Why are NPC parties so bad?

[Jeeqbit]

Then why is is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT when playing with my squadron?

Because squadrons aren't meant for helping you clear dungeons. They are meant as a mini-game to command a squadron with only a limited few dungeons part of it.

[Thangil]

Because squadrons aren't meant for helping you clear dungeons. They are meant as a mini-game to command a squadron with only a limited few dungeons part of it.

Then why have them at all? If they cannot help with the quests, they're irrelevant, imo.

Btw, I'm NOT talking about squadrons, I'm talking about NPC parties.

[Jeeqbit]

Then why have them at all? If they cannot help with the quests, they're irrelevant, imo.

Because in order to increase our Grand Company rank, SE wanted to make it feel like we were actually a commander/captain of something. So they took a long time and developed an NPC system where we "recruit" and "command" a squadron and tackle dungeons with them, commanding to stand/follow/attack.

That's all it was ever intended to be. The reason Duty Support does not work the same way is because it has a different purpose and we don't "command" the NPCs, so they act independently.

Btw, I'm NOT talking about squadrons, I'm talking about NPC parties.

You mentioned squadrons, that's all.

[MsMisato]

Because squadrons aren't meant for helping you clear dungeons. They are meant as a mini-game to command a squadron with only a limited few dungeons part of it.

squadron is way better than trust especially when you get to mastery 5 on them. Honestly think SE should have went the route of Squadron's for at least ARR and HW for the MSQ. then moved to the scions helping out Stormblood and afterwards. Or at the least to include the mastery system with the duty support/trust npcs

[TheMightyMollusk]

squadron is way better than trust especially when you get to mastery 5 on them. Honestly think SE should have went the route of Squadron's for at least ARR and HW for the MSQ. then moved to the scions helping out Stormblood and afterwards. Or at the least to include the mastery system with the duty support/trust npcs

The problem is that squadrons require getting your Grand Company rank up enough to unlock them, plus farming the weekly challenge log until it decides to give you more recruits. They'd have to redo that entire process. Evidently they just decided that a handful of set NPCs was easier to manage.

There's also the story problem that, at least in HW, the Grand Companies can't openly support the Scions for a while because of the whole mess in Ul'dah.

[miraidensetsu]

squadron is way better than trust especially when you get to mastery 5 on them. Honestly think SE should have went the route of Squadron's for at least ARR and HW for the MSQ. then moved to the scions helping out Stormblood and afterwards. Or at the least to include the mastery system with the duty support/trust npcs

For me, S-E should just let us level squadron up to level 100. Nanasomi/Tewawa melting everything is way better than Y'shtola/Estinien.

[tsuchii]

Theyre not designed for massive pulls or wall to wall. They're not necessarily bad, just not as efficient.
I do all of my new dungeons with Trust and get no issues. You just really have to choose between speed/efficiency (real players) and immersion (NPCs). I tend to enjoy the extra dialogue for my first time runs.

[Thangil]

Theyre not designed for massive pulls or wall to wall.

Massive pulls? I don't think you can pull more than 2 groups of mobs at a time for this dungeon, since you'll have to defeat mobs to open doors.

[Eastwall]

Because squadrons aren't meant for helping you clear dungeons. They are meant as a mini-game to command a squadron with only a limited few dungeons part of it.

Man, it was fun to command my squadron. I wish it is not on maintenance mode...

[AzhreiVahlok]

Then why is is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT when playing with my squadron?

I use the npc's alot. If you're tanking, you could pull 2 groups of mobs maybe even 3..... but u need to BACKTRACK and get back in range of Alphie or Urianger cause they can't keep up and are way behind you and you'll die waiting for a heal. It may not be faster but it's less annoying just to take one group at a time with them. Maybe move to the next group once a couple mobs or so from the first are dead. If you're a healer or DPS, u can run to the 2nd group and shoot one (stack regens on the tank first if you're healer) then run back toward Thancred or whoever, he should be coming to you to grab the new mobs.

As for bosses, I've had runs where alphie and Urianger do great, then (more often recently in late Shadow) where they're complete morons and just stand in the aoe w/o moving. Like the last boss of Gulg, Alphie died at the end just like that, i was pld, spammin my heal we finished the last 20% with him eating the floor. As annoying as she is (if you're on dps) with taking the limit break the SECOND it pops up, Alisae is good to have as the other dps.... the healer does a stupid she can raise em. As for trash mobs the npcs just get back up i think if u survive the .. "trash pull".