Your thoughts on the direction of this game?

[Magis]

For the record who actually feels any danger or threat from PvE content in anything?

I'm serious. When it comes to anything PvE and proving you're the best at it I just assume you've simply spent more time on it.

The idea that people are mad because other people can get the same gear as them so they feel less special is kinda funny to me actually.

The only time I feel threatened in FFXIV 2.0 is the Morbol fight while doing Alexandrite Maps, and Coil. Heck coil isn't really "threatening", I am just following a step dance. There isn't a feeling of "wow we pushed real hard and barely made it", rather "ok, who screwed up procedure 2 in phase 3".

P.S. If you haven't watched this week's Jimquisition about what's wrong with SE, I think it's brilliant...

Huh, interesting review. Video for anyone: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...th-Square-Enix

[Fendred]

The only time I feel threatened in FFXIV 2.0 is the Morbol fight while doing Alexandrite Maps, and Coil. Heck coil isn't really "threatening", I am just following a step dance. There isn't a feeling of "wow we pushed real hard and barely made it", rather "ok, who screwed up procedure 2 in phase 3".

To be honest, most games use scripted fights. I think having a more tactical combat system would be good, but at the same time we'd see less updates, so its a trade off. AI opponents take more code than scripted ones. On the other hand, an AI opponent in a system that offers different tactical decisions would have more replayability, which is highly desirable for end game. Plus, if enemies could adjust their strategies for dealing with players, it would mean the end of farming parties, because no single strategy could consistently guarantee victory. I think that would be a huge benefit to the community.

[Colt47]

The only time I feel threatened in FFXIV 2.0 is the Morbol fight while doing Alexandrite Maps, and Coil. Heck coil isn't really "threatening", I am just following a step dance. There isn't a feeling of "wow we pushed real hard and barely made it", rather "ok, who screwed up procedure 2 in phase 3".



Huh, interesting review. Video for anyone: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/vide...th-Square-Enix

In terms of raiding at end game, many MMOs have taken a Visual Novel style approach to progress, which is to say that no matter how smart or fast someone is, the fight is designed so that the only way to survive a specific point is to die at that point first. Often, a player may have to die repeatedly before they learn exactly what they are supposed to do at that step in the encounter. It's not a bad system, but the system is definitely not for everyone as I can think of more than a few people who got fed up with it. In fact, the only place where I've seen this system embraced in all aspects of the game is Dark Souls and Demon Souls.

As far as the Jimquisition video, that is a problem with more than just Square Enix. There are a ton of overdone designs from a number of big name publishers in the east when they really need to simplify and get some kind of identity going. The classic armors in Final Fantasy XIV are actually better done than some of the newer styles from Coil, and the new divine war set has a few too many angles on it, making it look weird when viewed from the front. My mithril armor set at level 40 is still the most knightly armor I have.

Actually, the end game weapon designs have been ludicrous across titles, recently. I've had to mod my Skyrim just to make my swords not look like giant paddles, and as much as I like my glowing swords in FFXIV, They still seem ridiculously cumbersome.

[Aylis]

Its simple, make the gear hard to get. Screw the people that want gear handed to them. Boo hoo you have to work to get the gear.

Agreed and that's where I feel Yoshida severly dropped the ball. He ignored demographics, he ignored horizontal progression and he ignored tiers. Typically a player in an mmo starts at the lowest tier and should they choose to? Said player works their own way up in the progression scale. With FFXIV it feels as if were looped all in the same progression scale weither we like it or not. I'm reminded of a quote Yoshida said in the early days of he didn't want crafted gear to be more powerful then dungeon gear. That's perfectly fine and I agree with that statement 100%...had this been a normal functioning MMO and risk equaled reward. Dungeons offer little challenge and greater, faster rewards vs crafting which by normal mmo standards is the gear you want to just be able to break into dungeon raiding. So by doing so Yoshida skipped that all important first lower tier instead opting for easier faster and better gear. (10 dungeons of token farming opposed to leveling all crafts, expensive components that....required dungeons? A lot of luck and a lot of gil spent in materia) to be marginally equal to said dungeon drops. While my little experiences of raids tell me the same thing. Its just another dungeon except made for 8 people instead of 4. So instead of defined player tiers were all thrown into the same pool. The raiders, the casuals, the speed runners, the slow and steadiers, the experts, the new players, and etc and all expected to get along and play nice.

It worked for a little while, but not so much anymore.

[Magis]

To be honest, most games use scripted fights. I think having a more tactical combat system would be good, but at the same time we'd see less updates, so its a trade off. AI opponents take more code than scripted ones. On the other hand, an AI opponent in a system that offers different tactical decisions would have more replayability, which is highly desirable for end game. Plus, if enemies could adjust their strategies for dealing with players, it would mean the end of farming parties, because no single strategy could consistently guarantee victory. I think that would be a huge benefit to the community.

Well, from what I hear Ifrit was a lot more random back in 1.0. You don't need a giant AI system, just checks and balances so that a no-win scenario ends up happening (IE, Titan gaoling twice in a row). It would force players to react and adapt, rather than just look at a rotation image and memorize. Also, the older games had a larger set of skills to choose from, as well as types of skills. Debuffs to enemies, Buffs to players, and mechanics such as elemental wheels.

In terms of raiding at end game, many MMOs have taken a Visual Novel style approach to progress, which is to say that no matter how smart or fast someone is, the fight is designed so that the only way to survive a specific point is to die at that point first. Often, a player may have to die repeatedly before they learn exactly what they are supposed to do at that step in the encounter. It's not a bad system, but the system is definitely not for everyone as I can think of more than a few people who got fed up with it. In fact, the only place where I've seen this system embraced in all aspects of the game is Dark Souls and Demon Souls.

You can have mechanics, but there should be more to the jobs we are using then pumping out damage at a certain rate. The combat system was simplified down to just the most basic of the "trinity". As I said in one post... you can strip all abilities from the characters, and have the boss tick down at a X rate per second, and you'd end up with the same game. There is no choosing which ability is best for which changing scenario, rather memorize and do the rotation over and over until dead, while dodging some mechanic set for this boss. The closest I have seen that in ARR is playing as a healer due to a lot of changing factors (mostly players screwing up lol) which gives it it's own fun.

[Kona4me]

Just look how did they change Summoner to Warlock for an example. ARR feels boring now, so i returned to FFXI.

[Dyvid]

Honestly I think the current state of the game just shows how bad vertical progress is and the dead end gear grinding can be. They have a soft ilvl cap @ 110 but no idea how to keep people grinding for more gear so add simple ability to upgrad soldiery gear to 110. Customizing character and making the grind fun should be a key point in 3.0. There is a reason people use best in slot over equipping all the new stuff.

[Gormogon]

Honestly I think the current state of the game just shows how bad vertical progress is and the dead end gear grinding can be. They have a soft ilvl cap @ 110 but no idea how to keep people grinding for more gear so add simple ability to upgrad soldiery gear to 110. Customizing character and making the grind fun should be a key point in 3.0. There is a reason people use best in slot over equipping all the new stuff.

Yeah I don't understand the whole gear progression mentality when MMO's do this. It's pretty pointless since it doesn't promote diversity at all since if you really want BiS you have to "mix n match" to get the desired results.

Dunno why we couldn't have gotten .1 det (or straight up increase from coil) and hybrid (soldiery), .15 crit (straight up burst crystal tower), .18 vanity + skill enhancing materia.

[Colt47]

Yeah I don't understand the whole gear progression mentality when MMO's do this. It's pretty pointless since it doesn't promote diversity at all since if you really want BiS you have to "mix n match" to get the desired results.

Dunno why we couldn't have gotten .1 det (or straight up increase from coil) and hybrid (soldiery), .15 crit (straight up burst crystal tower), .18 vanity + skill enhancing materia.

Someone needs to point Yoshida to Path of Exile and Diablo III Nephalem Rifts with randomized gear stats. The only other option is probably going with no gear stats at all and having the characters themselves contain the power pool via level, therefore rendering all gear as vanity gear.

[Exstal]

Holy crap. This is why i rarely come to these forums. You sir, just showed this guy your sarcasm meter is definitely broken with this wall of text above me.

So everyone with similar opinions to Velhart is being sarcastic? Coloured me surprised then!