Would you have paid monthly for FFXIV if it was released the way it is today?

[Monty]

Perfect example of Veruca Salt syndrome right here lol

FFXI had 4 expansions and a few mini expansions so of course it had these things, this game is brand new, no expansion yet and all that other stuff. Plus the devs are more focused on fixing the structure before the focus on a whole tons of content. Just be patient. We had nothing really to do in xi at first either and look how good that got before tanaka destroyed it. Good things come to those who wait. Patients.

I think since SE had already made one MMO, people were assuming the next one would start off with decent content from the get go since SE had, oh 8 years of making another MMO prior to this one being released. This being said, I don't think SE saw this huge failure coming, leading to them revamping everything but content. So unfortunately, I see both sides on this one. Zilart also came out a year after XI was out, and sky was added not long after, along with Dynamis amongst other things.

So when you look at FFXI within it's first 2 years, Zilart was out and CoP was out in 04 I believe? XI was released in '02 if I'm not mistaken, that's a lot of stuff within 2 years. XIV will see 2 years of release with battlefields like Mog and a crap ton of UI, gameplay, combat, etc tweaks. Double checking, ya, 02, FFXI in Japan, 03 zilart and 04 CoP. So this is why some people are upset when there's nothing event like going on. As I said though, I'm almost on both sides, you have to fix the basic elements first before you move onto content. Then again, release good content while fixing the game!

[Fensfield]

A bit off topic, but I have to ask the question. Where do you think Tanaka was taking it? and what do you think his goals were? at least aside from the obvious goal of making a profitable game.

Oh, I have to admit, I'm not immensely sure - mostly I was just trying to explain that my excitement back then is sort of interfering with my excitement now. Had I come to the game ignorant of its past, I'd likely be a lot more excited for its current future than I am am now, excited as I originally was.

But, that being said.. and I hope nobody jumps down my throat for this, because it's still all awfully vague and more difficult to defend feelings than logical conclusions..

Hiromichi Tanaka and his team, originally, seemed to me to be working toward something detail and believability-driven with the hope of ever-increasing amounts of sandbox/player-generated content.

I know a lot of things could be said against that - 'copy paste world isn't believable', 'it's a fantasy, it's not supposed to be realistic' and so forth.. but I'll set those arguments to one side for now.

Again, it really was just a feeling I got, from the hope that players would eventually be in on the guildleve system and using it to get other players to do things on their behalf, to the (admittedly rather inelegant) attempt at a multi-tiered player-driven economy, to all the little concessions to detail like the tiny 'slowing down footsteps' on the end of running and the way we 'caught' on entities as an answer to the 'unrealistic ghosting vs really annoying impassable players' problem. The way our characters eyes look at our targets and not just a head turn, the detailed ambient sound, the gear designs, the differing creature behaviours and aggression mechanisms, the provision for weather and lunar-dependant systems.. Not to mention of course the optimal rank system.

I'm sorry, I know it's an unhelpful answer. But in summary, my opinion is, Tanaka's team intended to have a 'more sandbox than theme park' vision, with a 'more fantasy around you than on you' aesthetic. Yoshida's team have not gone completely the other way, and v2.0 is a game I can be really excited for.. but given that - my feeling at least - Tanaka's mob's goals felt nearer (though still damn far off) my 'dream MMO' than Yoshida's, remembering that is impeding somewhat my excitement for where things are going now.

Sorry it's 2am, I hope that made at least some sense. Night =.=

[DAOWAce]

No, I wouldn't.

If you want to ask why, I will tell you both to visit the link in my signature, and browse through the posts I'm made on this forum in the last year.

[MicahZerrshia]

No, I wouldn't.

If you want to ask why, I will tell you both to visit the link in my signature, and browse through the posts I'm made on this forum in the last year.

So if the game is so bad you are still playing it because.......

[Mireille]

Hiromichi Tanaka and his team, originally, seemed to me to be working toward something detail and believability-driven with the hope of ever-increasing amounts of sandbox/player-generated content.

I had never heard that. Honestly the idea of creating content that other players could add to would be interesting, and I never saw the leve system in that content. Mind you I like leve, especially for crafting.

The basic problem was the game was boring at launch. As much potential as I saw in it I couldn't play it for more than two months before I stopped for 5 months. I wasn't alone in feeling this way.

[AmyRae]

If I had zero experience playing the game and it had launched in its current state, then I might have been interested in reading about what other players felt after playing it, but would not have immediately started a subscription.

The fact that it is a Final Fantasy title does catch my attention. But there isn't enough content for me as a current player and nor would there be for me as a brand new player.

Theres nothing to do as a new player? please explain

The explanation is Deminia didn't say there's nothing to do as a new player, she said "But there isn't enough content for me as a current player and nor would there be for me as a brand new player." Big difference.

[SuzakuCMX]

If I had the money to pay a monthly subscription...

...hell yeah.

But I don't, so no

[UnsayMoon]

Well, my answer to the OP's question would "No", here's why;

I started XI at launch in '03 on PC. Changed to PS2. It was my 1st MMO.

In '04, I bought WoW at launch on recommendation from a friend. My eyes were opened. Blizzard launch a nearly perfect MMO. Universally acclaimed by reviewers. At launch, it had boat loads of content, classes, races, storyline, quests, dungeons, stable economy, and the key ability for users to create client-side apps to enhance the experience. Blizzard set the MMO bar, and they set it really high.

From that day, I looked at XI as inferior in all facets...though I juggled both games b/c of the time invested in XI, and progress I've made.

I had fun in XI, but not nearly to the degree I did in WoW. I was still swinging from SE's sack though at the time. Textbook fanboy b/c I had been playing FF's since #1 as a child.

Fast forward to Sep 2010. I'm the guy who spend $1734 for XIV. This is b/c I bought a new gaming laptop dedicated for XIV. Also grabbed the collectors edition. I had every intention of playing this game till 2015 or later. I created my account, went through the payment chore, applied for my "Adventurers certificate", enabled by pin # keychain thing, disabled it b/c I hated it, started my game. Immediately I was upset...frustrated...shocked, and more.

WoW became a curse to me. I used WoW as my basis for MMO comparison, and none of it stood the test. Here I am in Sep 2010, comparing XIV launch to 2004's WoW launch 6 years prior. I could not understand how a modern MMO could achieve such an abysmal status w/ tons of other MMO's to gather intel from.

'04 WoW launch/game obliterated '10 XIV launch/game in every single way except graphically--which is to be expected after 6 years of technological advancement.

It's now Dec 2011, and SE has yet to address the multitude of problems that I find annoying--namely the slowness of every single action. I could seriously list 100+ others, but this post is already too long. In sum, XIV flopped b/c it sucked. WoW rocketed to the top b/c it was fantastic. There was a reason 10 million plus played it.

With a total population sub 50k, it's not looking good. I will not be playing once my crysta (that I loaded at launch) runs out. To be honest, I do not have fun when I'm logged on. I am continually frustrated and annoyed at so many things. I now for Blizzard and the superior developer compared to SE. I have relinquished my fanboy status.

Only question I have now is, what to do with my laptop? Wait for new blizzard mmo? Play TERA in a few months? Who knows, but one thing is certain, I will not be playing XIV in this condition. I will continue to watch progress, and decided later on down the road if this is a product I'm willing to pay money for. I refuse to pay to get frustrated and annoyed. I can get that feeling for free at work. I'll continue w/ WoW until something new comes along. At least I have fun, smile, laugh, and talk.

Sorry for the lengthy post. And I haven't proofed it either, so, for all you English Professors trolling the posts, leave mine alone.

-Unsaymoon

[Rowyne]

Well, my answer to the OP's question would "No", here's why;

I started XI at launch in '03 on PC. Changed to PS2. It was my 1st MMO.

In '04, I bought WoW at launch on recommendation from a friend. My eyes were opened. Blizzard launch a nearly perfect MMO. Universally acclaimed by reviewers. At launch, it had boat loads of content, classes, races, storyline, quests, dungeons, stable economy, and the key ability for users to create client-side apps to enhance the experience. Blizzard set the MMO bar, and they set it really high.

From that day, I looked at XI as inferior in all facets...though I juggled both games b/c of the time invested in XI, and progress I've made.

I had fun in XI, but not nearly to the degree I did in WoW. I was still swinging from SE's sack though at the time. Textbook fanboy b/c I had been playing FF's since #1 as a child.

Fast forward to Sep 2010. I'm the guy who spend $1734 for XIV. This is b/c I bought a new gaming laptop dedicated for XIV. Also grabbed the collectors edition. I had every intention of playing this game till 2015 or later. I created my account, went through the payment chore, applied for my "Adventurers certificate", enabled by pin # keychain thing, disabled it b/c I hated it, started my game. Immediately I was upset...frustrated...shocked, and more.

WoW became a curse to me. I used WoW as my basis for MMO comparison, and none of it stood the test. Here I am in Sep 2010, comparing XIV launch to 2004's WoW launch 6 years prior. I could not understand how a modern MMO could achieve such an abysmal status w/ tons of other MMO's to gather intel from.

'04 WoW launch/game obliterated '10 XIV launch/game in every single way except graphically--which is to be expected after 6 years of technological advancement.

It's now Dec 2011, and SE has yet to address the multitude of problems that I find annoying--namely the slowness of every single action. I could seriously list 100+ others, but this post is already too long. In sum, XIV flopped b/c it sucked. WoW rocketed to the top b/c it was fantastic. There was a reason 10 million plus played it.

With a total population sub 50k, it's not looking good. I will not be playing once my crysta (that I loaded at launch) runs out. To be honest, I do not have fun when I'm logged on. I am continually frustrated and annoyed at so many things. I now for Blizzard and the superior developer compared to SE. I have relinquished my fanboy status.

Only question I have now is, what to do with my laptop? Wait for new blizzard mmo? Play TERA in a few months? Who knows, but one thing is certain, I will not be playing XIV in this condition. I will continue to watch progress, and decided later on down the road if this is a product I'm willing to pay money for. I refuse to pay to get frustrated and annoyed. I can get that feeling for free at work. I'll continue w/ WoW until something new comes along. At least I have fun, smile, laugh, and talk.

Sorry for the lengthy post. And I haven't proofed it either, so, for all you English Professors trolling the posts, leave mine alone.

-Unsaymoon

Quoted for truth. Agree 100%.

Your story sounds familiar. I can identify on all counts. Only difference is, I only sunk about $500 worth of upgrades into my computer to be able to play it instead of buying a new (and even more expensive) gaming rig.

[Renshi]

A bit off topic, but I have to ask the question. Where do you think Tanaka was taking it? and what do you think his goals were? at least aside from the obvious goal of making a profitable game.

In his butt.

...

You:


me:


Anyway, yup, I would pay for the game now.
I'm having a lot of fun playing as it is now, not to say I had fun even before, but what's really funny is to play content during development, and thinking about the fact that this is story nobody will ever experience again after 2.0. So the Seventh Umbral Era can only be told by ourselves, and nobody else if they want a good description on how was the game before.
It's awesome!