First impressions, good but dying game?

[Sebastien]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

That's not true. I've tasted high level help. And I don't like it; it's boring. I pay to play this game.. so I prefer to, you know, play it. Sounds like some other posters in this thread feel similarly. It's not that I think there is some moral imperative to never receive any help from a high level friend. It's just that.. I remember some of these things and places being great fun, and so I prefer not the sacrifice that if I don't have to.

[little ninja]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

That's not true. I've tasted high level help. And I don't like it; it's boring. I pay to play this game.. so I prefer to, you know, play it. Sounds like some other posters in this thread feel similarly. It's not that I think there is some moral imperative to never receive any help from a high level friend. It's just that.. I remember some of these things and places being great fun, and so I prefer not the sacrifice that if I don't have to.

Thats what alot of people say til you ask them about it. Nobody wants to be assisted by high lvlers all the time. But nobody will refuse it either.

Im an old man in FFXI sense. I have been around since beta. I remember weeks of constant shouts in jeuno an going to Elde to shout. Just to move back to jeuno to shout again. All for a stupid quest item. And then again for a stupid key. You dont see this anymore due to people reling on high lvl help from their shell. or pulling out there own high lvl job. Once i got nin to 75 i soloed all my bst af, the rest of my war an drk Af.

[Sebastien]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

Well, I don't agree with your generalization of *everybody*. I've turned down high level help many times. So there is at least one person out there, about whom you are wrong.

[Raydeus]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

If end game gear wasn't so stupidly time consuming people would be able to focus on leveling other jobs (and making new friends while doing it) rather than spending 2-3 years in End-Game-Drama-Land trying to get a Relic or full AF for just ONE job.

Nowadays it seems most people only lvl another job to get done stuff they can't with their main (like me possibly leveling BLM and BRD to get ZM and other stuff done since I can't as RDM / PLD).

That's the only aspect of XI that really pisses me off.

[Malacite]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

This is why I've barely touched end-game.

I'm going mad just deciding what job I want to do next!

[little ninja]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

Well, I don't agree with your generalization of *everybody*. I've turned down high level help many times. So there is at least one person out there, about whom you are wrong.

Your one of the few then.

[Legal Fish]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

You'd be surprised how fun the game becomes if people would stop doing Dynamis, and instead focus on things like Assaults, the Ashu Talif quests, and Limbus... all of which are more rewarding and less time consuming than Dynamis. Throw in Sky, Sea, and pop NMs for additional fun.

All this without ever camping a single NM.

[little ninja]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

You'd be surprised how fun the game becomes if people would stop doing Dynamis, and instead focus on things like Assaults, the Ashu Talif quests, and Limbus... all of which are more rewarding and less time consuming than Dynamis. Throw in Sky, Sea, and pop NMs for additional fun.
All this without ever camping a single NM.

More ways to get AF2 or coins. You wouldn't see many more shells in Dynamis. I want my full Bst set an Nin af body. 3 zillion runs, i've all but given up.

[Jei]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

Dynamis is just another activities. It's not bad by itself. But if you do only it, over and over, everyone becomes boring.
My last LS I was in did tons of stuff. Dynamis once a weeks is just a small little part of the activities you can do. Diversity is the key to have fun.

[DR2D2]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

Dynamis is just another activities. It's not bad by itself. But if you do only it, over and over, everyone becomes boring.
My last LS I was in did tons of stuff. Dynamis once a weeks is just a small little part of the activities you can do. Diversity is the key to have fun.

That sounds like the LS im in now. We make it a point to do either a garrison or "eco-warrior" quest each week(some weeks we will do mult eco and garrison runs(when possible). I am one of the people that would rather solo something than try to ask for help(except in the LS). I am also someone who looks for the less popular zones(as it is easier to get mobs and even nm's) so I always try to get people together for odd ball zones(such as trying to get an exp party at lvl 40 to goto Beaceudine Glacer). To me that is what makes the game fun and worth spending 13$ a month on.

[Karinya]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

Dynamis is just another activities. It's not bad by itself. But if you do only it, over and over, everyone becomes boring.
My last LS I was in did tons of stuff. Dynamis once a weeks is just a small little part of the activities you can do. Diversity is the key to have fun.

To be fair, I think SE knows this, and it's why they put timer restrictions on some content. If people tried to do Dynamis 7 nights a week they would drive themselves insane and quit the game. But they don't - because they can't. SE limits the dosage. That's also why you get a limited amount of Assault tags and can save them up - to encourage doing 3-4 assaults in one night once or twice a week, so you have other nights free for other activities.

Between 2 nights a week of Dynamis, 2 of Limbus, 2 of Assault (normal and/or Nyzul), 1-2 of Salvage, plus sky and sea popped HNMs, we're already well over 7 nights per week, and that's not even counting any camped NM/HNM, some exp/merit to recoup your deaths, Garrison, Besieged, etc. The main limitation on endgame content is the players' available time.


Although I disagree with the characterization of Dynamis as "less rewarding", unless of course you're a BLU, COR or PUP. Doesn't that sort of depend on whether or not you already *have* all the Dynamis rewards? I wouldn't trade my Duelist's Chapeau for any other hat in the game (except D.Chapeau+1) - and as much as I want, say, Nashira pants, if I didn't have D.Chap already I'd consider it a higher priority. Some of the CoP dynamis accessories are really good, too (wyrm belt anyone?)

It may depend on your job, too, though. I haven't compared the desirability of AF2 vs. AF+1/homam/nashira, or sky abjs/drops, or jailer drops, for all 18 jobs. But most jobs have at least something significant to gain from each of those areas (except TAU jobs in Dynamis; they *do* get something from Limbus, although less than other jobs), and the "more rewarding" ones are the ones you don't have yet.

The only content that can be honestly described as "less rewarding" IMO is the camped mobs, where you can stand around all night just to be outclaimed and nobody in your LS gets anything. That's really not worthwhile unless you and all your friends already have everything you could possibly want from all other L75 content, IMO; but that's why I don't do those HNMs. Now that a camped mob is no longer the gateway to Byakko and Kirin, there's *lots* of stuff you can do without ever touching one. Enough to keep most people busy for *years*.

If all you do is Dynamis and merit, you'll probably be bored - but it's your own decision not to try any of the other high-level content. Don't throw away food and then complain that you're hungry.

[Legal Fish]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

To me, more than one Dynamis a week is too much, and most people go twice a week(which I do). It's not that it isn't rewarding, I guess, it's just so damn boring. And I go with 18-28 with usually 4 to 6 BLMs, so it's not like I don't have my place in it. Maybe it's how dark things are in their for my PC or something. Maybe it's just because I've been doing it for about 3+ years now? Then again, I don't find ranked missions or Sky boring either.

Oh and about high-level help: Sometimes it's funner to duo something that usually takes 6+ people of a lower level. I had some fun soloing San d'Oria 6-1 and trio-ing San d'Oria 6-2.

[BurningPanther]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

Rank and (most)story missions always seem like fun to me. The objective makes the interaction between players somewhat lighthearted, the opponents are challenging without being oppressively difficult, and they are defeatable, without being mindlessly easy. The stress on one's mind is only moderate, making it enjoyable, which is the way it ought to be.

[brentkid]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

I've been playing since NA release on the PC but recently quit but back again >.>.

Anyway, I've started over and can say that yeah, the lower levels are kinda dead. I guess that's a natural progression of this game. Since the amount of new players declined, those who were previously at the low levels have progressed to the higher ones. It sucks, but there are still people that level new jobs. It's just unfortunate for anyone who starts now. It's a little harder until you get into the thirties or so.

But this doesn't mean the game is dead. At the higher levels, there are tons and tons of people playing. Honestly, I hear more people that are planning to come back than I do of people saying they're throwing the towel in.

So despite it being harder to get started now, it's not that bad. There's always going to be people starting a new job that will have to go through the Dunes and all again, it just takes a little more effort to level. I don't think anyone should get discouraged by that, because there's always going to be people willing to help out others.

[Legal Fish]

Re: First impressions, good but dying game?

Holiday Events are still very popular, they are actually becoming more popular than they were for awhile(during CoP for example). I think that's a clear sign the game isn't dying, when people are wasting their time in masses because something is new.