2012-11-23, 08:40 PM
This is how I think they should've done it:
For boss fights, sure, lower the EXP significantly, but make it Party Play within each party of the exped. Using a similar system applied across the entire exped, make the drop rate improve for each party in the exped (so yeah, people can make an expedition full of 1-person parties for better drops, but they'll just have a harder time). Also, improve the quality of the drops. If possible, add bonus missions (for better rewards, of course) to the boss fights so that players can choose to make them more challenging if they want the rewards.
The bonus missions should be generated randomly upon entering the room from a small pool for each boss. A few examples would be to defeat the boss within a certain amount of time (which should be much less than the time limit), or perhaps to defeat a special variant of one of the boss's summons that has ridiculously high HP (time constraints again...) before defeating the boss, or even destroying the parts of a multi-part boss in a certain order (e.g. leave the Healing arm for last).
...and we need more Party Play areas dammit.
And make stats more useful. Once Tempest hits, there's absolutely no reason to add AP to stats other than your primary stat. Give beneficial effects to other stats, as an incentive for people to go for them instead of just for their main stat!
e.g.
STR: For every 5 STR, +1% MaxHP. If STR is primary, +0.25% MaxHP.
DEX: For every 10 DEX, +2% DEF Ignore. If DEX is primary, +0.1% DEF Ignore.
INT: For every 8 INT, +2% Elemental Resist. If INT is primary, +0.2% Elemental Resist.
LUK: For every 8 LUK, +2% Status Resist. If LUK is primary, +0.2% Status Resist.
Well, it'll probably have to be balanced out a little more, and possibly with even more effects for each stat, but my idea's something like that. Accuracy and Avoidability should also count for something once more, to further justify adding points in say, DEX or LUK.
For boss fights, sure, lower the EXP significantly, but make it Party Play within each party of the exped. Using a similar system applied across the entire exped, make the drop rate improve for each party in the exped (so yeah, people can make an expedition full of 1-person parties for better drops, but they'll just have a harder time). Also, improve the quality of the drops. If possible, add bonus missions (for better rewards, of course) to the boss fights so that players can choose to make them more challenging if they want the rewards.
The bonus missions should be generated randomly upon entering the room from a small pool for each boss. A few examples would be to defeat the boss within a certain amount of time (which should be much less than the time limit), or perhaps to defeat a special variant of one of the boss's summons that has ridiculously high HP (time constraints again...) before defeating the boss, or even destroying the parts of a multi-part boss in a certain order (e.g. leave the Healing arm for last).
...and we need more Party Play areas dammit.
And make stats more useful. Once Tempest hits, there's absolutely no reason to add AP to stats other than your primary stat. Give beneficial effects to other stats, as an incentive for people to go for them instead of just for their main stat!
e.g.
STR: For every 5 STR, +1% MaxHP. If STR is primary, +0.25% MaxHP.
DEX: For every 10 DEX, +2% DEF Ignore. If DEX is primary, +0.1% DEF Ignore.
INT: For every 8 INT, +2% Elemental Resist. If INT is primary, +0.2% Elemental Resist.
LUK: For every 8 LUK, +2% Status Resist. If LUK is primary, +0.2% Status Resist.
Well, it'll probably have to be balanced out a little more, and possibly with even more effects for each stat, but my idea's something like that. Accuracy and Avoidability should also count for something once more, to further justify adding points in say, DEX or LUK.