New Alpha Video

[Skies]

I'd like to note the load times. They are super fast considering I expected more common mmo loads like gw2 or ffxi

They did mention before on an interview that the game starts pre-loading the next zone when you start approaching the zoneline, so that when you hit it it already has a portion of it on memory and it thus reduces loading time. (which means that hanging by the zoneline is a BAD IDEA because it doubles your memory usage)

[Felis]

Also though the music is nice, I think they could do a bit better with it and please se don't leave those big blue dots in a line to show us zone lines

Why not? The FF XII zone makers are nice.
Or do you want them in circles? ^^

[Elexia]

They did mention before on an interview that the game starts pre-loading the next zone when you start approaching the zoneline, so that when you hit it it already has a portion of it on memory and it thus reduces loading time. (which means that hanging by the zoneline is a BAD IDEA because it doubles your memory usage)

So it's basically what XI does. The client will start loading the zone before you actually zone then it will load the serverside things in tandem. XI had pretty fast load times, especially on the PC if you had a good processor (given the PS2 Port nature of it.)

[Zantetsuken]

Notice that the zone transition cuts out that whole tunnel you used to have to run through?

With zone loading this fast, and zones that strategically allow us to skip previously long walks, navigating the cities will be a breeze~

I'd like to see what things look like at night..

[axemtitanium]

The aetherythe crystal is right next to the Adventurer's guild! Huzzah!

Also, isn't Gridania supposed to be destroyed? Did they just reconstruct it with the exact same layout or something?

[Zantetsuken]

Not grid, just the black shroud around it...

I guess Grid suffered some collateral damage and had to be rebuilt a bit as well.


I'm starting to wonder if Ul'dah is going to be the most changed now...

[Tonkra]

The lack of animation looks terrible here -_- http://youtu.be/AQb_t5zkfoY?t=1m10s

i think that looks so normal to me..

the current "stopping animation" at EACH movement is just so overdone.. unrealistic and play unfluent.

or are you doing 1-2 steps after you stopped already moving in real life? i do personally not..



other topic. it looks great and so much more lively. but what i still miss is.. that no npc is walking around or something. there will be no difference between day and night. the children will be standing on these wood pillars all day long 24/7. which i think is a slight disappointment.

it would be so much more great if the npcs would have a real day rythm or something (not all but at least some of them), to make it even more lively.

what do you think?

Notice that the zone transition cuts out that whole tunnel you used to have to run through?

i loved it. it was kinda visualized like in Final Fantasy 12 with these blue dots "oh see there is coming an other zone" just so great that little detail

they took it from FF12^^ i mean

this

[Arcell]

I am personally DYYINNNNNNNGGGGGG to see LL! D: My beloved city over the water couldn't have faired to well ; ; Please SE show us LL before I *starts to choke on her own blood*

If you love Limsa, wait for them to show it. If we play through Grid the entire beta then people will hate the crap out of it, just like how people currently hate Limsa for the 1.0 beta.

On topic though:

The game looks absolutely gorgeous IMO.
Lack of animations is whatever, it's alpha and if this community complains enough about anything they'll probably add it.
New music is amazing

[Felis]

My problem about camera control for now is that the char rotates with the camera, even if he stand still. During running or walking, ok. But not during standing. It is as if the world rotate under him.

[Delsus]

Not grid, just the black shroud around it...

I guess Grid suffered some collateral damage and had to be rebuilt a bit as well.


I'm starting to wonder if Ul'dah is going to be the most changed now...

They said awhile ago the cities will largely remain the same, but now it seems they are moving things around and putting zonelines in to make running through town faster.

The zone line markers are brilliant I loved them on FFXII, and I love them now. Aetherite is finally in a convenient location and the delivery moogle is where the Aetherite is in 1.0, decent location for it, kind of out the way but somewhere easily accessible.

The water looks awesome, and I'm sure the lancer's guild looks a lot more epic than now. The animations are fine the way I see it, not over the top, and not too little.

If I have to say something bad, it would have to be the path the Miqo'te jumps off seems a little high for jumping, it's at least 2x the height of her, but it's nothing game breaking (and if that was based on height, lalafell would not be able to jump of anything bigger than a Chigoe's dead body).