Thread: What 1.0 Did Better...

Originally Posted by QiLymePye

the staleness of your characters look and abilities compared with everyone else playing the same class is copy and pasted. I don't understand having, for example, an optimal way to play each class. You line up 100 people of the same class at the same ILVL about 95 of them will have the same build, same weapons, same rotation. Thats stupid. Thats boring.

That is a side-effect of having BiS gear that isn't crafted. No game does it better, and few games differ how they present it. Many games, including popular games, the crafting is boring busywork just go get BiS gear.

Originally Posted by QiLymePye

Stuff

At least I have the choice whether or not I want to run that same stupid fate or wear the same style of gear. I can ignore the fate and do something else, glamour over my gear, and as far as skill rotations go (which there are none for healers, WHM is my main) that doesn't matter to me because the mechanics of each fight are different. For the most part, I have the choice between doing X repetitive thing or doing Y other fun thing, but if I have to travel through some dumb huge map that has the same tree copy and pasted 8 trillion times before I ever get to my destination, then that's when I get annoyed.

In nearly every game there's going to be an optimal rotation and BiS gear that everyone is going to wear.

Kinda off topic, but: FFXIV and ESO are not built the same way. Sure you can swap weapons and abilities but you can't in combat because that's not how the game was meant to be played. Duty roulettes would be hell if the healer just decided to switch to a DPS class and the other 3 party members didn't have a healing class leveled up enough to replace their lost healer. I've hardly touched ESO (tried the beta, hated it) but I'm sure there are aspects of it you would rather be changed, but they won't be because that's how the game was built/meant to be played.

True, that i can agree with Shamo. The problem I have though with FF compared to ESO is that amount of freedom they give the player in ESO. Mechanics in fights are different in ESO also, but also, the AI behind those mechanics is better than FF. I also have a problem with FF changing what their jobs/classes do from previous versions of FF. And yes , every game is going to have an optimal rotation/BiS gear, but the gear should be based on how you upgraded you class. For example, in FF, if you are a BLM you have a BIS for that class no matter how you play, and actually playing a different style than the BiS gear is frowned upon. Now in EOS, I can have a mage and build him the standard way of increased Magic, Magic Dmg, etc. and have gear for that, but I can also say, "hey, I wanna last in a fight and not get killed in two hit but still be a mage..I know...I will equip heavy armor while still using staff, get armor and hp bonus instead". Boom, Battlemage style is born. My Battlemage will still have access to all the magic abilities that my mage had, but I determine what my rotation is. Its up to me to find the rotation thats not just the best for the content, but whats best for MY playstyle. I can also switch weapons and gear in and outside of battle, in and outside of dungeons. This game confines you to play for the optimal build, optimal gear, etc. all based on what SE wants you to play and have. IMO, thats no better than being a single player game.

MMO are supposed to have the player feel like they can have an impact on the world through their actions and decisions, not follow a linear path together as a group. And about decisions, ESO gives you quest where you have to make decisions that change the story and the area in which you play. "Do I save this town at the expense of others? Or do I let the die to save my comrads." Thats story telling. Thats freedom. Thats an MMO. Now because I let residents vengeful spirits die, is safe for the living to travel through town. But if I saved their souls from eternity of suffering, the living can't pass through without danger. Said danger: fighting monsters and ghost, etc. Thats why I'm so frustrated with FF. The world is not engaging unless you are doing a quest or a fate, maybe a hunt. Theres no danger from traveling from one town to the next, hell, you don't have to. I want to ride in ESO because the game world is huge and full of life. In this game I feel like my character is just along for the ride, I have no control over any part of the story or sidequest stories. Only choice is to do them or not.

Finally, I you to check out ESO. It has flaws. No doubt. But I look at the game as their first MMO they have ever done compared to SE doing FFXI and having, what, at least 10yrs experience with the genre. Im excited that ESO is as good as it is, while I expected more from FF. I honestly think SE is being too cautious. I think they can let off of the brakes a bit, do something a little more radical than changing the way a job plays 2yrs after release. Give us better AI. Im sorry, people saying they don't want boss mechanics to be random is stupid. How can you sit here and tell me that you are that beast (not you personally, just these *cough*endgamers/raiders) that you are good and telling people to get good, but you are going online to memorize a bosses attacks and timing because it's scripted and doesn't change from fight to fight, but say SE shouldn't add that because it might be too diffivult for players. What?! Im sorry, did you just say somthing along the lines of "Teacher, I went and found the exact test you are giving later this week online, I know exactly what the answers are, in the exact order they are to appear so when you are giving the test, can you please not change the order of questions or make it random as to which questions appear on the test and which ones aren't? I wanna be known as the best. Lol...this game is showing me why I have little faith in the ability of people to problem solve and adapt. End rant...at least for today.