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FFXIV Pros VS Cons List!!! (Submit Your Own!)
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kDeviL
Member UncommonPosts: 215
So I've noticed a ton of people on the fence about trying this game out. I think a massive list of the games' Pros and Cons will really help better decide whether the game is for them or not.
I'll start the list off with a couple things I've either really enjoyed or really didn't like. I'll have a section on the OP for Pros and Cons that I get from anyone else on the forum, I'll copy and paste all of your answers to this section and update it regularly. If you submit answers please do it in the exact same way that I do mine so all I have to do is copy/paste and everything looks the same.
Let's Get Started!
- MY PROS -
The Music! -
The music in this game is extremely top notch. In my opinion, No other MMO in history has even dreamed of a soundtrack as great as FF14. (Maybe ff11 was good but I never played it) Every zone has it's unique theme that fits its' personality perfectly. The music molds to the situation at hand very well. And it's production quality is nothing short of what you would find in a billion dollar hollywood movie.
It Feels Like Final Fantasy -
The characters, the style, the feel, the items, the monsters, the world and the details all make this game really make you feel like your playing a Final Fantasy game and it's fantastic. I was surprised to find this game bring me so much nostalgia.
Questing -
Not just the main story. I've actually read every bit of text that has been put in front of me, I don't think I've ever done that before. it's actually extremely well written and well thought out. Every zone has it's own unique set of characters, theme, story and problems in a way I haven't really seen before. Instead of collecting 5 boar asses for some ladies stew I actually feel some kind of a purpose for what I'm dong. I think another big plus is that the text is laid out little by little in a big bubble instead of a wall of text that no one reads.
The Combat -
I'm putting this in both pros and cons. The combat is nothing new, if you've played an mmo you've played this combat. However I did find it oddly alluring. It's very fluid and responsive, the skill animations are great looking and never lock you in place unless your a mage. I found myself having alot of fun with it as long as I never stayed still.
The Graphics -
Along with the art-style, as with any Final Fantasy, Simply Gorgeous.
- Forum Member Pros -
- MY CONS -
The Voice Acting -
Ok this is some of the worst voice acting I've ever heard and often times very annoying, I just want to shove Popylimo or whatever the hell his name is in a toilet and flush him. Then again it can also be really good with characters like Minfilia and that white haired dude. All in all though I honestly feel like their budget for VO was like $2000 because there's also very little of it.
The Dialog -
They made this game Wayyyy too over the top with the "fantasy" in the dialog. What is this game's damn obsession with the word "Aught"? It's their way of saying "anything" but it sounds so dumb that it immediately kills any sentence that it's a part of, especially in a scene like the battle of Cartenue. Seriously say a sentence using "aught" in public instead of "anything" and tell me how many WTF faces you get. Maybe it's just me, but I think the story would have been incredible if they made the dialog a little less stupid.
The Gilspammers -
DEAR GOD MAKE IT STOP. This one's a bit strange. I find it very strange that final fantasy 11 was apparently riddled with this same problem and nothing has been done about it at all. There are many very quick and easy things they can do just to make it a bit more bearable. Mess around with the /shout and /area to restrict the amount of things you can type in a row, or put a level cap on it, or put a timer, OR AT LEAST GIVE US A RIGHT-CLICK-BLOCK FUNCTION... These are all very easy things to do and the fact that they had the problem in FF11 and still haven't done anything about it almost leads me to believe that they made some kind of a deal with SquareEnix...
The Combat -
I'm also putting this on con just because it's either a pro or a con depending on who you ask. A 2.5s global cooldown has been a big deal for a lot of problems, and why not? What that basically means is that for every 1 second that you are fighting is nearly 3x longer that you aren't fighting. While the combat actually feels very good and natural on a class like Marauder, it's not so much the case on something like pugilist (early game!) There are skills that you can use off of GCD and the combat gets much better later on but it' can be very annoying early.
No PvP at Launch -
Yes, I know. It's coming. But come on. This is 2013
- Forum Member Cons -
Add Your own!!
If WoW was released today even in its' entirety it would be f2p in 3 months.
Why is it still such a big deal?
Comments
I Agree with your points, I think its a good game & worth trying if you are looking for a traditional MMO.
I think the biggest issue for me is it doesn't bring anything different to the table.
I got level 25 and cant seem to bring myself back for more, this is more about me being board with traditional quest slog because the dungeons and group content are a ton of fun the fellow player are usually so cool I find myself talking in free company for hours.
This week I was about to log in and I had a sudden urge to play through oblivion again...then there was free 7 days of wow in my email so idk if ill get back to FFXVI this month but i do know i wont sub.
(Sry I dont have time cut & paste.)
Immersion - Things people who don't have an eye for detail won't notice and that aren't present in other games...
The earrings have physics, they swing and move about with momentum.
There are visible rings, earrings, and neck pieces that change...as in different accessory gear changes appearance and is in existence...Most games don't even put it in.
The cloth gear moves with the wind, with magic wind, and when you move.
The weather also has realistic physics, and there's a day and night cycle which has been dropped from so many games lately.
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OP has a pretty inclusive list of pro's and con's, but I have to add one major pro:
THE CRAFTING !
(if you like crafting, that is)
I thoroughly enjoy pushing my crafter to the limit trying to achieve the best possible quality on my difficult recipe's. Haven't hit L50 yet, so I don't know if it's still a significant challenge at that level, but I'm an absolute blast as a crafter so far...
List it as a pro or a con, but dungeons are a part of the main story line, and yes that means "forced grouping". Something that while reading these boards you might think everyone wants, but in practice is not nearly as enjoyable.
The job system I would list as a pro, anything that cuts down on rerolling is good.
Here are some things that players may not have really thought about and are AMAZING when you really think about it:
1. Bag space... there are no bags, you don't need to buy bags, and there is a TON of space for stuff. Not to mention quest items and armor/weapons have their own inventory. I think I leveled 1-40 without having to manage my inventory or vendor any items.
2. You don't loot. Maybe you didn't notice this, maybe 30 levels in and you realize you have not stopped from the action once to click and loot a single mob, why bother? Teleport those items to my massive inventory kthxbai!!!
3. No vendor trash. Along with bag space and not looting, I have not found a single piece of loot that was not either usable or tied to a crafting skill, trash it just that, why make players deal with it.
"They essentially want to say 'Correlation proves Causation' when it's just not true." - Sovrath
Too much stuff to copy/paste.
http://www.aldshotfirst.com/2013/09/the-good-bad-and-ugly-xiv.html
Was about to mention that as well. Crafting is very well done and has some form of dept too. Craft mats to make better ones before you can make your final product - Damn, that's so nicely done!
Same for the gathering (not mentioned as well). Though only 2 gathering options (mining and botanics), the nodes you farm give you a choice what you would like to get, along with a % chance of success.
But both also have great cons... Leveling up takes pretty long and you're bound to make silly stuff (or do levies to speed it up a bit more). Also, with gathering, the multiple choice of mats is a con too. You can really go for one thing you need and leave the other ones, so trade (player interaction) will be less because of that. I personally would have found it more enjoyable if you'd see the list of what mats were available and let the game 'roll' on what you'd get...
My Biggest CON
Armor Level is getting annoying
I get told at the entrance of an instance that I can not do this instance because my armor level is to low. But I cant get into a group to run the instance because my armor level is to low.
I hate this type of system
PROS
The storytelling (not just the main storyline) and atmosphere.
The job system
CONS
Gilspammers. I'm as big a SE apologist as anyone, but what I wouldn't give for a right click name/blist option.
Too easy to level. And I haven't come close to the cap yet. I'm just one of those people who actually likes to level characters, and I'm always a bit sad when I hit level cap, even when there is plenty of end game content left to do. So the longer the journey, the better I like it.
I always find it interesting how often one person's pro can be another person's con. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone ranting on the forums about how much they hate a certain part of a game (FF and other games), and all I can think is "But...but, that's my favorite thing about the game..*sob*"
There's plenty of classes, jobs and professions to level, if you like leveling, there's atleast a few months worth of leveling
I like the 2.5s GCD , you can make it faster using skill or spell speed .
But it adds stratergy to the game and also lag is not such an issue now . Those guys who owned me in PvP because they had 40ms ping compared to my 150ms have less advantage now .
Well its not strategy in "hmm what skill do I select now"
its more "I hit the wrong skill and now I have to wait" type of strategy. If you goof and don't interrupt for instance...your not going to be interrupting that group wiping skill..
Its less forgiving the 2.5 sec GCD...
Yes, its awkward at low levels, and it feels really strange at first...
Once you have the full deck of skills it stops feeling so slow, and there are skills off GCD with their own unique CD. For dragoon I have a few "buff skills" that you want to use on the finisher of the combo, which is nice because timing is everything, and messing up a combo (which often happens when I can stay behind the boss) mean I get gimped DPS as well as a debuff that doesn't get applied.
Because of the GCD, and for my class the combo system that requires positioning for each attack...DPS swings wildly between those who can get the combos off, apply the pre skill buff off GCD, and do the correct order of the three combos vs someone who doesn't. Its an interesting twist on what at face value seems to be an easy to master melee dps class..
I know that Black Mage also has a dual buff system that effects GCD, monks get a GCD reduction....also skill speed can lop off a good amount of that GCD.
But yes, at low level, the GCD is pretty rough getting use to, and it can be a bit boring at times, it all comes together near endgame and those boss fights really take advantage of it all....
in short, the GCD appears to take away from the games combat at face value, but certainly doesn't once you get into the game...I think it actually adds to the difficulty quite a bit.
Pros
1. Aesthetics - Music, Graphics and Animations are well done. The obtrusive animations (in FATEs) can also be toned down in the in-game settings.
2. Writing - solid writing and in-line with the game's theme.
3. Combat Mechanics/Dungeons - The combat is average and slow. However, the fight/boss mechanics in the game are varied enough that it actually manages to become interesting.
4. Skill/Stat Customization - The cross-class skills offers diversity. I hope they add more customization, but this is a step in the right direction. The stat allocation is a minor thing and again, needs improvements, but it's also a good step from the usual automated stat allocation.
5. Crafting - The crafting has depth complete with stats, skills, cross-class skills and dependencies on other professions. I worry about the economy when the majority are at max level, but hopefully by then they'd have made changes to avoid a crash. Soulbinding for materia is a good dump, but it ends when everyone has the materia they need. It's a long way off, but it's something to consider after a few months when the economy stabilizes.
Cons
FATE - They need to add a better scaling system to accommodate a huge group of people. The rewards are too big for something you can finish in under 1-2 minutes from the supposed 15 minute timer.
Party Size - The 4-member for light parties is too small to with a ratio of 50% DPS 25% Healer 25% Tank. It will be a drastic move if they bother changing the sizes, but it will be a welcome change if they manage to pull it off in some expansion.
UI customization - The current UI is good to a fault, but there are little details where it needs improvement on (remove the pet bar or remove the distracting cast bar in the party screen - who actually needs that info from your fellow party member?)
Neutral
Quests - They are your typical quests. I can't really think of how they can improve them.
Future
PVP and new dungeons - I can't really comment on the lack of these since they are confirmed to be added in the next patches.
You mean like supporting anti-"item mall" and supporting elaborate interdependent crafting systems? Sure, let's not support that.
This isn't a signature, you just think it is.
By lv25 war/magic class, I suppose the only major thing you may have not experienced is the crafting & gathering aspect of the game due to choosing not to.
However if you have tested crafting to lv15 and still hate it, then yeah I think you've played long enough to form a well-founded opinion about the game as a whole.
Pros:
Character models. Much better than some other recent titles, where characters often look like they are made from plastic.
Day/Night cycle and weather system. It makes the world so vivid.
Latter part of the storyline.
Crafting system.
The general feel of the atmosphere, the art style, etc.
Relatively short ability bar so I won't get overwhelmed.
Cons:
Too many FedEx quests and "I don't trust you so go do some chores for me" kind of quests. Many of the quests, even some ones in the main storyline, does not give you a convincing reason plot-wise to do it.
Death. Should at least be able to revive within the same zone, even if waiting period is required. Also, NPC killed in instanced duty = restart immediately, but yourself killed = go back all the way home?
Some zones are too small. Zoning is fine but the maps need some more levels and less dead ends. Splitting the major cities into 2 or 3 parts is especially a terrible idea.
Lack of meaningful stuff to do at lv. 50. There are roughly only two dungeons to do at a certain stage of gear collecting. No lv. 50 FATEs, world quests, hidden region exploration or minigames. It even makes the Huttball spam in SWTOR sound a lot more fun in comparison.
Firstly respect to everyone above for giving opinions rather than creating arguments.
MY PROS
The Environments
The game is so stunning to look at; numerous times I've just stopped to look at the vistas, watch the weather even listen to the sound effects. The sense of immersion is unmatched by any MMO I've played. I love fishing in Costa del Sol when the night comes in - sometimes you get caught in the howling wind and the pouring rain... it makes me shiver. The insect sound effects are so good I actually started cursing because I was thinking one of my crickets must have escaped. I was literally looking around on the floor for the missing critter when I realised the sound was coming from my PC speaker. I've found myself gathering too long in areas of the map where I'm just enjoying the scenary and the music.
The Crafting and Gathering
Although I'm a little concerned that crafters/gatherers are mostly just selling to other crafters I've never found such a detailed and intelligent crafting system in any game. Obviously if you're making hundreds if items it can still get dull, but when new items are learnt it's really fun trying different skill combinations to max the XP or Quality.
Nostalgia
As a FFXI player for 18 months (which is still the longest I've played any one MMO) I love re-acquainting myself with so many familiar mobs, but with the extra detail and improved animations. They just put a huge smile on my face sometimes.
The Story
I can't put my finger on why but in this MMO I just want to read all the story. Somehow it really feels important. I actually feel like my character is on some kind of journey. In most MMOs I start off reading but soon lose interest. I even changed the City I was going to ally with as a Grand Company 'cos I got so fed up with the annoying guy in the Archer's Guild who kept on saying how crap I was. Then I felt inspired by Uldah's speach and have been based in the desert city ever since.
also job system, huge bag, auto-loot, chocobos
MY CONS
Gil Sellers
Firstly their constant shouts and tells are annoying and also it's clear sometimes how the can shape the market. I just don't understand why games can't police them better. Surely a game can track players with multiple blocks or consistent large value trades to players. Having said that it does seems to be improving slowly after a few really bad weeks.
Levelling Speed
Too fast in my opinion and the Fates have certainly made this worse. I think the Fates are fun (for a while), and these fate parties make me laugh, but it's crazy if they are the best way to level. I think the balance needs looking at.
End Game Gear progression
To be honest I can't really comment here as I've not got any combat jobs up to 50. Still, from where I sit I'm not at all inspired by what is coming. I have no interest in speed runs though the same instances. Much as I'm enjoying the game loads at the moment I am worried by some of the things I hear.
Less Interesting support roles than in the original FFXI
In my opinion this is true for all MMOs these days, but I really enjoyed classes like Red Mage or Bard in the original. I had planned on playing Bard in this game, but it sounds like it has somehow turned into basically a DPS role. I loved playing a buff/debuff role and a PvE game like this should the perfect place for more varied roles. Once again perhaps I should wait until later before I make up my mind, but I've heard little about interesting class dynamics that has really piqued my interest at this stage.
I can't think of any other negatives (for me) at the moment