Should this game be tailored for Final Fantasy fans or MMO fans?

[gifthorse]

I like a hard game but I don't think FFXI is the pinnacle of MMO success in many ways, only in some. Shouting for parties etc was the only thing about FFXI that made it exceptionally hard, imo.

[zaviermhigo]

I never shouted for parties in XI :/ I put my flag up and people invited me because I was RDM. Somedays I didn't even get to putting my flag up, I would just get a /t BECAUSE there was /sea function and people looked up rdm in that lvl range, WOAH AMAZING CONCEPT from a game that is almost 10 years old.

[gifthorse]

I never shouted for parties in XI :/ I put my flag up and people invited me because I was RDM. Somedays I didn't even get to putting my flag up, I would just get a /t BECAUSE there was /sea function and people looked up rdm in that lvl range, WOAH AMAZING CONCEPT from a game that is almost 10 years old.

Thanks... but nobody asked for your life story.

Anyway, I think you example just goes to show that FFXI classes were very imbalanced with many people preferring one class over another. I know it wasn't as easy to find groups for DRGs, THFs, SAMs, etc. And below a certain level, nobody wanted RDMs either.

[Quanta]

I know it wasn't as easy to find groups for DRGs, THFs, SAMs, etc. And below a certain level, nobody wanted RDMs either.

This sentence implies that these classes actually found groups. I don't think my DRG ever got an invite unless it was specifically to kill things weak to piercing damage, assuming there was even a DPS spot available.

Anyways, here's a novel idea: How about they make an MMO that caters to gamers? Instead of having to stand still like a dork and trade blows with a mob with the world's worst AI, we could incorporate this emerging concept called "movement" into the game, and give mobs a more advanced AI so that they'll try and evade attacks, roll out of the way, flank, and otherwise be challenging for a player to fight. Meanwhile, make player controls responsive, with abilities activating the instant the button is pressed, and give players options to evade attacks, roll out of the way, flank, and otherwise be challenging for a mob to fight.

I hear these kinds of things have been used in single-player games for years, and they're reportedly tons of fun.

</passive_aggressive_rant>

[Xzen]

This sentence implies that these classes actually found groups. I don't think my DRG ever got an invite unless it was specifically to kill things weak to piercing damage, assuming there was even a DPS spot available.

Anyways, here's a novel idea: How about they make an MMO that caters to gamers? Instead of having to stand still like a dork and trade blows with a mob with the world's worst AI, we could incorporate this emerging concept called "movement" into the game, and give mobs a more advanced AI so that they'll try and evade attacks, roll out of the way, flank, and otherwise be challenging for a player to fight. Meanwhile, make player controls responsive, with abilities activating the instant the button is pressed, and give players options to evade attacks, roll out of the way, flank, and otherwise be challenging for a mob to fight.

I hear these kinds of things have been used in single-player games for years, and they're reportedly tons of fun.

</passive_aggressive_rant>

While I think you are right and developers need to start implementing this into MMO gaming I think it's a bit too later for them to add this to FFXIV. I'd love to play a more action-rpg style mmo with platforming and puzzle solving as you navigate your way through the ancient ruins of some long forgotten civilization over the bland/normal tank and spank dungeons we have seen these last few years.

[Nate_Strife]

There needs to be a good balance but I'm a FF player not a big MMO player so I'm leaning towards more of a FF focus.

[Nephera]

There arent enough final fantasy fans who would play this to keep the game financially viable.

[Argh]

the simple facts right now are that FFXI has a much larger subscriber base than FFXIV. this easily tells us that if they simply re-skinned FFXI with the new engine they would have not been in the same situation that they found themselves, firing entire development staff, putting the game free to play, getting insanely negative reviews.

the natural progression of the game is to go FFXI-2. if they deviate from this path the game will fail regardless.