How does FFXIV fare against other modern MMORPGs?

[Rymm]

Fair enough was under the assumption they were all privitized now, meaning you need an invite from some group to play

This honestly isn't meant as criticism, but I'm really curious- you are not only playing XIV but are posting on the forums and have time for frivolous threads like this but can't spare a few seconds for even a quick google search to see if you can play XI, which you claim to like so much more than XIV? I don't understand how that happens. What's the reasoning behind that?

[RuleofThree]

This honestly isn't meant as criticism, but I'm really curious- you are not only playing XIV but are posting on the forums and have time for frivolous threads like this but can't spare a few seconds for even a quick google search to see if you can play XI, which you claim to like so much more than XIV? I don't understand how that happens. What's the reasoning behind that?

When after 14 years of a games existence, and you recently have nostalgia for FFXI again, but a friend/co-worker/lover/what-have-you says 'Oh yea, I remember that game too, but I think the servers are down..only privitized by people who downloaded the server specs or whatever.' You don't immediately think 'Ho there, my knowledgeable friend! You have long since aided me with your useful insight, but I must interject here! Surely a game that has been in existence for 14 years is still up and running, in the prime of its life! Nay sir, I shall google this immediately!'

Is it just as unreasonable to assume when someone tells you and old game is either unaccessable anymore, or possibly hard to access, you just...believe them, based on the notion that the game is old? I don't think so...

[Dualgunner]

No but uh...when you're making solid claims like "XI is unplayable anymore," people expect that claim to be researched. I admit, when you sounded so sure XI was down I questioned it myself, but no, XI is not only still going strong but they're making a mobile variant of the game as well.

[RuleofThree]

No but uh...when you're making solid claims like "XI is unplayable anymore," people expect that claim to be researched. I admit, when you sounded so sure XI was down I questioned it myself, but no, XI is not only still going strong but they're making a mobile variant of the game as well.

I made solid claims to FFXI being down?

Himm..I better check this grievous mistake...

This. A thousand times this. I used to be a FF fan, but after 11 (And before people bitch about how I'm trying to compare 11 to 14, I'm not. I mean after 11 in terms of FF games. Really, for me, FF died after 9, was ressurected at 11, then died again at 12), things went pear shaped, badly. This game makes me sad. Same thing different day, nothing you do matters, because in a month or two's time, your gear will be outdated, and the grind begins again. It takes 2 and a half months just to get full tomestone gear because of the stupid low cap of 450 of <insert relavent tomestone here>, unless you have millions of gil to spend on crafted gear to get in to savages the day it comes out. Overworld is a joke, just a means to get from point A to Point B, and after you finish all main story quests and any side dungeons to unlock, you never go in to them again...because retainers can get you stuff your gathering classes normally would, albiet it slower, but still, pay for enough retainers, and you have enough to get by.

I play this game literally because there is no other game to play. So I wouldn't say FFXIV is the best, I would say it's the lesser of all the available evils.

A statement that I play this game because there is nothing better to play...but no....no claim that FFXI is unplayable. Hmmm...maybe dig deeper?

Yea, because we all know taking one thing out of context means that it's a bad idea. FFXI had mistakes as well, Diadem was one of them, but over all, I think FFXI was the superior MMO. When I heard about FFXIV, I came hoping it was similar content with just improved combat system and the likes. Expected to be camping in the overworld pulling mobs and watching mob trains when it all goes wrong. Expected some sort of involvement with random people rather than a 15-20 minute dungeon in which no one talks, and the focus is just getting the dungeon done as fast as possible.

...what I got was....this game....

.....exciting

A mention how FFXI had their own fair share of mistakes, but just because it sucked, doesn't mean the game sucked. But no...still no mention of how FFXI is unplayable. But it must be here..I'm quoted on it after all.

Minus the part of still having FFXI, cause I don't. Also minus the part of enjoying the games we enjoy, cause I don't. Other than that, yea...FFXIV rocks.

A quote about how I don't have access to FFXI anymore. While it could be assumed this means 'ffxi is unplayable,' it merely means that I was not aware the servers still exist, and thus was available to me. Still...no mention of FFXI being unplayable...unless you mistook my wording, at least. I could have been an avid FFXI console player, which is dead. Still, I think they can recover character from console to PC, but in light of all this, I don't have my research down enough to make a solid claim to this. And I do need a solid claim, can't be making erroneous assumptions around here, after all. That's bad form.

Fair enough was under the assumption they were all privitized now, meaning you need an invite from some group to play

My owning up to my ignorance, and accepting this correction. Yet still no mention of FFXI being unplayable. Maybe I deleted the post?

[Voltyblast]

Umm, while I think that might be interesting, I don't think FFXIV's current story system is bad. In fact, the current story system is what made many players emotionally engaged, for the story feels more personal. You feel more involved with the characters after all the things you've lived together; if you removed those things and would merely stay on the surface of what's happening, it wouldn't be the same.

Well...that's the problem, story is subjective so you might like it, love even, but I honestly fail to see what makes it good. It's not uncommon for me as I dislike some of the most famous games of all time (I found Nier incredibly boring and pretentious, Life is Strange was a chore, Undertale was hilariously bad and so on). Still, wow has also characters that you have some kind of involvement....I mean look at Jaina: in Pandaria she had her place demolished by Garrosh which made her go rampage and started KILLING blood elves in Dalaran because of their alignment to the horde, and she is now regretting her choice of the past, all culminating with her returning in Kul'Tiras and facing her own people ((I forgot the details so bear with me, it's been a while)).
And yet the expansions have their own story...sure you would have to read and watch everything done before to fully understand, but seeing Jaina doing all that made me actually want to go back and revisit everything, including books and videos.
I sure won't bother returning here and watch hundreds of voiceless scenes with corny lines such as "mayhap" every 2 seconds.

But again, it's subjective: you might like a story that I hate, or hate a story that I like, and that's completely and perfectly fine in my book.
What's not fine when people start calling you names for disliking stuff that you don't like, which happened quite often during the years I played in this game and the main reason of drama in the past.
And in the 12-13 years I played wow, this never happened...or heck even other games.

[Dualgunner]

A quote about how I don't have access to FFXI anymore. While it could be assumed this means 'ffxi is unplayable,' it merely means that I was not aware the servers still exist, and thus was available to me. Still...no mention of FFXI being unplayable...unless you mistook my wording, at least. I could have been an avid FFXI console player, which is dead. Still, I think they can recover character from console to PC, but in light of all this, I don't have my research down enough to make a solid claim to this. And I do need a solid claim, can't be making erroneous assumptions around here, after all. That's bad form.

Yes, it could be assumed that means "FFXI is unplayable." Because the alternatives would have me assume far, far less of you.

FFXI console and FFXI PC were crossplay as well, were they not? https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards...sy-xi/53959008 suggests that, much like FFXIV, all accounts accessed the same servers, so I can assume the characters are easily accessed as well, just like how easy it was for me to connect my PC to my PS4 account for XIV and transition like that.

[Krokov]

Yes, it could be assumed that means "FFXI is unplayable." Because the alternatives would have me assume far, far less of you.

FFXI console and FFXI PC were crossplay as well, were they not? https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards...sy-xi/53959008 suggests that, much like FFXIV, all accounts accessed the same servers, so I can assume the characters are easily accessed as well, just like how easy it was for me to connect my PC to my PS4 account for XIV and transition like that.

You are correct again Final Fantasy 11 was indeed cross supported. PC version was released first then PS2 with the Xbox 360 later on. That way until March of 2015 when they ended console support.

[Stanelis]

Well, it feels like 10APM sometime on some jobs, especially some melee jobs. People complain about 2.5s GCD in XIV, but seriously, it's not too uncommon to go 10+ seconds without anything to do. Need TP to do a weaponskill, most of your abilities have 5+ minute cooldowns, etc.

Also, I'm not including movement in the APM estimates... and 10 APM is 6 seconds avg between ability usage, afterall and I can tell you that waiting longer than 6 seconds between doing things is very common.

Currently on melee jobs on FFXI you WS every few seconds if you know what you're doing (ie you have the relevant gear, with all the haste and multi-hit), and you need to line up your buff (without any GCD) and coordinate with your teammates for skillchains. Sure FFXI is a game where you have to think about when to go ham but when you do you have to quickly make use of your abilities, as there aren't any GCD. If you spend 10 secs+ without doing something, you don't really know what you're doing.

And your point is moot for healers, support, tank and mage jobs, on which you are always casting something.

[Krokov]

Different strokes for different folks and whats "best" is subjective to the person and there is no real textbook "best" mmo.

I can't deny WoW and FFXIV are the biggest mmo's. I sorta wanna put in SWTOR in this as well. All three are really long running franchises and all three have its own legion of fans because of the name and because of the companies behind it. The rest fall into the category "you either like it or you don't"

FFXIV does excel at both presentation and being the perfect social type game if a player seeks more bite then what they can get out of Second Life. This is where FFXIV falls flat for me and if I only had the choice between WoW, SWTOR and FFXIV. I would pick WoW. FFXIV maybe more stunning to look at then WoW, but much like I could walk down a sidewalk and spot a pile of dog poop, I can put all the spray paint and dump as much glitter as I want on it and in the end all I'll have is a pretty pile of poop. FFXIV is just too constrictive for me. Here I know no matter how good I am, no matter how good my gear is. I'm very much limited to what I can do on my own. I like being social with friends but at the same time I also like pushing myself solo to see what I can do alone. That's fun for me. WoW maybe less visually amazing, but its presentation is good enough for me since when I remember from when I played. The world was more open and I had the options to see how far I could push myself alone when I wanted to be alone. I'll trade any visuals in exchange for options.

I still enjoy FFXIV for what it is with friends, but when no friends are around I tend to favor mmo's with more bite and flexibility.

Indeed as someone who pretty much is playing XIV by themselves it can definitely be difficult. I have really friends that do play but real life circumstances responsibilities prevent them from doing so regularly they can only get on at the moment sporadically you might say. So for the most part it's me that's playing the game taking care of the FC and anything else and it can be tough when you have no one to hang out with. Though even with World of Warcraft while you can do a lot of things solo when you have no one to hang out with it's also in my opinion tough as well.

[Maeka]

-snip-

IF you can get that kind of ridiculous gear.

When I last played, like last year I think it was.... yeah last year... the gear that one could get solo did not let you "WS every few seconds" whatsoever. Basic entry-level 119 gear that took forever to get while solo and getting a group in modern days? lol. Yeah right.

They did add the "handout 119" stuff (or rather updated 117) right before I left, but even that gear was rather weak, barely 119 from what I read. Looked like it was a bit under-budgeted just to push your Trusts up to full power.

To get anything good, you had to do Ambuscade (nobody wanted you because you couldn't do the hard mode with that kind of gear, nor could you solo the easier modes very well because most Ambuscades had mobs that were VERY solo un-friendly with AoEs that the AI trusts could not handle whatsoever) or get Su3 gear.

To get Su3 gear, you had to do months and months and months of JP grinding on a specific job (it was not character wide, mind you) and then pay tens of millions of gil per piece, if any pieces were actually up on the market (family member took 3 weeks+ to finally get the set for her THF) and even then you're still out on jewelry. Have fun grinding old content to get starter gear before you can even THINK about starting new content, IF you could find a group of people who don't mind carrying a newbie to get caught up.

So they finally made combat OK, but only if you have top of the line gear which you're never going to get without years of grinding and preparing.

That's somehow better?