1) Crossbar updates
2) Side quest level sync and exp.
3) New game+ exp
4) New player starting point choice
5) Granularity in roles and classes
Crossbar Update
Allow the option to remove or override the auto-run and the cycle-hotbar buttons with a further expanded, expanded crossbar setting.
This would allow for up to three more crossbars to be accessible this way: L1 or R1, L1 then R1 or vice versa, or double tapping either.
Side quest experience
Later expansions have level syncing for side quests, but the experience gained is usually pretty awful. With over 20 combat jobs to level, making the experience gained a good way of leveling alternative jobs right from level 1 would see that content engaged with more often.
New Game Plus
An alternative or addition to the above would be granting experience to jobs not at maximum level when doing new game plus.
New player experience
FF14 has gotten too big for new players to want to stick around until current content. I see new players everywhere every day, but they leave after two months if not before.
Story skip exists, but is imperfect.
I suggest new players are started in Dawntrail by default if they have it, with old content accessible through new game+ with a recap movie as the opener like ARR does for 1.0.
I'd love the option to play the 1.0 story this way too.
Roles and jobs going forward:
It feels like we are reaching the end of the road for job variety; our last two jobs are, thematically at least, just alternative Rogue and alternative Arcanist.
Ideally I'd like to see the game move to the more granular quadrangle system of roles:
Tank, Healer, DPS, & Controller/Supporter, rather than the Trinity.
As an original ARR player I remember old summoner and old scholar and how much I wished the buff & debuff/DoT aspect of them could be its own Job.
While we may have gone too far in stripping everything down to hammer all of those square pegs in to their role-holes, the upside is we have enough unused job identity now to build a whole role out of, for example:
A Green Mage that deals DoT spells as its primary output or,
A Saboteur that does physical damage with traps (placed AoEs) and poisons etc.,
Etc., etc.
Imagine the role variety and dungeon (side dungeons obviously, can't have complexity in main story progression; a challenge is only fun if you want one) complexity we could have with a dedicated support role?
If we do continue down the path we're on however, new tank or healer jobs should either upend expectations completely, or double down so hard the players will wonder why it wasn't done before.
Imagine a close combat healer or a shield only tank.
Last thought on this one; is it time to bring cross-classing back? I jest, that would be awful.
Continue reading...
2) Side quest level sync and exp.
3) New game+ exp
4) New player starting point choice
5) Granularity in roles and classes
Crossbar Update
Allow the option to remove or override the auto-run and the cycle-hotbar buttons with a further expanded, expanded crossbar setting.
This would allow for up to three more crossbars to be accessible this way: L1 or R1, L1 then R1 or vice versa, or double tapping either.
Side quest experience
Later expansions have level syncing for side quests, but the experience gained is usually pretty awful. With over 20 combat jobs to level, making the experience gained a good way of leveling alternative jobs right from level 1 would see that content engaged with more often.
New Game Plus
An alternative or addition to the above would be granting experience to jobs not at maximum level when doing new game plus.
New player experience
FF14 has gotten too big for new players to want to stick around until current content. I see new players everywhere every day, but they leave after two months if not before.
Story skip exists, but is imperfect.
I suggest new players are started in Dawntrail by default if they have it, with old content accessible through new game+ with a recap movie as the opener like ARR does for 1.0.
I'd love the option to play the 1.0 story this way too.
Roles and jobs going forward:
It feels like we are reaching the end of the road for job variety; our last two jobs are, thematically at least, just alternative Rogue and alternative Arcanist.
Ideally I'd like to see the game move to the more granular quadrangle system of roles:
Tank, Healer, DPS, & Controller/Supporter, rather than the Trinity.
As an original ARR player I remember old summoner and old scholar and how much I wished the buff & debuff/DoT aspect of them could be its own Job.
While we may have gone too far in stripping everything down to hammer all of those square pegs in to their role-holes, the upside is we have enough unused job identity now to build a whole role out of, for example:
A Green Mage that deals DoT spells as its primary output or,
A Saboteur that does physical damage with traps (placed AoEs) and poisons etc.,
Etc., etc.
Imagine the role variety and dungeon (side dungeons obviously, can't have complexity in main story progression; a challenge is only fun if you want one) complexity we could have with a dedicated support role?
If we do continue down the path we're on however, new tank or healer jobs should either upend expectations completely, or double down so hard the players will wonder why it wasn't done before.
Imagine a close combat healer or a shield only tank.
Last thought on this one; is it time to bring cross-classing back? I jest, that would be awful.
Continue reading...