Did squenix make a mistake by investing too much in graphics and not enough in

[Rau]

IMO SE made two big mistakes:

1. Trying to reinvent the wheel. Getting rid of standard features of an MMO in the name of being different.
2. Releasing the game prematurely (probably hoping to steal some sales from Cataclysm). Retail was essentially the same thing as Beta minus level cap. Another year under Tanaka, I'd like to think we wouldn't have a number of the problems were having now.


Then again, we'd probably still have fatigue...

[MrLion]

IMO SE made two big mistakes:

1. Trying to reinvent the wheel. Getting rid of standard features of an MMO in the name of being different.
2. Releasing the game prematurely (probably hoping to steal some sales from Cataclysm). Retail was essentially the same thing as Beta minus level cap. Another year under Tanaka, I'd like to think we wouldn't have a number of the problems were having now.


Then again, we'd probably still have fatigue...

This...

Although I don't understand why they were scared of Cataclysm (other than the world being shattered) if WoW lost 900,000 subscribers from when it was released till now...

[Vesper]

IMO SE made two big mistakes:

1. Trying to reinvent the wheel. Getting rid of standard features of an MMO in the name of being different.
2. Releasing the game prematurely (probably hoping to steal some sales from Cataclysm). Retail was essentially the same thing as Beta minus level cap. Another year under Tanaka, I'd like to think we wouldn't have a number of the problems were having now.

Pretty much this

[Rydin]

IMO SE made two big mistakes:
1. Trying to reinvent the wheel. Getting rid of standard features of an MMO in the name of being different.

Fuck the wheel... every game that we consider INCREDIBLE reinvented the wheel....
Games like Myst, that challenged the notion that every game had to be 2D side scrolling
FFIV's attack Time battle (ATB) guage (Thank you Akihiko Matsui) when every other MMO was turn based
When Grand theft auto started letting you get out of the car
FFVII with 3D environments....MMO's aren't even old enough to have a wheel....
Every other Genre evolves... the latest Mario games don't even remotely resemble the original mario brothers... but they are no more or less groundbreaking
Different doesn't mean bad....
Or else every game out would be Pac Man or Pong....
Shoot the wheel... blow it up...

the real issue is:

2. Releasing the game prematurely (probably hoping to steal some sales from Cataclysm). Retail was essentially the same thing as Beta minus level cap. Another year under Tanaka, I'd like to think we wouldn't have a number of the problems were having now.

I don't know about cataclysm... I don't know what was going through SE's heads... but yea, they rushed it... You can reinvent the wheel if you take your time and do it correctly....
FFXIV doesn't need the standard MMO party search or auction house...
BUT..
It does need a way to find parties and buy and sell goods that works efficiently, and naturally... I don't care if it's a new system or a recycled one... I just want them to work...
Just because MMO's have always done it one way doesn't mean thats the only way...
And just because SE failed at bringing change doesn't mean change is bad....

Know this: FFXIV's shortcomings were due to a rushed release... end of discussion