Another Q&A Session with SquareEnix by Bercus

[FortMan]

Re: Another Q&A Session with SquareEnix

Question 11:
The CoP expansion brought Dynamis-Valkurm, Dynamis-Buburimu, Dynamis-Qufim, and Dynamis-Tavnazia to the game. These dynamis areas have extremely low drop rates for dynamis currency, used to upgrade relic weapons. Can the drop rate for dynamis currency ever be made higher for these difficult-to-reach areas?

A11:
With the 6th Vana’diel Census*, we disclosed the number or Relics for the very first time.
The result was almost what we expected.
In other words, from the beginning, the concept of Relics was to not be obtained by many users.

They completely missed (or avoided) the point here. It's not about getting relics easier. Just like with Dyna-Tav, the drop rates of everything in CoP Dynamis areas is crap. It's not worth the crap drop rate to spend multiple hours and tons of money doing a CoP Dynamis. They need to either raise the currency drop rate (to something at least in the ballpark of non-CoP areas which have about a 2000% higher drop rate) or they need to make the gear actually drop.

It's not worth it for most shells to dish out 1M gil just to go get 30 currency, 2-3 Relic-1, 1-2 AF.

Now, to be fair, while I agree that CoP Dynamis should have better drop rate, the question only covers currency. To me, it doesn't look like they avoided the point, just didn't expand the answer beyond the scope of the question. IMHO, the question should cover AF2 issue also.

[Akashimo]

Re: Bercus gets answers

1) SE says they want to grant rewards based on effort.

The reality is that the rewards are most often based on luck.

Given the "effort" involved in end-game activities, I'm simply not interested. Because I know that my effort will be a waste of time.

2) SE wants players to work cooperatively in groups.

SE makes changes to "encourage" players to play together and yet doesn't make it any easier for them to do so.

1) Main reason I stopped farming and camping nms. Majority of the time, I come out short from costs of consumables and AH taxes over what it took to get the items. Or at times, anything I don't put effort in.... randomly i get something sweet.......
2)Major issue these days, espically with how engamers are. Like the search comments are just too short to get out what you are as a job are able to do, don't want to do and can't do. /seacom with three lines aren't enough.... Then there comes people who leave a party to make it diffucult to continue and have to play q & a with reps, espically hassle with ones slow to responde or are just plain afk....

[Bercus]

Re: Another Q&A Session with SquareEnix

Check the Version Update....
Almost everything important seemed to have changed.

The conditions for certain Notorious Monsters to appear, as well as certain treasure drops, have been adjusted in the following manner:

- The method for obtaining the items listed below has been adjusted.
The monsters that dropped these items now have a chance of dropping an EX/Rare item with the exact same attributes.

Fuma Kyahan/Speed Belt/Ochiudo's Kote/Strider Boots/Healing Staff/Eurytos' Bow/Cross-Counters

- The Notorious Monsters listed below now require a certain item to be traded in a certain location in order to appear.

Big Bomb/Alkyoneus/Pallas/Sozu Rogberry/Ullikummi

- The items listed below can now be obtained through different methods.

Cassie Earring/Serket Ring/Juggernaut
*The Juggernaut will still also drop from the usual monster, but at a lower probability.

- The “Lock of Siren's Hair” will be removed from the treasure dropped by the following Notorious Monsters.

Voll the Sharkfinned/Zuug the Shoreleaper/Pahh the Gullcaller/Worr the Clawfisted
*In accordance with this change, the drop rate of this item from monsters other than the four mentioned above will be increased.

- An item to replace the “Kraken Club” has been added to the treasure dropped by the “Lord of Onzozo.”

- Certain items obtained from the Notorious Monsters holding the “Virtues” in Lumoria will now drop with 100% probability.

[Drive]

Re: Another Q&A Session with SquareEnix

Check the Version Update....
Almost everything important seemed to have changed.

Yeah, all they have to do now(for me anyway) is improve the way to replay cutscenes.

[Omniblast]

Re: Bercus gets answers

Others want graphical improvements, drop support for the PS2, a windowed mode and the like. They also believe these should be SE's main focus. When they don't do exactly what they want, they declare SE doesn't care about anyone.

Wohoo hey that's me! I made teh list!

If I really cared that SE didn't care about us, I would have stopped my subscription long ago. So by subscribing you could say that I'm relatively optimistic.

Just think about it this way. People that stopped paying, pessimistic about things.
People that continue to pay, optimistic about things.

EDIT: Woah just read Bercus' post. Nice!

[Mhurron]

Re: Bercus gets answers

Then what do you think are problems for the other people Mhurron?

Everyone is always going to have a complaint about something. It's both human nature and an unfortunate side effect of games pulling in a lot of children and other immature people.

Now some of them are legitimate gripes, others aren't. However none are more important then others (unless you're talking about a problem causing crashes or data loss), but realizing that seems to be a problem for lot's of people.

On top of that, most players have no clue what goes in to changing something that essentially must remain a stable, 24h operation. Changes aren't made on a whim. They have to be tested against a significant number of variables. They have to be weighted regards how critical they are, and the returns in relation to the amount of effort required to implement the change. There is a reason they don't just throw in chocobo racing, change all jobs, do a windower, push out all ToAU missions and whatnot at once.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Bercus gets answers

Anyway, the cat's out of the bag. (haha) To salvage this, how would you suggest the Q&A e-mail interview with be conducted? Take a question as example, and explain to those of us not familiar with journalism about why it's bad, and how it may be better worded?

I'll go with something really easy and even are a pair of untainted questions:

Are there any plans to add weapons equivalent or better than the Ridill sword dropped by the 21-24 hour NM Fafnir? Are any equivalent weapons going to be added that can be utilized by other jobs, as Ridills are primarily used only by Warriors?

OK, first off, check the new Assault area optimism at the door, we're not quite sure how that pans out yet. Let's just look at these questions as they are before update.

Asking if there were plans for an equivalent to Ridill? Fair enough, its very hard to get.

Asking if they'd make this equivalent usable by other classes?

As an interviewer, again, you do a little research before asking things. Ridill is a Falchion-type sword - BST DRK RNG SAM THF WAR BLU can use that type of sword at present. The only class of all those job without access to Ridill is BLU.

So I'd rephrase the question in the context of BLU and then raise another question of my own: "Are there any plans to add any of the three new jobs to the non-abjuration RoZ endgame equipment and weapons?"

Simply asking if a "Ridill equivalent" would be added for other classes is an obvious "No." I would have asked in context to BLU. As it stands, however, I would have just discarded the original second question and its answer unless it had some context to another question in the story. Otherwise, I'd keep it in my notes and save it for a reader that inquired, but that's about it.

Additionally, I would remove the selective bolding of various statements in an interview. these encourage the reader to skip around and can prevent them from grasping the full context of a statement. Even if it is an important point, you risk sensationalizing it a bit (or over-sensationalizing with clear negative intent in Yearg's case).


Final point, bad spelling all over the post on BG, that's the forth and final cardinal sin of journalism. While english may or may not be Bercus' first language, Spell-Check does wonders.

[Yeargdribble]

Re: Bercus gets answers

Final point, bad spelling all over the post on BG, that's the forth and final cardinal sin of journalism. While english may or may not be Bercus' first language, Spell-Check does wonders.

Irony ftw?


As for my negative intent. Honestly it wasn't negative intent at all. It was just my cynicism and personal criticism of some of SEs answers. I wasn't trying to sensationalize or selectively edit. SE did say good things and, as I said in another thread, I admit that this most recent update is astoundingly good. They have really made some serious changes to things that are of major relevance to most people that play the game. Bravo to them and crow for me.

[tazirai]

Re: Bercus gets answers

That probably the saddest thing I've heard coming from SE. In reality it both proves and explains their laziness and apathy about fixing things.

I tedn to agree with that, While I dont want this game turning into World of Warcraft, I wish SE would assign a small team to go back and reinvestigate older content.
Maybe 2-3 people NA/JP side. Since the game hasnt been in EU too long, I doubt there'd be a development team there. Outside of localization.

But some quests, some BCNM, God BC's do need adjustment. I wish SE would ponder on that, People are doing Aht Urghan stuff nearly exclusively. They still trudge thru Promathia, but as with Aht Urghan we see how missions can be done, and still allow a good storyline to come out.

[ShadowsongBG]

Re: Another Q&A Session with SquareEnix by Bercus

When reading bbq's post all i was thinking was "omg i feel like im taking crazy pills!" His reasonings make my head hurt and baby jesus cry