Dev Tracker

[Burningthought]

Updated the OP, i'll try and keep track of it. I'll make a new post if something significant is posted in the dev tracker.

[Atomic Skull]

Caladbolg

REDEMPTION IS BETTER THAN CALADBOLDGGGHHHLLLAGGGYARGLEBARGLRBLARGONEONEONE!! !!!

Or at least that's the reaction of a lot of DRKs to the idea that a GS might be their best weapon now.

[muhn]

I still chug rock stars, and fuck dorito's Its all about Chinese takeout! I completely agree with you, although I do miss HNM's I used to be able to turn my bot on and play Ps3/other games. Now I just stop buying new games altogether because If I'm afk in abyssea I miss shit. :/

Chinese take out I thought it was pizza???

[Jex]

Chinese take out I thought it was pizza???

I have not eaten pizza in almost 3 months (True story) I'm honestly tired of pizza believe it or not lol.

[Guitarman]

Caladbolg

was comparing scythes only. I'm quite aware caladbolg trumps apoc. The hp drain is situationally useful (assuming drk is ever useful again).

[Taruking]

Taruking, finishing Abyssea content for people who don't have dedicated linkshells usually involves pickup groups. I got all my atmas, boss clears, and caturae that way, and I have farmed quite a few +1 pieces in shout groups. So more people on the server will likely make things better. I'm not getting merged this time, but did go through the Fairy>Sylph merge. I was pleasantly surprised at how much livelier the towns became. Much easier to get missions, assaults, etc, done.

No offense I think your view is extremely short sighted. You don't really need server merge to find help for abyssea, missions/assaults etc. You just need a few friends, isn't that the purpose of abyssea and new level cap? So that players can do stuff in small group?

What do you plan to do with your +1 sets once you have completed them in shout group? The best gear always create the bottle neck in MMO games. You will end up having to compete for the same NMs with twice the number of players after server merge, many of them are typical "casual players" like yourself who just rushed through +1 stage in the same way you did. There is no such thing as casual player when you start going after top gear in this game. In your case, the downside of server merge clearly outweights the benefit in long run. So it's actually a good thing that your server is not getting merged this time.

I'm not going to address the Dynamis thing, because nobody knows what the final product will look like. After all these years, I think we've learned that SE is deliberately vague, and actual updates never line up with the rampant speculation that goes on beforehand.

I agree infomation is sketchy at the moment but they did tell us old gear will not trump AF3+2. It's a pretty clear message SE sent to all existing players - carry on with what you are doing if you already have abyssea. Dynamis adjustment is meant to lure players who left FFXI prior to abyssea back in to this game. SE probably throw in few pieces of upgraded AF2/salvage/nyzul gear that are marginally better than AF3+2 just to spice thing up for players who are tired of abyssea. I think you can largely ignore dynamis since you are still working on abyssea content.

There are many reasons why SE will like to turn dynamis into abyssea v2 - to provide an alternate path to make progress in this game without abyssesa expansion, to alleviate congestion in abyssea zones by adding similar exp/gear reward to dynamis zone. If you read the description in update notes, new dynamis zones sounds awfully similar to abyssea. I am not surprised SE simply copy and paste the same program code they use for abyssea zone, at least it will save them the hassle of adding exp point to individual mob in dynamis.

[Cesaria]

While I don't disagree on the overall premise of your argument, I do think that this is slightly off base. Yes, SE is understandably targeting the majority, which are not the hardcore players. However, if things like congestion issues aren't addressed, then it only serves to drive all but the hardcore players away from the affected content. They'll put up with it, others won't. Or maybe can't, due to playtime.

The basic idea that a given player can log on, group up, and just go do whatever it is they want to do without being impeded by other people on the server is pretty universal.

The congestion issues DO affect the less hardcore players. Taking it at the most basic, player who likes to complete lots of quests and get full maps/key items/abyssites level... Gulkamatz's Aery cockblocks them from clearing the quest requiring the spike for the abyssite as one example. Even if not actively working on empyreans - it's still a block for +2 gear for any group trying to farm those mats and access for anyone wanting to do the higher level mobs just the once through for atma... the congestion affects everyone - not just the hardcore empyrean crew who will just suck it up and camp/claim by whatever means they're doing so by.

Since SE seems to want everyone to go after atma and abyssites like they're pokemon - I think that's probably the main reason for trying to work on the congestion - but just smile and go with it if it's going to sort the mess out for all concerned as a consequence.

[Tribe]

The congestion issues DO affect the less hardcore players. Taking it at the most basic, player who likes to complete lots of quests and get full maps/key items/abyssites level... Gulkamatz's Aery cockblocks them from clearing the quest requiring the spike for the abyssite as one example. Even if not actively working on empyreans - it's still a block for +2 gear for any group trying to farm those mats and access for anyone wanting to do the higher level mobs just the once through for atma... the congestion affects everyone - not just the hardcore empyrean crew who will just suck it up and camp/claim by whatever means they're doing so by.

Since SE seems to want everyone to go after atma and abyssites like they're pokemon - I think that's probably the main reason for trying to work on the congestion - but just smile and go with it if it's going to sort the mess out for all concerned as a consequence.

The fact that you think Gukumatz is highly camped because people are killing him for the SPIKES for the QUEST made your whole post in-valid.

And even though you then mentioned +2's as if that is the reason people kill sobek! once again. those have no effect on it.

In all honesty if you ask 50% of the people doing Sobeks they will give you or very cheaply sell you +2's specially when its a Nin+Whm or any other 2-3 man combo. And if you find someone who wont give you the spike from Guku, lemme know.

And 100% on abyssite the drop to the whole alliance its like Magian trials, people will invite you anytime. AV's post is pretty spot on, SE doesnt give 2 shits about hard-core players complaining. And 90% of casuals will benefit from more people to join there /shout groups for Seals, +2's, boss wins, ect ect. Things where full groups or 3-4 people can all benefit at the same time.

[Siatdiat]

I don't think its a big deal to compete for 10 minute respawn NMs. Sorry, its hard to compare it to 21-24 hour spawn HNM from the past. The other night I was there we were able to do about 5 Sobek, 2 people with 2 alts trying to claim against like 20 other people. In fact since I don't have apradar I didn't claim any of them! Still, it fluctuates, and you can get Guku a lot of times while the other groups are getting Sirrush/Minax Bugard ki, or fighting the Sobeks they have built up.

At this point it is just evident that people will whine about anything to whine.

[Cairthenn]

The fact that you think Gukumatz is highly camped because people are killing him for the SPIKES for the QUEST made your whole post in-valid.

And even though you then mentioned +2's as if that is the reason people kill sobek! once again. those have no effect on it.

In all honesty if you ask 50% of the people doing Sobeks they will give you or very cheaply sell you +2's specially when its a Nin+Whm or any other 2-3 man combo. And if you find someone who wont give you the spike from Guku, lemme know.

And 100% on abyssite the drop to the whole alliance its like Magian trials, people will invite you anytime. AV's post is pretty spot on, SE doesnt give 2 shits about hard-core players complaining. And 90% of casuals will benefit from more people to join there /shout groups for Seals, +2's, boss wins, ect ect. Things where full groups or 3-4 people can all benefit at the same time.

Actually, not that I personally give a fuck because the majority of people who camp Gukumatz can't claim shit, your inability to deduce what he was saying makes your argument superfluous and invalid.

In other news, I'm the asshole that won't invite people for 100% things (bar Magians - those bullshit NMs are in a league of their own). I can do everything by myself, they can do everything without it being handed to them. I'm sure I'm not the only one with that mindset.

[Kaslo]

In fact since I don't have apradar I didn't claim any of them!

Your post lost validity here.

[ronin sparthos]

Hardcores and Elite Casuals are two sides of the same coin. Try as they might to entrench themselves against eachother in the war of words, both groups are painfully similar.

Both want FFXI to be an offline game.

For hardcores, the thought of any competition (how dare anyone want Gukumatz!) is an insult to their faux godhood and for casuals the thought of any obstacle immediately smacks of unfair developers who simply need to "get with the program".

"Shit needs to just be up permanently when I need it, period. Im on my 7th Emp so fuck you faggots who solo on DNC and dare set me back a whole 10mins."

Much like hardcores could care less for storyline, lore, social interaction or even helping others as it doesn't involve extending the epeen, the casual player simply doesn't have time for any of that junk as they barely have enough time to keep up with Joneses. You know, those same people they antagonize so much.

"Help you? Dude, I got 3hours to play so fuck you, I need to pop this NOW. Oh, did I mention I have this hot broad in my bed waiting for me? Her tits are to die for. See you losers later."

SE has attempted to bring the game from extreme hardcore towards that gaping void known as the middle. Naturally, hardcore players have winced at the idea of losing their e-status but it'd foolhardy to not also describe the incredible whining coming from the opposite side, who just want everything handed to them for nothing.

10min waits are the new HNM debates. I just don't know why SE hasn't re-instituted Ballista updates so we can all have some full-on geek warfare.

[Absolutely Virtue]

Both want FFXI to be an offline game.

I just want to thank you for pointing out something I haven't been able to put my finger on for eight years. Although I have made some great friends playing, that's pretty much exactly how I feel. Is it too late to convince SE to try to turn FFXIV into a modern day PSO?

[Burningthought]

In the meantime, here is what was discussed regarding the Black Belt specifically:

"We currently have no plans of easing the way Black Belt is obtained. Due to the increased level cap, we believe that the ease has already been affected.

We're actually looking into items that are more powerful than Black Belt for the future, and if they were to be introduced there may be a possibility that we re-visit adjustments for Black Belt acquisition."

Have fun wasting your time on that thing.

[Alvein]

just get a group and spam KS99s?
Seems to make the most sense to me.
According to ffxiclopedia it has a 21% drop rate, not too bad really.

[Alvein]

oops double post

[Kaslo]

just get a group.

This is the problem. (Note I have my BB)

[MaachaQ]

just get a group and spam KS99s?
Seems to make the most sense to me.
According to ffxiclopedia it has a 21% drop rate, not too bad really.

Yeah... out of 68 reports on droprate... I'm updating it right now with my totals from a few weeks ago, it's gonna be a LOT lower once I'm done.

[Ayn]

stuff

You definitely have a lot of valid points.

I think I've mentioned it before, but yeah, once I saw how much I could duo with just my Monk and WHM, or outside of Abyssea, my DRK, THF, or whatever and WHM, FFXI really lost a lot of its appeal to me: Probably because I have a metric fuckton of offline games that have been accumulating over my time in XI.

Made more sense to be playing those.

[Draylo]

More powerful? Rainbow belt?