if it's "Minimum Item Level". Just did Hauuke Manor once with Duty Support - 22 min and then with Duty Finder - 12 min. How about we adjust the NPCs item level to oh, say 20% higher than minimum? I heard a rumor that Duty Support was to allow solo play as the game continues to mature and fewer folks are playing the lower levels.

Remind me again why we have Trusts AND Duty Support? I could never figure that out. Some how they are different. A difference without a distinction? Is that the term?

It's intended to allow solo support but SE does not want it to be better than playing with real people.

The difference between Duty Support and Trusts is that you can level trusts, so that you can do the dungeons "above minimum item level" as you described it.

Please consider making Duty Support more useful. Otherwise it will go the way of Squadrons?

It's frequently used for first clears and it will be used by new players for a long time. I doubt it would have been extended to ARR and continued in EW if it wasn't being used.

[Mesarthim]

I just completed haukke manor in duty support in 14 minutes as DRK. I don't see the issue.

[WindyGamer]

I just completed haukke manor in duty support in 14 minutes as DRK. I don't see the issue.

Could you mention your Item Level, level. I'm guessing that you did the majority of the damage on this run. I was noticing that on my runs as a 31 MCH that I was doing more damage than the NPCs. - the floaty numbers from me were about twice as high as the NPC numbers. I'm guessing that you carried the NPCs through the run to get that time. As I understand it, Duty Support is designed for players at level with white gear at level with any job role. My point is that it works, but looks like a minimum level / item level run.

I'm not suggesting that Duty Support should be as good as a Duty Finder run, but that it should not be 50% slower than a typical run. That's why I suggested that the Duty Support NPCs be something like 20% better than Minimum Item Level rather than apparently Minimum Item Level.

[Mesarthim]

Yeah I guess I should elaborate: It was basically synced down to the max it allows and I was very aggressive. I also just finished a run as RDM in about 16 minutes (but 30 seconds should be shaved off due to dumb AI that I could've avoided), also synced down to the max. Made use of the caster LB after pulling about 7 enemies in the basement loop (the conjurer and marauder could handle it).

So it's intended that duty support takes longer than human players, and you can be aggressive when with npcs to compensate for the AI (though not as fast as humans, naturally). I can make a case though that it might be slower as a healer or melee because you lack a proper aoe (or one at all) at that level range as well as an aoe Limit Break. That's less an issue of the duty support and more just poor job design.

Edit: So to get these times you do need aoe capability, as well as the fact you need to sometimes chain pull (you don't need to be considerate with npcs as you do with people).

[WindyGamer]

...

So, Hashtag No Changes?? Gotcha.

[WindyGamer]

So, Mesarthim, your conclusion is that it's ok the way it is? It's ok to disadvantage Duty Support users compared with playing with a party of Sprouts?

[MilkieTea]

I really like how you just put words into Mesarthims mouth, considering they didn't even say anything of the sort.

[Mesarthim]

The way I see it is that this system isn't intended as a 1:1 replacement for actual players. Being slower when learning as a first timer with npcs isn't necessarily a problem. You're new, you're learning, taking longer is expected.

I've gotten trusts all the way to level 90. It's boring, it's slower, but otherwise this is how the system was designed from the get go. You can play alone but the cost is time (especially with dps queue times if they're too long). If your queue time as a dps is longer than the run itself then that's where duty support/trust comes in.

It's ok to disadvantage Duty Support users compared with playing with a party of Sprouts?

You're implying that the system was designed to fully replace humans. It was and is not.