If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

[Feba]

What would it be? Controlling multiple characters, ala FFXII/Granado Espada? Turn based/ATB? I'm curious to see what other people would find interesting in a new battle system, although I'm sure most are fine with it as it is.

Personally, I'd go with independent Job/Character levels. Would basically eliminate having to repeat the leveling grind, and the EXP needed for 75 could be set much higher, giving people more of an opportunity to explore different areas, and swapping jobs in the fly could be interesting and useful (if accompanied by a weakness effect so it wasn't game breaking, of course)

Would also be interesting to see how people react to jobs at lower levels, such as a lv60 character with a lv3 bard in a party. Of course the character's BRD would level up very quickly, but still, would they be swinging daggers around until they were able to sing?

[Telera]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

First, I'd take out all the people. Then I'd release an offline version that you could play multi-tap/system somehow with adjustments made to reflect that.

..of course, that's only my dream. SE seems incapable (or unwilling) of making a MMO-style game that plays offline. The main reason I really play MMOs is for the create-your-avatar/freestyle of it. It sure as hell isn't for the 'social' aspect. (Read: Force everyone into a party for everything because other wise they're being antisocial!!!!11one) Very few games like that exist offline, save for TES, KotOR1/2/Planetscape/Mass Effect and so on. A handful compared to the rest of the world.

I love how XI plays, I don't like the people. I want an offline version, or an offline MMO-like FF. XII was similar in some ways, but still was a traditional FF by and large.

If I were to change anything about the battle system in this game... I'm not sure what it would be. Something to make melee more interesting. Maybe taking out auto-attack and going for a more Zelda-style. But then that'd be Zelda and not FF. ATB or the separate job/char levels sounds fun. Didn't FF3 or 5 do that? Weakness and all upon switching? Yeah, I loved that game. Let's do that.

[Feba]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

SE seems incapable (or unwilling) of making a MMO-style game that plays offline.

FFCC?

Although I agree, I'd like to see an offline version of FFXI someday. After the servers close down and it's been dead for awhile, release something with nice new graphics in a big world. Something like oblivion, an MMO, but without other people, to explore.

I also like the idea of a move engaging battle system, that's one of the big reasons I left FFXI, the battles just get boring. I don't think Zelda style would fit the series very well, KH's system is much better for doing what FF games do; and the magic casting system could be merged with the macro system to make FFXI playable.

[Mouser]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

Make it so whenever you change equipment, all job abilities and spells are locked out for 30 seconds.

Make it so melees can attack moving targets.

(Mouser, who hates gear swaps with the heat of a million suns)

[Malevolent]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

Make it so whenever you change equipment, all job abilities and spells are locked out for 30 seconds.

Make it so melees can attack moving targets.

(Mouser, who hates gear swaps with the heat of a million suns)

so you hate good benefits?? The Rdm population is going to flame you...gear swapping for them is a daily routine...and in most cases to benefit the party that would include you. Gear swapping penalties no thanks...


The battle system is fine for me right now. Its all pretty much macroed out for me...a KH style system would be fun it might make grinding a lil more less annoying. Maybe remove the interuption while casting...only for mage jobs BLM & WHM (while its the main job only...i dunno) but then the rngs would complain...It wouldn't be overpowered because the spell will still cost the same and will dmg the mob the same. But i could see that it'd make BLM soloing a lot more easier...i hardly solo on Blm...

Maybe a new HUD i know you can change the windows but i'm talking like a whole new revamp...Maybe integrate the mouse like Diablo style have the ability to assign 2 JA or your 2 hour and a JA...i wouldn't assign your 2hour...too many mishaps i foresee.


SE!!! bring back the old Sega motion ring!!! thats FFXI's new battle system. lol

[Telera]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

I thought of FFCC, but in the end it doesn't quite hit TES level of ability customization and whatnot. FFXI plays to a more similar level of TES, but online, with jobs and categories of skills under them. But offline if you want that you have to go raid Bioware or Bethesda, and pretty much very few other producers.

FFCC was a start in that direction, but it needs more, I think. Though it was graphically beautiful. Very pretty game. What I'm really wanting is a huge world like Oblivion, or Morrowind, with a completely customizable character, lots of jobs (and the ability to change them, because that's a staple of FF's) with various skills to level therein and the like. Much like XI is now, but offline, scaled to be appropriate to that, and yeah, with a more KH-esque or some form of action-like battle system as opposed to what it currently is.

I demand NMs, too, but none of that 24 hr repop/INEVERDROPYOURSTUFFZLOL nonsense. No need for that if it's an offline only game. It'd be like hiding the legendary gear in all those caves like on Morrowind, except you'd have to find the monster in said cave.. and then kill the little bugger.

[Ameroth]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

Make it so whenever you change equipment, all job abilities and spells are locked out for 30 seconds.

Make it so melees can attack moving targets.

(Mouser, who hates gear swaps with the heat of a million suns)

Yeah, RDMs shouldn't ever have any gear that doesn't reflect their sole purpose: Refreshing me.

---------

First and foremost, I'd actually adjust the PC controls to let keyboard users have control of the camera during battle like controller-users have. On a controller, you unlock from the target and you have an analog stick to rotate around for a 360degree view. On PC, you have to use the mouse which just feels clumsy most of the time.

Other than that, I'd expand on what SE gave us the last (major) version update with the /macro command. I'd like to see a way to use the /macro macro (excuse the redundancy) to select a specific macro from a set. Example: You have a ranged attack macro and you want to include gear swaps. You want to swap in bone ring +1 x2 and a feather collar +1. Uh oh, that's too many gear swaps to use in one macro. So I could have my ranged gear swap on alt 1, my melee gear swap on alt 2, and ranged macro on alt 3:

alt 1
/equip L.ring "bone ring +1"
/equip R.ring "bone ring +1"
/equip neck "feather collar +1"

alt 2
/equip L.ring "insert ring here"
/equip R.ring "insert other ring here"
/equip neck "neckpiece666"

alt 3
/macro alt1
/ra <t>
/wait 4
/macro alt2

Simple way to greatly expand the functionality of macros.

[Feba]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

I'd actually adjust the PC controls to let keyboard users have control of the camera during battle like controller-users have. On a controller, you unlock from the target and you have an analog stick to rotate around for a 360degree view. On PC, you have to use the mouse which just feels clumsy most of the time.

PROTIP: Arrow keys. Might need to toss in Shift. Either way, I used to fumble with my camera angle all the time with keyboard. I should know because because it bugs the crap out of me when the camera angles aren't JUST RIGHT in my mind.

[Ellipses]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

You can also set keys to specifically move the camera and the menu cursor separately, instead of the default camera/cursor depending on context.

There are two things that spring to mind for me.

First would increasing the available skills (along with a balancing of how base stats are handled). Have more skills per job, have racial skills, have quested skills, have skills that you keep no matter what the job, etc. Especially for melee DD. Give 'em something to do.

Second would be making more interesting job interaction. Provide skills and spells that work differently when they're used in unison. Sort of expanding the concept of Skillchains into more aspects of gameplay, or like the Corsair rolls that get better when the job in question is in the party. Make subjobs provide more than just the skills & stats of their level. Like XXX/YYY gets certain attributes/skills/etc. that ZZZ/YYY and XXX/BBB don't.

[Grizzlebeard]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

Off the top of my head, more job abilities and shorter cooldowns in general. Make every third level or so fun to reach and rewarding as opposed to waiting till 34 or 50 or 75 for a decent, class-defining ability.

Oh, and choices of camera views already after all these years.

[Omniblast]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

Reduce a lot of the timers.
Whatever that may mean, I'm being very ambiguous about it.
i.e. 2hours should be 1 hour instead. They aren't horribly game breaking and it'll be nice to see them more often.

[Ziero]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

Personally, I'd go with independent Job/Character levels. Would basically eliminate having to repeat the leveling grind, and the EXP needed for 75 could be set much higher, giving people more of an opportunity to explore different areas, and swapping jobs in the fly could be interesting and useful (if accompanied by a weakness effect so it wasn't game breaking, of course)
Would also be interesting to see how people react to jobs at lower levels, such as a lv60 character with a lv3 bard in a party. Of course the character's BRD would level up very quickly, but still, would they be swinging daggers around until they were able to sing?

I honestly don't see how that would prevent grinding. I mean yea, you'd be a 75 character, but you'd still have to lvl each job on it's own. And I doubt you'd be able to party effectively with a 75 character 3 brd in a pt full of 75/75s. It just adds uneeded complexity to a really simple and open system.

Make it so whenever you change equipment, all job abilities and spells are locked out for 30 seconds.
Make it so melees can attack moving targets.
(Mouser, who hates gear swaps with the heat of a million suns)

Saying this as a Thf, No. Saying this as a War, No. Gear has a dramatic impact on a job's effectiveness, especially when it comes to highly specific stat and ability boosting gear. Penalizing players for optimizing for every situation would be a bad idea imo.

First and foremost, I'd actually adjust the PC controls to let keyboard users have control of the camera during battle like controller-users have. On a controller, you unlock from the target and you have an analog stick to rotate around for a 360degree view. On PC, you have to use the mouse which just feels clumsy most of the time.

You can, unlock target and use the arrow keys. I do it all the time.

Other than that, I'd expand on what SE gave us the last (major) version update with the /macro command. I'd like to see a way to use the /macro macro (excuse the redundancy) to select a specific macro from a set. Example: You have a ranged attack macro and you want to include gear swaps. You want to swap in bone ring +1 x2 and a feather collar +1. Uh oh, that's too many gear swaps to use in one macro. So I could have my ranged gear swap on alt 1, my melee gear swap on alt 2, and ranged macro on alt 3:
alt 1
/equip L.ring "bone ring +1"
/equip R.ring "bone ring +1"
/equip neck "feather collar +1"
alt 2
/equip L.ring "insert ring here"
/equip R.ring "insert other ring here"
/equip neck "neckpiece666"
alt 3
/macro alt1
/ra <t>
/wait 4
/macro alt2
Simple way to greatly expand the functionality of macros.

Congratulations, you made a bot.

There are two things that spring to mind for me.
First would increasing the available skills (along with a balancing of how base stats are handled). Have more skills per job, have racial skills, have quested skills, have skills that you keep no matter what the job, etc. Especially for melee DD. Give 'em something to do.
Second would be making more interesting job interaction. Provide skills and spells that work differently when they're used in unison. Sort of expanding the concept of Skillchains into more aspects of gameplay, or like the Corsair rolls that get better when the job in question is in the party. Make subjobs provide more than just the skills & stats of their level. Like XXX/YYY gets certain attributes/skills/etc. that ZZZ/YYY and XXX/BBB don't.

Win and Win. More abilities, especially things like character specific quested ones, or customizable, more indepth merit ones, would be a great addition to this game. As well as the idea that certain subs give hidden/latent boosts to either stats, abilities or traits similar to the Latent gear...only useful. Both those ideas would add a lot more customization and uniqueness in a players build, which in addition to gear choices, would allow us to further branch off from similar players. The only difficulties with that is making each ability as useful as the others, while still being different. I'm sure there would be the min/maxers stating which builds would be the best, but that's going to happen no matter what so it would at least be cool to be given the option.

[Celeal]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

In exp/full parties, besides party vs. one mob (VT, IT), I would also like to see party vs. group of mobs --- not random link or aggro, but organize as a group, with various jobs/units within the group.

[Raydeus]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

I'd change only a few things really, I like the system for the most part.

- (Cosmetic feature) Make fights more dynamic in the way characters and monsters attack/damage each other. For instance a lvl75 character taking a hit for 1 dmg from a lvl 5 mob shouldn't have the same animation it would have if he was getting hit by a lvl 60 mob for 100dmg.

Also make attacks more fluid and upgrade collision detection to show more acurately the way characters and mobs get hit. Also show dmg like scratches and wounds on characters and armor depending on how severe the dmg taken was.

- (Battle system feature) Along with the collision detection upgrade make it so terrain has efects on battles, for instance if you are on a higher position than the mob you are attacking make so jump attacks get a bonus and in return make it so if the mob scores a crit on you you get a movement speed penalty since he is hitting your legs, also allow for players and mobs to use the terrain to allow them to perform special attacks according to the location.

Imagine a DRG in G. Citadel, I've always been annoyed by how they can perform high jumps when the ceiling is so freaking close, what if they could jump then bounce on the ceiling and get a double jump attack effect, anime style.

If the mob you are fighting has many "arms" (like a kraken) make so if you fight them in a narrow space their attack rate is reduced since they can only hit you with a few of their tentacles. Etc. etc. etc.


I could write about all this for a long time but I think those 2 examples work ok, more to come as I remember stuff.

[Shadowneko]

Re: If you could make a significant change to FFXI's battle system...

First, I'd take out all the people. Then I'd release an offline version that you could play multi-tap/system somehow with adjustments made to reflect that.

..of course, that's only my dream. SE seems incapable (or unwilling) of making a MMO-style game that plays offline. The main reason I really play MMOs is for the create-your-avatar/freestyle of it. It sure as hell isn't for the 'social' aspect. (Read: Force everyone into a party for everything because other wise they're being antisocial!!!!11one) Very few games like that exist offline, save for TES, KotOR1/2/Planetscape/Mass Effect and so on. A handful compared to the rest of the world.

I love how XI plays, I don't like the people. I want an offline version, or an offline MMO-like FF. XII was similar in some ways, but still was a traditional FF by and large.

If I were to change anything about the battle system in this game... I'm not sure what it would be. Something to make melee more interesting. Maybe taking out auto-attack and going for a more Zelda-style. But then that'd be Zelda and not FF. ATB or the separate job/char levels sounds fun. Didn't FF3 or 5 do that? Weakness and all upon switching? Yeah, I loved that game. Let's do that.

Umm ever here of FF12? As much as people won't admit it that battle system is pretty darn close to an offline FFXI. If you trun off the gambits and just try to play it's really pretty darn close!(not exactly but close!)


As for this I think I'd give players more control over their chracters but have a way the party leader can set stragity without ignoring that. If 1 player controled the entire party it would get totally boring and it wouldn't be any fun(who wants a game you can't control?). I might even add action RPG elements instead of the Auto Attack we now have(hit button and swing weapon)...well with a certian delay XD