Hardcore, easy mode and the XI veteran

Let me start this by saying there was nothing hardcore about Final Fantasy XI.

Ever.

Yet every time Yoshi-P and crew announce something coming in a future patch for XIV, it triggers a litany of posts from a very vocal minority and their sock accounts insisting that the continued "easy mode" will be the "death of the game." And that Square Enix must cater to the "hardcore" XI converts for the game to have a player base.

The thing is, suggesting one is hardcore assumes that there is some level of player skill involved with XI. Which there wasn't. You literally waited for a random number generator to do all the work.

Personally, I poured seven years into XI. Seven years of sleepless nights doing HNMs; leveling Monk, Dragoon, Red Mage and Corsair to 75 and eventually to 90; Dynamis; sky; sea; Einherjar; Nyzul Isle; CoP missions; Campaign; and Abyssea.

It's because of this devotion to the game that I feel my opinion is of some value, and why I want to take the time to illustrate where XIV should never be like XI in certain aspects that the vocal minority continuously demands the "hardcore XI players" want.

In many ways, the release of XIV mirrors the release of XI. From the rocky reviews to the lack of content, in many ways we are playing a spiritual successor to XI. But even Yoshi-P and crew seem to realize that's a bad thing.

Out of this, there seems to have been an unspoken motto emerge: "Easy to start, difficult to master."

I The Grind

XI's leveling process was brutal. Not because it was difficult, but because it was slow.

But there wasn't much else to do but level early in XI's life. So when a party did finally come my way, I savored every ounce of my 3,000 to 5,000 exp per hour. But it was never with a sense of accomplishment. It was always a sense of relief from frustration. Like finally getting to only tread water after swimming against the current.

The grind was the epitome of XI gameplay, and nothing about it was hardcore. The only reason XI's leveling process took as long as it did was because for a good portion of the games early life, the devs were trying to stall while they created actual content.

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Claiming and Engaging Enemies
Players will be able to attack any enemy*. However, only the player (or party that the player is in) that initiates the first attack on the enemy will earn the rewards.

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http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/286

This was an announcement that saw a large "easy mode" reaction. But if the launch state of XIV shows anything, it's that hubris causes history to repeat itself.

As if fitting in XI's mold, XIV was launched before it was ready, and there was a scramble to add things like open world NMs -- just as the XI team did all those years ago.

But it would seem at least Yoshi-P has learned from past mistakes. Most importantly, that the game shouldn't be the grind. It should be challenging activities participated in by friends.

You might ask, "But, Sephrick, how will anyone know how to do their job? Certainly it was the long grind in XI that made players pro at endgame."

Nay. Twas not the hours spent slaughtering crabs or crawlers that made a player effective at endgame.

Was it little blue crab #3,476 that came with the revelation of how to best Vrtra? Did crawler #7,978 enlighten anyone on the best approach to Dynamis?

No.

Those events were overcome through trial and error by gamers who spent drawn out months learning only the very basic mechanics of the game in an arduous and arbitrary grind intended to do nothing more than to stall players while the development team cooked up something for their players to actually do with their capped characters.

The kind of basics most players had down pat by the time they exited Qufim Island.

To argue that new players need a long grind in XIV to "learn their job" is hypocrisy. How will current players learn their job after stat mechanics are altered, class abilities changed and jobs introduced lest they start at level 1?

Just as they did in XI; through trial and error in actual events. Some worry that the announced changes will encourage powerleveling. But this is nothing new to MMOs, especially XI. I recall many parties, especially those early on, involving a capped White Mage cure-bombing for hate and casting Stoneskin to negate damage. Then, if anyone attempted to pull hate they were scolded. Where there's a will, there's a way.

The grind should be short enough for a player to learn the basics of their job's approach to its intended role. How many times does an archer need to shoot an arrow before they figure out, "this is where I should stand and this is the button I press." How many cures does a conjurer need to cast before they realize where the hate line is?

I welcome the changes to XIV's leveling process. Between leves, Behest, parties and Caravan Escorts, there's plenty of opportunity for players to learn the proper buttons to press in a combat situation.

But the beauty is that a player can learn on their own terms.

To sum it up, there's nothing hardcore about a slow leveling process that is an antiquated system -- that lacks any form of challenge -- whose design is obviously only to stall the player.

II Activities

Another "easy mode" target are the raids. More often associated with the "WoW-ing" of XIV, XI veterans look back at a game with 10+ years of development and wonder "why isn't my favorite activity from that in XIV? It worked so well."

In February of 2003, the first BCNMs were added. Players have been quick to criticize Darkhold as being bland or even "copy and paste." But are the BCNMs of XI really a better alternative?

Darkhold has subtle nuances that give it the feel of a real cavern, whereas the BCNMs were not more than a room whose design felt entirely disconnected from the design of the area around their entrance points.

It wasn't until February 2004 that Dynamis areas were opened and, well, not much has changed in the game until Abyssea.

The motto of XI was thus: "Allow few to participate, and fewer to achieve a reward."

XI's activities had little if anything to do with skill. It was a matter of staying awake long enough to roll the imaginary dice in hopes they come up in your favor.

I say XIV is steering in the proper direction. One that is a tangent from the path its predecessor laid. There's a reason that players still do activities like Dynamis, Sky and Sea -- and it's not because they're fun. It's because after years of playing, many still haven't seen their desired drops fall. Mission complete on SE's part, because it does keep around those who think they're hardcore. That is until Abyssea evened the odds.

Even the HNM system lacked any real challenge. The only "challenge" was paying attention for 30 seconds every thirty minutes to try and claim the mob. After that, it was merely a matter of having a minimum amount of bodies present to auto-attack and heal till the mob was dead.

The XIV devs are coming out with a variety of gameplay options which seem to be sticking to the motto; "easy to start, difficult to master." If the Darkhold is a sign of things to come, I couldn't be happier.

It's not easy mode to have a fair shot. It's just good game design.

III Easy vs Speedy

XI was a game that took every opportunity to slow a player's overall progress. Gil sinks, low drop rates, exp loss on death, long spawn timers, reserved zones and the need for at least six people of specific roles to achieve even the most mundane tasks.

But just as time sinks do not equate hardcore, quick does not equate easy mode.

A developer does not need to keep a carrot on a stick if players find true value in maintaining a subscription through content.

IV Gear

That carrot on the stick for XI was gear. Not just any gear. THE gear. The one item for each slot that was desired for the life of the game.

It's been mentioned off hand by Yoshi-P that they wouldn't mind putting new activities and new gear into the game every three months or so. Suddenly, those same "hardcore" players cry out, "but what about my gear?"

I'm not saying there shouldn't be items that are difficult to obtain. Or even items similar to XI's relics which take dedication to ever acquire.

But no gear in XI took hardcore gameplay to obtain. It was just a matter of waiting for your chance to roll the dice.

V Conclusion

The industry has come a long way since 2002. And SE designed XIV with the intent of cutting into a market XI had yet to tap.

XIV still has a chance to be a game that could interest a broad audience. But first, that vocal minority needs to realize the difference between hardcore and nonesense.

After reading numerous posts that decry something is "easy mode" I've come to realize that no one is really concerned with how difficult something is or isn't. They're concerned with their ability to stand on the top of the mountain and claim it as theirs.

Because that's what XI's "hardcore" boiled down to; a bunch of adults acting like spoiled children waiving their toys in other people's faces thinking they were hardcore because they didn't leave their computer for 36 hours whilst camping an HNM.

No skill, no true effort. Just time.

XIV will be a game that allows everyone to step up to the plate and play in their own way. That shouldn't bother anyone, unless all they want is their own selfish mountain to stand on. And there's nothing hardcore about that.

Because in the end, casual players don't want hand outs. They just want to play.

i didn't read like any of the post sorry, but i just want to just say. who cares what word they use to explain what they like or don't like. it is irrelevant. it's simple they say what they like or don't like, that is the argument not who is hardcore and who is not. i don't think most of them care. if u want a challenge or want a grind they explain it in there threads anywho, who cares what the definition is, it doesn't fix or answer the question in the threads. "game types" are "game types" what people complaining about doesn't change.

and most players that still want a challenge still probably won't get invites from these players cause they are still grouped up, witch in most cases means they are still twiddling there thumbs saying it's too "hard". those who were able to then, will do so together now, those who were complaining then will probably still be complaining less it's absolutely easy. it's why games that fail or start a trail of getting dumbed down ....keep getting dumbed down.

grind just means very long progression(to me, see that, whatever, lol), when progression stops most people don't want to play no more. in like warhammer u can max 100rr, long long battle up to it. after that even though u can kill everyone much easier you still sit there thinking what now? kill people like i always have been? what's the point lol. then u might as well be on your ps3 playing a shooter like black ops ...

not asking for, nor want hours of waiting ...i do want it too take that long, just threw killing and collecting, progression. other then that lets just call it what it is a monthly charge for a offline game. most people don't do trophies in ps3 games, but that is kinda what the grinds are, in ps3 games there, there for kids who can't buy a new game every month, for mmo it there cause they ain't gonna put out that much content anyway.

also to add games in every genre are getting more and more complex, why isn't mmo's?

Yoshi : "We want to make a fun, engaging game. It'll take us a few years though...so..."

"Hardcore" Gamers (oxymoron much) : "NO, WE NEED CONTENT THAT PUNISHES US FOR NOT DOING EVERYTHING EXACTLY RIGHT! MOAR CHALLENGE NO EZ MODE FFUUUU NOOBS" *froths at mouth*

Casual Gamers : "I want everything everyone else gets, wai can I not haz Relic weapon in 2 days?"

The other 95% of players : "Please don't use punishment or timesinks as 'incentive'. We like challenge, really we do, we just don't think forcing people to group up to kill bunnies 3 levels higher than we are to get mediocre xp because of an arbitrary level cap on monster xp, or sitting around for 8 hours waiting for a monster to spawn is challenging. We don't want the game handed to us, we just don't want to be beaten down by terrible game mechanics designed solely to punish people. {Masochism} {No thanks.}"

Since when does "hard" have to be a timesink or have a punishment associated with it?

A boss fight can't simply be difficult?
A quest can't simply require some strategy?

It's the ridiculous assumptions of what "hardcore" means, that is causing this debate to be stereotyped into the freekin ground.

Content doesn't have to punish players or be a timesink to provide the difficulty we want.

Drop your mental illusion that a challenging encounter requires 200 hours of farming and a team of 400.

It doesn't.

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Originally Posted by DoctorMog

Since when does "hard" have to be a timesink or have a punishment associated with it?

A boss fight can't simply be difficult?
A quest can't simply require some strategy?

It's the ridiculous assumptions of what "hardcore" means, that is causing this debate to be stereotyped into the freekin ground.

Content doesn't have to punish players or be a timesink to provide the difficulty we want.

Drop your mental illusion that a challenging encounter requires 200 hours of farming and a team of 400.

It doesn't.

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Check any of the threads on this and the majority of self-identified hardcores will disagree with you. Many seem to think long spawn times, forced grouping, and artificially high learning curves are the definitions of hardcore

it don't ..take warhammer lost vale dungeon, 3 areas, multiple bosses with mobs inbetween, all bosses are different and complex in there own ways. last boss pretty badarse. you can start off taking 6+hrs and still can't beat or get to the end, might take 6hrs for each area.then you keep shaving time on it till you can do it in 2.5hrs the hole run. then it's just a matter of gearing everyone in group.

...but no static, i never get passed 2nd zone usually. just won't happen, time wise, learning curve wise, and people can't log back in with everyone else if gotta cut it short the first time. so in reality it is pretty hard for most players either way and still can complain. also in mmo's where there is just 6man groups, every ls has 1 group tops, everyone else usually has to go look for another guild if not room for them or not want to wait for like 6months. i don't see this being any easier for the complainers. 400man runs, your going every week at least and your still getting gears in appropriate orders. granted most don't seem to want the 200hrs for a piece of gear, i'd happily take it. but that is me, but i agree to extent it doesn't need to be mindless grinds. but i still think there will always be problems. personally i love large scale stuff, everyone grouping, running threw zones with others on way too, to the spot seeing everyone, talking for a bit b4 hand. then kicking some tuckus every week.

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Originally Posted by Kiroh

Check any of the threads on this and the majority of self-identified hardcores will disagree with you. Many seem to think long spawn times, forced grouping, and artificially high learning curves are the definitions of hardcore

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Their definition and mine might be different, but my point remains the same.

Hard content does not = long respawns, years of grinding or stupidly low droprates.

Thanks for that, it was well written and made some interesting points. Unfortunately though I disagree, I liked the fact that it took a long grind to level your jobs and that many items were extremely difficult to aquire. I remember farming for a long long time to get my hagun when they were 3 mill and I dont begrudge a minute of it. I also liked that parties needed particular setups, you knew what to expect from any particular job and exactly what abilities they had.
I don't think xiv needs to be an xi clone, but I loved xi for what it was and there are many aspects of the game that xiv would do well to look at.

yeah i remember getting my peacock charm, was when they went rare/ex. i got everything when they turned rare/ex. i spent a life time trying prior to that and without success, too many rmt and there boot pulls all day. but when they change to rare/ex was perfect no rmt, still took a long time, my peacock took 2months, an when i mean 2months i mean i didn't leave there for 2months outside of events and ran right back. i would try trick the squatters following you for tod mark, by being there 4hrs early leave b4 time, and then hope back cause low and behold they would leave too lol. but 2months later i was rockin my peacock and very happy with it. love it.

Poor OP, it looks like only Charle actually read your post.

well fear not! for i did as well!

couldn't really have said it better. That is all.