Dear SE - What happened?

[Abriael]

Same thing with irises. Walk around in Limsa Lominsa for example and move from inside a building out into the sunlight. Pretty neat effect when you're inside and outside it looks drastically brighter, right? Just like an actual eye works, you've adjusted to the interior lighting and the light from the sun outside is extremely bright relatively speaking. Except that's a hard coded effect in the map (step on the line in the archway leading outside, there is a very specific point when the light suddenly and drastically changes even though you're going almost nowhere). Games have been able to procedurally measure light and make dynamic adjustments since 2005, SE has just taken the easy way out by forcing that effect into the map rather than design the engine so that it works anywhere and in any future circumstances without any hard coded work added into the map itself.

Effects that have to be calculated are normally more hardware-intensive than fixed effects.

That's not really fixable either without major changes to the graphical engine which I highly doubt they're going to change. Disappointing, especially knowing that SE will not be making amends for their laziness either.

They have made plenty amends. I guess for some haters it'll never be enough.

Hate to be that guy... but how about a program where we can send back our games for a refund?.. i bought the collectors edition and can't bring myself to touch it for the last few months.

$70 can buy another nice piece of coral for my tank... and it will look much better than a ffxiv box sitting in my closet.

I'd love to play this game... but i'm not going to waste what little free time i have on something i do not find enjoyable. Maybe in a few months i'd buy the regular (as a journal, key, and crappy helm ingame isn't worth $20). But i already shelled in for an over hyped game that failed to deliver on almost any level.

What about informing yourself about a game before purchasing it? You know, it helps.

They already made a sizable (and unprecedented in the market) monetary investment by waiving monthly fees without making the game fully free2play (and adding a cash shop to generate revenue like in every other F2P MMORPG). Going around demanding refunds is utterly nonsensical.

In any case, if you're not going to waste your precious free time (no one is asking you to) on this game, what are you here for? trolling?

[Blitz0309]

In any case, if you're not going to waste your precious free time (no one is asking you to) on this game, what are you here for? trolling?

Nah, bored at work. And i'd like to see this game succeed... But it hasn't. You asked if them apologizing a lot was enough. I'm saying no.

Its pretty simple really.

And i did "inform" myself about the game, read their site, watching the making of the realm videos. Scoured youtube for game play videos, played the "open beta", read forums etc.. We were led to believe that it was going to be a magical world.. it was an alpha release at launch. Not to mention when a game is capped at 20 in the beta, and you're being told more is going to be in at release you're probably going to be optimistic... which was a waste.

But thats neither here nor there. My point is that they "could" do more than just apologize.

[Abriael]

But thats neither here nor there. My point is that they "could" do more than just apologize.

They have. They're letting us play for free. That's one hell of an apology for a company that (being a company) needs to generate revenue.

If you don't want to waste your "precious free time", and can't take advantage of that, well, it sucks to be you. Most other people around here are enjoying the effect of that "apology".

[SilvertearRen]

They have. They're letting us play for free. That's one hell of an apology for a company that (being a company) needs to generate revenue.

If you don't want to waste your "precious free time", and can't take advantage of that, well, it sucks to be you. Most other people around here are enjoying the effect of that "apology".

As it stands now with no subscription fees, it's like Guild Wars' business model.

[Abriael]

As it stands now with no subscription fees, it's like Guild Wars' business model.

Not completely. Guild wars isn't a full fledged MMORPG. At the moment FFXIV is the only full fledged MMORPG that provides a completely free (albeit temporary) business model.
I would say that's quite an apology, and a convenient one at that.

People that want to play, can play for free (even people that didn't buy the box actually, as finding a friend code is easy as hell, and that's a full fledged account). People that don't want to play at the moment can just leave their account on ice and wait for improvements.

The only ones that don't get a benefit are the haters that are so absolutely convinced that this game sucks and will suck forever, that they cancelled their account out of spite, or that will never look back.
And honestly I don't see how does would deserve any advantage.

[Blitz0309]

They have. They're letting us play for free. That's one hell of an apology for a company that (being a company) needs to generate revenue.

If you don't want to waste your "precious free time", and can't take advantage of that, well, it sucks to be you. Most other people around here are enjoying the effect of that "apology".

It doesn't suck to be me, actually its pretty nice. I'll just play something else. Got a hell of a system to play whatever i want now thanks to this game .

But yes, some of you are enjoying the free time playing... but there are still a lot of people out there with their FF14 DVD's tucked away and forgotten because of the horrible launch and first few months this game had. What sort of compensation are they getting? As they aren't interested in playing. Also, if they were charging... how many people do you think would play? You're pretty much beta testing at the moment so don't go all high and mighty on SE's behalf.

I know its hard to consider, but there are other people in this world. Sadly about 4 of my friends are in that category. One of which is slightly moronic and has said he will never buy another SE product again after 13 and now this... but he's always a little unreasonable.

I don't expect to get my money back, i'm just sort of playing devils advocate here. And having fun doing it, its passing the time at work.

[Abriael]

But yes, some of you are enjoying the free time playing... but there are still a lot of people out there with their FF14 DVD's tucked away and forgotten because of the horrible launch and first few months this game had. What sort of compensation are they getting? As they aren't interested in playing.

A better question would be: what compensation do they deserve?
If they are so close minded that they are determined to never come back to the game whatever improvement comes from SE, then my answer would be "none". It's theyr choice that determines the fact that their money has been wasted.
If they are willing to give SE a chance and come back when and if the game will be better, then they get to keep their account active with the ability to come and go whenever they want without having to deal with payments and reactivations, to check the status of the game. That's quite some compensation, that people that bought other MMORPGs don't get.

Also, if they were charging... how many people do you think would play? You're pretty much beta testing at the moment so don't go all high and mighty on SE's behalf.

Not really. I'm not beta testing, as I will get to keep all the character progression I'm earning during this phase, giving me an advantage when the game will be running at full regime.

You aren't being very effective as a devil's advocate

[Blitz0309]

A better question would be: what compensation do they deserve?
If they are so close minded that they are determined to never come back to the game whatever improvement comes from SE, then my answer would be "none". It's theyr choice that determines the fact that their money has been wasted.
If they are willing to give SE a chance and come back when and if the game will be better, then they get to keep their account active with the ability to come and go whenever they want without having to deal with payments and reactivations, to check the status of the game. That's quite some compensation, that people that bought other MMORPGs don't get.



Not really. I'm not beta testing, as I will get to keep all the character progression I'm earning during this phase, giving me an advantage when the game will be running at full regime.

You aren't being very effective as a devil's advocate

Well since by your argument SE is giving you $12/monthly in service since launch (to negate you paying them), i would think they could at least cover the cost of the game if they wanted to return it . It might save face with some people, but most will just move on anyways. I know i'll try ffxiv again, i'm just waiting for the "major overhauls and the classes to become unique".

Truthfully even if they offered a return program i wouldn't return the game. I'm hopeful it will get better, not to mention the money i spent on it is out of my mind as far as finances go. :P

Though really i'm hoping for a complete overhaul and a player wipe. I know they are going to try to avoid it, but if the game changes too fundamentally they just might have to do it. And really i think for it to be enjoyable for me thats what it would take sadly. I just don't like the whole armory system with job and physical levels.

[Xatsh]

Well since by your argument SE is giving you $12/monthly in service since launch (to negate you paying them), i would think they could at least cover the cost of the game if they wanted to return it . It might save face with some people, but most will just move on anyways. I know i'll try ffxiv again, i'm just waiting for the "major overhauls and the classes to become unique".

Truthfully even if they offered a return program i wouldn't return the game. I'm hopeful it will get better, not to mention the money i spent on it is out of my mind as far as finances go. :P

Though really i'm hoping for a complete overhaul and a player wipe. I know they are going to try to avoid it, but if the game changes too fundamentally they just might have to do it. And really i think for it to be enjoyable for me thats what it would take sadly. I just don't like the whole armory system with job and physical levels.

How does a player wipe help anything, all that would do is outrage the existing playerbase and cause the majority of them to quit. And it does not help the new comers to the game at all.

And Yoshi said he will not do a wipe and if they did change things drastically he would let us keep our progression in another way.

I do not care how they do it, if my Mar is rank 50 and they change everything let me be a cap level class of my choice. That would be the only way I would take a wipe.

[Abriael]

Though really i'm hoping for a complete overhaul and a player wipe. I know they are going to try to avoid it, but if the game changes too fundamentally they just might have to do it. And really i think for it to be enjoyable for me thats what it would take sadly. I just don't like the whole armory system with job and physical levels.

You will hope for a long, long time (think eternity). Wiping after five months of release is an absolutely surefire way to wipe their customerbase, as 99% of the players would quit without looking back.
if there's one single element that keeps people playing an MMORPG (any MMORPG) more than anything else is the desire not to waste the past efforts and results. Take that away -> Kill the game.

if you don't like the very base upon which the whole game stands upon (the armoury system), you may as well give up and look into other games nearer to your playstyle. It will be tweaked, some unique/restricted abilities will be added and the physical levels might be removed, but the system is not going to go away. You can bet your whole yearly income on that. Tell'em your local brooker told you, and that's a surefire bet.