I played XI on Ifrit for years. I truly loved the game - I was even a LS officer, but the problem was that I was usually a DPS class (my main was DRK/THF and DRK/NIN), and the many hours a night spent waiting for a group wore me down. Eventually, despite months and months of playtime and very good friends, I just gave up the game. I tried to come back during the "Return to Vana'diel" program, but it turned me away quickly even after a year's rest.

My question really - and I understand everybody in the forum is incredibly hyped - is what do you think the developers could do to help this problem in XIV? I haven't heard anything that indicates the party system or primary classes will be different. I fear that we will still wait for hours for the one WHM or BRD, just to spam him or her with tells. Perhaps somebody else has heard something different.

I don't think I can stomach starting this all over again. The classes and storyline of XI drew me in, but hours of LFG and wasted nights pushed me away. I can play a support or healer class just fine, but I don't really enjoy it, and I don't think I would start playing a game if that was my only viable option with a 9-5 job.

You sure you been reading up about this? It's been explained already. Your equipment makes you the class you are. You can change your class at will with equipment. There is no down-time as you can just switch to a class that is needed atm, switch to another when that's eneeded etc.

It's going to be odd at first but to me it sounds ingenious if done correctly of course. We'll have to see on that end, but ya the wait time will be drastically cut down because of this new system.

Check out this awesome site for all the information revealed so far.
http://www.ffxivcore.com/

They translate all the Japanese news to English, good stuff.

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Originally posted by Hashbrick
You sure you been reading up about this? It's been explained already. Your equipment makes you the class you are. You can change your class at will with equipment. There is no down-time as you can just switch to a class that is needed atm, switch to another when that's eneeded etc.

It's going to be odd at first but to me it sounds ingenious if done correctly of course. We'll have to see on that end, but ya the wait time will be drastically cut down because of this new system.

Check out this awesome site for all the information revealed so far.
http://www.ffxivcore.com/

They translate all the Japanese news to English, good stuff.

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Hmm, yes, I read the articles about classes, but what this meant to me is that instead of having to go to your Moogle, you can change at will, a la (forgive me) X-2. That it is done by selecting skills and armor seemed inconsequential, but I may have read into it wrong.

That still means that somebody has to play healer, somebody has to play tank, etc. Do you think that that will decrease party wait because people will feel more inclined to heal some days? You still get a title depending on the skills that you use.

Maybe you interpreted this differently... I'm just asking for input.

So they're keeping job changing, but just making it portable. Waiting for party means a couple things....either they are not in your level range, they don't need you, etc. In FFXI they added level sync which helped a ton. The only down side was your skills were gimped after you resynced to your original level. I think that their solution to it has been this weapon change that changes what skills you use. I don't really know if they are having 'levels' in FFXIV, but it seems they are making the party wait less frustrating by making it more solo friendly.

All I know is that it is 3:30 am in the morning and I am derailing my brain thinking about your question. We'll just have to experience the game I guess.

i think it must be long time since the last time you played or read about the FFXI, with the impliment of Campaign, Field of valor, and level sync, there is practically no waiting for parties anymore in FFXI, unless you are very picky. level sync solved that. plus FFXI is a lot solo friendly now; you can gain exp with campaign and FoV while seeking.

i have played the game since the beta, and i know what you mean tho. SE solve the problem but i think it was a little bit too late. they lost a lot of players already.... but the game is even better now. its just that it's not that much fun to play w/o your old friends... cant wait to to see what kind of awesome things FFXIV will have. XD

Waiting for a party and actually making a party are two different things. If you're just sitting around with the other jobs that were just sitting around seeking, you never get a party. It's amazing how many functioning party setups would be seeking until you actually make the party.

Can't deny that it could get old waiting around, but that's why you don't just wait around if you want to get somewhere. It's already been said about the changes. I'm sure they'll have it be generally the same positive effects in XIV.

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Originally posted by Darkblue25
i think it must be long time since the last time you played or read about the FFXI, with the impliment of Campaign, Field of valor, and level sync, there is practically no waiting for parties anymore in FFXI, unless you are very picky. level sync solved that. plus FFXI is a lot solo friendly now; you can gain exp with campaign and FoV while seeking.
i have played the game since the beta, and i know what you mean tho. SE solve the problem but i think it was a little bit too late. they lost a lot of players already.... but the game is even better now. its just that it's not that much fun to play w/o your old friends... cant wait to to see what kind of awesome things FFXIV will have. XD

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This is news to me, which is why I asked. I quit over a year ago. How does level sync work? ::goes to wiki to read about it::

Originally posted by Tisiphone

 

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Originally posted by Darkblue25
i think it must be long time since the last time you played or read about the FFXI, with the impliment of Campaign, Field of valor, and level sync, there is practically no waiting for parties anymore in FFXI, unless you are very picky. level sync solved that. plus FFXI is a lot solo friendly now; you can gain exp with campaign and FoV while seeking.
i have played the game since the beta, and i know what you mean tho. SE solve the problem but i think it was a little bit too late. they lost a lot of players already.... but the game is even better now. its just that it's not that much fun to play w/o your old friends... cant wait to to see what kind of awesome things FFXIV will have. XD

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This is news to me, which is why I asked. I quit over a year ago. How does level sync work? ::goes to wiki to read about it::

It actually is what destroyed FFXI for a lot of people.

Level sync/FoV made it way to easy.

FFXI will have solo, but limited. and guildleves will be something you can always do when your bored suposedly.

And for god sake, You wont be able to just change your gear/weapon/class whenever.

They have stated it can't be during battles, and you can bet they will put some sort of restriction/wait time on it like Blue Mage.

I am not sure what the term"Guildleves actually means?I know it is some form of questing,what it's correlation is to a GUILD,i have no idea.

Anyhoot,i believe it may be players hovering around hubs where by you collect these Guildlevels.So you see 5 people waiting,of course you say "you guys doing these Guildleves"? they say yes and off you go.Or you may see 5 players head towards that hub ,and you ask if you can join them.

Personally i think Square has been looking at other games more now ,instead of creating their own ideas.Vanguard is just one game that uses that bulletin board or hub,to grab quests from instead of NPC's.There may still be some NPC quests IDK,most games utilize both.

I see this whole game as a FFX look alike with FFX-2 game play.I see the skills/abilities learned through quests that also include your guild somehow.Imo that is your whole game in a nutshell,i don't see it as a problem at all for grouping,because Tanaka himself ,said you can solo by simply switching to a healer and healing yourself.This may even make the game a lazy mans game,as in a party,players will avoid confrontations,by telling each other to heal themselves.I think the ORGANIZED fights are no longer,i can see a group of 6 all going in for the attack at once,and healing themselves.Reason why? the same reason nobody wanted to do shillchains anymore,they figure it's faster to kill by going hogwild.So instead of having no dps from a healer and a redmage and a tank,they will form 6 dps and kill fast,then switch and heal,rinse and repeat.

Grouping will be the least of your worries for this game.imo even when in a party,it may very well feel like 6 solo players and not a group.

Originally posted by Tisiphone

I played XI on Ifrit for years. I truly loved the game - I was even a LS officer, but the problem was that I was usually a DPS class (my main was DRK/THF and DRK/NIN), and the many hours a night spent waiting for a group wore me down. Eventually, despite months and months of playtime and very good friends, I just gave up the game. I tried to come back during the "Return to Vana'diel" program, but it turned me away quickly even after a year's rest.

My question really - and I understand everybody in the forum is incredibly hyped - is what do you think the developers could do to help this problem in XIV? I haven't heard anything that indicates the party system or primary classes will be different. I fear that we will still wait for hours for the one WHM or BRD, just to spam him or her with tells. Perhaps somebody else has heard something different.

I don't think I can stomach starting this all over again. The classes and storyline of XI drew me in, but hours of LFG and wasted nights pushed me away. I can play a support or healer class just fine, but I don't really enjoy it, and I don't think I would start playing a game if that was my only viable option with a 9-5 job.

I definitely understand where you are coming from here, I really wanted to level thf but I could never get a party to get it to 75. I ended up quitting due to over a month without an invite.

I really hope they find something to cut down the wait time (which they are saying you can solo fairly efficiently in 14) so other than soloing while waiting... maybe they will add some nice little mini games (card game maybe? =D). I'm not sure but I definitely know where you are coming from with the wait time. As long as there is something to do while I am waiting I won't mind =).