HorizonXI – Era+ 75 Cap FFXI Server Launching December 17th, 2022

[Lucavi]

The rest of you make it sound like XI's balance was perfect when you talk only about the best jobs getting nerfed. What about the shit jobs in the vanilla experience? The ones that had to switch jobs to do any meaningful content? The ones who had to have friends or connections to hit the goddamned level cap. The ones who 90% of the 75-era HNM drops didn't even apply to because of SE's absolutely abhorrent balance?

The fan-wanking over SE's original decisions as if they were some sacred sacrament just shows me that the "I love X thing because I was 15 when I started playing it!" bias is real. XI was a horribly imbalanced mess. Fucking rdm soloing random shit was the least of its problems.

[Karbuncle]

You can adjust the power of enemies right? HP, Attack, defense, AI patterns maybe? I feel like a better strategy, if only for purely optics, would be to bring other jobs up to power instead, and just buff content up a tad to compensate. Ideally this still tackles RDM+SAM domination but in a way that make it feel like 75 era but you know, everyone is welcome. I just find it difficult to believe giving RDM less MP economy is going to make a job like idk... PUP or SMN "worth a spot" in end-game content, or THF more than TH whore. Its arguable those jobs need tuning upwards every much as a few problem child need a little tuning down?

I mean its been a while but I don't remember COR being very hot in the 75 era either since its buffs back then simply did not compare to BRD. You also have jobs like BLU who were very stand-out solo-jobs for Exping, but kinda fell flat endgame outside of what was it for a while, Cannonball shenanigans? DNC is another one of those "Exp jobs that suck at endgame content". SCH was only ever a sub-job in the 75 era lets be real. LolDRG was not just a meme, so on. I mean DRK pretty much only ever got the time of day for SE/BW burns with multi-hitters.

75 Era balancing was kind of a nightmare and a lot of jobs didn't get to have fun, its why as a THF main I never gave a shit to join HNMLS or stuff because it was boring as hell always being in the "Off party" as a TH whore.

But yah, take this opinion with a grain of salt cause I'd probably not play a 75 era server regardless I'm just talking here.

[Kipling]

You can adjust the power of enemies right? HP, Attack, defense, AI patterns maybe? I feel like a better strategy, if only for purely optics, would be to bring other jobs up to power instead, and just buff content up a tad to compensate. Ideally this still tackles RDM+SAM domination but in a way that make it feel like 75 era but you know, everyone is welcome.

I mean, take my opinion with a grain of salt as 75 era servers ain't my cup of tea, maybe your current followings all really hate RDM and this is a net gain.

We can adjust mob stats and add custom things, yes. We have done a lot of work to accurately capture retail monsters to make sure ours are accurate. A large issue with existing private servers is the monsters do not have accurate stats, and are often times easier than they should be.

As for the RDM discussion, I don't think anyone on the team really "hates" RDM. RDM is my main job actually - I play it on every 75 cap server. I just think when I look at the job objectively it's clear how strong it is and how it fulfills multiple roles at an insanely high level while other jobs struggle to do their one thing well. That's where the balance changes come in.

[Karbuncle]

I just think when I look at the job objectively it's clear how strong it is and how it fulfills multiple roles at an insanely high level while other jobs struggle to do their one thing well. That's where the balance changes come in.

And I can agree to this, its a strong job in the right hands. The butt here being, as an edit in my post mentions(Yah sorry I edit sometimes, bad habit ._.), I don't think nerfing RDM a little is going to make other less desirable jobs more appealing, its just going to make RDM harder to play but still the most optimal choice by a landslide. Those other jobs will still desperately need help to be worth a spot over a RDM whos now slightly less efficient MP wise and might need Ballads now.

If you've already got some buffs lined up for the shittier jobs, maybe hearing about those would lift spirits a bit and dissuade doubters. Like, Is THF going to be more than a TH Whore? Is SMN going to be useful outside of Ye-Olde Nether Blasting burns? Will DRG not be LOL? I mean my bias is showing but a decade+ of THF just being there for Placebo numbers-go-up is a travesty that stains XI, any balancing adjustments going its way to make it a viable DPS but not overshadow others? Like I always felt just buffing Dagger base damage up a bit across the board would have been enough (Like they did once in classic XI but it wasnt enough).

Will SCH have an identity? Will BLU be useful outside of Cannonball cheese on like 3 NMs? Are COR rolls going to be buffed upwards to compete with BRDs versatility.

Wow us with some Balance patch notes. Shit that was the best part of the 75 era patches anyway. I loved balance adjustments, but we all love buffs.

Gib notes.

[Kipling]

THF will be quite strong, and we've worked hard to make sure it pulls its weight in DPS contribution and is not just a tag and AFK job. I will post some of job previews here in a spoiler for what I consider to be our best examples of jobs that needed help and received it, but many jobs are getting a boost to make them more competitive.

The full list can be found here. We will also be releasing "launch patch notes" with further information about what has been adjusted to the game outside of just jobs. These should come out shortly before we launch, around mid December.

Spoiler: show

[Spicyryan]

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[Kipling]

I'm the "dope". I wrote all of the job preview cards. The point of the cards is to give hints at what has been done, but to leave things for players to uncover and share with each other, similar to how retail played out.

[Druin]

I mean its been a while but I don't remember COR being very hot in the 75 era either since its buffs back then simply did not compare to BRD.

As someone who went from RDM main to COR main this is painfully true but not necessarily cause of general buff strength. The two things that held COR back was requiring the assigned job of the used rolled in the party to increase it's power (aka Chaos Roll buffed by DRK) and being a useless Ranged DD that just TP fed cause their dmg was slightly lower. The most use I got was swapping into pt, dropping buffs and then peacing out. SOMETIMES I got to go /RDM and "support" with cures and Dark Shot dispel.

Anywho, I think a lot of people on here are jumping down this server's throat without either understanding or caring about what they're trying to do. Don't get me wrong, there are a myriad of issues I have, but ultimately I have zero issue with what they're trying to do, if it works, and will wait to see for myself. FFXI was a broken, dumb, horribly designed game in..... Most areas and if they can fix some of that shit then good on them. Tanaka sucked and the XI Devs had no clue how to make a balanced MMO and it showed. Horizon would 1000% benefit from QoL changes purely for player retention, but I'm done beating that horse. I see no issue with liking 75-era. And 75-era ≠ Classic FFXI. Someone said to think of this as a reboot? Cool, do that. You aren't far off. And if it's good then cool. If it sucks then your life is the exact same and the server will have a population equal to the number of "developers" working on it so they can have their own tiny Vana'diel.

[Bippin]

Wait so like its era, but then each job has adjustments to change them?

Edit: To be clear not saying its a bad idea to change stuff as I would have 0 interest in playing at an era server, but sounds odd to use the term era(era+) here.

[Spicyryan]

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[Karbuncle]

IDK dude, I thought the Cards and goals for each job to bring them more balanced was pretty good. I liked the concept, good enough to pass along to my 75 era loving friends.

[Spicyryan]

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[Karbuncle]

Yah its a weird one that for sure, but personally I hate the nostalgia clutching 75 dudes who really only want to go back so they can be at the top of the food chain again with their claim bots and HNMLS drama.

So if you're going to do a "75 cap" server may as well make it interesting I guess? Rather it'd be for better or worse I cannot say but eh.

[Pirian]

I'm the "dope". I wrote all of the job preview cards. The point of the cards is to give hints at what has been done, but to leave things for players to uncover and share with each other, similar to how retail played out.

It's not ambiguous enough for the community to sleuth unless you're vaguely zooming into text on an active battle log while randomly jumping forward and backwards in the fight.

[Kipling]

It's not ambiguous enough for the community to sleuth unless you're vaguely zooming into text on an active battle log while randomly jumping forward and backwards in the fight.

We kind of do that at the end of our trailer (:

[Obsidian]

As for the RDM discussion, I don't think anyone on the team really "hates" RDM. RDM is my main job actually - I play it on every 75 cap server. I just think when I look at the job objectively it's clear how strong it is and how it fulfills multiple roles at an insanely high level while other jobs struggle to do their one thing well. That's where the balance changes come in.

Which is why you're *checks notes* buffing BRD? lol

[Gokulo]

This thread will get more action than the server itself from you guys

[Kipling]

Which is why you're *checks notes* buffing BRD? lol

BRD is a concentrated support class - it has a clear niche, and it can't do anything on it's own. They shine in a group. The BRD buffs are incredibly minor, and are designed to throw a bone to a class that is notoriously pitiful at doing things on its own, like farming.

In contrast, RDM can: (i) use it's existing kit to have incredible mana efficiency that no other job even comes close to; (ii) tank hard content, (iii) provide support buffs no other class can, (iv) solo heal hard content if needed due to its self sustain, (v) provide debuffs at the strength of no other class, and (vi) it can solo harder content other classes simply cannot.

You have to look at the entire picture of each class across all content to fairly evaluate it.

[Spicyryan]

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[Druin]

While I don't disagree on the whole BRD vs RDM completely. Your first point feels pretty shortsighted since Ballad.. well.... exists. SMN also has crazy self sustain. Both BRD and SMN we're capable of healing exp parties if I remember correctly. To thee point about tanking... Wasn't most of RDM's tank capabilities from /NIN? THF could tank/solo dumb shit with Blood Bolts too. Like RDM NEVER invalidated having a WHM in hard content or almost never. Idk. I get RDM is strong but it definitely feels like the view on it is weirdly shortsighted. Especially since you've already said you wanna "nerf /NIN shadow tanking"

I'm all for buffing BRD damage or whatever you wanna do and yes, RDM was really strong. But again it feels like... Just buff the other jobs lol.

I don't think you'll tip game balance in favor of making content easy as much as you thinj