It's Time To Wake up

[Aegrus]

This game is pretty. No one will dispute that.

This game also has problems.

Skill bloat is one, one that will have to be addressed next expansion at the latest.

Skill delay, hidden by GCDs but painfully obvious when dealing with multiple Off-GCD abilities due to server side confirmation that even on the best connections you experience a .1-.2 sec delay(50-100 ping to and back to client) due to server confirmation of both press and activation. (See new bard mix of casts+oGCD or ninja mudra lag).

Job distinction. The class system was a nice throwback to 1.0, but now its just a meaningless restriction to new players. Wanna make a physical DPS? You HAVE to level lancer to 34. Caster DPS? LEVEL A RANGER/BARD. At least tanks only have to level other tanks and/or just monk to level 12 and be done. What does this yield? 3-5 mandatory abilities to play your class well. Invigorate, Swiftcast, Protect, Quelling Strikes(lol like people use this), Blood for Blood for a minor dps CD, Raging Strikes... It's not a choice when you are only given at most 5 skills that are possibly useful (warriors actual have to choose from 6 but that's pretty minor ultimatley).

Stats. You don't really have a choice, equip the highest item level, maybe downgrade one or two pieces if accuracy is WAY over cap, but even then the main stat/defense/damage usually outweighs it. Parry is a joke. Even if you wanted to stack a specific stat they nerfed crafted items (the only way to customize stats) so you have to use the only set of gear available. All this so you can decipher an outdated stat system that cant even give you useable numbers without resorting to linear regression to find out that your 684~ish crit is really only 12ish% crit rating, and rely on a third party program to get an accurate log to narrow down that 30-40ish parry rating should yield an increase of 1%. Speaking of gear...

Gear may as well not exist in this game. If you clear a dungeon, you may as well just get a stat boost, and some cosmetic choices from the drops in that dungeon. hell, that would be a great selling point. Instead, you get a restrictive "glamour" system.

DPS. I have to point it out, if you are going to tune savage fights to the point that you need to be performing the best you can, you have to have a way to know you are doing good damage, and you cannot do this without a third party program. Otherwise the bard, warrior, or paladin that is only performing at 40% of their damage potential just makes the group feel like they are under performing without knowing what exactly is wrong. All this does is make those that are pulling their weight get disenheartened since OBVIOUSLY there is something that they as a dragoon, monk, and/or blackmage are doing wrong, since the bard is hitting the right songs....

This game is pretty, but it rapidly looses its luster as you look under the surface. I played this game since 1.0, and well... I just had to vent. If even an iota of this gets to those that matter I would love it, but its doubtful. This game survives on the Final Fantasy franchise, pretty graphics, and that its not WoW. Ask for more.



This game is as restrictive as it gets. This is 2015, I had more freedom in Diablo, Everquest, HELL EVEN LEGENDS OF TERRIS (a text based mmo), than I do in this game.

[MageBlack]

None of those are problems for me! Sorry you had different expectations from this game. I'm taking it for what it is.

[HulveinBlitz]

Gear may as well not exist in this game. If you clear a dungeon, you may as well just get a stat boost, and some cosmetic choices from the drops in that dungeon. hell, that would be a great selling point. Instead, you get a restrictive "glamour" system.

[Colorful]

The only things I agree with here is the server delay and the lack of an official parser. I haven't found skill bloat to be an issue as of yet outside of PvP, but if they add more skills in the expansion it's definitely going to be one. They're going to have to make them entirely passive, or replace current skills with new ones (if they add a fourth mudra sign for Ninjas I will sudoku).

[Xairos]

Good God yes. This image.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

Really? Skill bloat? No. Just no. 99% of the skills are useful, so that's not needless bloat.

[Quintalian]

Mmmgh. Fine, I'm awake. What is it.

... Oh, is that all?

*yawn* I'm going back to bed.

[Dyvid]

[Heskett]

Quelling Strikes(lol like people use this)

Looks like someone hasn't done end-game raiding with a BLM. :P

[Aegrus]

Looks like someone hasn't done end-game raiding with a BLM. :P

Looks like someone hasn't had as much experience with the general population. A small...read SMALL...minority use this effectivley, and generally, as a tank, its not an issue on DPS ripping threat initially, though it is always appreciated. You wanna know why? Just do a random PF with the majority that still haven't/can't clear ravana and you will readily see people that it would make no difference if they did or not (if you don't get the insinuation...they are bad).

Really? Skill bloat? No. Just no. 99% of the skills are useful, so that's not needless bloat.

Skill bloat is having TOO many skills that are largely redundant and not fun. Yes, skills can be useful, but when you have multiple cds that just do a hit on a 15-90 sec cd, have a different flavor of "Do Bonus Damage" or are just not pressed (see feint, haymaker, arrow volley/quick nock, blood for blood/raging strikes, Sidewinder and every other ability that 60+ sec that just does damage for examples). When every class needs 3 or more action bars bound just to play their class effectively, that is too many binds. Yes, some can utilize them, but in a game designed for consoles, tackling this w/o a keyboard is a nightmare for some players and the classes they choose.

I don't expect everyone to agree with every point, just as I am sure others have differing expectations. I, for one, am tired of lazy game development that is crippled by fear and shareholders. The way games became successful is they either filled, or created a niche to thrive in. You are never going to please everyone, that is reality, but that does not excuse lazy design decisions.