All Worlds Maintenance (Sep. 11)

[Shenrien]

I've run into too many bads that cannot down demon wall but can down anataboga, shit is mind blowing that they can't follow a pattern, I'd rather suffer 4 deaths in AK rather 10+.

I suppose they could introduce two more types of currency, cracked stones of philosophy and mythology. They would drop off of trash and bosses would drop the normal kind as they do now. If each piece needed both types of currency, it may work. Just thinking out loud here... I don't think there's a perfect solution for this, but I'm confident something will be done about it.

Would have to increase the cost of gear then, unless its like 100 cracked whatever for 1 tome >_>; There are other things they could do to combat people speed running a dungeon like all trash not killed floods to the boss room and kills you, or make everything have party hate. Yeah that is easily fixed by having a DPS that can AoE for the mobs attention so whm can swift cast raise the tank, but still would be a bit more punishing to everyone rather just one person.

[Mrbeansman]

Or just make it so the doors to demon wall etc wont open unless the trash is dead.

[miokomioko]

That's really all they have to do to "fix" Amdapor. However, dungeons in general need to be upgraded a bit to compete with FATE-grinding. There's very little reason to touch the pre-50 optional dungeons at this point.

[Seravi Edalborez]

I assume that's the only reason they put hunting log targets (and I guess mapping achievements) in some of them (Halitali/Sunken Temple?) I think Cutter's is totally optional unless it's a prereq to Aurum>Amdapor?

[Tymon]

Cutter's Cry is completely optional. I've never run it and are 50 with a completed GC log and Amdapor Keep cleared.

Aurum Vale isn't required either. GC log goes Halatali (first boss only) - > Qarn -> Dzemael (for clear) -> AK + WP

[Carth]

In order for dungeons to be on par with FATE grinding, they'd have to make the amount of EXP you get for rested EXP (roughly 1k) the standard.

Another way would be to just nerf FATE grinding, but I don't see that happening for awhile.

EDIT: IIRC you need to complete Aurum Vale in order to unlock A. Keep.

[Tymon]

Nope. Didn't do Vale until after I finished Keep. Maybe you have to unlock it, because I did have it unlocked long before I ever did AK. I definitely, 100% positively did AK first though.

Dzemael Darkhold unlocks it.

[Cichy]

you can either do Vale or Darkhold to unlock AK, both ways work

[Carth]

Really? Okay.

All the more reason for SE to really make dungeons more desirable. More EXP is one thing, but I would like for another way to grind Company seals too.

[shepardG]

Fix speed runs, but not ruin speed runs???

Have every trash mob drop 40-50gil for each player. /shrug.

[Prothescar]

Cutter's Cry is completely optional. I've never run it and are 50 with a completed GC log and Amdapor Keep cleared.

Aurum Vale isn't required either. GC log goes Halatali (first boss only) - > Qarn -> Dzemael (for clear) -> AK + WP

different GCs require different dungeons. Immortal Flames had me go to Cutter's Cry but not Qarn. In any case, increasing xp gained in dungeons and adding incentives to killing all the trash would be nice. Add a bonus tome reward at the end/extra drops from chests if you 100% clear a dungeon. Extra equipment or some bronze/silver/gold pieces (depending on lv of dungeon) would work. Could also give a straight exp/gold bonus similar to first time clear speed completion thing for lower lv dungeons instead of extra tomes (since those wouldn't make sense).

[Cichy]

Fix speed runs, but not ruin speed runs???

Have every trash mob drop 40-50gil for each player. /shrug.

I second that! Shep for dev team 2014

[xopher]

Patch is up.

[Nighteagle]

or make normal monsters drop certain items needed to open a sealed barrier to each boss in the dungeons

[shepardG]

27mb?

[xopher]

Yeah pretty small.

[Deuce]

Cutter's Cry is completely optional. I've never run it and are 50 with a completed GC log and Amdapor Keep cleared.

Cutter's is not optional for those signed up with the Immortal Flames. Part of the rank 2 Immortal Flames hunting log can only be completed by killing certain mobs and the Princess in Cutter's.

[Seravi Edalborez]

Neat, didn't think different GCs would need the other dungeons. Halitali and Qarn were what I needed as Maelstrom.

[Niiro]

I think the best way to combat speed runs aside from simply making trash not-trash would be to simply make killing stuff directly effect your final reward.

They got rid of the all-or-nothing speed runs of 1.0 which is good, but I think dungeon rewards, in terms of quantity (not quality, talking about currency rather than gear) should be evaluated much in the same way Hamlet defense results in 1.0 were but without stupid bullshit (emoting NPCs or wearing shitty gear or whatever other dumb crap there was).

Bonuses for:
-time remaining (linear scale, no all-or-nothing thresholds, valued such that you maximize your points by completing objectives quickly rather than skipping them)
-mobs killed, optional bosses
-no deaths
-hazards avoided (in dungeons that have them)
-efficient play (think criteria similar to stuff that charges the limit gauge faster)

The tokens from the final boss chest would then give some base amount + a bonus amount based on the results of the various evaluations.

The bottom line being that the base amount relative to the potential bonus amount are such that, with a good group, you're getting more tokens/hour by completing objectives and playing well rather than rushing to the final boss.

[Stanislaw]

I just want to point out that killing trash mobs actually does have one benefit which nobody seems to have pointed out... and that is, it increases your spiritbond rate. And as it stands now, aside from cracked materia, the only way you can create Tier IV materia is from crafted gear that's IL55+, and at that level the rate in which spiritbond rates go up is quite slow. I'd much prefer to increase spiritbond in parties killing lv50 stuff so the rate goes up higher than killing lv49 stuff (which seems to be the highest level trash mob in the open world) solo.

As someone who likes to convert gear into materia, I am annoyed by the trend of speed runs and am hopeful that the issue will be addressed by the devs accordingly.