Its ffxiv combat really so slow and boring?

[Tempest222]

If all you had to do was stand in one spot ms hit three buttons them yeah that’d be pretty slow given then gcd, but that’s not the case. There is much more going on during fights and also ogcds which makes it not slow pacedz at all, at least for me.

[ChewieFlakes]

It's not slow. It's just boring. Majority of the excitement comes from boss mechanics and dodging puddles of fire on the floor.

Actual "gameplay" is extremely lackluster/generic. Multiple mirrored classes and no class can bring anything unique or interesting to a party because balance is paramount in a WoW clone. It's not like FFXI where you could have some classes be "weaker" but also have unique utility or aspects that could make them ideal for certain fights. Even if you couldn't pump out as much dps as some classes, you could bring something to fights no one else could and really fostered class identity. Now every dps/tank/healer class may as well be the same, and they say repeatedly that they design content that can be completed with any class composition. That's pretty much required when all you're doing is waiting in 30 minute long queues to go dodge AOE circles and spam a rotation. Sure, some classes may have a skill that slightly increases your critical chance or increases the damage the enemy takes for a few seconds. It makes no meaningful difference in the grand scheme of things. In the end you're just X healer/tank/dps class with a different coat of paint that simply has to learn boss mechanics and satisfy the Recount meter.

[kikix12]

Higher global cooldown is also to alleviate PING issues, thus making the game more accessible across the world. To give an example...

There is an action MMORPG where cooldown is virtually non-existent. It's literally in tenths of a second. A person that is close to the servers can do up to 30 strikes when a person further away can do only...20. Seeing as that game is rather heavy on combat control with short but numerous stuns, knockbacks, airlocks etc, but also on immunity frames, it makes it literally impossible, regardless of skill level, for a very large part of the community to have any actual success in the game. Not only is it nearly impossible to use immunity frames when they are half-second long AT BEST (or less) in PvE (and you're never going to be able to choose what you gain immunity against in PvP since by the time it'll trigger the opponent may be able to use three or so attacks), but it's also virtually impossible to do any damage when you are stun-locked simply because by the time the previous stun goes down, you are stunned twice again since that's the time it took for your client to recognize the stun ended...and the server already did ban any further skills due to a new stun already in place.

When the global cooldown is 2-2,5sec, the difference in PING is far lower. As a result the TECHNICAL ceiling is no more than 10% different. That means that mostly everyone have a CHANCE at every piece of content, even if some have advantages due to PING. Since the floor is set at 2,5sec, the PvE enemies don't need to be so punishing either. As a result a player with high ping can still do them with similar efficiency. Really, the bigger problem is with instances that have too many players (Eureka, the Rising event zone) which is largely on the servers and game engines side (poor culling where enemies and/or their AoEs are not visible while random out of party players are plastered on the screen, anyone?!).

[PyurBlue]

It makes no meaningful difference in the grand scheme of things. In the end you're just X healer/tank/dps class with a different coat of paint that simply has to learn boss mechanics and satisfy the Recount meter.

Class variety could be increased, but they're not just totally bland clones of each other. A lack of difficulty probably makes the differences harder to appreciate as there isn't much reason to debate taking a RDM for raise over a BLM in a regular dungeon. In Savage that choice is more meaningful. The healers feel different enough to me even in less difficult dungeons, especially AST with cards. SCH's shields could have been differentiated a bit more by making them last longer and adding a cooldown to them though.

I wouldn't mind moving away from content that is designed to accommodate every class, but if that was done the game would need to have a lot more content or certain classes would become less viable. I don't think it's feasible at this point unless Square wanted to throw another 2.0 at us. Maybe they could have some open world side area where this idea is incorporated, but it would probably be a lot of work even then and it might just end up attracting negative feedback like Eureka.

[Skivvy]

I don't find it slow. It has, at 70, a lot of oGCDs skills.
But I do find it boring.

As a DPS, you don't have to react, adapt, ajust. Just do your rotation, endlessly, mindlessly.
As a healer, you can top off someone/the party with a couple of cast.
As a tank, enmity is decided with the first aggro combo, and it's then set in stone for the rest of the fight.

There was a small use for things like Silence/Stun/Bind/Sleep in the early ARR, but instead of building around it, they choose to forget it.
You don't have teamwork, synergy between jobs for dps, you just stay in your bubble and work on that rotation.

The only things that makes the fight interesting, are the mechanics of the fight, and even then, when you are familiar with it, it become trivial, because everything is scripted/telegraphed/timed.
Also, the animations are mostly gorgeous, which helps a lot.

I loved FFXI combat gameplay, it was slow and strategic. JA, spells and WS had to timed and planned.

I feel like I could have typed this myself. :X

[KaldeaSahaline]

The combat in FF14 is insanely binary. In that skills have either very little or no synergy. While it's not the slowest game out there, it is slower than others. It really suffers in the early game/leveling experience where it's abhorrently slow and could use significant reworks for all jobs.

Higher global cooldown is also to alleviate PING issues, thus making the game more accessible across the world. To give an example...

There is an action MMORPG where cooldown is virtually non-existent. It's literally in tenths of a second. A person that is close to the servers can do up to 30 strikes when a person further away can do only...20. Seeing as that game is rather heavy on combat control with short but numerous stuns, knockbacks, airlocks etc, but also on immunity frames, it makes it literally impossible, regardless of skill level, for a very large part of the community to have any actual success in the game. Not only is it nearly impossible to use immunity frames when they are half-second long AT BEST (or less) in PvE (and you're never going to be able to choose what you gain immunity against in PvP since by the time it'll trigger the opponent may be able to use three or so attacks), but it's also virtually impossible to do any damage when you are stun-locked simply because by the time the previous stun goes down, you are stunned twice again since that's the time it took for your client to recognize the stun ended...and the server already did ban any further skills due to a new stun already in place.

When the global cooldown is 2-2,5sec, the difference in PING is far lower. As a result the TECHNICAL ceiling is no more than 10% different. That means that mostly everyone have a CHANCE at every piece of content, even if some have advantages due to PING. Since the floor is set at 2,5sec, the PvE enemies don't need to be so punishing either. As a result a player with high ping can still do them with similar efficiency. Really, the bigger problem is with instances that have too many players (Eureka, the Rising event zone) which is largely on the servers and game engines side (poor culling where enemies and/or their AoEs are not visible while random out of party players are plastered on the screen, anyone?!).

What game are you talking about so others can understand your POV. I assume you're speaking about Blade and Soul based on your description though and let me say that you are exaggerating considerably, at least from the NA standpoint (YMMV if in EU).

I played that game for 2 years and had plenty of friends who had varying pings play it very successfully.

FF14's artificial ping buffer is awful, archaic design, and holds the game back.

[Dzian]

Its ffxiv combat really so slow and boring?

I don't think it's slow but it is boring.

for me the problem isnt the speed of combat is just the endless mashing of buttons that feel like they do nothing. and arent even connected to the encounter itself.

there's no finesse or power or weight of any kind to any abilities it's just mash buttons for what is essentially a glorified auto attack. with a few flashes and sparkles.

i generally hate the gcd system anyway its one reason i never got into wow. the combat system they had in 1.23 was far superior to what we have now. back then your skills felt powerfull and actually significant.

the other thing with gcds is it never really makes sense that a warrior can swing a great big battle axe at practically the same speed a monk can punch or ninja can swing a dagger.

but the combat system is incredibly boring dull and well weak for want of a better word. there's really no difference between many of the skills outside of some arbitary buff they grant. i mean if you took away the buffs and sparkles. what is the difference between jinpu and shifu. or savage blade and riot blade or gekko and kasha. or storms eye and storms path etc etc etc..

honestly if you simply showed the animation for a skill without its effects i reckon a ton of people wouldnt even be able to tell you what skill it was for a vast majority of the skills in game. because they're just have no power substance or finesse. and that is what makes combat boring. because its just endless mashing of weaksauce buttons doing weaksauce attacks in a flurry of bright flashy lights to try and make it look sparkly...

you don't even notice what skills the rest of the party are using generally because everything looks the same. its just a glorified auto attack. dull and
boring..

1.23 was miles better. everything felt way more powerfull and had some meat to it.

i also think the pace of a game has nothing to do with how many buttons you have press either. there are some much faster games out there that dont require any where near as many inputs. but i guess people get bored if they have nothing to press every millesecond

[Riardon]

Is it slow? Yes it is slow especially if you compare with other MMORPGs.
Boring? At max lvl its ok but at lower lvls it's a huge pain to the point it turns off newcomers.
XIV needs a faster paced battle. They could adjust the HP all of all NPCs/mobs to compensate with the faster DPS.

[Melichoir]

As pointed out, I think more people complain about the rotation rather than teh GCD. The GCD, to me, is quite alright. Given that it means that youre not spamotarding every skill every five seconds like some combat MMOs do, it actually gives me a bit of leeway so everything doesnt seem so frenetic. Thinking room, so to speak. That being said, the rotation (once you learn it more or less), leaves much to be desired. In reality, once you do your opener, its rinse and repeat a rotation till the boss dies. There isnt much in the way of variety. You use a very small skill set over and over, and pop oGCDs almost on CD. No real thinking about "what skill to do next".

This has its benefits, as you can train a player to do their rotation, and have them more focused on fight mechanics. This allows boss encounters to be more dance and show. Drawback is when there is no dance and show (or when youve gotten used to the fight), the rotation becomes more obvious and repetitive.

[ChewieFlakes]

Class variety could be increased, but they're not just totally bland clones of each other. A lack of difficulty probably makes the differences harder to appreciate as there isn't much reason to debate taking a RDM for raise over a BLM in a regular dungeon. In Savage that choice is more meaningful. The healers feel different enough to me even in less difficult dungeons, especially AST with cards. SCH's shields could have been differentiated a bit more by making them last longer and adding a cooldown to them though.

I wouldn't mind moving away from content that is designed to accommodate every class, but if that was done the game would need to have a lot more content or certain classes would become less viable. I don't think it's feasible at this point unless Square wanted to throw another 2.0 at us. Maybe they could have some open world side area where this idea is incorporated, but it would probably be a lot of work even then and it might just end up attracting negative feedback like Eureka.

Even within the minority of playerbase that does the highest echelon of EX raids/trials, the differences are not profound enough to make the classes feel unique. Sure, you can bring a WHM over an AST or maybe a SAM instead of a MNK but in the end the differences are minute. The content can be cleared either way, even if the top raiding parties will bring whatever calculates to have the highest dps just to min/max it.

You say you wouldn't mind moving away from content that is designed to accommodate every class but my point is that this game will *NEVER* do that. The newest content are trials/raids/dungeons is based around the party finder (like all modern wow clones). You no longer have to cooperate and spend time looking for groups to play the content but at the same time every class needs to ALWAYS be viable for EVERYTHING or else you could get matched with party compositions that are unable to clear the content. So in the end, in principle every class is the same and every trial is the same. Just with new mechanics that may involve you dodging different AOEs or standing somewhere else at times etc. You can bring a class like NIN for a trick attack or something but it's all an illusion more or less, even in the most difficult content.

The closest content that has deviated from this formula is Eureka, and don't get me started on what an abomination of game design that heap of crap is.