Fellowship NPC update

[Spider-Dan]

It's been over a year since the last update to Fellowship NPCs. Part of the argument against making them too good before was that FFXI is a party-based game, and they don't want to encourage soloing too much. However, given the ability to use Campaign as a viable replacement for (mediocre) exp parties, I think it's time there were some updates to the NPC system.

1) Allow party-only buffs/spells to be cast on them.
They take up a slot in your party already, so why not? Furthermore, it seems somewhat silly and arbitrary that a RDM can cure their NPC, but a BLU or DNC cannot.

2) Increased tiers of shield/healer/attacker.
I'd like to see a third tier of shield/healer/attacker. The third tier of shield should attempt to maintain hate on his engaged target at all times (instead of simply trying to keep it off of you). The third tier of healer should cast only healing and enhancing spells; no more wasted MP on resisted enfeebles (or successfully silenced crabs). Furthermore, it should use Regen and be a bit more intelligent on MP usage (I don't need Cure V the moment my HP hits yellow). TBH, second tier attacker is pretty much fine as is, but I wouldn't mind seeing something like an Attack/Accuracy/Store TP trait tossed on top.

3) Remove exp penalty.
Given the BST changes, it makes no sense for NPCs to cause an exp penalty any longer. The limited availability of Tactics Pearls (and limited number of kills per cast) is a self-moderating failsafe to prevent any sort of NPC exp abuse.

4) Allow NPCs in level-capped zones.
The level-capped areas are, by-and-large, devoid of life round-the-clock; there's no reason to dis-incentivize people from going there. If my NPC can make it to Misareaux, he can make it to Riverne or Sacrarium.

5) Unlock limit break 4 and 5 for NPC.
We've been stuck at 65 for years. This is long overdue.

[ronin sparthos]

Fellowship, Brenner, Ballista, ISNM, and Garrison all need some updates x.x

An update where SE did a little housecleaning with some of the older content would be nice.

Fellowship ranks among the best ideas ever though, though id like to see more of a quest to get your partner some AF or give them something nice (gearwise)

More BCNMs where you and your npc beat up on stuff for money items/rewards would be favorable as well.

[chesh]

Give them FFXII's Gambit system, ffs.

That said, this thread is pointless and SE has clearly forgotten them.

[Gwynplaine]

I actually think it's entirely likely there will be new NPC content in the next AU update. Whenever that is.

[Not Kuno]

Please god no, take out NPCs. People leveling their NPCs is bad enough in the old areas while you want to exp, but in ToaU where camps are overcrowded enough... ung. No thanks. Don't get me wrong, I have a NPC and I leveled it to 65, but I wasn't an asshole like most NPC people just killing xp pts mobs.

[Shiroken]

>.> thought this was real at first.

Anyways I agree they really need to update this, I think all I use my npc for now is to cure me when I farm Pallas and Alky? Need to open up to CoP, TOAH, and WOTG.

[Khamsin]

Please god no, take out NPCs. People leveling their NPCs is bad enough in the old areas while you want to exp, but in ToaU where camps are overcrowded enough... ung. No thanks. Don't get me wrong, I have a NPC and I leveled it to 65, but I wasn't an asshole like most NPC people just killing xp pts mobs.

Maybe they'll let us take them to Campaign.

[Spider-Dan]

Please god no, take out NPCs. People leveling their NPCs is bad enough in the old areas while you want to exp, but in ToaU where camps are overcrowded enough... ung. No thanks. Don't get me wrong, I have a NPC and I leveled it to 65, but I wasn't an asshole like most NPC people just killing xp pts mobs.

Note the specific and intentional absence of "allow players to call NPCs in TAU" in the OP. It's kind of a shame, because the majority of TAU zones sit unused for exp, but the risk wouldn't be worth the reward.

However, by removing the exp penalty, you're giving people an incentive to "solo" in the areas where NPCs can be called, which happens to coincide with the areas that lay barren of players while everyone merits in TAU. I'd have no problem with people chaining Pucks or Darters to level up their NPC.

[Alleya]

I have a better set of suggestions.

1. Remove NPCs.

2. Ban everynoe who leveled them up in exp areas.

3. Rejoice.

[Lordender]

NPC's just ruin the old area's plain and simple, I thought it was just a bad idea to allow them to be used in popular traffic exp area's. On nights where AU area's are overcrowded in the 50's and you go exp in the old area's you always gotta put up with some fuckheaded idiot raping your parties exp because they are a dickhead and brought their NPC to popular exp area's like kuftal/boyahda.

[Dakana]

It's called PUP everyone. If you love your npc that much lvl PUP. The fellowship system was a giant PUP beta test.

[Gergall]

6. Allow all 4 pieces of the NPC's gear to be locked.
This doesn't affect balance at all. It seems as though it was simply forgotten.

[Wizerd]

Please god no, take out NPCs. People leveling their NPCs is bad enough in the old areas while you want to exp, but in ToaU where camps are overcrowded enough... ung. No thanks. Don't get me wrong, I have a NPC and I leveled it to 65, but I wasn't an asshole like most NPC people just killing xp pts mobs.

I have a better set of suggestions.

1. Remove NPCs.

2. Ban everynoe who leveled them up in exp areas.

3. Rejoice.

NPC's just ruin the old area's plain and simple, I thought it was just a bad idea to allow them to be used in popular traffic exp area's. On nights where AU area's are overcrowded in the 50's and you go exp in the old area's you always gotta put up with some fuckheaded idiot raping your parties exp because they are a dickhead and brought their NPC to popular exp area's like kuftal/boyahda.

I don't think I've ever seen any words that I agreed with more.

[Darkyrm]

Leveling and doing the npc quests was some of the best solo fun I have had in the game, if they update the npc it wont bring back the npc craze because the boom is gone allready.

People leveling in xp spots were not only assholes but stupid, killing too weaks that dont give seals or avoiding potential mobs that give better drops while leveling npcs.

I dont really care about uping the level cap (although it would be nice), but adding original armor options, Fellow BC fights and maybe giving something like merits to them would really rock. More Fellow pleazze ;_;

[miokomioko]

Mistakingly going to that Qulun Dome as bard/whm with a double-attacking, countering, lance-wielding, fighter-type fellow NPC was the funnest BCNM experience I've had, I think I went in that thing at least a dozen times, letting Pimy solo Vassagio. And I didn't even need to round up 5 people to make it happen. More of that, please. A little bit of storyline and accomplishments that doesn't involve dragging unwilling and/or unskilled groups of people around.

[BRP]

I have a better set of suggestions.

1. Remove NPCs.

2. Ban everynoe who leveled them up in exp areas.

3. Rejoice.

Ban all BSTs too

[malak]

Give them FFXII's Gambit system, ffs.

^ I like this guy. I had the same idea.

People leveling their NPCs is bad enough in the old areas while you want to exp, but in ToaU where camps are overcrowded enough... ung.

I have a better set of suggestions.

1. Remove NPCs.

2. Ban everynoe who leveled them up in exp areas.

3. Rejoice.

I love my NPC, I pretty much use full charges on both pearls every week to assist my farming. It's not that NPCs cause the problem with XP mobs, it's the morons who are too stupid/lazy to go elsewhere. Lazy ass BSTs do the same thing. The time I've leveled BST (50 atm), after Valkurm Dunes, I've not once leveled off traditional XP mobs, and it's worked just fine. Don't take my baby away.

[Zilong]

I have a better set of suggestions.

1. Remove NPCs.

2. Ban everynoe who leveled them up in exp areas.

3. Rejoice.

Ban all BSTs too

Seriously, any BST that solo on high traffic area needs to be banned.

[Metah]

I have a better set of suggestions.

1. Remove NPCs.

2. Ban everynoe who leveled them up in exp areas.

3. Rejoice.

Ban all BSTs too

Beastmasters did no one any harm

[Lordwafik]

BST camping on EXP PT is retarded
EXP party camping on BST's charm area is more retarded.
Said party saying "6 > 1!" is most retarded.

Every level range has 10 billion spots for a normal party to camp , not so much for beastmasters untill recently with wings.