Level Sync feels worse every expansion

[Atreus]

I feel as though I've seen more discussion about level syncing since Endwalker and Dawntrail where people, in higher numbers, are thinking "wow, level syncing is feeling worse and worse", and I agree.

The experience of level syncing changes for each job and for each level bracket to the point that I have zero interest in doing most roulettes or older content, and I know I'm not alone. The restriction of job abilities makes old content extremely unfun and clunky.

Some examples of discussions held recently on this subject, obviously only scratching the surface:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxivdiscus...rked_it_sucks/

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxivdiscus...d_more_boring/

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxivdiscus...on_level_sync/


The concerns, and my responses

• Balance: jobs keeping their abilities when synced down will trivialize that content.
  
  It already doesn't exist between jobs when synced and each job has a vastly different experience when syncing, ranging from "passable" to "jesus this sucks". Also, almost all old content is faceroll at this point due to the massive gap between required item level and the sync cap.
  
  
• Culture: may breed toxicity toward players who are not synced or create an environment where they feel they are not contributing.
  
  You can't predict this, nor can you really account for it when trying to create a potentially more fun game experience. Again, balancing efforts are needed, but I do not see anything changing culturally. Just go to /r/TalesFromDF.

The most valid concern here, in my opinion, is the balancing aspect. You cannot just allow all abilities for jobs when synced down without some form of compensation. Many ideas have been discussed and the following bullets are individual and independent solutions, not to be combined.


Solutions that have been discussed

1. Reorganize abilities so that every job has the mainframe of their kit by level 50 (HIGH EFFORT)
   
   
2. Allow job abilities while syncing, and introduce traits that only activate when syncing, similar to the "Mastery" traits that increase potencies. The objective of these sync traits would be to cull the potencies of certain high-level abilities (HIGH EFFORT)
   
   
3. Allow job abilities while syncing, and severely cut the item level gap between what's required to complete a duty and what the cap is for that duty (LOW EFFORT, easiest method of testing and needs to happen anyway)

I recommend diving into the threads posted above, as they are filled with different perspectives and solutions that expand far beyond what I'm able to fit here.

All in all, I implore SquareEnix to revisit this system.

[Atreus]

Follow-up concerns

• What about the new player experience?
  
  This isn't meant to hinder that experience or trivialize it. It's meant to create a better experience for older players jumping into roulettes, to make it more enjoyable and in the long run encourage more participation in those activities.

• Just don't do old content then?
  
  Okay. You could tell people that, or we could find a solution that's fun for everyone.

• Solution #1 doesn't account for anything pre-50, and what do you consider "mainframe" anyway?
  
  It's my least-favorite solution.

• This is going to ruin Ultimates!
  
  No it won't, because this content should be exempt from any reform I'm proposing. It's been made clear that Ultimates should remain challenging as intended and should remain at the cap they were intended. I have absolutely NO desire to take that away from anyone.

[Collin_Sky]

Follow-up concerns

This is going to ruin Ultimates!

No it won't, because this content should be exempt from any reform I'm proposing. It's been made clear that Ultimates should remain challenging as intended and should remain at the cap they were intended. I have absolutely NO desire to take that away from anyone.

Old ultimates are already ruined, so a change like this wouldn't make any difference. If anything, ultimates need the unreal treatment and syncing up to 100.

[Wasselin]

I think it's fun to experience the jobs the way they were at the level when the content first released. It's like going on a trip down memory lane.

I play a healer though, so I don't have the muscle memory of a strict rotation to deal with in older content.

Still I just wanted to chime in to say that I like it the way it is, because it wouldn't make sense to me to be spamming Glare IV in Satasha.

[Daralii]

I think it's fun to experience the jobs the way they were at the level when the content first released. It's like going on a trip down memory lane.

I play a healer though, so I don't have the muscle memory of a strict rotation to deal with in older content.

Still I just wanted to chime in to say that I like it the way it is, because it wouldn't make sense to me to be spamming Glare IV in Satasha.

Jobs at 60 in 2015 were completely different from jobs synced to 60 in 2025. Something like SCH has probably lost 4 core rotational spells, most have had their upkeep buffs/debuffs completely removed, and plenty have had core mechanics revised multiple times or outright removed.

[Commander_Justitia]

Jobs at 60 in 2015 were completely different from jobs synced to 60 in 2025. Something like SCH has probably lost 4 core rotational spells, most have had their upkeep buffs/debuffs completely removed, and plenty have had core mechanics revised multiple times or outright removed.

They massacred that boy. Shadowflare dotspread was very satisfying as healer. Squadron NPCs are mocking you, they are still using those skills.

I also loved monk during heavensward. How you were so fast, that is was almost broken when you got a buffed arrow from your favorite ast and clipping GCDs...How you had to manage greased lightning stacks and TP. I was happy not having rate utility besides mantra, I didn't want raid buffs for a glorified burst window every 2 or 3min. Just letting it be a high single target damage dealer with positionals, a cool aura and tons of off globals to press at once.

[Atreus]

Jobs at 60 in 2015 were completely different from jobs synced to 60 in 2025. Something like SCH has probably lost 4 core rotational spells, most have had their upkeep buffs/debuffs completely removed, and plenty have had core mechanics revised multiple times or outright removed.

Hugely agree with this statement. Jobs are absolutely not the same synced now as they were on content release going all the way back to ARR. With every job rework or redesign, SE cobbles something together to make them "serviceable" in different levels. As others have reported, newly released jobs tend to feel even worse.

You'll never know what ARR was like until you're forced to Flash groups of mobs for hate and you had no AoE damage.

[Valence]

Jobs at 60 in 2015 were completely different from jobs synced to 60 in 2025. Something like SCH has probably lost 4 core rotational spells, most have had their upkeep buffs/debuffs completely removed, and plenty have had core mechanics revised multiple times or outright removed.

Remember how you had 2 full hotbars at lvl35 back then? 3 at max level (60)?
Even sastasha had you with more tools than you currently get at lvl 30 those days.
And that's without even mentioning the old battle system, because MP and aggro was damn relevant in there too.

[Atreus]

Then don't do level sync content?

Roulettes are fine; there's more than enough people who want to do them even if you don't.

Follow-up concerns

• Just don't do old content then?
  
  Okay. You could tell people that, or we could find a solution that's fun for everyone.

Hey it's like I predicted that exact response.

I already stopped doing it for the most part. Doesn't mean the system can't be made better. There being "enough people already doing it" doesn't really mean anything.

[Fynlar]

Okay. You could tell people that, or we could find a solution that's fun for everyone.

Try to please everyone and you will likely end up with something that pleases nobody.

Just accept that not all content is meant for you, like I have had to with savages and ultimates.