Ideal versus Real

[Austherus]

Back in the day when I learned about FFXIV:ARR, three main things got me interested in it: Housing, PvP and being subscription based (lack of a cash shop). Time passed: months, them years. With every new interview, Yoshi talked about the grand future he had prepared for the game. Now, over two years later:


PvP - I think this is an obvious one. Some of you might remember that little concept art of how PvP was going to be in this game: a little army sided by catapults standing in front of something that looked like a huge fortification. Knowing about Yoshi’s DAoC background, I knew something good would come out of it. I couldn’t be more wrong. Wolves Den was terrible, Frontlines was just ok. No sieges, no keeps and fortresses, no persistent maps.

Cash Shop - There’s not much to say really. It’s here to stay, and it will just keep growing. The name they picked for it sounds like a bad joke (Optional Items) because of how being ”optional” is what was said over and over to anyone who was against it. What is not optional?

Hunts - That one might have just been wishful thinking on my part, but the first time I heard about it I expected something great: Maybe I could go out on a hunt with FC friends, looking for footprints? Maybe there’s going to be a system that tells us how close or how far of the marks we are? Oh I’m sure we’ll be able to show off our rarest hunts on the walls of our houses! I couldn’t wait to start hunting! In the end it was just a big, angry zerg farming for gear, and I never touched it.

Airship Exploration - There’s only two problems with that one: There’s no airship, and there’s no exploration. In complete disagreement with everything said on interviews, the only airship flying we got is a cutscene. It's curious to think that we have flying mounts just because of that other MMO, but we can't actually fly around in our airships (something that is seen as an important feature of most Final Fantasy games).


Can we really expect anything interesting or fun from SE anymore? Don’t get me wrong, I like how the game started, if I didn’t I wouldn’t have paid for it, but I’m only staying for the friends I made and the stuff we built together.

[Laerune]

I was hyped for PvP aswell, but we all know what of a failure it has turned into. Boring content + long queue killed PvP for me. It could have been simple, remove GC requirements and turn every WoL into a mercenary and add a big map with castles etc, where players can fight over control. GW2 has it, WoW in a way has it and ESO has it, all 3 games have alot of players doing these contents, because its fun. PvP is simple, we do not require epic dungeons or scripted monsters, just give us faster queue, a big map and stuff that will make us want to bash the skull of our enemies.

Honestly, Yoshi-P is turning more and more into Peter Molyneux, both of them have the habit of overhyping and making false promises. PvP, more gender equality outfits for males, ability to summon primals as a FC, more housing plots etc. I would not be suprised if Egi-glamour is going to join this list aswell.

Like with Peter, whenever Yoshi-P promises a epic content, I want to experience first, then believe it.


EDIT: Just like with the Anime questline, the developers need to think and ask themselves, is this content going to be enjoyable for the players?

[Austherus]

PvP is simple

I think that's one of the most important things SE failed to realize. A fun PvP experience has to do with player interaction: recruiting and grouping up, successfully attacking and defending keeps/territory (even more fun when you are on the outnumbered side, overwhelmed by enemies), the rivalry that is created with the enemy faction(s). It's not about balance, mirrored matches, complicated systems, currency, etc.

[Kaiser-Ace]

PvP: Was excited about Wolve's Den when it was active and frequently knew "The Fear" of seeing a Summoner and Scholar come out of the gate in full Allagan Gear. Disappointed when it faltered and was left for dead. Frontlines I only enjoyed Slaughter Mode since it was a traditional Team Deathmatch style PvP but again, was disappointed when it faltered and was left for dead.

Cash Shop: Admittedly I've spent a bit of money there am the owner of all the Cash Shop Exclusive Scion Minions. I regret nothing and wouldn't mind more effort being put into time limited event rewards like the "huzza" emote from the first rising event or the gear from the Lightning Strikes event. (Would also like to see a permanent price drop on Sleipnir but that's their ONE big ticker item so I'll let them slide on that)

Housing and Airships: Housing and I have a complicated relationship. My first FC broke up because of it so I've always been a little love hate with it especially with supply and demand. I'd like a little more customization and some leniency on "Non-Removables" but I'd like the Supply issue solved if nothing else. And Airships requiring a full light party is kind of absurd. Two to three members of appropriate rank should be allowed to perform it with out a light or full party of crafters.

Diadem, Hunts, Glamour, Zodiac, Anima, Gold Saucer and 24-man Raids: All grand ideas full of great potential but all suffering from various degrees of poor execution, The Gold Saucer being one of their greatest follies with Triple Triad, Lords of Verminion, and Chocobo Racing all dieing out with Vermnion dying immediately upon implementation. Now in the wake of the Blitz Ball rumors I'm inclined to insist that SE stays as far away as possible for the last part of Final Fantasy Mini Games I still love.

On a side note, I wish the devs would implement more exploration style content into the game like the quest line given by Matoya's Brooms. Maps was a shot in the right direction but ultimately missed the mark. I feel more like a Merc the way the game is designed than an Adventurer since we honestly do very little adventuring compared to our jobs as Preternatural One Man/Woman Armies and generic errand boys/girls. If we're adventurers then where's the adventuring and exploring? Hardly an adventure when the minimap goes full GPS on the quest location.

As a final note, We need more Mog Mail and Hildibrand quests to add a touch of humor and charm to the world and it's NPCs.

[Austherus]

On a side note, I wish the devs would implement more exploration style content into the game like the quest line given by Matoya's Brooms. Maps was a shot in the right direction but ultimately missed the mark

My FC run treasure maps weekly, it's nice to have something a bit randomized (everything else feels just too streamlined), but I do agree that it could be better. Matoya's quest line was a nice surprise, I'm really hoping we get more of that (I think there was a similar quest somewhere else, about books, were you had to pick the right answer in the end; can't remember it's name though).

[WellFooled]

PvP - I think this is an obvious one. Some of you might remember that little concept art of how PvP was going be in this game: a little army sided by catapults standing in front of something that looked like a huge fortification. Knowing about Yoshi’s DAoC background, I knew something good would come out of it. I couldn’t be more wrong. Wolves Den was terrible, Frontlines was just ok. No sieges, no keeps and fortresses, no persistent maps.

I think part of the problem with PvP, and some other FFXIV content too, is that they have a wonderful foundation for their content, but rarely is anything built up on it. Wolves Den has all of the basic functions needed for a solid Arena mode, but without tournaments, leaderboards, seasons, and rewards its just a slab of concrete without a house to go with it.

[Austherus]

they have a wonderful foundation for their content, but rarely is anything built up on it

That is something that bothers me as well. I'm not a fan of that kind of PvP (leaderboards, tournaments) but I understand many are, and to see Wolves Den abandoned like that makes no sense. They should at least talk about it, show some of their plans of how to fix it, but it looks like they decided to just ignore it and forget it ever existed.

[Ashkendor]

That is something that bothers me as well. I'm not a fan of that kind of PvP (leaderboards, tournaments) but I understand many are, and to see Wolves Den abandoned like that makes no sense. They should at least talk about it, show some of their plans of how to fix it, but it looks like they decided to just ignore it and forget it ever existed.

There's supposed to be changes to Wolves' Den in 3.2 if I remember correctly.

[Amiaze]

PvP - I think this is an obvious one. Some of you might remember that little concept art of how PvP was going to be in this game: a little army sided by catapults standing in front of something that looked like a huge fortification. Knowing about Yoshi’s DAoC background, I knew something good would come out of it. I couldn’t be more wrong. Wolves Den was terrible, Frontlines was just ok. No sieges, no keeps and fortresses, no persistent maps.

When it comes to how FFXIV works and the content it gives us, I try to stay fair and see what the devs were thinking and how the community should be taking it versus how we're actually taking it. But PvP is the one topic that really just frustrates me to no end. When I first heard about Seal Rock and it being more strategic than Wolves' Den, I pictured a fortress (not unlike the build and design of Haukke Manor) or several fortresses that would have posts we needed to capture. I immediately thought of every other game mode similar to this in every other game I've ever played, and loved the idea of forming strategies such as cornering players in a hallway and spreading DoTs on the floor at their feet, forcing them to flee in the direction you wanted them to, or setting up small teams at certain points in hallways to catch an enemy off-guard.

Granted, I based little of this off of what we were shown, so I can't say that they didn't deliver on Seal Rock. What I will say is...

they have a wonderful foundation for their content, but rarely is anything built up on it. Wolves Den has all of the basic functions needed for a solid Arena mode, but without tournaments, leaderboards, seasons, and rewards its just a slab of concrete without a house to go with it.

This. There are so many things that could be done with PvP to make it interesting, and not just the RNG-based game it's become, especially considering how many people are required to enter the instance. Morale was an interesting mechanic, but the mode that supported it died before anyone could really put it to good use. And the way gear is used in PvP makes no sense to me -- I understand that PvE gear is nerfed when entering PvP, but why is PvE gear still so overpowered and so much more useful that, even with materia melds, PvP gear is rendered grossly obsolete in the same mode that is was designed for? And the balancing changes that PvP is given are very minimal. I main WHM and AST, and I was really bummed when they removed Cleric Stance without really giving us any viable alternative to combat. It felt like a quick "fix" that wasn't given nearly as much thought as fixes are given in every other aspect of the game.

And to top it off, questions related to PvP rarely, if ever, receive responses. Even those threads that remain civil and constructive are ignored.

Anyway, I don't mean to derail this thread, just wanted to voice my rather sour opinion concerning that point.

[Jijifli]

Cash Shop - There’s not much to say really. It’s here to stay, and it will just keep growing. The name they picked for it sounds like a bad joke (Optional Items) because of how being ”optional” is what was said over and over to anyone who was against it. What is not optional?

Well to be honest here, everything is there is optional. Nothing in there can give you some kind of advantage. Even WoW lets you buy characters at almost capped level (Unless we're close to the next expac, then it is capped level.)