Dear Square-Enix...

[Albio]

Square Enix, can you please turn this into an actual Final Fantasy game, or change the name so it's not so misleading. I feel very frustrated by some of the changes. I like some, like the Ifrit fight, adding materia to gear, the beastmen strongholds. Those things are challenging and add depth to the game. I guess materia isn't really challenging, it's more depth into gear, which I like.

What I don't like about materia is that you can now manufacture the best gear in game by spamming enter while you sit in a city watching a movie. That troubles me. I think that materia gear and NM gear should be pretty equal, then people can have the option to obtain gear in a way that is fun to them. Personally, I don't like crafting very much, I do it so I can rep gear, but I'd rather not sit around all day grinding, I like to go out with friends and fight things. However, I know some people do like crafting, it's enjoyable for them, and that is all great too. Why not give players the option of getting viable gear through either method?

My next issue I am having since the update is leveling. I think it's insane that people, myself included, are getting the amount of exp they are in such a short amount of time. I went from 43 to 50 in one day at the Amalj'aa stronghold. I am not saying I didn't think it was awesome, because it kind of is, but it's also silly and throws things out of balance. Giving leveling a boost is fine, fatigue was annoying, you took it away, I think that was enough. You're creating more problems for yourself by boosting leveling so much. Now instead of having 30% of the game's population capped out in level and bored, you're going to have 100% of the game's population capped out and bored. I also find it unfair that I had to work so freaking hard, push through fatigue, and spend hours "sping" on mobs to just gain one rank and now to have levels handed out like candy on Halloween. That being said, I know life is unfair, some of the new players are just going to have a more streamlined, enjoyable experience than older players because we had to push through the major pitfalls that made this game such a catastrophe at launch. My point, please slow down leveling, you should not be able to go from 1 to 50 in a week, ever, in any RPG. That is insane.

The next problem I am having in game is FF lore being ignored, or at least it seems that way at some points in the game. The very first aspect that comes to mind is classes. There are no original Final Fantasy classes, I know this is being remedied, sort of, with the introduction of the job system in coming patches. However, that seems like a mess right now. I am not sure how it's going to work, what I do know is each class is going to have one set job to unlock at the beginning. This is creating problems, the first thing that comes to mind is BLM and WHM. There are only two mages in this game, THM and CON, to turn into BLM and WHM. I have both at 50, and I can honestly say, CON fits WHM and BLM much better than THM does. THM, while I like playing it, doesn't really have any major connection to either of those jobs, but it's going to get one none the less. However it's going to get done, whichever of the two classes gets BLM and WHM, it's going to not make a lot of sense with the lore. That feels sloppy and forced to me, as does ARC getting BRD. Why not just take the time to pick more suitable jobs for each class or introduce new classes that better fit the jobs you're wanting to introduce? Lore is really important to FF games, and trust me, the players, most of us, have been paying attention to it, so when we go to the Conjurer's guild, where everyone is dressed like a traditional BLM to unlock WHM, we're going to get confused. :P

My next thing is also mage related, can you please take off AoE from nukes and make them spike damage. I am not saying AoEing isn't fun, especially when PLing lower players, to get them from level 10 to 35 in two hours, but I liked doing spike damage with my mages in other Final Fantasy games. Traditionally, nukes have been on casters who are slow, have low HP and are easy to kill. In turn, if they can get their spell off, they can do massive damage, usually to one mob. I enjoyed that, that is how BLM was in XI, that is how it was in most other FF titles. I feel like mage damage, while large if you factor in what is done to each mob, is still lame in comparison to a melee WS on a single target. I think nuking on a NM should be a viable option to inflict damage. Not pigeon-holing any mage present to curing or DoTs. So why not make two sets of spells, the AoE ones and the single target ones that inflict more damage. Also, please, it has been over a year now, fix AM! In what FF title is Flare a lame spell? Only this one, I find it to be maddening!

My last thing, that I can think of right now, is job nerfs. While I understand that having one or two jobs be extremely powerful is unfair to the others, there is no reason why you can't just boost the performance of all jobs. In patch 1.18 THM got nerfed, and now in patch 1.19 ARC got nerfed. Which is fine, except that LNC does massive damage now. Why couldn't THM, ARC, and LNC all be awesome? Why does SE only have one job be good at a time? Can't they all be good at once? Then players can actually go do things, like fight Ifrit or Batraal, on any job they want, not just the few that are good during that particular time period between patches. Some people like classes other than LNC, but they can't really go fight Ifrit on those now because they can't do the 2k damage with DoomSpike that LNC can. Just like ARC was the only acceptable DD on Batraal. That is silly, there are so many classes, they should all be good.

On another note, I saw a post in forums about players not having to grind to 50, some player wanting to start a petition so they can start the game at level 50. If you do that, I am quite certain a good 75% of your player base will leave this game. DO NOT TAKE AWAY GRINDING! It is part of MMORPG life. Not always fun, but you do it, and when you hit the cap you get that elated feeling, because you're done with that class/job, whatever, and can now go do exciting things like fight tough NMs on it. Please don't take that away.

This all being said, I do love Final Fantasy titles, it's why I have continued to play this one. And this game has great potential. Getting ideas from your older games in the franchise or taking systems they had and implementing them into this one is not bad, contrary to what some people on the forums may say. The biggest thing I can think of, is XI. I do not want an XI-2. But taking things that you know your players loved about XI and putting them in here isn't wrong or bad. It's brilliant, cause that system, whatever it was, was brilliant in XI, it would be brilliant in here. I.e. Ancient Magic!! Fix it!! Also, these are just my opinions, please express yours, if you agree/disagree please tell me why, maybe I'll get new perspective and think of something I hadn't before and maybe it will nullify one of these issues I am having. I will say, I have heard other players express their disdain for these aspects as well. Whatever you do on this forum, please do it with respect!! Have a great day everyone and thanks for reading my tirade!

[MrLion]

Its too long too read all that so imma just point a few things out:

1) S-E won't get this letter from a forum post
2) You think that the issues you have are everybody's issues...might want to think about that for a bit before you actually (if you dare to) send this letter to S-E
3) You're basically asking for XI-2 by the looks of it.

[Albio]

It was just a forum post title, didn't actually expect to send this to SE. I also, didn't say that these were everyone's issues, hence me posting here so I can hear feedback. Also, I didn't ask for XI-2. I put that in there, if you didn't take the time to read it how can you make an informed comment on it?

[MrLion]

Because its too long too read like I said and it pretty much states all the complaints that everyone else in here have been whining about...there's really no need to read it.

[Albio]

Then it's a good thing you didn't read it.

[MrLion]

Then it's a good thing you didn't read it.

Yeah it actually is...thanks for agreeing man...

[Jennestia]

Because its too long too read like I said and it pretty much states all the complaints that everyone else in here have been whining about...there's really no need to read it.

The only reason you'd assume he was asking for a FFXI-2 is because FFXI was designed from the get go to resemble a FF game, Tanaka even stated he was inspired by Everquest in terms of MMOs and used FFIII as a base for FFXI, whereas FFXIV was designed to be as different from XI as possible which in essence means designed to be as different from a Final Fantasy game as possible, which Yoshida is slowly trying to bring back.

[MrLion]

The only reason you'd assume he was asking for a FFXI-2 is because FFXI was designed from the get go to resemble a FF game, Tanaka even stated he was inspired by Everquest in terms of MMOs and used FFIII as a base for FFXI, whereas FFXIV was designed to be as different from XI as possible which in essence means designed to be as different from a Final Fantasy game as possible, which Yoshida is slowly trying to bring back.

Its true...but the fact of the matter is, FFXI was a winning formula as you can see its been out for a good 9 years now and not trying to achieve that winning formula is suicide as we saw with tanaka's FFXIV. Fact of the matter is, if it has the name Final Fantasy you can't really make it differently and assume it'll be a success, people expect their Black Mages and Goblins, and Horsebirds and Airships to be in the game.

[Denmo]

Because its too long too read like I said and it pretty much states all the complaints that everyone else in here have been whining about...there's really no need to read it.

Wait, how do you know what he said if you didn't read it? I'm confused.

[Irana]

I kind of agree with most things.
IMO, voicing your opinion is never a bad idea.