They should scrap the PS3 version.

[KaplanHomahru]

The thing that annoys me about the existence of the PS3 version is they've already expressed concerns about memory requirements for the PS3 version. No doubt they are having to limit the PC version now because of the PS3 specifically in the areas of character details. The PS3 will limit the about of animations each character can have and the variations in armor and weapon designs that are available. This is going to be especially apparent in future expansions as they've said they are pretty much already out of memory on the PS3 trying to get the current version of ARR up and running.

If you would go back and actually read the thread, you would know that this is actually not a concern at all - the PC version will not be held back at all. This is because, unlike FFXI, FFXIV was built for the PC first, so it will never be restricted by the PS3 version.

[Ladon]

If you would go back and actually read the thread, you would know that this is actually not a concern at all - the PC version will not be held back at all.

Then the thread is wrong. This is absolutely a concern. All models and textures have to be loaded for a zone so this means the current environment and every possible character related texture, animation and model needs to be loaded in memory so it can be displayed.

They are already expressed concerns with the limited memory on the PS3 just getting the first ARR version up and running. It does not bode well for the future of the game already as now they are forced into a parity with the PS3 in this area. I fully expect simple re-textures and recolors of current gear when adding future gear now because of this, just like with FF11.

This is the main reason long running MMOs typically don't hit consoles because their limited memory greatly restricts what can be added to the game since adding anything character related is going to up the memory requirements.

[KaplanHomahru]

Then the thread is wrong.

Well that is just what Yoshi-P says and believes, but I guess you are right and he is wrong then, we should all find a different game to play ^^ Thank you for bringing this to my attention, see you in GW2 or something

EDIT: If you don't trust Yoshi at this point ... I dunno why you're here

[Ladon]

Well that is just what Yoshi-P says and believes, but I guess you are right and he is wrong then, we should all find a different game to play ^^ Thank you for bringing this to my attention, see you in GW2 or something

Lots of respect for Yoshi-P but he's not going to go around and admit these sort of things when he is expected to deliver a working version of the game and it likely getting internal pressure to do so. But that isn't going to change how video games work. Character variation is going to suffer due to the PS3s memory, period.

[Zenaku]

Then the thread is wrong. This is absolutely a concern. All models and textures have to be loaded for a zone so this means the current environment and every possible character related texture, animation and model needs to be loaded in memory so it can be displayed.

They are already expressed concerns with the limited memory on the PS3 just getting the first ARR version up and running. It does not bode well for the future of the game already as now they are forced into a parity with the PS3 in this area. I fully expect simple re-textures and recolors of current gear when adding future gear now because of this, just like with FF11.

This is the main reason long running MMOs typically don't hit consoles because their limited memory greatly restricts what can be added to the game since adding anything character related is going to up the memory requirements.

Yoshi-p said that he going to keep updating the look of FFXIV for the PC version. Which mean a high end PC today can play max setting maybe in 2-4years it can only play med setting.

it's not a concern what so every Yoshi-p said many time that ffxiv was build for PC version. which mean they can keep updating all they want ffxiv is even getting a dx11 update in a few month from ffxiv release it could take longer tho for all we know but it's comming.

I really don't know what you talking about how would the PS3 hold back the PC from getting a update for let's say DX11 and make it look better lol. What does the PS3 limits on memory have to do with PC version? if they update the PC version they wont update the PS3 version when it come to graphics and such.

I guess the only thing i see the ps3 limit the PC would be how they make raids they can't make it where it have way to many players/mobs that the PS3 players can do good enough. But once ps4 hits the market and a lot more people have it. They can easy port FFXIV over to that then make better raids and dungeon that the ps3 was stoping the pc from doing.. They can simple stop supporting few things for the PS3 users they did that for PS2 for NA so i dont' see a issue 2-4years down the road.

[Ladon]

Yoshi-p said that he going to keep updating the look of FFXIV for the PC version. Which mean a high end PC today can play max setting maybe in 2-4years it can only play med setting.

Understood but he likely just means improved assets for the PC version, higher quality shaders, more detailed, larger textures.

This doesn't mean they are going to be able to add assets though. They can add zones no problem (big reason why the seamless design was scrapped so that they can get this running on the PS3) but they are not going to be able to add very many more common assets (eg player weapons and armor) because they would need to be added to both version and there simply isn't enough memory on the PS3 to do so. They -might- be able to do some creative texture swapping with some LOD tricks like UE3 does but more model variation is going to be out of the question.

Now they might be budgeting memory on the current version for another expansion maybe two so they can add a handful of new item looks, but it is without question already impacting design decisions in ARR. No variation of animations across races for example and the relatively small zones are already an example.

[Reynhart]

They are already expressed concerns with the limited memory on the PS3 just getting the first ARR version up and running. It does not bode well for the future of the game already as now they are forced into a parity with the PS3 in this area. I fully expect simple re-textures and recolors of current gear when adding future gear now because of this, just like with FF11.

Memory limitations is why zones are split into smaller parts, because PS3 can't load a whole region in its RAM.
If you think animations will be the problems, you're deliberately forgetting that FF XIV has very few different animations , especially compared to some offline games...that run perfectly on PS3.

The numbers of characters on screen will also be fewer on the PS3, but it isn't really an issue, cause you'll never have hundreds of mobs and players anywhere besides towns where you don't need to be focused.

EDIT : By the way, everybody remembers the "Sorry, no new animation on FFXI because of PS2 limitations"
Guess what...we've been treated new weapon skills with totally different animations...and the PS2 can display it, what a shock !
Without even considering all the new designs for armors and monster that we had throughout the years and still have with the next expansion.

[TAS]

I just finished watching the "Tour of Eorzea" video. They should really consider scrapping the PS3 version.

There was so much screen tearing and the frame rate was plain horrible. "We're bringing in the guys from Sony" doesn't give me much hope.

If they try to actually sell that for money, it will just piss even more fans off.

Who else agrees they should give up on the PS3 version? Release ARR for PC and perhaps consider a future PS4 release.

If we're trying to think realisticly then realisticly the game should have been shut down when it was originally deemed a flopped but they didn't. They kept working at it, it got better and FFXIV: ARR could very well stand to be a higly successful MMO.

SE and Yoshi proves that something like this can be done despite the means being unrealistic. The Ps3 is no exception.

[Alhanelem]

It doesn't fit because the lead platforms are switched. It's a very basic and understandable concept.

Your argument is centered around "the lead platforms are switched." Yes, this is a "basic" and "understandable" concept, however, your argument is still flawed.

That really doesn't matter. Even if the "main" version isn't held back, the other versions still are, and you still end up buying a new console later to keep playing when support is dropped. The problem of "we can't do this" is less pronounced, but problems still exist- Problems that would never happen if the game wasn't released on those non-upgradable platforms in the first place.

You saying so doesn't make it so. You've been told why it's off mark, and you really have no argument.

Wrong. I told you why it is ON the mark, and I do have an argument- which I spent a 10 mile long post explaining, and have continued to elaborate on there.

Nope. Zones have been split to reduce load on the servers. It has nothing to do with memory limitations, as assets are streamed.

They are both factors. Yes, assets are streamed, but there is still non-asset (assets meaning art/sounds/models/etc) information that needs to be tracked and loaded. The larger the area, the more of that information is present, regardless of currently loaded assets. Beyond that, larger areas expoentially increase the amount of CPU time needed for AI pathfinding- a topic that SE expanded on quite a bit in interviews. Smaller areas was both to accomodate the PS3 but also to optimize and improve for PC. Kind of a shame as I liked the semi-seamless world but you win some you lose some- Since that isn't just about PS3 limitations (though it is partially), I'm not as bothered by it.

It is udeniably much easier to make a game for a single platform that is well suited to the needs of the game than to sprawl out and put the game on as many other platforms as possible, many of which are not as well suited to the kind of game this is.

Yes, expanding to more platforms increases the number of people you can reach. But if the game is of poorer quality on those platforms, you risk alienating those people and then they won't even buy the PC version because they'll assume it's just as bad.

Only twice as much on the bare minimum. Sorry, but you're running out of excuses.

Deluxe Wii U is $350. I can probably build a PC without a monitor (connect it to the TV) that can run the game for that price or a little more.

[Abriael]

You can't stream common assets, this is why games have minimum memory requirements to begin with. You could stream local assets but you'd still need to keep your common asset memory size constant for performance reasons.

Also I don't really see any evidence the ARR engine is streaming any assets except LOD. That will save on mipmapping memory requirements and nothing much else.

Which is exactly why memory restrictions have absolutely nothing to do with the reduction of the zone size. Zones have a theme, and even if they're not tiled anymore they use pretty much the same assets fitting that theme all over the zone. Having a zone even twice as big wouldn't cause many more assets to be loaded whether it's streaming or not, unless the theme changed radically from one side to the other, and it doesn't.

Your argument is centered around "the lead platforms are switched." Yes, this is a "basic" and "understandable" concept, however, your argument is still flawed.

It's not just MY argument. It's also Yoshida's argument, and if you think you know better then him, I'm sure you'll forgive me if i have a laugh.

That really doesn't matter. Even if the "main" version isn't held back, the other versions still are

And? It doesn't matter of the PS3 version is held back. That's the problem of PS3 players. I'm sure they'll have no problem deciding between not playing the game at all and playing it with lesser graphics.

and you still end up buying a new console later to keep playing when support is dropped.

There's no reason to believe that support will be dropped any time soon.

The problem of "we can't do this" is less pronounced, but problems still exist- Problems that would never happen if the game wasn't released on those non-upgradable platforms in the first place.

Nope. The problem does not exist, as most assets can be downgraded with a single click activating a batch operation and ALL assets can be downgraded in general to fit.

Wrong. I told you why it is ON the mark, and I do have an argument- which I spent a 10 mile long post explaining, and have continued to elaborate on there.

Your post being 10 mile long doesn't make it any less misguided and misleading. It's just misguided and misleading for 10 miles.

Cry as much as you want, but the PS3 version is here to stay, and PC gamers that actually know how this works have nothing to worry about it.