Tanaka back in charge?!

[Vold]

I wonder how many of us here understand the difference between producer and director? There's too much presuming going on here. An innocent man may very well be catching flack he didn't earn.

I think the problem here is that devs don't play the game. Play the game Mr. Tanaka and company. For a few days. Hack yourselves up a level 95 character on one of the servers. Go to WoE for a few hours. Try out Voidwatch with a shout crew. Do whatever. When you come out of it with a full grown beard and a better understanding of the players view, if you feel you are pleased with the game then I'll back you for life, brothers(and possible sisters). If the creators of a game can stomach their creation then there's not much a customer can say or do at that point. It's either pay up or shut up.

But what about people who like huge mega shells, camping and endgame drama?

Yes those people exist, I'm one of them.

Yet you fear drama enough to hide behind a lv1 mule. Sounds to me you're just playing devil's advocate here.

[Zaknafein]

You say this so cavalierly, as though there wasn't such a thing as LS drama and politics in the past. I, for one, do not want to go back to a time where you had to apply to the right LS, kiss the right you-know-whats, and submit to the whims of a 15-year-old LS leader with a Napoleon complex in order to get the things you want from the game. I wanted nothing to do with that environment then, and sure don't want anything to do with it now. If that means getting ripped by idiots for wearing my AF3 +1 or +2 gear by 99, so be it. I will not compromise myself for digital trinkets. I didn't get into the game for that purpose.

For all of you that feel that way I ask "What have you learned over the past year?" With all of the low man activities I would hope you learned to do things on your own, and in small groups. To think, and plan for yourself vs having a LS leader lead you around by the nose. I know I most certainly increased my knowledge of the game significantly over the past year.

I'm sorry if you had bad experiences in the past when HNM lent itself toward mega LS's. I'll say it again though like I have a thousand times. Every LS out there was not pure evil. LS's are like Gf's & Bf's. You may get lucky, and fall in love with your 1st. However, chances are you are going to need to have a few before you find the love of your life.

Going back to my initial point. If you are that convinced that every LS you ever apply to will be awful, and treat you badly because they are big meanies then start your own. All it takes is a few friends which is enough to static most anything in abyssea even for casual players. Pick a couple days a week to do Voidwatch, and shout in jeuno for extra bodies. You'd be surprised what you can accomplish with a little initiative.

Getting started on Voidwatch:
http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Voidwatch

Voidwatch NM tree:
http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Ca...rious_Monsters

You can do it if you give it a shot!

[Mahoro]

You say this so cavalierly, as though there wasn't such a thing as LS drama and politics in the past. I, for one, do not want to go back to a time where you had to apply to the right LS, kiss the right you-know-whats, and submit to the whims of a 15-year-old LS leader with a Napoleon complex in order to get the things you want from the game. I wanted nothing to do with that environment then, and sure don't want anything to do with it now. If that means getting ripped by idiots for wearing my AF3 +1 or +2 gear by 99, so be it. I will not compromise myself for digital trinkets. I didn't get into the game for that purpose.

Like anything in life, one must do their research before making a decision. There are so many ways to check on a group's reputation these days that people who "submit to the whims of a 15 year old LS leader with a Napoleon complex" have nobody to blame but themselves for choosing wrong. There are plenty of linkshells out there with fair and equitable rules. I help lead one myself and there is literally no drama over loot. Assuming that there would be drama over the new LS-based content is inane anyway. How could there be Voidwatch drama when the loot pools are individual? Simple logic dictates.

I also welcome a return to LS-based content but agree with the posters who are saying the Voidwatch loot system needs some adjustments.

[Falseliberty]

I've been a paying customer since '03 and this is the fool that said hey "no windowed mode for u cuz thats for hackers and bots. these are the guys that thought AV and PW was perfectly fine end game content. these where the guys that we begged and begged to fix kings, yet they said naw we don't see a problem

I'm sorry if i sound bitter but most of the old dev crew just didn't listen to anyone back then

maybe the backlash from 14 was a good thing?

[Fream]

A friend and I were joking about Tanaka trying to run XI into the ground, being bitter over having to fall on his sword for XIV (XI funds -> fixing XIV -> possible tinfoil hat?). I hope it doesn't turn out to be true though. 2003 / 2004 were both good years, sure, but c'mon now. That being said, huge LS events can be fun, as long as it doesn't take forever (or 2 seconds) to get good drops. Moderation, blah blah.

[Insaniac]

I don't think anyone is really upset about group activities. VW is pretty fun imo and I'm glad to see challenging content that requires people to have some level of skill to complete. What I'm not glad to see is FFXI going back to the "I've been doing this event for 3 years and I still don't have what I want" model. I've been doing voidwatch pretty frequently with my LS since a couple weeks after it was introduced and I still don't have a single one of the items I wanted from it. That is Tanaka game design at it's finest. There's pretty much no way I am gonna put myself through that again considering I may not even get what I want before the servers go down this time around. I will probably quit pretty soon after the 99 cap if the game doesn't look like it's headed in a direction that is less Tanakafied.

[Gallus]

Tanaka's not good for the game.

[Elexia]

Tanaka's not good for the game.

I know right? Damn us for playing his game.

[Runespider]

I know right? Damn us for playing his game.

FFXIV was Tanakas game too, they still kicked his ass to the kerb for sucking.