Is it safe to say that the next FF MMO will be an action game?

[dspguy]

In my opinion, most of the "big hit" titles in the past few years that fall into the RPG category have been of the action variety. I'm sort of with the OP on that.

Ever since FFXII, they've drifted in that direction. XII had the gambit system that allowed a player to "watch the battle" instead of engage in a turn-based system. It was like programming almost. A fairly unique idea.

XIII gave us back the necessity to provide user input, but most of it (not all of it) was selecting a "preset" of sorts through the paradigm system... and again watch the battle.
XV was mostly an action RPG
XVI is the same.

If you venture out of the FF series, both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are highly popular titles that are action-based. I think Elden Ring follows that same genre as well.

The last "turn-based" game I played was Octopath Traveler and that was designed to be a retro RPG. Sort of putting it in its place - turn-based games being games of the past.

I don't know if we'll have a real action-based MMORPG though. Given the delay of talking to the server, I think it might prove difficult to make it playable if it requires tight inputs to dodge/attack/parry/etc.

[Akibaws]

I don't see Squenix making another MMO unless Blizzard do first and pave the way.

[RitsukoSonoda]

SE will make an MMO when they feel like they have a story or concept that is best told in MMO format.

That was the case with FFXI - they wanted to have a robust multi job system with sub jobs as an experiment, and the MMO formula seemed like a good fit for that.

With FFXIV, the concept was job changes based on weapon changes, and the MMO formula seemed a good format for that.

FFXII's Star Wars fanfiction gambit system? Better as a single player.

FFXIII's party based evolution of ATB? Better as a single player.

FFXV's bro road trip/royal armory concept (once they freed it from the XIII universe)? Better as a single player.

FFXVI's giant eikon fights in the style of epic kaiju battles? That was actually a scrapped concept from FFXIV's really early planning, if I remember right, and they realized it'd be better as a single player game. FFXVI's story was built around that after the fact. (And they did a damn good job, imo. Story is absolutely the best part about XVI. Fandom has exploded around it.)

Whatever FFXVII ends up being, MMO or not, it'll be because the ideas they had best fit the game they end up making. Maybe they'll go back to CTB because they know the fans are clamoring for it.

ATB/Turn based menu style combat and the action oriented combat both have pro's and con's on them. Action oriented combat generally results in less options being available as opposed to the older menu based combat systems because controllers only have so many buttons to map things to. However later FF titles using the menu based systems had a bad habit of things like going overboard with summoning animations. I think the worst offenders were Knights of the Round from FF7 and Ark from FF9 that were basically like a 2-3 minute cutscene every time they were cast.

[Shurrikhan]

@Risuko
...Mostly agreed on the whole, but...

ATB/Turn based menu style combat and the action oriented combat both have pro's and con's on them. Action oriented combat generally results in less options being available as opposed to the older menu based combat systems...

I actually have to completely disagree with this, at least unless such high amounts of skill options available through those menus as to be painfully unresponsive.


Consider:


In a menu-based game, you have X actions each within, at most, Y categories. Maybe you have Attacks (20 options), Spells (30 options), and Tactics (10 options), for a total of 60. Cool. You need to hit at least two buttons, and to DPad up to 17 times (even at the most efficient) in order to actually use them, though.

Collectively, that menu-based play would need at least 6 buttons (Select, Back, DPad), with a minimum of 2 presses to access any skill -- and, on average, probably nearer to an additional number of presses equal to 15-30% the average size of each category's bank of skills, depending on their arrangement relative to likelihood of use in sequence.


In a game where timing matters, though, a single immediately-accessible button can source several actions through those differences in timing.

Tap? Double-tap? Triple-tap? Hold short? Hold long? Hold-then-tap? Those can all be separate actions, even before getting into combos/flows and stance- or status-based conditioning, likewise more common in your more "Action"-based games, or that different skills may have different purposes depending on their relative timing.


Menu-based systems, however you layer their maps/categories and arrange the items within each for maximal efficiency in practice, are basically just a refusal to make use of timing, on the expectation that the system will itself get too bloated/unresponsive to permit timing to matter. But that timing itself is a very, very efficient differentiator, if made use of. As such, I don't really even see any clear advantage to reasonably available action count among menu-based systems, despite their also costing so much else.

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

I think the worst offenders were Knights of the Round from FF7 and Ark from FF9 that were basically like a 2-3 minute cutscene every time they were cast.

FF9 had that nice thing that it plays the full thing when you summon it for the first time or when you score that hidden "Summon Crit"
Most of the time when summoning it, it plays the last few seconds of the animation.

[Hanayumi]

Hey, if they could figure out an FF mmo with something like BDO's combat, id be all over it. BDO still has my favorite action combat style of any mmorpg. But I just dont see that happening, at least from CBU3, theyre too far gone with "Accessibility." If BDO ever added timely rings or simplified/homogenized classes there would be a massive uproar...

[PEANUT]

I'll try and make this as short as possible, but my envision for a future MMO/MMORPG whether it's a Final Fantasy title or a new IP whether from Yoshi or another team at Square or whatever, definitely involves action gameplay and challenge/skill.

Imagine for example the very first FF14 trailer back from 1.0 days https://youtu.be/Vg6yutR3AG0, where the squad of 4 (WAR, ARCH, WHM, BRD) are in that lake area fighting the giant Morbol. Watch that trailer to refresh your memory, that entire fight is so action packed with specific details. The WAR had to draw and keep the Morbol's attention, defending at certain points and finding times to swing his axe. The BRD had to find the right times and aim properly to hit weak points on the Morbol, the WHM was healing and providing powerful shielding when possible, etc. THAT is what I want to see. Monsters and bosses that actually can knock you over taking time to get up, if the tank gets knocked you'll lose aggro and they'll charge other party members, BRDS or MCH or any other ranged would have to actually be able to aim like in FPS's or Overwatch, mage's would have to find appropriate cover and time their spells to assist in battle, protect magic shields can get bashed in and break, BLM spells actually were realistic like ice freezing enemies or being able to light arrows on fire for more damage, all while evading attacks and using strategies depending on the boss/monster etc. That takes a lot of skill, teamwork and challenge, and the most fun about it all is that you would never know who or when someone will mess up or do something incredible to win the fight! I believe that's why games like Overwatch are still super successful with millions playing yeeears after launch because when you jump in a game you never know when someone is gonna be terrible or do something incredible to get the win for your team! There's an air of anticipation and mystery! On top of all that, I wanna see bosses that actually affect terrain, like a cyclops being able to knock over or pick up trees, Morbols being able to infect waters turning the environment to their advantage, and so much more. All of that with real-time updated graphics and physics and improved Ai, would be so immersive and incredible.

Just take a look at this company that's coming out with real-time fire and water physics to add to games, it's mind blowing how fast technology advances! https://youtu.be/B0XsC1LbI8U

[MonsutaMan]

Is it safe to say that the next FF MMO will be an action game?

If XVI was the next Elden Ring or Skyrim, YES!!!!!!!

XVI sold a solid number of units (Let's not kid ourselves), but it is still...."Eh"

However, considered how they wined & dined the masses......

Media: XVI is not the best FF
Also Media: "Proceeds to give it a "Best FF" score.

SE was not looking for "Eh" but "WOW"

Speaking of "WOW" & MMO....Microsoft has the most profitable MMO of all-time under their belt most likely.......

The Next WoW may be a action title. The next FF MMO will probabaly be a mobile title because SE needs a damn win......Forspoken & XVI was not really what they were looking for at this point in time.

There is still time for XVI however......But the mobile market is the biggest gaming market. That is why the XI remake was going to be a mobile title.