The issue with FATEs

[RevJake]

FATEs: great idea poor implementation. It's not that they cause stupid players or that they give too much XP. The problem is that everyone is doing only that and they spawn quick enough for people to do only that. I don't blame anyone for riding the XP train and there is a certain skill required to ride that train. However, they're not fun.

The fun of FATEs is one popping up while you happen to be nearby and then you run over to help out and get some great xp for it. At least I feel like that was the point in the beta phases. at about level 35 or so, however, by the time you get to one it's usually over by the time you get there because there are 4 or 5 full parties there. This means that if you are not a AoE heavy class (SMN is a great example), you can maybe get 1 or 2 insta-cast actions off and it's over. Along with this, it is ridiculously common for there to be so many people that the mobs don't load.

[RevJake]

Everyone is calling for a nerf to them to make players stop leveling from them. I instead see 2 better alternatives: 1. Reduce their spawns: This will force players to participate in other content in between spawns and will hopefully bring back the excitement of finding them. This would also allow the XP to stay the same. 2. Double the frequency of them. This would hopefully cause the FATE parties to split up some reducing graphical lag and increasing length of the FATE so it isn't a spam fest.

I love the idea, but if this is the only way to level (as it is now) I don't think I'm going to keep playing. It's just not fun. (And seriously, after beta, I loved this game so much I was at their PAX demo everyday, bought the collector's edition, have piles of signed stuff, and have converted half my WoW guild to FFXIV. I did all of this because this game was so great until it became 'FATE grind or do nothing in game.')

[Kort]

It's not the ONLY way to level. It's just the fastest. If you don't like Fates. don't do them. Stop crying.

[Mariwanna]

Rev Jake,
I agree with you that the frequency of FATEs should be increased. It is not fun to run across the entire map, only to get there as the FATE is ending, 1-2 minutes after it began. I think there should be 3 times as many FATES with 5 times as many mobs. Most importantly, I think they should last a lot longer.

The only other thing I don't understand about your post is this "participate in other content" bit. We are doing FATES to level because the amount of quests aren't enough to level one character to 50, let alone 8, so this is not an option for anyone. Also, you say doing FATEs isn't fun. I disagree. It is a race to see who will get there first and who will be quick enough to do enough damage to get credit. Okay, who am I kidding, they aren't really fun. I have a lot more fun doing them at odd hours when I can leisurely walk up to a FATE with my trusty chocobo and complete it with 5-10 other players, not 50.

[DrEvil]

It is the only viable way to level, like it or not. There are no more quests since those have been dried up doing the first run to 50. Dungeons? I like doing them for a change of pace and do something more than you know just spam aoe. Are they viable for leveling? No, up exp maybe a little and it might. I'd welcome it.

Leve's are better saved for crafting/gathering.

What is a bother though that from 20 to 30+ you pretty much stay in quarymill for fastest/best ? exp.. dull

[RevJake]

Yea, I am on my first class still and find that by questing, doing each level appropriate instance content 1-3 times and a few levequests, I still need to fate grind some to finish each level and get new quests. And it only seems to be getting worse as I get higher in level. I actually miss the days when you needed a party to kill any mob because FATE parties are go-go-go so there's not much talking and when you do find someone kewl that you'd wanna party with again in an instance, they're almost never on the same server.

[Axlle10]

only problem with fates is that there are people that THINK they are a problem. decreasing spawn would do didly because like DrEvil said, all quests are dried up getting 1-2 classes to 50. as every single class i have never had a problem getting to a fate and doing something usually when i see it spawn or know that its there. I do agree to them lasting longer tho. would feel more immersive as a "fate" right now its just like a popup quest. I have posed this question to many others who want to nerf fates:

what do they hinder in any way shape or form from being the main leveling technique?

the answer is always going to be NOTHING. they do nothing to hinder dungeons, crafting, immersion, fun, or community well-being. If its not fates, its going to be dungeons, then when everyone screams nerf dungeons, fates will once again be the best leveling technique. then what happens? everyone scream nerf fates! the cycle begins anew.

[HarleenQuinzel]

If its not fates, its going to be dungeons, then when everyone screams nerf dungeons, fates will once again be the best leveling technique. then what happens? everyone scream nerf fates! the cycle begins anew.

Except dungeons would actually teach people to play. Currently fates give so much of just about too much of everything infact it gives something that needs to be stapled onto other things which is seals. Currently its the only viable way to get experience and the ONLY way to get seals at any sort of decent pace. Balance can happen it might not be perfect but it doesn't matter what they do it will be better than whatever they have right now. You can leave fates as being the faster way and still buff dungeons/leve quests to actually be a viable way to level. People may still cry about fates but at least it would be possible to go do something else without wasting time.

[Conkers]

Fates would be a lot a more fun (and have some of there issues solved) if they didn't have such a basic implementation.

For example, the way Rift did dynamic events was to have zone invasions / zone events, I'm thinking mainly of the ones in higher level zones like Ember Isle, Iron Pine Peaks, etc, where the event would be zone wide, so you may have three areas that needed to be defended from mobs (the event would fail if you did not defend these areas), whilst several places where you had to go close a Rift, kill a mini-boss, etc then when you had killed however many mini-bosses / rifts that you needed to that would trigger the end boss.

It made the whole thing more interesting, but also had nice side effects like splitting people up into smaller groups, and at times actually requiring communication, especially if you were playing off peak.

[Moontide]

The issue with FATEs is that it gives really high XP while
1) Not really needing to gear up
2) Not really needing to know the core mechanics of your class
3) Basing rewards on "monster tagging" and damage
4) Giving scarcely any compensation whether you're just trying to tackle the event with two players instead of twenty

IMO it's either the XP or all the rest that needs to be fixed to balance things out. I'd hate to see any more content being converted into XP piñatas instead, though at least battleleves need a serious buff.