Woot! Made it to Hellfire peninsula... and I'm Killing boars....
To be fair I don't remember once (I could be wrong) the company promising to give the genre something new, what I heard was "we're going to take the failure of our old game and make it better". Yes, FFXIV is your typical MMO, but again that's what most people expected it to be.
it is all hyped and pumped up cause its new and its says final fantasy and meh can be meow and haz tailz!!1
this mmo unfortunately not bashing the final fantasy saga cause personally i liked the 7 and 8 but this has nothing to do with those i know. this wont last very long . people are just hyped cause its something new they can play until something else comes out.
i was on closed beta but honestly there was nothing to report or even suggest from my part cause to me whole game and its systems needed to be changed so i didnt even bother. so...neeeext.
Actually, we are hyped because it NOT something new.
No one is fooling themselves over what this game is and isn't supposed to be. If you are looking for something new and innovative, keep looking FF14 ain't it.. If you are looking for something that's been done before but this time done a bit better, then give it a shot.
Actually, we are hyped because it NOT something new.
No one is fooling themselves over what this game is and isn't supposed to be. If you are looking for something new and innovative, keep looking FF14 ain't it..If you are looking for something that's been done before but this time done a bit better, then give it a shot.
The bolded and highlighted is so far the only thing anyone has said about this game that is 100% correct its not something new its just a little improved on. Its really FFXI done better and with features XI needed. The graphics for this game are really amazing even in 1080p its like you become part of the world or can step inside the game. Even in 720p on PS3 which gamepad works excellent with this game. Other then that it is FFXI remade with a much better set up.
Sherman's Gaming
Youtube Content creator for The Elder Scrolls Online
The whole "this is for MMO newbies" argument is stupid. MMOs have never been difficult, as a matter of fact, they tend to be very easy - go out, kill stuff and loot. Moreover, I would say 90% of all players who try FFXIV have already MMO experience, so what is you point? And for those players who have never played an MMO the first levels are the most important! So to argue "oh I don't care, if the first 20 levels are boring, the real game starts with level 50" is dubious, because if somebody tries this game and finds it boring he or she will just quit.
Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need.
Actually, we are hyped because it NOT something new.
No one is fooling themselves over what this game is and isn't supposed to be. If you are looking for something new and innovative, keep looking FF14 ain't it.. If you are looking for something that's been done before but this time done a bit better, then give it a shot.
I know that is why the game piqued my interest.
There has not been an "innovative" MMO that has actually also been fun enough to hold myinterest in many, many years. I'm looking forward to playing a game that actually just takes what I already know I enjoy and applies a lot of polish and TLC to it.
While I am enjoying the game so far. I think a lot of the hype is coming from the fact that it might be the last P2P MMO for as far as we can see. And a lot of people are desperate to prove P2P is automatically better than F2P.
It's hard to respond with personal preferences, or to speak for the whole when one has no right to. It is true that this game will be subject to the natural decline over time and that people will find that it isn't the game for them. It is also true that hype inevitably fades with games. Though the somewhat unique thing herein is that nearly every player who enjoys it knows what it is. It is a themepark with all the features from the past 15 years, just improved upon. It is traditional and has treadmill prospects. It has never claimed to be otherwise, and is probably one of the last of it's kind (as far as P2P is concerned). Instead of saying "we're different because", Yoshi-P made a game that he thought was fun by improving upon what has been a success in the last years (or what was forgotten or overlooked by previous developers).
That said, these are my thoughts on the matter as whole (which may be incoherent at times as most of it's a matter of opinion).
As people have been saying, and as been said in live letters and beta letters and, indeed, even letters from the producer, the levels from 1-15 are tutorials for new players. It isn't beyond the realm of belief for me to understand where some people are coming from when they quirk an eyebrow at you when you say you want to give the game an honest chance, as that usually means the person in general has a pre-ordained judgment about the game in question; they then typically go to the forums to complain about the first quest saying they will continue and see where it leads... only to come back and complain about the very next thing that happens as opposed to spending hours in game (in your case, making fun of a quest where they teach the player how to do emotes). Though as you have been responding in a respectful and mature matter (thus adding evidence that you speak with a type of sincerity), it deserves a long written response based on what another player thinks makes the game so appealing to a certain crowd which you may or may not be a part of yourself.
The start is very slow, as was said. The first task given by your combat guild is realistic (even though realism oft does sacrifice entertainment). Before they will waste their time with you -- or perhaps get you killed -- you need to prove that you're able to at least hold a weapon. You're green, and you're not a hero. Once you prove this, they, as a combat guild, will then trust you with more important quests which usually involve protecting townsfolk and villages from dangerous threats. Though there is always context and a immersion-based reason, and as their trusts increases, so to does their faith in your ability and you may face a mini-boss of sorts on you way. Though as a whole, guild quests are essentially side quests on your way to unlock job quests. They aren't a part of the main story as a whole.
The main story acts very much in the same way, and you are treated as a new adventurer. By your writings I would gather that you started in Gridiania, and that place isn't exactly welcoming to new people. They will give you small task after small task in both main and story quests until subtle things happen. Flash backs, seeing future nemesis in the background, learning about the past and eventually being shown your first villain of the game. When you beat that villain, the world starts to open up, you are able to unlock the airship pass, go on diplomatic missions and then be introduced to four more of the game's main villains (yet still there are more, as the main story is comprised of multiple arcs). While my favorite starting city in ARR is Limsa, the story of the cities ends with the tutorial at 15 and each five levels starting at level 10 new systems unlock (if you stick with the main story to unlock them).
Then the game becomes very much group based when it comes to advancing in the story and unlocking systems and dungeons and levels / guild heists / etc.
It was not hidden that the game is a pure traditional themepark. It just improves on most aspects in a lot of ways. While I am loathe to compare games directly, it's FATE system is a thousand times better than GW2's "Dynamic Events" simply because even the low levels could be massive (they become even more complex later on, just as GW2's does). This is because of the class system, how you aren't tied to one, and the fact that the Trinity exists. There could quite literally be 100 mobs on screen spawned from an event depending on how many people are in it. This leads to a truly epic battle feeling by comparison as, if you're a healer, you could just waddle through all the battles and heal people as a gigantic battle is waged all around you.
Though that's just one specific improvement to show how things of the past are elaborated and improved upon. The way they introduce villains and handle villains is top notch. They are actually antagonists have have relevant roles and not just lore that says they're bad. Though the story revolves around your character in such a way as if they are living day by day and not everything is revealed all at once, but over time and with the occasional twist. This is where just the prospects of villains and bad guys in games are improved as they truly get the spot light and become valuable characters in game.
Then the class system, and how you can switch any time or draw abilities from any class and give it to your current, is also a vast improvement. You're no longer stuck on one thing because you don't want to level an alt or you just want to focus on one character. You actually get rewarded for hard work in leveling it all if you want. Indeed, if you want a sense of satisfaction, you could go all out hardcore and try to keep all of your classes up to par with each tier and garnish the respect and flexibility that comes with that by your end game guild or the server at large.
Then there's the crafting, which isn't just an afterthought. Crafters are their own classes and have their own story, armor and artifact armor. The same with gathering classes for the most part. With it's focus on group play (and even giving people who love groups their own advance job which is focused on groups), it just gives that feeling of resplendence even if you're one of many or the soloist who aims to master everything and everything.
In addition, they take some older ideas which many have shunned as of late with housing. The housing and the housing neighborhood (at least the seaside neighborhood) gives people who want that something to look forward to. To furnish, to change the walls, the roofs, the exterior (gardens / chocobo stables), interior and much more. You could even simply place your retainers in there if you so please and start a little item shop of your own (though I doubt the effect of this will be great, but it's good for immersion at least).
Then there's the whole JRPG element whereby there is a lot of well articulated reading; even those who were fond of games such as Baldur's Gate or Planescape will appreciate this (not to mention that reading will likely scare off a lot of the "go go go" impatient people). Though the group dynamics and all of the above make for a potentially great community. The community so far has been great on legacy servers. A lot of question, met with great answers and I've partied with about 10 new players who asked for help.
Next there's the Chocobo Companion system, which is similar to Guild War's or SWTOR's partner system, but with chocobos and the friendship involved therein. It's pretty fantastic to be riding your chocobo, then jumping off and summoning it to fight alongside or follow you. Though it's hard to put a finger on it, it just feel so natural and fun and not so much a chore as it was in the previous games.
The point of the matter is, aside from the fact it's a Final Fantasy game, it boasts nearly every great feature not from 8 years past, but 15 years past. Then it just improves upon it and adds the Final Fantasy flavor. That and people have been starved for a P2P game as of late simply because F2P and to a lesser extent B2P have been so lucrative to developers. It's slow like a JRPG, and that may be a weakness for those with ADD (not claiming anyone here has that, but as a matter of statement), but the JRPG crowd that is attracted by it (and maybe even the P2P crowd as some would argue) is typically a polite community. The game has improved a thousand fold from 1.0, and at least tenfold from Alpha with all the feedback they took to heart and put in the game.
We've seen a lot of people on most forums bash the first five levels of the game and then quit, saying "same old". Yet these are the same people who likely judge books by the cover, hate books / games simple because it's popular and use their past to make judgment without playing a game (also those who hate on a game that has yet to be released and will likely not be released for years yet). That's a very specific group and not indicative of the whole, as some may just dislike Themeparks as a whole (and that's okay). But the great thing about this game is that it improves on darn near everything of what it tries to emulate.
It isn't trying to be different. It doesn't try to fool people and say it's different and not a themepark. It just embraces it, and from that it goes about having blatant systems and improving them whilst adding the Final Fantasy context. This is the game that those who were disappointed (or enjoyed but like different options) in either GW2 or SWTOR or even tired of WoW or Rift will likely have fun in. It has the elements of the last fifteen years, improved upon and with the traditional Tank / Healer / Support / DPS roles and ample group content for those who enjoy it. It has well made FATES that aren't just massive zergs, but large scale battles due to these roles (for instance, you don't have to just zerg and DPS, you could just run through enemies and look for people to heal and watch the battle unfold). It has some quest hubs matched with story, class, job and side quests and nearly every element you would expect.
Quite so, this game is what a certain crowd wants exactly. The Themepark lovers who saw great potential in ideas past and enjoy how Square "Final Fantasized" it with their improvements and systems. It represents the peak of what Themeparks have had to offer up to this point (whenever something "new" is introduced, it becomes the norm after one game and is incorporated in improved ways with the next game), and will likely add more and more stuff with patches and expansions. It also came out at a good time as there is little competition and people are becoming more disappointed with other games they may have been looking forward to (not to mention that it's probably one of the last bastions of the P2P market for now).
Will it break millions of subscribers? That's unlikely even on optimistic terms. Though it does represent a lot of what the genre used to be. It may not look to the future for inspiration (yet), but it takes what people have loved or forgot they loved and gave them a new lease on MMORPG gaming.
Edit: The fact that we also have ideas of what patches will be like from 1.0, we can also assume they will have ample additions to the main storyline in addition to all the new systems promised. With that we also have the ability to play with console players, meaning that some of us will be able to have a blast with friend that we couldn't before. In addition to the graphics, the world and the music that's just plain great. The improvements to the A.I. mobs in the world is also a welcomed addition to Phase four. They all have unique attacks now and may even inflict status' on you or have massive attacks you need to avoid.
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.
Vanguard start in full armour ordered by emperor go into village kill peasents start feeling guilty about this some guy in town says start a new life wash up on some shore with no armour .it is a better start than killing squirrels
Originally posted by Fendel84M While I am enjoying the game so far. I think a lot of the hype is coming from the fact that it might be the last P2P MMO for as far as we can see. And a lot of people are desperate to prove P2P is automatically better than F2P.
i think mostly people are just desperate for a good 'solid' MMO they can play, regardless of whether its P2P or F2P, and 'best' is a matter of personal preferance, for some the best might be among the f2p games, i just know that for me, its not.
i don't know if FFXIV:ARR will be a great or just a good MMO, i just know that for me its looking better all the time
Originally posted by Tindale111 Vanguard start in full armour ordered by emperor go into village kill peasents start feeling guilty about this some guy in town says start a new life wash up on some shore with no armour .it is a better start than killing squirrels
I remember that, it is just too bad the game was so terribad after that part.
(Disclaimer: I know they have done a lot with it since, and maybe it is actually good now)
Originally posted by Fendel84M While I am enjoying the game so far. I think a lot of the hype is coming from the fact that it might be the last P2P MMO for as far as we can see. And a lot of people are desperate to prove P2P is automatically better than F2P.
Pretty much agree with this. Out of the dozen or so MMORPGs I'm following (that are being released in the next 1-3 years) I don't see any of them being P2P except maybe for World of Darkness. This includes all sub genres under the MMO umbrella minus FPS... I don't follow that at all. I'm leveling up Arcanist... so far it has been pretty easy. Good thing I have the rest of the DOW and DOM at level 50 so people can't use the 'silly card' of "wait till you get to level 20+... or in my case, wait till you get to level 49+."
The "new player" argument isn't a valid counter against bad story telling. They clearly haven't put any effort in trying to engage the player to create a believable world. Joining the archer guild could have been a nice little story, told in the form of a mini game, where you could shoot an apple from someone's head or where you had to prove yourself shooting at an archer board. The reason why they chose a generic way, the kill quest, is because their engine must have the usual three story telling capabilities;
cut scenes
combat
mouse click recognition
Everything else is going to have to be handmade and thus very costly. So whatever the story is, its going to be told using these three mechanisms and yes, its going to be boring because we all did this a million times. They clearly didn't hire professional writers to make up for a, story wise, handicapped game engine.
A quick fix for now to make it less awful is to get rid of these playstation interaction windows with one line of text. Just throw it all together in one window that we can click away quickly. So we can wade through the mud more quickly to get to a, hopefully, more interesting end-game.
In my opinion the starter levels are easy because of the game coming on consoles.
Remember guys, fans of final fantasy that never played the mmorpg or any mmorpg will need some hand holding to understand some features that are not found in single player games.
(Tough there are some fates in the starting areas (Gridania) which are easy at the moment because of the high amount of people but would be pretty hard when the population moves on like for example the one on the bridge with the raptors all doing that aoe attack covering the whole bridge with aoes)
I'm in the open beta, make my character and hit the opening town. My first mission, discover several places around town. Ok, after several scenes that seem to tug at my FFVII strings like the stained glass combined with music, I move my merry behind toward the archers guild. Is this seriously what the quests are like in this game? Does it get better?
Dialogue of missions? Summarized....
"Do you wish to become a member of the archers guild." Yes...
"You are not yet a member of the archers guild." Continue...
"You may become a member of the archers guild." Cool, continue... complete quest.
Oh, she starts another quest....
"You may become a member of the archers guild." Cool, continue...
"Do you wish to become a member of the archers guild?" Yes, click accept...
Yay, a member.. complete quest. Oh, the lady behind her has a quest...
"You are not yet a member of the archers guild!" Huh? but but, she just...
"Do you wish to become a member of the archers guild?" sigh, OK, yes.
"You must follow the way of the archer." OK, I already told the other lady I did.
"Do you wish to follow the way of the archer?" Click yes, cool I'm a member...
"You are not yet a member of the archers guild!" WTF!
"You must pass a test that will challenge you and make you a member, are you ready to prove yourself?"
Cool, finally some action. YES!
"Good, go slay squirrels!"
Ever tried hunting a squirrel in real life? ever tried hitting them with a stone? they are not like mmo, you can't just stand still beside a squirrel and hit them with your sword like in mmo. this quest is a trial for archer guild, if it were real life your 1st trial this trial would be to hit stationary target; not squirrel, hitting agile animals like squirrel comes after your rank is high enough to hit a stationary target in a point that has a radius of 1 cm. well anyways, if you were expecting to kill dragon at level 1, you have my sympathy.
Boobs are LIFE, Boobs are LOVE, Boobs are JUSTICE, Boobs are mankind's HOPES and DREAMS. People who complain about boobs have lost their humanity.
Ever tried hunting a squirrel in real life? ever tried hitting them with a stone? they are not like mmo, you can't just stand still beside a squirrel and hit them with your sword like in mmo. this quest is a trial for archer guild, if it were real life your 1st trial this trial would be to hit stationary target; not squirrel, hitting agile animals like squirrel comes after your rank is high enough to hit a stationary target in a point that has a radius of 1 cm. well anyways, if you were expecting to kill dragon at level 1, you have my sympathy.
Stop focusing on one word, he's wrote the conversation as a whole to show us how bad the story telling is. If you would have that conversation in real life you would think that you ended up at the retards guild instead of the archers. Nobody talks like that. It should have been a test where someone of the archers guild would have been present at least. The "kill squirrels" quest would be believable if it came from a gamekeeper who's worried about the squirrels disturbing the balance in the forest or something.
Originally posted by nilden I would put up with a lot more than busy work starter quests to have no cash shop.
+1 for this post.
Cash shops blow....Years ago I would not lower my standards, but in this day and age of marketing tricks, I'll play anything with out a cash shop. FF14
Anyway, I'm amazed at how 90% of responses to the OP was about the squirrels and not the point that the op was trying to make. And thats the overly simplified translation.....Where developers are re confirming that you had to join the Guild.....And will the entire game be like this !!!!
It's like the community here NEVER gets the point of any post
Originally posted by arunasme Same old mmo, new skin pack. Hype train will go down very soon.
It is a typical WOW crap. Kill me some crabs..kill me some rats..kill me some more squirrels and so on.
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.' -Jesse Schell
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid." -Luke McKinney
Have you ever played any JRPG before ?! or any oriental mmo ?!
Killing "fragile" and silly looking mobs is so fucking normal. No need to be so picky, try to enjoy the game for what it is. If you can't enjoy it, move on.
FFXIV ain't changing the MMO genre, it wasnt built over innovation. It has WoW as inspiration for its cores mechanics and feel.
Where's your revolutionary idea to change questing forever? Oh wait...you don't have one.
Its about presentation and they don't even need to revolutionarize the questing. A little bit more thought and imagination into questing would have made a big difference.
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.' -Jesse Schell
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid." -Luke McKinney
I actually found the dialogue to be rather refreshing with how realistic it was. Have you ever talked to people in the real world? They are all idiots. Try rocking a customer service job for at least a day.
EXAMPLE!
I'm at work (Pizza shop), lady walks in and approaches the counter.
Me: Hello, how can I help you?
Lady: I want the Chicken.
Me: As in the Buffalo Wings?
Lady: No, I want the chicken.
Me: Sorry we don't have chicken as a topping anymore.
Lady: I don't want a pizza, I want the chicken.
Me: So you would like the Buffalo Wings?
Lady: No, No... I want the chicken.
Me: Okay I really think you mean the (Genius moment) Chicken Wings... is that what you want, the Chicken Wings?
Lady: Yes, I want them.
Me: That will take about 10 minutes to cook.
Lady: Oh, so they are free then?
Me: What... no? They are not free.
Lady: But they are not ready now, so they are free.
MMORPGs are about killing and collecting and fed-exing. If you're going to complain about that...maybe you're playing the wrong genre of games. That said. Killing squirrels, kittens, and puppies, and other harmless stuff just doesn't inspire. Couldn't we kill some baby crocodiles or orc/goblin infants or something that is least derivative of a monster? Beating up helpless wildlife...isn't very heroic.
This is just wrong. Uninspired mmos are about this. I will never play another mmorpg that makes me do this silly crap. Choice is out there, it's just not wrapped in a 20million+ ad campaign.
Comments
To be fair I don't remember once (I could be wrong) the company promising to give the genre something new, what I heard was "we're going to take the failure of our old game and make it better". Yes, FFXIV is your typical MMO, but again that's what most people expected it to be.
Actually, we are hyped because it NOT something new.
No one is fooling themselves over what this game is and isn't supposed to be. If you are looking for something new and innovative, keep looking FF14 ain't it.. If you are looking for something that's been done before but this time done a bit better, then give it a shot.
The bolded and highlighted is so far the only thing anyone has said about this game that is 100% correct its not something new its just a little improved on. Its really FFXI done better and with features XI needed. The graphics for this game are really amazing even in 1080p its like you become part of the world or can step inside the game. Even in 720p on PS3 which gamepad works excellent with this game. Other then that it is FFXI remade with a much better set up.
Sherman's Gaming
Youtube Content creator for The Elder Scrolls Online
Channel:http://https//www.youtube.com/channel/UCrgYNgpFTRAl4XWz31o2emw
The whole "this is for MMO newbies" argument is stupid. MMOs have never been difficult, as a matter of fact, they tend to be very easy - go out, kill stuff and loot. Moreover, I would say 90% of all players who try FFXIV have already MMO experience, so what is you point? And for those players who have never played an MMO the first levels are the most important! So to argue "oh I don't care, if the first 20 levels are boring, the real game starts with level 50" is dubious, because if somebody tries this game and finds it boring he or she will just quit.
Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need.
I know that is why the game piqued my interest.
There has not been an "innovative" MMO that has actually also been fun enough to hold myinterest in many, many years. I'm looking forward to playing a game that actually just takes what I already know I enjoy and applies a lot of polish and TLC to it.
How do you expect to be allowed to join an archers guild if you are unable to even shoot a squirrel?
Playing: Smite, Marvel Heroes
Played: Nexus:Kingdom of the Winds, Everquest, DAoC, Everquest 2, WoW, Matrix Online, Vangaurd, SWG, DDO, EVE, Fallen Earth, LoTRo, CoX, Champions Online, WAR, Darkfall, Mortal Online, Guild Wars, Rift, Tera, Aion, AoC, Gods and Heroes, DCUO, FF14, TSW, SWTOR, GW2, Wildstar, ESO, ArcheAge
Waiting On: Nothing. Mmorpg's are dead.
It's hard to respond with personal preferences, or to speak for the whole when one has no right to. It is true that this game will be subject to the natural decline over time and that people will find that it isn't the game for them. It is also true that hype inevitably fades with games. Though the somewhat unique thing herein is that nearly every player who enjoys it knows what it is. It is a themepark with all the features from the past 15 years, just improved upon. It is traditional and has treadmill prospects. It has never claimed to be otherwise, and is probably one of the last of it's kind (as far as P2P is concerned). Instead of saying "we're different because", Yoshi-P made a game that he thought was fun by improving upon what has been a success in the last years (or what was forgotten or overlooked by previous developers).
That said, these are my thoughts on the matter as whole (which may be incoherent at times as most of it's a matter of opinion).
As people have been saying, and as been said in live letters and beta letters and, indeed, even letters from the producer, the levels from 1-15 are tutorials for new players. It isn't beyond the realm of belief for me to understand where some people are coming from when they quirk an eyebrow at you when you say you want to give the game an honest chance, as that usually means the person in general has a pre-ordained judgment about the game in question; they then typically go to the forums to complain about the first quest saying they will continue and see where it leads... only to come back and complain about the very next thing that happens as opposed to spending hours in game (in your case, making fun of a quest where they teach the player how to do emotes). Though as you have been responding in a respectful and mature matter (thus adding evidence that you speak with a type of sincerity), it deserves a long written response based on what another player thinks makes the game so appealing to a certain crowd which you may or may not be a part of yourself.
The start is very slow, as was said. The first task given by your combat guild is realistic (even though realism oft does sacrifice entertainment). Before they will waste their time with you -- or perhaps get you killed -- you need to prove that you're able to at least hold a weapon. You're green, and you're not a hero. Once you prove this, they, as a combat guild, will then trust you with more important quests which usually involve protecting townsfolk and villages from dangerous threats. Though there is always context and a immersion-based reason, and as their trusts increases, so to does their faith in your ability and you may face a mini-boss of sorts on you way. Though as a whole, guild quests are essentially side quests on your way to unlock job quests. They aren't a part of the main story as a whole.
The main story acts very much in the same way, and you are treated as a new adventurer. By your writings I would gather that you started in Gridiania, and that place isn't exactly welcoming to new people. They will give you small task after small task in both main and story quests until subtle things happen. Flash backs, seeing future nemesis in the background, learning about the past and eventually being shown your first villain of the game. When you beat that villain, the world starts to open up, you are able to unlock the airship pass, go on diplomatic missions and then be introduced to four more of the game's main villains (yet still there are more, as the main story is comprised of multiple arcs). While my favorite starting city in ARR is Limsa, the story of the cities ends with the tutorial at 15 and each five levels starting at level 10 new systems unlock (if you stick with the main story to unlock them).
Then the game becomes very much group based when it comes to advancing in the story and unlocking systems and dungeons and levels / guild heists / etc.
It was not hidden that the game is a pure traditional themepark. It just improves on most aspects in a lot of ways. While I am loathe to compare games directly, it's FATE system is a thousand times better than GW2's "Dynamic Events" simply because even the low levels could be massive (they become even more complex later on, just as GW2's does). This is because of the class system, how you aren't tied to one, and the fact that the Trinity exists. There could quite literally be 100 mobs on screen spawned from an event depending on how many people are in it. This leads to a truly epic battle feeling by comparison as, if you're a healer, you could just waddle through all the battles and heal people as a gigantic battle is waged all around you.
Though that's just one specific improvement to show how things of the past are elaborated and improved upon. The way they introduce villains and handle villains is top notch. They are actually antagonists have have relevant roles and not just lore that says they're bad. Though the story revolves around your character in such a way as if they are living day by day and not everything is revealed all at once, but over time and with the occasional twist. This is where just the prospects of villains and bad guys in games are improved as they truly get the spot light and become valuable characters in game.
Then the class system, and how you can switch any time or draw abilities from any class and give it to your current, is also a vast improvement. You're no longer stuck on one thing because you don't want to level an alt or you just want to focus on one character. You actually get rewarded for hard work in leveling it all if you want. Indeed, if you want a sense of satisfaction, you could go all out hardcore and try to keep all of your classes up to par with each tier and garnish the respect and flexibility that comes with that by your end game guild or the server at large.
Then there's the crafting, which isn't just an afterthought. Crafters are their own classes and have their own story, armor and artifact armor. The same with gathering classes for the most part. With it's focus on group play (and even giving people who love groups their own advance job which is focused on groups), it just gives that feeling of resplendence even if you're one of many or the soloist who aims to master everything and everything.
In addition, they take some older ideas which many have shunned as of late with housing. The housing and the housing neighborhood (at least the seaside neighborhood) gives people who want that something to look forward to. To furnish, to change the walls, the roofs, the exterior (gardens / chocobo stables), interior and much more. You could even simply place your retainers in there if you so please and start a little item shop of your own (though I doubt the effect of this will be great, but it's good for immersion at least).
Then there's the whole JRPG element whereby there is a lot of well articulated reading; even those who were fond of games such as Baldur's Gate or Planescape will appreciate this (not to mention that reading will likely scare off a lot of the "go go go" impatient people). Though the group dynamics and all of the above make for a potentially great community. The community so far has been great on legacy servers. A lot of question, met with great answers and I've partied with about 10 new players who asked for help.
Next there's the Chocobo Companion system, which is similar to Guild War's or SWTOR's partner system, but with chocobos and the friendship involved therein. It's pretty fantastic to be riding your chocobo, then jumping off and summoning it to fight alongside or follow you. Though it's hard to put a finger on it, it just feel so natural and fun and not so much a chore as it was in the previous games.
The point of the matter is, aside from the fact it's a Final Fantasy game, it boasts nearly every great feature not from 8 years past, but 15 years past. Then it just improves upon it and adds the Final Fantasy flavor. That and people have been starved for a P2P game as of late simply because F2P and to a lesser extent B2P have been so lucrative to developers. It's slow like a JRPG, and that may be a weakness for those with ADD (not claiming anyone here has that, but as a matter of statement), but the JRPG crowd that is attracted by it (and maybe even the P2P crowd as some would argue) is typically a polite community. The game has improved a thousand fold from 1.0, and at least tenfold from Alpha with all the feedback they took to heart and put in the game.
We've seen a lot of people on most forums bash the first five levels of the game and then quit, saying "same old". Yet these are the same people who likely judge books by the cover, hate books / games simple because it's popular and use their past to make judgment without playing a game (also those who hate on a game that has yet to be released and will likely not be released for years yet). That's a very specific group and not indicative of the whole, as some may just dislike Themeparks as a whole (and that's okay). But the great thing about this game is that it improves on darn near everything of what it tries to emulate.
It isn't trying to be different. It doesn't try to fool people and say it's different and not a themepark. It just embraces it, and from that it goes about having blatant systems and improving them whilst adding the Final Fantasy context. This is the game that those who were disappointed (or enjoyed but like different options) in either GW2 or SWTOR or even tired of WoW or Rift will likely have fun in. It has the elements of the last fifteen years, improved upon and with the traditional Tank / Healer / Support / DPS roles and ample group content for those who enjoy it. It has well made FATES that aren't just massive zergs, but large scale battles due to these roles (for instance, you don't have to just zerg and DPS, you could just run through enemies and look for people to heal and watch the battle unfold). It has some quest hubs matched with story, class, job and side quests and nearly every element you would expect.
Quite so, this game is what a certain crowd wants exactly. The Themepark lovers who saw great potential in ideas past and enjoy how Square "Final Fantasized" it with their improvements and systems. It represents the peak of what Themeparks have had to offer up to this point (whenever something "new" is introduced, it becomes the norm after one game and is incorporated in improved ways with the next game), and will likely add more and more stuff with patches and expansions. It also came out at a good time as there is little competition and people are becoming more disappointed with other games they may have been looking forward to (not to mention that it's probably one of the last bastions of the P2P market for now).
Will it break millions of subscribers? That's unlikely even on optimistic terms. Though it does represent a lot of what the genre used to be. It may not look to the future for inspiration (yet), but it takes what people have loved or forgot they loved and gave them a new lease on MMORPG gaming.
Edit: The fact that we also have ideas of what patches will be like from 1.0, we can also assume they will have ample additions to the main storyline in addition to all the new systems promised. With that we also have the ability to play with console players, meaning that some of us will be able to have a blast with friend that we couldn't before. In addition to the graphics, the world and the music that's just plain great. The improvements to the A.I. mobs in the world is also a welcomed addition to Phase four. They all have unique attacks now and may even inflict status' on you or have massive attacks you need to avoid.
Don't forget the numerous poop quests.
(You kind of have to wonder what is wrong with those quest designers.)
Lost my mind, now trying to lose yours...
i think mostly people are just desperate for a good 'solid' MMO they can play, regardless of whether its P2P or F2P, and 'best' is a matter of personal preferance, for some the best might be among the f2p games, i just know that for me, its not.
i don't know if FFXIV:ARR will be a great or just a good MMO, i just know that for me its looking better all the time
I remember that, it is just too bad the game was so terribad after that part.
(Disclaimer: I know they have done a lot with it since, and maybe it is actually good now)
Pretty much agree with this. Out of the dozen or so MMORPGs I'm following (that are being released in the next 1-3 years) I don't see any of them being P2P except maybe for World of Darkness. This includes all sub genres under the MMO umbrella minus FPS... I don't follow that at all. I'm leveling up Arcanist... so far it has been pretty easy. Good thing I have the rest of the DOW and DOM at level 50 so people can't use the 'silly card' of "wait till you get to level 20+... or in my case, wait till you get to level 49+."
The "new player" argument isn't a valid counter against bad story telling. They clearly haven't put any effort in trying to engage the player to create a believable world. Joining the archer guild could have been a nice little story, told in the form of a mini game, where you could shoot an apple from someone's head or where you had to prove yourself shooting at an archer board. The reason why they chose a generic way, the kill quest, is because their engine must have the usual three story telling capabilities;
Everything else is going to have to be handmade and thus very costly. So whatever the story is, its going to be told using these three mechanisms and yes, its going to be boring because we all did this a million times. They clearly didn't hire professional writers to make up for a, story wise, handicapped game engine.
A quick fix for now to make it less awful is to get rid of these playstation interaction windows with one line of text. Just throw it all together in one window that we can click away quickly. So we can wade through the mud more quickly to get to a, hopefully, more interesting end-game.
In my opinion the starter levels are easy because of the game coming on consoles.
Remember guys, fans of final fantasy that never played the mmorpg or any mmorpg will need some hand holding to understand some features that are not found in single player games.
(Tough there are some fates in the starting areas (Gridania) which are easy at the moment because of the high amount of people but would be pretty hard when the population moves on like for example the one on the bridge with the raptors all doing that aoe attack covering the whole bridge with aoes)
Ever tried hunting a squirrel in real life? ever tried hitting them with a stone? they are not like mmo, you can't just stand still beside a squirrel and hit them with your sword like in mmo. this quest is a trial for archer guild, if it were real life your 1st trial this trial would be to hit stationary target; not squirrel, hitting agile animals like squirrel comes after your rank is high enough to hit a stationary target in a point that has a radius of 1 cm. well anyways, if you were expecting to kill dragon at level 1, you have my sympathy.
Boobs are LIFE, Boobs are LOVE, Boobs are JUSTICE, Boobs are mankind's HOPES and DREAMS. People who complain about boobs have lost their humanity.
Stop focusing on one word, he's wrote the conversation as a whole to show us how bad the story telling is. If you would have that conversation in real life you would think that you ended up at the retards guild instead of the archers. Nobody talks like that. It should have been a test where someone of the archers guild would have been present at least. The "kill squirrels" quest would be believable if it came from a gamekeeper who's worried about the squirrels disturbing the balance in the forest or something.
+1 for this post.
Cash shops blow....Years ago I would not lower my standards, but in this day and age of marketing tricks, I'll play anything with out a cash shop. FF14
Anyway, I'm amazed at how 90% of responses to the OP was about the squirrels and not the point that the op was trying to make. And thats the overly simplified translation.....Where developers are re confirming that you had to join the Guild.....And will the entire game be like this !!!!
It's like the community here NEVER gets the point of any post
It is a typical WOW crap. Kill me some crabs..kill me some rats..kill me some more squirrels and so on.
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.'
-Jesse Schell
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid."
-Luke McKinney
Have you ever played any JRPG before ?! or any oriental mmo ?!
Killing "fragile" and silly looking mobs is so fucking normal. No need to be so picky, try to enjoy the game for what it is. If you can't enjoy it, move on.
FFXIV ain't changing the MMO genre, it wasnt built over innovation. It has WoW as inspiration for its cores mechanics and feel.
Get over it.
L...O....L
QQ moar.
Where's your revolutionary idea to change questing forever? Oh wait...you don't have one.
Its about presentation and they don't even need to revolutionarize the questing. A little bit more thought and imagination into questing would have made a big difference.
"The problem is that the hardcore folks always want the same thing: 'We want exactly what you gave us before, but it has to be completely different.'
-Jesse Schell
"Online gamers are the most ludicrously entitled beings since Caligula made his horse a senator, and at least the horse never said anything stupid."
-Luke McKinney
I actually found the dialogue to be rather refreshing with how realistic it was. Have you ever talked to people in the real world? They are all idiots. Try rocking a customer service job for at least a day.
EXAMPLE!
I'm at work (Pizza shop), lady walks in and approaches the counter.
Me: Hello, how can I help you?
Lady: I want the Chicken.
Me: As in the Buffalo Wings?
Lady: No, I want the chicken.
Me: Sorry we don't have chicken as a topping anymore.
Lady: I don't want a pizza, I want the chicken.
Me: So you would like the Buffalo Wings?
Lady: No, No... I want the chicken.
Me: Okay I really think you mean the (Genius moment) Chicken Wings... is that what you want, the Chicken Wings?
Lady: Yes, I want them.
Me: That will take about 10 minutes to cook.
Lady: Oh, so they are free then?
Me: What... no? They are not free.
Lady: But they are not ready now, so they are free.
CONVERSATIONS CONTINUES FOR 10 MORE MINUTES!
You understand though.
I've slain many squirrels so far. I don't see what all the hulla-baloo is all about.
It's your standard mmo fair.
I'm enjoying it...
This is just wrong. Uninspired mmos are about this. I will never play another mmorpg that makes me do this silly crap. Choice is out there, it's just not wrapped in a 20million+ ad campaign.