Rant,Rambling and Drivel: Is it Fun Yet?!

[Traek]

Most of these threads just devolve into "this isn't FFXI", "WoW clone", "This is fun", "No this is fun" type posts. I really wish people wouldn't go into both extremes with such haste, and maybe realize there is room for middle ground. Personally I think FFXIV is a great game, off to a good start. Plenty left to be desired, and I hope they use what we have as a foundation to breathe further depth into the game. Keep the core casual, for those casual players, but expand upon the casual system to give people room to excel.

We'll use the skill chain example. I loved skill chains, magic bursts, elemental wheels, etc. One can easily recognize this is daunting to a more casual playerbase though, and the slow paced nature of auto attacking, lining up weapon skills, and ancient magic casts, isn't for everyone. So where is the middle ground? Keep the combat system we have in place. The self combos, optimal rotations, and faster pace is something MMOs have evolved into, and many casual appreciate as it keeps their attention. Create a new "TP system". This can involved doing "X amount" of combos perfectly in a row, amount of damage done/taken/healed, amount of up time of buffs (Astral III, GL3, Heavy Thrust buff, Regen, Shields, etc. etc.), think individual limit breaks. Create combo'd limit breaks with different useful effects, not just limited to damage, and make it possible to chain different things, such as a healer "TP move" > caster "TP move" > melee "TP move" > etc.

Instead of the rigid elemental wheel skill chain, to magic burst, keep it closer to casual. One thing I loved as a Samurai in FFXI was watching people who didn't know any better spam a random weapon skill, and I'd just formulate in my head real quick the "closer" and bam skill chain, for some combined damage. Having some "TP type moves" (3-4 per job) that combo with different jobs, would just be a fun addition for everyone. The casual guy spamming it is doing some extra damage + effects on his screen, and the more hard core guy gets his kicks from coordinating with his party and pulling out a team effort. There is so much room to make great systems out of this, and I'd love to see SE do something and get rid of our current 1 button "I win" limit break system.

TL, DR; There is room for middle ground on a lot of these subjects. Instead of arguing with rose tinted glasses, lets realize there is many ways to expand FFXIV into a game with even more success, that will reach out to all types of MMO players.

[Royze]

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My name is Prime and I support this post.
Thanks for the constructive feedback and great ideas. Keep them coming.

[Swishytail]

My name is Prime and I support this post.
Thanks for the constructive feedback and great ideas. Keep them coming.

I knew it.

[Royze]

I knew it.

I pretty much spelled it out for you 3 months ago
I did enjoy creeping you out for a while. Come to excal mang!

[Swishytail]

I pretty much spelled it out for you 3 months ago
I did enjoy creeping you out for a while. Come to excal mang!

Lol. I have it too good on Malboro or else I would. =/
Good to see you playing, though! I thought you were
done for good after XI. Lol.

[Royze]

Lol. I have it too good on Malboro or else I would. =/
Good to see you playing, though! I thought you were
done for good after XI. Lol.

I could say the same. You quit at a good time. You never had to experience Seekers of Adoulin.
I've spent a third of my life playing Final Fantasy 11. Now that is a truly daunting fact.

[Swishytail]

I could say the same. You quit at a good time. You never had to experience Seekers of Adoulin.
I've spent a third of my life playing Final Fantasy 11. Now that is a truly daunting fact.

Lol. Yeah, no joke. I actually did go back when the cap was 99... never again. I couldn't even hold out for
Seekers.