/r/ffxivdiscussion: A stricter ilvl sync is the solution to casual content being easy

[Commander_Justitia]

I didnt read anything, but yes. Labyrinth of the Ancients (item level 50 duty) was already with forced downsync to ilvl130 way too easy. 4 addons and stat adjustments later, it did only get easier. The same happens with many other duties.
Players can unsync it anyway, so why make the normal dutyfinder content so easy?

[CaptainLagbeard]

The end of expansion Trials (Singularity Reactor, Royal Menagerie, Dying Grasp and Final Day) could most definitely use a proper ilvl limit.

For Alliance Raids, I think the best option would be tying mechanics more to Boss Health rather than time. Like the ARR Alliance Raids for the some part will start doing their main mechanics when they hit a certain health % rather than waiting a minute or two.

Though this could cause some problems with some bosses, like Scylla in Syrcus Tower needing all the towers to be hit with enough lighting balls before her add phase that hasn't been seen in almost a decade.

[Deceptus]

I didnt read anything, but yes. Labyrinth of the Ancients (item level 50 duty) was already with forced downsync to ilvl130 way too easy. 4 addons and stat adjustments later, it did only get easier. The same happens with many other duties.
Players can unsync it anyway, so why make the normal dutyfinder content so easy?

The problem with LOTA syncing is it's not strict enough. It's what ilvl 50-70 to get in but has a max of 120-130? That's DOUBLE the min ilvl and that's pretty crazy. I forget what the min is but if they put the max 10 ilvls above it mechanics would matter again.

Easy solution.

[Ayche]

The end of expansion Trials (Singularity Reactor, Royal Menagerie, Dying Grasp and Final Day) could most definitely use a proper ilvl limit.

For Alliance Raids, I think the best option would be tying mechanics more to Boss Health rather than time. Like the ARR Alliance Raids for the some part will start doing their main mechanics when they hit a certain health % rather than waiting a minute or two.

Health gates are never an answer. Those just make bosses into a jumbled mess as they quick cycle through actions either in such way that you wipe because it decided to overlap 3 different things together (which means we know they won't do it) or will just completely ruin the vibe of the boss fight utterly as they cancel out mechanics at random to go to the next one that probably gets skipped midway too!

[Kaurhz]

The end of expansion Trials (Singularity Reactor, Royal Menagerie, Dying Grasp and Final Day) could most definitely use a proper ilvl limit.

For Alliance Raids, I think the best option would be tying mechanics more to Boss Health rather than time. Like the ARR Alliance Raids for the some part will start doing their main mechanics when they hit a certain health % rather than waiting a minute or two.

Though this could cause some problems with some bosses, like Scylla in Syrcus Tower needing all the towers to be hit with enough lighting balls before her add phase that hasn't been seen in almost a decade.

I think this is how it works Coils T7, and it didn't go very well, at all. It makes it more punishing to actually do damage in some instances, and outright encourages holding damage to help resolve the fight, which is a lot easier done in a pre-made 8-man group than what it is a 24-man group. Now, granted they aren't the same level of difficulty, but it could very easily lead to the same problems.

Personally, I think they're outright better just adding a stricter item-level sync and going back and revising the balancing around current stats, rather than it being done on legacy stats, e.g., Accuracy. Which still contributes to the problem.

[sindriiisgaming]

not really. its a flawed sentiment. even content in endwalker is painfully easy and thats CURRENT content. its a problematic thinking method to think more damage and less healing makes a game harder when its just artificial difficulty. Old content has a way of really catching the player off guard that seemed better conceptually. like mandatory esuna, mandatory split adds that even exploded after dyign. these were all little ways the game made itself challenging.

imo the binding coils is the best raids in the game. a truly lost wonderful era of ffxiv

[ForteNightshade]

Counter point but the point of gearing in an MMO is to make older content easier otherwise there's no point in the progression curve existing. If you're just going to tightly item level sync everything, just give us stat tables and make all gear slots purely cosmetic. You're meant to skip mechanics and even entire phases with gear, especially in normal mode content. Maybe I'm just accustomed to WoW where the power creep is insane (and that's before modes like MoP Remix) and you can melt bosses in a few minutes while ignoring 90% of the mechanics. I just feel it would be a huge step backwards if the impact of gearing was negated by syncing everything, at that point it wouldn't be worth doing anything more than once or twice (personally I'd save the glamour farming for when the weekly loot restrictions are removed).

I've never really understood this sentiment. Sure, the initial novelty of annihilating a once previously hard fight but once that wears off, I'm just disappointed so much of the cool content is reduced to being a complete joke. Take Weeping City, for example. Forgal and Ozma were notorious for wiping parties. Now they can barely cycle through their mechanics because we utterly destroy them. I'd much prefer a stronger sync (i235-i240) so they'd actually be somewhat threatening again instead of a fairly bland content where it's nearly impossible to fail.

From a new player perspective, I can't even imagine how boring a lot of the low level content is. Everything dies in seconds without the slightest inconvenience. Now some games remedy this like say, BG3, by giving the player all sorts of build options, new spells or gear. XIV has none of that. The ability progression moves at a glacier's pace, thus leaving you with hollowed out jobs on top of content that you can practically sneeze at and watch it die.

[sindriiisgaming]

I've never really understood this sentiment. Sure, the initial novelty of annihilating a once previously hard fight but once that wears off, I'm just disappointed so much of the cool content is reduced to being a complete joke. Take Weeping City, for example. Forgal and Ozma were notorious for wiping parties. Now they can barely cycle through their mechanics because we utterly destroy them. I'd much prefer a stronger sync (i235-i240) so they'd actually be somewhat threatening again instead of a fairly bland content where it's nearly impossible to fail.

From a new player perspective, I can't even imagine how boring a lot of the low level content is. Everything dies in seconds without the slightest inconvenience. Now some games remedy this like say, BG3, by giving the player all sorts of build options, new spells or gear. XIV has none of that. The ability progression moves at a glacier's pace, thus leaving you with hollowed out jobs on top of content that you can practically sneeze at and watch it die.

i really dont think youll find another game where this isnt a thing

Forgal and Ozma were notorious for wiping parties.

how much of that was down to the old combat system tho? even synched down this content isnt a challenge. people hyped up thordin ex so much, well now i do him on unreal and hes not hard whatso ever..

[Rekh]

This is the minimum they could do to make funner game, but even the minimum's too hard for square enix. To them, wiping or having to learn mechanics is a "problem." It's the game design devs use for Hello Kitty games. Even Mario games are designed so that you have to overcome challenges.

[Gemina]

BS, I see non tanks killed by the charges all the time, especially if they are a squishier job (any casters or phys range). I've also seen sprout tanks eat dirt taking all three charges. As far as making lower stuff harder, I strongly suspect it's advocated mainly by those who only do rouls w/ their friends/fc, I solely solo queue and exactly zero desire for dungeons to be harder. Why you ask? Because it's hard enough trying to herd cats as it is, yes you can get vets that make the run "boring" but you can just a easily get an all sprout but you group that makes it a nightmare (crap gear, poor/no use of skills, won't listen). For me that randomness is what I like about roul (even if I grumble about poor play sometimes), never know if it's going to great or terrible lol.

If you have max stats for the duty, the charges will not kill you. Perhaps not all three, but you can definitely eat two of them as a non tank. They don't even put vuln stacks on you. Players killed by the charges have squishy gear.

You're also mistaking the request of difficulty. No one is asking for these duties to be harder. They only want them to be brought back to the level of difficulty they once were at. And an all sprout group is a moot argument. Player skill level should not be the determining factor for where the difficulty is set. This isn't anymore true for an all sprout group as it is a group of vets.

I don't understand what you feel you're arguing here. The poster is correct. The reason leveling and gearing exist is for the player to feel a sense of progression, becoming more powerful. Levels and gear is the RPG equivalent of mastering your art. It's been that way since the days of tabletop RPGs, and I don't see how anyone can claim D&D is a single player game.

FFXIV isn't a RPG. It is a single player game with mmo elements sprinkled in. You do get more powerful as you level up. You get stronger gear and more powerful abilities that make it easier for you to kill stuff, and make it more difficult for stuff to kill you. This is fully intact. Taking on your weekly elite B mark in the current expansion is a testament to that as it gets easier and easier to defeat as you gear up throughout the expansion. However, this quasi sense of power should not come at the expense of challenge and engagement to the other players in your group, or even yoursself.

If you must become stronger to take on the next challenge, then inevitably the previous challenge must effectively be easier. If the previous challenge you overcame isn't easier now, then the next challenge is effectively moot, you've gained no progression.

This is false. There is no truth to this whatsoever.

This isn't a single player or multiplayer situation, it's how a real world concept is translated into a video game. If every player is supposed to always have the same difficulty at all times, there's absolutely no reason for levels or gear at all. The SE team could effectively balance every single encounter around your base stats and damage of your abilities, change up the encounter mechanics, and just make all gear glam.

Again, you get stronger gear to prepare yourself for the next challenge. If you want to talk about how a real world concept is translated into a video game, then in order to get better and stronger, you have to push yourself. It doesn't happen by tackling challenges that are too easy for you. Ask any weight lifter if they feel more powerful when they do lifts that are easy for them, or when they go past their previous max lift. Ask any runner if they feel more powerful by run a distance they're used to, or when they go past their previous limit. Your sense of power and progression is false. Sorry.

And fun is subjective. I frequently have fun performing "braindead content" as you say, because after a long day of non-braindead stressful work, I want to sit back and relax with my entertainment. Perhaps on a weekend where I have alot more free time, I might feel an inclination for something more challenging.

You're correct. It is subjective. But again, if you're not being challenged, then your not even really playing the game. Games are supposed to be fun and challenging. Otherwise, what are you even doing? What exactly are you being entertained by that you can't get from reading a book, watching a movie, or something else that does not require your engagement. No one is saying you can't relax. What people like me are saying is that your leisurely activity should not come at the expense of others. Stop being selfish.

What can SE do to keep higher level players filling the queues, while also giving lower level players a decent challenge? I don't know.

But as it stands, you do have the tools to experience harder casual content for yourself if that's your wish. Wear crappy gear, find the duty you want to do, set it to MINE on PF and play with people who have the same mindset as you.

You're under the impression that I am just thinking about myself. What makes you think that this isn't how I already play the game? I can't even remember the last time I did a roulette. Despite this, if I do decide to hop into trial or raid roulette, it is not unreasonable for the duty to be as difficult as it was intended upon its release.