Eorzea feels like a world with no teeth.

[Zantetsuken]

When did doing the EXACT opposite of something ever result into perfection though hahaha

There seems to be too much of this in ARR's direction vs 1.23. They changed so much that didn't need to be.


Everything in the game now feels like a theme park, and not in a good way.

• Elaborate prop-like environments with virtually no open spaces for roaming or nature.
• Blatent/overt game mechanics that have no tie to story or lore - (try to imagine why a Boss monster would fight in an arena with structures that have no purpose but to nullify it's most potent attack)
• No sense of danger in the world, all paths are safe and have virtual guard-rails.
• Queue up for your favorite ride/game and repeat until you get enough tickets for a flashy prize - rinse, repeat.
• Crafting and Gathering are side activities which are flooded with virtually useless trinkets.

Furthermore, the devs act as if player 'stress' is something to avoid at all costs - rather than a spice which when used properly, makes a very flavorful game. By doing so they have set expectations among the player base that everything should be easily obtained. This expectation causes players to get irate when met with any delays to progress, and contributes to a toxic community.

I'm really looking forward to Dark Souls II more than I ever thought I would -- if just to play a game that actually feels immersive and where the rewards are actually earned and meaningful.

[Magis]

Furthermore, the devs act as if player 'stress' is something to avoid at all costs - rather than a spice which when used properly, makes a very flavorful game. By doing so they have set expectations among the player base that everything should be easily obtained. This causes players to get irate when they are slowed down, and contributes to a toxic community.

THIS. Wtf is this "stress" excuse? Do all FFXIV players all of a sudden have weak hearts and high blood pressure that giving a challenge will instantly kill them? I've heard devs saying they want content to be more accessible (which is fine), but I have never heard a dev say "we want to remove the possible of failure because it makes you feel sad/stressed".

[Gaddes]

That's one of the things I miss about FFXI... that heightened feeling you get when you've entered a brand new zone for the first time. When CoP was released and I ventured alone through Tavnazia I kept wondering if something unexpected was going to pop out and kill me, making sure to use Sneak/Invisible in the really hairy areas, and always with that little twinge of danger that one wrong step and I could be in a place where I might get aggro'd by something that would chase me all the way to the edge of the zone. Hell, I remember the panic and thrill of getting lost in Yhoator Jungle as a lowbie, trying to find my party through all those twists and turns, and feeling like there was actual danger.

There's something about that constant state of uncertainty/danger that makes an area feel more "real"; when you know a mob will de-aggro you after 100 feet you lose that sense, and mobs become more like annoyances than things to be respected and feared.

[Vinsyn]

I too had this thoughts of how Eorzea, and how small the whole as it's own feels like a hop and skip to places, but just remember, looking at the map, this only one side of the World map, who knows what else they'll bring to the dinner table, people really just need to wait and see, and if you can't do that, un-sub and there's the front door.


Not every MMO-Game can be perfect, I learned this the hard way, I myself do the same thing, I un-sub after I feel like there's nothing more a game can offer until more content is put in place, then I come back and enjoy what it has to offer. Final Fantasy will always have my eye, no matter how low or high the game gets.

[Ahzarhuuk]

I too had this thoughts of how Eorzea, and how small the whole as it's own feels like a hop and skip to places, but just remember, looking at the map, this only one side of the World map, who knows what else they'll bring to the dinner table, people really just need to wait and see, and if you can't do that, un-sub and there's the front door.


Not every MMO-Game can be perfect, I learned this the hard way, I myself do the same thing, I un-sub after I feel like there's nothing more a game can offer until more content is put in place, then I come back and enjoy what it has to offer. Final Fantasy will always have my eye, no matter how low or high the game gets.

This is refreshing to read.

[rabbitzero]

ARR's direction vs 1.23.

Regardless of what anyone's feelings of 1.0 are, it was a disaster. Any improvements 1.23 had over 1.0 were simply not enough to make enough money to continue. It doesn't matter if you feel it was "better", more risky, whatever. It was shut down or change to what we have now.

[Dianoia]

This happens in a lot of MMOs. Instead of creating a living, breathing world, developers instead focus on 'experiences.' You don't live in Eorzea. You experience the dungeons, bosses, and content the developers create.

The zones serve as lore and backdrop pieces, nothing more. You play half of the game in Duty Finder and the other half in the open world, scooted along on rails. It's not really a bad thing, depending on tastes, but it won't give you the same feeling as, say, GTA or Dark Souls.

[Tupsi]

Regardless of what anyone's feelings of 1.0 are, it was a disaster. Any improvements 1.23 had over 1.0 were simply not enough to make enough money to continue. It doesn't matter if you feel it was "better", more risky, whatever. It was shut down or change to what we have now.

Irony, it was making money and gained more subs during it's P2P phase lol - If it was such a disaster, you'd think people wouldn't have subbed at all. 1.23's direction was amazing and ARR was supposed to be a better version of that - Hell ARR only came around because they couldn't fix certain issues on the engine 1.x was on. So it's not as irrelevant as you think. Hell, you probably utilize stuff from 1.x all the time

[Otoha]

Because you're level 50 with i90 gear. Nothing on the world map poses a challenge to you, currently. Back when you were level 20-30 and you'd venture into the level 49 beast camps, you'd get your ass handed to you and stood no chance.

I remember in XI, you didnt need a mob 30 lvls higher to get a challenge; at lvl 20-30 you'd get your ass handed to you if you tried soloing more than one mob at a time your lvl, even more so at 50.

Another thing, in 1.0, other than tanks, at 50 you would get your ass handed to you in beastmen camps.

[Felis]

What we need is something like Castrum Novum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFPPILIvrYo

I never understand why the enemies in ARR have the same level cap as the players.