Out with the OLD, IN with The NEW -- A Look Back to Epicness

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Renik

Agree, snip.

---

Yes I was so excited for the NM things, but that turned around real quick =/
Atleast in FFXI when you couldn't do anything you can always farm, camp NMs when your friends were offline or waiting for an event.
I just stand in town and play another game on my 2nd screen until someone in my FC asks me to do something lol.

Flexible party sizes means more 'adventuring' with friends, and I've read threads about 'Hybrid' classes jobs.
IMHO You don't need a 'Hybrid' Class/Job all they have to do is make MORE equipment FLEXIBLE like they did in XI to allow us to relatively 'switch or be more versatile with our roles'

I still remember my 1st mmorpg. Lineage 2. I will never overcome this feeling. In all game forums I see posts like this one. People always feel nostalgia about something older and distant in the past. Memories make it so sweet. If you wanna see how false are our memories try to return to your old mmorpg and stay there. Most of you won't like it the way you thought you gonna like it once you return. It simply won't feel the same again. MMORPG's changed over the years. I think we will never again get open world games like XI or L2 where everything took soooo long to be done. That's why it felt "epic". The problem is that those games had way worse grind that the worst grind FFXIV ARR has now. People nowadays want everything to be done quickly. Look the forums and see how many people are complaining about the FATE grind for Novus or whatever. Didn't you grind endlessly in your old mmorpg? Yes you did. I'm pretty sure you did triple the grind you do here.

Everquest Next is looking to be by far the best MMORPG on the market and is open world without pretty much any instances, dangerous world and horizontal progression. I doubt games will ever go back to being as time consuming as they used to be, but it doesn't look like it will go as far as ARR has done either which will satisfy many of the people who liked the epic feeling. Especially since they are planning to have different types of servers where one might actually cater to the more old school players instead of trying to fit everyone into the same mishmash of ideas.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hyrist

Can't mash the like button hard enough.

---

Couldn't have said It better myself. Look dude everyone has things they'd like to see improved or added. Hell, I am even cool with certain aspects of XI being added. But if you think for one second XIV is gonna live up to a memory you need to see a shrink.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rumpelstiltzkin

Everquest Next is looking to be by far the best MMORPG on the market and is open world without pretty much any instances, dangerous world and horizontal progression. I doubt games will ever go back to being as time consuming as they used to be, but it doesn't look like it will go as far as ARR has done either which will satisfy many of the people who liked the epic feeling. Especially since they are planning to have different types of servers where one might actually cater to the more old school players instead of trying to fit everyone into the same mishmash of ideas.

---

I think Black Desert has a chance to be localized faster than we'll get EQ Next lol.
And honestly even though I am looking forward to it I don't think it'll hold up to it's 'hype' especially if it dies as quickly as Landmark did I feel that the dev team for EQ atm is all smoke and mirrors...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CGMidlander

Running around in FFXI and XIV 1.0 was annoying, not fun. The zones were big, but mostly empty.
It's "immersive" in theory, but it's really just a novelty that one can easily get tired of after familiarization.

---

Watching that video I certainly got the feeling of running through a forest. I didn't see any camps or establishments until reaching a final destination on the other side. Just because they didn't put anything in that space doesn't mean it was bad and you shouldn't have it. It means they had bad vision and bad game design as far as making good use of that space. You can have that exact same problem with a condensed area that looks great but has too much repetitive gameplay. I envisioned all sorts of possibilities and adventures with traversing a wooded area like that. But it's the interactions with the environment that create the immersion. I don't really get that in 14. I wish I did because there's a lot of places that look great and are well designed but fall flat in purpose and interaction. Running to an area like a dungeon entrance once to unlock it then revisiting the area each time after through an instance just isn't that immersive.

For the love of Shiva, can we please let the game get a few more expansions under it's belt first? >_>;

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Amberion

I wonder how many people where like me and never noticed until told.

---

You want immersion, yet you could not see the very clear copy paste features present every 10 yalms. Willful ignorance at its best.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by maxthunder1

Snip

---

Wildstar did the whole hardcore thing, attunements, HARDCORE, etc; you see where that left it. Stop attempting to be elitist. You're bad at it.

"Casuals" still haven't beaten EXs. Casuals still haven't stepped into Coil (kind of like most of these people complaining about it being easy). Yet, casuals are always the most played demographic (Let me spell it out: Money) in the MMO's alive today. Get over it already. The content is there, stop being blind and play it, or go back to that dead shell of a game that XI is and play it. It is doing oh so well after all.

[QUOTE=Riardon;2495495]snip

I would love to return to XI but seeing as they nerfed it all to hell it isnt the same. When the cap was level 75 it was great but seeing as they nerfed or broke Xi due to level cap increase and other things it isnt the same game. XIV has nothing that makes it stand out, its a mix of everything every other game has done. Instanced content is boring it never changes and is always the same, the open world is too small (zones) everything is handed out like candy, there is no danger at all. Lets ditch these theme park MMO's and go back to the sand box style.

The dev's need to drop the hand holding, make things in the open world challenging and drop all the instanced dungeons. I dont need some one to tell me where to go or how to play. I dont need the dev's to guide me let the players decide how they wish to expand on their character just give us the tools to do so, no more hand holding.

Let the players as we did in XI decide regardless if good or bad. You can not police or control every aspect of the game as they currently are, it gets old and boring really fast.

[QUOTE=Asierid;2496149] snip

And thats why we have so many groups who wipe on the ex fights because players dont wanna learn or want to be carried. Hell players still cant do titan ex. Just because they are the most played means nothing, cause in the end they just complain its to hard or they complain about rng or what have you (not all). This is a MMO it is a long term game, it should be treated as such, it shouldnt be treated as a offline single player game. Some things should be easy some things should be hard and some things should be a grind to obtain.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Venos

For the love of Shiva, can we please let the game get a few more expansions under it's belt first? >_>;

---

Why should we wait, for that the question is: What is the direction of this game? It seems to not have been decided yet and that needs to be decided first and it shouldnt be decided 2 expansions in. There seems to be no clear direction as it currently stands they cant please the hardcore or the casual crowd both are complaining so something is definitly wrong here.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ExHeroKid

I think Black Desert has a chance to be localized faster than we'll get EQ Next lol.
And honestly even though I am looking forward to it I don't think it'll hold up to it's 'hype' especially if it dies as quickly as Landmark did I feel that the dev team for EQ atm is all smoke and mirrors...

---

The name of Everquest in itself will probably bring more hype for EQN than Black Desert could ever do regardless though. As for Landmark dying, it is funny you say that since it is not the same game even if it uses the same tools and engine... not to mention it hasn't even been released yet. Actually it isn't even close. The best part for me about EQN is that even if they fail with all their "new systems" it is most likely still going to be a game that is vastly different from what we have seen from all other AAA mmo companies since WoW. I don't need the NPCs to learn and be super smart, I don't need the world to be ever evolving either. Give me a big explorable world with dangers lurking in the night, good itemization/class sytems and I will be hooked lol. EQN is looking to bring that forward again, and like I said even if they fail with the more new and innovative systems, I still think it has a big market simply because it isn't trying to make another WoW with a twist.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hyrist

Here's the thing, Adbed. What you're feeling is nostalgia.

---

People are always so quick to push out the nostalgia card and leave it at that, telling people that "Archaic mechanics" can't be fun anymore and that people who enjoyed them are just plain crazy.

Hey look...I can paint in broad strokes too.

Nostalgia is far from the only thing that made FFXI good to many people, some people actually *Gasp* enjoyed some of the archaic systems you talk about it's just a different demographic than the people who XIV tends to aim most of it's content towards. Personally what made XI such a good game is that unlike most MMO's in todays age it had a great sense of community (The Mixed servers did an amazing job of making the servers always alive, I could log in 24/7 and it was primetime somewhere) and the sense of accomplishment something simple like maxing out a job could feel like.

It's not for everyone but it did the niche audience it served amazingly, there is a reason XI is Square Enix's most profitable venture to date. It's not just "Nostalgia" and it's silly to just dismiss it as such.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SinisterIsBack

This....

The reason XI "felt" epic is because it took so long to do anything that, it in itself, was an accomplishment. "OMG FULL PARTY!" or "OMG I MADE IT TO JEUNO" or "DING!" That game just took so damn long to do anything, it really sucked the life out of you.

---

That reminds me of Perfect World... blegh. Mind you, I don't like "one button win" but when something drags on for too long, I lose interest.
When I looked up all the drag involved in the relic weapons in FF14, it made me lose interest right there and then. Yes, let's work for something... but too much of a grind just makes it utterly boring, not rewarding.
I already find getting Sands of Time a drag... not because it's hard to get (unless one is extremely unlucky with rolls) but because with 1 item per week we take 12 weeks just to get all sands + all the weeks to get the soldiery thanks to the 450/week limit that someone thought was funny to implement.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SinisterIsBack

Mind you I will say I am very subjective in regards to Everquest, my first mmo. I played since beta for 10 years. The problem is, MMO's as a whole have changed, the playerbase has changed. Most dont want to invest that much time into a game anymore no matter how rewarding and epic it was. I will agree that ARR doesn't have those feels like EQ did to me but I still very much enjoy this game.

---

I played DDO for 6+ years and I left it... why? Because of how much it changed to cater to one kind of player - the "EZ BUTAN PLOX!!11" people.
It went from great game to "brainless faceroll" with content going from... well... content to "LOOK AT our NEW overprice SHINEY in the ITEM MALL!!"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SinisterIsBack

My only issue right now is there is so much casual content and hardly any (if any at all) hardcore content. I really wish there were more difficult things for us hardcores.

---

You guys are getting the last turn of the coil... maybe some more extremes in the future? Although I have to agree that even for someone outside the hardcore circle (I can only talk for myself here), it seems to me that there's too little hardcore content going on.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SinisterIsBack

Aside from that, Im enjoying the pace at which they are releasing content (albeit im sure everyone wouldn't argue with more content faster but alas, it takes time to develop this stuff). Nevertheless, Im having a great time and have had some epic moments with friends.

---

I prefer they don't fall into the trap of releasing half backed, bugged to hell content just to deliver it faster.
I'd rather wait another month than getting chocobo manure... look what happened to the housing system because they caved into the pressure and released it earlier... http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/i...lies/frown.png

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SinisterIsBack

Another thing I would like to see changed is the danger in this game, there is none, and there needs to be. I want to feel that the world is dangerous, I want to feel like I need to be careful and my actions have consequences. Right now the only concern I have is if the heavy effect will prevent me from getting to my destination in a timely manner.

---

I actually like the peace. It gets tiring going anywhere and having to avoid 9999 mobs just to go from A to B and it would also become a huge nuisance for gatherers. Let's face it, not every animal has to be aggressive all the time.
What they could do is maybe make a few, different monsters come out at night and those could be aggressive since a lot of predators pop up at night.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by maxthunder1

Why should we wait, for that the question is: What is the direction of this game? It seems to not have been decided yet and that needs to be decided first and it shouldnt be decided 2 expansions in. There seems to be no clear direction as it currently stands they cant please the hardcore or the casual crowd both are complaining so something is definitly wrong here.

---

First, he asked when the epicness of XI will be added to XIV. It took time for 11 to get as good as it was, it didn't happen within a year or over night. Second, let's ask a question that could change over night.:rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jynx

Snip

---

That's because those archaic systems and game play do not hold well over time. Even XI, which people tout to be the second coming of Jesus, has dumbed itself down. Darkfall, Open world pvp, dead. Wildstar, hardcore raids, dead. It doesn't work today, get with the times. How many times do I have to hit you with a stick before you learn to stop?

And XI wasn't a money making venture as of the past years. ARR was the only thing that saved SE from eating more of a deficit than they already had with other failed IPs, including the initial release of XIV.

You're better off learning this now rather than try to force bad, old systems into a current gen game. This is a business after all. Money.

None of it is epic anymore. Take off the rose tinted glasses.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Asierid

snip

---

I still have to hear about those archaic systems you're talking about, i don't think anyone wants slow combat, or longer and worse grinds than the ones we already have, you are the one who have to take off those black-hate tinted glasses, and accept that this game can learn a lot from its older brother and others, those which were a success in the past days, without adding systems that were implemented just because of the lack of a better technology.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phe

Unfortunately not.

A remedy for this kind of nostalgia might be visiting some of the million places in the real world that are far more beautiful than Lufaise Meadows.

---

Not really... :p Lufaise Meadows is infitinely better looking then most if the world... And this is comming from someone who lives in a 'paradise state' lmfao

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MrLeonheart

It may shock you to learn that game design has evolved past the need to continually kick players in the ***** for having the audacity to play a game.

---

Is that a reply to my post? i don't know what kind of problem you have... another blind person i guess...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SinisterIsBack

Another thing I would like to see changed is the danger in this game, there is none, and there needs to be. I want to feel that the world is dangerous, I want to feel like I need to be careful and my actions have consequences. Right now the only concern I have is if the heavy effect will prevent me from getting to my destination in a timely manner.

---

I agree w/ everything you said. The last part quoted is spot on. +1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Venos

First, he asked when the epicness of XI will be added to XIV. It took time for 11 to get as good as it was, it didn't happen within a year or over night. Second, let's ask a question that could change over night.:rolleyes:

---

We're 4 years in.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aegis

We're 4 years in.

---

Right, because 1.0 was such a success. :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Venos

Right, because 1.0 was such a success. :rolleyes:

---

Still, it's been 4 years. We're still missing a class that was supposed to be with us in 2010. Ishgard hasn't opened its gates in 4 damned years. I remember staring at those thinking "Maybe next patch" back when exp'ing meant whaling on Efts in 15-man parties.

Please. For all intents and purposes, 1.0 was a completely different game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dyne_Fellpool

Please. For all intents and purposes, 1.0 was a completely different game.

---

Shh, you knows its the same game and development team.

It's almost entirely a different development team, actually.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dyne_Fellpool

actually.

---

You sure you want to run down this path?

The only difference is really Yoshida the rest of the team was "Restructured" and shuffled around but very few people actually left other than Tanaka.

One should also point out that Tanaka in interview said he took a step back and let this exact dev team dictate the original course of the game due to pressure from his superiors to make a game as different from XI as possible. Tanaka had ideas but was hesistant to implement them due to these directives from his own boss and said that he let the team do most of the work on the mechanics of the game while we focuses on the base things such as lore.

Long story short asides Yoshida and perhaps a few others this is the exact same team that brought you the original game.

Quote:

---

[Organizational Changes to the Development Team]
To improve the service of FINAL FANTASY XIV, Square Enix has made the following changes to the development team:

Managerial Changes

Producer/Director
Naoki Yoshida

Section Leader Changes

Assistant Director
Shintaro Tamai (FINAL FANTASY X, Front Mission 5: Scars of the War)

Lead Game Designer
Nobuaki Komoto (FINAL FANTASY IX, FINAL FANTASY XI)

Lead Combat System Designer
Akihiko Matsui (FINAL FANTASY XI)

Technical Advisor
Yoshihisa Hashimoto (Next Generation Game Engine Development)

Lead Programmer
Hideyuki Kasuga (FINAL FANTASY XI, DIRGE OF CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-)

Senior Concept Artist
Akihiko Yoshida (FINAL FANTASY XII, Vagrant Story)

Lead Artist
Hiroshi Takai (FINAL FANTASY XI, THE LAST REMNANT)

Lead UI Designer/Lead Web Designer
Hiroshi Minagawa (FINAL FANTASY XII, Vagrant Story)

These members will make up the development team’s new core””a core dedicated to ensuring we achieve a level of enjoyability that will more than satisfy our customers. Under a schedule of more frequent version updates, the new leaders and their respective sections will strive for continued improvements to FINAL FANTASY XIV service operation and development.

---

http://diehardgamefan.com/2010/12/10...n-mass-e-mail/

These are just the "leadership" positions that were changed.
You really think that after 1.0 utterly failed and embarrassed the company that they DIDN'T fire almost everybody on that development team?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dyne_Fellpool

http://diehardgamefan.com/2010/12/10...n-mass-e-mail/

These are just the "leadership" positions that were changed.
You really think that after 1.0 utterly failed and embarrassed the company that they DIDN'T fire almost everybody on that development team?

---

They were replaced for launching an unfinished game with no content on it, hoping it would make money just for the name, not for making a bad game, unfortunately we can't see what they had planed for the original ffxiv, its fail was as exaggerated as the hype the actual game causes.

This said, what most ppl miss is 1.23, which was a decent game.

For the actual topic at hand, here is how I feel about it...

I played Final Fantasy XI for close to 10 years. I started at NA release, which came with the basic game, and Rise of Zilart expansion, so FFXI already had 1 expansion when I started. It was my very first MMO ever, and I had no clue what I was doing. Obviously MMO's break away from traditional games in the sense of time sinks are much more grave, and you depend on others to actually help you and guide you through your adventures on that game.

FFXI was the most amazing game I've ever played to date. I loved the story and the characters sooo much! It's still to this day my favorite OST from any game I've ever played. I love the music so much, I constantly listen to it. I put FFXI on its own lil' pedestal when it comes to my favorite FF games of all time. If FFXI had been an offline game instead, I still would have played, just for the story, the music, and the characters.

There were things I didn't like XI, b/c XI wasn't perfect and I will never attest to that, ever. Personally it felt like a chore, and a waste of brain cells when having to level up. I hated that aspect and part, and the only reason I suffered through it all those years because most of all the other aspects of the game were so good. I didn't want an instant lvl 75 right then and there (though at that time in my life, being only 15 I'm pretty sure I did in that mindset haha...) but if I were still playing now, no I wouldn't want an instant high lvl as soon as I logged in. Crafting definitely required much dedication and effort, I didn't mind it as much, I just hated having to lvl subs for it (same for here, I hate having to lvl others just to be the most efficient in the one I enjoy the most.) Fishing was just god awful and I hardly touched it, though I got it high enough to fish up sole for sushi b/c it sold well when sushi was first introduced into the game (around CoP yeah?).

Another aspect I didn't enjoy too much, was the horrid RNG of some things. I didn't mind the drop rates for like Dynamis, or Limbus, or things in sea or sky, just because there was a high drop rate, you always saw something drop at least, even if it was something not so great, there was always at least ONE thing that dropped most of the time in those places. But for things like Leaping Lizzy or Valkurm Emperor, where even if you did out claim your competitors and won that part of the race, you still were not guaranteed a drop, which always unnerved me.

I personally even liked Abyssea, I thought it was fun and awesome and added a lil fast paced excitement that XI needed (or so I felt.) I won't delve too much into that, since I know most of everyone's reaction to anything Aby related. Over all I loved the game, it had many, many, many faults, and many, many ,many, many good qualities about it. But the most amazing thing there was for me in FFXI was...

....my friends! That is what truly made that game for me, going through all the crap and all the good stuff together with good friends made it all worth while, and it makes it all worth while here in FFXIV:ARR. Good friends really can make an MMORPG a much better and enjoyable place for ones self. Like I said, I still would have loved FFXI if it would have been offline just for the story, characters, and music period, but the fact that it was online, and the fact that this is online, the people you spend your time with on these games... that's what really makes it amazing! So no, I don't think FFXIV:ARR lacks "epicness" I've had some amazing adventures so far, some that could rival the ones I had in FFXI!

TL : DR - FFXIV:ARR so far has had plenty of epic moments for me personally.

FFXI did a lot right and felt pretty epic. FFXIV has had its epic moments (for me it was AK or doing HM primals for the first time). However, things that are wrong with FFXIV (in my personal opinion) are:

- Itemization (Just bigger numbers on gear, no special traits, boring)
- Customization (No character builds or decisions to make)
- Hunts (mindless zerg fests, rewards too great for what they are)
- Repetition of content (more primals, HM dungeons, Coil, tomes, same old pattern)
- Content for endgame gear not varied enough (Coil, tomes)
- Team rope jumping is frustrating (feeling of being held back by others)
- Open world mobs too easy (no sense of world danger)
- Everything is instanced (no need to explore)
- Overboard on daily/weekly lockouts (sense of logging in to do a checklist every day/week)
- Missing player conveniences (being able to queue with chocobo out, for example)
- Hyped content that is disappointing (housing too expensive)

I know not everyone will agree with this list but I see these complaints a lot and I agree with all of them despite the fact that I do enjoy FFXIV overall. I really don't think I will stay for the long term if the game's direction doesn't change somewhat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Purrfectstorm

Things that are wrong with FFXIV (in my personal opinion) are:

- Itemization (Just bigger numbers on gear, no special traits, boring)
- Customization (No character builds or decisions to make)
- Hunts (mindless zerg fests, rewards too great for what they are)
- Repetition of content (more primals, HM dungeons, Coil, tomes, same old pattern)
- Content for endgame gear not varied enough (Coil, tomes)
- Team rope jumping is frustrating (feeling of being held back by others)
- Open world mobs too easy (no sense of world danger)
- Everything is instanced (no need to explore)
- Overboard on daily/weekly lockouts (sense of logging in to do a checklist every day/week)
- Missing player conveniences (being able to queue with chocobo out, for example)
- Hyped content that is disappointing (housing too expensive)

I really don't think I will stay for the long term if the game's direction doesn't change somewhat.

---

GREAT list. I totally agree.

While it's true that there's some nostalgia that hits people who played FF XI and are now playing XIV, there are some fundamental flaws with XIV that I hope are rectified in 3.0 (or sooner). To add to Purrfectstorm's list:

* Stringent Lockouts and Inability to Raid with Friends (outside of Static). This is just awful: Besides a FIXED, stringent 7 people in a Static (or a clear for the week), you are unable to help out Friends, fellow FC / LS Mates. This leads to segregation and NOT a "community" feel. :mad:

Do you have 2 - 4+ other people in your FC / LS or Friends that don't have a static, but want to Raid with you?

Sorry, you're out of luck. You can't even rotate them in: They have to go and join some random Party Finder groups / strangers to get their Second Coil runs for the week. This is just awful.

At least in XI, with Dynamis, Sky, Kings, etc., you can rotate people in, you can have VARIABLE party sizes to do stuff with more people! You're stuck with Yoshi P's stringent fixed party sizes here.


* Itemization: Definitely agree. Boring, same stat increases every patch. Guess what the New Item Level 700 Dragoon gear is going to be? "Surprise!" More +STR, +VIT. :rolleyes: Guess what your Level 1,200 Dragoon gear is going to be? More +STR, +VIT. Awful and boring.


* Lack of Customization: This goes hand-in-hand with the Itemization. It would be far more interesting if there were some meaningful Character Builds to go for.


* Team Jump Rope is Awful: You're not being tested on good you know your job; you're being tested on how well you MEMORIZED the Combat Team's new "Just Dance / Dance Dance Revolution" Gimmick of the month.

Someone posted about having those epic comebacks in XI, where a Red Mage Chainspelled, or if you were close to wiping someone could kite the Boss / NM around like mad, while the party tried to raise up and recover. You had more freedom to recover, even if 1/3 of your alliance was Charmed and attacking your friends by accident :D, and continue on the Raid run.

In XIV, it's so scripted, it usually means a total wipe and reset. Do it over again from the top. Same dance, same routine.


* Instanced Everything & Duty Finder. Don't get me wrong, I DON'T miss "Looking for Party" for hours any more than the next person. But in copying World of WarCraft, Yoshi P's Duty Finder / Instanced Dungeons/Fights everywhere, makes XIV feel more distant / soulless.

Most people don't care who they're in the party with via Duty Finder (you have no choice). You just go in, go for a clear, and exit quickly. "Hi & Goodbye!"

Is there a way around that? I'm not sure. I love the convenience of queuing anywhere, but it's sad that most of the time you really don't get to know fellow players (especially on your own server).

I think Cross-Server Friends List & the ability to make Cross-Server Parties would go a long way to bringing more of a Community feeling to this game.


* No Team Combos. This is more specific, but I think it goes a long way to making *each* Fight you do, far more interesting and dynamic:

Have a Team Combo System, perhaps like CHRONO TRIGGER's Triple Tech, where up to 3 Party Members (or whatever works) can contribute and add their Weapon Skills / Spells to create some cool, unique devastating attack. :D

Final Fantasy XI's Skillchain / Renkei (early days) was also really interesting where players could contribute their Weaponskills or Spells to create Combos / Magic Bursts, and something Square-Enix should celebrate instead of ignore (and just copy World of WarCraft).

Having something like this would make EACH fight you participate in, be far more engaging and *changing* (you don't just have to do your same boring 1, 2, 3 Rotations), but with the party changing up, you might do one type of Team Combo, or another. It's variable.

These things may seem like a rant, but I bring these up in the hope that Yoshi P and the Dev Team IMPROVE FF XIV to thrive and be successful and fun for many years to come. If it continues as is, I fear they'll lose even more players. It's just too shallow and problematic right now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Renik

They were replaced for launching an unfinished game with no content on it, hoping it would make money just for the name, not for making a bad game, unfortunately we can't see what they had planed for the original ffxiv, its fail was as exaggerated as the hype the actual game causes.

This said, what most ppl miss is 1.23, which was a decent game.

---

No, they were fired for making a bad game, a bad game that failed, if it was just the unfinished part they would have continued the original plan, not remake the whole game.

Ragnarok Online beta back in 2000/2001-ish till about a year ago was my first and long time MMO home...
as much as I have some attachment to it for all the peeps I've met and all the things I've done in it... this is a steep, steep upgrade to me. This is my epicness. This is where my storylines are, my non 'grind-to-level' (on monster maps that a lot of Korean MMOs seem to love), this is where my boss battles are and and where actually having battle mechanics has ever shown it's face to me. I've played RO for a loooooonng time, along with a few random F2Ps with similar aspects... but this is my first MMO that seems to actually have a personality to it.

I think the only thing I miss from RO vs FFXIV was having complete freedom as to your character build. I've had a Hindsight Scholar (so fun, with a soul linked battle smith doing AR), Agi/Crit Knight, Agi/Dex/Int knight (with random magic bolt weapons) Str/Vit/Dex knight, FS (full support) Priest, crit Battle Priest, ME priest (exorcist, basically), agi smith, Crit sin (assassin), Natural crit sin, Dex sin, Agi/Luk pali, Sac Pali (sacrifice), A regular ranger, a falcon ranger.... all the same class, but -I- chose the TYPE of ranger or knight or paladin or assassin or priest or what ever, based on where I plopped the stats and which skills I chose and how I prefer to play (....huurderrr lotsa agi-builds :3 I likes swings fasterses hurr hurr). Ofcourse, that completely lead people down astray if they didn't know all the options of all the types of successful builds there were... but no one was force-fed the same-ish stat build or same skill set.

I tried playing FF XI once. On the PC. (big mistake. Damn you and your going-out-of-business clearance, Comp USA!)
The only thing I remember for XI was, "How the hell do I move? *Opens a million menus* *One hour later, after managing to take the first step ever* Where the hell am I? How the hell do I get out of this castle? Where do I go?? Bwaaarrrgh! *Ragequit*"

So, really, it's kind of subjective... x.x

I agree with you OP. I have been playing FFXIV since 2010. While I have some memories from 1.xx, in ARR? None. Nothing is memorable, I have never felt more detached from a games story in my life.

This game has been out for over a year, and by now we should be able to have some epic memory, or something...ANYTHING. I've none.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Meier

I agree with you OP. I have been playing FFXIV since 2010. While I have some memories from 1.xx, in ARR? None. Nothing is memorable, I have never felt more detached from a games story in my life.

This game has been out for over a year, and by now we should be able to have some epic memory, or something...ANYTHING. I've none.

---

I agree with you completely. I have great memories of XI and 1.0 but with arr not a damn thing that is so sad.