So, what are your plans?

[jenova_9]

Re: So, what are your plans?

oh mew, FFXIV is like the sequel to one of the best games ever, ppl should be more hyped even though it's similiar.

FFXIV and its expansions will surpass RotZ, CoP, and everything else! And its a new exciting world so it's more fresh and faster paced and fun!

[Kailea]

Re: So, what are your plans?

Is that maybe because the beta for FFXI gave testers the chance to get more invested in their character by being able to play almomst 3 months with no interruptions? The FFXI beta was so memorable, testers couldn't wait to get the retail version. The FFXIV beta so far seems a bit underwhelming.

The US beta for FFXI was nothing more then a glorified stress test, this beta is a real beta, many people cant seem to grasp that concept.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: So, what are your plans?

Is that maybe because the beta for FFXI gave testers the chance to get more invested in their character by being able to play almomst 3 months with no interruptions? The FFXI beta was so memorable, testers couldn't wait to get the retail version. The FFXIV beta so far seems a bit underwhelming.

Ya so much for them saying they wanted a much longer beta test phase for FFXIV, hey?

The US beta for FFXI was nothing more then a glorified stress test, this beta is a real beta, many people cant seem to grasp that concept.

Just because it's a beta test doesn't mean it shouldn't be enjoyable. I have tested a great many PC games and as they get closer to release, if I'm not enjoying it, then somethings wrong and that's my point. I enjoy FFXIV but only in small bursts. A lot of people I talked to said the same thing. Now this could be because there aren't a lot of areas to explore or that people aren't working together or for whatever reason. All I know is that, at this point in the FFXI beta, I had 25 people ready to form a linkshell on a specific server, a linkshell webpage up, and a happy little smile when thinking about release. At this point in FFXIV, people rarely even talk much less party together so there isn't even a hint at an ls and, all I can think about when it comes to release day is, is this going to be half finished at release and I'll be paying to beta test.

[Kailea]

Re: So, what are your plans?

that or we might have to just accept that maybe FFXIV is a game we wont like, and wont play.

I want to play the game, but if it becomes to casual (aka WoW clone) I would have to face the fact that I might not play it. Again though I will at least give it 2 months or so play, and then decide

[TheGrandMom]

Re: So, what are your plans?

Oh I've pre-ordered the US CE, JP CE, and the UK CE. (crazy collector/hoarder) I'll be playing....at least for a while.

[Neverslip]

Re: So, what are your plans?

I'll be awaiting it's PS3 release and playing alot of other incredible games coming out soon'ish. I am very apprehensious about whether XIV a game I want to sink time into. I enjoy adventrue and battle. A pretty place to explore sounds very cool but what detracts alot of my interest is that so far that I have read from alot of interweb-opinions and SE's released info is that XIV is pretty crafter-centric. I don't enjoy crafting. I don't enjoy being bent over by repairmen either. If there is a free month trial, I'll try it out. But if I don't like it, I'll continue to play "the dieing game" (lulz). Many I have talked with in XI are on the same fence as I am with this one. Some said outright they don't care about XIV and are just gonna jump to KOTOR, lol... I loved those games but idk about a MMO and besides I play on consoles and KOTOR ain't happening. Hell ... XIV may not happen either, though, for the sake of many, I hope it does.

Don't get me wrong the game looks georgeous... but I don't want to pay for the privelege of getting a job even more than I already have.

[Gman]

Re: So, what are your plans?

The US beta for FFXI was nothing more then a glorified stress test, this beta is a real beta, many people cant seem to grasp that concept.

I can grasp it just fine. Don't ASSume things.

My point is, contrary to the FFXI beta, this one isn't doing anything to build up anticipation for the testers.

Yeah, the US beta of FFXI was more or less a stress test, but it was an enjoyable one. Maybe FFXIV will be a better game than FFXI was, but from where I stand, it seems the testers are much more ho-hum about his one.

[Balfree]

Re: So, what are your plans?

I will treat the game as a new game and play it.
If I don't like it I will quit.

If I do like it I will continue playing.

Simple!

[Malacite]

Re: So, what are your plans?

All I can say is, remember how unbearably rough XI was, especially compared to how much it's improved over the years?

And SE is building this game with all that experience in mind. I think XIV will be just fine.

[Maju]

Re: So, what are your plans?

All I can say is, remember how unbearably rough XI was, especially compared to how much it's improved over the years?

And SE is building this game with all that experience in mind. I think XIV will be just fine.

Remember that this is SE, so you can never be certain of anything. All of that FFXI experience sure isn't showing in the current beta version as it has many of the same flaws: No tool tips on consumables, so you don't know what the hell they do and no way to keep track of recipes in-game, so you have to print web pages. Also, many of the control options that made party play in FFXI actually manageable is just completely missing. It's like they completely forgot how FFXI is played! That or they simply hadn't gotten around to implementing it yet and they're just incredibly far behind schedule.

Additionally, they're setting up the economy for as much failure as the US government has been doing for a few decades. I heard they have AH buildings but they aren't actually in use and instead we have this market ward system that's basically like the FFXI bazaar with more options. I'm guessing the AH is sort of backup in case this stuff fails, and it will because there will be no liquidity in the market like this. Finally, the guildleves spam the economy full of gil, causing rampant inflation in the long run. They really should hire an economist to help them with this kind of stuff.

There is much to look forward to in FFXIV, but nothing really suggests that they've actually learned anything from FFXI and it just seems like most of the new stuff they've come up with hasn't actually been thought through. I cannot fathom why they would go for the kind of growth system we have right now, for instance. It is so incredibly problematic and tough to balance and it doesn't really have any pros over the FFXI job system. Perhaps they have some kind of grand plan and it'll all somehow fall into place when we get to retail, but my money is on them just shooting in the dark.

[Malacite]

Re: So, what are your plans?

We'll know in 40 days.

[jenova_9]

Re: So, what are your plans?

FFXIV beta doesn't even have half of what the release version will have!

There will be 2-3 other cities (is Ishgard is open), and tons of new areas to explore! more guildleves, lots more beasties and more more more!!!!

Don't worry this is just the beginning.

People are ho hum during beta because they know their work is gonna get wiped before release.

FFXIV full version will be super mew mew awesome!

[TheGrandMom]

Re: So, what are your plans?

FFXIV beta doesn't even have half of what the release version will have!

There will be 2-3 other cities (is Ishgard is open), and tons of new areas to explore! more guildleves, lots more beasties and more more more!!!!

Don't worry this is just the beginning.

People are ho hum during beta because they know their work is gonna get wiped before release.

FFXIV full version will be super mew mew awesome!

. . .

All of that doesn't amount to a hill of beans if the basic dynamics of the game are shit.

[Freelancer]

Re: So, what are your plans?

The game has unbelievable potential, it just needs a better user interface and for the glitches to to be fixed (and to allow hardware mouse for god's sake).

SE is doing a good job with overhauling the battle system and the once useless "weapon skills" that took around half the stamina bar and did like 10 damage more than regular hits that only took like 1/5 of the bar were adjusted to take 1/5 too and hit considerably more. (Though the fighting system makes chating impossible and I'm looking forward to seeing what will they do about that)

I can live with job balance getting fixed during retail, since it'll happen eventually, so I don't really care, but the UI needs to be working flawlessly on release.

The Leves system needs to get balanced. you get too much exp off it solo that you don't need to party unless you run out of leves and then you'll want to bum them off other people but most are content with solo exp so chances of people picking you up are slim.

I think it should be in a way that having more people in leve = more exp, and when you party the mob should give more exp than leves, so people with limited time can go on leves and those with more time wont get stuck waiting for leves to get refreshed and since mobs out of leves are alot stronger and ruin your weapons alot faster, it only makes sense that you get more exp killing those than leve mobs.

Also I don't get what are they doing with the servers that my connection is almost permenantly yellow/red and goes green every once in a blue moon but I'm sure it'll be ok.

I still believe that there's a chance SE might pull off a miracle and have the game ready by Sept 22.

[Maju]

Re: So, what are your plans?

The game has unbelievable potential, it just needs a better user interface and for the glitches to to be fixed (and to allow hardware mouse for god's sake).

Indeed. The mouse is better than before but trying to use it to control the camera similarly to PC MMOs like WoW leads to disappointment as the camera stutters around annoyingly. The UI is just unbelievably slow right now. It responds slightly faster than in P2 but the actual graphics change much slower, so every button press when scrolling your inventory registers about two seconds late but the graphics indicating what item you've highlighted come even further behind at about 5 seconds. That's just not acceptable as you have to pretty much do things blindfolded when selling items and whatnot and it still takes forever.

SE is doing a good job with overhauling the battle system and the once useless "weapon skills" that took around half the stamina bar and did like 10 damage more than regular hits that only took like 1/5 of the bar were adjusted to take 1/5 too and hit considerably more. (Though the fighting system makes chating impossible and I'm looking forward to seeing what will they do about that)

The WS change was definitely welcome, though now pretty much everyone have access to a mini-Meikyo Shisui, which may lead to some more balancing work down the road. I suppose it's not too big of a deal, though.

The Leves system needs to get balanced. you get too much exp off it solo that you don't need to party unless you run out of leves and then you'll want to bum them off other people but most are content with solo exp so chances of people picking you up are slim.

The guildleve system is another problematic feature. Right now leve mobs give you 3-5 times more exp and skill than killing regular monsters, so leveling is heavily warped towards leves. Yet leves don't actually work very well as a group activity. There is the obvious issue of having very little personal incentive to find a group for your own leves (other than trying to beat them at low levels), which leads to much soloing. Also, the system encourages you to juggle leves so only one person in a group has a certain leve so you don't actually end up completing it simultaneously for multiple players as you'd rather do it more than once. Finally, the fixed cycle 48h reset leads to people doing their leves immediately after reset, then twiddling their thumbs for 40 hours as you can't grind mobs due to lack of MP regen.

Also I don't get what are they doing with the servers that my connection is almost permenantly yellow/red and goes green every once in a blue moon but I'm sure it'll be ok.

The lag really needs to be lessened for release and hopefully they have better servers waiting for that. Right now it's just not good enough at least for Europeans as the delay in combat commands is quite substantial and you often miss crucial timings because of it.