FFXIV: A Realm Reborn - This time it's actually playable!

[POS Industries]

LAST TIME, ON FINAL FANTASY XIV:

Literally everything is awkwardly and ineffectually set up. Movement, combat, communication with NPCs, communication with other players, video options... anything that one would consider the bedrock of a video game is just absolute shit.

It's something that I've noticed with a lot of new MMOs where they don't want to be accused of being a "WoW clone" so they try to avoid it in the most wrongheaded manner by just trying to reinvent the UI in a way that's as far removed from what Blizzard did as possible (and invariably coming up with something unplayably worse) and leaving all the generic MMO gameplay elements that people associate first and foremost with WoW in place.

It's like they're throwing out the baby with the bathwater, except they're keeping the bathwater.
So after three years of having to completely redevelop their MMO from square one (::V:) and then fucking up the relaunch with a week's worth of server problems that they finally got worked out a couple days ago, I'm pleased to report that Squeenix has successfully put the baby back in their bathwater. Granted, I think said baby has a completely new set of parent, but this time they've got themselves a pretty damn good MMO on their hands.

As far as the gameplay goes, this time it totally is a WoW clone, but it's being a WoW clone right. The combat is fairly smooth, although the global cooldown is longer than I'd prefer, but it's FF and I dunno maybe that's supposed to be a throwback to how it felt waiting between attacks in the oldschool ATB days. For the most part, you're not going to notice any sluggishness (especially when playing a caster class), but be prepared to stand there feeling like a chump for a couple seconds after using an instant cast ability, is all I'm saying.

The class system is fantastic, though. Your class is based on the type of weapon you have, so switching classes is as easy as switching weapons, and the layouts of your actionbars is saved for each class. It also has a system set up to where you have gear loadouts saved and can switch back and forth between them seamlessly, which makes class changes even more of a breeze. The only major downside is that you start out in one of the three capital cities based on your starting class, and each city only has guildmasters for the classes that start there, so if you start out as an arcanist and then want to train up thaumaturge, you have to wait until you get through the story quests up to the point that you're allowed to take an airship to the appropriate city to become one. Not that any of this takes all that long.

Also this game is still beautiful, but it's a FF game, so that's not gonna be a surprise. Gorgeous graphics, great music, the usual. The english voice acting is pretty terrible, though. I'm usually pretty forgiving of that stuff but this was one of those times where I ended up switching the cut scene audio to japanese and not looking back. Also, I guess one thing worth noting is that the graphics are too good, so you may find yourself having some trouble running it. It runs fine at 1280x720 for me, but unfortunately my monitor is 1080p and there's an issue where the game won't run properly at fullscreen 1280x720 that I have yet to find a solution to (it doesn't fill the screen vertically), so I'm stuck in windowed mode for the time being. Shitsux.

Anyway, I'm Torch Maranda on Gilgamesh. Come find me. Or don't because my server's full most of the time so you might not be able to get on it.

[Krylo]

As far as the gameplay goes, this time it totally is a WoW clone, but it's being a WoW clone right.

So basically they killed everything interesting about it, rather than just fixing the awful UI problems it had?

Good to know.

[POS Industries]

So basically they killed everything interesting about it, rather than just fixing the awful UI problems it had?

Good to know.
I was only talking about the UI problems, actually, since I couldn't even bother to spend any time with the old version because the UI was so unplayable. If they've changed anything else about the mechanics of the game, I sure haven't noticed.

EDIT: Oh wait, they did make one really big change: Questing isn't limited to guildleves anymore, and I don't think you're limited on how many leves you can do in a day if you opt to grind them, which is pretty handy as far as leveling up other classes after you've done all the quests in that area.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Yeah, Yoshi-P really outdid himself with FFXIV ARR. By cultivating what works and culling out what was failed and implemented ideas he has created a slick beast of a game that just works. No campy trying to create something original and failing terribly at it, no forced awkward mechanics, etc.

Before really diving into the game I was a little put off by the crafting's very diversified requirements. Then the more I got into it the more I appreciated that a tailor/leatherworker/so on so forth requires stuff from other crafters and how gatherers contribute directly to multiple crafting classes. Is a driving force in making materials affordable but still profitable.

When I don't feel like punchin the bojangles out of things I'll go diggin in the rocks and catchin fish. What I don't use I'll sell and make a nice profit off nearly everything. When fundage gets too low? Dig up some iron ore or silver. Feed into the auction machine, push button, receive bacon. Undoubtedly the economy will slow down in a bit so I'm makin the most out of it while the market is still a dosh machine.

Though, there are a few things I'd like addressed. Very little things. Quality of life stuff. like a larger clickbox radius around a moving target or tab targeting that doesn't rotate between everything on screen. A nice proximity based tab-to-nearest-target would be nice. Other than that, is very solid game. There's really only one thing I think could have been handled better: Materia melding. It should have been a skill not tied to any specific crafting class. Or at least every crafter can fit matera in any slot. 'cause the only options now are to either grind up every crafting class to 50 or pay outrageous sums of money for someone else to socket it.

Interestingly enough, I've heard rumors about what new classes will be added. Supposedly confirmed in world chat but I haven't seen anything to verify it. Some folk be sayin that Musketeer, Dark Knight, and Blue Mage will be the first ones implemented. If these are true I'd at least like dark knight to be a melee dps class. Pugilist/monk lancer/dragoon are fine and all but need somethin more...brutal and raw. Would love blue mage to be in. Always did love the blue mage concept. will shut up now. rambling from work exhaustion.

[POS Industries]

Though, there are a few things I'd like addressed. Very little things. Quality of life stuff. like a larger clickbox radius around a moving target or tab targeting that doesn't rotate between everything on screen. A nice proximity based tab-to-nearest-target would be nice. Other than that, is very solid game.
Oof, yeah, I'll give you that. I'm not sure what the algorithm for tab-targeting priority is but it sure seems to have "enemy directly in front of you" as the very last thing it will ever select in any and all circumstances. Doubly so if said enemy is currently attacking you.

I know this is usually just solved with clicking the damn thing and being done with it, but my pinky is way closer to the tab key than the cursor is to the enemy so it just seems like it should be the more convenient option.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

pretty much the sole reason I don't tank in this game, which is a shame because the tanking mechanics and play look actually quite fun and up until now I've detested tanking. The clockwise and counter-clockwise targeting they currently have is the deal breaker.

[Ryong]

I tried one of the beta tests.

This game looks fucking gorgeous. GW2 looks fantastic, but realistic whereas this just tries its fucking best to make every environment picturesque as hell. I also liked the variety with equipment. I can't speak much about combat because every time I saw something to fight there were 20 people around me trying to also kill it.

I ain't giving up on GW2, though.

Oh, one more thing: How does the game deal with resource gathering? Is it like WoW/GW2 with resource nodes? If so, does it do the good thing with being like GW2 wherein gathering a node only makes it disappear for you?

[Steel Shadow]

I've been playing a Gladiator and trying to get used to aggro management. Early on most of the classes threat management is single target, so someone attacking the wrong thing can fuck up the entire fight, but I guess you get used to it.

Yeah, ARR is actually a lot of fun! Enjoying it a ton. And gathering is like GW2 resource node wise, I think. Also they respawn really quickly.

Storyline is fun and pretty well written. The voice acting is terrible, jesus christ. It sounds more like they're trying to read lines clearly than actually do voice acting save for one or two characters (and even them...) but it's a pretty minor issue, so I'll let it pass. Good game for the most part!

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Oh, one more thing: How does the game deal with resource gathering? Is it like WoW/GW2 with resource nodes? If so, does it do the good thing with being like GW2 wherein gathering a node only makes it disappear for you?

Personal resource nodes. When you start digging at a mineral node a menu pops up and you can choose what you want out of what it provides, if you have the skill to dig it reliably. Same applies to botany. Fishing is randomized and only requires a body of water.

Mining is undoubtedly the most profitable of the gathering classes since it feeds resources directly into goldsmithing, blacksmithing, armor smithing, alchemy, and leatherworking. I can generally pull in at least 8 to 10k after about an hour or less from digging miscellaneous stuff. If I focus gather ore like iron or silver I can pull in a helluva lot more by selling in bulk.

[Magus]

Is this on PS3 now? Is it free to play?

[Krylo]

Is this on PS3 now? Is it free to play?

Actually this is a good question. Not so much is it free to play, 'cause I'm pretty sure no, but when it originally came out they had a subscription fee PER CHARACTER. It was like 10-15 per month, and then an extra five per character slot past the first.

[POS Industries]

Actually this is a good question. Not so much is it free to play, 'cause I'm pretty sure no, but when it originally came out they had a subscription fee PER CHARACTER. It was like 10-15 per month, and then an extra five per character slot past the first.
Yeah, they cut that shit right out.

It's just $15 a month (first month is free with purchase of the game), and I don't think there's any limit on characters, though seeing as you can switch between every class in the game on a single character, you're probably not going to be running too many alts unless you're interested in the different story questlines depending on which city you start in.

It is on PS3 as well, but that version does cost $10 more to buy. I hear the controller setup for it is pretty good, but I can't part with my kb+m.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

There is one( well two intrinsically tied to each other) painfully significant and worrisome design flaws in this game that needs to be addressed and addressed very very quickly. Pretty much all the money going into any given server's economy is quest based gains. Levequests and guildheists are so low in gil rewards that they aren't worth doing compared to the expense of repairing equipment at 50. While gathering classes are profitable they're only profitable solely due to the fact that there is a large base of players still questing. Once the questing dwindles down that gravy train has run its course.

Did a little looking into the matter more and repairing your own gear at that level requires a single dark matter 5 per repair use, and those go for about 350 gil a pop. Repairing at that level takes multiple DM5's. As much a loss, if not more, than straight up NPC repairing.

This is further compounded by level 50's doing FATEs naked to avoid incurring durability damage on equipment for farming Grand Company seals to buy Dark Materias at roughly 1,000 seals per DM5 (forget the exact number).

So at level 50 you're effectively nickle and dimed until your gear is broken and your gil stash cannot keep up with the repairs, teleports, ships, air ships, food buffs, potions, etc.

Mobs do not give gil on kill, or the ones that do give maybe 1-2. FATEs, levequest/guildheists are not profitable for the time invested.

Now factoring all this together there is a trend among endgame players to corpse hop dungeons for speed running or wearing crappy gear up until the last boss. Then melting the shit gear into materia to feed into the Auction Market because other than a chance at gear after boss is killed..there is literally no profit made in dungeon runs. Only breaking even by abusing the system or gil loss. This further complicates the situation even more.

So as it stands there is literally no reason to advance to end game unless one wants to be frustratingly broke. This seriously concerns me and makes me hesitant to progress any further in the game until the gil sinks are offset by gil fountains. This current system literally punishes the players for playing as the game is intended and gives nothing back but money sinks upon money sinks.

I love this game, but I can see myself getting very frustrated if I progress any further in the next 20 levels. I've talked about this with people in my free company and a few have said this is Yoshi-P's means of reducing the market inflation due to legacy players coming into the game with mountains of money. I can see that being part of it but it punishes the new players even moreso.

[POS Industries]

One of the theories regarding this design is that it's an intended temporary measure to drain legacy players of all their gil so that the player economy isn't completely wrecked in the long term when they eventually reduce costs and add more means of income later on. This isn't confirmed or to my knowledge even alluded to in any official capacity, but if that's what they're going for it's not a horrible idea.

Given that the only way to make any gil is to grind up alts in a game that's designed around you only needed one character, I'm optimistic that this issue will probably be resolved by the time most players make it to endgame. Or at least by the time player housing is implemented, since that's been designed as a massive gil sink.