Add Stone, Sky, Sea Completion as Savage Unlock Requirement

[Kaurhz]

I mean, it is gatekeeping. But it can also be a preparation tool. I'm trying hard to imagine how a new player might prepare for the new savage tier and the only progression path I really see is getting over-geared, watching a guide online, and slamming their heads against the current EX until they clear it. When I first started I joined a static for ARR/HW raids and even then I felt unprepared for what current savage is like.

Adding adequate and optional preparation tools like actual 3 min version of bosses as solo instance for practice would probably be out of SE's budget. My original suggestion just keeps in mind how limited the budget is.

They already have the SSS, lets use them, give people one-time completion rewards, and I'd at least have more faith in PF.

I disagree, I don't think it is gatekeeping, simply because the encounter still requires as a collective that you meet certain checks.. It would be gatekeeping if it become less about whether you as an individual are ready (whether by skill or over-gearing), and more about just exclusivity inflation for the sake of it (e.g., asking players to meet well beyond the threshold of what the SSS dummy would require.. e.g., if they tried to create a scoring system out of it.

But I otherwise do agree with you.

[Kohashi]

It's not a huge obstacle, no. Though I would still call it unnecessary. You can already control who gets the 7 other slots in your party and requiring SSS wouldn't mean that DPS checks are cleared because striking dummy uptime and savage uptime are completely different things.

The need to eliminate even the smallest possibility of friction from the game also concerns me because its likely contributing to design choices like the 2 minute window. I don't want the game to center around logging in, doing stuff as fast as possible, and then logging off. I'm sure that some may look at this post and see it as hyperbole in this situation but if raiding is so unbearable that people can't tolerate any setbacks then maybe the problem is with the content itself. Either because it's trying to cater to too many people at once (people wanting gear vs people wanting to test themselves for example) or because it's not really enjoyable in the first place.

Sure but it would also do an initial filter. It will not be perfect, but it will still be better than what we have now.

And it's not ANY setback, but most PFs are trap parties. It's unrealistic to ask for perfection, but sitting in PF and being filled with ppl that can't do any sort of rotation, and party mitigation is absolutely mind-blowing. I can tell that you have NEVER even attempted to do any savage, let alone in PF because you would not be saying any of this stuff if you actually did.

[VeyaAkemi]

Regardless of whether it is "gatekeeping" or not, I still feel it's a reasonable ask, someone who is unable to kill a stationary dummy in a safe, non-stimulating space genuinely has no business in a Savage fight, and it would ensure people are at least capable of performing their basic rotation, which is so much more than PF is usually capable of.

[PyurBlue]

Sure but it would also do an initial filter. It will not be perfect, but it will still be better than what we have now.

And it's not ANY setback, but most PFs are trap parties. It's unrealistic to ask for perfection, but sitting in PF and being filled with ppl that can't do any sort of rotation, and party mitigation is absolutely mind-blowing. I can tell that you have NEVER even attempted to do any savage, let alone in PF because you would not be saying any of this stuff if you actually did.

You can't assume that your views are universal. Yes I do PF and have PF'd multiple past savage tiers and I don't feel a need, or even a desire, for a SSS requirement. My biggest gripe with PF currently is One Player per Job because it's everywhere and I just want to play whatever job I feel like using that day. Sometimes I get a poor party, it's not the end of the world. Maybe something changed with DT savage, which I have not done, but most PF's being trap parties is not even close to my experience.

[Aidorouge]

I'm not sure a training dummy is enough when most can beat it by just mashing buttons, you'd need something that actually prepares/trains people for the actual mechanics and make them gold star that.

I would also say the unlock requirement should only bar people from joining synced party-finder/duty-finder for current Savages, since there's no reason to block off old Savages for unsync farming.