FFXIV should take a note from SUIKODEN

[Kosmos992k]

I think you misspelled "Dark Cloud".

LOL, never got to play that one, but Level 5 is Level 5, so yeah, Dark Cloud & WKC want Georamas to be added, as do their players.

Wonder if Dark Cloud is out on PS Now yet? If not I still have a slim PS2 kicking around, and even a fat PS3 that will run it, but I won't risk it until it get's better thermal compound...who am I kidding, I have too much to do in this game to do that.

[DreadRabbit]

The fact that WoW can have their current bug-ridden garrison system but not instanced housing after 10+ years of subscriptions fueling them still irks me somewhat. F2P games have instanced housing/personal spaces and have for decades. Why the bloody hell can't games like FF14 and WoW?

Anyway, I adore Suikoden. Truthfully Lominsa really takes me back to how Suikoden towns tend to feel like with the looks and the music. Though considering that an instanced fortress seems to be tougher to code given WoW's "success" with garrisons, I would much rather an instanced personal housing first to test the waters.

[Duelle]

And even though Suikoden did it way earlier, WoW fans would still say that FFXIV copied Garrisons if this feature were to be added.

Depends. The garrisons in WoW are very lackluster when it comes to choices available. You're sort of placed into the garrison and at most you just have to run chores (mining ore, picking plants, assigning and collecting work orders). Nothing in it can really be customized outside of trivial things (what color drapes are placed over buildings and what race the guards that patrol the garrison are). The only real notable thing about it is that a LOT of the story characters you run into while questing on Draenor hang out at your garrison after you meet them. For example, you encounter WoW's resident master hunter (Hemet Nesingwary) and after doing a radial quest for him he decides to hang out at your garrison.

I guess the comparison in FFXIV terms would be if you were given your own castle, and as you complete quests some of the involved NPCs would start hanging out at your castle because, well, who DOESN'T want to hang out with the Warrior of Light? Say that after completing the stuff in Forgotten Springs some of the girls from the U tribe decide to hang out at your castle. And then you run into Fufulupa from the MSQ and the moogle involved in the bard questline. Perhaps Sylvie from the CNJ questline decides to sometimes pay you a visit. Or maybe Aldis. You get the idea.

The fact that WoW can have their current bug-ridden garrison system but not instanced housing after 10+ years of subscriptions fueling them still irks me somewhat. F2P games have instanced housing/personal spaces and have for decades. Why the bloody hell can't games like FF14 and WoW?

There is this. I wasn't thrilled with Garrisons and if you check out the WoW forums, they're compared to facebook games rather than an actual housing system.

-----------------------------------------------------------

I'm on the fence as far the OP's idea goes. I liked the Suikoden games but the castle was the place to bring everyone together and little more. That's why the protagonist (and Thomas in III) is the Tenkai Star, AKA the one that is the gathering point for the other 107 stars of destiny. I guess you could argue that the WoL is the gathering point for everyone, but I don't see the type of character variety to support a Suikoden-like castle system or something based on WoW's garrisons.

On the flipside, if this were a Suikoden game, Hildibrand or inspector Briardien would be the one who collects info on everyone. And I'm sure lots of people who jump at the opportunity to make Hildy a permanent part of their lives.

[Riepah]

I'll definitely support anything that lets me have my own castle and upgrade it through various means, becoming bigger, livelier, more useful. I always love it when games allow me to have my own place to upgrade, like NWN2.

I'll actually look at this "Suikoden" game now, as I've never played it before.

[HeroSamson]

Suikoden 1 and 2 were the best games in the franchise up until they started to stray off into the updated graphics and hopping out of the 2D market.

3rd suikoden was okay so was the 5th one but if you asked me I would of much rather had them stick to the 2D anime style 108 star's of destiny.
They went to psp it turned into a legend of legaia wanna be game and the DS version looked so bad it was like I was playing a N64 game and the graphics were bad.

I loved the 2 sound tracks from part 1 and 2, I wish they never dabbled into the 3D/2D going into full 3D on psp.

Genso suikoden team needed to take a page from NIS america and stick with the 2D like they did with Disgaea.

More characters more fun factor, 2D spells look better than 3D, spells and 2D animation was better as well. Suikoden kind of reminded me of chrono trigger with the combo rune magic and joined attacks.

I really wish konami hadn't messed up that series, this is coming from someone who owns the whole series, Suikoden 1-5 and tactics except for the 2 others DS and Psp I feel that those 2 games but I have tried them and was not really happy what I seen.

Actually I wouldn't mind something from Suikoden here and that is the guy who made suikoden 1 and 2 sound track I am sure his music would kick major butt and I wouldn't mind if SE use runes also to give special abilities like that its too bad konami didnt make a MMO out of Suikoden cause that would be awesome.

Favorite rune was Pahn's boar rune and Turtle mcdohls Soul eater rune and Rage rune and vicktors clone rune.

[PlumpyMcduff]

Honestly, it would be nice, but there would be too much data in customization. I also think it would be messing with the storyline that they're crafting if you have NPCs moving in. If you notice, the NPCs move around depending on the part of the story you're on...

If done in a fashion where changes/unlock progress with the story, much of the data would be client-side. As for messing with the storyline, just like Suikoden, characters would come & go as the story continues (e.g. Cid leaves for a mission, is replaced with engineer NPC for a time). And the nature of NPC's wouldn't act any differently than it currently does, there's a timeline & my Hoary is different from your Hoary if I'm further along in the story. To make things easier & work with the story, it could be the Crystal Braves' Castle.

I'll actually look at this "Suikoden" game now, as I've never played it before.

Play them in order but skip IV or any spin-offs in my opinion!

So I'd say, play Suikoden I>II>III>V & stop.

Suikoden I & II are even far more nostalgic for me than virtually any of the FF's!

I/II are on par with any of the best FF titles & have unique gameplay elements from them too.

The soundtracks are AMAZING to get you amped up for it... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPDs7ifXHGk

[QiLymePye]

Im a HUGE Suikoden fan and i must say that I loved 2 the best, but don't sleep on 5. Suikoden 5's story was amazing. Not as good as 2, but its up there. I would love a continuation of it as well as Xenogears/Xenosaga. But thats another thread. Oh and lets not forget Romancing Saga and the Saga Frontier Games....OMG.....im having flashbacks

[SendohJin]

To make things easier & work with the story, it could be the Crystal Braves' Castle.

but basically this is what they did with the Waking Sands and Rising Stones, it just seems like their characterization of an adventurer aren't the types of people who would own castles.

presumably, in Heavensward the story would have a new base of this type in Ishgard.

and parts of it would directly conflict with what has already been implemented for FC/Personal Housing.

[PlumpyMcduff]

but basically this is what they did with the Waking Sands and Rising Stones, it just seems like their characterization of an adventurer aren't the types of people who would own castles...

...and parts of it would directly conflict with what has already been implemented for FC/Personal Housing.

Not necessarily, it could have entirely different features.

Also, sure elements of this exist in the Waking Sands & the Rising Stones... true, but it's like you've mentioned, "in Heavensward the story would have a new base of this type in Ishgard."

So why not a Castle or Keep with additional functionality?

You mentioned that "their characterization of an adventurer aren't the types of people who would own castles..."

Yeah, maybe when the stakes were lower. But we're going into war, this isn't some underground operation anymore or mustn't need be.

Also, our renown is growing into other regions & across the lands--we're going to need better defenses & greater protections.

We practically merit a small army at this point & small armies need arms, equipment, food, shelter, & so forth.

Besides, I don't think it'd be a bad thing if this became the new FC Housing so Personal Housing could have the old FC lots since there's such an epidemic over the lack of space.

[kyuven]

The fact that WoW can have their current bug-ridden garrison system but not instanced housing after 10+ years of subscriptions fueling them still irks me somewhat. F2P games have instanced housing/personal spaces and have for decades. Why the bloody hell can't games like FF14 and WoW?

A lot of it has to do with server strain.
Those F2P games you mentioned were usually designed with this concept in mind. For example, EQ2 had housing from the word "go," while EQ1, by the same company, didn't, so they had to add non-instanced housing.
SWTOR merely adapted the pre-existing system they use for personal story quests and let you customize the space, allowing for housing. Plus they had personal ships from the word go (which were basically personal "rooms" inside an instance. You could communicate with people in the same type of ship as you via public channels while you were there).
Basically, instanced housing isn't something you can easily tack onto a game unless they're precedent. FFXIV's only precedent is the inn rooms, thus our only "personal housing" is basically customizable inn rooms.
In addition MANY of these systems take time. WoW's devs appear to have or had a personal vendetta against things like housing, bards, and glamour systems, so they rarely added them. In XIV, they are AWARE we want customization, and are very likely working on it, but at this time they clearly have limitations they're working with.
FFXIV did not have housing from the word "go," and thus this takes time.
Add to that there's simply not a lot of motivation to work on something people are going to complain about no matter what you do.
Make it easy? It cheapens having and *earning* a house.
Make it too hard? It's too haaaaard!
The players will never be satisfied, so they're definitely going to take their time and make a focused approach, rather than cave to every single demand.
In other words, no big castles staffed by named NPCs. At the most you'll get one staffed by your retainers and hireling NPCs.