State of the Game prior to Liveletter

[Lauront]

Regarding the story stuff, the short stories due for release with the anniversary and the Panda stuff may be make or break for me, so curious to see how they'll shape up. Very muted expectations for the MSQ going forwards as well.

[Shougun]

I like a lot of the new SMN but I do agree if you brought down a lot of the features earlier, to make it more exciting sooner (it's def. a bit simple jack for a while lol), and then added on things that fit well (careful not to recreate the "we've no more room" design issue :3)- that would be cool.

Like level 86 adds a lot of fun to the job, which is super super simple until then. Squishing what they've already built to earlier levels and decorating on top of it would be a good move, I think. I've had fun at level 90 but it is pretty simple, if level 90 experience was 60 or 70 and they had a few more interesting steps on the way to 90.. I think the experience would be a lot better. To which they don't have to add a billon new things, though certainly wouldn't be as simple as changing a few variables on levels since you'd have to ensure balance (so not trying to make it sound easy, hotfix solution type thing).

I think one of the problems is that the job was pretty hectic and now until level 86 it's pretty, pretty, far from that, so people who liked the old style are wondering where the heck their style of play went. Changing target audiences isn't impossible, but does obviously explain some sentiment of people used to one amount of work to another quite less amount. Of course perhaps at 86 people still want a little bit more here and there, but I've seen, and personally felt, that the job goes from crazy simple to "oh I can see and feel the layers better now".

I personally really like the condensing of abilities (this doesn't mean less skills, but a single skill may do many things), and wouldn't mind they continue- but certainly bringing abilities to earlier levels would be good and then filling in some of those moments that were brought down earlier with whatever they can fit that wont create the new teetering tower of challenge lol (and perhaps a lite version of level 90, because the melee egi are a bit goofy until then).

Besides notes on 86/90, I also feel replacing physick with a new support skill that changes might be fun and easy skill to chuck and replace with something you might use more (like for egi you get a multi-stack ability and it temporarily changes to a one-off skill when using demi, which would be rekindle for phoenix), also improve carby transitioning (perhaps carby never vanishes but just plays animations that help the summoner summon). At the point that SMN has so much support it would probably make more sense to have them match RDM in damage (as currently if they match it's a little off in terms of output, since RDM's heal is way better, and chain raise is obviously quite good too). Orrrr replace it with another damage mechanic, that'd be fine too . But currently physick is a super joke skill, like 500 hp cure at level 90 lol.

Anyway... definitely feel like SMN is in a position that they don't have to rework it again just introduce some mechanics sooner and add 'something' in those newly created gaps as things were pulled down.

[tearagion]

literally none of the 6.1 changes being good. Literally none.

? DRK finally has a competitive invuln and blood weapon stacks, Lilies are neutral, Dances are weaponskills, and PLD changes were received well.

[Liam_Harper]

I'll be going out of my way to avoid watching the Live letter at all. I'm not interested. It'll just annoy me when they yet again ignore half the issues and outright tell us they're not changing the other half with maybe a lecture from Yoshida on mods or parsing like we're naughty children thrown in for good measure.

Just no. I'll be playing some other game, relaxing and pretending Live Letters don't exist.

[Hezhi]

How in the world did we end up like this?

Mostly job design going off the deep end for no discernable reason, that's like half the points in your list. I wouldn't care about things on this list or even be here throwing hissyfits if it weren't for the devs frantically trying to make every job horrible to play.

[Shougun]

I'll be going out of my way to avoid watching the Live letter at all. I'm not interested. It'll just annoy me when they yet again ignore half the issues and outright tell us they're not changing the other half with maybe a lecture from Yoshida on mods or parsing like we're naughty children thrown in for good measure.

Just no. I'll be playing some other game, relaxing and pretending Live Letters don't exist.

I can tell you how naughty you are later, if you want!

"Bad, bad, Liam! How dare you see chat bubbles!"

[TaleraRistain]

If anyone has misconceptions about Island Sanctuary or Criterion Dungeons, they've done it to themselves. The dev information on those has been very sparse. It's not their fault if people go make wild speculations.

I'm not sure why many of those would be addressed, considering it's the first part of a major patch Live Letter and that's usually focused on the new content coming. They might mention some job changes, but IIRC they usually save that sort of thing for the second part when there are some planned.

A lot of this seems to be something that would more likely be addressed in interviews or official statements, or another special Live Letter like the 10 year Live Letter.

[SJWhat]

I noticed you forgot the Machinist. That's okay. Everyone forgets about the Machinist. SQ forgets about the Machinist.

[Deceptus]

• Samurai players are angry that Kaiten, an ability core to their class fantasy and gameplay loop was removed with no suitable replacement.
  
• Dragoon players are terrified that something similar will befall their job.
  
• Astrologian players are aware that some buttons need consolidating but are afraid that the wrong ones will be taken away and the job reduced further to the state of the other healers that they were driven away from.
  
• Disdain and disregard for healer gameplay, with previous healer testers apparently having been removed from the role due to becoming too good at it – coupled with the statement that upset healers should consider playing Ultimate.
  
• A three-way civil war between Summoner players that is unlikely to ever be resolved until the remaining pantheon and associated abilities are added along with a Necromancer/Time Mage job that encapsulates whatever could be salvaged of the previous iteration.
  
• The perpetual crisis revolving around Dark Knight.

How in the world did we end up like this?

18 Battle Jobs (and the entire battle system) managed by:

1 Supervisor
2 Dedicated developers
1 Intern (who is probably a junior developer by this point)

And it's been that way for 2+ expansions

There. That is why Job design is in the crapper. SE and the FFXIV have refused to expand and give the jobs the time and dedication they NEED to make the game better.

I'm not going to say they are inept because that would be a personal attack but they're so stretched thin they missed basic addition.

Since the 6.0 Revamp, Medica II (an aoe spell) does more single target total potency than Cure II for the exact same MP.

In 6.1 when they "Buffed" the WHM DoT spells they made Dia (obtained at lvl 72) WORSE total potency than Aero II (obtained at lvl 42).

These are just simple blatant examples that should have been easily seen and rectified but it shows how poorly the battle design is managed and tested, if it's tested at all. It's like stuff is just getting rubber stamped.

[Theodric]

I'll be going out of my way to avoid watching the Live letter at all. I'm not interested. It'll just annoy me when they yet again ignore half the issues and outright tell us they're not changing the other half with maybe a lecture from Yoshida on mods or parsing like we're naughty children thrown in for good measure.

Just no. I'll be playing some other game, relaxing and pretending Live Letters don't exist.

You might miss him making a funny face, though!