In Favor of the Stamina Bar

[Claire]

Today, after a short-lived coma in the realm of Eorzea, no less induced by the very topic of this post, I was perusing the Lodestone when I came across the Auto-Attack video that riveted my soul. And I should inform you that this is in the most negative sense imaginable.

Before I carry on with this post, I deem it necessary to define the word stamina.

stamina: The ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort.

I like to believe this sort of exertion and refining of the mind is what the stamina bar brought to Final Fantasy XIV.

Needless to say, I have become very livid upon hearing that the beloved stamina mechanics are being removed. To me, I felt like it really kept the battle at an intense pace, but not at a pace where it felt like everything was falling out of my control and I was being thrown into a slaughterhouse of the most callous kind.

Square Enix was no fool when they decided to implement Guild Mark Traits such as Muscle Memory and Mind Over Matter (naturally, these were among the top of my priorities to obtain), for this is precisely what the stamina bar engages our bodies and minds in.

Why just the other day, I was out in Thanalan attempting to recover my limbs from atrophy, when I was ambushed by a stray pack of rabid Dodos. Withdrawing my sword, that signature bell chimed (the one that plays each time you open the forsaken action bar) and henceforth thrust my stance into one of pure adrenaline-rushed battle. Despite (or at the very least what I thought) to be the unremitting weakness of my state, I can claim with utmost assurance that the stamina bar did indeed play a significant part in my convalescence as I mercilessly laid these unfortunate Dodos to a defamatory waste.

Tell me, how can one stimulate oneself so mentally and physically when the game does all the fighting for you?! No doubt I would still be bedridden (perhaps for life) had it not been for the beauty of what I believe to be our departing, lifesaving Stamina Bar.

It is a terrible mistake, an appalling misdemeanor, to throw our salvational stamina to the wind. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it blew right back. Even though the stamina bar may have been the cause of my coma, it was inarguably and ironically what led me to a full recovery.

And for that, I owe it my life.

[Skeloton]

IMO it should of just been an ATB bar and had combat similar to FF12,

[Rentahamster]

It sounds like you want to keep stamina because of its role in your immersion and role-playing ability. However, it is not a good gameplay mechanic.

Good gameplay needs to be prioritized over immersion.

[Skeloton]

yeah, you think lol I know i missed the point

[Kiara]

Hi Claire,

I cannot ascertain if your original post is meant to be Jonathan Swift-ian in tone - a la "A Modest Proposal" - because if it is, first, I applaud you for taking the time to skewer the Stamina Bar, but I also fear your efforts will be mostly lost here.

Or conversely, if you're truly in favor of a Stamina Bar, I respect your opinion, but I, for one, am glad to see it go.

Nice writing.

[Physic]

It sounds like you want to keep stamina because of its role in your immersion and role-playing ability. However, it is not a good gameplay mechanic.

Good gameplay needs to be prioritized over immersion.

i disagree. I believe it was a good gameplay mechanic, although there were a couple of skills that could have been tweaked, but doesnt matter its going away regardless.

[Kailok]

It could have worked if abilities didn't also have timers on them. Timers with stamina bar stacked on top doesn't = a good experience. All it did was preventing you to do your best.

[SuzakuCMX]

It slows combat down. Once you get to 0 Stamina you just sit there and wait for it to go to full or spam a spell whenever it regens enough stamina. For a lot of the lower cost spells it didn't even make a difference, but for high cost spells it was frustrating/boring.

[Shikaree]

I didn't like how once you started your first moves, you were scraping the bottom of your bar for the next attack. Add in the fact that a basic attack cost the same in stamina as a special move, really wtf?

Then there's the part of "oh, well just wait for the bar to build back up instead of spamming everything". This promotes a game style that's far too slow for today's market.

[Jynx]

Not sure if serious....