Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

[Kailea]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

from what I understood "battle changes" meant an almost over hall of the battle system, math calculations and all.

[Etra]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

They are redoing calculations of stats mostly. Too many stats give diminishing returns when you get them in the higher levels.

Honestly, my only problem with the game is that there's no freaking way to level outside of Behest or Leves. Yeah. You can grind on mobs, but why? Do a Behest every half an hour and get over half my exp bar filled in 10 minutes is much easier. I'd rather have a constant exp gain equal to the amount you get from Behest over the 30 minutes that you have to wait again... If you understand what I mean. I just dislike doing a Behest in 10 minutes then sitting there doing nothing for 20 minutes, waiting for the next one. No one ever freaking wants to group outside of Behest, too... Not even for Leves.

[Malacite]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

from what I understood "battle changes" meant an overhaul of the battle system, math calculations and all.

ftfy.

[Kailea]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

They are redoing calculations of stats mostly. Too many stats give diminishing returns when you get them in the higher levels.

Honestly, my only problem with the game is that there's no freaking way to level outside of Behest or Leves. Yeah. You can grind on mobs, but why? Do a Behest every half an hour and get over half my exp bar filled in 10 minutes is much easier. I'd rather have a constant exp gain equal to the amount you get from Behest over the 30 minutes that you have to wait again... If you understand what I mean. I just dislike doing a Behest in 10 minutes then sitting there doing nothing for 20 minutes, waiting for the next one. No one ever freaking wants to group outside of Behest, too... Not even for Leves.

I know it is not for everyone, but I craft, I bring the tools and mats and gear for the class I am leveling, and I make stuff ;p

[jenova_9]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

Grinding mobs is still a good classic option to have for times when Behest or group leves aren't an option. At least from what I heard people can solo for XP much easier now. It might not be the best XP but it's something, right?

[Etra]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

Grinding mobs is still a good classic option to have for times when Behest or group leves aren't an option. At least from what I heard people can solo for XP much easier now. It might not be the best XP but it's something, right?

By the time you get to the camps where you need to grind, you have to turn back because Behest is about to start again. It's just a pain.

[jenova_9]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

No need to Behest everytime. Just grind until the next Behest is about to start. Some grinds, some Behests, like that.

[Taskmage]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

Except if you miss a behest, you miss out on much more experience than you get by grinding, so it's much worse.

[jenova_9]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

What is this a race? Oh well, I guess people can craft near Behest location.

[Armando]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

What is this a race?

It's a grind. An artificial gameplay experience designed to make sure your progress is slow so you stick around longer.

Most people don't enjoy them.

[Taskmage]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

What is this a race? Oh well, I guess people can craft near Behest location.

Behest and grinding are two different paths for gaining experience. If you log on to the game with a goal of gaining X levels tonight, it's natural to choose the path that allows you to reach your goal faster. By putting a huge reward on behests, and leaving limited options for passing the time between them, SE has strongly incentivized a style of play that involves being afk 2/3rds of the time. That's bad game design.

Kailea made the suggestion to craft between behest 5 posts above you, and he acknowledged that not everyone enjoys it.

[jenova_9]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

Oh ya, so then people want some teleport thingy to get to the grind spots faster? Well maybe chocobos will make travel over back and forth faster.

[Taskmage]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

That approaches a reasonable-sounding solution.

[Aeni]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

What is this a race? Oh well, I guess people can craft near Behest location.

It's not about a race but seeing progression. I played WoW for only 6 hours spread out over 2 nights (i.e., 3 hrs each night) leveling my mage which went from 1 to 32. Casually. Not racing. Just enjoying the content. That's the extreme end of progression. I do that in FFXIV and my exp bar budges 1/10 of a level. I don't feel any progression at all. That's the other extreme of progression. Somewhere in the middle lies a happy medium. What's wrong with that?

---------- Post added at 10:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:38 PM ----------

My gripe is as follows:

I can understand the need for grouping in Behest. And also for leves. That's not the issue.

However, practically every other MMO rewards experience for completing quests. Not so in FFXIV. Quest completion nets you some gil or a useless item. I'm currently sitting on 8 million gils with nothing to buy that's appropriate to my rank. I can practically craft or repair most anything that I could wear or just purchase them on a bazaar for a good deal.

They need to revamp quests so that it rewards experience and not money or items. Leves already rewards money and items AND experience. The problem is that it requires a group to get the most out of it because solo completion sometimes can be worse than solo grinding and at best still about 1/10 the experience gained from a single Behest. Don't even get me started on Guardian Favor ... slow regeneration of the points means that once depleted you can only get bonus on 2 leves a day for experience gained.

And crafting only gains experience for that particular skill but not for the skill you really want experience in. Unless you're talking about leveling your physical level ... which isn't even a challenge to do so it's not worth talking about here.

[Kailea]

Re: Letter from the Producer, IX (05/02/2011)

I also am taking FFXIV in a very casual way, not careing about speed or goals or really anything at this moment.

I was excited that I got my second Retainer and opened 2 booths side by side, selling my first wares last night..... LS though I was a little off ;p