I don't know why the game is doing well, but I can say why, after so many years of MMO gaming, this one is sticking with me and is the only one I play now (quit everything else)
The reason is simple... I connect with my character. I love my character - I feel like for the first time since City of heroes I have a character I envision in my head in a world that is fun and exciting. I love the way I look, and the possibilities are endless with the glamor system. Also, because of the glamor system, its fun collection ancient/old gear in old dungeons that no one does anymore and mixing and matching them with the newer gear. I've gotten quite a few comments from random player on how they like the look of my highlander female character.
Like others have said, FFARR doesn't do anything new, and once you get pass that and acknowledge that, suddenly the game opens up and becomes something special.
I enjoy undercutting people in the market place - it's the only PvP a crafter gets.
'Final Fantasy' is great IP and being JRPG helps differentiate it from other mmo on the market (only a few established ones around). there is a mass of ppl who are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF.
I fell in love with FF since I was young (FF IV, Cecil) but after FFX and FFXI (mmo) the true spirit of FF was dead imo. Now only its skin remains. FFXIV is not a bad mmorpg but i dont think its special either (i dont normally mind theme park, raid content oriented game btw). Its a B grade mmo but with those who want all things japanese (esp. younger audience) will follow it no matter what. its a shame really because being good enough today isnt really very good at all.
'Final Fantasy' is great IP and being JRPG helps differentiate it from other mmo on the market (only a few established ones around). there is a mass of ppl who are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF.
I fell in love with FF since I was young (FF IV, Cecil) but after FFX and FFXI (mmo) the true spirit of FF was dead imo. Now only its skin remains. FFXIV is not a bad mmorpg but i dont think its special either (i dont normally mind theme park, raid content oriented game btw). Its a B grade mmo but with those who want all things japanese (esp. younger audience) will follow it no matter what. its a shame really because being good enough today isnt really very good at all.
Oh for crying out loud. Another one?
What is it with you people, your selective memories, and inability to:
A) Remember somewhat recent history, and...
Accept that others like things you don't, for their own reasons, and you can't just slap labels/descriptions on 100s of thousands of them, dismissing their personal preferences in order to bolster your own.
Making remarks like:
" there is a mass of ppl who are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF"
and
"Its a B grade mmo but with those who want all things japanese (esp. younger audience) will follow it no matter what."
...is incredibly ignorant. It's also incredibly dishonest where this game is concerned.
Going back to point A, you - like many others - seem to have either very short, or very selective memories when it comes to this game.
If you recall, SE released 1.0. It checked all your boxes - Japanese company, Japanese game with elements of Japanese culture, and it was not, at all, of very good quality. According to you, all these people should have swarmed it regardless and supported it, because they're all japanophiles who "are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF".
So, where were these people you speak of with 1.0? They sure as hell weren't playing or supporting FFXIV. The game was a ghost-town for most of its time online - even when no sub was required to play. It was a failure. It was scrapped and rebuilt because of how people rejected it. Yes, even the FF fans and japanophiles you speak of - whom should have been supporting it "regardless of quality" - were nowhere to be found.
The history of this game does not bear out your theory. Your story does not check out.
ARR succeeds and stands on its own because it's a solid, stable and consistent title that is fun to a large number of people. That is true, and remains true, regardless of whether you personally like the game or not.
Are people playing ARR because they like FF? Sure, of course. But more importantly, they're playing it because they find it to be a fun game, worth paying a monthly sub for. The setting, the graphics, the elements of nostalgia may pull them in, but a well-crafted game that is fun, and continues to be fun and worth the cost to them is what keeps them there.
It's not your cup of tea. Fine. You think it's a B grade MMO. Wonderful. That's your opinion, and it's your right to feel that way. It's your right to play, or not play whatever you wish.
How about just leaving it at that, and stop trying to dismiss the opinions of the 100s of thousands of others who are playing and enjoying it? How about accepting that others have their own reasons for playing, and stop trying to dismantle and dismiss them with baseless home-brewed "theories".
'Final Fantasy' is great IP and being JRPG helps differentiate it from other mmo on the market (only a few established ones around). there is a mass of ppl who are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF.
I fell in love with FF since I was young (FF IV, Cecil) but after FFX and FFXI (mmo) the true spirit of FF was dead imo. Now only its skin remains. FFXIV is not a bad mmorpg but i dont think its special either (i dont normally mind theme park, raid content oriented game btw). Its a B grade mmo but with those who want all things japanese (esp. younger audience) will follow it no matter what. its a shame really because being good enough today isnt really very good at all.
Oh for crying out loud. Another one?
What is it with you people, your selective memories, and inability to:
A) Remember somewhat recent history, and...
Accept that others like things you don't, for their own reasons, and you can't just slap labels/descriptions on 100s of thousands of them, dismissing their personal preferences in order to bolster your own.
Making remarks like:
" there is a mass of ppl who are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF"
and
"Its a B grade mmo but with those who want all things japanese (esp. younger audience) will follow it no matter what."
...is incredibly ignorant. It's also incredibly dishonest where this game is concerned.
Going back to point A, you - like many others - seem to have either very short, or very selective memories when it comes to this game.
If you recall, SE released 1.0. It checked all your boxes - Japanese company, Japanese game with elements of Japanese culture, and it was not, at all, of very good quality. According to you, all these people should have swarmed it regardless and supported it, because they're all japanophiles who "are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF".
So, where were these people you speak of with 1.0? They sure as hell weren't playing or supporting FFXIV. The game was a ghost-town for most of its time online - even when no sub was required to play. It was a failure. It was scrapped and rebuilt because of how people rejected it. Yes, even the FF fans and japanophiles you speak of - whom should have been supporting it "regardless of quality" - were nowhere to be found.
The history of this game does not bear out your theory. Your story does not check out.
ARR succeeds and stands on its own because it's a solid, stable and consistent title that is fun to a large number of people. That is true, and remains true, regardless of whether you personally like the game or not.
Are people playing ARR because they like FF? Sure, of course. But more importantly, they're playing it because they find it to be a fun game, worth paying a monthly sub for. The setting, the graphics, the elements of nostalgia may pull them in, but a well-crafted game that is fun, and continues to be fun and worth the cost to them is what keeps them there.
It's not your cup of tea. Fine. You think it's a B grade MMO. Wonderful. That's your opinion, and it's your right to feel that way. It's your right to play, or not play whatever you wish.
How about just leaving it at that, and stop trying to dismiss the opinions of the 100s of thousands of others who are playing and enjoying it? How about accepting that others have their own reasons for playing, and stop trying to dismantle and dismiss them with baseless home-brewed "theories".
Give it a try, yeah?
QFT. Highlighted part is what lines up with my thoughts on the topic.
These kids talk all about how others disregard/discredit their opinion but not realize they are the ones doing it. its a pity.
truth is different ppl like different things. some ppl like to eat junk food. others may prefer better food. but junk food does sell and hence is a success. doesnt hide the fact that despite some liking them the quality of the food is junk.
FFXIV is a good B grade game. like a good B grade movie. same thing.
These kids talk all about how others disregard/discredit their opinion but not realize they are the ones doing it. its a pity.
truth is different ppl like different things. some ppl like to eat junk food. others may prefer better food. but junk food does sell and hence is a success. doesnt hide the fact that despite some liking them the quality of the food is junk.
FFXIV is a good B grade game. like a good B grade movie. same thing.
Love these jabs you put in here but hey to me XIV has some of the best quality and polish of any MMO's out there and is AAA production game. So if by B grade movie you mean Lord of the Rings then sure.
Yeah, B grade is pretty unfair. It has a ton of polish, better music than just about any MMO, very consistent graphics and style throughout, loads of high quality content, etc. That's not to say it's for everyone of course, but it does what it sets out to do really well.
Some people love the WoW style mmo, XIV is a WoW clone through and through. For those that love that style mmo they will like it. For those who want more of a sandbox style, horizontal open world game they will hate it.
Some people love the FF theme, XIV is the most Final fantasy final fantasy game released since FFX. Alot of people despise the FF themes and athmosphere even in offline games. For those people who typically do not like ff games they will probally hate XIV.
Alot of people loving XIV are former WoW players or first time mmo players. A huge majority of people from XI quit the game stating it is a sub par WoW clone. For people that Loved WoW and Love the FF offline franchise this seems to be the game for them. If they are outside that it is a hit or miss it seems.
Personally I agree XIV is a subpar WoW clone. But it has the theme I like and great graphics. Combine that with the fact WoW is too old to invest any real time into now and has been dumbed down too much, and everything else that launched recently sucks horribly,I mean just really horribly I am playing XIV. If another game that is not a themepark that has deep rich group/guild based content and mechanics that focuses on horizontal progression that has the backing of a solid company and it is not a cash shop money grab good chance I would play it over XIV. I find alot of people in XIV currently have this mind set. we see the game as MEH but it is the best out there currently.
These kids talk all about how others disregard/discredit their opinion but not realize they are the ones doing it. its a pity.
truth is different ppl like different things. some ppl like to eat junk food. others may prefer better food. but junk food does sell and hence is a success. doesnt hide the fact that despite some liking them the quality of the food is junk.
FFXIV is a good B grade game. like a good B grade movie. same thing.
B grade when it first came out. Definitely A grade now. I quit 2 months after launch and resubbed 4 months ago, game has totally changed since it first came out. I remember sitting around Mor Dhona bored with nothing left to do. Since I resubbed I have been playing nonstop. There is an insane amount of quality content.
If FFXIV is B grade, what the heck is A grade then? lol.
Most memorable games: AoC(Tryanny PvP), RIFT, GW, GW2, Ragnarok Online, Aion, FFXI, FFXIV, Secret World, League of Legends (Silver II rank)
This game is WoW clone? really? I don't feel the western vibe in this game at all.
Probably is more similar with Aion,lineage2, tera than WoW
What I like about the game is that is different and the same.
I like the classing system. End game you have multiple figthing classes, crafting and gathering. All on same character and all level differently and separately. And you can combine some skills so it's never a bad idea to level another class.
End game looks like a grindfest true. But tell me a mmorpg which isn't? End game content is always a grind for items in any game.
Btw, i'll probably try to get all classes to max level than farming items. Still farming, but something I like more since you can change job almost anywhere.
Graphics is better than average. I think gw2 spoiled me a little.
The world does seem small but you still have plenty to do.
I played a lot of mmorpg. In most of them I don't even touch dungeons. In FF i do dungeons daily.....just because you get exp...lol
I played wildstar and ESO in beta which supposed to be the next AAA games.
I really wanted to buy wildstar, it look great, combat was great, everything was great....but it was not fun. It felt likework and boring just being online
ESO was ok'ish but i rather play skyrim where i can use any mods I want to.
Archage was boring after a few hours.
FF ARR, is in one word, fun. Maybe I'll get bored of it.Most likely I will. But if you consider the options you got as alternatives....
there aren't that many mmorpg that can compare. At least not yet.
Yoshida regularly referenced raids which simply became dungeons, and then raiders put hope in the Crystal Tower and that wasn't really endgame content at all. Again in this expansion (which I'll probably try regardless) he is announcing "New hard raids" how CRYPTIC what does he mean? Does he mean harder actual raids like Crystal Tower that raiding guilds could actually focus on? Or does he mean more Coil-like content? Of course he probably means coil, but boy it is nice to hope when there is so little concrete information to disappoint you...
8 person group content with the kind of lockouts that FFXIV used for coil creates a very, very different kind of endgame community atmosphere than classic multi-group endgames focused on "large" raiding guilds. It just isn't as enjoyable to me.
For what it's worth, it's sounding like in 2.45 or 2.5 they're looking at abolishing the one attempt per turn per week for Coil, and that might be something that sticks going forward. Sounds like there will still be a restriction on loot since they don't want people spamming raids and getting geared up within a week and unsubbing.
I too miss some of the larger raids. I did some of the alliance content in FFXI, but I felt my first real taste of it was in WoW with 25 man content. (I didn't start playing WoW until TBC) I miss the larger scale content, but Crystal Tower has kind of filled that void. I kind of hope they release harder content that requires more people, but at the same time there's not enough people in my FC to sustain that sort of content right now and we'd probably have to recruit to be able to have a chance at it. I'm pretty sure SE has some solid data that supports that the majority of players prefer smaller scale content just because it's easier to coordinate.
Those P2P whiteknights are really stretching it :X
The cash shop is only for cosmetic items that have no impact on gameplay. (mounts with no extra movement speed and minions)
Before these items were introduced it was for an item that allowed you to change character appearance, which is a standard charge in pretty much every MMO, and for world transfers.
These kids talk all about how others disregard/discredit their opinion but not realize they are the ones doing it. its a pity.
Kids, eh? Yeah, okay lol.
I'm not disregarding anyone's opinion. I'm calling people out on their BS, exaggerations and flat out falsehoods. There's a difference.
truth is different ppl like different things. some ppl like to eat junk food. others may prefer better food. but junk food does sell and hence is a success. doesnt hide the fact that despite some liking them the quality of the food is junk.
FFXIV is a good B grade game. like a good B grade movie. same thing.
Annnnd... yet another one. I like how you people are trying to hide your actual opinions behind the whole "people are entitled to like what they want!", while at the same time pushing your own opinions as fact. Why not just come straight out and say what you think? Why the silly "junk food" and "B Movie" analogies?
People can pretty much unanimously agree what constitutes "junk food". There's not much to be "subjective" about there. What is, or isn't, a good game, however... is entirely subjective. You used a poor analogy to try and "cleverly" push your own views of FFXIV as fact. Nice try, but it won't fly.
FFXIV is anything but a B-grade game. It is, by any measure, a AAA MMORPG. In terms of polish, in terms of scale, in terms of support, and in terms of playership. Comparing it to junk food, or B-Movies doesn't change that.
Tell me, Riannes, how much have you played ARR? May I have your character name and server in ARR, so I can see how informed you are about the game you're so confidently dismissing as "junk food" and a "B-Grade game"?
There's already two people in this thread who've willfully betrayed their ignorance, admitting to having not played since Beta in one case, and not for at least a year in the other. Maybe you'll make it 3. Or maybe you'll actually have a bit more to base your remarks on. Would be nice to have a debate with someone with some recent/current knowledge of the game and, presumably, has some clue what they're talking about; not that your remarks so far show much promise. But, hey... I'll keep an open mind to the possibility, 'til I'm given a reason not to.
These kids talk all about how others disregard/discredit their opinion but not realize they are the ones doing it. its a pity.
truth is different ppl like different things. some ppl like to eat junk food. others may prefer better food. but junk food does sell and hence is a success. doesnt hide the fact that despite some liking them the quality of the food is junk.
FFXIV is a good B grade game. like a good B grade movie. same thing.
B grade when it first came out. Definitely A grade now. I quit 2 months after launch and resubbed 4 months ago, game has totally changed since it first came out. I remember sitting around Mor Dhona bored with nothing left to do. Since I resubbed I have been playing nonstop. There is an insane amount of quality content.
If FFXIV is B grade, what the heck is A grade then? lol.
Some people love the WoW style mmo, XIV is a WoW clone through and through. For those that love that style mmo they will like it. For those who want more of a sandbox style, horizontal open world game they will hate it.
Some people love the FF theme, XIV is the most Final fantasy final fantasy game released since FFX. Alot of people despise the FF themes and athmosphere even in offline games. For those people who typically do not like ff games they will probally hate XIV.
Alot of people loving XIV are former WoW players or first time mmo players. A huge majority of people from XI quit the game stating it is a sub par WoW clone. For people that Loved WoW and Love the FF offline franchise this seems to be the game for them. If they are outside that it is a hit or miss it seems.
Personally I agree XIV is a subpar WoW clone. But it has the theme I like and great graphics. Combine that with the fact WoW is too old to invest any real time into now and has been dumbed down too much, and everything else that launched recently sucks horribly,I mean just really horribly I am playing XIV. If another game that is not a themepark that has deep rich group/guild based content and mechanics that focuses on horizontal progression that has the backing of a solid company and it is not a cash shop money grab good chance I would play it over XIV. I find alot of people in XIV currently have this mind set. we see the game as MEH but it is the best out there currently.
Interesting. I haven't seen nearly that degree of cynicism in any of my own FC-mates, or friends playing it. They're all playing FFXIV because they like FFXIV, not on the basis of "how it is compared to everything else out there".
But really, when you say - in a nutshell - "if there was a game out there that did everything I like about FFXIV, but better, I would be playing that instead" - that's not really saying much. I'd venture to guess that, all else being equal, just about anyone would be playing a different game if they found it suited them better than what they're currently playing (notwithstanding people who stay with a game for friends, etc).
Speaking for myself, if SE somehow turned back the clock and returned XI to its pre-Abyssea state, or opened a pre-Abyssea server, I'd go back to that in a heartbeat and wouldn't give ARR a second thought. That's wouldn't suddenly mean ARR is a bad game, nor would I have any regrets for playing it; it's a solid, fun game, with tons of content, and I'm having a great time with it. It's just that FFXI, as it was back in the pre-Abyssea era, is more in line with what I enjoy in a MMO.
As for it being a WoW clone through and through. At ARR's launch, and for a few months after that, I'd have agreed with you 100%. In the time since then and now, with all they've added and changed and expanded on, to me, the similarities to WoW end with the familiar control system, the basic questing structure and some of the interface elements. Beyond that, ARR feels nothing like WoW to me. It stands completely on its own. I say this having been playing WoW for a bit prior to coming back to check out ARR again, so my comparison between the two is very recent.
But again, that's me. Your experience is your experience. Your view just seems very cynical to me, and I just can't relate to that with this game, not with how it is now.
These kids talk all about how others disregard/discredit their opinion but not realize they are the ones doing it. its a pity.
truth is different ppl like different things. some ppl like to eat junk food. others may prefer better food. but junk food does sell and hence is a success. doesnt hide the fact that despite some liking them the quality of the food is junk.
FFXIV is a good B grade game. like a good B grade movie. same thing.
This was perhaps the most inane remark I have seen on the internet for some considerable time, well done, your ineptness is boundless!
Firstly, your compairison is off, junk food and "better" food is not a contrast to be made when trying to make an arguement against a game you obvously hold in some personal disdain. Junk food is regarded as such as your body does not need it, so in essence does not provide your body with the relevant proteins and nutrients needed to sustain itself, whereas "Better" food does.
It is highly possible, in fact more so than that, very likely that people like things you do not. That moment, the moment of dread you must feel as your world comes out of sorts and unravelling at the seams to the notion is taking place right now, this very moment. People like Final Fantasy 14, I like it, many others like it.
Although me to put it in a basic concept as to why people like it
1) Subscription - Subscription is associated with value, with the trend of F2P games turning into a very sour market, with games closing early, P2W arguements and lack of development and content, people are again happy to pay for a game providing it has value. Which, for Final Fantasy 14, it offers. Its Quarterly content updates are some of the most bountiful and quality driven pieces of work I have ever seen.
2) Story - In essence, an MMORPG is essentially that, a role playing game, with many games playing as avatars that have no real focus in its story, or those moments that really bring out your character and make you feel like a hero Final Fantasy has in abundance. You have a focus, you start on the bottom rung, you gain a renoun about yourself, you are courted, you are praised you become feared. The story then branches off into multiple scenarios and other story lines, fleshing out its world and characters making the experience very personal and immersive.
3) Themepark - As themeparks go, it has the usual staples, the dungeons and raiding etc, but with lots of alternative high end stuff to do. Like questing? It's got your back, like dailies? Like doing something different like Monster hunting? like to Dungeon and raid? It's all there. Perhaps crafting or PvP is your thing? Well, it's got it. Lots to do for lots of different types of players.
4) How you look - Great customization, with gear that doesn't just look like its painted on to your skin like a freaking mesh.
5) Community - With communities steering away from MMO's with much of it to do with cake-walk modes that require no talking (such as WoW's LFR system) this game brings people together. For example, I was doing my Zodiac Quest gathering Atma's. Its like half 11 at night, it took me all of 20 mins to go from just me, to a full party, just picking up people along the way having a laugh and a good time. But this extends, I am part of a world boss link shell, a merchants link shell and a monster hunt link shell, my chat is buzzing with activity constantly.
These are just a few things I mentioned, top of my head.
Now, your reasoning behind why you don't like the game is fine, its your opinion. But the game is a master piece, worthy of its player base and from the massive turn-around from 1.0 to 2.0 beyond it is one of the very very few games out there worth its subscription price.
B grade base game? I have no idea what that means! Its a AAA title, made by a AAA company.
The greatest weakness final fantasy XIV has is that mechanically it isn't all that unique. The gameplay, despite having slightly tweaked systems, plays very much the same as many other MMOs on the market. After playing World of Warcraft for the better part of a decade it's hard to stay invested in these kinds of titles due to that sameness.
On the other hand, if we didn't have these games no one would ever know the joy of in game holiday events with their own stories and minigames.
... just noticed the star rating system seems to be based on posting activity. Guess they want a theosaurus running amok.
These kids talk all about how others disregard/discredit their opinion but not realize they are the ones doing it. its a pity.
truth is different ppl like different things. some ppl like to eat junk food. others may prefer better food. but junk food does sell and hence is a success. doesnt hide the fact that despite some liking them the quality of the food is junk.
FFXIV is a good B grade game. like a good B grade movie. same thing.
B grade when it first came out. Definitely A grade now. I quit 2 months after launch and resubbed 4 months ago, game has totally changed since it first came out. I remember sitting around Mor Dhona bored with nothing left to do. Since I resubbed I have been playing nonstop. There is an insane amount of quality content.
If FFXIV is B grade, what the heck is A grade then? lol.
Unfortunately, in today market there are none. [mod edit] Even if you disagree with this now, just think about it. First time you entered COB, you faced a masterpiece of a mob aka ADS. Floating black ball and not just only one. Duplicates of it were used for the whole floor. A lazy (or rush) design effort [mod edit] and it doesnt stop there. Players get to fight Primal bosses. and then theres a hard mode and then an extremely hard mode. only a few mechanics were added to each level. and the whole instance is just fight one boss. no other mobs, no zone, no dungeon etc. just the one boss and a few dance moves with it and thats it. how little design effort were put into these just to lengthen the time players sub their games. so many duplicates , super lazy.
the sad thing is that there are not many better alternatives to FFXIV in the market . id say GW2 is an A. its production is very good (and its value is great., B2P) but its longevity probably lies in pvp (wvw) rather than pve. I no longer play it but regard it as a good game. arenanet always tried to make something different and credit to them.
ESO is probably the only one with an IP as great as FF. It had some issues at release (phasing etc, a lot of quest bugs) but seem to improve quite a lot recently. interesting that VR leveling will change. that will be a boost to its end game.
Wildstar, i had high hope on this one (to be let down later). despite not too many innovative ideas its production was really good. it was however hindered by the number of bugs and a lot of end game issues (itemization, RNG, raid size, daily EP grind).
So in my opinion, GW2 is A, ESO & WS are B. FFXIV is a B too. FFXIV production is the worst of those mentioned but it does better in retention due to stronger fanbase. Overall quality of the market however is not very good. Nothing like the good old days of EQ, DAoC, Wow (Vanilla & BC), RO, even L2. Those are true quality mmo.
But the standard of quality is just poor. Even if you disagree with this now, just think about it. First time you entered COB, you faced a masterpiece of a mob aka ADS. Floating black ball and not just only one. Duplicates of it were used for the whole floor. A lazy (or rush) design effort only idiots fail to notice. and it doesnt stop there. Players get to fight Primal bosses. and then theres a hard mode and then an extremely hard mode. only a few mechanics were added to each level. and the whole instance is just fight one boss. no other mobs, no zone, no dungeon etc. just the one boss and a few dance moves with it and thats it. how little design effort were put into these just to lengthen the time players sub their games. so many duplicates , super lazy.
You shouldn't tell us to think while saying "standard of quality is poor" and "FFXIV" in the same paragraph. It will just blow on your face.
I'm sure most of us have realized the flaw in your thinking, but let me just make it explicit for the fun of it. Making completely new content takes time. Making altered content takes less time. There is only X time available. When you make completely new content, it takes a portion of the X time to do so. When you make altered content using existing assets, it takes a smaller portion of the X time to do so. Therefore you can make more altered content in the time it takes to make one new content. As the inevitable result, the developers can put out more content in the X time when they don't only develop new content with new assets.
Just because a patch is full of completely new assets and recycled assets, doesn't mean the X time available isn't being utilized. Nor does it mean that you can achieve the same amount of content using only new assets.
As the inevitable conclusion, as long as the developers are using X amount of time and resources (with X being the most resources possible) they are not "lazy". How they end up using said resources is of no concern whatsoever. In fact a middleground is usually perfect for a good balance of new and old content.
By the way, I was talking of GW2 in the post. However fortunately this truth applies to every MMO in existence. Now, you can go back to playing the gramophone and reminiscing the good ol' days when everything was so much better and to tell kids to get off your lawn.
Using LOL is like saying "my argument sucks but I still want to disagree".
I loved the game at first, but after finally "catching up" and being at the point where my character needed only either A) Raid gear or Zodiac gear I got very bored with it.
I realize that this is the new standard for MMOs now, but all of my MMO experience has been more old school ( the older versions of ffxi, EQ/EQ II, LOTRO, Vangaurd, etc). I suppose I didn't really realize it until I got to that point...but it just became inane to me.
Everything is simplified to the lowest common denominator, and literally the entire game revolves around Raiding, waiting for an expansion/patch, and repeating the process. After playing the aforementioned games, I just couldn't see myself spending that much time on something so....un-dynamic.
I will probably never get the kind of mmo I would want to play again, but I keep my eye open for new stuff as it comes out. Current hope: EQN, but we'll see how that goes.
It's Final Fantasy. Just like SWTOR is living off the fact that it's Star Wars. Sometimes the IP sells the game, and sometimes the IP hurts the game (like it did to ESO) due to expectations.
The first thing that comes to mind is polish(while not perfect it's easy to see they put their heart and soul into the game and had fun with it too). They have made a game that doesn't really bring anything new but they made a great game none the less. Removed or streamlined some things that many people felt was tedious (bags for example). They made the story important and interesting(side quests normally have decent stories too and by making everything happen in conversation it felt more natural(compared to a few paragraphs just popping up)).
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I don't know why the game is doing well, but I can say why, after so many years of MMO gaming, this one is sticking with me and is the only one I play now (quit everything else)
The reason is simple... I connect with my character. I love my character - I feel like for the first time since City of heroes I have a character I envision in my head in a world that is fun and exciting. I love the way I look, and the possibilities are endless with the glamor system. Also, because of the glamor system, its fun collection ancient/old gear in old dungeons that no one does anymore and mixing and matching them with the newer gear. I've gotten quite a few comments from random player on how they like the look of my highlander female character.
Like others have said, FFARR doesn't do anything new, and once you get pass that and acknowledge that, suddenly the game opens up and becomes something special.
I enjoy undercutting people in the market place - it's the only PvP a crafter gets.
'Final Fantasy' is great IP and being JRPG helps differentiate it from other mmo on the market (only a few established ones around). there is a mass of ppl who are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF.
I fell in love with FF since I was young (FF IV, Cecil) but after FFX and FFXI (mmo) the true spirit of FF was dead imo. Now only its skin remains. FFXIV is not a bad mmorpg but i dont think its special either (i dont normally mind theme park, raid content oriented game btw). Its a B grade mmo but with those who want all things japanese (esp. younger audience) will follow it no matter what. its a shame really because being good enough today isnt really very good at all.
n for the record i have put my time into it (now no more).
Coil t5 after a few weeks since game start. Summoner. so i got my fair share of what the game is.
Oh for crying out loud. Another one?
What is it with you people, your selective memories, and inability to:
A) Remember somewhat recent history, and...
Making remarks like:
" there is a mass of ppl who are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF"
and
"Its a B grade mmo but with those who want all things japanese (esp. younger audience) will follow it no matter what."
...is incredibly ignorant. It's also incredibly dishonest where this game is concerned.
Going back to point A, you - like many others - seem to have either very short, or very selective memories when it comes to this game.
If you recall, SE released 1.0. It checked all your boxes - Japanese company, Japanese game with elements of Japanese culture, and it was not, at all, of very good quality. According to you, all these people should have swarmed it regardless and supported it, because they're all japanophiles who "are deeply keen on all things Japanese (regardless of quality) and they will always stay with FF".
So, where were these people you speak of with 1.0? They sure as hell weren't playing or supporting FFXIV. The game was a ghost-town for most of its time online - even when no sub was required to play. It was a failure. It was scrapped and rebuilt because of how people rejected it. Yes, even the FF fans and japanophiles you speak of - whom should have been supporting it "regardless of quality" - were nowhere to be found.
The history of this game does not bear out your theory. Your story does not check out.
ARR succeeds and stands on its own because it's a solid, stable and consistent title that is fun to a large number of people. That is true, and remains true, regardless of whether you personally like the game or not.
Are people playing ARR because they like FF? Sure, of course. But more importantly, they're playing it because they find it to be a fun game, worth paying a monthly sub for. The setting, the graphics, the elements of nostalgia may pull them in, but a well-crafted game that is fun, and continues to be fun and worth the cost to them is what keeps them there.
It's not your cup of tea. Fine. You think it's a B grade MMO. Wonderful. That's your opinion, and it's your right to feel that way. It's your right to play, or not play whatever you wish.
How about just leaving it at that, and stop trying to dismiss the opinions of the 100s of thousands of others who are playing and enjoying it? How about accepting that others have their own reasons for playing, and stop trying to dismantle and dismiss them with baseless home-brewed "theories".
Give it a try, yeah?
QFT. Highlighted part is what lines up with my thoughts on the topic.
These kids talk all about how others disregard/discredit their opinion but not realize they are the ones doing it. its a pity.
truth is different ppl like different things. some ppl like to eat junk food. others may prefer better food. but junk food does sell and hence is a success. doesnt hide the fact that despite some liking them the quality of the food is junk.
FFXIV is a good B grade game. like a good B grade movie. same thing.
For me personally....
The amount of loading screens kills what otherwise would be a better than average MMORPG.
"Be water my friend" - Bruce Lee
Yeah, B grade is pretty unfair. It has a ton of polish, better music than just about any MMO, very consistent graphics and style throughout, loads of high quality content, etc. That's not to say it's for everyone of course, but it does what it sets out to do really well.
AS others said it is different opinions.
Some people love the WoW style mmo, XIV is a WoW clone through and through. For those that love that style mmo they will like it. For those who want more of a sandbox style, horizontal open world game they will hate it.
Some people love the FF theme, XIV is the most Final fantasy final fantasy game released since FFX. Alot of people despise the FF themes and athmosphere even in offline games. For those people who typically do not like ff games they will probally hate XIV.
Alot of people loving XIV are former WoW players or first time mmo players. A huge majority of people from XI quit the game stating it is a sub par WoW clone. For people that Loved WoW and Love the FF offline franchise this seems to be the game for them. If they are outside that it is a hit or miss it seems.
Personally I agree XIV is a subpar WoW clone. But it has the theme I like and great graphics. Combine that with the fact WoW is too old to invest any real time into now and has been dumbed down too much, and everything else that launched recently sucks horribly,I mean just really horribly I am playing XIV. If another game that is not a themepark that has deep rich group/guild based content and mechanics that focuses on horizontal progression that has the backing of a solid company and it is not a cash shop money grab good chance I would play it over XIV. I find alot of people in XIV currently have this mind set. we see the game as MEH but it is the best out there currently.
B grade when it first came out. Definitely A grade now. I quit 2 months after launch and resubbed 4 months ago, game has totally changed since it first came out. I remember sitting around Mor Dhona bored with nothing left to do. Since I resubbed I have been playing nonstop. There is an insane amount of quality content.
If FFXIV is B grade, what the heck is A grade then? lol.
Most memorable games: AoC(Tryanny PvP), RIFT, GW, GW2, Ragnarok Online, Aion, FFXI, FFXIV, Secret World, League of Legends (Silver II rank)
Because its good, fun and pretty to look at.
This game is WoW clone? really? I don't feel the western vibe in this game at all.
Probably is more similar with Aion,lineage2, tera than WoW
What I like about the game is that is different and the same.
I like the classing system. End game you have multiple figthing classes, crafting and gathering. All on same character and all level differently and separately. And you can combine some skills so it's never a bad idea to level another class.
End game looks like a grindfest true. But tell me a mmorpg which isn't? End game content is always a grind for items in any game.
Btw, i'll probably try to get all classes to max level than farming items. Still farming, but something I like more since you can change job almost anywhere.
Graphics is better than average. I think gw2 spoiled me a little.
The world does seem small but you still have plenty to do.
I played a lot of mmorpg. In most of them I don't even touch dungeons. In FF i do dungeons daily.....just because you get exp...lol
I played wildstar and ESO in beta which supposed to be the next AAA games.
I really wanted to buy wildstar, it look great, combat was great, everything was great....but it was not fun. It felt likework and boring just being online
ESO was ok'ish but i rather play skyrim where i can use any mods I want to.
Archage was boring after a few hours.
FF ARR, is in one word, fun. Maybe I'll get bored of it.Most likely I will. But if you consider the options you got as alternatives....
there aren't that many mmorpg that can compare. At least not yet.
For what it's worth, it's sounding like in 2.45 or 2.5 they're looking at abolishing the one attempt per turn per week for Coil, and that might be something that sticks going forward. Sounds like there will still be a restriction on loot since they don't want people spamming raids and getting geared up within a week and unsubbing.
I too miss some of the larger raids. I did some of the alliance content in FFXI, but I felt my first real taste of it was in WoW with 25 man content. (I didn't start playing WoW until TBC) I miss the larger scale content, but Crystal Tower has kind of filled that void. I kind of hope they release harder content that requires more people, but at the same time there's not enough people in my FC to sustain that sort of content right now and we'd probably have to recruit to be able to have a chance at it. I'm pretty sure SE has some solid data that supports that the majority of players prefer smaller scale content just because it's easier to coordinate.
The cash shop is only for cosmetic items that have no impact on gameplay. (mounts with no extra movement speed and minions)
Before these items were introduced it was for an item that allowed you to change character appearance, which is a standard charge in pretty much every MMO, and for world transfers.
Exactly.
Interesting. I haven't seen nearly that degree of cynicism in any of my own FC-mates, or friends playing it. They're all playing FFXIV because they like FFXIV, not on the basis of "how it is compared to everything else out there".
But really, when you say - in a nutshell - "if there was a game out there that did everything I like about FFXIV, but better, I would be playing that instead" - that's not really saying much. I'd venture to guess that, all else being equal, just about anyone would be playing a different game if they found it suited them better than what they're currently playing (notwithstanding people who stay with a game for friends, etc).
Speaking for myself, if SE somehow turned back the clock and returned XI to its pre-Abyssea state, or opened a pre-Abyssea server, I'd go back to that in a heartbeat and wouldn't give ARR a second thought. That's wouldn't suddenly mean ARR is a bad game, nor would I have any regrets for playing it; it's a solid, fun game, with tons of content, and I'm having a great time with it. It's just that FFXI, as it was back in the pre-Abyssea era, is more in line with what I enjoy in a MMO.
As for it being a WoW clone through and through. At ARR's launch, and for a few months after that, I'd have agreed with you 100%. In the time since then and now, with all they've added and changed and expanded on, to me, the similarities to WoW end with the familiar control system, the basic questing structure and some of the interface elements. Beyond that, ARR feels nothing like WoW to me. It stands completely on its own. I say this having been playing WoW for a bit prior to coming back to check out ARR again, so my comparison between the two is very recent.
But again, that's me. Your experience is your experience. Your view just seems very cynical to me, and I just can't relate to that with this game, not with how it is now.
I play it because it's fun for me. So do the other people who happen to be on my server.
If you don't think it's fun, don't play it. Not a whole lot else to say about it really I guess.
This was perhaps the most inane remark I have seen on the internet for some considerable time, well done, your ineptness is boundless!
Firstly, your compairison is off, junk food and "better" food is not a contrast to be made when trying to make an arguement against a game you obvously hold in some personal disdain. Junk food is regarded as such as your body does not need it, so in essence does not provide your body with the relevant proteins and nutrients needed to sustain itself, whereas "Better" food does.
It is highly possible, in fact more so than that, very likely that people like things you do not. That moment, the moment of dread you must feel as your world comes out of sorts and unravelling at the seams to the notion is taking place right now, this very moment. People like Final Fantasy 14, I like it, many others like it.
Although me to put it in a basic concept as to why people like it
1) Subscription - Subscription is associated with value, with the trend of F2P games turning into a very sour market, with games closing early, P2W arguements and lack of development and content, people are again happy to pay for a game providing it has value. Which, for Final Fantasy 14, it offers. Its Quarterly content updates are some of the most bountiful and quality driven pieces of work I have ever seen.
2) Story - In essence, an MMORPG is essentially that, a role playing game, with many games playing as avatars that have no real focus in its story, or those moments that really bring out your character and make you feel like a hero Final Fantasy has in abundance. You have a focus, you start on the bottom rung, you gain a renoun about yourself, you are courted, you are praised you become feared. The story then branches off into multiple scenarios and other story lines, fleshing out its world and characters making the experience very personal and immersive.
3) Themepark - As themeparks go, it has the usual staples, the dungeons and raiding etc, but with lots of alternative high end stuff to do. Like questing? It's got your back, like dailies? Like doing something different like Monster hunting? like to Dungeon and raid? It's all there. Perhaps crafting or PvP is your thing? Well, it's got it. Lots to do for lots of different types of players.
4) How you look - Great customization, with gear that doesn't just look like its painted on to your skin like a freaking mesh.
5) Community - With communities steering away from MMO's with much of it to do with cake-walk modes that require no talking (such as WoW's LFR system) this game brings people together. For example, I was doing my Zodiac Quest gathering Atma's. Its like half 11 at night, it took me all of 20 mins to go from just me, to a full party, just picking up people along the way having a laugh and a good time. But this extends, I am part of a world boss link shell, a merchants link shell and a monster hunt link shell, my chat is buzzing with activity constantly.
These are just a few things I mentioned, top of my head.
Now, your reasoning behind why you don't like the game is fine, its your opinion. But the game is a master piece, worthy of its player base and from the massive turn-around from 1.0 to 2.0 beyond it is one of the very very few games out there worth its subscription price.
B grade base game? I have no idea what that means! Its a AAA title, made by a AAA company.
The greatest weakness final fantasy XIV has is that mechanically it isn't all that unique. The gameplay, despite having slightly tweaked systems, plays very much the same as many other MMOs on the market. After playing World of Warcraft for the better part of a decade it's hard to stay invested in these kinds of titles due to that sameness.
On the other hand, if we didn't have these games no one would ever know the joy of in game holiday events with their own stories and minigames.
... just noticed the star rating system seems to be based on posting activity. Guess they want a theosaurus running amok.
Unfortunately, in today market there are none. [mod edit] Even if you disagree with this now, just think about it. First time you entered COB, you faced a masterpiece of a mob aka ADS. Floating black ball and not just only one. Duplicates of it were used for the whole floor. A lazy (or rush) design effort [mod edit] and it doesnt stop there. Players get to fight Primal bosses. and then theres a hard mode and then an extremely hard mode. only a few mechanics were added to each level. and the whole instance is just fight one boss. no other mobs, no zone, no dungeon etc. just the one boss and a few dance moves with it and thats it. how little design effort were put into these just to lengthen the time players sub their games. so many duplicates , super lazy.
the sad thing is that there are not many better alternatives to FFXIV in the market . id say GW2 is an A. its production is very good (and its value is great., B2P) but its longevity probably lies in pvp (wvw) rather than pve. I no longer play it but regard it as a good game. arenanet always tried to make something different and credit to them.
ESO is probably the only one with an IP as great as FF. It had some issues at release (phasing etc, a lot of quest bugs) but seem to improve quite a lot recently. interesting that VR leveling will change. that will be a boost to its end game.
Wildstar, i had high hope on this one (to be let down later). despite not too many innovative ideas its production was really good. it was however hindered by the number of bugs and a lot of end game issues (itemization, RNG, raid size, daily EP grind).
So in my opinion, GW2 is A, ESO & WS are B. FFXIV is a B too. FFXIV production is the worst of those mentioned but it does better in retention due to stronger fanbase. Overall quality of the market however is not very good. Nothing like the good old days of EQ, DAoC, Wow (Vanilla & BC), RO, even L2. Those are true quality mmo.
[mod edit]
You shouldn't tell us to think while saying "standard of quality is poor" and "FFXIV" in the same paragraph. It will just blow on your face.
I'm sure most of us have realized the flaw in your thinking, but let me just make it explicit for the fun of it. Making completely new content takes time. Making altered content takes less time. There is only X time available. When you make completely new content, it takes a portion of the X time to do so. When you make altered content using existing assets, it takes a smaller portion of the X time to do so. Therefore you can make more altered content in the time it takes to make one new content. As the inevitable result, the developers can put out more content in the X time when they don't only develop new content with new assets.
Just because a patch is full of completely new assets and recycled assets, doesn't mean the X time available isn't being utilized. Nor does it mean that you can achieve the same amount of content using only new assets.
As the inevitable conclusion, as long as the developers are using X amount of time and resources (with X being the most resources possible) they are not "lazy". How they end up using said resources is of no concern whatsoever. In fact a middleground is usually perfect for a good balance of new and old content.
By the way, I was talking of GW2 in the post. However fortunately this truth applies to every MMO in existence. Now, you can go back to playing the gramophone and reminiscing the good ol' days when everything was so much better and to tell kids to get off your lawn.
I loved the game at first, but after finally "catching up" and being at the point where my character needed only either A) Raid gear or
Zodiac gear I got very bored with it.
I realize that this is the new standard for MMOs now, but all of my MMO experience has been more old school ( the older versions of ffxi, EQ/EQ II, LOTRO, Vangaurd, etc). I suppose I didn't really realize it until I got to that point...but it just became inane to me.
Everything is simplified to the lowest common denominator, and literally the entire game revolves around Raiding, waiting for an expansion/patch, and repeating the process. After playing the aforementioned games, I just couldn't see myself spending that much time on something so....un-dynamic.
I will probably never get the kind of mmo I would want to play again, but I keep my eye open for new stuff as it comes out. Current hope: EQN, but we'll see how that goes.
It's Final Fantasy. Just like SWTOR is living off the fact that it's Star Wars. Sometimes the IP sells the game, and sometimes the IP hurts the game (like it did to ESO) due to expectations.
The first thing that comes to mind is polish(while not perfect it's easy to see they put their heart and soul into the game and had fun with it too). They have made a game that doesn't really bring anything new but they made a great game none the less. Removed or streamlined some things that many people felt was tedious (bags for example). They made the story important and interesting(side quests normally have decent stories too and by making everything happen in conversation it felt more natural(compared to a few paragraphs just popping up)).