Funny thing I found...

This is kind of irrelevant to FFXIV specically, but it's still relevant to MMOs in general, so I'm sure this topic has a place in the broader discussion of FFXIV even so.

Anyways, recently, Korean gamers complained that the upcoming MMO "ArcheAge" was undeserving of the title of "next gen" because the game, so they say, is not pushing boundaries like any "next gen" game should be.

I hope this doesn't come across like an advertisement, but here are some features of Archeage:

• Freedom to own land, grow crops, and build houses in the open world (dynamic political structure)
• Totally seamless world
• Ship building and naval combat
• Climbing, swimming, jumping
• Multiple different mounts (including airships, and you can also ride pillion on the back of someone else's mount)
• Mount customisation
• Justice system (face trial if you kill too many players and get sent to prison from which you are forced to escape)
• Sieges
• City-building
• Instances, and general MMO fare
• Blah blah blah

The reason this is funny is because the game is still at the very least 7 months and 3 beta tests from release, and the director of the game (Jake Song) responded saying that he "is ashamed" and "will work very hard", acknowledging that he also thinks the game not worthy of the title "next gen".

So if a game with the above features is not worthy of being called "next generation", then what exactly do developers need to do in order to please people? Lol.

I think it has some really unique and interesting concepts to the game, but I'm not sure if I would give it the title 'next gen' either.

I believe 'next gen' is hard to define, but goes beyond small perks like player housing and mount customization but instead changes and advances bigger parts of the gameplay, like combat and class customization.

We'll see how things turn out though, I might give the game a try.

Regardless, good post. Thumbs up! :D

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Originally Posted by TripBeaumint

I believe 'next gen' is hard to define, but goes beyond small perks like player housing and mount customization but instead changes and advances bigger parts of the gameplay, like combat and class customization.

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While i do partially agree with what you said, and share the same opinion that game really has to push it in pretty much every field to be called "next-gen", not just small things or one big thing.

Bold part is where i disagree with you because the way they advertise it, it's by no means small perk. A wold open to players to own lands and build their own houses, guild houses, maybe even something bigger, eventually resulting in small villages...small towns...with big walls around perhaps...it's own PC or NPC guards, shops...etc...

I definitely see that feature as something that would be next-gen and not a small perk, and I'm really looking forward to try it out once it's out :)

http://aaportal.net/en/archeage-labo...struction.html
http://aaportal.net/en/archeage-labor-system.html

I always see "NextGen" in terms of graphics, maybe that's the wrong way to define it. But its like B movies or TripleA Movies. Similar is given to games.

I see XIV as being NextGen due to its graphics (not Aesthetics) but ArchAge I dont see that impressive, though this could be because I'm not into Medievil but take another game Im very much interested into: GW2, I wouldn't say this is NextGen because its graphics are not very high they remind me of Aion, but TERA is very high.

I'm shocked tbh because ArchAge uses Cryengine 3.

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Originally Posted by viion

I'm shocked tbh because ArchAge uses Cryengine 3.

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They started with CryEngine 2 and apparently switched to CryEngine 3 this march so i don't think we've seen a lot of new screens/videos since then. Might be wrong tho.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03...o-cryengine-3/

Honestly next-gen should generally mean the next step. FDS > SFC was a next-gen step, then came SFC > N64 as the next gen step and so on.

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Originally Posted by Zacko

They started with CryEngine 2 and apparently switched to CryEngine 3 this march so i don't think we've seen a lot of new screens/videos since then. Might be wrong tho.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03...o-cryengine-3/

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Ooo that might be why hahah, have to wait for some more videos on it.

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Originally Posted by viion

Ooo that might be why hahah, have to wait for some more videos on it.

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http://www.archeage.com/pds/media

I believe videos in first row are new, last time i checked they weren't there. I do not check often tho so i don't know when they were added :) they might not even have anything to do with CryEngine 3, still nice to watch :)

Once upon a time FF XIV was said to have a few of those features to.

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Originally Posted by Akira_Tenshi

Once upon a time FF XIV was said to have a few of those features to.

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Yeh its very sad games like TERA/GW2/Archage all have these features coming and SE is taking almost 2 months to throw out a few dungeons :( And people keep saying "its because they're overhauling!" no they're just redoing the battle system which is 1 departments job and also I garauntee XIV will still have slow development after the "Overhaul".

Eh player housing isn't THAT exciting if that's all the game has to offer.

The graphics are meh and the combat looks super dated.

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Originally Posted by viion

Yeh its very sad games like TERA/GW2/Archage all have these features coming and SE is taking almost 2 months to throw out a few dungeons :( And people keep saying "its because they're overhauling!" no they're just redoing the battle system which is 1 departments job and also I garauntee XIV will still have slow development after the "Overhaul".

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Pretty sure it won't. FMO and XI had fast development. Most MMO patches with sizable content is every month, every other month or every quarter of a year/expansion.

Let's also not forget the overhaul is more than just the battle system, we can't deny they're redoing much more than the battle system, which means every team is busy overhauling this game.

You seem to enjoy plugging the point that it's too slow to create a dungeon and how you know a lot about the intricacies of the FFXIV dev team, but I've yet to see evidence to back the point up.

Who cares if it's not "~Next Gen~".

As long as it's entertaining to play and has the capacity to keep my interest, I couldn't care less if it has "New" and "Innovative"features. I mean sure I can appreciate new features and attempts to carry the medium forward, but it shouldn't be a requirement these days.

That game sounds amazing ..... Apparently they have no idea of what next gen means. or perhaps it is because those ideas exist in other games but not all in the same, cept maybe Vanguard? not even sure then.

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Originally Posted by Dargoth_Draconia

That game sounds amazing ..... Apparently they have no idea of what next gen means. or perhaps it is because those ideas exist in other games but not all in the same, cept maybe Vanguard? not even sure then.

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I think it has more to do with the problem that a long feature list alone doesn't make good game.
The ArchAge devs still have to prove that they actually have a good idea of how to turn a bunch of assorted game mechanics into a polished, fun experience.

This is from Zacko's first link:

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XLGames have also talked about letting players set their own NPC merchants in front of their houses, but the Auction/Banking systems are still in development.

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Uh oh. :)

that game just sounds like second life. wide open world user created...

The water is fairly badass.

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Originally Posted by TripBeaumint

Eh player housing isn't THAT exciting if that's all the game has to offer.

The graphics are meh and the combat looks super dated.

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The player-housing is an important aspect of the envisioned political system (you can fight for territory, tax, and build a prosperous city). It's not just an accessory feature. It's also not instanced or anything like that, so therefore, anyone who builds structures will play an important part in the world thereafter.

Overall, the graphics are pretty good, in my opinion. Just recently, they hired the guy lead animator from Red Dead Redemption to improve the animations (which previous beta testers complained about). So even if the fundamentals of the combat is crap, maybe it will at least look good!

Anyways, there is a beta test in six days with no NDA, so maybe more videos will come out showing what has improved since last beta. I personally think the combat looks pretty dated too, but at least there is mounted combat, and the spell effects look much better than the effects in FFXIV. So at least there's that.

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Originally Posted by Clevene

that game just sounds like second life. wide open world user created...

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That's what I like about it!