How games can have less scripted encounters

[NekoNova]

Yes thank you.. understanding the boss is a skill that should be learned.. players should be able to understand those criteria after many many many fights.. let people start to analyze fights and act upon it not all bosses should have same mindset or way to fight

Rage mechanic shouldn't be scripted

As I said unpredicted movement and attacks that can be randomize from set of attacks that is assigned to boss

Scripted but randomized and have some variants that can be randomized like who is boss targeting and why based on boss hp or boss set up for next mechanic

Which leads to the problem that was described earlier:

Either people will simply bruteforce it, or they will find a very specific, optimal setup that negates the randomness, forcing everyone to follow that meta or not be invited to groups.
It will not make the fights more fun, it will simply alienate a large part of the player base and grant access to a select few.
Not a sane decision for a company to make.

[CaptainLagbeard]

If they weren't as strictly scripted as they are, you might have to actually react to what the boss is casting or doing. Can't have that, it's too complicated for the playerbase that thinks mashing one button is a sufficient gameplay loop.

[NekoNova]

If they weren't as strictly scripted as they are, you might have to actually react to what the boss is casting or doing. Can't have that, it's too complicated for the playerbase that thinks mashing one button is a sufficient gameplay loop.

Or people with higher latency
Or disabilities
Or older people that simply can't react fast enough


God forbid they play the game as well.

[Isseki]

As a long time wow-player, let me tell you all:

As long as this games server ticks are a thing, you dont want to have more flexible encounter mechanics.
It would be hell.

[Arrius]

Or people with higher latency
Or disabilities
Or older people that simply can't react fast enough


God forbid they play the game as well.

That is why failing mechanics is generally not punishable on the first miss - You get a few 'passes' until those result in instant defeats.

[Tunda]

That is why failing mechanics is generally not punishable on the first miss - You get a few 'passes' until those result in instant defeats.

Currently it's around 2 or 3 passes until you die

I don't mind if it is 5 or 6 if it was random

We just need to have a mind to think not only to remember what is the current phase

We are not asking for dark souls like reaction time or iframes but we ask for something fresh

If they game has issues then fix it, you have enough money from endwalker and you spend it on lighting engine.. gameplay is as important as graphics

[CaptainLagbeard]

As a long time wow-player, let me tell you all:

As long as this games server ticks are a thing, you dont want to have more flexible encounter mechanics.
It would be hell.

The kind of flexibility I'd want is for that instead of just doing the same series of attacks in the same exact order, they shuffle the order they use those attacks in.
To use current fights, Acradion M3, I do believe he uses something like Raidwide, Tankbuster, Lariat, Mist, the Knockback Towers, Spin, Fuses, Lariat before his drink... Now For that first phase, he should do all those attacks, but it should use RNG to decide what order he uses them in stead of just having a completely set unchanging order.

[Arrius]

Currently it's around 2 or 3 passes until you die

I don't mind if it is 5 or 6 if it was random

We just need to have a mind to think not only to remember what is the current phase

We are not asking for dark souls like reaction time or iframes but we ask for something fresh

If they game has issues then fix it, you have enough money from endwalker and you spend it on lighting engine.. gameplay is as important as graphics

The Main Story is as balanced as it is, and coming over rather forgiving. Each MSQ Dungeon/Raid (aside the last) can be done with Trust NPC's.

For anything else, there are raids and alliance raids. Which are completely optional, but come with a higher difficulty and coordination requirement.

[Raikai]

I have been playing games since I know games exist
I would like to share How FFXIV can have less scripted fights:

1- add variants that can be manipulated
2- encounters should have decision making based on the current situation
3- rage mechanic is always scripted but with a twist.. it can manipulate variants like boss attack speed been increase, boss move in unpredicted way.. boss can change his mode between being defensive or offensive based on situation.
4- taking advantage of some jobs skills to trigger more unpredictable boss behavior.

These things are not a new thing.. it is a lack part that I feel from shadowbringers that could come back in a modern more fun more engaging way

Adding variants could go a LONG way, especially things like 'dpsbusters' or something that the healers need to pay attention to. Heck, the fact that healers can literally spreadsheet their whole healing plan says volumes about how stiff their design is. And what's even interesting about following a spreadsheet instead of improvising and thinking on the go?

I'm of the opinion that healer dpsing kits should remain with the level of complexity they have today (although I strongly disagree with a filler nuke+dot copy paste for everyone), but they need to look more to the act of healing, and by that I don't mean "give more hard hits to heal", but instead they should allow players to express their healing skills by putting their brains to work.

[Mikey_R]

The kind of flexibility I'd want is for that instead of just doing the same series of attacks in the same exact order, they shuffle the order they use those attacks in.
To use current fights, Acradion M3, I do believe he uses something like Raidwide, Tankbuster, Lariat, Mist, the Knockback Towers, Spin, Fuses, Lariat before his drink... Now For that first phase, he should do all those attacks, but it should use RNG to decide what order he uses them in stead of just having a completely set unchanging order.

There are other considerations to make. If you have scripted encounters, you can make things come off quicker or more easily combo mechanics together, whereas if they are random, you need to allow more time for the player to parse and react to what is going on.

Then there are things like casters movement capabilities. It will be harder for them to plan them all out and if they get unlucky and 2 movement heavy mechanics happen back to back, they might be forced to drop casting altogether to complete the mechanic.

This isn't to say they couldn't do it, but if they put restrictions on how often a mechanic can go off due to said factors, it can lead to fights that get more scripted as you go along as there are less places they can go. Of course, you could just ignore that and say casters just have to deal with it, but then you either potentially don't bring casters (except SMN) or you are just waiting for the run where the RNG lines up.