[Feedback] Review

[Saflj]

Final Fantasy has always been my go-to game on the best way to make an RPG. Square Enix is bar none one of the gaming industries leading designers. FFXIV is no exception to this.

Pros and Cons of FFXIV

PROS:

1) Amazing Stories (Expect nothing less from the creative teams on FF Games)

2) Awesome Graphics

3) Game Play is Fun and "Some" implementations for growing pains and needs for soloists.

4) The Quests are not that hard to figure out, and the quest list interface helps you get where you are going.

5) Leveling is fast until 50 and then it levels out to fairly good speed that doesn't kill you waiting but does not happen every hour.

CONS:

1) Later game expansions make First story line "almost" impossible to continue as most players are in expansion and story quests requiring groups are near impossible to get done (Especially for late night workers like myself).

2) The voice acting in the cut-scenes are good, the protagonist has no voice acting, so you get a lot of silence then answers. (Some basic voicing would have helped here, as this detracts from the emersion.)

3) Dungeons Have set treasures which can be Gotten in 1 or 2 runs. But they are well planned treasures.

4) The NPC Combatants Invariably Lock you out of experience by attacking Mobs 1st. Even if the NPC does little to no damage in the combat. (Although, this is not such a big deal as you still get some xp and leveling isn't tedious.)

With these stated it is a solid game that just needs the main quests updated to remove the need to spend hours and sometimes days looking for a group. Perhaps adding the main quest dungeons to the Grand Company Command Missions list.) As is I may have to cut my account after I finish the NONE group requirements of the base game.
If you can find a group of friends to go through this game, it would be a great added game for any FF Fan. Otherwise, you will get locked up rapidly as the developers did not think about when Dungeons become abandoned by veterans for new content as new players scramble to find groups to get through the story.

[Tint]

With these stated it is a solid game that just needs the main quests updated to remove the need to spend hours and sometimes days looking for a group. Perhaps adding the main quest dungeons to the Grand Company Command Missions list.) As is I may have to cut my account after I finish the NONE group requirements of the base game.

They have already done this. Pick "Duty Support" in the menu and you can enter all the story dungeons with NPCs and a few of the trials as well (which will still be a bottleneck to advance the story).

[Jeeqbit]

1) Later game expansions make First story line "almost" impossible to continue as most players are in expansion and story quests requiring groups are near impossible to get done (Especially for late night workers like myself).

I agree that this has always been an issue during the morning hours of a given region. However, note that you are on Dynamis, which is a brand new data center and the population there isn't good yet, so that could also be a factor.

2) The voice acting in the cut-scenes are good, the protagonist has no voice acting, so you get a lot of silence then answers. (Some basic voicing would have helped here, as this detracts from the emersion.)

I agree here as well. For some reason, the developers don't want to speak for us most of the time or assume what we would say as the player. It results in NPCs repeating what you were supposed to have said followed by "you say?" and that makes it seem as if you mumble everything.

4) The NPC Combatants Invariably Lock you out of experience by attacking Mobs 1st. Even if the NPC does little to no damage in the combat. (Although, this is not such a big deal as you still get some xp and leveling isn't tedious.)

Experience was removed from mobs in dungeons. Only bosses give experience points now.

With these stated it is a solid game that just needs the main quests updated to remove the need to spend hours and sometimes days looking for a group.

It would help if Duty Support was extended for trials but it does not seem this is the plan for the next 3 years at least.

Perhaps adding the main quest dungeons to the Grand Company Command Missions list.)

You can already do MSQ dungeons with NPCs via Duty Support.

If you can find a group of friends to go through this game, it would be a great added game for any FF Fan.

You can do that and there are social circles in the game such as Free Companies, linkshells, fellowships, discord servers. The problem with having a "group of friends" is scheduling around eachother's life. That's why it's easier to use the auto-matching system which pulls people from roulettes.

Otherwise, you will get locked up rapidly as the developers did not think about when Dungeons become abandoned by veterans for new content as new players scramble to find groups to get through the story.

They did. People queue for "Duty Roulettes" for experience, tomestones, gil or mount achievements. They then get pulled into the duty you queue for. They get extra tomestones or experience if it's your first time and it usually is someone's first time.

As I explained, it's probably because you're on Dynamis.

[Kes13a]

CONS:

2) The voice acting in the cut-scenes are good, the protagonist has no voice acting, so you get a lot of silence then answers. (Some basic voicing would have helped here, as this detracts from the emersion.)

Ever read a book, and then watched a movie of the same book and despised the main characters voice? well, maybe not despised, but the voice just felt... wrong. either tone, or delivery or something... thats because each of us is going to have a different head canon of how they SHOULD sound. having VA for the protagonist would have fallen into this category and ruined immersion for many. IF they are speaking as 'me' then they should sound exactly as 'I' want them to sound. by not having the protagonist voice acted they can avoid this and could be the basis for why it is done this way.

[VirusOnline]

Ever read a book, and then watched a movie of the same book and despised the main characters voice? well, maybe not despised, but the voice just felt... wrong. either tone, or delivery or something... thats because each of us is going to have a different head canon of how they SHOULD sound. having VA for the protagonist would have fallen into this category and ruined immersion for many. IF they are speaking as 'me' then they should sound exactly as 'I' want them to sound. by not having the protagonist voice acted they can avoid this and could be the basis for why it is done this way.

Games as well :/
Like I might catch some heat for this, but the main reason I could never get into the Witcher games was because of Geralt's voice.
Another example is Dragon Age Inquisition, though I did play that one, you get either posh or muscle man and I'm like ???
If XIVs current cast is anything to go by, we'd probably get a british VA for the MC.

On the OP, it really is in my opinion that the game get a WoW or GW2 makeover in terms of the storyline, but then that'd require an overhaul of the duty system...again lol.

[Kakurady]

Welcome to the official forum, and I'm glad you are enjoying the game!

5) Leveling is fast until 50 and then it levels out to fairly good speed that doesn't kill you waiting but does not happen every hour.

Once you get to level x0, the content stops giving out EXP and you are instead supposed to find better and better equipment (mostly through exchanging Allagan tomestones). When the next expansion comes out, though, limits on earning and exchanging tomestones are removed, to let players catch up quickly. Unfortunately removing the tomestone grind also removes the sense of progression, without removing the requirement to sit through another fourty hours of questing, so the lack of progression both in character and in plot is a common complaint.

With these stated it is a solid game that just needs the main quests updated to remove the need to spend hours and sometimes days looking for a group.

Dynamis, the data center you are on, is relatively new. If you are having trouble finding a party, you can try using the Party Finder, or travelling to another Data Center.

[Saflj]

Welcome to the official forum, and I'm glad you are enjoying the game!



Once you get to level x0, the content stops giving out EXP and you are instead supposed to find better and better equipment (mostly through exchanging Allagan tomestones). When the next expansion comes out, though, limits on earning and exchanging tomestones are removed, to let players catch up quickly. Unfortunately removing the tomestone grind also removes the sense of progression, without removing the requirement to sit through another fourty hours of questing, so the lack of progression both in character and in plot is a common complaint.




Dynamis, the data center you are on, is relatively new. If you are having trouble finding a party, you can try using the Party Finder, or travelling to another Data Center.

I am on Marilith, but I do appreciate the input.

[Saflj]

They have already done this. Pick "Duty Support" in the menu and you can enter all the story dungeons with NPCs and a few of the trials as well (which will still be a bottleneck to advance the story).

I am not seeing Minstrel's Ballad : Ultima's Bane For anything but with other player's and I believe (I could be wrong, new here) it is required to unlock Crystal Tower, which I need to do to progress the story. I already payed for 3 months of account time, but if I am still locked up at the end of that time, I will just have to resign my account. Any more input is greatly appreciated, and thank you

[Powercow]

I am not seeing Minstrel's Ballad : Ultima's Bane For anything but with other player's and I believe (I could be wrong, new here) it is required to unlock Crystal Tower, which I need to do to progress the story. I already payed for 3 months of account time, but if I am still locked up at the end of that time, I will just have to resign my account. Any more input is greatly appreciated, and thank you

The Minstrel's Ballad quests are optional fights that are hardmode (or Extreme mode) versions of fights you've completed, and all of them require a group to do. (Or you to be severely overleveled and go in unsync'd and 1shot the boss.) It's not required for the MSQ.

[Jeeqbit]

I am not seeing Minstrel's Ballad : Ultima's Bane For anything but with other player's

Anything with "Minstrel's Ballad" is an Extreme trial. Extreme trials are High-End content ie. high-difficulty raids.

Extreme trials are not supplied by Duty Roulettes, except for Mentor Roulette, which only a minority of veteran players queue for. So it would only pull from players that queue directly for it or that queue for mentor roulette and due to the low supply, it could take a whole day or even weeks for it to pop.

In order to do Extreme trials, you usually need to recruit in Party Finder.

Additionally, most people don't do "old" extreme trials synced, so they will expect to enter it with the Unrestricted setting, which allows them to destroy the boss in seconds with their level 90 weapons. If you declare that it's synced or minimum item level, it may take a very long time to fill the party.

I believe (I could be wrong, new here) it is required to unlock Crystal Tower

Not true. All Extreme trials in the game are optional, and not required to do story content.