should not westernize FFXIV

[Randis]

This is purely related to the visuals and not the gameplay.

I get the idea and i do understand it from the marketing standpoint but trying to westernize this IP is IMO a big mistake.
FF already has a huge fan base thanks to all the other offline FF titles, common sense tells that people much accepted all the previous styles worldwide.
I know that some developers worry about having what so many call a 'manga/anime' style (misused term) assuming that most westerners dislike 'anime' characters,
it is not entirely true, people reject it only if it is made poorly and that so far never was the case in the FF titles.
All the old FF concept art was done by Yoshitaka Amano, It was a very artistic and widely accepted and to my knowledge never even compared to a typical 'manga/anime' style. With FF7 the style changed but the game did not loose any popularity.

There are many alternatives to all the offline and online RPG titles and other games.
If i want to play a western RPG, i simply would pick up one.
I pick FF titles because they offer me something original.
If people disliked the style of all the offline FF titles they would not have bought it.
FF XIV style is playing it way to save IMO, the graphics are great, do not get me wrong. The texture and model quality is great, its just the style.

The style lost a lot of charm, magic and originality. With originality i by no ways mean that it is copied, it just does not feel fresh.

I am no big fan of WOW, but i did play it and one has to admit that they have their certain cartoony style, they stylized many elements in a interesting way and made the game the way they wanted it.
Look at blade and soul, not everyone may like the strong sexual content (large boobs, sexy cloths) but you have to admit that this game does not feel like they had to compromise the style of the artist.

I really love the work of Akihiko Yoshida but this game does not reflect his style and charm.

Look at the charming Illustrations of the FFXIV cities:
http://ffnext.com/images/game/ffxiv/artwork/CityStates-Aug-7-2009/ffxiv-city-states-gridania.jpg

The actual in-game graphics do not reflect it.

IMO this could be changed in a acceptable time-frame, reusing the existing content.

[Luhy]

I don't care about graphics. We played FFXI because rewards, victories over top NMs and so on were all more difficult to obtain and required more skill than other MMOs. FFXIV caters to the skill level of a baby WoW noob.

[viion]

I don't care about graphics. We played FFXI because rewards, victories over top NMs and so on were all more difficult to obtain and required more skill than other MMOs. FFXIV caters to the skill level of a baby WoW noob.

I play XI for its graphics.

[Randis]

well the content of FFXIV will grow, that is certain and changes are on the way.
FFXI did not start out as complex as it became over the years, i remember well.

However, as stated this thread is not about the game play.

[Enrei]

Gridania still looks pretty similar to the concept art, as if it were following the same concept. All the pregame art exists only to generate ideas with the devs.
I'm happy with the graphic/art style, but the environmental zones need some more variety.

[Punxsutawney]

Well, Luhy, FF14 is still harder than WoW if it makes you fell any better. And i am sure Yoshi is going to add some hard stuff, people have been requesting it.

[Seikninkuru]

I love the east asian artstyle, I wish more games adopted it. Just don't call SOGA(EQ2) East Asian. That's ugly no matter how you look at it.

Also want to add, I love the WoW is so easy bandwagon approach. Have any of you who say these things played the game? It's not different than any other MMORPG out there. Long grinds for the potential for phat rewards. Just because it took longer in FFXI doesn't make it more difficult.

Never really understood that. I have a feeling that those who say that are just repeating what they heard from x source.

-Have Fun

P.S. it took me two years in Warhammer Online to get the tier 1 dungeon boots. So does that make it hard too?

[Enrei]

WoW was much MUCH easier to level, it only felt grinding after 75, and in your endless quest grind, you were getting constant gear upgrades. Dungeons almost always dropped gear, and, save for raids, could easily be completed with a random party.
Warhammer Online was also pretty easy, but I never touched PvE content. The PvP items took maybe a day to get...

[Seikninkuru]

WoW was much MUCH easier to level, it only felt grinding after 75, and in your endless quest grind, you were getting constant gear upgrades. Dungeons almost always dropped gear, and, save for raids, could easily be completed with a random party.
Warhammer Online was also pretty easy, but I never touched PvE content. The PvP items took maybe a day to get...

Well I can't speak for WoW, as I said it wasn't my game, but the PvP items in Warhammer didn't take a day to get, maybe at level 10... Sorry man, you're flat out wrong. How are dungeons always dropping gear bad? It's still a chance it's usable by a person in your party.

You're basically saying you should do dungeons and not get anything out of them? That perpetuates the dungeon grind, which I thought was a bad thing? Should content not be completed by anyone but the most well oiled machine? That's pointless. It should be able to be beat by a PUG, a pug who communicates and talks together.

My point about Warhammer online pve taking 2 years to get 1 drop is kind of the point... You guys seem to equate time to gear, so therefore it was a hard game.


P.S. you couldn't get your gear in a week, you are a flat out liar and fraud for perpetrating that notion.

Thanks.

-Have Fun

[Enrei]

Well I can't speak for WoW, as I said it wasn't my game, but the PvP items in Warhammer didn't take a day to get, maybe at level 10... Sorry man, you're flat out wrong. How are dungeons always dropping gear bad? It's still a chance it's usable by a person in your party.

You're basically saying you should do dungeons and not get anything out of them? That perpetuates the dungeon grind, which I thought was a bad thing? Should content not be completed by anyone but the most well oiled machine? That's pointless. It should be able to be beat by a PUG, a pug who communicates and talks together.

My point about Warhammer online pve taking 2 years to get 1 drop is kind of the point... You guys seem to equate time to gear, so therefore it was a hard game.


P.S. you couldn't get your gear in a week, you are a flat out liar and fraud for perpetrating that notion.

Thanks.

-Have Fun

I was just summing up how WoW was easier or faster in some parts. It's not bad that you always get gear upgrades, but at some points it just felt too easy.
I'm sorry, I could get a piece of PvP gear in a day on WAR, that's simply how it happened. I PvPed, and then the gear either dropped, or I had earned enough marks or whatnot to buy it. I hadn't reached the endgame content, but I was Tier 3, and I had my PvP sets finished before I moved onto the next tier.
You're basically flipping your argument around and angry because you spent ages at level 10 trying to get boots or some shit.
P.S. I got my gear in a week, I'm telling the truth and you're using a thesaurus to perpetrate your notions. Did you perhaps play right at release? It's possible patches made gear easier to acquire.

On-topic - I've never considered Final Fantasy's art style distinctively Japanese or anime, but it hasn't entirely been western. SE sort of has their own style of things, but lately, most high-end graphics look somewhat the same. We just need some more iconic FF things around the world and on our characters