Seriously? No mail box?

[coldviper18]

It's fairly clear to me that most people complaining about the 'it's coming in 2.0' response don't have a clue about how software development works or otherwise know anything about various server infrastructures. Because the idea seems simple in their mind, they seem to think it's cake to implement. In fact, most of the time it's quite the opposite, things that seem like simple additions can require HUGE amounts of testing and development time. Not only do you have to test the new feature, but you also have to test everything it touches to make sure the new feature didn't break an existing feature. Often times, that's exactly what happens. In turn, requiring more dev time, and more testing.

If the devs would have added mail system in place since the beginning, it probably would have been a simple thing to add. If you take a look at the features that were in this game in beta and just after launch, it's pretty clear that a mail system was deliberately left out to combat RMT. Thus, the servers and the code that runs on them were never intended to work with a mail system. Now, several years since the mail system should have been put in place, you've got this massive amount of code that that's been built around the servers working in a certain way that requires a complete re-write to account for a mail system, because as I mentioned above, they'd probably break a massive amount of other features by implementing one. So at this point, it's not even worth the effort spent to try to get mail to work on the current code base.

So here we are with the 1.XX server structure and codebase. The devs are working on rewriting the game from the ground up, while simultaneously giving us the features they have the ability to give us in reasonable amounts of time. We may not like it, but that's the current situation.


...sorry for the ninja edit.

I completely get the complications. The POINT is that it's something that should have been there from the start. I don't blame any of the current developers. However I honestly hope the lead developer when this started is flipping burgers because he clearly did not have a clue. Was he pushed? Maybe, but that does not excuse what funding he had to make such a bad game.

Mailbox and Auction House are mandatory in MMO's now. And the fact that this one doesn't have one is ridiculous. Do I blame current developers? No... But I certainly don't agree that we should be paying for this yet. There are free MMO's currently that are in better shape than this game. They don't deserve to take money from the big time fans that will pay anyway just because its a final fantasy.

[ShadowCadja]

I completely get the complications. The POINT is that it's something that should have been there from the start. I don't blame any of the current developers. However I honestly hope the lead developer when this started is flipping burgers because he clearly did not have a clue. Was he pushed? Maybe, but that does not excuse what funding he had to make such a bad game.

Mailbox and Auction House are mandatory in MMO's now. And the fact that this one doesn't have one is ridiculous. Do I blame current developers? No... But I certainly don't agree that we should be paying for this yet. There are free MMO's currently that are in better shape than this game. They don't deserve to take money from the big time fans that will pay anyway just because its a final fantasy.

Even though I understand what your concerns, you only pay if you want... no one is forcing... I don't understand how people say we shouldn't be paying to play this game and then pay anyway. @.@

[Yelta_Sumasu]

Even though I understand what your concerns, you only pay if you want... no one is forcing... I don't understand how people say we shouldn't be paying to play this game and then pay anyway. @.@

We can still pay and enjoy other parts of the game but still find some things lacking...

I don't agree that every MMO needs an Auction House, but there needs to be some market system that quickly and easily allows the buying and selling of goods between players. FFXIV did not have this at launch and while it is better now it still has much room for improvement.

Personally I think it is understandable when people point out free MMOs that have the kind of services you would expect to see in a pay MMO. I played Dragon Nest for free and it had both a mail system as well as an auction house. They did place limitations that you could buy your way out of with real money but it was still more than functional for free.

I don't think it is too much to expect FFXIV to have mailboxes and I am willing to wait for 2.0 for them but I can wish and dream they come earlier.

[Arcell]

I completely get the complications. The POINT is that it's something that should have been there from the start. I don't blame any of the current developers. However I honestly hope the lead developer when this started is flipping burgers because he clearly did not have a clue. Was he pushed? Maybe, but that does not excuse what funding he had to make such a bad game.

Mailbox and Auction House are mandatory in MMO's now. And the fact that this one doesn't have one is ridiculous. Do I blame current developers? No... But I certainly don't agree that we should be paying for this yet. There are free MMO's currently that are in better shape than this game. They don't deserve to take money from the big time fans that will pay anyway just because its a final fantasy.

What's funnier is that Tanaka had prior MMO experience. FFXI at that. I'll agree with you that it should have been in there from the start however there's nothing we can do to change that now. It happened, people screwed up but there's no point in dwelling on that anymore.

[Yelta_Sumasu]

I no longer miss a mailbox anymore, I am used to it now but I still think they NEED to be added to the game. Before 2.0 would be preferable.

I am a programmer and understand (possible) technical limitations and such and I still get tired of hearing "wait for 2.0" for everything. Especially stuff I would expect to be in a MMO on day 1.

That said, I am still enjoying the game and still paying. Also, 1.21 sounds pretty exciting to me and I am very much looking forward to it.

For all the waiting and all the disappointment 2.0 better damn well Rock My Socks Off

[Mireille]

I no longer miss a mailbox anymore, I am used to it now but I still think they NEED to be added to the game. Before 2.0 would be preferable.

I am a programmer and understand (possible) technical limitations and such and I still get tired of hearing "wait for 2.0" for everything. Especially stuff I would expect to be in a MMO on day 1.

I agree with you in principle, but if its a question of coding a mailbox now for 1.0, and then having to completely recode it for the 2.0 architecture it makes sense to put it off until 2.0 rather than waste resources on it now.

Go play any other MMO and you will understand.

First you can only send 8 items at a time, you can't send more items until the person on the other side takes those items out.

I have to admit I was stunned when I saw that the trade limit in XIV was 4 and not 16 or 24. I must admit I had these delusional visions that the 8 item limit was somehow a PS2 limitation, and that XIV would make trading so much easier.

Instead we got 4 ._.

[NoctisUmbra]

The fact of the matter is people pay for something they want. If people are paying for FFXIV in it's current state, SE deserves it. There's no way around that fact. Free MMOs may have some better feats, but they don't have any of the things that are unique to a Final Fantasy title, nor do they have the Final Fantasy name. To some, that means nothing. To others, it clearly means a great deal. SE has every right to sell the Final Fantasy name.

Only question anyone needs to ask here is "Is this game worth my money?" The only thing one should do if their answer to that is No, is simply stop paying and stop playing.

[Molly_Millions]

Yeah yeah yeah, it should have been in there from the beginning. What is crying about it going to get you, when you know the answer to your request?

[Rydin]

Personally... None of us will EVER know what happened before the initial launch.... EVER
I can't see Tanaka writing a tell all book... so at this point... why even argue over it. Its done... the game was reviewed very poorly at launch
(on a side note.... to be in such bad condition... the game got like 4's and 5's from most reviewers... thats interesting)
to bring the discussion back on point... A mail system is coming. I don't know that it is being ignored by the dev team. Maybe it would take a large amount of work and even with that, it's inception would be buggy and laggy, yet adding it in 2.0 is a seamless process, in which case the cost of adding it beforehand is too much for right now
Yes Tanaka planned to add it.... but he also wasn't tasked with overhauling the battle system, UI, and game engine in the process. And I don't care what anyone says.... the Battle system... UI... server lag/latency.. Graphics engine and lack of content ALL and I mean ALL take priority over you sending your alt some wind shards

If it was an easy fix... I'd like to think they would have it in the game... But I don't think it would be... Look at the lag when you trade something... sell something... buy something? It's horrendous... Imagine a mail system under the same structure

As far as race names... get over it... Galka were dumb looking with tails... Tarutaru looked like Mickey mouse without the ears... they looked absolutely retarded. And Mithra? They looked like this girl I went to high school with that ran track, played volleyball and never used deodorant. They can't call them the same races because they are CLEARLY not the same. They are OBVIOUSLY not the same species as the races in FFXI

Thats like discovering a new fruit... and its red... but it's not an apple... doesn't taste like an apple.. isn't the size of an apple... yet you're mad that it isn't called an apple because it is red and round

[Noata]

In complete personal Opinion, I find myself more on the line of not caring for the mail system till 2.0 onwards. The dev team could be working on alot better things then adding a mail system months before the game gets replaced, They have alot more stuff to do, I would just test stuff with the current game. I would stick to UI changes along with battle system balances and the testing of the job classes. sure i owuld add the fun features like Inn,s but linking someone to a seperate zone is not hard. the things they are adding now, are features to be tweaked to be ready in 2.0, alot of the features players will want, will have to wait to 2.0 for, because somethings are set in stone. like setting up a mail system that interfaces with your inventory, adding reminders, including them throughout the world so they are assecible. implementing a system that can be used to monitor the mail system to spot out suspicious activity. why put all that into a game that will be gone in a few months