Please add item level sync to older trials.

[SargeTheSeagull]

So with 6.4 being out and people having gear above 640, the last 6.0 trial can be defeated before even the first line of dialogue in the second phase. This has been an issue with older trials for a while now but it's getting really bad. This makes older trials, especially MSQ trials feel hilariously undertuned. I mean imagine being a sprout, getting to Thordan, being mentally prepared for a 10 minute slugfest to cap off the masterpiece of a story that was 3.0's MSQ and kicking Thordan's teeth in in less than three minutes. This is beginning to really affect how enjoyable roulettes feel and I imagine it makes a lot of poignant encounters feel really flat. Honestly just adding item level sync to trials would make roulettes a lot more fun and, importantly, make the story hit harder for newer players.

[ForsakenRoe]

Gonna be weird when thanks to 7.0's ridiculous potency bloat (following from 6.0's already ridiculous potency bloat), we actually beat the fight before the scripted add phase gets to start

I get a bit sad every time I get Shinryu in trials because of how fast it dies now. My first time through, we were down to 3 platforms out of the 9, and one of those was the middle one. Now the big sod's lucky if he's able to get to break just one

Oh and Hades too. If the fight were tuned properly, the light protecting you as he does his enrage stuff ('that light split the world, and every life upon it!') would be overwhelmed by the darkness, and it becomes an actually tough heal check, as the bleed hurts like hell. Fight hits less hard literally and metaphorically when you just blast him, and his darkness doesn't even get to encroach on your light even once

Problem is, and UCOB shows this perfectly: ILVL is not the cause, it's the potency creep. Maybe they need to throw a buff on the bosses to give them a 'reverse Blessing of Light', to supercharge them the same way we get supercharged when doing solo instances

[Tehmon]

Agreed. I often look at new players going through the story, and Thordan is always so anticlimactic even though visually and story-wise it's an extremely thrilling moment. But when you have roided up team members whacking him to 10% before he even does anything, and Knights of the Round phase doesn't even deal any freaking damage, it creates false expectations of how the game is going further and how much it demands of players (cue in several wipes in Titania because you actually have to pay a little bit attention, deal damage, heal and be at least somewhat organized) or can otherwise just can leave an '' that's it? '' impression on new players.

[Boblawblah]

I'm not convinced that new players are leaving the game because trials are too easy. Does anyone have any data that might suggest that new players are indeed frustrated by the lack of difficulty in MSQ trials/dungeons?

[Tehmon]

I'm not convinced that new players are leaving the game because trials are too easy. Does anyone have any data that might suggest that new players are indeed frustrated by the lack of difficulty in MSQ trials/dungeons?

It's not about them leaving the game, it's about delivering a well-rounded experience which includes an exciting final trial for a very emotional story that is coming to it's conclusion (partially). I doubt anyone drops the game just because Thordan or other early expansion trials are pushovers these days, but it certainly doesn't ADD to the experience that they are pushovers.

[Boblawblah]

It's not about them leaving the game, it's about delivering a well-rounded experience which includes an exciting final trial for a very emotional story that is coming to it's conclusion (partially). I doubt anyone drops the game just because Thordan or other early expansion trials are pushovers these days, but it certainly doesn't ADD to the experience that they are pushovers.

Okay then, do you have any data that backs up new players preferring to have a more challenging experience in the MSQ trials/dungeons compared to now? The point I'm making is why would SE change what is currently working? For certain fights, they have changed them because they were meme worthy for years (Cape Westwind), and maybe that will happen again but I don't see it right now. I enjoyed the Thordan fight and I also enjoyed the newer more difficult trials.

edit: Also, I wonder if all vet players would prefer a more difficult roulette experience. From what I've seen, the vast majority just want to get through it, but I could be wrong.

[Renalt]

I'm not convinced that new players are leaving the game because trials are too easy. Does anyone have any data that might suggest that new players are indeed frustrated by the lack of difficulty in MSQ trials/dungeons?

I will admit I am a little disappointed anytime I do a new trial or whatever and we spank it hard in one go.

The only exciting thing about it is learning the fight but it's so scripted that seeing it once is all you need. After that it's simply "ive not done this in ages but I'll relearn it on the fly" and 2 minutes later it's "Oh yeah...they do that. Ok. Easy enough"

[Shougun]

I love potency, echo, ilvl, etc, bloat for being able to do stuff later reasonably solo (level cap job / blue mage), but I do see the "intended gameplay" being totally messed up.

Reminds me of the epic ifrit fight I was being teased in 1.0, after many hours, on multiple days, I got a pity party together with people who didn't need it but just wanted to help. The boss was dead before the cutscene finished.

Imo methods to epic echo and blue mage continue to improve, but make normal echo and sync a little bit tighter (harder), focusing on damage output, defense may not be tweaked as hard* (maybe harder to 'fail' if overpowered but you'll still see a good amount of mechanics).

* naturally this impacts healers but that requires a lot more changes. Imo the easiest and most engaging way to fix healers is to just give them more other things to do, and less healing strict duties. Split between aggressive and support styles.

[Asari5]

there were players who stopped playing because the whole package feels way too easy. trials being these 'big' boss fights play a big part in it.

now make these few players i've known a difference is kinda doubtable, but they exist. it also doesnt help if someone isnt thäe type of player who enjoys questing and at the same time he has to push through hundreds of hours without getting anything nice combatwise.

point is, it IS anticlimatic... and it is a problem in some dungeons and a-raids as well.

[Remember_The_Name]

Unfortunately, when it comes to making any normal content ever so slightly harder and longer for the sake of having a good pacing and reasonable challenge, players will throw a fit and tell you to stop and that "everything is fine". Because, apparently, when the game, that involves combat, asks you to fight - it is bad.

The Endwalker MSQ final trial is the biggest offender currently because:

The final part where the epic song kick in. The Scions give you the stacking DAMAGE UP buff, lmao. When you are meant to finish the boss with them but she is already at a single digit HP. This fight literally functioning backwards. 10 year story arc culmination point, by the way.