Unveiling the New Synergy System! (05/11/2009)

[Xno Kappa]

Jeez, is it THAT horrible to be social? lol

This coming from the guy bitching it's too hard to make a Salvage group and everyone else who does is in a clique...

[Kenji]

Well, I found the explanation easily comprehensible. In fact, it's pretty obvious to me that all SE really is doing, is to leveraging the re-purposing of synergistic, best-of-breed e-crafting into more scalable, cross-platform action-items, allowing us to harness the power of the aggregation of one-to-one metrics in a way that will simultaneously optimize and extend several world-class, out-of-the-box gear-readiness recipes and give us the disintermediated mindshare we're all after. What could be easier?

(Shamelessly torn from another forum and modified to fit the discussion here)

[Destinye]

The JP version doesn't use the word crafting "expertise" but "existing" crafting skills. So I would imagine that there are items that require virtually no crafting skills to create via Synergy and items that would require some degree of crafting skills (single or multiple disciplines) with the most rare items that "could" require 5 level 100 crafters.

We just have to wait and see.

Yeah, since they specifically stated Alchemy for one item type, it could be that every item type can require some skill if the ingredient required takes skill to make (like a Scorpion Harness for example) so they could be talking about that as well and it also says the one who holds the ingredients don't even need skill in crafting, so it really is up in the air like the weapons/armor found in the update that people believed to come from Walk of Echos or a Relic type of progression and it turns out it's most likely tied to this system.

[Onorgul]

The Alchemy mention was with regards to filling up your fuel cell or whatever, which apparently can also be done with basic gil or crystals.

The system sounded yesterday like it was exactly the right amount of grind in that we'd have to go out and collect Evolith (which, knowing SE, means once per hour or once per day max) and hope that it is worthwhile. Having to drag people to stand around a pot while you hope your item doesn't blow up is, as usual, that one step over the line. Moreover, the system suggests that all the participating players have to pay attention to the synthesis, so the second someone's dog barks or the phone rings, BOOM!

I wish I could be the delusional optimist thoroughly convinced that this will revitalize the game and be wonderful for it, but if we take a long list of all the things that SE has added down the years and compare it against all the things that have actually been good and used in the long run, pessimism about a needlessly complex system seems appropriate. The evolith augments would need to be substantially better than the ones they've previewed so far, too, to start competing with the glut of gear presently available. The rewards from the three scenarios, especially Shantotto, have highlighted just how little flexibility is left in new gear with the perpetual sidegrade model. But let us trust in a company that brings us crafting failures, random and often negative augmentation, and cutscene chocobo racing.

[Ropeydonkey]

Whats wrong with:

- Go do some FOV style NMs (may drop other stuff also, and give XP etc) either solo or in a group.

- Get an assortment of stones

- WAIT till you're in a group for whatever, maybe gather for Dyna/Limbus etc and see if there are some high level crafters that you need etc and pop a Synth machine thingy - OR wait for a /sh or /sh yourself while AFK etc in WG or w/e.

- Do the Synth, collect gear.

Compare this to:

- Gather and spend hours every week working your way up a lotting list for an item that could take days/weeks/months or even years.

Depending on the quality of the upgrades which we DONT know yet - this could be much MORE rewarding and much LESS time consuming than many/all of the current endgame events.

[ringthree]

This coming from the guy bitching it's too hard to make a Salvage group and everyone else who does is in a clique...

Is it bad that if this doesn't suck I will probably be doing it with my Salvage group?

[Onorgul]

Whats wrong with:

- WAIT till you're in a group for whatever, maybe gather for Dyna/Limbus etc and see if there are some high level crafters that you need etc and pop a Synth machine thingy - OR wait for a /sh or /sh yourself while AFK etc in WG or w/e.

Speaking for myself, this is the core problem (in addition to the possibility of failure -- seriously, we need to move beyond this). I'm rarely sitting around doing nothing and as server populations have declined, especially English-speaking populations (and the Japanese are back to their habit of xenophobia as they regain the numbers advantage), it's gotten harder and harder to get anything done in a group. Two years ago when the servers were jam-packed, the idea of getting a group together to do something was not so loathsome. Recently I spent most of a day seeking on my 75 Bard because no one was meriting, which would have been unthinkable even a year ago.

[Ropeydonkey]

Speaking for myself, this is the core problem (in addition to the possibility of failure -- seriously, we need to move beyond this). I'm rarely sitting around doing nothing and as server populations have declined, especially English-speaking populations (and the Japanese are back to their habit of xenophobia as they regain the numbers advantage), it's gotten harder and harder to get anything done in a group. Two years ago when the servers were jam-packed, the idea of getting a group together to do something was not so loathsome. Recently I spent most of a day seeking on my 75 Bard because no one was meriting, which would have been unthinkable even a year ago.

Guess thats kinda specific to the person, I have very active Social and endgame shells so I guess its a mix of luck, server and personality etc. I spend quite a lot of time in various forms of gather, often with people with high level crafts. Even in merit when 5/6 waiting for last person, chances are there are a few crafters there - depends on the requirements of the synths I guess. Lets hope anything half decent doesnt need multiple 100 crafts.

[Xno Kappa]

Is it bad that if this doesn't suck I will probably be doing it with my Salvage group?

Obviously you must be in a "clique" then.

/sarcasm

[DAKPluto]

So basically you stick the red gem in the red socket....got it.


Oh wait....this is FFXI not WoW....got confused there for a sec.

[Kyreth]

If you want to dress like the Legion of Doom, you need to bring a Legion of crafters.

We have several high level crafters in my LS, but if we need Gold or Leather 90+ we are screwed.

I expect we'll be seeing crafters getting to know each other a lot better after this update.

By our powers combined, you get new synth-er, synergy shit!

[Croy]

I am actually really excited for a system like this, and this is coming from someone that doesn't even have a very high level craft. If the items synthed through synergy turn out awesome and the evolith upgrades become worthwhile it might singlehandly revive the crafting market and might make people actually skill up a craft other than to just say they can do it now. People might have to *Shock* level something else to get the most out of this system!

Also for those complaining about 'skill' requirements, it seems more likely that a higher lvl person is just be used as a sponge and is there to craft the neccesary components on the spot as well. Maybe a lot of new crafting items will be introduced to compliment this system and the expertise needed will be regulated to that and you won't need mutliple level 100 crafters at all. Hell if it works similar to the MMM group synthing system, you won't even need any high lvl crafters at all and rather you just need people there to make the process easier, much like how more than one person fighting a mob decreases the chance you might die in an EXP group. Some of you really need to look at this as a completely new system and not something overally complicated put onto an 'existing' system. Its seems people are more mad at the fact the system will take some time to do and they want whatever the rewards it gives the minute the update comes out. Where has your patience gone to?

[Max™]

I thought the crafting skill just gave you better chances at getting specific slots and shit attached?

[yotevol]

This will probably sound horrible and people might possibly shread me for considering this, but it's just an idea.

What if, the "synergy" is based on jobs?
In which case, a different combination of jobs would produce a different "synergy".

Perhaps, you get a standard party of WARx3, RDM, BRDx2.
You have 3WARs working on the furnace, but it lowered their HP.
So, the RDMs are curing and the BRDs are using Paeon to help the RDM or March to operate the furnace faster.

Just a random idea... lol. Kinda sounds funny when I write it out...

[Corrderio]

Jeez, is it THAT horrible to be social? lol

Pretty much, yes. Because of how the playerbase functions after awhile it's going to be pure torture finding people for anything. Or in this case people with high crafting who know WTF they're doing.

[ronin sparthos]

Pretty much, yes. Because of how the playerbase functions after awhile it's going to be pure torture finding people for anything.

Guess SE should keep cranking out those HNMs that really get people social. >.>

The question still remains if these socketed gear are going to be good or really good. If they turn out to be awesome augments then you'll be sure that people will get social if it means they are going to get shinies or at least it'll give all the cliques something to do besides circle-jerk about being the best at everything for a short period of time.

[Corrderio]

Maybe it's just my server. Feels like you either jump on the bandwagon when shit gets first released or have fun begging for help.

[urat]

If you can only use synergy to create this new armor and gear for special purposes, creating yet another high supply low demand situation, a what could have been awesome idea is going to fall on its face.

I think if a failed synergy attempt just results in the damage to your furnace, and maybe the loss of a stone, I can deal with that. Losing the whole everything would be a step too far.

Personally Id enjoy some kind of mini game like fishing. I think it will be something along the lines of while performing synergy your members will have a list of options, IE lower the pressure increase pressure, do this, do that, etc etc, and will get message or visual clues to know what to do

IE "The pressure appears to be too high" ok hit the menu command "lower pressure".

Now if you can use furnaces to combine the synthing abilities of 2 or more individuals on multi skill crafts, this stuff has potential, Take the rosenbogen for example. Suddenly a 80ish WWing 60 subcraft alchemy has a lot more potential. Imagine a level 100 alchemist and 100 woodworker combing their skills to pump out HQ rosenbogens like nothing. Synth Hqs, sell in upper jueno, ???, profit!

[Classikmage]

If Synergy does end up being a new crafting skill to level, it's going to be insanely expensive to level if you try to get your skill up materials from the AH....with everyone and their mother trying to skill it up at the same time.

[Silenka]

Maybe it's just my server. Feels like you either jump on the bandwagon when shit gets first released or have fun begging for help.

It's not just yours, mine's like that too. I hardly ever see anyone shouting for the old mini expansions anymore, it's pretty hard to scrape together a group generally for anything that's not current due to no one giving a shit.

I don't like the idea of having to gather crafters for synergy, crafters are not always friendly, but I guess we'll see pretty soon if the rewards will be worth the effort or not. Thankfully I know someone for just about every craft, but those who don't might have it tough.