So how's endgame...and other stuffFollow

During P3 and into P4 (and even a couple of current threads) we were regaled with talk about how easy the game was up to 30.

So for those of you at 50 how is it?

Personally I'm at level 38 with my MNK and it hasn't been too bad, except for a couple of fights. All of my groups have been random DF based and except for one Titan group, all have gone swimmingly. I think our random groups died more on trash mobs by mistake than on actual bosses. Titan was the hardest fight so far and after looking at the walkthroughs for Qarn and Cutter's, I'm not looking forward to a DF group for those. But yeah Braflox seems to be where the difficulty ramps up a bit.

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From what I've been reading lurking on the <ZAM> FC chat, endgame is fun and challenging with some dungeons seemingly impossible without a static. Of course there are gear checks as well coming into play.

Some solo quests are actually challenging and fun as well.

I think SE did a good job with the "tutorial" so far and ARR seems no different from any other MMO in this regard in recent years.

Edited, Sep 18th 2013 5:04pm by Kierk

I am trying to take it slow. And honestly right now the leveling seems a bit grindy so it makes me want to take it slower.

I think a large part of why it feels like a grind is because I haven't run any dungeons for a few levels...but I am having fun.

If anything I wanted to see if those early detractors still think the game is easy or if ARR changed their minds at all.

What?!?! I only got Pie and Sorbet

I just wish there was a bit more incentive to level other classes to develop your main. Specifically granting attributes like +str for a certain amount of jobs at level 15.

Eh, even if there was, I wouldn't have the time anyway, plus it would definitely be mandatory for endgame to have "optimal" sub classes.

Chimera is pretty much a Stun -> Silence combo check.
Amdapor Keep is slight DPS race, very slightly. Even with 1 DPS died mid way during both Demon Wall and final boss, my DF party still down both with plenty of rooms to spare. This is the sole reason why people farm days and nights this for tomestone, because it's easy.
Hydra is part DPS race, the Wyvern buff Hydra, they need to die plain and simple.
Ifrit is Stun check, nothing special and quite straightforward. Easy to farm for decent weapons if you are lucky.
Garuda HM is a DPS race. Couldn't kill clones fast enough? Die. Unlike 1.0, the final 2 phases will repeat until Garuda dies so you have to keep killing the Clones.
Haven't got to Titan HM, but Bahamut Coil is definitely a DPS race from what people are going to tell you.

Did I mention all the time you have to survive?

"Endgame" so far is actually quite fun. Garuda HM and Titan HM have been some of the most fun battles I've done in a long while.

I've only done the first two turns of Binding Coils but it's pretty fun as well and moderately challenging even with an organized group. The first coil is just your average dungeon with your not so average bosses. The final boss is actually a neat reference!

The 2nd coil is just one boss. It's actually a DPS check and reminds me a little bit of salvage. You have to pick two out of 5 (6 maybe?) sectors to take down which weakens the ADS! You can't kill them all because the ADS has a count down until he basically blows you to smithereens. I really like the transition from tank and spank dungeon to a race against time.

http://i.imgur.com/TelmZ7X.jpg

I would say the most fun so far has been Titan due to just how difficult he is. One mistake from anyone and the fight can turn out very bad. Everyone has to play at 100%. It is a lot like arc angels before everyone decided to blow them up with BLMs.

After all 3 primal hard mode fights, you are considered 'attuned' to The Binding Coils of Bahamut. Quite a difficult attunement if you think about it! Not many PUGs will get past Titan HM.

There are 5 turns currently, each a separate 'dungeon' if you want to call it that.

First - Tank and spank with some neat boss effects
Second - Race against time with salvage-esque qualities
Third - Survive trash that hits like a truck
Fourth - Marathon or "Can you stack BLMs and BRDs?"
Fifth - Insanity

Edited, Sep 19th 2013 4:02am by HitomeOfBismarck

None that I have seen! I think it may introduce a higher cap on players.

i.e., Normally, you could only do 18 people in a KSNM. In the dynamis cities, you could have 64 people inside.

At least, the rumor is we'll get some 24 man content stuff.

You also have your relic weapon quest if you choose to do so. Finally beat Chimera last night after trying multiple times. He really makes you pay for any little mistake. Can be really annoying but it will teach you through wipe after wipe to use your job properly.

I have seen comments on here saying that there is nothing on ffxiv that gives you that sense of accomplishment, but after downing Chimera, i felt pretty damn good about my skills as a SCH. Also made 7 new friends that are looking to band together to do some other fights.

WP is fun, nothing real unusual, just tests coordination and ability to act independently.

AK is a nice challenge, but once you get the hang of it not too tough. Demon Wall is something of a DPS check however; if it isn't dead by the fourth push, or you can't down the adds in time, you die.

HM Ifrit is tougher by far than normal Ifrit, but when you get the eruption/plume pattern down (and there is a pattern, with the odd eruption twitch every once in awhile) then he's not too tough. The only issue is, if you don't have at least one PLD to stun-bot, it becomes less about stunning eruption and more about coordinating between your warriors or other DPS who can stun. Also, killing nails w/o a BLM or SMN is very difficult, but not impossible. One melee dps LB's one nail, all other dps focus other nail, all dps focus third nail, and melee DPS LB's last nail while all other dps focus it down. Doable, and effective, but nothing compared to the easy mode a BLM or SMN level 3 Meteor LB provides.

HM Garuda is hella fun, and visually/acoustically impressive. The fight just looks and sounds amazing. The dps test there comes in can you kill feathers fast enough, and can you kill sisters fast enough. The other tests come in balancing healer output vs incoming raid damage, and anticipating spikes on the tank due to presence of the red line.

Titan HM is ******** of the highest order. I've only done it via DF a few times, but if you have a bad healer, he WILL take aggro. Using Medica excessively is a great way to face-tank him, and your DPS needs to all at least have Ifrit weapons (yes, needs) because if he doesn't go down quickly he can get up to 9 Tumults in a row, and that's something like 8000 unavoidable aoe damage per person on the entire party. His other mechanics are pretty fun however, like the bomb rocks. But there's also the DPS race of getting the heart to pop in time, because if you don't he just ends you right then and there.

Have yet to beat Titan; runs for your relic weapon are going for ~250k per Titan on Leviathan right now. I'm sorta hoping SE nerfs him in some way, because right now the "preferred" groups for him are 1 tank, 3 healer, 4 dps, or 1 tank, 2 healer, 5 dps, which the DF does not accommodate (nor should it imo). How they would go about doing this, I don't know, but I do know there are better ways to check gear than unavoidable aoe damage.

Yes..it's actually quite sad where WAR tanking is headed. No one wants them for Titan or in coils but I like that there is a push to turn them into DPS. I think many WARs want this option, anyways.



I agree. HM Garuda is my favorite primal fight. She is pretty difficult but her music and skill set are just incredible. I LOVE being able to cast flare on plumes the minute they drop, watching them die or spawn at half HP or less. I love her phase changes. One mistake, though, and everyone eats dirt! The healers are so pressed during the transition from phase 1 to 2. Medica spam = you're going to be tanking the red add so it's a fine balance.

However, it's doable.

My advice: do not even attempt DF HM Titan. Go to Rev. Toll and look for shout groups. Better success with those. Go look up the IGN guide. It has is exact skillset so you can get on vent or mumble and call them out when you get to phase 3. Phase 3 really isn't that hard but with lag, plumes can be hard to avoid. Even then...plumes will not wipe you. What will wipe you is landslide.

BTW, if you think HM Titan is bull just wait till you get to turn 2 with ADS. I've seen many successful videos but it requires quite a bit of coordination!

You start the turn with a set time limit. The only goal? Kill ADS. Of course, ADS is gated by several paths. You can choose which path but most people go left > down > right > ADS. Each orb you kill disables something of ADS.

For instance, left side will disable his resistance to piercing and blunt damage as well as his ability to use chain lightning and the cross move that summons fire.

So you have to fight three orbs minimum to get to ADS. They all share some similarities with ADS. All of them have high voltage which must e interrupted (25 seconds instead of 20 secodns on ADS himself). Then, they all have one special move. Tank swapping must be done as well.

ADS

High voltage requires two interrupts and they need to be swapped in a 20 second interval regardless of phase. Usually a bard silence and paladin stun. If this ability gets off, it causes raid-wide paralysis and this cannot be cured. Lasts 30 seconds. Will royally ***** you over if it isn't dealt with.

A rectangular AoE laser needs to be dodged or you die on a low HP class.

Repel is an AoE on ADS that melee need to run away from.

Two tanks need to constantly swap aggro to clear a stacking damaging buff.

Depending on the path you chose, ADS has different abilities. Many people choose the left path because, well, right just makes him super insane.

At 75%, he uses a debuff on a random party member called Allagan rot. This debuff can be passed to multiple party members if you're not careful. It's a lot like Lich King's plague, actually. This debuff MUST be passed to a new person every 15 seconds or the entire raid wipes. It's a freaking nightmare having to coordinate stuns, tank swaps, and rot passing all in one vent/mumble channel.

Now if you didn't think that was bad, at 50% he starts to use his other skill sets. Namely, gravity well (randomly placed AoE on random person) and ballast (AoE/cone attack...only safe spot is behind him).

He's actually relatively squishy so if you can handle all that, it really isn't an issue or a DPS race. 100% of our wipes are usually due to high voltage (mass paralyze that can't be cured) or rot.

Coils are definitely no joke. Turn 3 is just a run through a bunch of trash but turn 4 will REALLY test you.

Anyone who says FFXIV: ARR's endgame is a joke clearly hasn't been there yet.

Edited, Sep 20th 2013 5:44am by HitomeOfBismarck