Anemos wins round 1... Bozja Southern Front is so much worse

[Vyrerus]

I'm combining a few responses

1. Shooters use and reuse the same maps across different installments of the same series over and over again. Graphics improve over the years, yes, and sometimes the bigger maps are really wondrous, but that's the entire game. They work under different constraints in a different setting. The Nier raids are also reused assets ported over to 14 with some of the bosses being new designs, but the maps themselves are just right outta Nier. And most of the interesting look in those is in the sky box, and once you're beyond that, it's all high sci-fi high sheen sorts of stuff lol

It's not that the landscape is nonsensical, it's that they don't use it in a sensible way for players or exposit any meaning for it for NPCs. To me it would seem the trenches are used to get across the battlefield without agroing things, but no player would care to use them for that, because it wouldn't be the fastest way to get around. As far as soldiers dying in war bringing shame... well our character can't really die, so it's always considered a retreat. Retreating or surrender are considered very shameful, especially by the Japanese.

2. There are 3 duels, as far as I know. You need Dispel for one, and Lost Manawall for the others. You can learn the mechanics by watching other people do them, either directly in the instance(though if the duelists are new or aren't serious they won't make it far), or now on Youtube as with every other fight in the game. Imo, it gives us a reason to actually need the Lost Actions, because you can pretty much ignore Lost Actions if you want to, at least if you're going to ignore Duels and Castrum. Each Duel also grants a title. They're the most complex solo fights that are actually at current level.

3. We largely agree here, but the idea is that no reward in this game really matters too much other than getting BIS for Ultimate. Like I said before, the extra stat increases that are for this specific content are for the people who cherish it, and want to do it over everything else the game has to offer. I was not one of those people for Eureka, as I'm not too keen myself on just titles as rewards nor trophy weapons for so much time investment, but that's how they grant rewards out to offer just enough for those who want to show they completed something in game, without upsetting the people who feel like they have to have everything available. Most people don't care about titles and such, in terms of completionism.

I'm not really trying to sway you. I just think your criticisms are weak.

[Iscah]

Check out fields from WWII. It is very much possible to make something dramatic, war-torn, and also fascinating to explore.

I don't think you understand what those pictures are showing - or if you do, you're not phrasing it very well.

Those are "battlefields", but the battle was a hundred years ago. Woods have regrown over the fields. Fortifications and destroyed villages have turned to pretty moss-covered ruins. They haven't been preserved as they were.

Even losing mettle for dying doesn't really serve the theme under the right light; if soldiers die in war IRL, they're granted highest honors and called heroes, not considered cowards or people who just needed to get good.

"Mettle" is courage or fighting spirit; the commander asks for "proof of your mettle" and you apparently relay stories of the battle to him. You get recognised for that.

You took serious injury, your internal fighting spirit went down, but your recognised rank can't be reduced. That sounds reasonably logical to me.

It could also be argued that the meteor called down caused a lot of damage. I'll give you a picture for example after a volcanic eruption of a highly forested area to compare as I feel they would be similar in destruction levels. This is by Spirit Lake in Washington

It doesn't sound like a meteor, but a massive energy blast, and you can see exactly what it did. The giant crater to the south of the map is where it hit, and the buildings in the middle zone are melted and blown outwards. The scout at the first checkpoint tells you about it.

[Juzjuzz]

1. True. Even if it's a battlefield it feels empty.
2. I agree here as well, the goal is to guive different options but not something that is better.
3. Dude there's a skip button, use it if you don't care lol. You are not the only player here, a lot of other play this game for the story and nothing else.
4. It's not that hard come on... And if everything is too easy where is the fun? Trying to get better is more funny than pushing buttons and waiting the end of a fight imo.
5. I can't really comment on that i didnt even try to get in one (at least not seriously).
6. I don't care so i wont say anything.
7. Yeah but we have more quality ... Right?
8. It's waaaaaaay too much. If SE wants more farming they need to make more content and less "do this 10000 times to get 1 part of your gear".

[Sforze]

"Mettle" is courage or fighting spirit; the commander asks for "proof of your mettle" and you apparently relay stories of the battle to him. You get recognised for that.

You took serious injury, your internal fighting spirit went down, but your recognised rank can't be reduced. That sounds reasonably logical to me.

I'm not objecting to the concept of losing mettle for dying - I'm objecting (albeit lightly, it's not really the worst feature by any stretch) to the notion of losing mettle regardless of whether or not you're resurrected. You could just as easily spin it as having an amazing tale of mettle where you got back up and kept fighting. If you don't get resurrected, that's another story.

I don't think you understand what those pictures are showing - or if you do, you're not phrasing it very well.

Those are "battlefields", but the battle was a hundred years ago. Woods have regrown over the fields. Fortifications and destroyed villages have turned to pretty moss-covered ruins. They haven't been preserved as they were.

It doesn't sound like a meteor, but a massive energy blast, and you can see exactly what it did. The giant crater to the south of the map is where it hit, and the buildings in the middle zone are melted and blown outwards. The scout at the first checkpoint tells you about it.

I'm well aware that land does not stay the same after 100 years and that time does indeed move forward. However the land formations, before overgrown, were still divoted sharply and could provide interesting geological formations on the landscape. They were just a few examples, I trust that the professionals at Square have an imagination that could extrapolate on a basic visual concept like that if so chosen. They have complete control over the setting, and this isn't a real-life 1:1 recreation of anywhere that exists in the world. There are a number of creative liberties that could be taken. If they had treated ARR areas the way they treated Bozja, Mor Dhona would be incredibly unremarkable -- but it remains one of the most visually alien and interesting terrains in the game. We wouldn't have Pharos looking like it does, which remains one of my favorite landmarks.

Anyway, I think I've made my points exhaustively on the thread. Their art direction, among others, is suprrisingly underwhelming to me and I wish it was better. That's pretty much the long and short of it. If you (general 'you') find them weak or unpersuasive, that's fine. I'm not going to beat them into the ground ad nauseum.

[MonsutaMan]

Homeboy does make a lot of threads though.......Most of them get a ton of heat (Maybe folks are playing into is hands muahahaha). Even if people do think he is trolling, you are giving him what he wants by continuing to reply.

Even if he does multiple forum account, I aint the one to call him out on that...... I have two accounts by mistake actually. The give away are the corny sigs. I bought FFXIV when it was on sale, but it was the EU version. So, I hastily purchased the US version while the sale was ongoing only to discover the only difference was currency....but it runs you the same price.....


You gotta admit though.....RTX3080 is the best at what he does.....

[RTX3080]

1. True. Even if it's a battlefield it feels empty.
2. I agree here as well, the goal is to guive different options but not something that is better.
3. Dude there's a skip button, use it if you don't care lol. You are not the only player here, a lot of other play this game for the story and nothing else.
4. It's not that hard come on... And if everything is too easy where is the fun? Trying to get better is more funny than pushing buttons and waiting the end of a fight imo.
5. I can't really comment on that i didnt even try to get in one (at least not seriously).
6. I don't care so i wont say anything.
7. Yeah but we have more quality ... Right?
8. It's waaaaaaay too much. If SE wants more farming they need to make more content and less "do this 10000 times to get 1 part of your gear".

Skipping cutscenes is a no-no in FF14 unless you want people telling you you're evil for not respecting the story :/

[Gallus]

I preferred Eureka. The sense of progression and danger was better designed imo.

Higher level mobs were an actual threat in Eureka. In Bozja mobs are just...annoying, and cluster fodder. Leveling up in Eureka meant something. It doesn't mean anything in Bozja past unlocking a few logos actions, castrum and a couple areas. The mob rank system I feel is a complete downgrade too.

The landscapes can't even be compared. Eureka was gorgeous. Bozja is depressing xD.

Fate mechanics were too a lot more interesting in Eureka, regular Bozja fates are literally normal fates from the open world, they seriously can't be any more boring, and there doesn't seem to be any middle ground, you either fall asleep collecting items in fates or get decimated in a critical engagement by a red chocobo with anger issues.

Eureka on release was full of people and it kept being active for a very long time (it was actually active until a couple weeks ago, like literally).
Bozja? I was alone doing fates on the third area yesterday because there were 15 people in the instance.