[Amele]

to clarify the title, I'm speaking primarily about 55-75 exp, endgame content is endgame content and if the rewards are competitive then it will be done (reference that kings are still fought, although the challenge rating is approaching trivial for most high tier linkshells).

In particular, since the introduction of ToAU exp areas, colibri and imps (and to a lesser extent, puks) with low stats for their levels and relatively weak combat techniques, and the sanction exp bonus (up to 15%) for maintaining control of the Astral Candescence, there has been a steady and growing trend of eschewing the traditional exp areas of the original game, as well as Rise of Zilart areas. (Chains of Promathia areas were never really utilized heavily for exp despite the potential, perhaps because access to the areas was something of a chore.)

while I very much appreciate that there are now more camps for exp in the latter half of the level ranges, these new areas are so much better in comparison to the previous content that many of the older areas are simply not being used at all.

so I was curious: does SE have plans to make more changes (beyond the ones currently made to signet) to improve the balance between AU content exp and FF/RoZ/CoP content exp? Particularly with respect to the misbalance in 'difficulty' to access suitable camp areas and the capability of monsters relative to their assigned level.

I don't really have definite suggestions on this topic myself, since it's a rather complex and sensitive subject (the easy answer of making AU monsters more powerful is probably the least desirable to the community at large) but I would like to see the question addressed by SE.

[Aksannyi]

This is a FANTASTIC question that I'd love to know the answer to. I am personally rather sick of fighting the same mobs all the time in an overcrowded zone. If we had more incentive to level somewhere other than the AU areas, I'd love it.

[Mhurron]

Originally Posted by Aksannyi

This is a FANTASTIC question that I'd love to know the answer to. I am personally rather sick of fighting the same mobs all the time in an overcrowded zone. If we had more incentive to level somewhere other than the AU areas, I'd love it.

Well to be honest, fighting the same mobs in overcrowded zones is not something ToAU added. With ToAU you're in the Mire, before you were in Bibiki Bay killing the same mobs and it was overcrowded.

Personally, I think most ToAU mobs need to be made a little harder and everything else a little easier.

[Aksannyi]

Originally Posted by Mhurron

Well to be honest, fighting the same mobs in overcrowded zones is not something ToAU added. With ToAU you're in the Mire, before you were in Bibiki Bay killing the same mobs and it was overcrowded.

Personally, I think most ToAU mobs need to be made a little harder and everything else a little easier.

Not having had a job at this level before, I wouldn't have known that. I still think it would be nice if some people would be willing to go back to CP areas and actually use Signet.

Of course, I've always been of the mindset that some xp > no xp, but I guess I'm all alone there.

Also, I'd just like to know where people camped before ToAU came out. I don't know. I'm not sure I'll ever know. It just kind of sucks that an aspect of the game has been seemingly lost forever.

[Mhurron]

Originally Posted by Aksannyi

I'd just like to know where people camped before ToAU came out. I don't know. I'm not sure I'll ever know. It just kind of sucks that an aspect of the game has been seemingly lost forever.

campsitarus.blogspot.com does list zones other then ToAU zones. Just ignore them and you'll get an idea.

[eticket109]

I'm sure they'll adjust it at one point. They already did in fact with the recent conquest/signet changes. If those changes don't draw the number of people out of ToAU that they were expecting, then I'm sure they'll make farther adjustments down the line.

[Nazo]

They said in the recent Impress Game Watch interview that they weren't happy with the abandonment of the older areas; the strengthening of signet and limiting the chocobo races to the 3 cities is part of their effort to get people to move about a bit. I'm sure they'll introduce more changes if they don't have the desired effect.

[Mazon]

My static is open to leveling wherever we need to. Be it Bibiki Bay, (which we're loving by the way. Nice squishy, suicidal Hobgoblins) as opposed to fighting those god-awful Magmatic Eruca's in Mount Zhayolim. And as this is the first time in this level range for all of us, we're having a blast just mixing it up.

We're not of the mindset that it's ToAU or nothing. But I've seen it fading away from most everybody else lately, leastways on my server.

We had Bibiki Bay all to ourselves, with the exception of a few people roaming through the zone.

I'd like more Conquest area parties to be honest. Colibri were great, fast xp and all, but it got boring... fast.

[Kael]

I'm starting to get tired of Mount Z. Crawler's myself... IDK HOW I'm ever going to afford my aketon once I get rank 10 unless I do some serious crystal turnins (plausable) or start XPing in conquest zones.

Thing is, this is my first character to 75, so, I've never seen any of the old zones that are 60+.

Guess I gotta go look em up.

[Aksannyi]

Off-topic, but Kael I like your sig.

[Kael]

Lol, thx ^_^ I photoshopped it myself. Sat my character down in Ru'lude Gardens (Wearing my full AF of course) and took some screens. Went in w/ Photoshop CS2 and cut him out of the pic (took about an hour for a good selection), added the elemental shadows, cloud background, and text and I was done ^_^.

I'm gonna make another once my black chocobo grows up and once I can wear my Weskit ^_^.

[Aksannyi]

Meh, just get Model Viewer. Much easier. :)

[Kael]

lol, that feels like cheating to me though ^_~. I like to make sigs with what my character actually has :). Though, model viewer would probably save me some photoshop work.

[Aksannyi]

I just put the gear I have on my character in model viewer and because the background is black it's much easier to cut out.

[Kael]

hahahah, yeah I just thought about that after I left my last post XD.

Probably the best way to do it, though, using the lasso tool @ 300% zoom gives a clearer cut than the magic wand ^_^.