What did FF14 have right, at launch?

[Lurex]

I was gonna say graphics, but after thinking about it better and realizing the problem with the server structure, I re-thought it. So, my answer is NOTHING.

[Yucie]

FF14 has good character models/textures and animations, but the game's graphics as a whole aren't really cutting edge.

First, there's the poort LOD blending going from background to foreground that looks terrible no matter how high you set your settings, and then there's a distinct lack of dynamic shadows. Additionally, the graphics engine is really inefficient. To be quite honest, the original Crysis has better (or at least just as good) graphics than FF14, and doesn't need as powerful a computer to deliver them. That game is also like 4 years old, and the only thing FF14 does better is character models. Better character models are however a sign of 3D modellers doing a good job, not engine programmers.

-edit-
Oh, right. I guess that is something that they did right. FF14 did have very good character models, I'll give them that. Now you can't accuse me of being a complete negative nancy.

Nobody is arguing with you about how bad Crystal Tools is.

[Denmo]

Thats because all those people stopped playing.

Whiteknights are going to ruin this game.

"Oh Yoshi! You have fixed everything! You are so amazing! Want a beer! "

2 months after 2.0

"Where'd Denmo go?"

"Oh he left FF14 and went back playing WoW and whiteknighting other shitty games"

I don't know what I did to you, but whatever.

[Elexia]

Nobody is arguing with you about how bad Crystal Tools is.

CT is a great engine actually. For MMOs? Nope.

[Neptune]

let's see i'll not only go on release, but go up til january after release.

1. armory system. i loved being able to customize my character to be able to maximize its usefulness in party or solo. being able to equip my character differently with abilities that were situational i absolutely loved the freedom.

2. the stamina gauge. i know alot of people hated it, but i much preferred the fast pace of combat to the slow pace that's set now. i enjoyed having complete control of my character so i could either regular attack or build up tp(as a mage) to use a special move.

3. incaps mobs. the visual incaps on the mobs i absolutely loved. from knocking the head off a skeleton, to flipping a toad upside down, to visually seeing the horn break off the great buffalo. i really wish they had expanded upon that allowing additional drops when they were done.

4. material drops. the fighting nm's that had material drops where you had to farm additional parts to make that best piece in the game. it kept the crafters, gatherers, and fighting classes needing each other to get a final piece of gear.

5. the original thm/con. the lore of both classes really seemed like they fit to me. i know the old ff's had each of them as a different set of abilities, but each ff has always added a twist to the classes. i liked the elements on con and light/dark of thm. i thought they were really well put together even though i do feel they had too many spells too early in the games lifetime. i loved the dot's and status effects from them.

6. the speed of leveling. after they got rid of the proc of sp i felt like the speed to rank up a class was close to my ideal speed. i feel it was much better than it is now.

7. crafting. i really loved the way to make gear you had to make individual parts and then assemble them. the realism i loved. there was alot of fixes needed(r40 hammerhead for a r19 hammer) to correct issues to make it great, but loved the idea behind it.

8. the mobs. mobs special actions. sneaking by a mob and it would look your way because it was looking to see what disturbed it. that went to get near it and even though it has no clue what it is that was insta attack.

i'm sure there are other things that i feel they did right on release, but it's too late to think at this time.

edit: 9. battle regimens. his was probably one of my favorite parts of the battle system. if you took the time and was with a good group you could just destroy mobs using them. it also told you really quickly if you were playing with a good and experienced player or a not so good player.

So right sir. Alas, how good the game used to be. I wish you were on my server so we could run Darkhold wishing it was like the good old days of Battle Regimens on Batraal. lol