To: Mr Akihiko Matsui

[Eyeballed]

Castlevania II had experience points and a leveling system. I would be hard pressed to call that an RPG. I'm sure if I cared I could remember other examples.

Oh, and The Legend of Zelda II had those same elements. It's a bit closer but I've never personally considered the Zelda games to be RPGs (I know many people will disagree, this is only a personal opinion).

Good show. Though they did blur the lines in the title, passing them off as Action-RPG's, which is a more appropriate title. Funny thing is, if you subtracted the EXP system from the game, they might have gone with simply 'Action' or 'Adventure'.

[Slaxx]

Change happens, get used to it.

Personally I don't care for western style "sandbox" RPGs so I don't play them. There are still plenty of traditional JRPGs out there, I guarantee you haven't played them all even for the current generation of systems, let alone the availability of classic games as downloads.

[Demon6324236]

Simply because it seems SE is following this trend of Western development because, for some reason, Japanese RPG's that I grew up with are falling out of favor. And to me, it's because the common western gamer is, or has become, only interested in bigger/better/faster/more. They're selling out and actually collaborating with Blizzard on FFXIV (request the source if you want, I don't have it to hand). Some things I used to know and love in the gaming world are apparently becoming extinct and I don't like that one bit.

I will agree that MMOs are going this way. However Single-Player games are not, there are still many various SPRPGs out there which hold true to the old JRPG format. Also some companies are making remakes of older games, and while it is not out yet, I myself heavily await info on FFX:HD, as it is one of my favorite games of all time.

I think the reason MMOs are becoming more fast paced however is because people play MMOs to play with each other. If a new player starts a game far after everyone else (in this game for instance) it can leave you feeling left out, leaving you to solo or something of the sort, which takes away the exact feeling you play a MMO for. However with fast progression as we have it now, you can see that many people go to Abyssea, I have met many good friends in worm parties for instance, and it becomes a way for you to quickly get new players to a point in the game where many others are. Now this is my opinion on it, but it seems to be the general idea, and I think its why everyone seems to oppose you so much.

[Komori]

How old are you really eyeballed? I'm still in my late teen years and would do anything not to see FFXI go. I started playing when I was ten when I told my parents I really wanted to try it. And they made my brother let me have a character; two characters that I played with when he wasn't home. So I've been around for some time, a little back to when you probably were too. I was a 62 WHM and a 54 THF when I finally stopped those characters. But then I got my own XBOX and my own account and made Komori. And now it's level 99 on 17 jobs. (SAM49, COR12, RNG7) right now I'm grinding voidwatch for gear as well as money and doing magians to try to further my character.

I leveled all of the jobs because I wanted to be able to be useful in any situation my friends or linkshell needed me. But I really love DRK, DRG, BLU, THF, PUP, WHM, BLM the most. But I wouldn't even have that band of levels if it hadn't been for abyssea because I really wasn't going to level anymore after BLM, BLU and perhaps PUP before it came out. But anyway, tell me why it's acceptable for you to go around and stamp your feet because the game has changed? Why is the money you give SE every month somehow better than mine that they use your ideals and ignore the rest of us?

[Eyeballed]

I will agree that MMOs are going this way. However Single-Player games are not, there are still many various SPRPGs out there which hold true to the old JRPG format. Also some companies are making remakes of older games, and while it is not out yet, I myself heavily await info on FFX:HD, as it is one of my favorite games of all time.

I think the reason MMOs are becoming more fast paced however is because people play MMOs to play with each other. If a new player starts a game far after everyone else (in this game for instance) it can leave you feeling left out, leaving you to solo or something of the sort, which takes away the exact feeling you play a MMO for. However with fast progression as we have it now, you can see that many people go to Abyssea, I have met many good friends in worm parties for instance, and it becomes a way for you to quickly get new players to a point in the game where many others are. Now this is my opinion on it, but it seems to be the general idea, and I think its why everyone seems to oppose you so much.

QFT.

Again I say, it's "Join us, or die"?

[Eyeballed]

How old are you really eyeballed? I'm still in my late teen years and would do anything not to see FFXI go. I started playing when I was ten when I told my parents I really wanted to try it. And they made my brother let me have a character; two characters that I played with when he wasn't home. So I've been around for some time, a little back to when you probably were too. I was a 62 WHM and a 54 THF when I finally stopped those characters. But then I got my own XBOX and my own account and made Komori. And now it's level 99 on 17 jobs. (SAM49, COR12, RNG7) right now I'm grinding voidwatch for gear as well as money and doing magians to try to further my character.

I leveled all of the jobs because I wanted to be able to be useful in any situation my friends or linkshell needed me. But I really love DRK, DRG, BLU, THF, PUP, WHM, BLM the most. But I wouldn't even have that band of levels if it hadn't been for abyssea because I really wasn't going to level anymore after BLM, BLU and perhaps PUP before it came out. But anyway, tell me why it's acceptable for you to go around and stamp your feet because the game has changed? Why is the money you give SE every month somehow better than mine that they use your ideals and ignore the rest of us?

I'm in my 30's. My money is no better than your money, and by that rationale, I have an equally proportionate voice in what I like or dislike about this game.

[Komori]

Your free to voice your dislike for the game.

What your not free to do is voice them to change it to your own personal preference.

[Demon6324236]

QFT.

Again I say, it's "Join us, or die"?

But as I said, the reason most play a MMO is for playing with other players, this exact thing is more easily done when doing exactly what is being done now, making endgame the main focus and thus a easier place for people to gather & work together.

[Eyeballed]

Your free to voice your dislike for the game.

What your not free to do is voice them to change it to your own personal preference.

This statement works both ways, you realize? If you were to replace 'change' with 'revert', which is actually what I'm asking for, then you might better see what I'm saying. Somewhere, someone complained and moaned enough that the game was too slow or punishing or what-have-you, but their personal preference got my game changed into something I didn't like. Follow?

[Eyeballed]

But as I said, the reason most play a MMO is for playing with other players, this exact thing is more easily done when doing exactly what is being done now, making endgame the main focus and thus a easier place for people to gather & work together.

I'm not saying your dilemma is imaginary, but I've never encountered this problem of "not being able to play with my friends". I assume you're talking about your real life friends?