What do you feel went RIGHT with FFXIV?

I think the Art Direction is quite strong. It's been said already, it could just use more kinds of equipment, which is a standard problem for any MMO early on, especially before the first expansion.

The graphics are, for the most part, quite good, especially the mocap animations and character models. The cutscenes in particular are top notch, and are better than I've seen even in many recent FMV scenes.

Other than that, it's a story of nice ideas but very poor execution. The engine is still poorly optimized. I have a good bit above the recommended specs for this game now that I built a new computer, but my FPS still dips below 10 in Ul'dah because of the crowds there--imagine if the game had a big population. The water is also quite bad looking compared to the rest of the graphics, it's kind of sad that WoW's water on max settings looks a ton better because it actually reacts to being walked through and accurately reflects the world. I like the idea of the freedom to essentially make my own class, but then I'm kind of forced to level jobs I hate just to function (this was also a problem in FFXI). I hate playing mages, but it's practically required to level at least conjurer until you get healing and buff spells so you can use them on any other class, especially when soloing. The leve system was also a nice idea, and I think it can be salvaged, but it needs changes. The market wards were completely unusable for 3 months after launch, and they're still the worst marketplace I've used in an MMO since Asheron's Call. I could go on and on, and many others have, but I still think there's a diamond in the rough here that can be awesome given time.

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Originally Posted by Mikita

Why can't people here allow some of us to peacefully talk about things we like in FF14?
What drives you to spew your hate and negativity while adding nothing constructive?

If this is what 1st world societies have come to, may whatever higher power you believe in help us all.

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Yea, you're right...God is pissed off because people are spewing hate over a final fantasy game, NOT because there is so much racism in the world, not because there's so much uneeded poverty as a byproduct of greed, not because the world is at war and we all sit here and decide to ignore it, not because people have lost all their dignity, girls get knocked up every second day and get abortions every 3rd, not because the pope is corrupt and religion is one big propaganda tool, not because the corporate world uses sweat shops to maximize their profit, not because the largest rape scandal has been allowed to go on in Mexico, no, none of that...but because we hate FFXIV.

For everything they got right, I can also mention a reason why it also annoys me. I'll try my hardest to keep this positive. ;)

Graphical details
I love the attention to detail in everything, like how I can see the wrinkles in my pants, how chainmail looks like chainmail and leather looks like leather. How my eyes have to adjust to the sun when I walk outside. I remember looking up at the stars at night in Limsa Lominsa for the first time and whispering, "Wow".

Lifelike character motion and emotes
I love how when I run, then come to a stop, my character shifts her weight. Emotes and facial expressions are extremely lifelike. The motion capture is amazing, and gives an added layer of depth and realism.

Cutscenes
Cutscenes give the game a feel of cinematic storytelling. We loved them in FFXI, we love them now.

Voiceovers
I'm glad to finally see voiceovers (though I was expecting more of them than just in some of the cutscenes).

All UI elements are movable
This lays the groundwork for future customization options. Even seasoned games such as World of Warcraft do not have a fully movable interface (without the use of mods).

Surnames
Though they sometimes make life more complicated, I think in the end they allow for further character depth and immersion.

Keyboard And Mouse Playable
This one is relative. I am a keyboard and mouse user. And while I still feel that mouse tweaks and the overall UI has a long way to go, at least the game is playable with a keyboard and mouse. In FFXI, the mouse was useless.

Soloing
The fact that solo play has always been supported was essential for me and many of my friends.

Steady Income
While I don't like that the guildleve system is the backbone of leveling (I much prefer a quest-based leveling system), I do appreciate that they are a good source of steady income. So are guild tasks (though more like profession dailies, they do also serve as a source of low-level income). This means that even if the economy hits a recession, there will be a way to keep money flowing.

No Exp-Loss Death Penalty
I've experienced different death penalties in various MMOs, but nothing was as infuriating or punitive as FFXI's exp loss and deleveling. No matter how harsh the death penalty may someday become in this game, nothing will push me out the door faster than exp loss. I'm glad that's an idea they did not carry over into this game.

Armor
Believe it or not, I like the armor in this game. I like how it feels more Western/European. I like that I can actually wear a robe (whereas FFXI always made you look like you were wearing a pantsuit). Yes, it's a little lackluster, but I always expected this would be starting armor and it would improve over time. When we get job-specific gear, it will be that much more amazing. Oh, and I'm glad I'll never have to wear gigantic flaming shoulders. ;)

Music
It's Nobuo Uematsu and Final Fantasy. What's not to love? I'm especially addicted to the starting zone music in La Noscea.

Story
I love Gridania's storyline. They're people of the forest. There is magic. There are moogles. Love it.

Lore
I like the idea of the Twelve Gods and Goddesses. This allows me to choose a path that's right for me. I can worship the Moon Goddess (Menphina). Life is good.

Setting
I love the slang and the language. "Gods be good!" Minor swearing and sexual innuendos. This isn't your grandma's Final Fantasy.

Elezen Ears
This is a weird pet peeve of mine, but I'm glad they put in another option for the Elezen ears at the last minute that have them point more upward than outward. I don't like my ears to point straight out to the sides of my head. They should point up and back (sorry, I like how Western Elves look). This actually made the difference for me between playing a Hyur and an Elezen.

If anything FFXIV's storyline has potential. No spoilers for anyone who hasn't done all their story quests yet but I feel if they add more story quests they will probably have to raise the rank/level cap.

There isn't a single thing I liked about this game outside of the mission's or class quests.

some things I'm fond of and impressed with;

character models/emotes/animations- seems the one thing we can all agree on

NPC dialogue and the many different storylines, especially the fun silly ones where the safety of my being is never a factor!

those locations deep in the black shroud where the twisting trees tunnel down into an abyss of nothingness in which you can only ponder what lay dormant beneath!? too bad for invisible walls that bind my feet to the ground

roaming battle and fast paced system- by this I just mean how there's really no downtime in solo or group fighting. with only needing to stand on the sidelines the occasional minute, the battles can go on as long as the enemy continues to resist, or as long as your attention span and thumbs stay vigilant!

also, I really enjoy crafting for some reason. Odd as I never really crafted in any MMO before this


plenty of things I feel are missing and need improvement, but that's why we have virtually every other thread ever created on these forums since their introduction

Oh, I agree that the NPC dialogue is awesome! Whoever is translating them is doing an a good job. That's also something I loved about FFXI.

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Originally Posted by Rowyne

All UI elements are movable
This lays the groundwork for future customization options. Even seasoned games such as World of Warcraft do not have a fully movable interface (without the use of mods).

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This is not correct. Several portions are non-moveable and a large amount of it was only recently made moveable.

And when you say "mods", it typically incurs the denigrating context of "hacks", which implies that the custom UI design is not permitted, when it's one of the design features of the game.

I'm trying to think of what components of the WOW interface aren't moveable on their own and the only thing that comes to mind (I let my account lapse) are the action bars. If we ignore the fact that WOW's interface can be reworked in LUA to suit whatever you want, I would actually call it a bit of a tie between the two. XIV's interface has too many modal dialogs (part of the console roots), and as I've denoted in my thread in the UI forum, there's a shortage of bindable keys and bindable actions in XIV.

Another thing, it's great that you get SP even if you fail a synth.

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Originally Posted by Mug

Another thing, it's great that you get SP even if you fail a synth.

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And the SP you get for repairing other ppl's gear.