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Final Fantasy XIV Reviews - GameSpot 4/10, GameTrailers 4.2/10, GameSpy 2/5, IGN 5.5

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Mr. Snrub said:
I guess. But isn't this assuming a lot about the player? Why remove options?

For the positive effects it has on the community, mainly. You have to treat other players with respect when you have one character and a reputation on the line. In FFXI if people pulled dick moves in parties or endgame stuff, they'd be known for it pretty fast. It causes players to treat each other with some basic respect, which is largely absent in most online games.
 

Salaadin

Member
Amneisac said:
With all the things you can go after in FFXIV I don't know how we're stuck up on the one thing it actually does well, which is the class/physical level system. Even then, the system sucks compared to FFXI, which in my mind is the winner of all MMOs for its job system.

How does it suck compared to XI? FFXIs was good but it was still limiting. You were always stuck with your main job abilities + any abilities of your sub up to lvl 37.
In FFXIV, you have you main job abilities and the abilities of any job you choose to level as long as you have the available skill points and an open slot to equip it. Its much more customizable.
 
Salaadin said:
How does it suck compared to XI? FFXIs was good but it was still limiting. You were always stuck with your main job abilities + any abilities of your sub up to lvl 37.
In FFXIV, you have you main job abilities and the abilities of any job you choose to level as long as you have the available skill points and an open slot to equip it. Its much more customizable.

The main point against it (and one that will certainly be addressed with all the player demand) is the unbalanced/random skill gains that result in party members progressing at startlingly different rates. This is a problem now, but I agree with you that the foundations of the system have a lot more promise.
 

notworksafe

Member
Mandoric said:
From a FF14 perspective, I don't think things would change at all for you; you'd have your main class and your alt class on the same character, and the game gives you a dedicated AH/bank mule. You'd lose out on the potential to name-reserve for new races, but new races are pretty unlikely so that's a wash.
I like a new look in character though. I mean, I loved the hell out of my Mithra...don't get me wrong.

I just like having an Elf (soon to be Tauren), an Undead, an Orc, a Goblin, and a Worgen. It makes more sense in WoW/LotRO because each race has special spells/traits that no other race gets, and not just minor stat differences.

I also have a Draenei and Dwarf on another server. This is something that is important to me because I have different friends that play on different servers. Having a large limit to the amount of characters makes it easier to play with everyone.

However if WoW allowed the combination of classes I would consolidate, that's for sure. But I would still have multiple characters because I'd use spellcasters on a better race for magic clsses and melee/guns & bows on a better race for physical attacks
 

JORMBO

Darkness no more
Mr. Snrub said:
I guess. But isn't this assuming a lot about the player? Why remove options?

It's not removed. A second slot is an extra $3. The game is already priced below other MMOs with one character slot, so getting 2 bumps it up to normal price. I really can't imagine needing more slots then that with the way the game is set up.
 

Evlar

Banned
Darkness said:
It's not removed. A second slot is an extra $3. The game is already priced below other MMOs with one character slot, so getting 2 bumps it up to normal price. I really can't imagine needing more slots then that with the way the game is set up.
I have friends on three different servers...
I want to play three or four different races...
 
Londa said:
Never considered gamespot as a good source for game suggestions. I don't even check reviews anymore before buying a game. I research and decide. Lots of times reviews are bias and its clear gamespot didn't get any money from SE to make this review.
Obviously it couldn't be because the game sucked. Somebody didn't get paid! Why didn't I think of this?!

Do you a news letter I could subscribe to?
 

Salaadin

Member
HappyBivouac said:
The main point against it (and one that will certainly be addressed with all the player demand) is the unbalanced/random skill gains that result in party members progressing at startlingly different rates. This is a problem now, but I agree with you that the foundations of the system have a lot more promise.

Ahh yes, thats a big complaint of mine as well. I manage fine but my mage friend has a hard time. They really need a set SP gain per mob level or something.
 

Mandoric

Banned
Salaadin said:
Ahh yes, thats a big complaint of mine as well. I manage fine but my mage friend has a hard time. They really need a set SP gain per mob level or something.

Mage SP is really weird, because AoE heals are heaven or hell and few people bother spamming bolt in between (which is usually actually pretty good).

I don't really mind the randomness per se, but I'd definitely rather get 5-20 SP an action rather than 50-200 once every 10 or so.
 
YuriLowell said:
Reviews are always useless. They only give technical details. Everything else is subjective to the person.


Quite possibly, but let's face it, if they'd reviewed it as a 6/10 or 7/10, then your statement would hold more water. But they gave it a 4/10 and Amazon was rating it a 1.5 out of 5 stars (for the mathematically challenged, a 3/10).

So, all the bad word of mouth stuff I've been hearing so far, has been true.
 

dimb

Bjergsen is the greatest midlane in the world
Final Fantasy XIV is a notable entry to the genre but only for what it lacks. It lacks character; bare-bones quests and audiovisual repetition fail to instill a sense of fantasy wonder. It lacks cohesion; communication failures, economic oddities, and stringent limitations leave you constantly directionless. And it lacks joy; the abysmal interface and boring monsters make it a struggle to stay invested.
This is a 4.2 out of 5? Dear God.
 

zlatko

Banned
Kevin nailed it all on the head. Even the written review is well done and on point. He's reviewed several MMOs for Gamespot, and is honestly the only reviewer left on that site worth 2 craps.

I WANT to love this game. This was my most anticipated game in forever. I WANT the game to get better... but it's so hard when I preach often to buddies to not spend their time with shitty games...not support devs who make shit games, and I can't stand being a hypocrite.

I was going to give the game till December, but I only paid for 1 month, so I'll just wrap it up once the subscription ends. I AM willing to come back if/when this game gets it together, but the longer they take the less I'll give a crap once its worth hundreds of hours of my time.

I mentioned it before, but the thing that's really inexcusable is the fact that this exact same dev team has made a previous MMO. Not only that, but their budget is huge thanks to SquareEnix. Plus to throw into the mix I believe they said they have been working on this for 5+ years. Taking all that into account, and then releasing this game in its current state is well....worthy of a 4/10.
 
Good thing I decided to stay playing Champions Online untill user opinions were released. Im staying away from this turd for sure. Besides Im having a blast with Champions Online.

CO >>>> FF14 :D
 

RSLAEV

Member
Gonna keep leveling until Cata comes out, but I'm glad the gaming press is shitting on this game. It's the only way to get these guys to pull their heads out of their asses and finish it.
 

Druz

Member
Projectjustice said:
Good thing I decided to stay playing Champions Online untill user opinions were released. Im staying away from this turd for sure. Besides Im having a blast with Champions Online.

CO >>>> FF14 :D
I have been assured that no matter how horrible FFXIV is it pales in comparison with the lord of Turds Champions Online and his prince, Star Trek Online
 

Druz

Member
animlboogy said:
Eh, at least the basic controls of CO don't make you cross your eyes trying to figure things out.
Agreed, FFXIV has potential to be so much more than it is... which is something Ill never say about STO or CO.
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
This is just sad. :(

I really want Square to be cool again.
 

Vespene

Member
When you have the designer of the game explicitly telling his team not to look at other MMOs during the development of this one, it is obvious where things will end up.

Hey dude, I know this is only your second time driving, your first being on a nearly empty street (Final Fantasy XI). Now it's time to take it to the freeway, but don't look at the rules all the other guys are following, do whatever you want.
 
Honestly many of the complaints sound like they can be fixed by the first expansion pack.

What I need to know is:

Does the game hate distance and physics? ? Can an enemy that's 200 metres away perform melee attacks on me?

Does the game hate it's players? Does one need to sell a piece of their soul every time he/she dies?

Does the game fuck with the players? Can a fluffy bunny rabbit be one of the games most dangerous foes?

If the answers to the above are all "no", then I think the game still has a shot.
 

Cataferal

Digital Foundry
Rez said:
This is just sad. :(

I really want Square to be cool again.
This is what I said at around the turn of the century.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm just off to find my walking stick.
 

dream

Member
Fisticuffs said:
after reading this thread I learned that FFXIV apologists are ridiculously insane. :lol

Just ignore anyone with semi-realistic moogles and mages as their avatars.
 

Kittonwy

Banned
H_Prestige said:
So, two FF games in a row SE screwed up with.

I wonder if this completely tanks how hard it will hit SE.
Indifferent2.gif
 
dream said:
Just ignore anyone with semi-realistic moogles and mages as their avatars.

why would i ignore the comedy? what kind of baby ignores people on a forum anyway? Damage control is always entertaining.
 

dream

Member
Fisticuffs said:
why would i ignore the comedy? what kind of baby ignores people on a forum anyway? Damage control is always entertaining.

Good point. This was the only thread I saw them on and they're just being stupid here. I went into the real FF14 OT and enjoyed the glorious wackiness. :lol
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
CcrooK said:
As it should though how soon? How later? By then, people won't care. They'll all be in with WoW or getting ready for the Star Wars MMO.

I think you mean Guild Wars 2, cause it looks amazing.
 

Bisonian

Member
TouchMyBox said:
Honestly many of the complaints sound like they can be fixed by the first expansion pack.

What I need to know is:

Does the game hate distance and physics? ? Can an enemy that's 200 metres away perform melee attacks on me?

Does the game hate it's players? Does one need to sell a piece of their soul every time he/she dies?

Does the game fuck with the players? Can a fluffy bunny rabbit be one of the games most dangerous foes?

If the answers to the above are all "no", then I think the game still has a shot.

I can very safely say you will hate this game with the fury of a burning sun based on the questions you just asked.
 
Bisonian said:
I can very safely say you will hate this game with the fury of a burning sun based on the questions you just asked.

Actually the only penalty for dying is that after you get up, you're in a weakened state for a few minutes. It's even more forgiving than wow. MMO devs are finally starting to realize that you don't need stupid punishments to give players incentive to not die.

The "fluffy bunny" thing I'm not sure of. At level 1 I guess you could get killed by one. And there are those Tiny Dormouses in La Noscea that were conning red to me.

Lots of enemies have some sort of ranged attacks, but you're not going to get melee'd from 200 meters away.
 
HappyBivouac said:
Actually the only penalty for dying is that after you get up, you're in a weakened state for a few minutes. It's even more forgiving than wow. MMO devs are finally starting to realize that you don't need stupid punishments to give players incentive to not die.
You're right, this isn't something MMO designers realized back in 2004. Congrats on setting the trend Squeenix.
 

Khrno

Member
TouchMyBox said:
Does the game hate distance and physics? ? Can an enemy that's 200 metres away perform melee attacks on me?

Does the game hate it's players? Does one need to sell a piece of their soul every time he/she dies?

Does the game fuck with the players? Can a fluffy bunny rabbit be one of the games most dangerous foes?

No, but most if not all, have ranged attacks.

No, dying means nothing, just a a short weakened time.

Yes.
 

Bisonian

Member
HappyBivouac said:
Actually the only penalty for dying is that after you get up, you're in a weakened state for a few minutes. It's even more forgiving than wow. MMO devs are finally starting to realize that you don't need stupid punishments to give players incentive to not die.

The "fluffy bunny" thing I'm not sure of. At level 1 I guess you could get killed by one. And there are those Tiny Dormouses in La Noscea that were conning red to me.

Lots of enemies have some sort of ranged attacks, but you're not going to get melee'd from 200 meters away.

The original question asked if the game hated it's users. While the death penalty is admittedly rather reasonable, losing one of your 8 quests every 1 1/2 days because the servers dropped you, or you suffer one of the many program crashes is not. That is just one example of how the players are fighting the design and interface of the game just as much as they are the traditional mobs and challenges of an MMO.
 

Xiaoki

Member
Gravijah said:
Something tells me they are going to profit from it.
Well, considering that Amazon Japan already has it on sale for 30% off Im guessing its not going to be a lot of profit.
 

Effect

Member
Gravijah said:
Monthly fees.

That really depends on how much they can address or are willing to address this month and perhaps the next. If the retention numbers aren't high how much they will profit off of subscription numbers will be an issue. People have options and one of those options is SE's own FFXI. It then becomes an issue of how much is it worth to SE to continue to support FFXIV and by how much. They could simply let it exist (if they don't want to admit failure and close it down) while doing the bare minimum if the amount of money they make off of it isn't significant in the long run. The drop off in Novemeber and December is going to be interesting to see. I hope people comment on them as of right now based on what SE is doing I won't be continuing after the free month.
 

twofold

Member
Vanguard ended up being (kinda) profitable in the end, so anything's possible. I can't imagine SE spent huge amounts of money developing the game either considering the state it's in.

I don't see them coming close to matching the revenue of ffxi, though. Ffxi pulled in over 115 million dollars in profit last year - SE would be lucky to get half (or even quarter?) that. Retention rates past the first 30 days are going to be horrific.
 

Khrno

Member
twofold said:
I can't imagine SE spent huge amounts of money developing the game either considering the state it's in.


Letting the game's current state aside, it uses Crystal Tools, so the engine costs has been split with FFXIII and Versus. Besides that this game is being paid by FFXI, so they won't break the bank due to just development costs or for it not selling/keeping 1M subscribers. Even if only around 300k (numbers for the sake of discussion) people keep playing the game after october, they will do just fine until the PS3 version (and the game gets all the current issues fixed and the main features still missing, added) comes out and gets better word of mouth.


By the way, today's update made the game go from 4.0 to 4.5:

A version update of FINAL FANTASY XIV was performed at the following time.

* The software client will begin updating automatically the next time you run FINAL FANTASY XIV.

[Date & Time]
Oct. 8, 2010 at 10:00 (GMT)

[Affected Service]
-FINAL FANTASY XIV

[Important Update Details]
- Made an adjustment to how experience points are distributed amongst party members. Instead of dividing a total number of experience points by the number of players who participated in the battle, it now distributes the total amount of experience points equally amongst all players in the party.

- The chat log will no longer close while entering text during the following processes:
- When viewing a bazaar
- When setting up a bazaar
- During gathering
- During synthesis

- An issue wherein a player would be unable to progress with the quest "Futures Perfect," if they join a party during the cutscene has been addressed.

- An issue wherein a player would be unable to start a levequest if they initiate a teleport at the same time has been addressed.

- Implemented a countermeasure for an issue which prevented players from gaining skill points during battle.

- An issue wherein the FINAL FANTASY XIV client would shut down when a player adds or removes a new party member has been addressed.

- An issue wherein players would take damage when executing a macro command for an area of effect action that is centered on themselves has been addressed.

- An issue wherein messages in tell, party, or linkshell chat would not go through properly has been addressed.

- Implemented a countermeasure for an issue where an item would not display properly under a certain condition.

- A rare issue wherein an item data would get corrupted during a server outage has been addressed.
* We have confirmed that if a player attempts to put this corrupted item into their bazaar, it would cause the server to go down. We are currently in the process of addressing this issue, but until then, we have temporarily restricted the bazaar function for players with these corrupted items. We will be providing an update on this situation once we have a better idea on when the the actual fix will take place. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

- An issue wherein the login queue would not work as intended during server congestion has been addressed.

- Implemented a countermeasure to prevent server outages under a certain condition.

- Other miscellaneous issues have been addressed.

* The previously announced improvements to the market system are currently in the final preparation stages and will be ready by the version update next week. Please keep an eye out for future announcements regarding this matter.

Server fixes, annoying chat issue fixed, party exp fixed and announcement of improvement for the market system confirmed for next week.

SE are working, Tanaka won't let us down. :lol
 

Conceited

mechaniphiliac
I could see this game going the way of EQ2. The original survives and thrives while the new game goes on to become F2P.
 
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