Pretty much only have good things to say about this game, even in beta. The feedback has been listened to with every phase thus far, and they have multiple write ups on the changes made. They are even addressing issues that some people have with phase three, wanting to have these things looked into and implemented prior to the full release.
Square Enix has the three prerequisites required to be a potentially successful subscription MMORPG:
1) They have the brand name
2) They have a history of a FF game charging monthly fees (may only be applicable if the game in question also releases on a console so that they have a precedence)
3) They are self publishing and not using any money from a third party source
With those three things, all they need to do is produce a great game with a quality sentimental attachment / end game / major patches / exceptional expansions down the line that will keep you wanting to keep track of it.
They are also releasing at a great time with little competition; it's likely to be the only successful P2P game in the next year or two as the stars are aligning in the right way with what some may want (for instance if a P2P game releases after them, it may tank simply because many are only willing to commit to one MMO at a time if it's P2P).
I'd imagine if another game tried to release P2P it wouldn't be as potentially successful by comparison.
Looking forward to playing for at least six months, and possibly more depending on the content they give with each major update. Will also likely come back with new expansions (in addition to those patches).
Due to frequent travel in my youth, English isn't something I consider my primary language (and thus I obtained quirky ways of writing). German and French were always easier for me despite my family being U.S. citizens for over a century. Spanish I learned as a requirement in school, Japanese and Korean I acquired for my youthful desire of anime and gaming (and also work now). I only debate in English to help me work with it (and limit things). In addition, I'm not smart enough to remain fluent in everything and typically need exposure to get in the groove of things again if I haven't heard it in a while. If you understand Mandarin, I know a little, but it has actually been a challenge and could use some help.
Also, I thoroughly enjoy debates and have accounts on over a dozen sites for this. If you wish to engage in such, please put effort in a post and provide sources -- I will then do the same with what I already wrote (if I didn't) as well as with my responses to your own. Expanding my information on a subject makes my stance either change or strengthen the next time I speak of it or write a thesis. Allow me to thank you sincerely for your time.
A good game you can warrant a sub, this game and a few others do. Theres a reason GW2, NW< TERA, and others don t have a sub.
I ll gladly pay a sub to a good game, and IMO this one is good. Anyone that thinks the s p2p games community isn t different from the b2p or f2p crowds are either new to the MMO scene, or were playing deaf and blind back in the day.
I m so glad this will be p2p.
idk, is that why some Wow players say the game has a bad community..? I highly doubt it's any different, save for the general chat. Not to mention the server I played gw2 on was just fine, full of helpful people.
I honestly think the p2p high horse is a little too much, no disrespect to anyone but I feel like everyone hates f2p so much that they've created this image of it and ran with it.
When you have 8 million + people , theres a lot better chance of running into those asshats. I honestly can say I find P2P communities way better, this is what I ve seen, and besides, Vanilla WoW compared to now, is a different community basically.
I find in general, p2p has a better community. This is what I ve seen, and I m happy this will have p2p.
On a side note, I founs GW2 community as helpful as most games nowadays, and that's not saying much. People generally didn t even care if you re there really.
I played the 1.0 betas and did not like it at all. I decided to give this beta a try and had a blast. Seem they fixed lots of the issues I had with the 1.0 like the clunky UI and the combat which I didn't like in 1.0.
I have always been a big fan of f2p but must say I am sick of over costly cash shop and p2w which seem to creep in most f2p games. Please no debates that it convenience, like i said I have been a longtime fan of f2p.
In this case however I am all for a p2p sub AS LONG AS THEY DON'T EVER EVER ADD A CASH SHOP.
I would like it if they lowered their 1 character only entry sub to 10$ a month rather than the 12.99 they have. I mean I feel they don't reduce the price enough from a full 15$ sub that allows 8 characters.
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.
Yoshi is committed to releasing a subscription FF14:ARR and I respect the decision, I just wonder if that market segment has come and gone?
Nope I'm still here.
QFT, I've played too many F2P games that were fun until you hit the paywall and have to spend 20+ dollars a month just to make it enjoyable. Bring on the subscription.
Subscription games have started to get a bad rap lately. Sure games like Rift, SWTOR, Aion and Tera have all gone F2P, but it has been proven long term that one of two things happens with F2P games. 1) New Content eventually becomes part of the paywall or 2) There simply isnt enough money so the game receives very little new content that is worthy to play the game for.
Aion may be the loan exception but that is mostly due to the fact that it is still an extremely successful subscription game in its home of Korea. Games like SWTOR and Tera can't excuse their shortcomings just because they are now F2P. The same issues we had with them when they were subs still remain. Now the question is why should I buy something from their store if the base game remains the same? Even a game like Guild Wars 2 which is of the Buy 2 Play genre has extreme issues with its content cycle.
Personally I look forward to paying my 12.99 a month and knowing I am getting some value out of it. Yoshida & Co. have shown that they have a plan of content that goes at least 6 months out and are including not only end game "raid" content but also the kinda of ancellary "casual" content that I want out of a game (ie housing, story missions, horizontal leveling). These are things that even the juggernaut of WoW refuses to give us in their "If you don't Raid you shouldn't play the game" ideal.
I do like this game and will play it while I wait for Archeage. That said its as far from FFXI as can be, I know i will be flamed but its another wow clone now.
Any graphical, audio, or gameplay restrictions not seen in other mmos but found in FFXIV can be blamed on one thing. PS3
I've been here since 2004. Many MMO's have come and gone. I've played more MMO's than my finger's and toe's. I don't mind pay a sub fee if what I'm paying to sustain is a QUALITY GAME. You can easily weed out the good from bad in the first 25 levels (assuming its 50 or 60).
That said I've pre-ordered FFXIV and am awaiting hopefully a chance to get into beta. I don't really mind as I can wait for the game (now with child, house, and loving wife haha). Hearing good things about this game has my hopes up, but I'm managing not giving into too much of the hype. I'm hoping this will restore somewhat of my faith in the MMO universe.
It's a bleak cold world out there for engaging PC MMO's and has been for the last decade. Let's hope to have some fun and waste time.
To be honest. I think ARR is a great game and I have had fun playing it.
Unfortunately the entire subscription thing is old fashioned and I just don't enjoy that feeling of "Well I paid for a month. I need to play it now." I guess im a casual? Whatever I don't care about naming it.
I see this said a lot, and I never understand it. It just seems so backwards to me.
You should be paying for something because you enjoy it and want to partake in it. You shouldn't be feeling you 'need to' partake in something because you're paying for it. Phrases like "obligated to" or "need to" should not factor in when it comes to something you're doing voluntarily because you enjoy it.
If it comes back to the "well, I feel like if I'm not playing enough, then I'm not getting my money's worth", then I don't get that either, because it's such a nebulous point of view. It seems to be based on looking at the cost as a lump sum without regard of how it breaks down. And anyway what's "enough"? Is there some specific number of hours required to be "enough"? Is it more of a non-specific "feeling" thing? If so, how do you even begin to quantify that?
For example... If you're paying $15 a month on a sub (XIV is cheaper than that), then you're paying about 50 cents a day. Half a dollar for 24 hours of "all you can eat" access. That's one way of looking at it.
Another way to break it down is by hour.
Let's be extremely conservative and say you only play 4 hours a week. That's 16 hours in a month. That comes out to just under a dollar per hour. I don't think anyone would call that a bad deal. And that's a very conservative example.
Let's take my situation as a slightly more "normal" example (and probably still on the conservative side). I play about 2-3 hours at a stretch, roughly 5 days a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more.
Let's be conservative and say 2 hours per session, 5 days a week. That's 10 hours a week, 40 hours a month. That means I'm paying about 37 cents an hour. Thirty-seven cents for an hour of entertainment. And that's based on more conservative figures.
How could anyone call that a bad deal with a straight face?
People tend to worry about "not getting their money's worth" when they're not playing, when it really makes far more sense to think of how little you're paying per hour when you are playing.
It will be interesting to see if the payment model explodes. It sure could if subbers don't stay. Which is very likely with the hype this game is getting.
Loved the beta, can't wait for August. That being said, I loved FFXI big time. One of the things I hope this game does that FFXI did, was to bring a certain immersive quality in game as well as out. A very large Metagame if you will. FFXI had this in large quantities. I remember reading forums for hours on various FFXI topics from job macros, subjob combos, Mission tips, leveling and camping tips, and so on and enjoying that as much as playing the game. I kind of miss that level of metagaming and theory crafting.
The graphics and music are superb, as is the story, the controls are finally more friendly and modern. I just hope that beyond quests, leveling other classes will be just as fun. I almost wish the quests were tied to a Fame system similar to FFXI. Maybe my fears in this area are moot as I only got to level 11 and still had plenty of quests all over each map I visited.
Lastly, I definitely need to see what mid game and elder game look like as those things help a player set goals and give them something to look forward to and work toward. Much like in FFXI there were tons of things to set one's sight's on and achieve, almost to the point of being overwhelming. I really hope this game engenders that same level of content and quality.
How could anyone call that a bad deal with a straight face?
People tend to worry about "not getting their money's worth" when they're not playing, when it really makes far more sense to think of how little you're paying per hour when you are playing.
It's all perspective.
I sympathize with those who worry about 'getting their money's worth' on monthly subscription models. It's not that anyone thinks its a bad deal; it's really just a psychological pressure. In a B2P model, I can decide not to play at all for 2 months, come back for a few days, quit again for a week, etc., and not have to even worry about things like whether I should cancel my sub to save the 15 bucks that would otherwise be wasted, for instance. As someone who at one point was in a situation where 15 bucks made a big difference in a tight monthly budget, I can say this pressure isn't to be underestimated. Even when one isn't on such a tight budget, the thought that all the time not spent playing is wasting money is uncomfortable.
That said, it's not that one should foist responsibility for this entirely on the game producers; one just has to keep from losing sight of why they play the game at all (for example, to spend time with friends), and regulate their playing habits around that instead.
Yes please no free to play, Please don't make me enjoy 1/2 a game unless I spend endless amounts of money in a cash shop. I'd rather pay a sub and not worry about weather that guy got his amazing looking sword because he has loads of money to throw at a game, or weather he got it by doing something cool in the game.
To be honest. I think ARR is a great game and I have had fun playing it.
Unfortunately the entire subscription thing is old fashioned and I just don't enjoy that feeling of "Well I paid for a month. I need to play it now." I guess im a casual? Whatever I don't care about naming it.
I see this said a lot, and I never understand it. It just seems so backwards to me.
You should be paying for something because you enjoy it and want to partake in it. You shouldn't be feeling you 'need to' partake in something because you're paying for it. Phrases like "obligated to" or "need to" should not factor in when it comes to something you're doing voluntarily because you enjoy it.
If it comes back to the "well, I feel like if I'm not playing enough, then I'm not getting my money's worth", then I don't get that either, because it's such a nebulous point of view. It seems to be based on looking at the cost as a lump sum without regard of how it breaks down. And anyway what's "enough"? Is there some specific number of hours required to be "enough"? Is it more of a non-specific "feeling" thing? If so, how do you even begin to quantify that?
For example... If you're paying $15 a month on a sub (XIV is cheaper than that), then you're paying about 50 cents a day. Half a dollar for 24 hours of "all you can eat" access. That's one way of looking at it.
Another way to break it down is by hour.
Let's be extremely conservative and say you only play 4 hours a week. That's 16 hours in a month. That comes out to just under a dollar per hour. I don't think anyone would call that a bad deal. And that's a very conservative example.
Let's take my situation as a slightly more "normal" example (and probably still on the conservative side). I play about 2-3 hours at a stretch, roughly 5 days a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more.
Let's be conservative and say 2 hours per session, 5 days a week. That's 10 hours a week, 40 hours a month. That means I'm paying about 37 cents an hour. Thirty-seven cents for an hour of entertainment. And that's based on more conservative figures.
How could anyone call that a bad deal with a straight face?
People tend to worry about "not getting their money's worth" when they're not playing, when it really makes far more sense to think of how little you're paying per hour when you are playing.
It's all perspective.
You sir are awesome. Not to mention you get the whole game for that cheap, not just parts of the game.
I've been playing the beta and its soooooo much better than the first version of the game. That said, the game is no where near as good as RIFT which is F2P. I'm really not sure how this game will succeed with its dated subscription model. If it was the best game on the market then people would pay, but its not.
Yoshi has acknowledged the lack of a scouting class and wants to work on that as soon as possible.
The Arcanist and its two jobs, Summoner and Scholar, were added since Arcanist was promised from 1.0 but never deivered, and they needed to balance out the melee to caster ratio.
Originally posted by Ashikuro I've been playing the beta and its soooooo much better than the first version of the game. That said, the game is no where near as good as RIFT which is F2P. I'm really not sure how this game will succeed with its dated subscription model. If it was the best game on the market then people would pay, but its not.
Opinion. I played RIFT for a bit, even subbed for a month, but for me personally, ARR is far more entertaining, higher quality, better looking and it has that 'magic.'
That magic of adventure, when you played your first MMO.
To be honest. I think ARR is a great game and I have had fun playing it.
Unfortunately the entire subscription thing is old fashioned and I just don't enjoy that feeling of "Well I paid for a month. I need to play it now." I guess im a casual? Whatever I don't care about naming it.
I see this said a lot, and I never understand it. It just seems so backwards to me.
You should be paying for something because you enjoy it and want to partake in it. You shouldn't be feeling you 'need to' partake in something because you're paying for it. Phrases like "obligated to" or "need to" should not factor in when it comes to something you're doing voluntarily because you enjoy it.
If it comes back to the "well, I feel like if I'm not playing enough, then I'm not getting my money's worth", then I don't get that either, because it's such a nebulous point of view. It seems to be based on looking at the cost as a lump sum without regard of how it breaks down. And anyway what's "enough"? Is there some specific number of hours required to be "enough"? Is it more of a non-specific "feeling" thing? If so, how do you even begin to quantify that?
For example... If you're paying $15 a month on a sub (XIV is cheaper than that), then you're paying about 50 cents a day. Half a dollar for 24 hours of "all you can eat" access. That's one way of looking at it.
Another way to break it down is by hour.
Let's be extremely conservative and say you only play 4 hours a week. That's 16 hours in a month. That comes out to just under a dollar per hour. I don't think anyone would call that a bad deal. And that's a very conservative example.
Let's take my situation as a slightly more "normal" example (and probably still on the conservative side). I play about 2-3 hours at a stretch, roughly 5 days a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more.
Let's be conservative and say 2 hours per session, 5 days a week. That's 10 hours a week, 40 hours a month. That means I'm paying about 37 cents an hour. Thirty-seven cents for an hour of entertainment. And that's based on more conservative figures.
How could anyone call that a bad deal with a straight face?
People tend to worry about "not getting their money's worth" when they're not playing, when it really makes far more sense to think of how little you're paying per hour when you are playing.
It's all perspective.
Technically, I never said I didn't wanna pay for it. All I said was I prefer a B2P model then P2P model. You posted one snippet of my post and took it out of context. Also I even said it was a personal preference.
As many have pointed out. There are times when life simply gets in the way or other interests, other games.
With a P2P model and my precious free time, these don't always mix very well. I enjoy the freedom of being able to leave and do something else for 3 weeks to a month or 2 and not worry about cancelling a subscription simply cause I am going to play Watch Dogs for example. If im leaving town to go visit the In-laws for a week. If my job requires me to travel and I won't have time/decent internet to access my MMO. Its not always about hours or playtime but if I want to hop on for a sec and say hello to friends or hell do a quick one hour dungeon then I need to shell out that 15 buck barrier for it. Now I will oblige your example of hours needed to get "Bang for your buck."
MMO's are the most time consuming hobby one could have almost. Your entire example of you getting bang for your buck isn't exactly straight forward. Given the fact that you have times in a MMO that simply your not doing ANYTHING. Load screens, traveling, waiting for a party, waiting for a patch(okay that is only sometimes). Waiting in a log in que. Point is your not always getting bang for your buck the entire time your playing. If you want an example straight outta the FFXIV game, anyone remember the Line?
I know that was a glitch in beta. No biggie. Simply put there is a downtime in MMOs that doesn't always equal bang for your buck. Okay lets take out time to eat in your 3-5 hour block. Time for the bathroom. RING RING...whats that? Your mom is calling, she wants to know why you haven't called her in 7 days and talk about that for an hour. See what im doing here? Stacks up quick. Now we could sit here and argue the difference between what qualifies as bang and what doesn't or we could simply acknowledge that I have different perspective then you.
Its not that im expecting some sort of higher demand or even that things conform to what I want. I just have a preference. 15 bucks isn't really that much. I acknowledge this but IF I don't touch the game for reasons outside my control(work, family, travel) or reasons within my control (other games, hobbies, friends) Then suddenly that 15 dollars is a waste of money.
Loved the beta, can't wait for August. That being said, I loved FFXI big time. One of the things I hope this game does that FFXI did, was to bring a certain immersive quality in game as well as out. A very large Metagame if you will. FFXI had this in large quantities. I remember reading forums for hours on various FFXI topics from job macros, subjob combos, Mission tips, leveling and camping tips, and so on and enjoying that as much as playing the game. I kind of miss that level of metagaming and theory crafting.
The graphics and music are superb, as is the story, the controls are finally more friendly and modern. I just hope that beyond quests, leveling other classes will be just as fun. I almost wish the quests were tied to a Fame system similar to FFXI. Maybe my fears in this area are moot as I only got to level 11 and still had plenty of quests all over each map I visited.
Lastly, I definitely need to see what mid game and elder game look like as those things help a player set goals and give them something to look forward to and work toward. Much like in FFXI there were tons of things to set one's sight's on and achieve, almost to the point of being overwhelming. I really hope this game engenders that same level of content and quality.
When I played the first couple of Beta's the game didn't really seem to be what I was looking for, but after playing the last Beta I've subsequently ordered the CE version. I'm not really sure what changed or if it was me simply persisting with the game but now I find myself loading up the launcher to see if the servers are up (damn that Yoshi P for making me want to play more when I can't).
The other reason I've purchased the CE is because it will be subscription based. I've tried so many F2P games and for me I don't like the developers methods behind trying to maximize their profits. It would seem unlike many others in this world of capitalism I still believe that even though a business is there to make money they should retain some ethics whilst doing so.
No game will get one sided reviews, everyone has a different view of what the perfect immersive online world is. What I believe that FF:ARR is accomplishing is giving FF fans something new in this universe in the best way they know and feel comfortable doing it in.
If you like the Old school combat of systematic strategic play style with stunning graphics and extensive crafting this is for you. If your looking for fast pace in your face finger twitching combat this is not for you.
I really want to point out the amount of in depths story telling and player driven content. You get to customize your character to a level not seen in 90% of other games, you feel connected to the world you live in because every stat increase, gear color, class, or even house design and crafting choice is specific to you.... no one else will have a character with 100% the same everything, you can and will stand out for what your character is and will be if it is the house design, crafting choice, gear customization, or even the class you pick and train as or just look of your character.
That is what attracts me a person that has not cared much for the FF universe to this game to the point of buying the CE of FF:ARR that I did not even do for SWTOR which was like that bad Ex girlfriend that keeps coming to your mind because of her looks and good times spent together.
Yoshi is committed to releasing a subscription FF14:ARR and I respect the decision, I just wonder if that market segment has come and gone?
Nope I'm still here.
I think the subscription model will return with a vengeance - folk are suddenly realising that the trash that comes with 'F2P' are a plague that should be avoided.
Comments
Pretty much only have good things to say about this game, even in beta. The feedback has been listened to with every phase thus far, and they have multiple write ups on the changes made. They are even addressing issues that some people have with phase three, wanting to have these things looked into and implemented prior to the full release.
Square Enix has the three prerequisites required to be a potentially successful subscription MMORPG:
1) They have the brand name
2) They have a history of a FF game charging monthly fees (may only be applicable if the game in question also releases on a console so that they have a precedence)
3) They are self publishing and not using any money from a third party source
With those three things, all they need to do is produce a great game with a quality sentimental attachment / end game / major patches / exceptional expansions down the line that will keep you wanting to keep track of it.
They are also releasing at a great time with little competition; it's likely to be the only successful P2P game in the next year or two as the stars are aligning in the right way with what some may want (for instance if a P2P game releases after them, it may tank simply because many are only willing to commit to one MMO at a time if it's P2P).
I'd imagine if another game tried to release P2P it wouldn't be as potentially successful by comparison.
Looking forward to playing for at least six months, and possibly more depending on the content they give with each major update. Will also likely come back with new expansions (in addition to those patches).
When you have 8 million + people , theres a lot better chance of running into those asshats. I honestly can say I find P2P communities way better, this is what I ve seen, and besides, Vanilla WoW compared to now, is a different community basically.
I find in general, p2p has a better community. This is what I ve seen, and I m happy this will have p2p.
On a side note, I founs GW2 community as helpful as most games nowadays, and that's not saying much. People generally didn t even care if you re there really.
I played the 1.0 betas and did not like it at all. I decided to give this beta a try and had a blast. Seem they fixed lots of the issues I had with the 1.0 like the clunky UI and the combat which I didn't like in 1.0.
I have always been a big fan of f2p but must say I am sick of over costly cash shop and p2w which seem to creep in most f2p games. Please no debates that it convenience, like i said I have been a longtime fan of f2p.
In this case however I am all for a p2p sub AS LONG AS THEY DON'T EVER EVER ADD A CASH SHOP.
I would like it if they lowered their 1 character only entry sub to 10$ a month rather than the 12.99 they have. I mean I feel they don't reduce the price enough from a full 15$ sub that allows 8 characters.
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.
QFT, I've played too many F2P games that were fun until you hit the paywall and have to spend 20+ dollars a month just to make it enjoyable. Bring on the subscription.
Subscription games have started to get a bad rap lately. Sure games like Rift, SWTOR, Aion and Tera have all gone F2P, but it has been proven long term that one of two things happens with F2P games. 1) New Content eventually becomes part of the paywall or 2) There simply isnt enough money so the game receives very little new content that is worthy to play the game for.
Aion may be the loan exception but that is mostly due to the fact that it is still an extremely successful subscription game in its home of Korea. Games like SWTOR and Tera can't excuse their shortcomings just because they are now F2P. The same issues we had with them when they were subs still remain. Now the question is why should I buy something from their store if the base game remains the same? Even a game like Guild Wars 2 which is of the Buy 2 Play genre has extreme issues with its content cycle.
Personally I look forward to paying my 12.99 a month and knowing I am getting some value out of it. Yoshida & Co. have shown that they have a plan of content that goes at least 6 months out and are including not only end game "raid" content but also the kinda of ancellary "casual" content that I want out of a game (ie housing, story missions, horizontal leveling). These are things that even the juggernaut of WoW refuses to give us in their "If you don't Raid you shouldn't play the game" ideal.
Any graphical, audio, or gameplay restrictions not seen in other mmos but found in FFXIV can be blamed on one thing.
PS3
I've been here since 2004. Many MMO's have come and gone. I've played more MMO's than my finger's and toe's. I don't mind pay a sub fee if what I'm paying to sustain is a QUALITY GAME. You can easily weed out the good from bad in the first 25 levels (assuming its 50 or 60).
That said I've pre-ordered FFXIV and am awaiting hopefully a chance to get into beta. I don't really mind as I can wait for the game (now with child, house, and loving wife haha). Hearing good things about this game has my hopes up, but I'm managing not giving into too much of the hype. I'm hoping this will restore somewhat of my faith in the MMO universe.
It's a bleak cold world out there for engaging PC MMO's and has been for the last decade. Let's hope to have some fun and waste time.
I see this said a lot, and I never understand it. It just seems so backwards to me.
You should be paying for something because you enjoy it and want to partake in it. You shouldn't be feeling you 'need to' partake in something because you're paying for it. Phrases like "obligated to" or "need to" should not factor in when it comes to something you're doing voluntarily because you enjoy it.
If it comes back to the "well, I feel like if I'm not playing enough, then I'm not getting my money's worth", then I don't get that either, because it's such a nebulous point of view. It seems to be based on looking at the cost as a lump sum without regard of how it breaks down. And anyway what's "enough"? Is there some specific number of hours required to be "enough"? Is it more of a non-specific "feeling" thing? If so, how do you even begin to quantify that?
For example... If you're paying $15 a month on a sub (XIV is cheaper than that), then you're paying about 50 cents a day. Half a dollar for 24 hours of "all you can eat" access. That's one way of looking at it.
Another way to break it down is by hour.
Let's be extremely conservative and say you only play 4 hours a week. That's 16 hours in a month. That comes out to just under a dollar per hour. I don't think anyone would call that a bad deal. And that's a very conservative example.
Let's take my situation as a slightly more "normal" example (and probably still on the conservative side). I play about 2-3 hours at a stretch, roughly 5 days a week. Sometimes less, sometimes more.
Let's be conservative and say 2 hours per session, 5 days a week. That's 10 hours a week, 40 hours a month. That means I'm paying about 37 cents an hour. Thirty-seven cents for an hour of entertainment. And that's based on more conservative figures.
How could anyone call that a bad deal with a straight face?
People tend to worry about "not getting their money's worth" when they're not playing, when it really makes far more sense to think of how little you're paying per hour when you are playing.
It's all perspective.
Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.
Loved the beta, can't wait for August. That being said, I loved FFXI big time. One of the things I hope this game does that FFXI did, was to bring a certain immersive quality in game as well as out. A very large Metagame if you will. FFXI had this in large quantities. I remember reading forums for hours on various FFXI topics from job macros, subjob combos, Mission tips, leveling and camping tips, and so on and enjoying that as much as playing the game. I kind of miss that level of metagaming and theory crafting.
The graphics and music are superb, as is the story, the controls are finally more friendly and modern. I just hope that beyond quests, leveling other classes will be just as fun. I almost wish the quests were tied to a Fame system similar to FFXI. Maybe my fears in this area are moot as I only got to level 11 and still had plenty of quests all over each map I visited.
Lastly, I definitely need to see what mid game and elder game look like as those things help a player set goals and give them something to look forward to and work toward. Much like in FFXI there were tons of things to set one's sight's on and achieve, almost to the point of being overwhelming. I really hope this game engenders that same level of content and quality.
I am bored wake me up when another paradigm shifting game is produced as WOW did in 2004! I will probably die in my sleep waiting
I sympathize with those who worry about 'getting their money's worth' on monthly subscription models. It's not that anyone thinks its a bad deal; it's really just a psychological pressure. In a B2P model, I can decide not to play at all for 2 months, come back for a few days, quit again for a week, etc., and not have to even worry about things like whether I should cancel my sub to save the 15 bucks that would otherwise be wasted, for instance. As someone who at one point was in a situation where 15 bucks made a big difference in a tight monthly budget, I can say this pressure isn't to be underestimated. Even when one isn't on such a tight budget, the thought that all the time not spent playing is wasting money is uncomfortable.
That said, it's not that one should foist responsibility for this entirely on the game producers; one just has to keep from losing sight of why they play the game at all (for example, to spend time with friends), and regulate their playing habits around that instead.
You sir are awesome. Not to mention you get the whole game for that cheap, not just parts of the game.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
"Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted.
Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world."
Hans Margolius
Yoshi has acknowledged the lack of a scouting class and wants to work on that as soon as possible.
The Arcanist and its two jobs, Summoner and Scholar, were added since Arcanist was promised from 1.0 but never deivered, and they needed to balance out the melee to caster ratio.
Opinion. I played RIFT for a bit, even subbed for a month, but for me personally, ARR is far more entertaining, higher quality, better looking and it has that 'magic.'
That magic of adventure, when you played your first MMO.
As many have pointed out. There are times when life simply gets in the way or other interests, other games.
Its not that im expecting some sort of higher demand or even that things conform to what I want. I just have a preference. 15 bucks isn't really that much. I acknowledge this but IF I don't touch the game for reasons outside my control(work, family, travel) or reasons within my control (other games, hobbies, friends) Then suddenly that 15 dollars is a waste of money.
Remember, its all perspective.
MMORPG Gamers/Developers need a reality check!
Well said. I couldn't agree more.
$15.00 = 730 hours of play
this week I spent $57.00 at the movies for 3* hours
When I played the first couple of Beta's the game didn't really seem to be what I was looking for, but after playing the last Beta I've subsequently ordered the CE version. I'm not really sure what changed or if it was me simply persisting with the game but now I find myself loading up the launcher to see if the servers are up (damn that Yoshi P for making me want to play more when I can't).
The other reason I've purchased the CE is because it will be subscription based. I've tried so many F2P games and for me I don't like the developers methods behind trying to maximize their profits. It would seem unlike many others in this world of capitalism I still believe that even though a business is there to make money they should retain some ethics whilst doing so.
No game will get one sided reviews, everyone has a different view of what the perfect immersive online world is. What I believe that FF:ARR is accomplishing is giving FF fans something new in this universe in the best way they know and feel comfortable doing it in.
If you like the Old school combat of systematic strategic play style with stunning graphics and extensive crafting this is for you. If your looking for fast pace in your face finger twitching combat this is not for you.
I really want to point out the amount of in depths story telling and player driven content. You get to customize your character to a level not seen in 90% of other games, you feel connected to the world you live in because every stat increase, gear color, class, or even house design and crafting choice is specific to you.... no one else will have a character with 100% the same everything, you can and will stand out for what your character is and will be if it is the house design, crafting choice, gear customization, or even the class you pick and train as or just look of your character.
That is what attracts me a person that has not cared much for the FF universe to this game to the point of buying the CE of FF:ARR that I did not even do for SWTOR which was like that bad Ex girlfriend that keeps coming to your mind because of her looks and good times spent together.
I think the subscription model will return with a vengeance - folk are suddenly realising that the trash that comes with 'F2P' are a plague that should be avoided.
I'll happily pay a sub for a AAA title.