Final Fantasy XI

Before you say this is a harsh statement,hear me out.

This started some time back when they made adjustments to the CoP missions.  I'd not done them at that time but the general consenss from the people i knew was "Wow, it's about time.  That was too difficult".  It seems, however, that SE has taken upon itself to make even the most mundane tasks simpler.  Many people questioned what the updates of past would bring and Level Sync seemed to herald a lot of praise.  I was iffy about it at first and then realized it could be good and bad at the same time.  However, it seems like this is helping pick up the pace of SE dumbing down FFXI.  

Now with the most recent update they're adding (what seems to be) user created dungeons.  Was there a demand for this that i was very unaware of?  I've played this game for about 3 years and i never heard once from anyone "Man, this game would be so much better with user made dungeons for me to go explore".  Add this with Panknation (sp) with ideas that are probably going to die a horrible death unless it's tied with something useful.  Panknation (sp) was very popular at first before people realized what a silly waste of time it was and then, ZNM's came along, making it useful.

They add nomad moogles to Selbina and Mhaura making it yet even easier to get to those areas for exp partying.  I'm not sure if this is a bad thing, i think most people wanted it but to me, getting to the dunes alive andfinding a way to avoid aggro made you a better player and it was one of the first lessons you learned.  Avoid getting unwanted aggro.  Now you can just Outpost warp to the areas.

Then they have to go and make coffers (eventually) pop "significantly" quicker.  Part of the fun was finding it first and getting it.  No matter if it was for map, fun, or AF.  Waiting 30ish minutes was your reward for not being quick enough or not being in the right spot.  You learned to take the lumps and if you really love this game like i do, that was part of it.  You felt a sense of pride for getting that AF.  You had stories of your 6 hours spent in Crawlers Nest getting your AF.

Then, they increase the rate of relic drops in Dynamis.  I was hoping it would be a minimal amount due to more pieces dropping (blu/pup/cor) but no.  There are times it feels like it rains relic.  It's not odd or out of place to see 10-13 pieces of relic drop now.  There is no sense of  "OMG! I WON THE RELIC PIECE!" anymore.  It's "oh well, 3 more will probably drop in this run alone".

This game is starting to become too easy.  It's starting to become where you can get rewards for doing minimal work.  Is it as bad as WoW? Not even remotely, but it seems it's on the same road and picking up pace.  I think SE, in their all mighty grab for new subscribers, should remember the 500k of use who were here before they started messing with our game.  Is the 5-10k more people you bring in really worth all this?  I, for one, may even be lost.  So you'd need a person to replace me. 

Or maybe, i'm alone.  I like the challenge this game provided.  And it scares me that in the near future it could become the unthinkable.  A WoW wannabe with quest givers having "!" above their heads.

P.S. I hate to even add this beacuse the community i've grown to love would probably never do it but no flames.  if you have constructive criticisim or you disagree, please put it in complete sentences and leave the attacks at the door.

Originally posted by Suplyndmnd

Before you say this is a harsh statement,hear me out.

This started some time back when they made adjustments to the CoP missions.  I'd not done them at that time but the general consenss from the people i knew was "Wow, it's about time.  That was too difficult".  It seems, however, that SE has taken upon itself to make even the most mundane tasks simpler.  Many people questioned what the updates of past would bring and Level Sync seemed to herald a lot of praise.  I was iffy about it at first and then realized it could be good and bad at the same time.  However, it seems like this is helping pick up the pace of SE dumbing down FFXI.  

Now with the most recent update they're adding (what seems to be) user created dungeons.  Was there a demand for this that i was very unaware of?  I've played this game for about 3 years and i never heard once from anyone "Man, this game would be so much better with user made dungeons for me to go explore".  Add this with Panknation (sp) with ideas that are probably going to die a horrible death unless it's tied with something useful.  Panknation (sp) was very popular at first before people realized what a silly waste of time it was and then, ZNM's came along, making it useful.

They add nomad moogles to Selbina and Mhaura making it yet even easier to get to those areas for exp partying.  I'm not sure if this is a bad thing, i think most people wanted it but to me, getting to the dunes alive andfinding a way to avoid aggro made you a better player and it was one of the first lessons you learned.  Avoid getting unwanted aggro.  Now you can just Outpost warp to the areas.

Then they have to go and make coffers (eventually) pop "significantly" quicker.  Part of the fun was finding it first and getting it.  No matter if it was for map, fun, or AF.  Waiting 30ish minutes was your reward for not being quick enough or not being in the right spot.  You learned to take the lumps and if you really love this game like i do, that was part of it.  You felt a sense of pride for getting that AF.  You had stories of your 6 hours spent in Crawlers Nest getting your AF.

Then, they increase the rate of relic drops in Dynamis.  I was hoping it would be a minimal amount due to more pieces dropping (blu/pup/cor) but no.  There are times it feels like it rains relic.  It's not odd or out of place to see 10-13 pieces of relic drop now.  There is no sense of  "OMG! I WON THE RELIC PIECE!" anymore.  It's "oh well, 3 more will probably drop in this run alone".

This game is starting to become too easy.  It's starting to become where you can get rewards for doing minimal work.  Is it as bad as WoW? Not even remotely, but it seems it's on the same road and picking up pace.  I think SE, in their all mighty grab for new subscribers, should remember the 500k of use who were here before they started messing with our game.  Is the 5-10k more people you bring in really worth all this?  I, for one, may even be lost.  So you'd need a person to replace me. 

Or maybe, i'm alone.  I like the challenge this game provided.  And it scares me that in the near future it could become the unthinkable.  A WoW wannabe with quest givers having "!" above their heads.

P.S. I hate to even add this beacuse the community i've grown to love would probably never do it but no flames.  if you have constructive criticisim or you disagree, please put it in complete sentences and leave the attacks at the door.

I had a very similar feeling about the CoP changes. It really did dumb down and made it less challenging. Back in the glory days when you had to do these missions you really couldn't go all out b/c you were going to get yourself killed (I am speaking as a Black Mage here) . You had to balance your attack with your survival. Now you can get in and who cares if you die you don't lose exp so go for it. I personal was done all missions when they decided to do this. I lost a lot of exp to Diabolos (CoP 4-2) I ended up like 1 for 23 because I just sucked. There was a real sense of accomplishment when I stopped the bleeding (literally) -- oddly enough I lost like Snoll Tzar once and that was about it for me losing a CoP fight so i never really understood how it was so hard. When you have to stop yourself from dying in CoP it forces you to be better than you are or you are just going to keep doing the same mistakes. Now you can win if you get lucky which is a spit in the face of my maxed mission ranks.

The one thing that you COULD see in doing this is you end up getting people who already won the fight be MORE willing to repeat it for the ls since they won't lose exp and they have nothing to gain.

I am still a little confused on this new update? Is it going to be something like littleBIGplanet where we get to create a puzzle for someone else to solve? Is it going to be something like a random dungeon generator like Chocobo's Dungeon? Either of them are worthless in my opinion the later would be something I could see since they already have Chocobo's Dunegon and they keep making those dumb-assed games that someone might want them. Perhaps it is an Asian thing? It will probably mean something later like Pankraton is to Zeni NMs now. Pankraton is a nice little thing to add though ... it is just something to do that you can very easily jump in and out of while lfp ... something that this game has always lacked. I with they could do more with it honestly.

You are absolutly right about the moogle thing. Just like what I was saying about CoP and needing to get better. Walking from Bastok to the Dunes would take a half-hour to an hour and it was a challage back in the day when we were level 15. You needed to realize where the threats were and how to avoid them or you started your walk all over again. I mean JEBUS! Do you know how many people I have to party with that cast sneak to get around a goblin.

Now I can understand cutting 20-25 minutes out of your commute, and OPing to the dunes can only be done if you actually care about doing the supply quests. I know plenty of peopel who view it as a waste of time because you don't get the gil.

I was unware they changed respawns on chests. I knew that if you opened for a quest that it repopped more quickly than normal, but I didn't know it ever changed. Really honestly the only reason to open chests anymore is for the artifact or a quest. You don't even really need to do it for the map anymore with ffxi-atlas and like sites. The rewards you get for opening a chest is nothing which is kinda sad, but if they ever had something decent you would have gil sellers non-stop opening them and no one would be able to get their artifact. Nice idea, crap results. Oh the days of being dropped off behind the 3rd Banishing gate to get the coffer there. How about talking about not needing a party to get behind the 3rd gate anymore with Atomos parked right there.

Hey coming from someone who took nearly 3 years of dynamis to get a SINGLE relic piece and someone who has not even gotten one fill relic set considering he has been doing dynamis fairly consistantly since the third week after it was introduced ... the change in relic drops is a bit of a godsend. Also ... most relic kinda suck. There are better pieces you can get off the AH for next to nothing. It is all about being a collector in Dynamis anymore.

The real good stuff like salavage/nyril isle gear does take some time/skill/luck to get and it is what people really want. The best stuff is still hard to get and when that stuff get too diluted then they will add the next best stuff and keep going. To acheive the top of the top you are still going to have a challege and have a hard time ... to get what once was the top is not hard anymore. Is it because you are still looking at your old goals and seeing too easy of a path or do you just think the game in general is too easy now? 

Originally posted by Suplyndmnd

Now with the most recent update they're adding (what seems to be) user created dungeons.  Was there a demand for this that i was very unaware of?  I've played this game for about 3 years and i never heard once from anyone "Man, this game would be so much better with user made dungeons for me to go explore".  Add this with Panknation (sp) with ideas that are probably going to die a horrible death unless it's tied with something useful.  Panknation (sp) was very popular at first before people realized what a silly waste of time it was and then, ZNM's came along, making it useful.

I think the User created dungeons is a wonderful idea, it will "hopefully" make it so lower level characters can have fun doing stuff other than level. I for one love running dungeons and finding my ways through mazes. Low levels cant attend any of the higher level zones where you actually clear your way to the boss or w/e. We go to a level spot, camp, and have someone pull a mob one at a time. Its rather boring to most people. I think this is part of their plan to 'rejuvenate' the game. Lower levels and Mid levels need to see there is more to the game than just camping for exp. And I for one hope this will help.

They add nomad moogles to Selbina and Mhaura making it yet even easier to get to those areas for exp partying.  I'm not sure if this is a bad thing, i think most people wanted it but to me, getting to the dunes alive andfinding a way to avoid aggro made you a better player and it was one of the first lessons you learned.  Avoid getting unwanted aggro.  Now you can just Outpost warp to the areas.

How does it make it eaisier to get there? If you are starting out fresh you still have to learn how to get there without the aid of a chocobo or outpost warp. So they still learn how to play, its just a reward to the people that have already leveled there before and learned what they needed to.

Then they have to go and make coffers (eventually) pop "significantly" quicker.  Part of the fun was finding it first and getting it.  No matter if it was for map, fun, or AF.  Waiting 30ish minutes was your reward for not being quick enough or not being in the right spot.  You learned to take the lumps and if you really love this game like i do, that was part of it.  You felt a sense of pride for getting that AF.  You had stories of your 6 hours spent in Crawlers Nest getting your AF.

Have not done any of that yet, so no clue on that part.

Then, they increase the rate of relic drops in Dynamis.  I was hoping it would be a minimal amount due to more pieces dropping (blu/pup/cor) but no.  There are times it feels like it rains relic.  It's not odd or out of place to see 10-13 pieces of relic drop now.  There is no sense of  "OMG! I WON THE RELIC PIECE!" anymore.  It's "oh well, 3 more will probably drop in this run alone".

Have not done any of that yet, so no clue on that part.
 

This game is starting to become too easy.  It's starting to become where you can get rewards for doing minimal work.  Is it as bad as WoW? Not even remotely, but it seems it's on the same road and picking up pace.  I think SE, in their all mighty grab for new subscribers, should remember the 500k of use who were here before they started messing with our game.  Is the 5-10k more people you bring in really worth all this?  I, for one, may even be lost.  So you'd need a person to replace me. 

I like the new things they are adding to the game, and I am one of the new subscribers they have picked up. There is a fine line between "Overly Retarded Time Sink" and "Dedication". I for one think the things they are doing are pushing it more towards Dedication.

Maybe you just need a break from the game? Sounds like you have been playing for far to long. Maybe give it a month of two off and then come back? Every good thing must end at some point.

Or maybe, i'm alone.  I like the challenge this game provided.  And it scares me that in the near future it could become the unthinkable.  A WoW wannabe with quest givers having "!" above their heads.

This game is nowhere near as dumbed down as WoW, also, its a MMO, its not hard (sure it makes you think before you press a button but its ceritnly not hard). Its not ment to be hard. Its ment to be repeititve and time consuming, its fighting for your time where you would spend it watching TV and jerking off, not writing a Thesis Paper or cracking the Genome.

Sorry to sound harsh, but that is just how it is.

@ic0n67

"I was unware they changed respawns on chests. I knew that if you opened for a quest that it repopped more quickly than normal, but I didn't know it ever changed."

They haven't made the change quiet yet. I put "eventually" because it's been announced already in the upcoming update.

@korvick

I'll grant you that you have to have at least made it once to the dunes to be able to do the OP thing but when you couldn't use the OP until level 20, you still had to walk there.  Sorry if this point wasn't clear.  I was tired and was trying to cut down the size of the post. (Yeah, that's right, that's the EDITED version of my post lol).

Also, the use created dungeons could very well take off but SE has been very bad lately in supporting much of anything new (except the pankration now with the ZNM's) and there are, i feel, better things they could be spending their time on that could make this game easier and less frustrating for players without softening the game.  Things like more than a few missions every 3 months on expansions.  Group 2 merits for SCH and DNC.  And finally, a way to get from Jeuno to Whitegate.  Also, lower the posting fee in Whitegate to Jeuno standards would be nice.  I could go on, but you probably know these things as well.

And I want to restate.  I don't think it's becoming like WoW quite yet.  Just am always afraid when a game i love starts messing around with it (Sony did this with their Star Wars game and it died).  I just have a desire to grab onto my game and yell "NO! IT'S MINE! LEAVE IT ALONE!" =)

I suggest you guys check out a game called Everquest Online Adventures for the Playstation 2. What they're doing is making the game more appealing and easier because there are fewer and fewer subscribers every year.

Look at EQOA and you'll see that wizards one of the lowest hp having classes are now huge tanks among many other changes. The way its going if you look at EQOA its not gonna be anywhere near a WoW clone. What EQOA turned out to be was a generic RPG with no special class with every class being carbon copies of eachother.

Look at it this way. They're not doing it to get more users, but to make the experience easier on the few players that are left. When the game gets down to 20k or less players then you'll be glad you have level sync.

Originally posted by Suplyndmnd

  And finally, a way to get from Jeuno to Whitegate.  Also, lower the posting fee in Whitegate to Jeuno standards would be nice.  I could go on, but you probably know these things as well.

They are doing this!

http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/3815/detail.html

info is still coming out about the new stuff they are adding. Cant wait to see everything.