Rewarding Skill, Emphasizing Risk/Reward, Current SP Problems and How to Fix it

[Royal]

The last point in the OP (single claim is boring) is also being addressed with the claim system.

[Rentahamster]

Ah yes, that's true.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/286

Props again to the dev team. I hope they get the claiming and rewards system right to prevent griefing and kill-stealing, but that is a discussion for a different thread

[dev1026] Changes to Claiming and Engaging Enemies

* This feature, planned for patch 1.19, is still in development, and therefore subject to change.

• Patch 1.19 will see changes to both the claiming and engaging of enemies.

  Currently, when a player claims and engages an enemy, they can earn experience points and loot, as well as credit for quest objectives, upon defeating the enemy. However, a player can only engage and hold claim over one enemy (or group of enemies) at a time as the system does not allow players to engage multiple enemy groups simultaneously.
  
  In order to address the above issue, as well as several others, the following changes will be made.

  • Claiming and Engaging Enemies

    Players will be able to attack any enemy*. However, only the player (or party that the player is in) that initiates the first attack on the enemy will earn the rewards.
    
    * Only players that are participating in levequests, or in behests, can engage enemies that are specific to those battles.

  • The color of an enemy’s name will indicate whether or not you will be granted the rewards upon defeating it.
    • If the name of the enemy is red, you or your party will earn the rewards.
    • If the name of the enemy is purple, another player or party will earn the rewards.
      
      An enemy’s name will appear in orange if it is unclaimed, but is attacking another player.
      * Once you have engaged the enemy, you or your party will earn its reward.
  • Claim on an enemy will be lost under the following conditions:
    • If the party that initially claimed the enemy is defeated.
    • If a claimed enemy returns to its territory.