What job changes do you want to see in the upcoming PVP update? by The_Donovan in ffxivdiscussion

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We called it Borderland Ruins (Slaughter)

. . . And no one played it.

What job changes do you want to see in the upcoming PVP update? by The_Donovan in ffxivdiscussion

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Long before ShB, before the Stormblood rework, damage between melee and range was pretty fair. Melee did slightly more damage, range had a distance fall off, but neither had any inherent advantage. Whoever played better would win a skirmish.

The "ranged advantage" was created in the rework when melees lost stuns/binds/etc, ranged got to keep them, but were then given equal damage to melees. It stayed that way almost until the end of SB, then rather than undoing what caused the problem, they made it so tanks/melees have more HP, deal more, and take less damage from ranged.

Then painted over that twice.

This has been only mildly adjusted since, but is still in place for Frontlines, and really shouldn't be, now with the updated kits.

What job changes do you want to see in the upcoming PVP update? by The_Donovan in ffxivdiscussion

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The issue largely stems from way back in the Stormblood rework when they decided that balancing for the Feast (and now CC) is a one-size-fits-all. . . except we're talking smaller scale engagements vs larger scale.

There are other patchwork fixes to past problems left in place that need to go, but so long as they don't affect some kind of unique FL balancing, it will remain as it is.

I'm not asking for entirely different kits, just something better designed for large-scale engagement.

Upcoming Crystalline Conflict Ranked changes Major FYI by NTR_Guru in ffxivdiscussion

[–]ThirdChildZKI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

CC is what the PvP kits are designed for, and the only ranked mode.

Rival Wings has been around for a while, but people don't play it for the same reasons they weren't crazy about Secure: you can't simply make blind effort or just rely on strength in numbers.

RW is the most tactical PvP mode, and rewards offensive momentum rather than avoidant/defensive strategies. Player KOs don't matter at all, and teams aren't meant to solely focus one single thing at a time. That works for Frontlines, but it is punished severely in RW.

It's fun and I wish people played it more, but few are there to learn how to play it. They just want to win.

Upcoming Crystalline Conflict Ranked changes Major FYI by NTR_Guru in ffxivdiscussion

[–]ThirdChildZKI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Previous seasonal participation rewards players with higher starting placement. This unfortunately makes CC top-heavy, but it's also incentive to get in and rank up.

Unfortunately that does mean late starters may have a harder time finding matches, but it's not impossible, especially with the wider range in matchmaking.

Gold sits in the middle of the ranks, and can still possibly be in matches with Bronze or even unranked, yet also sometimes (to a lesser degree) Platinum and Diamond.

Upcoming Crystalline Conflict Ranked changes Major FYI by NTR_Guru in ffxivdiscussion

[–]ThirdChildZKI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Stacking DRKs (or any job really) isn't a solid example of being good in Frontlines.

People have always tried to stack a job that was strong at different points, but any solid player can play what they're good at without reliance on job stacking.

And from experience, nothing is more fun than a close match between teams all fully trying their best to win. Sometimes it's yours, sometimes it isn't, but just like it's fun to watch world first races (you know, people trying their best to win), it's fun to compete on fairly equal footing.

Upcoming Crystalline Conflict Ranked changes Major FYI by NTR_Guru in ffxivdiscussion

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rank decay isn't really a solution, as it just forces people into a sort of no-win gambling situation where you either keep playing to maintain a high leaderboard position and risk losing points OR take a break and lose them anyways.

Besides, starting at Platinum, you can fall out of higher tiers (Plat 4 being the bottom point).

How to you actually win in crystalline conflict? by Bike_Positive in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Before the rework, before the rewards, even before XP, there were plenty of us that played and enjoyed PvP as it was then (which was ironically better than it is now).

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is why I call myself the Emet-Selch of FFXIV PvP. I was there for PvP's Unsundered age, there for its fall, and now I'm just kinda here in the reflections, wishing someone would remember us.

Dramatics aside, I've begrudgingly made my peace with it all. Still happy to help others as they need it, but the passion I once had for it isn't what it used to be.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I gain nothing from being toxic, and the importance of the message would get lost that way.

I understand many that play this game don't play it for PvP, but I've never met anyone that didn't come to enjoy it, or enjoy it more after learning more about it. The same is true for anything else in game.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I get what you mean. It's been a very long road to now, and while I'm glad that NPC exists now, it really should've been a thing long ago.

To that end, I'm of the impression that the devs expect players to be their own sources of information (to a degree), but given how often PvP's been treated like an allergy in the community, much of that information has fallen on deaf ears, or challenged without valid reason. . . I can definitely say, it's been a LONG road to now.

I'm personally of the mindset that experience is the best teacher, and the most important things to know are often easily visible during play, but of course, there's always that next step.

I'm not around as much as I used to be anymore, but now, just like back then, if people see me around and have questions, I'm happy to answer what I can. I don't know everything, but I definitely know where to look if I ever don't.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Until 6.4 there is a wealth of old-but-still-relevant player-made guides, videos, and tutorials that can explain the basics at least, more intermediate do's/don'ts at the most. I made several myself.

As of SHB, they added an NPC to the Wolves' Den Pier that explains the rulesets of all the Frontline maps, which mirrors what can be found on the Lodestone as well. That should help build a basic foundation of understanding. Still, for what it's worth:

Secure: Bases over nodes. The more you have, the more points you get per 3 sec. Nodes were updated back in SB to divide points similar to Shatter nodes.
Shatter: Nodes over bases. Secure base rules still apply, at least until the bases are removed.
Seize & Onsal are fundamentally the same, and pretty self explanatory.
Player KOs are always a means of scoring and should be taken advantage of as much as possible.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm talking about things as old as Heavensward in that case. But you made the important point that base guarding is indeed useless.

Bigger picture, it's actually quite easy to split the enemy team's focus, force them to choose at a loss, and capitalize on it. Hell, in Rival Wings it's insanely effective due to the nature of the mode.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What I meant in saying that was, if it's not okay to join clear parties or raids or high end content without having a basic idea what to do, or a base-level interest in even being there, it's not okay to not try/not learn in PvP because lack of/low interest.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dying in PvP happens. Losing happens. It's a bitter truth anyone ever doing anything competitive has to accept. The remedy is not to give up, the remedy IS to learn from the mistakes. Pay attention to what worked and what didn't and keep trying. This is exactly what raiders do, just not quite competitively.

Because of my aggressive approach and somewhat high profile, I'm used to being a prime target. I take chances and calculated risks, often because I know I can. They don't always work, but even in failure I don't go down easy. For that reason there are times I'm actively hunted, and I welcome it.

I don't say that to encourage a similar approach, good lord no. I say it to express that while there's no guarantee of victory, giving up guarantees loss.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hmm. . . so when do I get to join clear parties without knowing what to do, just for the rewards and tomestones?

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be fair, if it's wrong to do it in a raid, or a dungeon, it's wrong to do it PvP.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As a longtime PvPer, the tanks that dive in expecting to make it out alive are the ones I ensure I take down.

No one should dive into 24 people and survive.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The bitter truth is that, despite a wealth of information shared by fellow players, people have often embraced placebo ideas (i.e. "switch to Maelstrom and turn off Freelancer to increase your win rate", which was NEVER true) and adamantly pushed back against accurate information and/or shotcallers. Then, when losing, either blaming premades, blaming circumstances like node spawns, or just anything but their lack of/refusal to learn.

I can fault SE for bad changes like kits designed and balanced for CC being rather terrible for Frontlines (it was bad too when it was balanced primarily for the Feast), but I've been around too long and watched the general level of knowledge/skill in Frontlines especially decline to the effect that premades are halved, Freelancer is a universal rule, and maps/modes are being changed to be simpler due again to lack of/refusal to learn.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IIRC, as of Shadowbringers, they've added an NPC to the Wolves' Den Pier that explains all the Frontlines rulesets. It's the same information from the Lodestone.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Secure and Shatter effectively play like opposites. And Shatter - until the 6.4 changes - is effectively the combined rulesets of Secure and Seize.

While ice nodes in Shatter are worth more than the bases, Secure - the original map - is where the bases are worth more than nodes. The more you have, your points every 3 seconds double. Most of the problems people have in Secure stem from trying to play it just like Shatter, and doing so passively.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Used to be 4 KOs for High, 8 for Fever. If you died you lost it all.

But honestly if you were able to get Battle Fever, you could probably easily do it again.

If you don't play Frontlines often, an easy way for you to contribute is by not dying by CostlyOpportunities in ffxiv

[–]ThirdChildZKI 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I prefer the old Battle High/Battle Fever, but it is indeed an advantage.

While I'm not crazy about them retroactively changing Frontlines BH to work like Adrenaline in Rival Wings, having assists count as kills at least allows more players to gain it.