If YOU Could Be A Developer For The Next Year...

Aside from mnk, all melees are good. Blu is as good now as it was 2 years ago, but no one noticed because they were all crazy for bst. But I didn't play bst. I played blu and knew how to use it. I convinced people to let me melee in their bst only parties and they said "damn dude. you're doing as much damage as me."

If blu gets nerfed, someone will figure out how some other job is op. So rather than waiting for blu to be nerfed, why not figure out how good those other jobs are now?

And if you don't agree, then I propose this: In a melee situation, the biggest benefit blu has from self capping haste is that they can SSC spam. But there's other jobs that can do it without capped haste. So if SE nerfs blu, they should nerf any job that can SSC spam too.

With everything you've stated, they've actually done almost literally everything listed. You actually don't need a Ballista License to PvP, this is a misconception. You need a license to participate in "Official Matches", which most servers don't bother doing. You only need to have COP installed to do Ballista inside Diorama, which is basically a self-reserved zone specifically for PvP. There are already teams, items, support jobs, simplified registration, and there is even Purgonorgo Isle for Brenner, which is essentially the same thing with a twist.

The issue isn't the CS quest (which, by the way, takes less than 5min with the new HPs, and ties in mildly to the WoTG character(s) and other lore of the game). Its just generating player interest. Honestly, who would care to beat their friends in a mindless bout that reaps nothing. Players want epeen and rewards for their time. The system is designed in such a way where the matches are lengthy, and don't reward you with anything besides bragging rights (which you can see where that is going with Master Trials...). It needs a revamp.

If we've seen anything in these past ten years, its that incentive = participation. People do Ambuscade, not because its great content, but because its fast, easy, and produces tangible rewards. The reason nobody touches PvP anymore is because it has no glory attached to it. Just a few simple trophies which nobody would ever see because its a KI.

Give players an incentive, in the way of gear, high amounts of gil/exp/merits/jp/currency, and you've got yourself some easily reincarnated content.

Edit: All of the current NPCs and measures are already in place to fix PvP: They have zones, NPCs that give rewards and scores, and they have the system already setup to recognize top scorers/best killers etc. They just need to incentivize it. They'd also need to fix PvP in uncapped scenarios, but that's minor in comparison to what PvP could be.

I agree with most of what you said.

The problem is the community doesn't always think like that. They need to see changes to re-think things. If they nerf BLU and then discover something else is OP, that is fine and that is why nerfs and buffs should be a on a cycle.

If we just buff others jobs, then what? They become OP and then BLU is weak? Then people will want BLU buffs because everyone will be inviting the OP. If we just keep buffing up we will eventually reach a point where the game will be too easy.

It doesn't matter what you or I think is balanced, it matters what everyone else thinks. Patch notes will get them thinking.

Ok, I guess I can't disagree with that. People do need to be told what to think.

* Streamline PlyOnline's interface or replace it entirely with something more user friendly that also applies updates faster. When in doubt, decide in favor of changes that make updates faster. PlayOnline appears to be one of the major obstacles for potential new players curious about the game, so this really should be addressed.

* Implement the remaining AH slots

* Update several cutscenes to account for past progress - for example, starting Zilart should not assume you've never been to Norg. This principle is already applied in a few things, might as well expand it.

* Create Trust acquisition cutscenes for any actual story characters that have been obtainable through login campaigns, which like the regular Trust quests, change depending on past interactions with the character in question If you already have the Trust in question, you get a copper voucher or some key item that can be exchanged for something else, like a weapon the character in question uses.

* Refresh some looks for characters in starting areas where fitting - for example, why does Perih Vashai weak far-eastern clothing more fitting of a monk than a ranger?...

* Apply alternatives for content introduced in certain expansions so that it can use areas from different expansions if the player has all expansions installed - for example, not forcing Zilart jobs to get their treasure coffer AF pieces and fight Maat in Zilart dungeons and battlefields respectively

* Enable a way to simply visit a battlefield at your own page without needing to fight there, if nobody is using it. Places like the Empyreal Paradoxes and the final Rhapsodies arena are beautiful and it would be nice to be able to just walk in to enjoy the craftsmanship if you've already cleared their relevant story content.

* Rank 10 in your nation gives you automatic perma-Signet in relevant areas, Captain rank gets you automatic perma-Sanction in ToAU areas, top campaign rank does the same for past areas, capped rank for all coalitions does the same for Ignis in Ulbuka

* Now that many story characters have combat data they lacked when they were first introduced, revise their relevant cutscenes before combat missions (maybe when entering the battlefields, not unlike the options before starting an Assault) to allow the player to choose if they'll join the fight - nowadays it would make a stupid amount of sense to let Lion, Zeid and Aldo join you in a few of the nation and Zilart missions, for example.

* brainfart idea for BLU: if you only set spells from a specific mob family, you get free access to Unbridled Learning spells of that family, but you get that mob family's intimidation risks (ex.: risk getting your Thunderbold interrupted because you're intimidated from fighting a plantoid).

* other brainfart: buy the ability of exchanging access to SP abilities with that of setting a sub-sub-job for a ludicrous amount of job and/or merit points, which would need to be paid again were you to change back.

If we're worried about self-capping haste, I got a solution:

DRK: Absorb-Haste
THF: Aura Steal- Speed is stolen from enemy, lasts 5 minutes
DRG: Wyvern Gains Haste geomancy aura after a successful Jump
MNK: New Black belt with Martial Arts/STP
WAR: Speed Bonus (Job Trait - Quicken attacks with every successful critical hit)
SAM: Hasso+ gear goes beyond the allowed JA haste cap
PUP: Geomancer Automaton

Buff other melee Jobs to be as good as a blue is too high? We not going to melee reisen helm anytime soon you know? Lol

Why not? I don't think it's outside the scope of possibility that well-geared RNG's could be effective now - at least with a few T4's.

Meleeing isn't the same as RNGs shooting from range.

Last time they nerf something (bstmaster) how did that go? The game won't survive a blue nerf.

BST's are doing just fine. Just because they can't stand at the sweet spot and safely Ready Ramuh to death from the lower level doesn't mean they aren't just as effective.

Ask Beatzmaster if he feels inhibited in his ability to solo NM's.

Nobody has tried doing HELM melee post patch. I am sure it's possible to do some of them this way (even without RNG/THF/BLU), we plan on trying soon.

I'm sure the game will do just fine if they nerf BLU.

So that's what happened again. This thread became about nerfing blus. Damn, can't people be a bit more original for once?

-get rid of all jobs and just leave Onion Knight.

I could support more readily accessible pvp in XI, but I like that people don't care about XI's PVP because meaningful pvp starts leading to nerfs and I hate that. People get upset that their tanks can't kill others or noone can kill a tank or the mage just dot'd them to death.

___

Also, I don't think GEO is op relevant to the content, just that others, esp bard, are underpowere. but SE says they serve different rolea. They sure do, bard is there for pregame and pom poms!

I can agree that maybe some jobs need nerfs but not support role jobs, buff the lagging ones.
There just aren't many situations where you choose a good bard over a decent geo (or even a not-bad geo)

If I was the FFXI developer I would make the game into a pay-to-win Facebook APP.

I just don't get why everyone is afraid of buffs and nerfs. This game is built around being able to changes jobs and a lot of stuff is accessible. People tend to take personal stock in their class and think that any minor adjustment would destroy them and the game.

Honestly, what if SE removed Haste from MG? Or what if they changed the 1200 JP gift? Is BLU really some weak ***at that point?

What would happen is a new "OP" would be found and then the circle continues. Buff/Nerf cycles adjust current power levels in the game and would help make every class feel strong at one point. True balance is never possible and people will always go the easiest.

Buffs prevent jobs/classes from falling off and Nerfs prevent power creep.

I would reduce the number of screens to go through when logging in.

Tier lists go up and down, nobody is afraid of that. It's just Dan well never be as strong as Ryu in any game, and that's just the way it is. #drk4lyfe

if they did both those thing, then yeah, it would hurt.
also, you yourself said people need update notes to know what to think. if they did this, what it would hurt more if people's perception of blu.
you'll just end up with a bunch of blu bandwagoners, the ones that didn't even have 1200 gift yet and/or had not idea how to use MG, they'll flock to and ruin another job.
They'll say "hey, I read on forums war can hit 77%DA and Savage Blade is really good with fencer. let's go there." All of a sudden, you'll find yourself with a bunch of WARs that can't pass 45% DA calling blu lolBLU. and you can't say this wouldn't happen. Look at bst. it's still op, but the players who were never good at it and used it only because it was easy now treat it as a garbage job.
I've been on blu since before novo Dynamis was released. i love the job. i couldn't bear to see it become lolBLU, even if it's just in people's mind. and it would be even worse it it became that for real, like mnk did.

Id make loot PT bound, either you fought it or you can gtfo ^^

Then how can you offer free stuff to your ls rather than letting the stuff rot?

<edited to express my thought better>

Exactly my point my dear :)

You are ok with other job gets buff to surpass blu but not ok with nerfing blu and would quit it, I don't really understand the logic behind it because in terms of job balance it's the same.


Nerfing > Buffing because

1) It's more work for dev to buff all melee jobs and less work to nerf 1 job.

2) Buffing all jobs lower the content difficulty when there are already pretty much no difficulty in terms of melee-able content. Nerfing blu aren't going to make ambuscade suddenly hard nor unbeatable. Buffing every job would make content way too easy.

Giving stuff away is part of the fun of this game.

I definitely meant one or the other not both in my example.

People are absolutely band-wagoners. And if the cycle of nerfs and buffs isn't kept up then they will flock to WAR and the go "lolblu". I mean that is what is happening to BLU now? We have a lot of crappy BLUs and people that think that BLU is the only viable DPS. People literally laugh at the thought of another dps.

What will happen is we will have a lull where the masses aren't sure what is "OP" anymore and then there will be a transition phase where anything could happen. It definitely beats being in the same spot all the time.

ok, so here is my suggestion for how to make the game better. SE should send various emails to all the bandwagoners telling them which job is op and why, but they all get different jobs mentioned in their emails. balance will be achieved because people will learn how to use all jobs.

Pretty much spot on.

I don't get the people that are like "Don't nerf BLU, buff the other jobs!". Uhh, do you see how much development we're getting right now? You think it's a better idea to have the Devs try to buff 15 different jobs thatn nerf a single one?

Though I actually like an earlier suggestion that would change the BLU Gift to an attribute bonus over a job trait bonus.

MG should either have no haste or be AOE baseline. Cocoon and MG should not stack defense. The issue with BLU isn't that they have the best damage in the game (they do not) but that they are the least reliant on others and have the best survival while putting out some of the best DPS in the game. The game needs to be a bit more generous with offering out haste from jobs and BLU shouldn't have the 2nd highest defense in the game behind PLD.

cute xD