Alpha Video 5 - 3 sec GCD combat seems slow

[Crayge]

I have another concern that stems off of this. Not only do we have a 3 second global recast, it is the only recast for all of our weapon skills/spells/etc. Is this going to lend itself to at higher level we'll find all our jobs just using their one strongest ability? If its available every 3 seconds along with everything else, why bother using any of the other skills?

One thing I loved about 1.0's combat system was how the different recast timers + combo system made it so you always had good reason to use ALL the weapon skills you had at your disposal. I loved the variety in attacks that this facilitated and the fact that our skills didn't become useless after we got new ones. It was a thing of beauty and made combat more engaging for me.

I realize we haven't seen how the new combo system will work. I also realize that the higher weapon skills might be managed more by something other than recast time, like higher tp cost. But those things considered... this system seems like such a step backwards. They spent over a year tweaking and fine tuning the combat system to make it something really solid and different... it was great! All it needed was the new server structure/graphics engine ARR is bringing. Why... why are they throwing out all that work for... this?

[Skies]

I have another concern that stems off of this. Not only do we have a 3 second global recast, it is the only recast for all of our weapon skills/spells/etc. Is this going to lend itself to at higher level we'll find all our jobs just using their one strongest ability? If its available every 3 seconds along with everything else, why bother using any of the other skills?

One thing I loved about 1.0's combat system was how the different recast timers + combo system made it so you always had good reason to use ALL the weapon skills you had at your disposal. I loved the variety in attacks that this facilitated and the fact that our skills didn't become useless after we got new ones. It was a thing of beauty and made combat more engaging for me.

I realize we haven't seen how the new combo system will work. I also realize that the higher weapon skills might be managed more by something other than recast time, like higher tp cost. But those things considered... this system seems like such a step backwards. They spent over a year tweaking and fine tuning the combat system to make it something really solid and different... it was great! All it needed was the new server structure/graphics engine ARR is bringing. Why... why are they throwing out all that work for... this?

Look at the description of the attack, you gotta pause. Combo Action: Double the attack power
Again
And again, this time it ALSO has a Heavy effect in addition to double attack power, presumably also being third hit in a chain.

Combos are still present, they give benefits for being used. Global cooldowns won't lock you into using only the 'best' ability, it just makes easier to recover from a miss or badly-timed combo starter or to restart the combo chain from the middle if you screw up.

[yukikaze_yanagi]

because in alpha recast simply don't exist, while they'll actually exist. So don't take what you seen as a fact pls

[Crayge]

Well what we have at this point is what it is - it is fact, but it is also a very early build. I hope you are right in that its a matter of a simplified alpha build. Its good to remember this phase isn't really intended to test anything but the servers.

Though if that is the case, I would have been more hesitant to release a video specifically noted to showcase combat until it more closely resembled their intention. I just share my concerns on what we have to go on at this point.

[Endigiont]

P.S. The guy in the video is also a clicker too, any serious guild would not allow clickers in their guild however he actually has time to hover over his next command due to long GCD.

O.o Shut the front door, you're dumb.

[GreyJorildyn]

O.o Shut the front door, you're dumb.

This is actually a real thing lol

Don't be so quick to dismiss it. Ff's version of this could be "oh, so you play on PS3..."

[Endigiont]

This is actually a real thing lol

Don't be so quick to dismiss it. Ff's version of this could be "oh, so you play on PS3..."

I just mean who cares? I sorta hate those elitist people lol, I won't even join a guild/linkshell in a game that requires an application anymore, FFXI Endgame and then WoW Endgame turned me off from 1) The endgame elitist community in most games and 2) any group that's too bossy.

Seriously in FFXI and WoW if you didn't know me from my reputation for being a good player and that wasn't good enough I wasn't interested in joining, I've had linkshell leaders and guild masters hound me into trying to get me to post an application on their websites to which I always said "Nope, not gonna happen, you'd just say I was in a probation period until the end of time anyhow." I much prefer the small group of extremely skilled players who I get along with, who no one has some power trip thing going on, to the endgame groups that are extremely bureaucratic.

As for them not allowing someone in their guild for being a "clicker" that's silly.... Hell I was in a linkshell and our best Blackmage actually typed out all his spells, even his stuns. You could hear him on ventrillo typing away like the dickens. Course FFXI was slower paced than WoW but still. How would the guild even know if someone was clicking anyhow?

[Klefth]

ARR is already on the way to become another bland, cookie-cutter "standard" MMO and there's people that actually want it to be even much more like every other MMO? Seriously people? Seriously? I fear combat will be nothing but a spamfest, and people still want to be able to spam stuff faster? Damn...

[Delsus]

ARR is already on the way to become another bland, cookie-cutter "standard" MMO and there's people that actually want it to be even much more like every other MMO? Seriously people? Seriously? I fear combat will be nothing but a spamfest, and people still want to be able to spam stuff faster? Damn...

The reason any MMOs become "Standard" MMOs is because players have no idea what they want, a developer gives players something different and they cry, so they change it to take parts from other games, and they cry.

[Priya]

ARR is already on the way to become another bland, cookie-cutter "standard" MMO and there's people that actually want it to be even much more like every other MMO? Seriously people? Seriously? I fear combat will be nothing but a spamfest, and people still want to be able to spam stuff faster? Damn...

Ironically, most people screaming this will still be here in ARR. They won't follow the "go play that other MMO" advice they so readily hand out. -- Source: Half of the complaint posts.

inb4 "but WE want to play FFXIV!" So do the rest of us, but we want a playable version.

EDIT: Also, the "no clicker" mentality does exist in competitive gaming. However, it's not common enough for anyone to really worry about it. Only the top of the top would downright refuse to accept anyone; most simply won't care as long as you accomplish your job.