This game is just way to hard...

[Amberion]

You're ignoring the glacially slow pace of the XI combat system and complete lack of skill involved. Melee literally just waited until 100% TP and then popped one weaponskill. Rinse and repeat. Mages often had just a couple of spells to cast.

Then you where not around when people set up lvl.3 skillchains with 3+ people.

It was just after ToAU that it started to become the norm to just use it when ready. And that is because more people where able to get haste gear. Before that was only the norm in burn parties.

[Lemuria]

Then you where not around when people set up lvl.3 skillchains with 3+ people.

It was just after ToAU that it started to become the norm to just use it when ready. And that is because more people where able to get haste gear. Before that was only the norm in burn parties.

You forgot to mention timing Ancient Magic to coincide with said skillchain! And SATA, which required careful positioning to even execute! Ahh, nostalgia. But indeed, those were the days where skill was more of a requirement in battle rather than mashing keys.

As for those using the whole 'memory game' argument, I would like to point out that this is a video game. Everything is formulaic in video games, it matters not whether you're playing World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIII or Call of Duty. You can easily memorize the way enemies move, and how best to avoid them or their attacks. True "randomness" doesn't exist in computers yet, it's all following a set guideline and any indication of randomness is just a cleverly concealed set of rules. If you want a truly dynamic experience, play against other players or wait for Final Fantasy XXIV Quantum Edition. Please look forward to it

[Raenryong]

You forgot to mention timing Ancient Magic to coincide with said skillchain! And SATA, which required careful positioning to even execute! Ahh, nostalgia. But indeed, those were the days where skill was more of a requirement in battle rather than mashing keys.

Skill was not required in FFXI. As far as combat goes, it likely has/had the easiest and simplest combat system in any MMO. Timing Ancient Magic wasn't hard, and SATA just required you to be able to move behind a mob every 50-60s or move behind a party member every 50-60s. Not hard in the slightest.

I can guarantee that despite your claims of this game being just "mashing keys", you won't be optimal.

EDIT: Maybe you're being sarcastic? I'm not sure - people argue that FFXI was skilful so often... apologies if you are!

[Lemuria]

I can guarantee that despite your claims of this game being just "mashing keys", you won't be optimal.

Of course not, this game does require some thought behind your actions. You have skill rotations, you need to move to avoid AoE and each player has a role to fulfil. The 'mashing keys' was a reference to the current FFXI where skill has been replaced with 100% TP spam with little to no regard for aggro or any kind of special combat mechanics. Even most bosses barely require much of a strategy beyond 'hit it harder', though they did add some nice ones which swap between absorbing physical and magical damage during the fight.

As for SATA, it did genuinely require a degree of teamwork. Monks would provoke mobs to pull aggro from the Ninja tank while the Thief SATA'd Viper Bite or better and the Black Mage used a magic burst. There's literally no such teamwork in modern FFXI battles, certainly not XP fights, and I daresay there isn't even anything on that level in FFXIV either. So to say it doesn't require skill to get the timing of that down only implies that everything since requires even less.

[Doo]

So to say it doesn't require skill to get the timing of that down only implies that everything since requires even less.

Pre abyssea battle was slow for sure but it was way more diverse and complex than FFXIV. This games difficulty is mainly due to cheap gimmicks.

[Raenryong]

Pre abyssea battle was slow for sure but it was way more diverse and complex than FFXIV. This games difficulty is mainly due to cheap gimmicks.

Give me an example of complexity. Skillchains are not complex.

A standard rotation on any of the DPS classes contains more variation and skill than anything in FFXI.

[Amberion]

Give me an example of complexity. Skillchains are not complex.

A standard rotation on any of the DPS classes contains more variation and skill than anything in FFXI.

You know, I have to ask. What do you consider skillful? Since we obviously have different opinion on that.

As for complexity of skillchains. Let's see, you had element of of each weapon skill, which in turn creates an effect "skillchain" of 1 or more elements. Then the mob in question has 1 or 2 weak and strong elements that you should take into account. Add to that then the MB that needed to hit within 3 sec I think it was.

How is a DPS class rotation in this game more complex then that?

[Doo]

A standard rotation on any of the DPS classes contains more variation and skill than anything in FFXI.

You never deviate from your standard rotation much. Skillchains you have to figure out what elemental weakness the mob has and know what element your dds skillchain creates to burst for more damage. Rotations is a solo deal while skillchains can involve your entire party so timing is needed between your party members. Spamming the same rotation over and over isn't complex. The skillful part of FFXIV comes from the terrible dodging mechanics, the bad camera angles, and gimmicks. What do you think players have the most trouble with in this game? Dodging why is that? Even though they have done the fight many times before over and over.

[Raenryong]

Then you where not around when people set up lvl.3 skillchains with 3+ people.

It was just after ToAU that it started to become the norm to just use it when ready. And that is because more people where able to get haste gear. Before that was only the norm in burn parties.

I was, and it was even slower and less skilful then.

[Lemuria]

I was, and it was even slower and less skilful then.

I didn't think it got any less skillful than pressing autoattack and mashing your weaponskill macro when you get 100% TP. Let's be honest, in FFXI you don't even need to move unless you're a Thief.