Lockely

Thank you for the test! Yeah, I thought the Energy/Electric theme was a good fit for a group using steam-punk theming but maybe I overdid it? I rarely chose custom power selections, relying on the programmed difficulty selectors (Standard for Minions, Hard for Lieuts, Bosses, and EVs). I was kinda designing by the seat of my pants, so maybe I should go back and actually plot out who has what and see if I can adjust a bit to make things slightly less like fighting an army of Malta Sappers. I initially did most of my building and testing when I was in the level 20s, so even I have gotten surprised on recent tests. The Advanced Prototype in Mission 5 absolutely demolished my Bots/FF MM in half a second on one test. Only allies got the extra powers because I wanted them to feel like they *mattered* to the mission and with them you'd stand a chance against a GM solo. I actually created both male and female versions of each type of mob, with both ranged (dressed in Red Vests) and melee (dressed in White Vests) in each category, with the exception of the robotic ones since they're meant to be mass produced. Mission 4 notes: Edit: Further discussion on Enemy Powersets Below the Spoiler

I feel like, without knowing exactly *what* the goal of the specific tests are, the nomenclature of "Focused Feedback" isn't really helpful. I know it's more for you folks to read, but maybe open a General Beta Feedback forum alongside Focused Feedback so we have a place to 1) discuss specific sets outside of the focus of specific tests and 2) have a place for testing under a specific direction. General is "Mix/Match this with everything and tell us how it *feels* while trying to break it in ways we couldn't have possibly foreseen." Focused is "This is our intention for the set/change/update. How well does it work under that specific criteria." This way it eliminates the back and forth chatter of both groups and eliminates the animosity between both the devs and the testers. On top of that, it offers us clarity so we don't have to play a guessing game where something is supposed to fit in to the overall mold of the game, and aren't trying to shove a square peg in a round hole. A direct clarification that you are not accepting suggestions for major changes within the Focused Feedback threads would also be useful, as it sets an expectation on what the testing is meant to accomplish. As said before, this is the first time testing for a lot of us since the NCSoft announcement a month ago, and I, along with others, was under the impression things were more malleable than they apparently are. That should be made clear at the start so people understand the scope of our mission here. Blank Slate testing just seems to generate aggro between all parties.

Update: 2/5/2024 Added some optional Lore glowies and gave the text boxes both a readability and style pass for mission titles. Added tips to missions where optional lore clues are as well as number that can be found.

Hey there, do you happen to have an updated Dual Pistols - Marital Combat Blaster build (not Blapper)? Thank you!

Knife Thrower is absolutely something I'd love to see. I have a character I want to re-create from Matrix Online who was a Master Knife Thrower, and going dual blade stalker doesn't scratch that same itch.

I wonder if it would help everyone testing these (and future) new sets if the devs behind them put their intentions for the set into the testing prompts at the top post. I know that's significantly helped with FFXIV's balance patches, as they explain in a few short sentences the reasoning behind specific buffs, debuffs, and reworks so the players can better view it through the lens they're intending us to view it through.

You might want to refine this and post as a new player over in the Beta Focused Feedback: New Player Experience thread. For everyone else: As discussed in detail in the "Is the in-game economy weird and broken?" thread over in general, for a new player the market seems like a daunting 300 step list of things to do before you can afford anything. (See PatternGhost's post above.) It really shouldn't. I don't know if the solution to that is to bring the costs of DOs and SOs down a bit so they can be more affordable for new players or maybe nudging drop rates to more match the players origin or what, but we shouldn't be dismissing the feedback of new blood and dumping three wikis worth of info on them as they struggle through their first character and then expecting them to stick around long enough when they're wiffing 3/4 of their attacks and hitting like sponges while getting totally wrecked by even/+1/+2 conned mobs. As soon as they max out, they're going to quickly find themselves rolling in Inf and funding their alts, but most people forget the struggle of their first character once they're six alts in.

There's room for compromise is there not? The standard display right now is incredibly basic, while the detailed info pane is the polar opposite, being somewhat daunting to parse. What Fade is proposing here is a good middle ground in-between, allowing players to choose their level of more granulated complexity. Having a Basic, Intermediate, and Expert power display option is only going to help people in the long run.

That's why I suggested a toggle up above. Default is the vague pips-like system @Jimmy proposed. I like that idea. It gets the information across a little better than "Strong". But a toggle for an at a glance look at the base numbers on the power itself for more veteran players (similar to how you can toggle on recharge timers) would satisfy those who want to dig deeper without having to pull the power details window up for each and every power.

To be entirely fair to them, they did a significant amount of testing trying to make the set work before coming up with this alternative (seriously, you can find their testing on the main FF thread), and the only response they got was to have their feedback moved out of the thread and into the new one under a title they didn't get to pick and is borderline insulting. They're angry and rightfully so.

As an avid FFXIV player, I'd argue that if you asked 30 people who all raid what 100 potency actually meant, only one of them could tell you that it was 3 auto attacks worth of DPS. Numbers are good, but most people just go "Bigger Number = Better Skill" unless they're hardcore theory crafters. Recharge time is something that should absolutely be visible on power selection, as "Slow, Fast, Faster, Very Fast, Very Very Fast, ect" are all only minimally useful. I think the problem back in the day is that people might be turned off from the game in general if they knew their first two attacks had 4 and 8 second recharge rates off the bat. I can understand that. People still complain about FFXIV's GCD being 2.5 seconds and saying combat is as slow as molasses due to it. But once you're in and really getting a feel for things, I don't think it's a problem. So, what about a toggle solution? Initially start with text, and then have a menu toggle to swap to numbers once you know what the game loop actually is and you're bought in enough to understand it.

I will echo the exact same thing I said in the other thread to the person who said "Well you should have applied for Closed Beta if you wanted your feedback to matter." The NCSoft Announcement was almost exactly one month ago. For a great many of us, this is our very first opportunity to provide any kind of feedback on a new powerset being introduced. What is the point of having "Focused Feedback" threads when they're really "bug reporting and unintended interactions" threads? Focused Feedback gives the impression that the feedback we provide, especially if it's overwhelmingly on one specific issue, is going to be taken into account and adapted as needed towards the final goal. It does not give the impression that what's been moved to Brainstorm is set in stone and they're looking for simple tweaks. No one is calling the devs idiots, and I would thank you not to put those words in our mouths. I, as well as many others, love the concept of these new sets, but they need baked a bit more. The non-power Focused Feedback threads have seen the devs in charge of those going back and making non-insignificant changes to their plans, or adding things on to alleviate the issued provided as well. We seem to only be having this issue with new set development.

I don't play controllers a lot but I find it's worth listening to the people who do. As a relative layman, it felt okay, but the more I read from those of you who actually know what you're talking about the more apparent it became that there were fundamental issues with it. Shin's set made a lot more sense with that context, but it's unfortunately clear the devs are too busy focusing on their specific, unnecessary timetable rather than ensuring that everything that's put out is good. I understand the need not to sit around fiddling with things forever and eventually ship it, but locking things into place before people to whom it isn't their personal project have had a chance to test them seems counterproductive to me. I've seen larger dev teams who are actually getting paid and need to meet deadlines to make money on the project have less abrasive reactions than this (as well as pulling planned features back to cook a bit more taking the feedback into account), and moving this entire thread of discussion under a title that frankly feels belittling is borderline insulting. I'm sure the features they have planned are outstanding, but at a baseline, the power sets are the things we interact with *most* in the game and they're what needs the most assurance that they're making sure each new one is as best as it's going to be. Even if that means holding it's release off for another issue.

I still get surprised when I'm offered a travel power at 4 to be honest.

What about Scirocco? They could continue on his story arc that was planned (he was supposed to be redeemed into a hero) and have his AT clarified as sentinel.

A lot of us came back with the NCSoft announcement because we now know we're safe from the game and our characters unilaterally poofing out of existence with a C&D. This is the first post-license Issue, and the first time many of us have even had a chance to levy feedback.

I wanted to cycle back to this post simply because it kinda bothers me a bit. You guys aren't a corporate dev team having to please investors and rush builds out the door to meet the quota for the next quarter. You're a volunteer team of caretakers and insanely dedicated fans who are keeping the game alive and adding onto it. There's no need to rush out a build to the live servers. If something needs to rework and bake a bit more based on player feedback, then so be it. So what if the timetable is off. We ain't paying for this in any discernible way but our time. Hold the set back for the next page if you have to to make the needed changes.

I'm surprised you don't at least do DO accuracy and damages, and end reduction into your toggles.

This is all great info, but I can't help but laugh that it's literally is the point of his initial post where it feels like an overwhelming twelve hundred step program to funding a character initially.

I don't super love this advice for new players because it stunts their ability to get their attuned class set IOs off the merit vendors. Something like an early Stalker's Guile is incredibly game changing (especially with the next patch), and if lowbies are burning through merits converting them to INF, they're going to be left having to grind for it rather than be able to earn it naturally in a position where it'll help the earliest.

You don't need to farm merits, just sell your salvage (itll fill up quick!) and recipes and you'll have enough to slot DOs and SOs (they sell from Quartermasters) until you decide you want to dive into Inventions and attuned IOs and ect. If you get lucky enough to get a single prismatic aether, you'll be set for INF until the 40s.

Sure, but this is a New Player Experience thing, not a veteran player looking for shortcuts because they've done it already thing. With the flight pack they give you, it adds an extra two mins on top of the time you're already spending to get it now, but it helps direct new players to important systems.

Honestly, just being able to set them to other 'similar' existing enemy models would be a great start, imo. Like, bots could be switched for either Primal (rusty) or Praetorian-style Clockwork.