Technology in FFXIV + Visual Style

[Onidemon]

Does anyone else feel like the medieval theme has been milked way too much in mmos? doesn't anyone else feel like something new and refreshing?

I know the empire in FFXIV has technology but we have yet to see that technology and how it will shape the world. I personally LOVED FFX and FFXII's blend of Advanced Technology and Fantasy. It was the perfect match and i hoped FFXIV would do the same. I have to say i was rather disappointed that they decided to go with the same them and style as FFXI.

There is still a lot of areas sealed off and we haven't seen enough of the empire yet so maybe theres still a chance that we will get a high-tech city or something.


Visual Style

Am i the only one to see how FFXIV went in a different direction then it's art work? Not only that but FFXIV doesn't even look half as cool as the other stuff Akihiko Yoshida did before. Everything looks overly simplified, boring and is lacking color and life.


Adventurer's guild from FFXIV's artwork

http://users.telenet.be/kerlesh/Aoshi/FFXIV banner.jpg


In game adventurer's guild

http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/...1285540140.jpg

Compare the character's clothing in both pics, look how detailed, beautiful and colorful they are in the artwork and look at the in-game screenshot how everything just look SAD. Everything is either black or brown or beige..... no vibrant colors, no life and everything seems to lack detail.. it's just plain and simple.


Gridania artwork

http://ffxivonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/gridania.jpg Simply beautiful


Gridania in-game

http://www.ffxivorigin.com/content/attachments/227d1282007650-gridania1-jpg/

Like everything else in the game... it's lacking life. Where's those huts we see in the arwork, built in those big trees. Where's those huge 1000 years trees? Those beautiful lights guiding your path?

when comparing the ingame screenshot to the artwork it looks like they didnt have enough time to finish the main building... the 2nd and 3rd floor are missing. It's also missing lights, decor and paint...


Can we realistically hope all this will be fixed? I would love for FFXIV to turn more like it's artwork. To me it seems that they didn't understand Yoshida's art and couldn't reproduce it or they just lacked the time to do it? I hope one day we will see Eorzea come to life and maybe have a world resembling FFX and FFXII's worlds.