Purse of Riches is a big fish from High Tide Harbor in Tuliyollal added in patch 7.4. Through extensive and conclusive testing by the global fishing community, it was determined the window conditions it can bite in are during rain between 16 and 18 Eorzea time after cloudy weather (or, short hand Clouds -> Rain 16-18). This is a notable weather condition because it is the first time any fish has conditions which exclusively involve the rarest possible weather for the zone - a mere 5% chance each for Clouds or Rain to occur at any time. Add in that this weather has to occur in a specific sequence (Clouds INTO Rain) and at a specific time of Eorzean day, Purse of Riches has become the rarest fish in the game by a large margin.
With this weather condition, Purse of Riches will see an average time between windows of roughly 19.5 real world days. This average is nearly 3 - 4x higher than previous and much older ‘rare window’ fish, with the infamous Bobgoblin Bass having an average time between windows of ~5 real world days. Some players have submitted bug reports due to this unprecedented increase in infrequency. There have been some responses to the reports, but we have yet to hear if Purse of Riches’ weather conditions are correct or are just a bug.
With its current conditions, many fishers are feeling disappointed in their inability to have even a chance at the fish due to its infrequency within the next few months alone.
Regardless of whether Purse of Riches' conditions are intentional or not, it has brought forward a conversation around the frequency of fish windows and the core design principles of the Fisher job.
I, personally, don’t look at how frequent a fish’s window is - I look at how engaged I can be when going for a fish. How often am I using skills, abilities, and fishing hole knowledge? Or, how often do I get to see other players fishing and engage with them? These are core principles of what makes the fisher job so unique, even after 10+ years. Fish with infrequent windows typically fall into the latter’s category of engagement; they become informal and almost impromptu mini-community ‘events.’
Moderate infrequent windows for a fish is a positive aspect of the job, and supports the core design philosophy of the Fisher: interact with other fishers, share information, and build a community. But, during the time preceding a notably long period until the next window, we see a downturn in the morale and interest in the community, with increased frustration - until now, these only occur a few times a year. With Purse of Riches however, these moments will become much more common. When a fish window becomes too infrequent we will see negativity and demotivation appear more often, providing a bigger overall hit to the community. Simply put - Purse of Riches is too infrequent to positively impact the fishing experience as a whole.
Infrequent windows are not the only way to achieve this effect (nor should it be). We see similar, if not stronger, support towards this core principle through highly technical and uncommon windowed fish. For example, look towards when Snowy Parexus was added, or the continual Ruby Dragon windows for this in action. Players come together, helping each other on-site with sharing bait, strategies, and support. Not only do these (among other) fish support the Fisher job’s core design and philosophy, they contribute to a stronger community which in turn help build the confidence and knowledge of fishers as a whole.
Overall, I do think infrequent window fish are needed to support the core fisher job design, their infrequency should be reasonable to the average player so they do not feel like they lack ALL control over their ability to catch a fish. Purse of Riches is a step too far in that regard. Regardless of if Purse of Riches conditions are a bug, or are even changed - I hope that we see more engaging fish which utilize multiple abilities and continue to encourage community involvement.
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With this weather condition, Purse of Riches will see an average time between windows of roughly 19.5 real world days. This average is nearly 3 - 4x higher than previous and much older ‘rare window’ fish, with the infamous Bobgoblin Bass having an average time between windows of ~5 real world days. Some players have submitted bug reports due to this unprecedented increase in infrequency. There have been some responses to the reports, but we have yet to hear if Purse of Riches’ weather conditions are correct or are just a bug.
With its current conditions, many fishers are feeling disappointed in their inability to have even a chance at the fish due to its infrequency within the next few months alone.
Regardless of whether Purse of Riches' conditions are intentional or not, it has brought forward a conversation around the frequency of fish windows and the core design principles of the Fisher job.
I, personally, don’t look at how frequent a fish’s window is - I look at how engaged I can be when going for a fish. How often am I using skills, abilities, and fishing hole knowledge? Or, how often do I get to see other players fishing and engage with them? These are core principles of what makes the fisher job so unique, even after 10+ years. Fish with infrequent windows typically fall into the latter’s category of engagement; they become informal and almost impromptu mini-community ‘events.’
Moderate infrequent windows for a fish is a positive aspect of the job, and supports the core design philosophy of the Fisher: interact with other fishers, share information, and build a community. But, during the time preceding a notably long period until the next window, we see a downturn in the morale and interest in the community, with increased frustration - until now, these only occur a few times a year. With Purse of Riches however, these moments will become much more common. When a fish window becomes too infrequent we will see negativity and demotivation appear more often, providing a bigger overall hit to the community. Simply put - Purse of Riches is too infrequent to positively impact the fishing experience as a whole.
Infrequent windows are not the only way to achieve this effect (nor should it be). We see similar, if not stronger, support towards this core principle through highly technical and uncommon windowed fish. For example, look towards when Snowy Parexus was added, or the continual Ruby Dragon windows for this in action. Players come together, helping each other on-site with sharing bait, strategies, and support. Not only do these (among other) fish support the Fisher job’s core design and philosophy, they contribute to a stronger community which in turn help build the confidence and knowledge of fishers as a whole.
Overall, I do think infrequent window fish are needed to support the core fisher job design, their infrequency should be reasonable to the average player so they do not feel like they lack ALL control over their ability to catch a fish. Purse of Riches is a step too far in that regard. Regardless of if Purse of Riches conditions are a bug, or are even changed - I hope that we see more engaging fish which utilize multiple abilities and continue to encourage community involvement.
Continue reading...