The difficulty of Normal Content in this game needs to increase.

[Gurgeh]

It's savage difficulty and was always supposed to be savage difficulty. It was released after savage and tuned with the assumption that people doing it had savage gear.

It was never supposed to be extreme or easier. This is like saying you're going to do ultimate and will be pissed if it's harder than extreme.

Variant was the casual mode. There was no reason for criterion to be casual content.

Then why is it called
a Variant?
b Criterion?
C Savage Criterion?

If the the middle one b is also Savage difficulty?

[BigCheez]

Then why is it called
a Variant?
b Criterion?
C Savage Criterion?

If the the middle one b is also Savage difficulty?

Variant and criterion are named differently because they are significantly different in terms of the structure of the content. Criterion savage is just a difficulty increase on top of regular criterion, so they just stuck "savage" on the end.

[Gurgeh]

Variant and criterion are named differently because they are significantly different in terms of the structure of the content. Criterion savage is just a difficulty increase on top of regular criterion, so they just stuck "savage" on the end.

But your saying both
B Criterion
And C savage criterion
Are clear savage difficulty, and the B is not extreme difficulty?

[BigCheez]

But your saying both
B Criterion
And C savage criterion
Are clear savage difficulty, and the B is not extreme difficulty?

Criterion and criterion savage have identical mechanics. Things just have more health, do more damage, there are no checkpoints and you can't raise in savage.

The format and structure of the difficulty options aren't the same as anything else in the game, so neither is the naming.

[ReynTime]

Literally nobody asked for Variant to have 2 savage versions. That was a stupid decision from the devs, nothing more nothing less.
Variant is far too easy and going to Criterion is a big leap.

[ovIm]

Literally nobody asked for Variant to have 2 savage versions. That was a stupid decision from the devs, nothing more nothing less.
Variant is far too easy and going to Criterion is a big leap.

I feel like Variant / Criterion / Criterion Savage instances could become an interesting endgame alternative for 4 players if CS3 would allow them to be. Gradually increased difficulty in the fights, proper loot for clearing. That'd be cool.

[BigCheez]

I feel like Variant / Criterion / Criterion Savage instances could become an interesting endgame alternative for 4 players if CS3 would allow them to be. Gradually increased difficulty in the fights, proper loot for clearing. That'd be cool.

Variant/Criterion definitely had some problems but I think it was a decent first pass and could have been turned into something great if they had stuck with it and tried to refine the concept.

[ovIm]

Variant/Criterion definitely had some problems but I think it was a decent first pass and could have been turned into something great if they had stuck with it and tried to refine the concept.

Well, we are getting more Variants and Criterions (at least I remember that being announced), so Square most likely hasn't given up on the concept yet. They are sadly just very slow to react to feedback (considering that the players asking for proper gear rewards was kinda answered with the weapon upgrade in Aloalo, the third instance). The iteration we get in DT could be even better, once it releases and if CS3 manages to evolve the general concept. Definitely looking forward to that one.

[kaynide]

Just my very small two cents on the system; less the difficulty and more the stupid corner of a naming system the devs seem desperate to paint themselves into.

Like, "Let's play XX Hard" -> Is not actually Hard, it's just normal.

Ok, so Extreme is the hardest? No that's Savage? Why is "wild/brutal/uncontrolled" more difficult than "Very high or the highest; furthest from the center".

or "Let's play Variant dungeon!" Oh so that has random variations? Ah, no, that's "Deep Dungeon"?

What happens when they want some new difficulty? Savage Extreme? Ultimate Extreme? Ultimate Savage Extreme?

Why not just "Your Dungeon Here" plus Stars to designate. Or just a more generic category like "special raids" with things like TEA listed under, with what the actual content is in the content blurb instead of the story nonsense.

Weird names for the sake of weird names are just... meh.

FFXI had the same problems.

For example, in FFXI can you guess what "Monstrosity" is? If you thought it was pokemon style monster battles, no, that's called "Pankration". Monstrosity is where you are a monster and fight monsters. Unless it's against other players, in which case it's now called "Belligerency"

Oh, how about "Ballista"? If you guessed a PVP battle where you throw rocks at a basket, you'd be right. No there are no ballistas in Ballista you silly goose.

[Menriq]

"Let's play Variant dungeon!" Oh so that has random variations? Ah, no, that's "Deep Dungeon"?

It's variant because you can go in with various #'s (1-4), as well as go different paths (there are 12 total for each). Criterion and Criterion Savage are linear.