Official NA "Fatigue"/"Threshhold" Statement

You can check out the link to the post here:
http://www.ffxivcore.com/topic/12068-balancing-character-growth-in-beta-3/


or you can just read it here:


Once again, we would like to thank you all for your participation and support during the Closed Beta. We will continue to take your valuable feedback into consideration as we develop the game during Open Beta and even beyond the official release.

Now I would like to take a moment to respond to the many questions and opinions regarding the manner in and rates at which experience and skill points are obtained in Beta 3.

Firstly, the concept for FINAL FANTASY XIV was to design a system of character progression that offers meaningful advancement for those with limited time to dedicate to playing. We did not want to create a game that forced people to play for hours on end to see their efforts rewarded. To that end, in addition to the Guardian's Aspect and guildleve systems, we introduced a means of apportioning swifter advancement to shorter periods of play.

In order to achieve this balance, we calculated a value for the amount of skill or experience points that could be earned in a one-hour period. This theoretical value represents an hour spent engaged solely in combat, levequests, or any other activities that earn skill or experience points, and sets a threshold delimiting how many of these points can be earned in a period of play.

Based on this, we have implemented a “threshold value” concept. These thresholds are regulated by a one-week timer that begins counting down the instant you earn skill/experience points. After a week has passed, the thresholds will reset, and the moment skill/experience points are earned again, the timer begins counting down anew.

For the first eight thresholds during this week-long period, players will receive skill/experience points at the maximum rate possible. The actual amount of time spent reaching these thresholds is not significant. That is to say, a player who exceeds eight hours of gameplay will still be rewarded the maximum amount of skill/experience points, so long as the total amount earned is below the eighth threshold value. For the subsequent seven thresholds, players will earn skill/experience points at a gradually decreasing rate, eventually reaching a rate of zero.

It is worth noting, however, that the reduced rate will also gradually recover while players are engaged in activities that do not yield skill/experience points. In this manner, it is possible for the threshold value to reset completely, even before the completion of the one-week timer.

Any skill points earned in excess of the threshold maximum—that is, at a rate of zero—will be stored as "bonus skill points." These are specific to each class, so players limited to earning bonus skill points still have the freedom to change classes and begin earning skill points again at the maximum rate, allowing their reduced skill rates to recover in the meantime.

The experience point threshold, however, is unrelated to class, and switching classes will have no effect on the decreasing rate of earnable experience.

This is how the progression system currently works.

This system was not introduced in Beta 3, but has been in place since the beginning of beta testing. There are several reasons why many people believe that these features were only recently implemented:

- Leading into Beta 3, operation hours were extended, making it possible to play more often during the span of a week.
- To encourage players to form guidleve parties in Beta 3, skill and experience point rewards for guildleves were significantly increased.
- The process that reduced the amount of skill/experience points awarded for weak enemies attacking in groups was unintentionally removed at the start of Beta 3. (This issue has been addressed.)

That last reason in particular was the biggest cause for players running up against the threshold penalty, with characters earning far more skill/experience points than we anticipated. We also faced an issue where we were simultaneously unable to adjust the amount earned for guildleves as well as the effects of crossing each threshold.

We sincerely apologize for the lack of explanation and our failure to make the necessary adjustments in the game.

The threshold values are being reexamined, and we plan to further adjust the different rates of earnable points based on feedback from our testers. One of the top issues we are looking at right now is fixing the excessively rapid drop after crossing the eighth threshold. We also plan to improve experience point reduction rates, even more so than for skill points, considering the threshold is unaffected when changing class.

At the very least, we can promise that players won't be running into the threshold penalty in the same short time span as they did in the beginning of Beta 3.

We would like to take this opportunity to also explain the following issues.

The diminishing results experienced during gathering are a function related to that class alone, and have no connection to this progression system. We are in the process of adjusting this system, and plan to make changes based on tester feedback.

We are currently in the process of considering the means in which bonus skill points can be used. There have been suggestions for various types of incentives, but as encouraging people to play with that in mind defeats the purpose of this threshold system, we will be examining this issue very carefully.

These are not the only adjustments we have planned for Open Beta. As mentioned previously, we are looking into increasing the amount of skill points earned when fighting in a party, and we look forward to seeing your input on these changes.

Last of all, I would like to apologize for the delay in releasing a developer's comment due to my recent attendance to Gamescom. The article based on my interview during that trip, coupled with conjecture, outdated information, and some misunderstandings on overseas websites, only added to the confusion. In the future, I hope to avoid similar problems by responding directly through official developer's comments as often as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

See you in the Open Beta Testing!

FINAL FANTASY XIV Director
Nobuaki Komoto



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For whatever reason, this time I read it - it sounds more reasonable. Also, they obviously know that the testers are raged over it all, so maybe we'll see a change in the system, perhaps more time (if they don't scrap it completely).

It is worth noting, however, that the reduced rate will also gradually recover while players are engaged in activities that do not yield skill/experience points. In this manner, it is possible for the threshold value to reset completely, even before the completion of the one-week timer.

I REALLY don't think this system is going to effect us MOST of the time. I think they are trying to find a balance between healthy gameplay and w/e RMTs do to level their characters (weren't they taking turns leveling characters? I seem to remember seeing some RMT names leveling around the clock for weeks to get to 75).

No guarantee but I'm getting the feeling this will either get balance to the point that we'll PROBABLY never hit the threshold, or it'll get scrapped altogether.

Aye, I agree, I doubt this will effect any of us unless that is an overabundant amount of leveling on one single character. I'll take an occasional level cap happily if it'll keep RMTs from taking this game over. Working Economy = +1

I agree, i like the concept of getting rid of the RMTs but I hate the idea of limiting player progress in general. If I'm enjoying one class, I wanna be able to continue playing that one class and gaining progress with it.

Yeah, I don't like the idea much either, but once we see how much it really takes for it to come into effect we'll get a feel of it I'm sure. However, in this one they did talk about some sort of skill point system that you get if you keep leveling on that class. Maybe it'll be ways to buff your character up or something? Or make it so you have extra skill slot points which would in-turn make you character even better depending on if you've leveled up other classes.

They mentioned something about Bonus Skill Points.

I have only played like 15-20 mins of the beta, so I don't really know how experience or skill points really work yet. Maybe these limitations won't hurt us so much, depending on the significance of individual skill points or exp. But I know that myself personally, I burn 8 hours of gameplay in a single day sometimes. If I have to wait at least a week to start gaining experience again....that's really lame. And I wanna know more about how you can reset the thresholds. They said it can regenerate or reset based on if you are doing stuff that doesn't grant exp or skill pts, but they don't really say much about it.

SE why must you always be so damn VAGUE!

They say the week is just a guarantee that it will return and that it gradually return by doing things that don't have to do with gaining experience points (anything like killing, or doing guidleves). I also imagine logging out will be one that helps - seeing as they are catering to the casuals who can't log on very often, I doubt they would make it so you have to stay in game for it to return.

yea, i hope it works out alot better than ppl are expecting. and as for killing and guildleves, wtf else will i do, run around GATHERING!?!?!? uhhh no lol

Dunno - I just remember spending half my time on FFXI sitting in my MH doing nothing...which reminds me..what do you think they're gonna do for player-housing this time around? IF they have player housing.

they have to do some sort of storage setup

i want a moghouse, i used and abused mine in ffxi so much that the little whore didnt get fazed by anything anymore, i need new meat.

They sort of have a storage system implemented already, but I thought they said they still want to have a type of player housing.

At the moment you have 80 inventory slots, crystals (shards, crystals, clusters) have their own inventory and all stack to 999, and a key items bag.

Then you have your retainer, which is live a store front idea. You set him up with your bazaar items and put him in a market ward (if I recall correctly, I haven't used this yet myself). The retainer has 80 inventory slots it its own.

If they made it so that when you logged off in your MH you get extra..EXP refresh? wtf are we gonna call it >_>

wow i remember having to QUEST for 80 bag slots lol sounds like a really good setup, so far, in that area to me

Kailok5090 wrote:If they made it so that when you logged off in your MH you get extra..EXP refresh? wtf are we gonna call it >_>

I christened it recovery when i made my tongue in cheek post.

This system does not sound horrible. I am certain FFXIVCore is still full of raging 10 yr olds that are whining about this system...


There's an important note regarding the bonus skill xp mentioned: you have to sacrifice physical xp to gain that bonus skill xp. So I see it as:
Level to Threshold 8.
If you continue leveling past Threshold 8, you begin accruing deferred skill xp for your job at the expense of some physical xp.
If you change jobs, you continue to suffer physical xp loss, but do not accrue any surplus xp for your job.

It seems like this system now penalizes multi job exp instead of rewarding it.

Still not terribly worried by this system.