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It is a very neat-looking game, so there is no complaint on that and character creation, which was satisfactory as well. The quests, although they have the typical "Kill 10 bugs", are tolerable because what game doesn't have them? As for the main story quest, it really is somewhat interesting, so I don't have a complaint there either.
However, I find myself becoming excessively bored by the combat, which pretty much ruins the quests and the overall gameplay. I play a lancer, and it was absolutely dull the first 10 levels; the sluggish global cooldowns make you wonder if you're even supposed to be in a state of "action", it gives a feeling equivalent to mining/gathering in other games. It doesn't even feel satisfactory to hit a mob (I am sure most gamers know this feeling), which is a trait I like in some games. I figured it would get better as I progressed, so I kept leveling, but stopped at 15 because...well...I have been playing this game for 15 levels without a sense of action, where is the "hook"?
Is there something to look forward to, combat-wise? Does it always remain as sluggish?
Comments
Soon you will have to worry about TP management, MP management, more intricate combos to supplement that management (some combos may give you mana or TP in addition to debuffing or buffing you and or your group, as well as some quests might also increase the TP limit in the future) along with the ability to give yourself abilities from other classes to boost your damage and defensive capabilities. In addition you will unlock the Dragoon Job and the job specific abilities therein, not to mention learn the grouping mechanics and learn how to acquire and execute proper limit breaks.
Though as a whole this game isn't meant to be very fast paced, and this is shown in many of their posts on beta regarding the battle system, their goals and frequent tinkering, as well as their implementation of feedback. If managing resources, planning group attacks, supporting your group with combos or placing well timed combos in some circumstances that could allow for a sudden change in the battle isn't your cup of tea, then you'll likely not enjoy it much. Then again, each class is different in it's own way.
I hear Black Mage is pretty fun, as well as Gladiator and Arcanist might be pretty interesting later on when it becomes a summoner with it's job. Monk chain combos at times, but the Paladin's level 50 ability is what I really like. That and some of the paladin stances and abilities matched with the utilities it is able to pick from. That's one class that really has to manage it's MP and TP well, and has combos that restore them both when performed at the right time.
Lancer is kind've a selfish class in terms that it's pure damage. You might find more entertainment from Archer when it becomes a bard if you want support added to your damage. Black mage has a lot of powerful spells as well, that you can just chain endlessly. They have cast times, but their spells are fairly powerful later on in the game. One of the great things about FF games is helping people, so I'd say equiping protect to any class is worthwhile when you're just soloing. That way you can just toss a protect to someone that's just running by, and they might give their thanks.
x3
That's what I don't understand, I enjoy games like Rift as well - it isn't exactly an fast-paced action game like Vindictus or TERA. Something just feels unfinished, out of sync for the combat of this particular game.
I prefer the slower pace though it does need an ability queue so that you can hit an ability 1 ahead of the current GCD. The main purpose of the slower pace is to allow for more thought as you have to watch agro, plan your resources(really starts to ramp up around 30), move to get additional effect of a skill, etc.
I find the reason WoW has become nothing but rotation is because you don't have to watch agro, or plan your resources on many fights(baring progression) with nothing but 1.5 secs less for rogue to make a decision it doesn't allow for much in the way of thought, and becomes more about muscle memory then anything else.
It also becomes less dull once you unlock abilities from other classes as well. Raging strike(Archer) is a good one as it gives any class a 20% damage boost for 20 sec so you now have your burst button.
Edit: The current out of sync part of combat(atleast for me) is that there isn't a skill queue that many of us have gotten used to make skills flow. You have to physically wait for GCD to be done to hit the next button.
Being a pessimist is a win-win pattern of thinking. If you're a pessimist (I'll admit that I am!) you're either:
A. Proven right (if something bad happens)
or
B. Pleasantly surprised (if something good happens)
Either way, you can't lose! Try it out sometime!
Not sure what that would be. Have you tried it with a controller and see if it feels any better? They've been editing the combat system with every phase since Alpha based on feedback. People are saying it's almost perfect now by comparison of what it was before. But as a whole many were yelling to "Make it faster", while I hear console players now asking for them to make it slower as the GCD is too fast for them and it feels like a hack and slash game.
Just some things I've noticed people saying, but it does harken back to Yoshi-P saying that it needed a long cool down so that players using a controller would have time to think and plan out their next action. But in the end he kept on lowering the cool down to appease the computer crowd.
Not only that, but he implemented more combos at the beginning for some classes. More specifically the archer and made a few classes have instant cast spells at the start so that they were able to claim monsters over those with instant strikes.
Appreciate the time for this post. I do intend to buy this game, so I am hoping for some improvement. If what you mention is true, then I am all in - though I might go with another class indeed. I was mostly tired out by the fact that I didn't even have to bother looking at my TP, or even HP when I was killing things - didn't feel involved at all besides mashing the given buttons.
Cheers
The combat at the start could feel like that, especially with MRD. Not entirely sure about the quests for me, though. The Guild Quests at the start kind've do, since they're testing your skills on wildlife. Though as a whole there's usually a lot of story and context in what you are set to accomplish. Main storylines treat you like a newblood and you are sent to help settlements and the like, with the occassional twist / advancement / premonition. You meet your first villain in a level 10 quest, and after you get your Airship pass the real soul of the game starts to show itself.
Well, you could say it does that at level 10 when you unlock the armory system, crafting, levequests, inns, behests, etc. Then new systems at 15 like the airships, dying, dungeons, etc. Then 20 with the chocobo license, Chocobo Buddy system, Grand Companies, Grand Company ranks and currency, etc. Basically it just keeps on giving you more and more, matched with an interesting epic of a story that starts of slow and is kind've realistic in not sending you to fight Judges at level one. Hehe.
I will say that the game is very different at level 50 than it is at the start. So many things are open that were locked, and it kind've feels overwhelming. Still haven't been able to test out the Housing or Raids simply because they haven't been in yet. Though they aim to have big updates with a lot of story and systems every 2-3 months or so from what is known.
Interesting... You played exactly the same class as I did, and to the same level...
Then I was done...
Cute mobs and boring combat did it for me.
As someone who's tried em all, roll a Glad. Very actiony in group play. What to pull, when to pull it, where to pull it, what to use on it, TP management, MP management, Aggro management, buffs, debuffs, positioning(Have to try and face the mobs away from lancers/pugilists,etc because their attacks rely on where they are hitting it from), marking mob order(Holding aggro on mobs is tedious without an order. You Flash a group and attack one, thats the one everyone should attack till its dead, as if they hit the others, the thin line of aggro holding it to you poofs and they..well they all wipe xD)
All the while watching the mobs in question for tells of incoming AOE attacks that'll wipe even you. I'm thankful i cant spam stuff very much, as i'd lose control of everything without the game forcing it on me lol. You watching YOUR bars, THEIR bars, the mobs AGGRO bars, ugh. its very actiony and fulfilling imo.
Definetely what im rolling for launch.
The Deep Web is sca-ry.
The questing is also pretty tough to stomach. Hopefully they continue to expand the FATE system in favor of linear static quests. Also what is the deal with the lack of loot on mobs? Is that a Final Fantasy thing? Maybe they don't have mob loot tables finished.
Great graphics and polish for a game in closed beta. Just not sure I would want to throw down $50 and a sub at this point.
No, the slower pace it has actually makes it more fun for me.
I don't want to play an action game all the time, I almost wish the GCD was slower like 3.5 seconds instead of 2.5, but it's fine how it is.
Yes there are people who enjoy the combat in this game. Not every game is for everyone, Yoshi even said that it's really no hard feelings if you don't enjoy the game they came out with "Everyone has their own preferences" in his own words.
All changing it would do would please some, while making those who have grown to love and like it sad and confused about why it had to change. It's not a win/win situation, thankfully there are other games on the market people can try that have different combat styles to suit their preferences. Just opinions all around.
I rolled as a Lancer and managed to get up to level 14 on the first day, however this morning Iv only played for 2-hours. Finding that I'm not exactly as hooked as thought I was. I even played using a PS2 Controller on PC. Decided id start a whole new character, on a new server.~ and meh...lazy xD
Iv never played a FF game, while the story is somewhat of an interesting read. After level 5 I found myself starting to skip reading, and just quest my way up levels. Kill X Return To Y & Turn In....over and over....and over....and over....again.
Iv yet to find anything PVP related, and have yet to try any crafting/resource gathering.~ mostly just questing and leveling up, while skipping story.
1) Where is the Hook? 2) What am I missing out on? 3)Should I continue leveling my lancer to level 20?
Perhaps Lancer is not for me, perhaps FFXIV is not for me Idk ._.
You can have slower, more thoughtful combat without the unncessarily long GCD.
I'd rather see actions take as long as their animation takes to complete. Then impeiment a well-thought-out resource management system so that it would be unwise to just spam your abilities nonstop. The GCD just feels tacky, like a band-aid fix.
I like how long the GCD is though, it also makes it easier on the controllers and ps3 users, since they have a lot of skills they have to quickly shuffle through using tabs and buttons, any shorter will put them at even more of a disadvantage. There's a lot of skills they have to use in combat and the GCD gives them that time to cycle through and find them.
agree to disagree, some like it, some don't, that's just how it will always be with every game.
It already is.
Yea, I'm not a fan of GCD, and I think we need more skills; utility and combat skills.