Endgame Rewards and Situational Gear

[chiyio]

Rather than competition, you'd have NM hunters parting/allying up. Everyone getting credit would also cause a sharp rise in the number of items being released,

As exploitable as that is, people dont understand the prospect of teaming up. When I was doing the ACP mission of farming goblin items, everyone refused to party up.

[Yabby]

Off topic:

Did i miss something or did izzy just get someone banned! LOL!

[Gaea]

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/attac...1&d=1240893662Claustrum situation wut?

[Ruuz]

Pure Awesomeness.

I dont care if you arent trolling, you can be my wing-man anytime.

Just wanted to add, augments wont fix anything. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say Augments wont diversify anything either.

As Augmentation is now, you have the FoV random aug (total rubbish), the ACP chest pre-augs, and the ANNM pre-augs.

Now the FoV is just total rubbish cause the risk to your gear outweighs what you could possibly get on it. Also, so far I have yet to see any FoV augmentations that are above what is already available. Since this is pre-75 gear, price/availability (whatever your excuse is) does not apply, since you can sell it right back once you level out of it. Thus, if you cannot get better stats on the augmented gear than on any normal gear, there is no reason to augment your gear.

For the ACP chests, I have seen some pretty amazing stuff coming out of these. The rare augmentations that are worthwhile either a)replace something already currently available (+2 of primary stat associated with element) for a cheaper price aka time instead of gil or b) provide a better stats than what is currently available. I personally intend to go for STR +2 Att/RAtt +2~+5 when I finish saving money up for Black Belt.

For ANNMs, things are much the same as the ACP chests, either it is rubbish, sidegrade/downgrade, or better than anything else currently available (have we found any of these yet?)

It is important to remember that it is hard to diversify gear in FFXI, because there is always one set of stats (limited by gear) that will be best in any particular action. We also can change our gear at any time, thus allowing us to carry (up to inventory max) different gear sets for when we might need them. Augmentation would be a huge change if and only if we were actually limited to one set of gear during battle. Since the FFXI gear system does not work like that, all augmented gear will have to be compared to the best possible gear for that situation currently available.

Addressing the whole elitists v. gimps, I know it has already been said, but there is a very large difference between someone who gears himself well with what he has available, and someone who doesn't. Just because you dont have an E-body/D-Ring/Black Belt/Insert-random-hard-to-get-gear-here doesnt make you gimp. It should also be noted that just because you have some super hard to get gear doesnt mean you arent gimp (insert picture of ebody war tping in heca, or relic drk tping in dark element +gear cause drk is dark based).

There also needs to be made a distinction on what exactly constitutes "fun" gameplay. When I go help some lower levels do promies and everyone brings anima, food, correct items, and decent gear, I have fun. It is tense running through all those true sight/sound mobs without aggroing them. It is not fun when some person forgot his arrows/food/animas/whatever, and you get to spire before the douche-bag even tells you. "I didnt have the money", or "Well I didnt know, how was I supposed to know?", or "Well it's my $12.95/month". Gimp != Fun. In a group situation, you must compromise some of your fun for the greater enjoyment of everyone.

As for how SE can improve, I think Whaleporn really outlined the problems with each event. I personally would like to see SE make events challenging not difficult.

Hope this wasnt too tangential a read. And lol at Orochi biting off more than he could chew. Never take on the mjollnir taru (especially when he is right).

[Kaeko]

(Did not read the previous responses so oops if this was mentioned already. It's not a complex idea so it's probable that someone else already said something similar)

The augments system gives a lot of different avenues SE can take. My personal idea would be to focus on combining Augments with CRAFTING. You could simultaneously add a whole new era of loot whoring in FFXI while saving a part of the game that is almost dead (crafting) by just letting crafters literally augment items.

For instance, say you are a 100 Bonecrafter. You could take a Genie Weskit or even an item not actually from Bonecraft and add a very small bonus to it (e.g. +5MP) with a crafting recipe. Make the recipe include materials that vary in difficulty to obtain and correlate to how good the potential augment is.

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Some bullet point ideas to expand on this:

* Add crafting recipes that can augment small bonuses on existing items. Avoid game breaking stats like Haste, or just limit these game breaker stats to very select item slots like say Weapons and Shields only. (because SE likes to make things hard)

* Add Desynth recipes on 'useless' RARE/EX item drops from NMs no one cares about (e.g. Unut) that produce an item required in all augment recipes. This will focus more emphasis back onto old content that has been essentially abandoned or neglected (something SE loves to do).

* Make said recipes require hard to obtain materials if the bonus are good. Possibly requires desynth of a rare item that no one uses (random example: Bahamut's Hose). Again, reuses current / old content (again SE <3s this).

* Limit the number of times an item can be augmented and give slight randomization to the augments (by either varying the positive stat or giving the chance of negative stats). This adds chance, which MMOs love since it causes you to waste more time repeating something until you get a 'perfect' augment.

* Have a recipe that clears the current augments and resets the item back to it's unaugmented form. This allows people to be actually willing to try an augment on their prized item like an Aegis, while still making them jump threw hoops to get that perfect augment (not only do you have to augment what you want, you have to unaugment when you don't get the best stat)

* If very hardcore, add something like an uber-recipe that gives an item the additional chance at an augment. For instance, if SE capped the limit of an augment to 1 per item, this recipe can be used on an augmented item and let you keep the augment, but allow you to augment the item again. This can lead to potentially game breaking items, so either ax this idea, limit it to 1 use as well, or just make the recipe nearly impossible to complete (e.g. item drops from PW and AV, wouldn't that be a tease?).

* Avoid placing needed recipe items or desynth items on known FFXI 'cockblock' areas. For instance, it makes sense to have a potential Haste augment require a Byakko Haidate derivative. Avoid something like this to avoid making a bad situation worse. Make it come from something that can be done in groups on schedules like Homam. You can shift event popularity extremely easily and quickly through this system.

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For instance, if you implemented this, you could have like a recipe that can augment a Shield to grant +1% Haste, a powerful augment, but it requires an item that can only be desynthed from parts of the Homam Set. The limit on augments is say 1. So you can augment for +1% haste on an Aegis and be done with it. But what if SE also added say an 'uber' recipe that removed the 1 limit and gave you another. This can only be done with an AV drop (e.g. a Bellona's Ring). With this you could potentially have a +2% haste Aegis.

Not that game breaking as long as you don't allow Haste augments on literally every piece of gear. But I bet a lot of FFXI addicted Aegis PLDs would break a LS, cause drama, steal, cyber sex someone, or just spend another year in FFXI trying to get that +2% Haste. And in the end, isn't that what SE wants? This system, if balanced, would fix many issues in FFXI:

* Allow SE to reuse old content

* Saves crafting which I think everyone will agree is on life support

* Make its players jump through hoops another few years over items they've already gotten and have been in game since 2004!

* Requires very little to no effort programming. No skins, quests, cutscenes, systems, or graphics required.

* Make it almost impossible to 'finish' a part of this game. For instance, going with the Haste augment idea on Homam, you can finish your Homam set and now still want to go back to Limbus. Busy players keep playing. Players with perfect gear end up quitting if they can't find another job to deck.

* Buy more time to keep hardcore players busy while SE supposedly makes some actual new content.

(BTW I got like 99% of these ideas from the Diablo II Mod Eastern Sun, which is essentially someone that tried to make an old game fun without adding very much actual enhancement. You can make something very old fun again by just making good concept changes)

[Ruuz]

You know Kaeko, I kinda thought about possibilities surrounding your style of augment system and realized that there is no way SE could properly implement it. They'd just F it up and add more reasons to cock-block you with ground kings to keep you chained to aery forever.

This did reveal something to me though, FFXI needs new content. LOTS of new content. All games need a certain power-creep to stay fresh and entertaining, but this game is like a pit. The best gear has been the best gear for ages, and thus there is no reason for the older players to move on and do all new content. They all end up at the same place. I think this needs to be addressed before anything else in FF.

[seiji]

focus on combining Augments with CRAFTING stuff

nice idea but will open some augment item only for people who lvl the right craft (cause best augment will be 100, you can only have one 100craft) unless they add a system where you can craft item in other inventory

[Kaeko]

nice idea but will open some augment item only for people who lvl the right craft (cause best augment will be 100, you can only have one 100craft) unless they add a system where you can craft item in other inventory

Good point. Maybe make the actual augment recipe in the 60 or less range but make the materials or desynth recipes 60+. This way you can still make it worthwhile to be a Veteran in a craft? This also forces normal people that don't give 2 shits about crafting a reason to skill crafts.

[Akyrey90]

My greatest hope out of Wings of the Goddess is that after the expansion is completed there is an Apocalypse Night-style quest that ties in ToAU and WotG (Odin, represent), then another that ties in all four major expansion. Once you beat the grand storyline, you get to pick a second CoP ring for a reward. I know that is fantastically optimistic, but if you make the quests hard enough (and require completing Waking the Beast for added insanity since the story would probably be avatar-centric) it would be pretty much the greatest reward ever.

imo this would be useless for many ppl. Like i have only mages jobs (whm blm rdm smn brd soon sch too) what would i benefit from a rajas or a satva?
anyway imo, talking of some1 that knows what he's doing, gear > skill > merit.i think this game is all about gear,even avesta wouldnt be able to do anything without all that enfeebling magic or magic accuracy.For sure having the best equip of the game want do anything if u r retarded xD . And u need to know when to use all this equip,cuz as we said it's situational,so macro and stuff.So said i like SE adding new stuff, could it be augments or real new equip.with this Mog satchel too we can carry more items with us,so it'll be a bit easier having all the situational equip we'll need.

bye ^^ Aky

[Akyrey90]

What all these posts get at, is that there is TOO much gear out there that is situational, or a macro piece. Some is fine, but we've long passed the acceptable point. I hate 3rd party programs with a passion, but I'm approaching the point of really thinking about windower for it's expanded macros.

What we do need, is new gear that replaces 2 or more situational pieces, but is naturally more challenging to get. As people have said, like an obi that combines all 8 obis into one. Or the BLM, mythic, which should be the effect of all 8 HQ staves. A melee neck piece that's the equal of a TP and WS piece in one.

These new gears wouldn't be better than the old, just allow you to free up inven and macro space. In return, make the old gear a bit easier to get in some cases. You'd still have some macro pieces, but they shouldn't exceed the macro lines.

Meanwhile, Augmenting is a decent idea, and can be a step in this direction. If you can add 1 or 2 extra things to a piece of gear, you can make it multi-purpose. But I suppose you could also make it better in a specific role. So I'd suggest, if a piece of gear has that stat, you would be unable to add more of it.

Along the lines of what people have said here, add job-specific augments. That way, a BST could take any piece of gear, and add Pet: stats to it. Perhaps all SAM to add WS accuracy, and DRK to add acc to specific gear. But only a couple pieces of gear at a time can have that augment. You'd have to toss that piece, or trade it back to get the augment removed, in order to put it on something else.

sry for posting right after the other,but i aggree with u kenji: first of all SE should make us able to make macros longer than LOL5spaces <,< . how can they think we would be able to play at the top with only those gear swap?!? i use windower macros,cant hide it, cuz for blm for example i need to change from 8 to all equipment for a spell:many would say it is useless,but when u could get like 30+ enf magic and macc instead of only igqira set only.

[byte]

The best gear has been the best gear for ages, and thus there is no reason for the older players to move on and do all new content. They all end up at the same place. I think this needs to be addressed before anything else in FF.

Why is SE too fucking stupid and retarded to realise this? Seriously, worst game designers ever. I just want to shoot the guy who keeps saying no to the king fixes. Players have been complaining about this for YEARS above all else. How fucking hard is it to sort this out? I've got the point now where I think I would pay $200 just for an addon where I can fight instanced kings every 24hrs for a chance at the drops. lolbots

sry for posting right after the other,but i aggree with u kenji: first of all SE should make us able to make macros longer than LOL5spaces <,<

PS2 limitations. However, SE could just let you call up other macros from inside macros. As long as there's no conditionals, there's no way it would open up any realistic possibility for useful automated/afk "botting". And besides, who fucking cares.

You can sort of do this manually already anyway:

I use 3 macros to WS on: WS Gear (Up to 6 changes) -> use WS (Can add an extra 2 WS pieces in here if need be and still room to switch back after wait 1) -> Switch back to TP Gear (6 changes).
Partly the reason I do this is back in the days when I used dusk/no sandals, I had to switch to WS set to run around and then I'd need to put my TP gear back on when I started the fight. Now I'm just so used to it, I always do it like this. It allows greater flexibility anyway, sometimes I want my WS gear on before I'm ready to WS (such as setting up for zerg etc).

ps: You can already switch between macro sets and books using a macro. This way you could fit up to 10 equipment swaps by pressing a button twice. That's pretty damn good.

~ eg. Press Ctrl +1 -> Macro swaps in 5 pieces of gear -> Macro switches to book 2 -> Press Ctrl + 1 Again -> New macro swaps in another 5 pieces of gear -> New macro switches back to book 1 ~

Here's an example of how you could fit equipment swaps and a WS into "1 button" cycle. There's also room to expand this I guess up to 200 presses? Which = 1000 macro lines from pressing the same button.

Set 1, Alt 1:
/equip Head "Hecatomb Cap"
/equip Hands "Hecatomb Mittens"
/equip Waist "Warrior's Stone"
/equip Feet "Hct. Leggings"
/ws "King's Justice"
/macro set 2

Set 2, Alt 1:
/wait 2
/equip Head "Walahra Turban"
/equip Hands "Dusk Gloves"
/equip Waist "Swift Belt"
/equip Feet "Aurum Sabatons"
/macro set 1

You can /? macro in game to check the commands for switching between books and sets but it's basically /macro book # and /macro set #.
Heh. hope this helps

[Septimus]

Hate to break this to you kiddo but it is possible to have fun and still win, i know, shocking right? what you are trying to say is "hey this game is fucking serious" no fun allowed serious=win!"

I have someone that I would like for you to meet.

http://www.septimusprime.com/images/...0Says%20Hi.jpg

A lot of time in this game if you want to win fun is the last thing that you are allowed to have. And even while not having fun you will still lose.

There is a lot of whining about SE owes us this or that, you forget that its their game that they made and they only care about you so much as you put $ in their pockets, I mean really, do you think they have warm fuzzy thoughts about making the player base content?

The thing is, Square does owe us. I am not saying about any particular person, but gamers in general. This game puts money in their pockets, we put it there- they owe us a certain amount of entertainment to justify us giving them that money. They don't need warm and fuzzy thoughts about making the player base content, they need a bottom line thought if "if we make them happy they will continue to buy our products". While I never got into the whole "the customer is always right" though process, they do have to put some thought into making us happy. ACP did a lousy job of doing so, mostly because it was too short, poorly written, and lazily implemented- they had best put more effort into the next Add-On or a lot of people are not going to buy it.

[Tomino]

Why is SE too fucking stupid and retarded to realise this? Seriously, worst game designers ever.

answer : SE had always, since the start, designed the game for japanese people who started about 6 years ago. Really, it's not an accusation or a rant, it's simple business plan.

Everything they introduced or created suited the needs of the oldest playerbase (this include those NA or EU who started with the jp version). Besides, since you always end up dissapointing someone, they thought it was best to keep their original playerbase happy.
JP player:
- started the game with like 1 hear to try/level a lot of jobs. had time to farm some gils and work on crafting.
- Ziliart comes. plenty of time to level a main job to 75 since a lot of subs are already at 37 or more. plenty of time then to cap a craft, do dynamis with his main and start claiming Kings.
- CoPs comes. plenty of time to merit his main job and wander in Sea, since he had been spamming Kings for a whole year, his LS is pretty pimped probably. Sidegrades or uberpieces dont matter, since it's new stuff he happily tries out.

Everyone else who came later?
They had to do EVERYTHING (main job, merits, subs, gils) in a world with already capped crafters, already merited melees, already equipped mages.
Server population increased, you have to camp the same HNM against 5x the people that once camped it. Drop rate is exaclty the same, so have fun.
Most of the coolest new content can't be accessible since you have to gear you and your LS following the same exact path of those who did that 3 years ago, starting with Sky or even Hakutaku.

SE could came up with something to fix such terrible gap, but they didnt. Reason is, I guess they didnt want to. That's why everything new is MORE time consuming and almost LESS rewarding, since an older player *doesnt need to chose* becase all of the past content is already cleared and anything new is welcome.

[loial]

I'd like to see this, but make any NM drop a key item (so that everyone gets one) that has to be turned into an NPC that will show and allow you to choose the drops from the NM only after you've been to see the NPC enough times to trade in a seal. One Fafnir seal might get you a dragon talon, 5 Nidhogg seals gets you an e.body, etc. etc.

I don't think we'll ever see FFXI take on this method. It works wonders for most other MMOs though. Many "HNM-type mobs" are involved in a questline. So, you'll have guilds/linkshells etc team-up if there aren't enough people to take it down. All people present get some sort of reward, even if it is just another clear in a questline working towards some reward. These mobs would also drop loot (like they do now) that are assigned/randomed to alliance members present.

But, FFXI has always and will always be different from those other games. These idiosyncrasies might be exactly what keeps this game going.

[Killkenny]

If SE wanted to fix endgame then all they would need to do is make Ridill and D ring obtainable by some other method other than getting a decent sized group of people together and botting for months or years.

Einherjar has to an extent fixed certain things like A body and E body, whilst still leaving a reason to camp kings (N head is much rarer from Odin than E body). Even though BG is very lolridill its still the main reason you see 50-100 people in aery on day 1-3 fafnirs. KB would be relegated to a gil NM without the smallest hope of D ring.

Having these 2 legacy items that are still only obtainable through insane luck and heavy botting after 5? years is depressing but its SE and we're all used to disappointment now.

Edit: Oh yeah them adding decent gear in updates would be nice but it hasn't really happened since salvage.

[arus2001]

Kaeko kind of expanded upon what I was getting at earlier about combining crafting and augments, but I'm in a different camp in terms of actual mod potential. Naturally, I do think there should be level restrictions on certain mod tiers so we don't see people level syncing to 30 with a bunch of +7 to everythings. I'm a bit torn on letting R/E gear get modified since that just makes the powerful stuff more powerful if we're ever given the chance to choose our mods. Overall, lowbie gear could be limited to one augment, mid-level gets 2, and high gets 3. SE could be nice and let HQs add a slot, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

I'm also in agreement about scattering whatever materials to make the mod items possible onto various worthless NMs or general farming spots to get people a bit more motivated to just go out and kill stuff. Pick the right mobs, and a crafter's life can become a bit more tolerable with a higher supply of good input. Though, when you start talking the really good mods, then you'd be looking into things like direct HNM drops or possible desynths.

I'd like to say every possible stat would be fair game. It'd shuffle around some situational gear needs, but in the end, players would probably consider more situational gear if they knew they could prepare for it adequately. If you want to make some boots with +7 MND and +7 Enfeebling, go ahead. Ideally, it should take you as long as the average person would to get Macha's Pigaches, but some people have great luck in that respect. Really, SE could take a page from Diablo II with a whole Prefix and Suffix system that does varying things. We shouldn't start seeing things like Fanatic's War Gloves of the Ox, but the idea's there.

[Izzy]

I've noticed a lot of rehashed ideas here that have been mentioned in the past 2-3 years. I just don't think SE really has the reason or incentive to change the current systems when they're showing an increase in playerbase (2 million unique characters) and continuous camping of kings without decline.

[Ziero]

I am already quite disappointed by the re-use of Scorpion Harness, etc. .dat's for bunch of WoTG equipment. People always want something "new" from MMORPGs(completely reskinned equipment like salvage pieces, etc.) and stuff like "different colored mobs", mere stat upgrades are so 8-bit era.

So the 4 different AN sets don't count then?

The thing is, Square does owe us. I am not saying about any particular person, but gamers in general. This game puts money in their pockets, we put it there- they owe us a certain amount of entertainment to justify us giving them that money. They don't need warm and fuzzy thoughts about making the player base content, they need a bottom line thought if "if we make them happy they will continue to buy our products". While I never got into the whole "the customer is always right" though process, they do have to put some thought into making us happy. ACP did a lousy job of doing so, mostly because it was too short, poorly written, and lazily implemented- they had best put more effort into the next Add-On or a lot of people are not going to buy it.

...holy crap no. We get exactly what we pay for. A stable, consistent, high quality MMO. Even if it has things you may not agree with the game still runs great, has plenty to do and plenty of rewards to gain. And dollar for dollar is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment you can partake in. They *do* make the majority of the player base happy, it's why so many people still play. If you don't like the game you stop playing. And while I will agree with you that ACP was crap, bitching about it will only accomplish so much. If you really want to show them how bad it is, don't buy the next two mini-expansions until after they're released and the reviews are in. If they're as crappy as ACP, you can skip it outright and if enough people do it SE will take the hint. But in the end, they owe us jack dick because we're paying for exactly what we get. And we're free to stop paying for it at any time.

Why is SE too fucking stupid and retarded to realise this? Seriously, worst game designers ever. I just want to shoot the guy who keeps saying no to the king fixes. Players have been complaining about this for YEARS above all else. How fucking hard is it to sort this out? I've got the point now where I think I would pay $200 just for an addon where I can fight instanced kings every 24hrs for a chance at the drops. lolbots

The same reason players are too stupid to realize that King drops aren't all that great. Faf only unique drop is the Ridill, which is outdone by Gaxe build Wars and Kclub/Merc Knife for zerging Drks (who else would use a Ridill?). Nid's only real good item is only useful for two jobs(lolbst?)...the same as the ones that use the Ridill, and it can come from Odin as well (I know, crap rates, but it's there) and KB drops the ring...which is actually pretty useful to anyone. In the end, only two jobs really benefit from two of the items and the third, well that one's actually really nice. If these three items were taken away from the kings and moved to other places, people would still be all over them. Not because of the "best items" in game, but because it's easy money.

Edit: Oh yeah them adding decent gear in updates would be nice but it hasn't really happened since salvage.

Antares, Zahak and Avalon? Hell Ancient Torque and Cuc mantle are multi-million gil items and Ix's stuff gives most people a hard on. People see what they want to see, and a lot of people ignore WotG stuff despite whether it's great or not.

As for the Augmment stuff, personally, the only gear I would want to see be 100% customizable is AF/Relic/+1 gear. These items are supposed to be useful and symbolic of each individual class. But even after all the updates and changes, a lot of older AF/relic sets are just down right useless, even +1s. Maybe adding a new system where you can obtain items and use them to boost specific stats on AF sets, but have an overall limit on the maximum augments you can add to all the pieces. Similar to how merits are done, where you have XX points per piece and YY points per set. So SE allows us the (lol)diversity they want while we get the control we want.

As far as ANNMs and ACP gear's randomness goes, those I don't have issue with. ANNMs not only have the chance to drop great gear, but high priced crafting items and Exp/Merits as well. They also cost AN to start, allow death with no Exp loss and can be done with relatively small/casual groups. I can stand a bit of randomness on the gear since everything else about it is so great. And ACP, well that's just another grind quest, that can practically be soloed, so it should be completely random.

It's FoV that I really see as being an issue, but right now it's obvious they're just testing the system and that it will get expanded upon soon enough. But still, I think a good way to "fix" that without making it 100% would be to add special items to help "direct" the augmented stats you can get on an item. Instead of it being a total and utter roll of the dice, you trade XX item along with the gear, and you'll be able to limit the stat boost to mage only increases or influence the +resist element you're likely to get. Just something to add some semblence of control. Seeing as we lose the gear we trade if we lose the fight, promises of better rewards are needed to justify doing the higher level versions when they're added.

[Spira]

answer : SE had always, since the start, designed the game for japanese people who started about 6 years ago. Really, it's not an accusation or a rant, it's simple business plan.

Everything they introduced or created suited the needs of the oldest playerbase (this include those NA or EU who started with the jp version). Besides, since you always end up dissapointing someone, they thought it was best to keep their original playerbase happy.
JP player:
- started the game with like 1 hear to try/level a lot of jobs. had time to farm some gils and work on crafting.
- Ziliart comes. plenty of time to level a main job to 75 since a lot of subs are already at 37 or more. plenty of time then to cap a craft, do dynamis with his main and start claiming Kings.
- CoPs comes. plenty of time to merit his main job and wander in Sea, since he had been spamming Kings for a whole year, his LS is pretty pimped probably. Sidegrades or uberpieces dont matter, since it's new stuff he happily tries out.

Everyone else who came later?
They had to do EVERYTHING (main job, merits, subs, gils) in a world with already capped crafters, already merited melees, already equipped mages.
Server population increased, you have to camp the same HNM against 5x the people that once camped it. Drop rate is exaclty the same, so have fun.
Most of the coolest new content can't be accessible since you have to gear you and your LS following the same exact path of those who did that 3 years ago, starting with Sky or even Hakutaku.

SE could came up with something to fix such terrible gap, but they didnt. Reason is, I guess they didnt want to. That's why everything new is MORE time consuming and almost LESS rewarding, since an older player *doesnt need to chose* becase all of the past content is already cleared and anything new is welcome.

I don't entirely disagree with what you say, cos some of it is true.. but many of the facts are wrong.

Firstly, there was no real endgame equipment in the game until the NA started played. Why? cos the level cap was only raised to 75 after the first NA players joined, so none of the players could have gotten end-game equipment even before NAs started (dec 2003). It is true, however, that they were already more well adjusted into the game, but thats always the way it is, the later you join the game from scratch, you'll be at a disadvantage compared to veterans...

but the new boundaries were introduced when everyone had a chance to breach them. Sky itself was only introduced after NAs had started playing. Merits were introduced almost 1/2 a year after NAs started playing. Dynamis a few months earlier than that. Everyone had to learn those new systems from those point. And this is also the way it is now. Everyone has to learn in ANNM, in Zeni NM, in Nyzul, etc. Its not as if just because they've been at 75 more that they naturally become better at something new. Some might not even bother.

As to the point that the components of game eq is built upon itself, this is definitely true.
Sky has always been, and probably will always remain the baseline for endgame equipment. This is done because when it was released, Sky really was the only endgame event there was that catered to 70+ equipment requirements. And for a laterally expanding game, in order to allow Sky to remain relevant, equipment is carefully tailored to not necessarily substitute, but complement one another. This might be one reason why you're seeing less equipment in the first place, or the fact that Sea itself didnt come with equipment sets at all.

But they're definitely open to the idea of alternatives and close substitutes. Its in the interest of players old and new that equipment doesnt absolutely supercede one another, as that often means wasted time, and efforts gone to vain... which isn't wanted (for player morale, spending more time in game is fine for the company).. so I guess thats how it is.. nobody ever really stands up and goes OMGWTF at close substitutes and slightly better equipment, other than those who really analyze it. after all, shock value only exists for things that are extreme enough.

It isn't to say that such things don't exist anymore. They do, but they'll need to be pushed in alternative directions.. stuff that the game hasn't seen before.. otherwise it'd end up phasing out old systems even more.. and I don't think the developers want that because in reality players end up doing less things at all.

[Rilu]

How exactly did you "beat" FFXI? People don't play this game for its story as there are a lot of stronger(story wise) offline games out there.

"Winning" the game depends on the players, what they are actually aiming for. Writing essays about someone else's rare equipment is a bigger waste of time than anything.

Its an interesting question, how did I beat the game? It was a satisfaction of being one of the first groups on my server to actually get through CoP, before they made the promy's extremely easy. (yes, I did see credits roll, didn't you?) It was the satisfaction of killing whatever new boss they implemented into the game, without exploits and weird strategies. Granted the game kind of has 2 lives - 1 is the whole min/max feeling of "Damn, I don't have enough storage for this BLM and RDM AF2 hat I just took from dynamis even though i'll never play those jobs because i've got Paladin and Ranger so decked out I go to everything as those) and the second is the player that does enjoy the "Game", the storylines and the satisfaction of accomplishing something, albeit their own set goals in the game, and not so much the stuff that populates the treasure pool afterwards.

Am I saying its stupid to strive for the best? no, hell, I want my character to perform to the best of its ability in whatever situation I am in. My response to the OP is that, I don't think there is anything wrong with the way the game is setup now. I don't believe SE owes us anything else tbh. Sure i'm pissed because my buddy took 2.5 years to get RDM AF2 hat and he was originally a RDM because it just never dropped. Sure I wish we could all just get all the gear we want easily, but I don't feel that is what they intended the game to be, but rather something we as a player base created and wanted SE to alter the game to fit our ideas and our way of wanting to do it. The difference in styles is illustrated in Ullikumi 5 years ago as opposed to just before they made ulli a triggered NM: 5 years ago, Ullikumi was a nuissance who got in your way of hitting level 75 because he'd wipe your exp pty. Then, there was no way to have an exp party up there because that place was camped so heavily 24/7.

I wish SE would make content MUCH harder than it is now. I really do. I hate that Everyone gets babied through all the content. Make is difficult and something to strive for is my opinion, but then again, thats all it is, my opinion. I want to see credits rolling up my screen.