Final Fantasy XIV Hot Takes

[Skivvy]

Everything being a reference to a previous Final Fantasy game is very off putting to people who are not franchise fanboys and haven't played every FF game since the beginning of time.

The level of fan service is crazy. I've said this before in other threads, but I hope if ever there is another FF MMO, it tries to create and maintain its own identity vs. using past FF titles as a crutch. Then you have cross-overs which are shoe-horned into the game and get full raid series (looking at you, Nier). Makes no sense.

I know that there are FF staples that are generally found in most of their games, Chocobos, airships, Cid, Moogles, job types, certain mobs, etc, but XIV has gone far past the usual items.

[ReynTime]

The level of fan service is crazy. I've said this before in other threads, but I hope if ever there is another FF MMO, it tries to create and maintain its own identity vs. using past FF titles as a crutch. Then you have cross-overs which are shoe-horned into the game and get full raid series (looking at you, Nier). Makes no sense.

I know that there are a few FF staples that are generally found in most of their games, Chocobos, airships, Cid, Moogles, job types, certain mobs, etc, but XIV has gone far past the usual items.

This is why they go overboard with the refs. This is what the average public does:
https://youtu.be/OfJRm0WssOE

[Raoabolic]

This is why they go overboard with the refs. This is what the average public does:
https://youtu.be/OfJRm0WssOE

Sigh, you just don't understand. It was a chocobo, but it was red. And the moogle's name had Mog in it. Sigh, you just don't get it. /s

[SeverianLyonesse]

The level of fan service is crazy. I've said this before in other threads, but I hope if ever there is another FF MMO, it tries to create and maintain its own identity vs. using past FF titles as a crutch. Then you have cross-overs which are shoe-horned into the game and get full raid series (looking at you, Nier). Makes no sense.

I know that there are FF staples that are generally found in most of their games, Chocobos, airships, Cid, Moogles, job types, certain mobs, etc, but XIV has gone far past the usual items.

The main story is still pretty solidly original. Looking at the most recent expansions, all of the MSQ content has been original except:

* EW: Loporrits, Anima, Magus Sisters, Ragnarok, I guess to some extent Zodiark and Venat even though they are references in name only.
* ShB: Crystal Tower, Dwarves, Hades, Warrior of Light, Angelo
* SB: Doma, Lakshmi, Omega v. Shinryu
* HW: Midgardsormr, Knights of the Round, Bismarck, Matoya

Still some 90+ percent of the worldbuilding is fairly original and unique to FF XIV. Yeah we have some combined elements like a massive empire ala VI/XII, sci-fi elements ala VII/VIII, job system ala III/V, and some core systems that draw heavily from popular titles like the materia system(which imo should be dropped). But it's the derivativeness is not as bad as people make it out to be.

Where the impression that XIV is not original stems from primarily the "side content" (which counterintuitively ends up providing the majority of the gameplay as each expansion's respective endgame):

* HW: Alexander raids (IX/XI), Warring Triad Trials (VI), to some extent the Shadows of Mhach raids
* SB: Omega raids (V/VI/I), Hell's Lid trials (Legends), Dalmasca raids (XII)
* ShB: Eden raids (VIII), Weapon trials (VII), Nier raids
* EW: Pandaemonium raids (II)

I think it is fine. I also think that a wholly original FF MMO would tank because it is the intertextuality that appeals to more players. And since XIV is like the uber-intertextual-FF I don't see any reason for SE to try to remake the same phenomenon again from the ground up.

[Rolder50]

Where the impression that XIV is not original stems from primarily the "side content" (which counterintuitively ends up providing the majority of the gameplay as each expansion's respective endgame):

* HW: Alexander raids (IX/XI), Warring Triad Trials (VI), to some extent the Shadows of Mhach raids
* SB: Omega raids (V/VI/I), Hell's Lid trials (Legends), Dalmasca raids (XII)
* ShB: Eden raids (VIII), Weapon trials (VII), Nier raids
* EW: Pandaemonium raids (II)

The Omega raids were just the worst in that regard. I've not played those games, so the whole thing just felt like a mish-mash of random unrelated concepts, stuffed into some nonsensical tournament arc.

[SeverianLyonesse]

The Omega raids were just the worst in that regard. I've not played those games, so the whole thing just felt like a mish-mash of random unrelated concepts, stuffed into some nonsensical tournament arc.

They were fun in isolation, but I agree. As far as storytelling and integrating side content into XIV's mythos goes, I think the Omega raids are by far the worst across the alliance raids, normal raids, and trials, perhaps tied with Nier. At least things like the Warring Triad, Weapons, Eden, and Dalmasca were given room to develop into their own take on each game's mythos. Omega was just objectively not as cohesive and polished. I do not like that they crammed a chibi chocobo into the game either.

[Conundrum]

The level of fan service is crazy. I've said this before in other threads, but I hope if ever there is another FF MMO, it tries to create and maintain its own identity vs. using past FF titles as a crutch. Then you have cross-overs which are shoe-horned into the game and get full raid series (looking at you, Nier). Makes no sense.

I know that there are FF staples that are generally found in most of their games, Chocobos, airships, Cid, Moogles, job types, certain mobs, etc, but XIV has gone far past the usual items.

I honestly don't mind the temporary crossovers, they can be fun. But they leave in the end.

But you did use a key word...CRUTCH. it's like they are terrified to do original content. I mean when they announced the EW alliance raids were going to actually be original it was a big deal and selling point to them. ORIGINAL should be the norm, not the notable exception.

[Remish]

I honestly don't mind the temporary crossovers, they can be fun. But they leave in the end.

But you did use a key word...CRUTCH. it's like they are terrified to do original content. I mean when they announced the EW alliance raids were going to actually be original it was a big deal and selling point to them. ORIGINAL should be the norm, not the notable exception.

It has been stated several times over that FFXIV is an FF theme park MMO. It has also been stated that it is the center of the FF universe. They aren't terrified. Being an FF reference playground IS and has always been FFXIV's identity.

[Conundrum]

It has been stated several times over that FFXIV is an FF theme park MMO. It has also been stated that it is the center of the FF universe. They aren't terrified, being an FF reference playground IS FFXIV's identity. It's always been intended that way.

Doesn't make it less of a terrible and unimaginative design philosophy...in fact it makes it worse.

But the fanboys love it.

[Remish]

Doesn't make it less of a terrible and unimaginative design philosophy...in fact it makes it worse.

But the fanboys love it.

You're entitled to your opinion but the games sales and population strongly suggest otherwise. Something about their design philosophy is working wither you agree with it or not.