We are actually getting a Mobile FF14 ? WHAT!?

[Loggos]

I'll eat my own hat if this game turns out to have more fun battle gameplay and encounter design (despite a reduced number of skills and mobile limitations), "better" graphics (true to the original and brushed-up animations), is more coherent design-wise, and modernised where it counts while still feeling like ARR. I don't want to imagine that a mobile game will feel more like the true FF14 while my account/character of 11+ years in the original game that I invested lots of time and money into ends up giving me a less authentic experience.
Please don't make it happen, SE.

[Jeeqbit]

I don't want to imagine that a mobile game will feel more like the true FF14 while my account/character of 11+ years in the original game that I invested lots of time and money into ends up giving me a less authentic experience.
Please don't make it happen, SE.

People here know I don't criticize SE easily and even I think it'll happen.

This mobile version is going to keep them on their toes to catch up.

[Loggos]

People here know I don't criticize SE easily and even I think it'll happen.

This mobile version is going to keep them on their toes to catch up.

If the mobile game turns into positive competition in the sense that it'll lead to SE stepping up the development of their main game then I think this could actually be a good thing.
I only worry that - with mobile games being so popular and profitable on the Asian gaming market in particular - a successful mobile version could (very) slowly but steadily supersede the current main game and become the new "future-proof" main game. Maybe I'm being too pessimistic here but considering the amount of money mobile gaming makes...

[Jeeqbit]

If the mobile game turns into positive competition in the sense that it'll lead to SE stepping up the development of their main game then I think this could actually be a good thing.

I agree. If anything, such as viera/hrothgar hats and housing are better in the mobile version (my gut feeling is there is a 100% chance they will be better), there will surely be a pressure to frantically catch up. And I just think it is certain development teams or structures that have this mindset that it's "difficult" to do.

The reason modders manage it is because it's not. It's a bit like Luke trying to lift the X-wing in Star Wars.

a successful mobile version could (very) slowly but steadily supersede the current main game and become the new "future-proof" main game. Maybe I'm being too pessimistic here but considering the amount of money mobile gaming makes...

I don't believe so. At least not while Yoshi-P or any of the original team are involved. Profit aside, they have an attachment to the game after over a decade developing it.

Yoshi-P clearly believes more in a game being a game than it endlessly chasing profit. He's said that many times but it's obvious just from the way the game sells (and the whole "take a break" thing). It doesn't do it the way most other MMORPGs do it now, and the mindset of just trying to make a good game instead of chasing profits is the one thing people recognize as the game doing right, even if they see numerous problems with the game still.

Square Enix supposedly believes this too from what I recall, despite all their failed cashgrabs, but it's rather more true with Yoshi-P since he didn't want to put the mog station UI anywhere but the Inn room and it was purely so people could try mog station gear on to see if they really will like it on their character.