I refuse to excuse a game for being just because, compared to more recent games, its not as .
I'm going to judge a game against the best of the genre, not the dregs.
Davis, do you not understand that presentation can go a long way to making things feel fresh?
Yeah, and it's about as long lasting as a layer of cheap paint.
LotRO has great presentation, but the gameplay is so tired and boring I couldn't get by level 10, despite having my favorite IP.
The difference between games only existed so much back 10+ years ago because of the fact that it was the first of the genre. People didn't know what they liked and developers had more say in what they did. If you choose to only like games from back then and consider most a clone now then what is the point in even playing the genre as a whole?
So you're saying that if, for example, I LOVED FPS games, they were my favorite genre, but in the last 8 years they'd been getting steadily worse, instead of trying to bring perspective and critique and point out HOW games have gotten worse in hopes that I get my favorite genre back... I should... just play racing sims instead?
Yeah, that makes sense.
The difference between games existed so much back then because MMOs were being made by developers who loved MMOs and wanted to make a game that they'd play. Now publishers run the ship. People absolutely knew what they liked back then, its a stupid thing to claim.
I bet the same people claiming this isn't a clone are the same people who claimed that AoC, or LotRO, or launch day Rift or SWTOR weren't clones.
On combat, the game feels a lot more like a Final Fantasy game, especially a lot more like FFXI than it does WoW.
WoW, combat is much faster, you tab-target a mob and unleash your skills in quick succession, small GCD, plenty of instants, procs... movement is not overly important (except on some bosses in raids/dungeons) but very fluid and in that way it is a LOT like GW2 combat - it's obvious to me GW2 modeled their combat off of WoW.
ARR is a lot more deliberate. You target an enemy it feels a lot more like you are "locked" onto that one mob, like it was in FFXI. For the most part you are standing still trading blows back and forth like a turn based JRPG.
You even get a camera angle change to really focus on your target - definitely don't get that in WoW or such.
It's a nice touch (also from FFXI) if you lock onto a mob and strafe, you automatically move in a circle around the mob. Makes it easy to avoid direction attacks. This can be a disadvantage when you are trying to get out of a larger red AoE circle though, you generally have to un-target a mob to move away at full speed.
I don't know if you are playing on Ps3 or PC. but for the PC version this is not true.
I just attained lvl 40 has a dragoon and I have to move a LOT in my fights. I got skills that require specific placement like hitting from behind or the flank. Every mob or so has a AOE skill that require you to move.
And for the tab-targeting its the same as WoW, I do use tab-target to switch target and use my WASD key to move freely without being "Locked" to a target. Maybe it is different for Ps3 tho I didnt try it on the console yet.
But it is true that the game is paced down compared to WoW and it gives it a FF feeling. Which I really like.
Hello, BadSpock! First of all: Thank you for this thread! It's almost exactly what I was looking for; a short first review from the perspective of a frequent MMORPG / WoW player. So I hope no one will mind me asking my question to the OP and interrupting the important conflict of how many skills which FF really had and ... yeah, that stuff.
I have tested ARR multiple times now on a few beta weekends and for some reason I ... "forgot" the launch. *laughs nervously* Would be funny if it wasn't so sad. (I was excited so much for FFXIV back then... And never did I NOT buy any big MMO at launch up until Disappointment Wars 2...) Anyways! There's something you said that I have to hang on to and ask a question about:
Originally posted by BadSpock
It's also polished and feels complete.
The reason I ... lost interest, if you'll call it that way, is that my impressions from the last beta I played two or three weeks ago was a "feeling" that it is almost the opposite. Now, don't get me wrong. I know about the FATEs, the Dungeons, etc.
But it felt like I was running from one boring "Talk to X" and "Bring X to Y" quest to another, and I found it to be even less fun than the usual "Kill X Monsters for me pls" quests (which I don't even mind so much ! ).
It's hard to describe what I mean... I loved almost every FF game and I share most of your opinions on how they really got the feeling caught in the slower, ~2 sec GCD battle-style.
But the areas looked so static, artificial and ... almost smaller than they actually were, or narrowed down although FATEs aren't quite something you could call linear at all
I hope you can get what I mean or rather, felt. It's really difficult to describe or even explain what it is exactly.
The crafting system looks so fun and promising, the autoloot function and the fact that there's almost no trash loot and anything you find can be used for crafting or other things alone is one of the best ideas and realization of a loot system I've seen in YEARS (I can't even come up with any other game that has this right now), the fact that you can be all classes with only one, YOUR, character....
There's just SO much I love about ARR, but all those big disappointment of the last years (with GW2 being the absolute climax) have made me so extremely sceptical that I'm afraid I will be just wandering around in Eorzea for hours talking to boring NPCs and trying to find the right teleporters for the next boring walk to the next "cutscene"... =/ )
I'd be so happy to get a response from you (or any other player of the game who thinks he can help me out! )
I've played WoW on and off for almost 9 years now. Played a LOT of other MMOs between then and now, and a bunch before WoW too.
FFXIV: ARR does not remind me of WoW, not at all really. It feels so, so much different.
I feel it is far, far less of a WoW clone than many give it credit for.
On combat, the game feels a lot more like a Final Fantasy game, especially a lot more like FFXI than it does WoW.
WoW, combat is much faster, you tab-target a mob and unleash your skills in quick succession, small GCD, plenty of instants, procs... movement is not overly important (except on some bosses in raids/dungeons) but very fluid and in that way it is a LOT like GW2 combat - it's obvious to me GW2 modeled their combat off of WoW.
ARR is a lot more deliberate. You target an enemy it feels a lot more like you are "locked" onto that one mob, like it was in FFXI. For the most part you are standing still trading blows back and forth like a turn based JRPG.
You even get a camera angle change to really focus on your target - definitely don't get that in WoW or such.
It's a nice touch (also from FFXI) if you lock onto a mob and strafe, you automatically move in a circle around the mob. Makes it easy to avoid direction attacks. This can be a disadvantage when you are trying to get out of a larger red AoE circle though, you generally have to un-target a mob to move away at full speed.
Traditional FF games you never got more than a dozen or so possible attacks or defensive moves/spells per character in your party. ARR feels the same way, much more limited choice of skills - but it makes your class choice more meaningful.
Also makes you rely on your party as you don't have all the answers to every situation on your toolbar, even with cross-class.
They definitely need more classes, but the ones in ARR feel very distinct.
On story and structure, I'd say ARR feels more like TSW or SWTOR on presentation than it does WoW. WoW, you get a text box pop up with some block of text to read. ARR is more like TSW or SWTOR where you get a few lines of conversational text, a real back and forth, and a zoom-in camera change with a cinematic flare and even some VO on the main story.
The fact the game forces you into party-only content to advance the main story is very different. SWTOR kind of did that with the first Flashpoint, but you had the option to skip it. FFXIV definitely knows it is a MMORPG and wants you to play with other people. "Solo to the cap" would be very, very hard stopping the main story at level 14/15 and you never would get access to mounts, Grand Companies, etc.
On progression, yes it looks like every Paladin will have the same "build" with the same optimal cross-class skills equipped. But I think ARR is designed so that it's not about YOU... it's not about your character and your build... it's about your team. Your party. The encounters are designed to challenge coordination and communications, not your button spam skills and whether or not you have the Elitest Jerks approved "optimal" build and setup.
I play this game and I don't see WoW. I don't feel WoW... and trust me, I know WoW.
I look at the MMO genre and the quote "failures" since 2004 - I see lots of games built on gimmicks, built on sameness and built on undelivered promises. Unfinished content, broken systems, bad design.
I think FFXIV is different. It's familiar and comfortable, but it is different. It's also polished and feels complete. Well, except for the server infrastructure!
Best way I can put it:
If WoW is to EQ.
FFXIV:ARR is to FFXI.
It's an update, a refinement, an evolution of an existing and proven model.
I think ARR looked to WoW for inspiration on what levels of convenience and accessibility players required, but looked to their own history on what to replicate and what to innovate on.
Anyways, just my 2c.
Nail on the head friend. Combat is to slow for my taste
They somehow managed to make the game "feel" right and make you enjoy playing. The ability to switch out your class at will when you get to that point really helps keep things fresh, if you reach a point where you have had too much of your class for the day or month, you get a really different play style experience for the most part by switching up your class
Traditional FF games you never got more than a dozen or so possible attacks or defensive moves/spells per character in your party.
You still haven't explained why you would post something so blatantly incorrect. Nor have you made an attempt to fix it.
Actually I did, and you missed it.
There are about the same number of spells (probably more) in FFXIV as there are in the FF1 link you made, it's just they are spread out across your party and in a MMO like FFXIV you only control one character so you only get a smaller selection of the spells...
I don't think your Black Mage in FF1 had more than 15-20 spells at their disposal, you get about that many in FFXIV with cross class.
You just sound confused because in a single player RPG from 20 years ago, you also controlled the White Mage and their 15-20 spells.
White Mage in FFXIV gets 17 non spell2 or spell3 (unique) spells + cross class.
There are 22 unique White magic spells on your list from FF1.
So if you pick up a couple of Arcanist or Black Mage spells, maybe a spell or two from Paladin or Bard - same number in FFXIV as FF1.
So you are wrong, but that is ok. Learning is fun!
So I guess I low balled it for the old school FF games and XIV by saying "a dozen or so" I should have said "in both you get about 15-20" and that would have been more accurate.
You clearly stated "You never get more than 12 spells/skills/abilities" in any Final Fantasy game, is all I was doing was pointing out your error.
Do go on about how I was wrong for pointing out such flagrant misinformation.
Moreover I don't care about the amount of skills FFXIV has, I care that you be correct when attempting to make any sort of argument. That also goes for reviews. This isn't anything against you or the game, I just happened to catch that mistake while perusing the worlds largest FFXIV fanbase.(subjective, but you know I'm right.)
However if we are posting numbers a character in FF6 had access to 49 unique spells, 1 summon, and whatever other character abilities they had.
I've played WoW on and off for almost 9 years now. Played a LOT of other MMOs between then and now, and a bunch before WoW too.
FFXIV: ARR does not remind me of WoW, not at all really. It feels so, so much different.
I feel it is far, far less of a WoW clone than many give it credit for.
I can't really understand why many players go "Ohhhh this game is so good, everything feels nice, and it's different from wow clone, SO FUN". I guess it's because FFXIV is a Japanese MMO. And design, art and music in XIV is clearly Japanese style, that makes it different, and players want something different.
I'm also in the "This game is just average at best" crew, but I can kinda guessed it's because there aren't many Japanese MMO on the market, so it feels different when it comes to art, music, slower pace and team oriented content.
You mentioned you played FFXI, you would probably find XIV it's really, really similar to FFXI in many ways. XI also starts slow and bland, with polished graphic(compare with other 2002 games it looks pretty nice), force grouping, animation and music, and a very relaxing atmosphere + super nice community, despite the gameplay is bland, it's still pretty addictive.
In past 10 years market's full of WoW clones made by NA/EU/Asia, followed similar design philosophy. A Japanese MMO like this stands out, and players want something new and different.
That being said, I've played XI for many years, so I may not play this game for more than a couple of months, because I'm just not into another slow paced MMO in same style, and I don't play games for good graphic/music either. What XIV would offer, such as graphics, exploration, atmosphere, job system, I probably experienced them all in XI. I haven't make it to endgame, and not interested in endgame anyways, I did a lot of quests and dungeons in XIV, but nothing really stand out for me sadly. It's just too similar to XI, and XI in WoW style isn't what I want. Unlike other FFXI players that plays FFXIV because they liked FFXI, another FFXI in 2013 isn't what I want.
I also disagree with "games gonna be good once you experience them all and do endgame". Most of the players probably don't play MMO for endgame, at least not me, nor majority of my friends. Game should be fun from the start. FFXI is terrible until endgame(and endgame still terrible anyways) is a flaw, not anything positive.
Party oriented design may feel different at start due to waves of MMO being solo friendly, after years of dealing with building a party in XI, it's more of a flaw to me.
Well one thing that is fresh (although not completely new XD) is the extensive crafting system. 8 crafting classes, 3 gathering classes. Major interdependecy between crafting classes; i.e. expect to get materials for your crafting class from 4-5 other crafting classes and 1 gathering class.
Their crafting is very much like Everquest 2's. Or well, what it was like after a year or so.
I really don't feel that this game is a wow clone by any means, people associate Global Cool Downs and the Trinity with WoW, when really that has been around since way before WoW. Everquest 2 had one of the most extensive combat systems out of any game, and one that has never been redone, but even if it was, it wouldn't make it an Everquest 2 clone.
This game feels very Japanese, which I'm sort of hit or miss with. My main complaint is the gear doesn't change a lot it seems. At least not the different tier basic gear. Kinda just changes colour, but that's a very minor complaint.
I also for one am happy for the forced grouping. It's about time a company has done this. So many MMO's have started to put in support for people to just solo around, maybe duo everything until end game. That's not what MMORPGs are about, at least not what they used to be like, and definitely not for someone like me. It's why I got so sick of GW2 so fast., and why the way Everquest 2 has progressed has killed me. Granted the population is part of the reason for mercenaries etc .
It's the most borring cookie cutter themepark game I've played so far. First time after 15 years I didn't even manage to get to max level. I quit yesterday after dragging myself through first 30 levels. I knew exactly what I'm getting into. I lowered my expectations as per usual, and due to vast experience I have with gaming I lol'd at all the fans spamming "but it gets better after 20". I gave it a good go but I'm dissapointed.
Not a single one thing I could say why it's better than king of themeparks that WoW (still) is.
It's the most borring cookie cutter themepark game I've played so far. First time after 15 years I didn't even manage to get to max level. I quit yesterday after dragging myself through first 30 levels. I knew exactly what I'm getting into. I lowered my expectations as per usual, and due to vast experience I have with gaming I lol'd at all the fans spamming "but it gets better after 20". I gave it a good go but I'm dissapointed.
Not a single one thing I could say why it's better than king of themeparks that WoW (still) is.
I'm guessing a ton of people will have your same reaction. One month from now I foresee a mass exodus.
I've played WoW on and off for almost 9 years now. Played a LOT of other MMOs between then and now, and a bunch before WoW too.
FFXIV: ARR does not remind me of WoW, not at all really. It feels so, so much different.
I feel it is far, far less of a WoW clone than many give it credit for.
On combat, the game feels a lot more like a Final Fantasy game, especially a lot more like FFXI than it does WoW.
WoW, combat is much faster, you tab-target a mob and unleash your skills in quick succession, small GCD, plenty of instants, procs... movement is not overly important (except on some bosses in raids/dungeons) but very fluid and in that way it is a LOT like GW2 combat - it's obvious to me GW2 modeled their combat off of WoW.
ARR is a lot more deliberate. You target an enemy it feels a lot more like you are "locked" onto that one mob, like it was in FFXI. For the most part you are standing still trading blows back and forth like a turn based JRPG.
You even get a camera angle change to really focus on your target - definitely don't get that in WoW or such.
It's a nice touch (also from FFXI) if you lock onto a mob and strafe, you automatically move in a circle around the mob. Makes it easy to avoid direction attacks. This can be a disadvantage when you are trying to get out of a larger red AoE circle though, you generally have to un-target a mob to move away at full speed.
Traditional FF games you never got more than a dozen or so possible attacks or defensive moves/spells per character in your party. ARR feels the same way, much more limited choice of skills - but it makes your class choice more meaningful.
Also makes you rely on your party as you don't have all the answers to every situation on your toolbar, even with cross-class.
They definitely need more classes, but the ones in ARR feel very distinct.
On story and structure, I'd say ARR feels more like TSW or SWTOR on presentation than it does WoW. WoW, you get a text box pop up with some block of text to read. ARR is more like TSW or SWTOR where you get a few lines of conversational text, a real back and forth, and a zoom-in camera change with a cinematic flare and even some VO on the main story.
The fact the game forces you into party-only content to advance the main story is very different. SWTOR kind of did that with the first Flashpoint, but you had the option to skip it. FFXIV definitely knows it is a MMORPG and wants you to play with other people. "Solo to the cap" would be very, very hard stopping the main story at level 14/15 and you never would get access to mounts, Grand Companies, etc.
On progression, yes it looks like every Paladin will have the same "build" with the same optimal cross-class skills equipped. But I think ARR is designed so that it's not about YOU... it's not about your character and your build... it's about your team. Your party. The encounters are designed to challenge coordination and communications, not your button spam skills and whether or not you have the Elitest Jerks approved "optimal" build and setup.
I play this game and I don't see WoW. I don't feel WoW... and trust me, I know WoW.
I look at the MMO genre and the quote "failures" since 2004 - I see lots of games built on gimmicks, built on sameness and built on undelivered promises. Unfinished content, broken systems, bad design.
I think FFXIV is different. It's familiar and comfortable, but it is different. It's also polished and feels complete. Well, except for the server infrastructure!
Best way I can put it:
If WoW is to EQ.
FFXIV:ARR is to FFXI.
It's an update, a refinement, an evolution of an existing and proven model.
I think ARR looked to WoW for inspiration on what levels of convenience and accessibility players required, but looked to their own history on what to replicate and what to innovate on.
Anyways, just my 2c.
After nearly 1 month of playing FFXIV:ARR, I feel FFXIV is nothing like XI, but more like WoW. The more I play the more I feel so.
Just to point out a few key differences:
1. Gameplay:
FFXI feels like a virtual world intended to take over your real life, everything is extremely time consuming, and it needs time to build your connection to progress. But in the end, your connection matters.
FFXIV feels "linear". It feels like an offline FF title with online function, and the game just holds hand and tell you exactly where to go and what to do next.
2. Battle System:
Battle system is nothing like XI.
XI battle system= TP WS TP WS TP WS if you're DD(DPS), sometimes pop a few ability, cure cure cure buff buff buff if you're healers.
There are little to no rotation in XI, gear swap system is the core mechanic of XI battle system. Doing a WS? Switch to WS set. Need accuracy? Switch to accuracy set. Weakened and not enough HP to sustain lots of damage? Switch to HP+ set. Want to cast cure? Cure potency set. Your performance depend on your quality and amount of gear sets, and whether you swap them on right time, but less about perfect ability execution.....there are not many abilities to execute, really.
XIV battle system= You do more damage if you do rotation right, and able to dodge AoE.
3. Lving up:
XI = Sit in town for hours, until you get invite or make a party yourself. Then you party for hours. Most players find this extremely boring, but this party system kinda force players to chat when grinding level, because it's just killing same stuff for hours. In the end, you either make friends while killing stuff and have a good time, or you got extremely bored. It's more like a glorified chat room where you can kill stuff, making social aspect much stronger in XI.
XIV= You either dungeon, solo fate, fate party or solo quests. There are more options to level up, and usually more fun than XI, but very little social aspect. Dungeons are too intense to chat with other players, fate party are more relaxed and more like XI party, but with party members come and go you can't really chat for long.
4. Difficulty:
XI: XI is very, very unfriendly to new players. Certain quests needs new player go into high level areas on low level job, and plenty of deaths for inexperienced players
Getting runic portal or doing limit break as a low level new player still send shiver down my spine whenever I think about it
XIV: XIV's difficulty is mostly about failing to dodge enemy AoE in instances, or your party member failing to dodge AoE.
Sometimes your DPS can't deal enough damage. But that's very different kind of difficulty. XI's difficulty is hard to forget. XIV's difficulty is something I've experienced in many other games.
I'm sure there are other differences, but I feel XI has a much stronger social aspect, XIV feels like a single player game, you beat A to do B so you can beat C, just with a chat log and other players.
Traditional FF games you never got more than a dozen or so possible attacks or defensive moves/spells per character in your party.
You still haven't explained why you would post something so blatantly incorrect. Nor have you made an attempt to fix it.
Actually I did, and you missed it.
There are about the same number of spells (probably more) in FFXIV as there are in the FF1 link you made, it's just they are spread out across your party and in a MMO like FFXIV you only control one character so you only get a smaller selection of the spells...
I don't think your Black Mage in FF1 had more than 15-20 spells at their disposal, you get about that many in FFXIV with cross class.
You just sound confused because in a single player RPG from 20 years ago, you also controlled the White Mage and their 15-20 spells.
White Mage in FFXIV gets 17 non spell2 or spell3 (unique) spells + cross class.
There are 22 unique White magic spells on your list from FF1.
So if you pick up a couple of Arcanist or Black Mage spells, maybe a spell or two from Paladin or Bard - same number in FFXIV as FF1.
So you are wrong, but that is ok. Learning is fun!
So I guess I low balled it for the old school FF games and XIV by saying "a dozen or so" I should have said "in both you get about 15-20" and that would have been more accurate.
You clearly stated "You never get more than 12 spells/skills/abilities" in any Final Fantasy game, is all I was doing was pointing out your error.
Do go on about how I was wrong for pointing out such flagrant misinformation.
Moreover I don't care about the amount of skills FFXIV has, I care that you be correct when attempting to make any sort of argument. That also goes for reviews. This isn't anything against you or the game, I just happened to catch that mistake while perusing the worlds largest FFXIV fanbase.(subjective, but you know I'm right.)
However if we are posting numbers a character in FF6 had access to 49 unique spells, 1 summon, and whatever other character abilities they had.
Actually, the term was, "A dozen or so", leaving some wiggle room.
Also, if you remove the spells which are just higher level versions of previous ones, you do indeed end up with about the number stated. There are exceptions of course, but for the most part his statement holds true.
To respond to those claiming there will be a mass exodus after a month: I've heard this song before guys. When a month passes and a game is doing well even after the content locusts leave, you'll start claiming that TWO months is the magic number. After that, it'll be 3 months, and so on and so forth.
Been there, done that, got the membership jacket. Personally I think spouting such garbage violates this forum's rules on excessive negativity (I'll have to go back and check), but that's just my opinion.
Oh well. At least watching people scream about the sky falling is entertaining.
Comments
So you're saying that if, for example, I LOVED FPS games, they were my favorite genre, but in the last 8 years they'd been getting steadily worse, instead of trying to bring perspective and critique and point out HOW games have gotten worse in hopes that I get my favorite genre back... I should... just play racing sims instead?
Yeah, that makes sense.
The difference between games existed so much back then because MMOs were being made by developers who loved MMOs and wanted to make a game that they'd play. Now publishers run the ship. People absolutely knew what they liked back then, its a stupid thing to claim.
I bet the same people claiming this isn't a clone are the same people who claimed that AoC, or LotRO, or launch day Rift or SWTOR weren't clones.
I don't know if you are playing on Ps3 or PC. but for the PC version this is not true.
I just attained lvl 40 has a dragoon and I have to move a LOT in my fights. I got skills that require specific placement like hitting from behind or the flank. Every mob or so has a AOE skill that require you to move.
And for the tab-targeting its the same as WoW, I do use tab-target to switch target and use my WASD key to move freely without being "Locked" to a target. Maybe it is different for Ps3 tho I didnt try it on the console yet.
But it is true that the game is paced down compared to WoW and it gives it a FF feeling. Which I really like.
Hello, BadSpock! First of all: Thank you for this thread! It's almost exactly what I was looking for; a short first review from the perspective of a frequent MMORPG / WoW player. So I hope no one will mind me asking my question to the OP and interrupting the important conflict of how many skills which FF really had and ... yeah, that stuff.
I have tested ARR multiple times now on a few beta weekends and for some reason I ... "forgot" the launch. *laughs nervously* Would be funny if it wasn't so sad. (I was excited so much for FFXIV back then... And never did I NOT buy any big MMO at launch up until Disappointment Wars 2...) Anyways! There's something you said that I have to hang on to and ask a question about:
The reason I ... lost interest, if you'll call it that way, is that my impressions from the last beta I played two or three weeks ago was a "feeling" that it is almost the opposite. Now, don't get me wrong. I know about the FATEs, the Dungeons, etc.
But it felt like I was running from one boring "Talk to X" and "Bring X to Y" quest to another, and I found it to be even less fun than the usual "Kill X Monsters for me pls" quests (which I don't even mind so much ! ).
It's hard to describe what I mean... I loved almost every FF game and I share most of your opinions on how they really got the feeling caught in the slower, ~2 sec GCD battle-style.
But the areas looked so static, artificial and ... almost smaller than they actually were, or narrowed down although FATEs aren't quite something you could call linear at all
I hope you can get what I mean or rather, felt. It's really difficult to describe or even explain what it is exactly.
The crafting system looks so fun and promising, the autoloot function and the fact that there's almost no trash loot and anything you find can be used for crafting or other things alone is one of the best ideas and realization of a loot system I've seen in YEARS (I can't even come up with any other game that has this right now), the fact that you can be all classes with only one, YOUR, character....
There's just SO much I love about ARR, but all those big disappointment of the last years (with GW2 being the absolute climax) have made me so extremely sceptical that I'm afraid I will be just wandering around in Eorzea for hours talking to boring NPCs and trying to find the right teleporters for the next boring walk to the next "cutscene"... =/ )
I'd be so happy to get a response from you (or any other player of the game who thinks he can help me out!
)
Thanks so much!
Nail on the head friend. Combat is to slow for my taste
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.
You clearly stated "You never get more than 12 spells/skills/abilities" in any Final Fantasy game, is all I was doing was pointing out your error.
Do go on about how I was wrong for pointing out such flagrant misinformation.
Moreover I don't care about the amount of skills FFXIV has, I care that you be correct when attempting to make any sort of argument. That also goes for reviews. This isn't anything against you or the game, I just happened to catch that mistake while perusing the worlds largest FFXIV fanbase.(subjective, but you know I'm right.)
However if we are posting numbers a character in FF6 had access to 49 unique spells, 1 summon, and whatever other character abilities they had.
I can't really understand why many players go "Ohhhh this game is so good, everything feels nice, and it's different from wow clone, SO FUN". I guess it's because FFXIV is a Japanese MMO. And design, art and music in XIV is clearly Japanese style, that makes it different, and players want something different.
I'm also in the "This game is just average at best" crew, but I can kinda guessed it's because there aren't many Japanese MMO on the market, so it feels different when it comes to art, music, slower pace and team oriented content.
You mentioned you played FFXI, you would probably find XIV it's really, really similar to FFXI in many ways. XI also starts slow and bland, with polished graphic(compare with other 2002 games it looks pretty nice), force grouping, animation and music, and a very relaxing atmosphere + super nice community, despite the gameplay is bland, it's still pretty addictive.
In past 10 years market's full of WoW clones made by NA/EU/Asia, followed similar design philosophy. A Japanese MMO like this stands out, and players want something new and different.
That being said, I've played XI for many years, so I may not play this game for more than a couple of months, because I'm just not into another slow paced MMO in same style, and I don't play games for good graphic/music either. What XIV would offer, such as graphics, exploration, atmosphere, job system, I probably experienced them all in XI. I haven't make it to endgame, and not interested in endgame anyways, I did a lot of quests and dungeons in XIV, but nothing really stand out for me sadly. It's just too similar to XI, and XI in WoW style isn't what I want. Unlike other FFXI players that plays FFXIV because they liked FFXI, another FFXI in 2013 isn't what I want.
I also disagree with "games gonna be good once you experience them all and do endgame". Most of the players probably don't play MMO for endgame, at least not me, nor majority of my friends. Game should be fun from the start. FFXI is terrible until endgame(and endgame still terrible anyways) is a flaw, not anything positive.
Party oriented design may feel different at start due to waves of MMO being solo friendly, after years of dealing with building a party in XI, it's more of a flaw to me.
Their crafting is very much like Everquest 2's. Or well, what it was like after a year or so.
I really don't feel that this game is a wow clone by any means, people associate Global Cool Downs and the Trinity with WoW, when really that has been around since way before WoW. Everquest 2 had one of the most extensive combat systems out of any game, and one that has never been redone, but even if it was, it wouldn't make it an Everquest 2 clone.
This game feels very Japanese, which I'm sort of hit or miss with. My main complaint is the gear doesn't change a lot it seems. At least not the different tier basic gear. Kinda just changes colour, but that's a very minor complaint.
I also for one am happy for the forced grouping. It's about time a company has done this. So many MMO's have started to put in support for people to just solo around, maybe duo everything until end game. That's not what MMORPGs are about, at least not what they used to be like, and definitely not for someone like me. It's why I got so sick of GW2 so fast., and why the way Everquest 2 has progressed has killed me. Granted the population is part of the reason for mercenaries etc .
Killing dragons is my shit
It's the most borring cookie cutter themepark game I've played so far. First time after 15 years I didn't even manage to get to max level. I quit yesterday after dragging myself through first 30 levels. I knew exactly what I'm getting into. I lowered my expectations as per usual, and due to vast experience I have with gaming I lol'd at all the fans spamming "but it gets better after 20". I gave it a good go but I'm dissapointed.
Not a single one thing I could say why it's better than king of themeparks that WoW (still) is.
I'm guessing a ton of people will have your same reaction. One month from now I foresee a mass exodus.
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.
After nearly 1 month of playing FFXIV:ARR, I feel FFXIV is nothing like XI, but more like WoW. The more I play the more I feel so.
Just to point out a few key differences:
1. Gameplay:
FFXI feels like a virtual world intended to take over your real life, everything is extremely time consuming, and it needs time to build your connection to progress. But in the end, your connection matters.
FFXIV feels "linear". It feels like an offline FF title with online function, and the game just holds hand and tell you exactly where to go and what to do next.
2. Battle System:
Battle system is nothing like XI.
XI battle system= TP WS TP WS TP WS if you're DD(DPS), sometimes pop a few ability, cure cure cure buff buff buff if you're healers.
There are little to no rotation in XI, gear swap system is the core mechanic of XI battle system. Doing a WS? Switch to WS set. Need accuracy? Switch to accuracy set. Weakened and not enough HP to sustain lots of damage? Switch to HP+ set. Want to cast cure? Cure potency set. Your performance depend on your quality and amount of gear sets, and whether you swap them on right time, but less about perfect ability execution.....there are not many abilities to execute, really.
XIV battle system= You do more damage if you do rotation right, and able to dodge AoE.
3. Lving up:
XI = Sit in town for hours, until you get invite or make a party yourself. Then you party for hours. Most players find this extremely boring, but this party system kinda force players to chat when grinding level, because it's just killing same stuff for hours. In the end, you either make friends while killing stuff and have a good time, or you got extremely bored. It's more like a glorified chat room where you can kill stuff, making social aspect much stronger in XI.
XIV= You either dungeon, solo fate, fate party or solo quests. There are more options to level up, and usually more fun than XI, but very little social aspect. Dungeons are too intense to chat with other players, fate party are more relaxed and more like XI party, but with party members come and go you can't really chat for long.
4. Difficulty:
XI: XI is very, very unfriendly to new players. Certain quests needs new player go into high level areas on low level job, and plenty of deaths for inexperienced players
Getting runic portal or doing limit break as a low level new player still send shiver down my spine whenever I think about it
XIV: XIV's difficulty is mostly about failing to dodge enemy AoE in instances, or your party member failing to dodge AoE.
Sometimes your DPS can't deal enough damage. But that's very different kind of difficulty. XI's difficulty is hard to forget. XIV's difficulty is something I've experienced in many other games.
I'm sure there are other differences, but I feel XI has a much stronger social aspect, XIV feels like a single player game, you beat A to do B so you can beat C, just with a chat log and other players.
Actually, the term was, "A dozen or so", leaving some wiggle room.
Also, if you remove the spells which are just higher level versions of previous ones, you do indeed end up with about the number stated. There are exceptions of course, but for the most part his statement holds true.
To respond to those claiming there will be a mass exodus after a month: I've heard this song before guys. When a month passes and a game is doing well even after the content locusts leave, you'll start claiming that TWO months is the magic number. After that, it'll be 3 months, and so on and so forth.
Been there, done that, got the membership jacket. Personally I think spouting such garbage violates this forum's rules on excessive negativity (I'll have to go back and check), but that's just my opinion.
Oh well. At least watching people scream about the sky falling is entertaining.