Is having an Official Forums good for FFXIV?

[Bigglesworth]

I can see peoples points about the forums being a communication device between the player base. I do like that idea. And I do suspect that Brucey is right in regards to how the developement team looks at specific feedback and ideas coming from these forums, but regardless. These forums do have moderators, and those moderators are in Yoshi's ear, so whether they admit to it or not, or if the act or not on ideas, these forums place the player's voice directly in SE's proverbial ear. That "voice" whether intended or not does influence decision whatever level that may be.

The danger I see is player base's likes and opinions are constantly changing. Is the direction of the game based on the changing MMO's players mood, or is based on experienced MMO professionals who have a precise gameplan layed out for how this game will be developed. I for one like auto-attack, but at the same time, my curiosity would of liked to see how Tanaka's plan would of played out if it had not been torpedo'd by a combination of a game released too early, and poor poll results by the player base.

[BruceyBruceyBangBang]

I can see peoples points about the forums being a communication device between the player base. I do like that idea. And I do suspect that Brucey is right in regards to how the developement team looks at specific feedback and ideas coming from these forums, but regardless. These forums do have moderators, and those moderators are in Yoshi's ear, so whether they admit to it or not, or if the act or not on ideas, these forums place the player's voice directly in SE's proverbial ear. That "voice" whether intended or not does influence decision whatever level that may be.

Oh yes. Absolutely. I think what I was trying to say is the influence is less than the community thinks it is. Which, I feel, isn't a bad thing. However, it is a safe assumption that if several different members are loud enough on a certain subject it can be changed. Not to be confused with threads that are loud, but have only a few people doing all the pages of screaming.

I know one thing, having these forums is better than doing what was done at the start of the development team's shift and that was player polls. Some systems need a lot of dissecting and maybe player's opinions are defined by ignorance. These forums allow people to see things in the ways others do and it has the potential of teaching you the other side of things. The other side of where you see the game now and where it's going.

[darkstarpoet1]

The danger I see is player base's likes and opinions are constantly changing. Is the direction of the game based on the changing MMO's players mood, or is based on experienced MMO professionals who have a precise gameplan layed out for how this game will be developed. I for one like auto-attack, but at the same time, my curiosity would of liked to see how Tanaka's plan would of played out if it had not been torpedo'd by a combination of a game released too early, and poor poll results by the player base.

i don't think it's really the opinion of the player constantly changing. you just see new faces each time a change is made and it was something they liked. the ones that are enjoying the game don't come in to say anything bad. i, personally, rarely visited the forums at all until i heard about the upcoming battle changes. i came on the forums then to defend the system as it was(although it did still need work), but by then the decision was made because of the constant complaints in the forums by people that didn't like it.

if the poll had asked directly any question about whether or not people wanted auto attack and the majority voted for it i would have supported the move and if people had voted to have the old system worked on to make it better i would have supported that way. the old battle system failed, in my opinion, because the game was released in a half completed state and everything was not ready to be put out to the public. this blame goes directly to the head honcho's that decided they wanted to release it then and work while it was out.

the thing was the poll asked about drastic changes(not auto attack) and almost everyone, including me, voted we wanted it. yes, i wanted drastic changes. i wanted to do more than constant crab parties and having very little story line. i wanted a vast story with many available side quests like every other final fantasy game that was released to date.