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Hello. Few questions about FFXIV
Kakusareta
Member Posts: 45
Hello everyone. I've been a lurker on these (MMORPG.com) forums for a long time. Today I decided to go ahead and pre-order FFXIV and have a few questions for those who have played any of the betas. I must say I'm extremely excited about this game but I am not overhyping the game in my head so that I won't be disappointed. I've done this with other games before and it can ruin a game for you. I decided to purchase FFXI since it was only $10 and would give me something to play while waiting for FFXIV's CE launch. Any feedback that could be given regarding the following questions would be greatly appreciated. So here they are...
1) In FFXI it seemed that combat was rather slow and unfortunately made less interesting by the lack of any player response needed from around lvl 1-10. What I mean to say is that in FFXI you would select a mob, select attack, and could just AFK while fighting since the few job abilities/weapon skills were rather uninspiring and had a cooldown. I have seen in beta videos from FFXIV that there is an action bar in the bottom middle of the screen and have seen a player named "Destiny Rose" clicking several of those icons on the bar. Is the combat in FFXIV more engaging than FFXI at least from the levels of 1-10? I am not sure what lvl the said player was that I seen videos from. I don't mind the combat in FFXI I just would be much happier if there was at least more skills/attacks to click. Not a game breaker just curious.
2) What are the requirements for forming a linkshell? The reason I ask is I'd be interested in forming a linkshell of new players that prefer to take their time and enjoy the game by exploring, rping, etc. A group of people interested in enjoying the game at a much slower pace than those who desire to rush to "end game". It would be nice if I could form a linkshell at lvl 1 and add similar minded players along my journey but as most MMORPGs go this probably isn't an option.
3) Does FFXIV use the PlayOnline VIewer that FFXI does? Or does it have it's own launcher/patcher like most subscription based mmorpgs out there. I really hope it doesn't use the PlayOnline Viewer. Todays patch for FFXI is taking about 5 hours to download something that is roughly 200MB at the most. Times have changed since the PS2 though and so I wonder what this new updater/launcher is like.
Any responses would be appreciated. I might have more questions in the future which I might add to this thread. If anyone else has questions about the game go ahead and post them here. Thanks in advance and I look forward to your responses.
P.S. I am aware that the open beta is available but for reasons I don't care to get into, I am unable to play at the moment.
Comments
1) Yes! Very much faster. In fact, for still being turn based, I'd say its the fastest combat I've seen in an MMO. Skills (or even the same skill repeatedly) can be done right after each other and the animation flows very smoothly.
2) I didn't make one, so don't quote me, but besides the money to buy the Linkshell, I dont think there is any requirement to start one. I also like, different than every other mmo, you can actually have multiple linkpearls to multiple linkshells and basically be part of as many guilds as you like. Obviously you can only have one equipped at a time though. Back in FFXI I had my main end game linkshell's pearl and then a few social linkshell's, they kept the same system for FFXIV.
3) Nope, no PlayOnline, has its own launcher
Subscriptions and account info will be done from the website, like most games nowadays.
All of this is great news! Thanks so much for the response. There is one really big question I had that I can't believe I forgot to include:
-From what I've heard a long time ago, the class you're playing changes with the gear you have equipped. I don't understand how that system will work exactly but the main question I have is: Are there restrictions on changing your gear/class? I know if FFXI you have to go to your Mog House. In FFXIV can I change my class while out adventuring? Like say out of combat, without having to run back to my Mog House or town?
If you are out of combat and in passive mode you can change your weapon to another weapon to change jobs. It can all be set up as a macro to making it really quick and easy to do. You can also make use of skills you've gained while leveling up other jobs in your current job so there is a lot of mixing & maxing of abilities. It is a pretty fun system.
Edit: You don't have to be in town to do this. It can be done anywhere.
Yes, you can change your gear at anytime, as long as you are out of combat. Your main hand weapon determines you primary class at the time you have it equiped. Equip a gladius and your a Gladiator, equip a polearm and your a Lancer, equip a needle and your a Weaver, equip a hatchet and your a Botanist. Your skills can mix between the classes too, as long as the skill itself is compatible with the primary class you have up. Each tells you what thier individual requirements are.
(DISCLAIMER - The use of the word YOU in the above post is not directed at any one person in particular, but towards those who fall into the category itself - there is no personal attack here, neither intentional nor implied.)
Changing class is specifically linked to what you have equipped in the weapon slot. Equip a sword and you immediately (regardless of where you are) change to Gladiator for example. Bow is Archer, Knuckles are Pugalist, Fishing Pole is Fisherman, Pickaxe is Miner, etc. Its really awesome
You definitly dont have to go back to any Mog House or NPC.
The rest of your equipment, body armor, gloves, boots, etc. stay equipped after you change class. Which is fine because a lot of gear is useable by multiple classes. If it doesn't though, you just dont get the stat bonuses from that item. This is proabably where macros will come in, just like in FFXI. If you change from Archer to Blacksmith for example, you'll probably want to have a macro that puts on your Blacksmith gear along with your Blacksmith hammer, because Archer gear isnt going to do anything for you.
The class change system is definitly the key feature of the game and its really great.
The "class" changes when you change weapon not armor.
Every few lvls of the weapon you will learn skills and some of those can be used on other weapons (Ex. at lvl 4 with a conjurer you can learn cure and use it on another weapon to heal yourself or others, at lvl 2 archer you learn a line aoe skill that you can use on other weapons)
And yes to change gear/weapons you need to be out of combat AND weapon unsheated (Default button F)
Hey there. I gotta respect your stalwart effort to keep most of the surprise for later. I didn't have the willpower. :P
Combat is much faster now. It seems that they have incorporated some of the style of FFXII and FFXIII into the combat system. You can spam attacks until you run out of stamina, then you wait a few secs for your stamina bar to fill and spam some more. I actually didn't realize how much faster it is until I saw a youtube video of FFXI. FFXI was very slow in combat.
Linkshells are handled in very much the same way that they were in FFXI. They have dressed up the system a little bit. You can now have spaces and capital letters on multiple words. You also create a colorful crest the then resides next to your name when you have the pearl equipped. So yes, you can definitely create a LS at the start and go from there.
Like the previous poster said...no more Playonline. Just log in, choose character and play. No more separate Playonline and FF account names. Square combined accounts a few months ago and so your login to their website account system is also the login for the game.
It's probably being said while I type this, but yes, you can change classes at any time. No more trudging back to the MH to switch up classes. Whatever you hold in your main hand defines your class. This includes all of the crafting classes.
I hope the game pleasantly surprises you at launch and that you do enjoy it. Are you getting the Collector's Edition or Standard?
Well that's good news. I was kinda curious how that was going to work considering like you said, that a lot of classes can use the same armor. It might have been weapon changes that were mentioned before and not armor. It's been a while since I've really read anything on the game period other than just some feedback from the betas.
Oh believe me, my willpower is waning with the launch date so close now... or so far away I guess would be a better way of saying it lol. I've been interested in this game for quite a while but really haven't kept up with it. I've seen a few videos, read a few posts on beta impressions, and that's been about it.
I pre-ordered the Collector's Edition for the security token (gives extra storage in FFXI and FFXIV from what a friend told me) and the 8 days early access. I probably won't actually get in the game until the 23rd though. I hope to see you guys there.
Dont trust a lot of the people that are playing open beta. The game was awesome when I played it on closed beta. But I can admit open beta has some lag issues, but when we actually get the good software for the game it should be pretty smooth. Questing is fun, leveling up different ranks of different classes is exciting. Story line ( no matter where you start out) is pretty impressive. Combat is pretty interesting, it is refreshing to play a game *not* like WOW. Hope this helps.
~Knaple~
Im enjoying the beta quite a bit and all the good things these people are saying are true...but
there are a few things that get frustrating.
1- Ui Lag, the game runs perfect on my computer but the ui lags a lot.
2- Only being able to do leve quests every 48 hours is just silly...there really is nothing to do after you do those.. its like " Hey you having fun? OH! you are....well..... dont have TOO much fun.
3- noone seems to talk on there..so trying to party up to do more leves is hard.
In FFXI, people only play a few levels and get a wrong impression about the game because there is no skill or abilities available till level 5-10. Then you start to get more and more. But level 10 is just an introduction to the game. It takes only 2-3h max to do them (Less than 15 min to get level 5) the regular way. At higher levels, you have far too much skill/spells to be able to use them all during a fight. In fact, on most job, if you are playing right, you should never have any "free time" during the whole fight... even if the fight is against a HNM and last a few hours.
FFXIV has more skills from the start. There is actualy no "normal" or auto-attack : only skills.
Also, the interesting thing with FFXIV is that you are not limited to the skill of your class : Once you learned a skill from a class, you are free to "equip" it and use it with another class. (with some exception : Obviously, you cant equip a skill that need to use a bow on a class that dont use bow for example) That also mean that 2 characters of the same class can have totaly differant skills and can play in totaly differant way.
Please do yourself and humanity a giant favor and cancel your preorder. Do not give Square Enix any more money than they have already stolen from gamers world wide. I've seen some bad MMORPGs, but Final Fantasy XIV is so cheaply made, it gives Age of Conan a good name. Play the open beta and see for yourself.
Square Enix has proven time and time again that they are completely unwilling to work with their community. FFXIV is no different, and will flop harder than Tabula Rasa. Mind you, I've been in the beta since July 12th, and I came into this game with an open, enthusiastic mind. But the progress that has been made from the ever-so-silent developers convinces me that this game will be a HUGE, miserable failure. You would have to be delusional to think otherwise.
Not sure why people seems to think that leve are soo cool and that its main part of the game. Based on FFXI, leve are only going be one part of the game among many others. FFXI is full of such things that are limited in how many time you can do them per day, week or whatever.
If FFXIV is limited to the leve system and if its not just one small aspect of the game, I wont play for long lol
As for the talking... its beta test. I doubt that you will find much random people interested in playing in group if they dont already know each others.
*sigh*
This thread was such a positive thread without all the complaining and anti-preorder pushing from the rest of the threads on this board. He had some simple questions and we were all answering those questions. This thread isn't for the war of the pre-order vs. no pre-order.
There are sooooo many other threads where you guys can complain!
Can we go for just one thread without this sort of behaviour?
Anyway....carry on....
Well, i have asked what im supposed to do once my leves are gone and most people say...kill stuff... there are going to be instanced leves at launch...but if you can only do those every 48 hours too...its silly..
at the start of the game you can do all the battle leves in less than 2 hours and then you are supposed to craft i guess..but if you were to do those as well...you would be left with nothing to do cept....kill stuff... i think they want people to play this and xi, so they put these weekly restrictions on how much you can do in xiv....its just mind blowing honestly.
No requirements. You just buy a linkshell in game and then give pearls to whoever you want. It's not a guild like in other mmorpg : its just a way to have a private chat channel between a group of players. You are also not limited to a shell : In FFXI, people often have several "social" shell, shell to do some regular events, shell to do endgame and so on...
Seems there will also be another system more similar to traditional guilds but there isnt much info on that yet. (and there is nothing like that in FFXI)
hahahahaha....
"please dont say anything about the game i like...please"
I like the game but you are the worst kind of fan.
I bet you said similar about FFXI back in 2003, and yet its still here. SE has always been an 'ever so slient' developer, the game will most definitly not be a miserable failure of any kind. It won't reach WoW numbers, but they aren't trying to. Obviously FFXIV isnt the game for you, but you are being a bit closed minded if you dont see that thousands of other people are loving it. I think the delusional one is you, thinking that your one opinion is going to make or break the game.
um. sure.
Whatever you say buddy. I didn't say anything of the sort. I was just defending the thread, not the game. But thanks for getting so personal and so dirty. Awesome job not quoting me at all. *shrug*
Cheers!!
I fail to see the differance between a quest or a leve that ask you to kill a bunch of monsters or going killing them by yourself... I never understood people that are happy when more quests of the kind "go kill xxx of that kind of monsters" are added to a game. orz
Anyway, most of the content of FFXIV is locked during beta. (Yes, yes, I know that whole bunch of people are now going to post "all must be tested so everything must be in the beta so there wont be anything more at launch". So do yourself a favor and dont waste your time posting this kind of comment one more time. Just wait for release and then you will be fixed. If there isnt anything more, you will be able to pat yourself on the back for being right and stop playing (understandable). And if you arent then perhaps you will enjoy the game... or perhaps not. Why would anyone care if someone else enjoy a game or not ? One play a game because one enjoy it, not because other enjoy it anyway.)
to the OP....
Your idea of a super casual LS sounds good. I was thinking the same thing when release comes around. Send me a pm or something when you get started and I'll see about joining up!
See you at release!!
well, because you get rewards and you can make the monsters harder by doing 5 stars and get better rewards..
Im getting the game, im just saying its obvious this game is made by a comapany who has another game that they want you to play at the same time..so they put these restrictions in to give you time to do so..
That would be great! When I get my character made I'll send you a PM for sure.