Alpha First Look: Video 5 - Quests and Combat

[Zenaku]

This game is shaping up to be very fun to play.

I can't stress how much I'm relieved to no longer depend on someone else or be forced to open up a second page and hope someone wrote down a walk-through on wiki. That kind of stuff really killed the mood for me, and I'm glad they choose this way of questing and combat.

Also this way the console users have a fair ground to stand on because they wont be able to pull up a second page to read tips and tricks. This makes the game more fluid, fair, and seamless in my opinion.

Pros:
Music is great
Environment looks great
Combat looks good
Questing and progression looks pleasing

Cons:
Characters look to stiff.

Other:
The Pace of combat in the video is understandable because of level difference.

Everything in Alpha there a big list showing what going to be done in beta trust me most of the issue would be fix.

[Lirion]

Loved it! Keep it up!

[Radav]

I think we can look forward to a good solid mix of quests from ARR; your solo MMO standard fetch/kill x level up quests, group quests that require you to kill NM type mobs, story/main scenario quests that are much more interesting then the latter two and your FATES which are the dynamic event GW2/Warhammer style group quests. If they pull these off in a Final Fantasy based environment is that really such a bad thing? I will ask again (I've ready through the thread and found no responses from the people complaining.) what are you expecting them to do to be different? I think what you're asking for is nearly unattainable at this point. Guildleves were certainly not the answer to quest based leveling and overwhelmingly people want that style of XP grind. As long as they mix it up and make the main scenario quests similar to what we get from any FF story then I think they will have succeeded.

[Mjollnir]

I enjoyed that some quests in FFXI were so ridiculous that you had to ask around or look up on a wiki. After playing for a couple of years, I enjoyed contributing what I'd found out to that wiki. But the quests were pretty much all optional, with only the minority having an essential gear reward.

However, if quests are going to be the main source of XP in ARR they can't follow XI's format. I'm fine with that, I'm not after XI-2.

I dislike the copy/paste quest format in this video. For all those saying "this is only two quests, it's only alpha", this is an example that's been provided so we should be free to make comment. I recall forum users using that to justify telling others to shut up back before 1.0 too, so I guess it's to be expected.

Anyhow, what I don't like isn't so much the "Kill X", "Take X", "Observe X" format that a few have taken issue with; rather the similarity with existing games. The icon above the character which changes on completion, the minimap arrows (I know, we had these by the time 1.0 ended) and, a new thing here, optional quest rewards.

I know you're supposed to take the one which fits your class, but these are always sub-standard to crafted gear and so to the majority of people playing, pretty useless (notwithstanding a new player playing through their job for the first time). I always felt, in other games, that optional rewards were superfluous and would always simply check the one with the highest gold value and then NPC it as soon as possible. I'm a little sad (not raging, not quitting, not blowing this out of proportion) that FFXIV have adopted this reward mechanism.

I want Final Fantasy not only with names and creatures. But also with system and innovation. They copied too many elements from other games and thats not what SE was known for.

Couldn't agree more. The story, the graphics, even the FF staples I loved; but it was the fact that each game brought a whole new system into play that keeps bringing me back.

Yes, this is just one small element. No, it's not going to stop me being enthusiastic about ARR. But it is a thing, and it didn't need to be.

[Drygir]

And why even have the quest dialog in there at all? Hell even the person in the video isn't taking the time to read it.

The person making the video doesn't need to read it and the point of it being there isn't for them it's for the people who are going to read it. Like me and many others who care about storyline and other bits of interesting info in the game. Sure it seems pointless to some but to others it's a treasure trove of information like that little snippet in the video about Tam Tara. The dialog serves a purpose for those who care. Maybe you don't and even if you do it doesn't much affect me because it won't change the fact that I find it interesting. I'm just voicing my opinion for those who haven't said anything and feel this way and for myself. Sure there are some things monotonous in this video but my point is the dialog has it's rightful place and it does belong. It's the player's choice to read it or not.

[Akujin]

Its low level quests.. it has been said, numerous times (though I guess not everyone is as diligent about reading) that the first several levels of the game has been designed in such a way to make new players comfortable with gameplay. Yes, the quests are going to be more simplified for them.

Would it really inspire new players to trigger a quest and have absolultly no idea where to go?

"You're to go to 'X' place and once you get there, you'll know what to do"

As the player.. they've never been to this X place, its not on their map and further more, what am I supposed to do once I do actually get there?

Just no, games are not meant to be frustrating and fun killers so early on. The frustration comes further in when you want to achieve something remarkable and worthwhile, that takes more time and effort and the only thing really standing in your way, is your ability to do it, not the lack of information from the designers.

Consider yourselves fortunate that the majority of you should already be well beyond the low level points and so these sorts of quests wont mean much to you, maybe after you pick up a new class and want to get some easy shoe in exp..to which you'll appreciate it so much more at that point.

Also, call it what you will, but I seriously believe a majority of people who sit on these forums and want to complain, bicker and nit pick every minute detail about the videos are mainly doing so because they arent experiencing the gameplay for themselves. They feel jaded, cheated, etc etc and its their angst that's spewing out rather than actually meaningful constructive critcisim.

Consider it a GIFT that they're even giving us these videos. Its a wonderful thing, that they're allowing everyone to see how the game is progressing in alpha play through these snippet videos. Just stop crying over thing and try to appreciate the design, the fluid motion, the effects, the music, everything. You arent entitled to a single freaking thing, whether you played from day one or not. They want opinions from players, both currently engaged in alpha and those who are not, still lurking on the forums and watching their videos. So try to give off some positive feedback instead of this nit picking garbage, ya?

[Zetsumei_Tsunarashi]

Wrote my initial reaction to this video down in LS forums so I'll just repost here:

One thing that sort of irks me about this video is that they only did one quest at a time. In order to really make quests effective, you need to be able to accept and complete multiple quests at the same time before returning to the quest hub. The fact that they didn't show the character accepting and completing multiple quests at the same time makes me feel like the the devs did not understand that doing only one quest at a time is not time effective and therefore the quest system is probably not streamlined to allow for the completion of multiple quests in a timely manner.

While the addition of exp quests is nice, I think SE does not realize that players that are used to quest based leveling (WoW players) have become very efficient at it over the years, and if the quest system does not enable them to be efficient levelers, it will probably turn them away.

[elreed]

I prefer no help at all.

Tell me the mob I am looking for is southwest of the current location, and tell me why it needs to be stop. I'll go looking for it, and make a side story in my head.

"Oh these bulls needs to be killed because they are ruining your crops that you need to sell to get medicine for you ill child?" /redwizardcape on and away.

Tracking them down myself is better than blantly pointing them out. Makes me feel like I actually did the work of finding them, otherwise why not send a town guard to the sign post that says "enemy here"?

This is what i was trying to say, i prefer having to work a bit to clear the quest and a reason to read it

[viion]

Wrote my initial reaction to this video down in LS forums so I'll just repost here:

One thing that sort of irks me about this video is that they only did one quest at a time. In order to really make quests effective, you need to be able to accept and complete multiple quests at the same time before returning to the quest hub. The fact that they didn't show the character accepting and completing multiple quests at the same time makes me feel like the the devs did not understand that doing only one quest at a time is not time effective and therefore the quest system is probably not streamlined to allow for the completion of multiple quests in a timely manner.

While the addition of exp quests is nice, I think SE does not realize that players that are used to quest based leveling (WoW players) have become very efficient at it over the years, and if the quest system does not enable them to be efficient levelers, it will probably turn them away.

You can accept multiple quests at a time, you can also accept multiple leves, and initiate them one after another without having to go back, you can get the reward once you've finished.

The video makes everything feel so slow, so dull and so boring, if you're in alpha you know its nothing like what this video shows in terms of pace and enjoyment.

Video is just to show the systems off though, not really show the "fun-ness" of the game.

[DannyNobuser]

Looks badass SE i like i cant wait to play the finished product