To save SE, they most play to their strength...

[EinSof]

edit: Title is supposed to be "they mUst play to their strength..." sorry for typo.


SE apparently for nearly a decade can only make games with above average graphics. Gameplay in SE games has been extremely uninspired and archaic, ffxiv being no exception. If SE wanted to save their reputation, their fanbase, and their supposed standard for quality they need to scrap FFXIV, refund all accounts, and give each registered ffxiv user a coupon for their next mmo for free.

The next MMO since SE can't seem to develop new or exciting gameplay (I havent played it but I KNOW auto attack will be fail) should be FFXI with updated graphics, FFXI-2, set maybe 100 years after FFXI. It would be familiar to all of us, and 100 years is enough time between games for there to be some creativity. Using FFXI as a benchmark and launching with airships, chocobos, a mail system, and things that have been standard in MMOs since everquest will go a long way in quelling our disappointment.

I am as sad as everyone here, as this game's 1-year anniversary is in two months and we have seen next to nothing in terms of actual content, or developing the FF "feel". Yeah, it's not laggy, and yeah, we can search items in a clunky market system...but the game is toast. It really is, and it is my conclusion that if SE was smart they would scrap it and spend their money on something the fans want...just look at innovative MMOs around the corner, GW2, TERA, to name a couple. How will FFXIV hold a candle to these? I don't see it happening...this is a bottomless pit and it was a gigantic mistake.

[Wolfie]

No, SE needs to STOP playing to their strength, when their "strength" leads to such bad games. FF13 and 14 are visually stunning, the story (or what little there is in 14) is good, character personality and design is good, but nobody cares because the gameplay is so bad. SE needs to fix their problem of using outdated gameplay mechanics and features and get with the times.

[Seraphita]

No, SE needs to STOP playing to their strength, when their "strength" leads to such bad games. FF13 and 14 are visually stunning, the story (or what little there is in 14) is good, character personality and design is good, but nobody cares because the gameplay is so bad. SE needs to fix their problem of using outdated gameplay mechanics and features and get with the times.

I feel the same as the OP.

But why would SE need to get with the times? thats their problem....
Graphics > Gameplay seems to be their motto these days.

SE was made famous from games with shitty graphics that had great stories and gameplay.
What the hell is the point of a game that looks good if no one wants to play it cause its a piece of shit?

[Wolfie]

I feel the same as the OP.

But why would SE need to get with the times? thats their problem....
Graphics > Gameplay seems to be their motto these days.

SE was made famous from games with shitty graphics that had great stories and gameplay.
What the hell is the point of a game that looks good if no one wants to play it cause its a piece of shit?

First, gameplay has evolved right alongside graphics. There are tons of things that people expect out of games today that didn't exist or was uncommon a decade ago: voice chat, dedicated servers, engaging and fast paced action, non-linear gameplay (FF13 was a hallway simulator), lots of customization options in terms of characters and UI and whatever, etc.

Second, SE has been famous for having graphically stunning games since the PS1 era. They ALSO had great gameplay back then too, but their gameplay model has remained virtually unchanged since the PS1. It still kinda worked with the PS2 generation, but they're flopping hard with this generation.

[Seraphita]

First, gameplay has evolved right alongside graphics. There are tons of things that people expect out of games today that didn't exist or was uncommon a decade ago: voice chat, dedicated servers, engaging and fast paced action, non-linear gameplay (FF13 was a hallway simulator), lots of customization options in terms of characters and UI and whatever, etc.

Second, SE has been famous for having graphically stunning games since the PS1 era. They ALSO had great gameplay back then too, but their gameplay model has remained virtually unchanged since the PS1. It still kinda worked with the PS2 generation, but they're flopping hard with this generation.

please explain to me where is this game there is anything that remotely resembles voice chat, engaging and fast paced action, and non-linear gameplay? Sure those things exist in other games they released, maybe 1 of them in each game. But none exist in this particular game.

[_C-a-e-r-i-t-h_]

please explain to me where is this game there is anything that remotely resembles voice chat, engaging and fast paced action, and non-linear gameplay? Sure those things exist in other games they released, maybe 1 of them in each game. But none exist in this particular game.

FFXIV has non-linear gameplay but that's just as a result of being an MMO. All MMOs are sandboxes; this one just doesn't have anything to do in its sandbox.

[Wolfie]

please explain to me where is this game there is anything that remotely resembles voice chat, engaging and fast paced action, and non-linear gameplay? Sure those things exist in other games they released, maybe 1 of them in each game. But none exist in this particular game.

That's... my point? FFXIV's gameplay is a step back from what MMOs have achieved this last decade. It's even a step back from FFXI.

[Anty]

I feel the same as the OP.

But why would SE need to get with the times? thats their problem....
Graphics > Gameplay seems to be their motto these days.

SE was made famous from games with shitty graphics that had great stories and gameplay.
What the hell is the point of a game that looks good if no one wants to play it cause its a piece of shit?

you can do both and should do both ... other companies do this , some of them or most of them are a lot smaller then SE is. And have far less money, but they still manage

[_C-a-e-r-i-t-h_]

First, gameplay has evolved right alongside graphics. There are tons of things that people expect out of games today that didn't exist or was uncommon a decade ago: voice chat, dedicated servers, engaging and fast paced action, non-linear gameplay (FF13 was a hallway simulator), lots of customization options in terms of characters and UI and whatever, etc.

Second, SE has been famous for having graphically stunning games since the PS1 era. They ALSO had great gameplay back then too, but their gameplay model has remained virtually unchanged since the PS1. It still kinda worked with the PS2 generation, but they're flopping hard with this generation.

Agreed. S-E has always been known not just for gameplay but for their graphical prowess. Even in the SNES days, FF6 looked pretty damn good. It's really only in the last ten years that they've fallen from grace.

you can do both and should do both ... other companies do this , some of them or most of them are a lot smaller then SE is. And have far less money, but they still manage

I think you're on to something. A lot of other companies also do it faster. S-E lately has been plagued by schedule slip and development bloat.

Let's look for a second at the biggest disappointment of this generation: Duke Nukem Forever. 15 years of development and generally accepted as a terrible, terrible game.

FFXIII was in development for 5 years. I'm not going to express an opinion on it but let's just say that it's not exactly popular.

FFXIV was also in development for 5 years, but it doesn't look like a game with 5 years worth of development in it. There are theories about why this is. The bottom line though is that S-E doesn't know how time management works.

That's not exactly fatal for a game developer. I mean, Valve put the Valve in "Valve Time" for good reason, but then again they're a privately-owned company with a money-making machine: they can afford to waste time.

Runic put everyone to shame a few years ago when they pulled an all-nighter and made Torchlight. Seriously, tiny company + red bull + a few months = money. They only made that game so they could get some cash in their pockets to fund the game they really want to make.

S-E is huge. I read somewhere that they have like 300 people working on FFXIV. So what the hell are they doing? S-E is simply horribly mismanaged.

It's not that S-E has made a conscious choice to make their games look good but play like hell. Their games don't look that good (exhibit A: clipping through your hat). It's not that they want FFXIV to suck. It's that they can't help it under current leadership.

[Seraphita]

Agreed. S-E has always been known not just for gameplay but for their graphical prowess. Even in the SNES days, FF6 looked pretty damn good. It's really only in the last ten years that they've fallen from grace.



I think you're on to something. A lot of other companies also do it faster. S-E lately has been plagued by schedule slip and development bloat.

Let's look for a second at the biggest disappointment of this generation: Duke Nukem Forever. 15 years of development and generally accepted as a terrible, terrible game.

FFXIII was in development for 5 years. I'm not going to express an opinion on it but let's just say that it's not exactly popular.

FFXIV was also in development for 5 years, but it doesn't look like a game with 5 years worth of development in it. There are theories about why this is. The bottom line though is that S-E doesn't know how time management works.

That's not exactly fatal for a game developer. I mean, Valve put the Valve in "Valve Time" for good reason, but then again they're a privately-owned company with a money-making machine: they can afford to waste time.

Runic put everyone to shame a few years ago when they pulled an all-nighter and made Torchlight. Seriously, tiny company + red bull + a few months = money. They only made that game so they could get some cash in their pockets to fund the game they really want to make.

S-E is huge. I read somewhere that they have like 300 people working on FFXIV. So what the hell are they doing? S-E is simply horribly mismanaged.

It's not that S-E has made a conscious choice to make their games look good but play like hell. Their games don't look that good (exhibit A: clipping through your hat). It's not that they want FFXIV to suck. It's that they can't help it under current leadership.

I agree wholeheartedly with you, their time management skills have slipped out the window, slammed onto the sidewalk and rolled into the sewer. 5 years to put out console games is REDICULOUS! especially after announcing release dates and pushing them back like 10 times.