Dear SE: We do not care if FFXIV is a MMO. We want it to be a Final Fantasy.

[Cairdeas]

*Cough* I for one used menus in XI 95% of the time. The only time I used Macros was for pulling and assisting.

I just feel more comfortable with those menus in XI because after a while you get muscle memory reflexive speed for them available and you can hit them up really quickly.

But then I played on a controller didn't matter if I was on PC, PS2, PS3 or Xbox 360 when I played.

[Cxplorer]

Don't forget solo options....

[Demacia]

Don't forget solo options....

Here's a solo option:

http://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-...6041759&sr=8-1

[Rhen]

One thing you forgot that defines Final Fantasy (and in my opinion is one of the most standout things that is and has been in every single FF game) is crystals. Which are in FFXIV so...there ya go. They got that. Crystals=Final Fantasy. Even if they aren't called Crystals...they're there and they're usually vitally important to the plot.

[ZephyrAM]

Was thinking about this for awhile after running into this thread earlier, and one large aspect you notice different about XIV is the lack of contrast, primarily contrast in colors used for the environment and contrast in opposing factions.

The colors aspect is pretty straightforward: the number/shades of different neutral browns used in XIV is astonishing. Detailed though the game may be, there's simply very little that stands out, and one thing about so many FF's in the past was the usage of bright colors, on characters and monsters especially. Even when they used dark zones, they actively made them dark, not neutral, and so they stood out that much more against the bright player characters.

FFXIV does realistic graphics pretty well, but because of that, they lose out on the eye-drawing colors they could otherwise use, thus altering the feel of the environment.

And then there's the larger, more important issue: the opposing forces, put plainly, the player character(s) and what they fight against.

Good versus evil has nearly, if not always, been the theme of Final Fantasy games. They're not about simple wars between countries, not about disagreements or misunderstandings between sides; they're purely black and white - succeed and live, fail and the world dies along with you. The enemy is 'evil', out to cause chaos and destruction, either ruling over the burned out civilization as they go about picking off the last of the population, or just outright destroying the world. They may start it by backing some other organization or country, but it quickly becomes apparent how bad they are, and that they aren't just after a bit more power or territory: they're after absolute power and destruction.

We 'need' something to really fight against, something that threatens everything. Now while I, clearly, haven't gotten through all the story missions, the Garlean empire doesn't exactly seem to fit the 'evil' bill. Ambitious? Ruthless? Conquering? Tyrannical? Sure... but evil? Meh.

The Grand Companies seem setup to really give us a start on becoming actually part of the fight... but if it's just a fight over land or politics or something, it's still never going to fit into a Final Fantasy game.

I may end up being wrong about the empire, depending on upcoming updates, or I may already be wrong because of what I haven't seen, feel free to correct me, but even if I am, that still means that for a good portion of the game, new players(as in those that don't have a 50) aren't going to see what they're involved in as a real FF conflict, as I don't.

So that's what I pose XIV needs: the feel of true, life ending conflict that every FF game has.

[Eldaena]

Consumables.

We have them now, but they really aren't that 'usable.' No one is popping an ether for 50 mp. No one is using antidotes, they'd rather just ride out the poison. People are not using food as much as they should (partially due to lack of optimal rank foods, but also not showing what they do or making it easy enough to get a divine boost effect from them.)

I feel we need more food, more items, an increase on their effectiveness, and overall I way to carry it all. =p

(I kind of wish alchemist had been a battle class too. I miss throwing potions at people in Final Fantasy Tactics. ; - ; )

[Akira_Tenshi]

More moogles, more chocobos, more airships and we have ourselves a FF game, well almost.

This is just my own personal oppinion but the biggest thing for me that made this game feel so unlike FF was the enviroments. FF has never been this ugly and bland. One of the main attractions of FF for me has always been its amazing beautiful worlds, so it was a real kick in the teeth to see a boring copy paste world. The sad thing is i just don't think that is going to change, perhaps for future zones. If they continue to use copy/paste then for me this will never feel like a true FF.

[Zhinse]

A Final Fantasy Game is deeper than just chocobos and Moogles. A lot of what has been said or listed are just superficial, though important and atmospheric, elements of Final Fantasy Games.

I started FFVII again when it came out on PSN. Immediately, i was like "Wow this game Kind of sucks today," as a million tiny annoyances due to the sheer age of the game popped up. However, Despite all this there is a certain quality and heart that still shines through, and that is the pacing.

It is a quality that sets out the series from all the other JRPGs out there, always Start out with a Bang (blowing up mako plants, being attacked by sin, etc.) and then never letting go as the game leads you to the next spectacular set piece (accidentally tricked into burning down a village of summoners, Etc.) and keeps going to the end. The pacing obviously sometimes slow down, but it leads to variety in pace and its long after the game has ensnared your attention.

Pacing is prevalent in all games of all genres. For XIV, we obviously cant have amazing, world changing set pieces every 30 minutes like in Single player games, but we can be guided down to the set pieces that do exist in the game (story missions,side quest, guildleves, behest, incoming dungeons and more content to be added int he future) more intuitively. Then there is the pace of the development of our characters and the pace at which new gameplay elements are introduced to us. And sure, Some FF games go too far in pace control for some people (FFX and FFXIII).

The other pillars of a FF game are, graphics, world and aesthetics (which you guys listed quite nicely), character development, battle system and story, but i believe those are either already adressed, or going to be adressed shortly.

[Captaindownsyndrome]

they really need add more of ff fill to it but it seem there tryimg

[Alyssasidhe]

HP recovering out of battle is not part of Final Fantasy (other than 13 which kind of sucked) but MP recovering out of battle was a part of 12 though only when walking. Personally I don't think it's a bad for HP and MP to recover thing provided that the enemies are threatening enough to make it necessary.