Make FFXIV more like FFXI and less like WoW

[Dale]

Edited to Add: I continually fail to understand why this game can't just be FFXIV, instead of people demanding that it be FFXI. If you like FFXI so much, please go back and play that game. I like FFXIV. I would never play FFXI.

I think you are missing the point.

It's not that players are demanding Final Fantasy 14 be Final Fantasy 11. They just wished for something that followed in its tradition but with significant improvements. Instead they got WoW with better graphics. Which is all Final Fantasy 14 is.

I am glad you like it. It is a solid game. But it's nothing remarkable. Final Fantasy 11 was far more ground-breaking in its scope and span and it would have been nice to see a sequel to that game instead of WoW.

If this game is still around 10 years later as a subscription-based model like 11 is I will be very surprised.

[NefGP]

I think you are missing the point.

It's not that players are demanding Final Fantasy 14 be Final Fantasy 11. They just wished for something that followed in its tradition but with significant improvements. Instead they got WoW with better graphics. Which is all Final Fantasy 14 is.

I am glad you like it. It is a solid game. But it's nothing remarkable. Final Fantasy 11 was far more ground-breaking in its scope and span and it would have been nice to see a sequel to that game instead of WoW.

If this game is still around 10 years later as a subscription-based model like 11 is I will be very surprised.

Nail on the head. I made my peace with XI and am fine with having left it, even if I do still miss it from time to time.

I never expected or wanted a rehashing of it either with XIV, but rather take what worked well in XI and expand upon it. This isn't what happened at all. Yes we got some improvements but what was at the heart of XI, that made it such a memorable experience was completely abandoned for reasons I still can't understand or fathom. All the people saying "XI is still up, go play it" need to just stop. XI isn't the same game it once was for one thing (it too, has sadly fallen under the spell of WoW influence as Delve nearly destroyed the game by obsoleting REM weapons and pissing off the majority of the community) and while I personally enjoyed abyssea, it did basically destroy 7 years of viable content in a single patch.

I'd love to see XI remade in HD or at least Vana'diel revisited in an offline entry, but for the time being I'm more interested in seeing XIV thrive under its own identity and as a true FF experience, not a WoW clone with FF themes (something I'd long denied but honestly there's no denying it anymore; this game is pretty much that...)

Maybe things will improve once the first expansion comes along and we get some more classes but as it is, I'm probably not going to renew my sub once it's up. I gave ARR the 6-month test and it's not living up to expectations at all. It's by no means a bad game, but I get the feeling myself and the bulk of the XI fans who supported it through the rough times are feeling the same thing - that we got screwed.


I love the refined combat and crafting in XIV, but it's the crappy new armory system and horrible job design that kills it for me more than anything (and the lack of open world content). I also like the more solo-friendly environment but the game does feel severely lacking in teamwork mechanics compared to XI (SC + MB, Bard being an infinitely more powerful support role etc.)

Let's just do a few comparisons, starting with WAR.


In XI, WAR was the basic starting tank but really shined as a DD capable of using virtually every weapon & weaponskill relatively well, with its specialty in Great Axes (which also had some of the best debuffing weaponskills like shield break and armor break). It had some of the best tools in the game in Provoke, Berserk & Double Attack making it a great subjob and main etc etc. It's only major flaw was that it kinda tapered off as a tank later on as PLD had a far superior skillset, and then NIN really came into it's own shortly after NA release as the evasion tank further leaving WAR in the dust (and now there's RUN as well).

At first in XIV, back around 1.17 WAR seemed to be pretty good. The limitations on weapon variety (thanks to the armory system...) sucked but it felt like a powerhouse compared to XI. High HP, variety in gear (could use both heavy and normal dark light sets for emphasizing tanking or dps) and Steel Cyclone was just a monstrous WS. ARR screwed with all that.

* gotta cut this short for now, post more later.