Suggestion to SE: Player Evaluation system

[Fornax]

This is not another thread about how or why SE should raise the level cap. Rather, its a suggestion for a pseudo-level cap raise that would have no effects whatsoever on game mechanics.

Problem: The information that the search function gives us - job, support job, rank, race, nation and level - is not nearly enough to make an informed guess as to a player's true strength on a job. Rank 10 doesn't mean much anymore, if it ever meant anything, search comments can lie, and level 75 means nothing.

Picking someone for a merit party among several apparently equally qualified strangers who are looking for party is basically a lottery. There are many highly skilled and well equipped players who don't put their gear and merits into their search comments because they don't want to brag, and there isn't enough space for a full list anyway.

Linkshells, too, only have limited means to verify claims made by applicants. They can ask to be shown the gear, but they can't tell ahead of time whether applicants truly have the skill and experience with their job(s) they claim they have.

Here's my idea:

Introduce an evaluation system that allows players to have their total power/skill in any given 75 job evaluated. This is then translated into an equivalent job level 75 or higher and displayed as the character's level in all searches.

These pseudo > 75 levels do not have any effect on game mechanics; exp / limit points awarded, latent effects, etc. are still be based on the true level 75. The pseudo > 75 levels exist purely to give players more information about each other. Merit party leaders can then pick the level 80 RDM over the level 76 RDM, or the level 82 WAR over the level 75 WAR, or an endgame linkshell can decide not to recruit anyone below level 80.

Implementation: create an evaluation NPC that transports you to an instanced battlefield in which you are given various tasks relevant to your job to complete. You cannot use food or medicines inside this battlefield. Examples:

Red mages could be asked to stay alive as long as possible while under attack from a succession of enemies that get increasingly more resistant to enfeebles.

White mages would be required to keep one or several tank NPCs that are under attack alive as long as possible, while not getting killed themselves. High scores would require more than just cure spamming, but detailed attention to negative status effects, MP conservation skills and enmity management.

DDs could be asked to deal as much damage as they can against enemies of increasing defense, evasion or both, but not get killed by grabbing too much hate from a provided tank NPC party.

The tests end when you die or have exceeded a fixed time limit.

Basically, think of this as a Genkai 6 where you don't win or lose, but rather receive a grade for your performance.

If an equipment item was used in the evaluation process, it is flagged as such on the server. This requires the addition of 1 byte for each entry in the list of items in the character's possession. Whenever a char sells, trades away or drops gear, the server checks whether the gear was used for evaluation for a job, and if yes, invalidates the job's > 75 level status and resets it to 75. This requires only a trivial bit of programming and is computationally cheap.

The evaluation battlefield can be re-entered once per week for each job. If you get a higher level, it overwrites your existing level; if you get a lower level, your higher level stays.

For additional e-peen value, the evaluation quest can award titles for extremely good performance.

[Ryko]

Suggestion to players: Stop sucking or get friends who put up with it.

[kuronosan]

There is a player evaluation system. It's called Sea.

[BRP]

Uh... no. This is a bad, bad idea for a game like FFXI. It sounds fun for beating up your server's most hated icon, but will just be abused people who called your gear bad or something. It will likely be useless and annoying to look at it.

[BerenTebogo]

There is a player evaluation system. It's called Sea.

Sea is incredibly easy after like, your third trip there.

If you have trouble in sea, or your LS does, perhaps the evaluation system is for you.

[Aireiya]

2 days after this system is released: Guide to Getting a Perfect Score on the PLD Skill Test.

While a good idea in theory, this would have to be thought out incredibly in-depth to avoid abuse. You know that as soon as someone figures out a loose method of replicating success, they'll share that with the community and the system will become moot.

Uh... no. This is a bad, bad idea for a game like FFXI. It sounds fun for beating up your server's most hated icon, but will just be abused people who called your gear bad or something. It will likely be useless and annoying to look at it.

The way I read the OP, the players don't rate other players. It's a game-based test that awards a grade.

[Kaziel]

Uh... no. This is a bad, bad idea for a game like FFXI. It sounds fun for beating up your server's most hated icon, but will just be abused people who called your gear bad or something. It will likely be useless and annoying to look at it.

What he's suggesting is not an "Evaluation by players" system, but an "evaluation of players by the game" system. Still think it's a bad idea, since roles will vary, like in his example he recommends giving a RDM the test of how long they can survive against mobs more and more resilient against enfeebles, but at level 75, I can't remember the last time I was called on to join an XP party where I was a debuffer. RDM test would be your ability to heal without running out of MP. Oh yeah, I can do that forever.

[Avé]

There is a player evaluation system. It's called Sea.

Sea is incredibly easy after like, your third trip there.

If you have trouble in sea, or your LS does, perhaps the evaluation system is for you.

I think he means getting to sea, but that's not saying much these days.

[Indalecia]

Pld skill test: if you wear adaman feet, your character is nuked. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. The End.

[Ryko]

Pld skill test: if you wear adaman feet, your character is nuked. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. The End.

Kiting and you don't have valor or askar.

[BerenTebogo]

2 days after this system is released: Guide to Getting a Perfect Score on the PLD Skill Test.

While a good idea in theory, this would have to be thought out incredibly in-depth to avoid abuse. You know that as soon as someone figures out a loose method of replicating success, they'll share that with the community and the system will become moot.

I agree and disagree with this for a few reasons, yes success can be replicated among other skilled players who probably would've gotten close to same score anyways, but let's say for example DDs, the increasing EVA buff, how much are those Lv72 STR rings and NQ amemet mantle going to help mr. Woodville / Joy WAR without full sword and axe merits?

Or let's say they use sushi to compensate the EVA buff, the DEF / HP buff gets them, it would really seperate people who don't put enough effort in to have more than 1 set of gear.

[Sonomaa]

people will only want to buy characters with good reps then, thats how it will work

[TB]

I only merit with friends where I know they kickass. Problem solved.

lolpickup

[Woozie]

I only merit with friends where I know they kickass. Problem solved.

lolpickup

That's pretty much the key to a garunteed good party. Otherwise, take some headache medicine 45 minutes before you put your seek party flag up/build a party.

[Aireiya]

people will only want to buy characters with good reps then, thats how it will work

OP suggests once a week evaluations with new gear replacements invalidating old skill levels. Implies that the skill test would be a fairly frequent thing.

One concern is that this seems tailored to meripo only. Wouldn't this be helpful if they expanded this for all lvls to 75? Technically if the battle starts light and scales higher, the same instance could be used at all levels.

[Seraph]

Pld skill test: if you wear adaman feet, your character is nuked. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. The End.

Kiting and you don't have valor or askar.

Additional possible alternative of Homam feet if hate isn't a problem and recasts are down while kiting.

(Side thought: I'll take +2 Defense, +5HP, -1 VIT, and -1 Enmity wearing Gallant Leggings+1 while kiting if it means saving an inventory space and not feeling like a tool for wearing Adaman feet. You might be able to make a better defense for NQ AF though...)

[Saraphym]

While this may sound good on paper, it probably won't work, at least not to the extent where it'll do its job properly, filtering out bad players from good, since people will mostly just find a way around it no matter what. Either way it sounds more troublesome than beneficial tbh. As for finding good members for parties, i vote they let u /check people who are seeking, where ever they are, and they should seriously just take off the xxx examines you shit, why does anyone even need to know.

[Casey_]

There is a player evaluation system. It's called Sea.

Sea is incredibly easy after like, your third trip there.

If you have trouble in sea, or your LS does, perhaps the evaluation system is for you.

I think he means getting to sea, but that's not saying much these days.

funny because this absolute gimp guy who shouts to buy/sell everything and will start a shout run for say.. ohat and will only want to do 1 run himself got sea.. but everyone knows he's worthless anyway. :/

[Seraph]

Couldn't you avoid most of this by just making the number of merits a person has available as a paramater in a search? Level, Race, Nation, Merit Count. Would that be so hard to do? No crazy system of evaulation, just a way to see if people are BSing about their merits. Hell, you could even break it up by categories, but for the concept of seeing "approximate real level" just a total count seems valid in my eyes.

[Alistaire]

Couldn't you avoid most of this by just making the number of merits a person has available as a paramater in a search? Level, Race, Nation, Merit Count. Would that be so hard to do? No crazy system of evaulation, just a way to see if people are BSing about their merits. Hell, you could even break it up by categories, but for the concept of seeing "approximate real level" just a total count seems valid in my eyes.

Does your suggestion include 2 categories of merits? The good and the bad? Sure a guy has a bunch of merits but are they in warcry? Fire magic accuracy? DEX?