[Huck]

I'm frustrated with this game.

I started playing at the NA launch after being an active researcher online since it was released in Japan, I had my 2nd job almost to 70 when the cap raised to 75.
I quit playing that char, and was done with FFXI about the time TAU came out.

It used to be hard to gain levels, but...
Signet bonuses- This alone makes it possible to solo, I was able to chain EM ~30 as a galka MNK.
Exp from EP~DC- they threw this in on top of that, what used to be like 12exp, now gives you 60??! Why fight DC or EM?
Exp Rings- Killing EP should not give me 100+ exp >< Especially if it's a BST pet.
Fields of Valour- So I can mow down EP for more than 25exp, and then get almost 1000 free exp (depending on lv)
Level Sync- Even if I didn't want to solo, I can join lv20 PT killing worms in Qufim and stay there indefinately.
/DNC- I can use drain samba, go afk while bashing an EP- and come back with more HP than I started... and Waltz TP..

The bar has been lowered so far, to not leave anyone behind... that we're all missing out on the challenge.

I basically have been soloing... MNK73 now.
I never rest, I mow things down... when I do join parties I am filled with rage and frustration.

No one knows shit anymore, People look everything up. It's like an open book test and people still fail.
LevelSync reminds me of Diablo II, cows or baal runs. Of all the camps we used to camp... skill was partly knowing where to camp, now- people look it up, and everyone is partied in the same place. I find my knowledge-base useless, because even if I am trying to teach someone, it's easier to find a person of the level we want to be at the 'pop area' wherever google says to go. People are ignorant. I enjoyed moving around, seeking new expgrounds whenever you grew too big. Leveling now is confined to the most convienent place. Most zones remain unexplored, or even unentered, unless for a quest/mission... it's really sad that today's generation is missing out on so much of the gameplay I found most enjoyable.


Nobody knows much about FFXIV so far, just speculations... I'm afraid of the 'casual-gamer', I'm afraid of finding myself as the casual gamer in the future, and seeing someone extremely progressed and thinking they have too much time on their hands. I remember viewing them with honor and respect, someone skilled... but I can't anymore. By making FFXI easy as hell, it's really taken away a lot of the pride.

"waah! I've wasted 3 hours LFG sitting in jeuno!"- You don't have to sit in town.. Get this- kill something you can solo for small exp, that drops stuff you can be farming. Craft, do Quests, fish. There's also that chance that maybe you're a tool who shouts a lot, I would see someone LFG that I know is a moron, and even tho the pt may need that job- I'd rather wait 5/6 for something else.

The difficulty curve used to be my best friend, it would keep the cream at the top... now the whole batch seems like bad milk, but maybe that's just Remora.


I'm pretty sure SE knows what they're doing, I'd have a hard time starting a 7year-old game new with no advantage to the people that have been playing since launch. Sadly, it's a fact that the handicap helped me out tremendously in starting over, but it's not fair to say that this is the same game it was 5 years ago.

I am excited for the challenges of FFXIV, I hope it will be rewardingly difficult at launch. They'll have plenty of time to dumb it down over the years again.

[Amberly]

/em passes Huck his inhaler.

/end rant

and

RAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!one 11!one!!


I had to get those out of the way. I 1/2 argee with you on some things but overall I like the way it turned out. Level sync was a great idea and I hope they expand on it due to friends wanting to lvl together yet not being able to b/c of a lvl gap difference.

Glass 1/2 full man. Glass 1/2 full.

[Kailea]

Originally Posted by Huck

QQ

....ssooooo..... they fix the game in many different ways, and make over all "playing together" easier, (by the way playing together is suppose to be a main point of an MMORPG) and added many new things, and you bitch? I have played since PC launch as well, and went though all the changes and the loldrg BS and "nerfs" but do I bitch? no, why? because its still fun.


The game is still hard in the places it needs to be, and is over all fun.

Now I will admit there are still things that could use some work... like Rare/EX drop rates on some things and the like, but since FFXIV is coming out soon, I done really care much anymore, just going to play it slow on FFXI till FFXIV comes out.

and no this is not the same game from five or hell even three years ago, its better.

[Armando]

Sorry but I don't want a game to be hard just for the sake of being hard. There is a difference between difficulty and challenge. Barring BST, which naturally soloes at a higher efficiency level, soloing before was a horribly difficult ordeal - purely due to being about as rewarding as walking around trying to find pennies. There was no challenge there, just an insane and mind-blowing test of patience.

There is no reason to punish players that way.

I agree that ToAU brought about some bad trends among the community but in general the game becoming more solo friendly is a VERY GOOD THING. Parties are still much better, BSTs still solo better, but at least everyone else doesn't have to conform to an awesome ZERO XP/HOUR when waiting for parties.

EDIT: Also, nostalgia is a big factor in all of this. People were just as clueless back then as they are now. Overhunting was the norm, and there was less knowledge about how to gear up properly or be efficient. The playerbase hasn't gotten more clueless. What's changed is the trends.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Oh look, nerd rage topic. Wish I had time to read it all. Seriously, I wish I did, but after you ranting against the sensible design decisions made I feel I really don't need to.

[Durahansolo]

Originally Posted by Amberly

Glass 1/2 full man. Glass 1/2 full.

I agree Amberly, Huck's post is borderline "Back in my day....we used to walk to Jeuno in 20 feet of snow in triple ice weatherish." Although I agree with some of what he is saying, I can only attest that I like it better now than when I started playing it in 2006.

Level sync has its goods: Allows you to play with others that you normally couldn't because your level is too high. I mean everybody knows that feeling when you get to a zone that you know after you get to a certain level, and 1 person is in your party that is two levels higher levelsup, your XP is dead. Sync fixes that so when you hit 37 in garliage and everybody else is 35, you can sync down and keep partying.

I wish Level Sync would've been implimented back when I was leveling Warrior. I had to stop leveling Warrior around 40ish so I could farm gil to buy Shihei to level Ninja. Man...I was broke as hell. Then when I leveled it I only took it up to about 32. Went back when I got low Warrior to 60s to get the other 5 levels.

With that being said I thought that exact same thing he said about the worms in Qufim when I was partying on Saturday. It was so easy and the XP was so quick I said ya'know if I could get another party like this on Sunday I'd do it again even though my DRK is 25. Would I take a Yuhtunga party at 25? SHUR! Would I take a Yhoat party? Hell no lmao. I'd rather go back to qufim.

[Sekighara]

Well OMGWTFBBQKitten let me save you some time

It to easy to get experience.

People use guides as crutches instead of explorering.

- People refuse to leave proven camps because of guide
- People do not bothering remembering detailed facts

FFXVI is all speculation right but he is afraid of the causal gamer mentality.

People looking for people stop QQing in town lfp because there are other events

The players are worst now and before they were some how not.

I am looking forward to FFXVI because it will be new and no guides for people to refer to.


My only agreement with what he said is the lfp. It is true that does happen alot, but in their defense after the 16th rejection you would like some help. When I play on the weekends I am in the JP prime which as many can imagine is hard as crap getting a party being an english speaker.But you can deal I usually find a japanese player that can semi understand me and ask them to ask people that I find to be in party. They come see me in it after rejecting me. Say partial insults about kicking me if I do anything wrong over party since I supposedly can't read it (I remember the negative parts of the writing). Then we go off and party and pull my weight and some of theres and then they lighten up. Should other players do this. Hell no, getting rejected 15 times because oh english speaker should not be dealt with so if they are going to lfp all power to them I tend to invite people I know have been waiting for awhile. Casual gamers can just be as good as hard core nuts, best player I have ever played against in street fight doesn't even own the system or game. Don't group everyone together because you some how feel superior because you had to walk up hill both ways in the snow at Xarcabard because chap I did too and some of us old players can't get use to change which is just as annoying as players that semi know what they are doing.

[Vadrace]

Originally Posted by Armando

Sorry but I don't want a game to be hard just for the sake of being hard. There is a difference between difficulty and challenge. Barring BST, which naturally soloes at a higher efficiency level, soloing before was a horribly difficult ordeal - purely due to being about as rewarding as walking around trying to find pennies. There was no challenge there, just an insane and mind-blowing test of patience.

There is no reason to punish players that way.

I agree that ToAU brought about some bad trends among the community but in general the game becoming more solo friendly is a VERY GOOD THING. Parties are still much better, BSTs still solo better, but at least everyone else doesn't have to conform to an awesome ZERO XP/HOUR when waiting for parties.

EDIT: Also, nostalgia is a big factor in all of this. People were just as clueless back then as they are now. Overhunting was the norm, and there was less knowledge about how to gear up properly or be efficient. The playerbase hasn't gotten more clueless. What's changed is the trends.

I've played off and on. Mostly because my statics usually fall apart because a couple guys get tired of being the guys that holds everyone back, so they quit. The small group changes, and then level sync have made it amazingly easier to let people do whatever, and then group up later when everyone is on. The flexibility there is amazing. You still aren't out there soloing 6 levels a night or whatever (I mean, FoV stuff is only once every 45 minutes or something like that) but the fact that you aren't sitting in Jeuno or whatever, with your flag up, watching a movie while you wait to play is beyond awesome.

And the trends thing is SO true. Everytime I come back, there is some new fad going on. Luckily, I haz internets. :D

I have always loved FFXI, and it wasn't because I hated the game that I continually kept coming and going, but the lack of flexibility beforehand.

One thing I read, which I hope is true, that they are getting rid of the god awful PlayOnline viewer.

[Kaziel0]

Originally Posted by Vadrace

One thing I read, which I hope is true, that they are getting rid of the god awful PlayOnline viewer.

You heard correctly, friend. POL Viewer is going the way of the dinosaur! Huzzah!

[Feba]

Wait, wait, guys.

Originally Posted by Huck

I started playing at the NA launch after being an active researcher online since it was released in Japan,

Originally Posted by Huck

No one knows shit anymore, People look everything up.

[Durahansolo]

Originally Posted by Feba

Wait, wait, guys.

Where's that 1000x Thanks when you need it?

[Kailea]

Besides whats wrong with looking stuff up you dont know?


"Hey we are about to fight that dragon for 2-3 you coming?"

"oh ok.. never fought him before going to look him up to see if i need to watch out for anything"

*fights*

Victory!


ok.... what was sooooo wrong about that? ;p

I find the above much more desirable then that same person running into the fight, yelling LEROY JENKINS! and killing everyone.

[Vadrace]

That is pretty hilarious Feba.

[Kaziel0]

While there's certainly pride in learning a fight on your own, there's a huge difference between reading about a fight and being able to do it. Just because I look up how a fight will go doesn't mean that we'll still be able to do it easily. It just means we won't be shocked at something coming out of the blue. Having foreknowledge doesn't mean that those players are any less skilled. It just means we have less death in the process of an encounter. If you define something as being hard because they were killed by things that they didn't know were coming then we are starting from vastly different points in the first place. Something is hard because it represents a challenge to the players, not because they didn't know that it would do a certain attack at 50% health, or whatever and wipe the group.

[Raydeus]

So many things to say, but sadly I don't have that much time to waste.

SE has said XIV will be way more casual-player friendly.

And being a player who works a lot and has only 2-ish hours a day to play on weekdays (with the census average playtime being a little more than 2 hours) that's all I need to know for now.