Thread: UI and animation sync issues - Will 2.0 fix this?

These are two very large issues (Well, for me at least) that I never see discussed here, and was curious as to if they planned on being changed

The first is that the UI does not sync with battle animations. What I mean is, when executing a skill (particularly one with a longer animation, say, Simian Thrash), the server calculates whether the attack succeeds and how much damage it does, and the UI displays the result by depleting the mob's HP bar...all before the animation even starts. It takes a lot of the excitement and tension out of combat when you know the result before it actually happens. I believe the UI should sync with combat, not displaying the results until the animation actually strikes

My other problem is that there seems to be a universal and standard delay between all weapon skills. A sort of cooldown period to prevent you from doing WS instantaneously, one after another. The issue is that it appears to be the same for skills with animations that take one second, and others (Again, like Simian Thrash) that take significantly longer. So what happens is, I execute Simian Thrash, and as the animation is playing, I can already execute another skill. The UI will show the mob's HP depleting from the damage the second skill did, while still playing the animation for the first skill, often times not even playing the second animation at all

I hope all of that makes some sort of sense

Sounds like a server-client thing. I think we all experience it. FFXIV 1.0's architecture is famously poor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIJCQs-R7X4

Since they've got a completely new and improved architecture for 2.0, I'd immagine that the issues will be fixed, at the very least improved upon.

Originally Posted by Mishakai

The reason is because the new architecture is different enough that is simply can't be dropped into 1.X, which is why we even have 2.0 in the first place. Trust me, if SE could have revamped everything w/o a complete rewrite, that would have been the route they took to fix the game from it's release state. Unfortunately, they bumped into so many issues with the gfx engine and it's extremely tight integration to the UI and other things that they were unable to do that with a live game.

They aren't revamping everything either. And after spending seven years working on the current game engine, they are not going to abandon it. It's a huge investment to create a new game engine from scratch. And what issues with the GFX engine are you referring to? Sounds like you are saying they hard coded the UI or something. The game passes all user interaction thru a lua interpreter. The UI is polled and updated 30 times a second. It's not part of the 3D rendered image.

You've been playing since Mar 2011. You tell me, have they made many substantial improvements to the game? Of course they have. They proven the existing game can be improved. So there is no reason for a rebuilt client/server engine.

It all makes sense, but honestly, I think it's better this way.

Honestly, how would it feel if you pushed your Simian Thrash ability, and the animation starts going, then the mob kills you? Now what if you would have won by that weaponskill?

Another example is Chaos Thrust. What if you push the button, you reel back to deal the attack, and you get stunned.

I'm all for damage as it gets hit, but there would have to be different animations depending on if you get interrupted, stunned or killed.

That's a bit much for me.

Originally Posted by Alerith

It all makes sense, but honestly, I think it's better this way.

Honestly, how would it feel if you pushed your Simian Thrash ability, and the animation starts going, then the mob kills you? Now what if you would have won by that weaponskill?

Another example is Chaos Thrust. What if you push the button, you reel back to deal the attack, and you get stunned.

I'm all for damage as it gets hit, but there would have to be different animations depending on if you get interrupted, stunned or killed.

That's a bit much for me.

I think you're misunderstanding the point. I'm not asking for the adjustment of when damage is calculated, but when it's displayed. It can function how it does now, the outcome already decided, but sync the visual cue to what's actually happening on screen instead of ruining the grandeur. In other words, add a little immersion, make it less an obvious number game

Now the second issue, involving how WS can be used while other WS are currently playing their animation...that would require a bit of an adjustment to how combat works

This behavior is actually identical in FF11, and I think it's intentionally left that way, perhaps because it would require a lot extra work and network overhead to do.

Originally Posted by Mirage

This behavior is actually identical in FF11, and I think it's intentionally left that way, perhaps because it would require a lot extra work and network overhead to do.

No -- In FFXI when I pop off a WS the damage, effect and reaction is all in sync and if the monster happen to die and I blink for example it will only kill the animation, but not delay the actual damage and reaction. In FFXIV you will get your damage return after the monster dies as well as it's reaction sometimes.

Also according to this:

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...damage-display

They essentially did have a fix in mind/implemented but it would have strained the server.

Originally Posted by Jennestia

No -- In FFXI when I pop off a WS the damage, effect and reaction is all in sync and if the monster happen to die and I blink for example it will only kill the animation, but not delay the actual damage and reaction. In FFXIV you will get your damage return after the monster dies as well as it's reaction sometimes.

Also according to this:

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...damage-display

They essentially did have a fix in mind/implemented but it would have strained the server.

They mean it's the same thing as 11 in that the HP gets reduced from the target's HP bar once the action is initiated, regardless of the animation.