Dear Square-Enix...

[Lior]

I read about the reboot, the 2.0 version, and I read alot of claims that the game was playable now.

I purchased my copy originally at release, Played for maybe two months before realizing that the game just wasn't what I was expecting. Needless to say, I was disappointed with what you had released.

In any case, I decided to give the 'fixed' version a roll. I want to support you. I really want you to recover from this debacle.

I reinstalled, patched, reactivated my account, etc. etc. I logged in. The first thing that hit me was that sense of nostalgia that very few MMOs beyond the Final Fantasy brand can capture. Despite the flaws of the current game and its world, there's still a unique flavor that I was glad to return to.

You see, I had just left Star Wars: The Old Republic behind. Not because it was a bad game, necessarily, but because it was the same game I've been playing for seven years now - much like other recent releases (Rift) or upcoming ones (TERA). I'm not necessarily looking for something new, just something different. Final Fantasy XIV may not be perfect, and it may still have a ways to improve, but it's a unique experience that I'm glad exists in a "newer" game.

Since returning to Final Fantasy XIV last month, I've re-acquainted myself with the game's mechanics, found an active linkshell to play with, leveled two disciplines to 50, and participated in the Ifrit and King Moggle Mog fights. I have, for the most part, seen everything there is to see in the game in the span of weeks.

In any game built on the "WoW" model, I'd have likely canceled my subscription by now. The fact that I haven't done so in FF14 speaks to it's subtle, niche attractions: I despise alts, but enjoy the ability to expand on a single character. I can't stand following a linear quest-grind, but love hunting for new mob camps and seeing what abilities I'll have to account for. People actually party in Final Fantasy! I enjoy heading to a camp with a group of people and just socializing while leveling - it's something that not many understand, but is uniquely fun and sadly lacking in modern MMOs. Let's not forget the fact that by limiting fast-travel options, the game keeps the world relevant. I can't stand games where the world exists solely for leveling, and once you hit max level you do little more than sit in town queueing for dungeons and PvP.

As someone who has participated in competitive endgame raiding, the Ifrit and Moogle fights are refreshing. Would I like to see the loot improved a little? Sure, but the fights aren't quite as predictable as anything in WoW or TOR and I like that. I like the unique pace of Final Fantasy, focusing on managing MP and aggro instead of spamming a rotation. I like that healing is reactive. I like that you've managed to merge the style of combat unique to FFXI and FFXIV with the modern "platforming" gameplay of newer games. The "safe spots" in Ifrit are a wee bit disappointing - I'd rather people not be able to avoid anything entirely, but all in all I've found these fights more fun and to hold greater replay value than anything I've done in recent years. Did I mention I hate trash mobs? BCNM's the way to go!

Now this isn't to say that there aren't improvements to be made. There are plenty!

Combat - I know we've just seen a complete redesign of the actions and traits, but I can't help but feel that the current set is incredibly limited compared to the game's predecessor. Although I can currently get by with my Thunder combo, I'm sorely missing DoTs like Rasp, Shock and Bio, spells like Aspir and Drain, and more importantly: status effects. I know some of these have been tied into other skills, but where did the pure status-effect causing skills go? These things would go a long way towards making fights more interesting (as would the white magic counterparts to reduce magic damage / remove status effects). Elsewise the pacing is good, and threat seems to have finally become reliable as it was in XI. Don't listen to the people complaining that combat is slow - this is a Final Fantasy game, dammit! I happen to enjoy the slower and more tactical focus of reacting to enemy skills rather than spamming abilities and trying to outright avoid things.

Crafting - I can't say I've done much of it yet, but I do like the fact that crafting is more involved and necessary than in other games. There aren't enough games with a player-driven economy out there, so I hope this doesn't change! That said, being told that the most efficient way to craft is to spam "standard" despite there being a seemingly more intricate system in place is concerning, and I hope the revised version in 2.0 isn't quite so tedious or wasteful.

Storytelling - I wish there were more of it in FF14, but I know the team is busy with 2.0. I can say that the characters, personalities, and general direction is above and beyond what I got out of BioWare's Star Wars opus. I personally enjoy being more of an observer than the focal point of these stories. I think a single-player style storyline in an MMORPG is an oxymoron, but so far so good as you guys seem to be keeping to the same style of storytelling as in FFXI. All I can ask is give us more!

Generic - Don't listen to those who complain that the world is too generic. Is it currently redundant and limited? Sure, but I wouldn't want to see 2.0 bring us an over-the-top, fantastical dream-like world along the lines of Aion or TERA. The greatest thing about Final Fantasy XI to me was how the world was, for the most part, fairly normal, but those few fantastical elements really popped out and emphasized the fantasy of the game. I hope that in the redesigned world of 2.0, we keep much of the "normalcy" while breaking up the monotony with interesting things similar to the Horutoto Ruins, Delkfutt's Tower, and Ro'Maeve which I found sorely lacking in the original XIV.

Tedium - I will admit that, in its current state, the game can be a bit tedious for a new player. Having only one or two major attacks for 10+ levels can be a downer, as can spending time grinding the same enemies for hours or days on end (cactuars from 18-30ish anyone?). Introducing more advanced combat options as noted above, along with a better spread of enemies and perhaps, loathe as I am to suggest it, some quest-like content to provide direction for new players might be prudent. Some lower-level BCNMs would also help greatly.

The game still has a ways to go, and I imagine there are those who have been playing for over a year and are much more frustrated than someone newly-returned might be. There are things lacking, and there are things missing. As a returning player however, I can find fun in the game that I can't find in the mass-market options. I can appreciate it's unique elements, and I hope that going forward we see features drawn from Final Fantasy such as horizontal expansion rather than vertical, spectacular and challenging boss-fights, and strategic, ability-focused, reactive combat as opposed to features drawn from World of Warcraft and other games of its kind. Things such as all dungeons becoming instanced in 2.0 worry me, to a degree. Mass-market appeal is great, but there are already so many games trending towards it that competing directly (particularly with a game that has already hit the market and crashed) is a wasted endeavor.

I hope that Final Fantasy XIV will carve its own niche, much like it's predecessor. I appreciate the hard work that Yoshi-P and his team have put in, and I'm beginning to feel like this is the game I bought back in 2010. For all it's flaws, I'm having fun in a unique way that I can't find anywhere else, and I hope that continues through and beyond 2.0. Keep up the good work!

[Yves]

Bwaaaahahahaha! Classy little thing ya just did. Absolutely priceless response.

[DoctorMog]

[Sag]

Did you manage to play it fullscreen ?

[Answa]

Did you manage to play it fullscreen ?

This is a win statement right here.

[Myrhn]

What's this part 2?

[AmandaHuggenkiss]

You sir are win.

[Shiki_Lockhart]

I liked this post. Is quite the oposite of the other player earlier.
Yes the game may not perfect or super good in content and etc yet but is getting better each patch. Soon we get jobs, 2 new dungeons and the server merge. This will be fun ^^

And Sag lol I bet the comment is referred to that same player I am talking about (the one that lvled to 5 and couldn't find out how to play fullscreen)

[Gath]

Can Gath get a TL: DR, please?

Gath thanks you.

Gath's 1 gil is worth more than your 1 gil.

[Antanias]

I feel like I've read this exact same thing before...