You know, i was actually waiting for this game, badly.. but from this forum alone.. 3 pages of all negative feedback lol. i dont think i'll be getting it unless i see some changes in peoples feelings.
What's your Spell rotation in WoW?
What's a spell rotation? i just punch my keyboard!
Let me ask you this- since when did the MMORPG AAA Title release bar get set to "No problems at all". This is the smoothest release of a AAA title yet, and yet it's not good enough?
I'll give you four quickly that had very, very few problems at launch, those that did exist were extremely minor(by even non-mmo game release standards):
LOTRO
EQ2
Guild Wars
City of Heroes/City of Villains(both)
---------
FFXIV is no anarchy online on launch day but it definitely makes the list for one of the worst launches of all time. Hopefully it will improve like AO did overtime, maybe then it will be worth putting my hard earned money towards.
All I want to know is what makes the FFXIV launch so horrible? This is a real question and I would appreciate a real answer; not the blindless rhetoric that seems to be prevailing in this thread.
"Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game."-Guybrush Threepwood "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."-Hunter S. Thompson
The game play is different from the wow scene, but I enjoy it for just that reason. The ui however is absolutely the worst I've ever seen in an mmo bar none except ffxi.
Let me ask you this- since when did the MMORPG AAA Title release bar get set to "No problems at all". This is the smoothest release of a AAA title yet, and yet it's not good enough?
I'll give you four quickly that had very, very few problems at launch, those that did exist were extremely minor(by even non-mmo game release standards):
LOTRO
EQ2
Guild Wars
City of Heroes/City of Villains(both)
---------
Absolutely. You can add DAoC to the list too another one that was pretty much flawless. I might have quoted holdenh's next statement saying, "Last I checked, the typical bar was set at "If you can play the game on a non crashing server and interact with items without getting stuck within a week, you're lucky. Because that's basically how every single MMORPG has launched." Then you could list a whole raft of games where this was patently false (some where still stinkers admitedly). Of course you have to question the veracity of the rest of a posters statement's when they can be so 'economical with the truth' to promote a point of view. A shame really as HH could be a great ambassador for the game if he cut the caca.
Let me ask you this- since when did the MMORPG AAA Title release bar get set to "No problems at all". This is the smoothest release of a AAA title yet, and yet it's not good enough?
I'll give you four quickly that had very, very few problems at launch, those that did exist were extremely minor(by even non-mmo game release standards):
LOTRO
EQ2
Guild Wars
City of Heroes/City of Villains(both)
---------
Absolutely. You can add DAoC to the list too another one that was pretty much flawless. I might have quoted holdenh's next statement saying, "Last I checked, the typical bar was set at "If you can play the game on a non crashing server and interact with items without getting stuck within a week, you're lucky. Because that's basically how every single MMORPG has launched." Then you could list a whole raft of games where this was patently false (some where still stinkers admitedly). Of course you have to question the veracity of the rest of a posters statement's when they can be so 'economical with the truth' to promote a point of view. A shame really as HH could be a great ambassador for the game if he cut the caca.
True, but in HH's defense I think he is holding out rather well to be honest. I have seen so many driven to unrelenting anger after the 50th or 60th time being called a fanboi or worse. One or two statements in frustration shouldnt be held against him, he is in fact up against a mob with pitchforks and shovels on a daily basis that just will not listen to anyone that doesn't agree with them. That can become a seriously daunting task at times to overcome and I think HH is doing just fine, and I dont see him as being 'economical with the truth' too often, he is more accurate than most, most of the time. Although that avatar of his....yeah...
(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.)
Silly thread. I'd be surprised if there exists a game ever made that did not live up to somebody's expectations.
True enough, but still, it's interesting to know what people who stumped up the cash to play the game are feeling. I have to admit I was so positive and hopeful for this game, and 3 days in feel a bit disappointed and not really wanting to play it at all.
I think the reason why you guys feel disappoint, is because this is soooo Japanese style game !!!
I've been playing this for few hours now, and I totally understand why you guys hate the UI. I also gotta admit that the UI is totally designed for console (PS3), and in some way is not too fluid to play even thogh the animation is among the best I've seen out here in games.
My opinion is if you aren't JAP games lover (especially RPG aspect) I don't really recommand this game to you unless you tell yourself you will get pass the learning curve.
But speaking of quality, this game is really awesome. There many collectible/reward just like typical FFXIV RPG (yes again) but required you grind/spend time on the game.
I think the reason why you guys feel disappoint, is because this is soooo Japanese style game !!!
I've been playing this for few hours now, and I totally understand why you guys hate the UI. I also gotta admit that the UI is totally designed for console (PS3), and in some way is not too fluid to play even thogh the animation is among the best I've seen out here in games.
My opinion is if you aren't JAP games lover (especially RPG aspect) I don't really recommand this game to you unless you tell yourself you will get pass the learning curve.
But speaking of quality, this game is really awesome. There many collectible/reward just like typical FFXIV RPG (yes again) but required you grind/spend time on the game.
Well hope you all like it !!
So you are saying people bought a game from Asia expecting it not to be Asian? Interesting... I guess people thought SE got Americanized?
You wanted my time, so I played you. You wanted my money, I forked it over. You wanted my soul, I gave it willingly. Not to complain... but when do I get my end of the deal? And no, I don't want your flippin' carrot. If you can't do that give me back my youth and keep the change. Why don't you try chasing your own damn carrot for a change? I'll gladly hold the stick.
I think the reason why you guys feel disappoint, is because this is soooo Japanese style game !!!
I've been playing this for few hours now, and I totally understand why you guys hate the UI. I also gotta admit that the UI is totally designed for console (PS3), and in some way is not too fluid to play even thogh the animation is among the best I've seen out here in games.
My opinion is if you aren't JAP games lover (especially RPG aspect) I don't really recommand this game to you unless you tell yourself you will get pass the learning curve.
But speaking of quality, this game is really awesome. There many collectible/reward just like typical FFXIV RPG (yes again) but required you grind/spend time on the game.
Well hope you all like it !!
So you are saying people bought a game from Asia expecting it not to be Asian? Interesting... I guess people thought SE got Americanized?
In a way, Yes.
People just buy games for godsake, then is not their style, they will just complain. In this case, I don't think there are lots of MMO players enjoyed Jap style games which requires a lot of grind and time.
White Knight Chronicles, Dynasty Warrior series, Dragon Quest, Demon Soul, even old FFs (recently they are pretty much straight forward because they want NA players love it), and etc. require a lot of grinding and time to spend on require particular items but is very rewarding.
Now a days, MMORPG are looking for fast pace games. I do miss the old school styles (Asheron's Call, SWG pre-CU) lots of Role playing and exploration. Oh well......... FFXIV is something like old school, and hopefully will get better on the UI and more contents in the future
Let me ask you this- since when did the MMORPG AAA Title release bar get set to "No problems at all". This is the smoothest release of a AAA title yet, and yet it's not good enough?
I'll give you four quickly that had very, very few problems at launch, those that did exist were extremely minor(by even non-mmo game release standards):
LOTRO
EQ2
Guild Wars
City of Heroes/City of Villains(both)
---------
FFXIV is no anarchy online on launch day but it definitely makes the list for one of the worst launches of all time. Hopefully it will improve like AO did overtime, maybe then it will be worth putting my hard earned money towards.
All I want to know is what makes the FFXIV launch so horrible? This is a real question and I would appreciate a real answer; not the blindless rhetoric that seems to be prevailing in this thread.
Ever play Asheron's Call 2?
It was a pretty world with no content. That's exactly what FFXIV is before you even factor in the maze of menus, the poor UI customization, the terrible chat system, the lack of features most mmo's today would factor in(auction house, pvp,ect), the invisible walls, the lack of group dynamics, the non-sequiter pointless npcs that litter the world, the poorly designed combat, the repetitive kill ten rat quests, the poor character customiztion, etc.
The game launched in an alpha state, it needed to cook for at least another half year before it was ready.
The game feels like it was developed by people who had never played another mmo in their life: instead of building something novel and innovating, they are simply rehashing the mmo development mistakes of the past. If I removed the graphics from the game and asked you when it was developed, you would likely tell me sometime in the mid 90's. Unfortunately, retro gaming isn't what Square-enix was going for, they were simply ignoring all of the milestones of mmo development.
An MMO that launched prematurely, just like the rest of them.
It is no worse than any of the prematurely launched MMO's in the past 5 years, it just falls short for different reasons than those games.
Except the game will not bomb. From this point onwards, there is only one way- up. And SE has the money to spend for this game, unlike other companies who, if the game did not generate profit right from the release, go bankrupt.
Those are the realities.
Using LOL is like saying "my argument sucks but I still want to disagree".
An MMO that launched prematurely, just like the rest of them.
It is no worse than any of the prematurely launched MMO's in the past 5 years, it just falls short for different reasons than those games.
Except the game will not bomb. From this point onwards, there is only one way- up. And SE has the money to spend for this game, unlike other companies who, if the game did not generate profit right from the release, go bankrupt.
Those are the realities.
you could also argue SE had the money to spend to finish the game before the launched it? Was FFXIV forced out the door to beat some other MMO as we have seen in the past? SE was 'happy' with FFXIV's current state and decided it's good enough to go live... which it isn't imo.
The only thing not disappointing about FFXIV is how it looks and clearly that goes a long way. But after you are able to look pass the shiny stuff you will see the ugliest core in any current major MMO released. (Maybe not entirely true but it's up there)
The interface isn't something I find appealing and its lag is equally unappealing. The unoptimized engine reminds me of AoC's launch, which didn't help sway me to stay. IN MY OPINION the game was not ready for a launch, it needs a lot of polishing. My advice for people who haven't purchased the game yet or did, but decided to stop playing is to keep an eye on it. In roughly half a year's time the game will be something more appealing. Though it still can be fun and a good time.
Man, do people still think he is seriously like this? It's his act. He's fucking hilarious. He has 40,000 subscribers, you think he has no life? He's more successful than most of you. This is his act? and it's fucking classic. It's what he does. Quit getting trolling yourself by assuming this is his dominant personality.
That aside, I love you. You are one hilarious bastard.
It was a pretty world with no content. That's exactly what FFXIV is before you even factor in the maze of menus, the poor UI customization, the terrible chat system, the lack of features most mmo's today would factor in(auction house, pvp,ect), the invisible walls, the lack of group dynamics, the non-sequiter pointless npcs that litter the world, the poorly designed combat, the repetitive kill ten rat quests, the poor character customiztion, etc.
The game launched in an alpha state, it needed to cook for at least another half year before it was ready.
The game feels like it was developed by people who had never played another mmo in their life: instead of building something novel and innovating, they are simply rehashing the mmo development mistakes of the past. If I removed the graphics from the game and asked you when it was developed, you would likely tell me sometime in the mid 90's. Unfortunately, retro gaming isn't what Square-enix was going for, they were simply ignoring all of the milestones of mmo development.
MMOs seem to fail at making sequels that are better than the first. They should have just made a FFXI.V (FFXI point 5 ), EQ1.5, AC1.5. They all would've been better than their sequels if the developers had kept the content of the original game the same but overhauled the graphics and combat.
FFXIV does seem to mirror AC2, but I honestly think that AC2 had more content and innovation when it was released. I liked the idea of an mmo town in ruins until players come and rebuild it. It made me feel more immersed.
I have no problems dealing with a laggy or bad UI because I know that it can easily be fixed, but to lack content or an interesting environment is another thing. I think that Square focused too much on creating a beauty pageant queen (beauty with no content) instead of a Ferrari (as much content as there is beauty) .
I've played almost all of the new P2P MMOs after EQ1 on their release date or soon after and sadly FFXIV is the only one that bored me after a day. I played Aika online more than I did FFXIV. I hope that Square does better job for FFXIV but I'm afraid that when they do it will be too late. Many players would've seen enough and moved on to the next shiny toy (GW2, SWTOR, Tera, Rift..etc...etc..etc...etc...)
Let me ask you this- since when did the MMORPG AAA Title release bar get set to "No problems at all". This is the smoothest release of a AAA title yet, and yet it's not good enough?
I'll give you four quickly that had very, very few problems at launch, those that did exist were extremely minor(by even non-mmo game release standards):
LOTRO
EQ2
Guild Wars
City of Heroes/City of Villains(both)
---------
FFXIV is no anarchy online on launch day but it definitely makes the list for one of the worst launches of all time. Hopefully it will improve like AO did overtime, maybe then it will be worth putting my hard earned money towards.
All I want to know is what makes the FFXIV launch so horrible? This is a real question and I would appreciate a real answer; not the blindless rhetoric that seems to be prevailing in this thread.
The launch wasn't terrible per say, it was actually smooth. It was the overall released product is what people are upset about. It basically started when you created a SE account (which was a chore in iteself) and chose your subscription. Basically put the sub fee is 9.99 + 3.00 for one character. So yeah the 12.99 sub fee isnt bad considering the average mmo is 14.99. If you want more than one character factor in 3.00 each toon for the overall sub fee per month.
Getting to the game itself, visually it's stunning. Awesome graphics and it gives you the FF look. The UI is different but definately not user friendly. It has a look of a old old outdated mmo. It's very very clunky and the chat system is meh. If you don't pay attention to the chat screen you can miss tells or requests. The lack of npc voice overs is pretty disappointing. The biggest problem with the game is it you dont know at times if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. I have found myself running around absolutely lost like "what do I do now?" There are just a lot of things in the game that are not explained (like choosing the astral moon/sun at character creation). I had no idea what linkshells or retainers were. It's hard to keep up with chain quests at times. I know FFXIV isn't supposed to be a "average mmo" but if they fixed the UI and made it more user friendly I think it would appeal to a lot of people. So I don't know. I am still in the headstart but I am already questioning if I will sub after my 30 day trial.
It becomes clear what the problem is when you "launch" the game. Yes, there are some old games that require an seperate configurating program but come on, almost every AND essential for performance setting has to be done by logging out completly, fire up the configurator and then logging back in again.
It signals a game produced by a company incapable of producing a PROGRAM. You can see a LOT of detail has gone into FFXiV. From the adjusted emotes for the different races, to the clothes with adjustment for tails and ears. LOTS of other games don't and have such things clipping through equipment.
But the PROGRAM, the APPLICATION, that what you use to play the game. And it comes to mind that from Japan, not a single program has ever come. Not MS-DOS, not Windows, not OS-X, not Word Perfect/MS Office/Open Office, not Linux, not Gimp, not anything. It is not the first time an japanese company utterly fails at making a PC game behave properly on a PC. I wonder if there is simply something missing.
FFXIV is a asian MMORPG at its core (read grindfest) with the production quality of a good FF game and it makes for a ill adjusted combo's.
MMORPG's are NOT RPG's and even less the on rails RPG's of the east. The odd mix of "fuck you user, I am not telling you anthing" and obsessive hand holding is rampant. It doesn't matter in a single player FF game were the rails are always clear, but in a MMO were you can run anywhere it does help to tell me WHERE I am supposed to go. Then when the quests itself starts you get so many annoying help messages, presented in such an annoying way that you get utterly fed up with them.
The ideas are there, but you get the feeling Square Enix has NEVER EVER actually played ANY other MMORPG or even used a computer. Only one dialog can be open, no scrolling, modal combat, lag affecting everything, single attack for the first few levels were due to lag it is never clear what the hell you are doing. I had updates to fights minutes after they ended.
It is a pity. The graphics are, for the most part, corgeous. The characters are nice looking and it is nice to see some slightly different takes on the usual classes and races.
But my god, does this game need an awful lot of polishing. Square Enix is a huge company and they are unlikely to break the record of shortest lived game recently set by APB.
But I do predict that this game will suffer the same fate as the original. A handful of fans claiming it is the best ever and denying the problems with its UI, quests and epic grinds, the rest passing it by after the catgirl attraction has worn off.
Pity. You would have thought they had learned form the previous attempt. The UI is not the same disaster, but it still is not what PC users expect and rightly demand. Its performance is horrible (the graphics are not THAT good) and the combat with the lag and delays is boring as hell.
If you can't afford to throw away money just to try out a game, consider yourself warned. This game is NOT ready for prime-time.
Nope as i've not played it, but that kind of fact doesn't seem to have put other people off slagging it off. Tbh i'm just looking forward to a few weeks time when there wont be as many threads on the game about.
"Come and have a look at what you could have won."
Originally posted by bunnyhopper Nope as i've not played it, but that kind of fact doesn't seem to have put other people off slagging it off. Tbh i'm just looking forward to a few weeks time when there wont be as many threads on the game about.
Actually 2-4 weeks after release is when the fun in forums starts, because then other plagues in MMOs begin to dwell.
AmazingAveryAge of Conan AdvocateMemberUncommonPosts: 7,188
I spent some time with it but just can't get used to the control/movement system, gave it a fair shot and for all the rest of the goodies the game contains the main thing is the UI/movement and for me personally that failed. Refuse to play with a controller. Static combat camera angles..ugh. Nice crafting and class system though. Graphics A+. World design B+
You only have a fixed camera angle in combat if you do lock the target which can be disabled by the "C" key, if unlocked you can move and look freely around while fighting.
It is not needed to play with a controller, you have "wasd" for movement, "ijkl, v and mouse" for camera and some more keys but mouse adjusts camera the best way imho.
Ui is different and to slow but the speed of it will hopefully be fixed asap. In the end it is not a gamebreaker to me bcs anything else is so much promising and the only way to hurt this game is to break that promises.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
Comments
You know, i was actually waiting for this game, badly.. but from this forum alone.. 3 pages of all negative feedback lol. i dont think i'll be getting it unless i see some changes in peoples feelings.
What's your Spell rotation in WoW?
What's a spell rotation? i just punch my keyboard!
Dk's = Fail..
Im a Ret pally moron!!
All I want to know is what makes the FFXIV launch so horrible? This is a real question and I would appreciate a real answer; not the blindless rhetoric that seems to be prevailing in this thread.
"Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game."-Guybrush Threepwood
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."-Hunter S. Thompson
The game play is different from the wow scene, but I enjoy it for just that reason. The ui however is absolutely the worst I've ever seen in an mmo bar none except ffxi.
Shadus
Absolutely. You can add DAoC to the list too another one that was pretty much flawless. I might have quoted holdenh's next statement saying, "Last I checked, the typical bar was set at "If you can play the game on a non crashing server and interact with items without getting stuck within a week, you're lucky. Because that's basically how every single MMORPG has launched." Then you could list a whole raft of games where this was patently false (some where still stinkers admitedly). Of course you have to question the veracity of the rest of a posters statement's when they can be so 'economical with the truth' to promote a point of view. A shame really as HH could be a great ambassador for the game if he cut the caca.
True, but in HH's defense I think he is holding out rather well to be honest. I have seen so many driven to unrelenting anger after the 50th or 60th time being called a fanboi or worse. One or two statements in frustration shouldnt be held against him, he is in fact up against a mob with pitchforks and shovels on a daily basis that just will not listen to anyone that doesn't agree with them. That can become a seriously daunting task at times to overcome and I think HH is doing just fine, and I dont see him as being 'economical with the truth' too often, he is more accurate than most, most of the time. Although that avatar of his....yeah...
(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.)
Silly thread. I'd be surprised if there exists a game ever made that did not live up to somebody's expectations.
True enough, but still, it's interesting to know what people who stumped up the cash to play the game are feeling. I have to admit I was so positive and hopeful for this game, and 3 days in feel a bit disappointed and not really wanting to play it at all.
I think the reason why you guys feel disappoint, is because this is soooo Japanese style game !!!
I've been playing this for few hours now, and I totally understand why you guys hate the UI. I also gotta admit that the UI is totally designed for console (PS3), and in some way is not too fluid to play even thogh the animation is among the best I've seen out here in games.
My opinion is if you aren't JAP games lover (especially RPG aspect) I don't really recommand this game to you unless you tell yourself you will get pass the learning curve.
But speaking of quality, this game is really awesome. There many collectible/reward just like typical FFXIV RPG (yes again) but required you grind/spend time on the game.
Well hope you all like it !!
So you are saying people bought a game from Asia expecting it not to be Asian? Interesting... I guess people thought SE got Americanized?
You wanted my time, so I played you. You wanted my money, I forked it over. You wanted my soul, I gave it willingly. Not to complain... but when do I get my end of the deal? And no, I don't want your flippin' carrot. If you can't do that give me back my youth and keep the change. Why don't you try chasing your own damn carrot for a change? I'll gladly hold the stick.
In a way, Yes.
People just buy games for godsake, then is not their style, they will just complain. In this case, I don't think there are lots of MMO players enjoyed Jap style games which requires a lot of grind and time.
White Knight Chronicles, Dynasty Warrior series, Dragon Quest, Demon Soul, even old FFs (recently they are pretty much straight forward because they want NA players love it), and etc. require a lot of grinding and time to spend on require particular items but is very rewarding.
Now a days, MMORPG are looking for fast pace games. I do miss the old school styles (Asheron's Call, SWG pre-CU) lots of Role playing and exploration. Oh well......... FFXIV is something like old school, and hopefully will get better on the UI and more contents in the future
Ever play Asheron's Call 2?
It was a pretty world with no content. That's exactly what FFXIV is before you even factor in the maze of menus, the poor UI customization, the terrible chat system, the lack of features most mmo's today would factor in(auction house, pvp,ect), the invisible walls, the lack of group dynamics, the non-sequiter pointless npcs that litter the world, the poorly designed combat, the repetitive kill ten rat quests, the poor character customiztion, etc.
The game launched in an alpha state, it needed to cook for at least another half year before it was ready.
The game feels like it was developed by people who had never played another mmo in their life: instead of building something novel and innovating, they are simply rehashing the mmo development mistakes of the past. If I removed the graphics from the game and asked you when it was developed, you would likely tell me sometime in the mid 90's. Unfortunately, retro gaming isn't what Square-enix was going for, they were simply ignoring all of the milestones of mmo development.
An MMO that launched prematurely, just like the rest of them.
It is no worse than any of the prematurely launched MMO's in the past 5 years, it just falls short for different reasons than those games.
Except the game will not bomb. From this point onwards, there is only one way- up. And SE has the money to spend for this game, unlike other companies who, if the game did not generate profit right from the release, go bankrupt.
Those are the realities.
you could also argue SE had the money to spend to finish the game before the launched it? Was FFXIV forced out the door to beat some other MMO as we have seen in the past? SE was 'happy' with FFXIV's current state and decided it's good enough to go live... which it isn't imo.
The only thing not disappointing about FFXIV is how it looks and clearly that goes a long way. But after you are able to look pass the shiny stuff you will see the ugliest core in any current major MMO released. (Maybe not entirely true but it's up there)
Bought it, played it, and didn't enjoy it.
The interface isn't something I find appealing and its lag is equally unappealing. The unoptimized engine reminds me of AoC's launch, which didn't help sway me to stay. IN MY OPINION the game was not ready for a launch, it needs a lot of polishing. My advice for people who haven't purchased the game yet or did, but decided to stop playing is to keep an eye on it. In roughly half a year's time the game will be something more appealing. Though it still can be fun and a good time.
Man, do people still think he is seriously like this? It's his act. He's fucking hilarious. He has 40,000 subscribers, you think he has no life? He's more successful than most of you. This is his act? and it's fucking classic. It's what he does. Quit getting trolling yourself by assuming this is his dominant personality.
That aside, I love you.
You are one hilarious bastard.
The lag is most likely due to your computer system and internet connection.
MMOs seem to fail at making sequels that are better than the first. They should have just made a FFXI.V (FFXI point 5 ), EQ1.5, AC1.5. They all would've been better than their sequels if the developers had kept the content of the original game the same but overhauled the graphics and combat.
FFXIV does seem to mirror AC2, but I honestly think that AC2 had more content and innovation when it was released. I liked the idea of an mmo town in ruins until players come and rebuild it. It made me feel more immersed.
I have no problems dealing with a laggy or bad UI because I know that it can easily be fixed, but to lack content or an interesting environment is another thing. I think that Square focused too much on creating a beauty pageant queen (beauty with no content) instead of a Ferrari (as much content as there is beauty) .
I've played almost all of the new P2P MMOs after EQ1 on their release date or soon after and sadly FFXIV is the only one that bored me after a day. I played Aika online more than I did FFXIV. I hope that Square does better job for FFXIV but I'm afraid that when they do it will be too late. Many players would've seen enough and moved on to the next shiny toy (GW2, SWTOR, Tera, Rift..etc...etc..etc...etc...)
Thanks for all your replies. Its comforting to know that I'm not the only one.
The launch wasn't terrible per say, it was actually smooth. It was the overall released product is what people are upset about. It basically started when you created a SE account (which was a chore in iteself) and chose your subscription. Basically put the sub fee is 9.99 + 3.00 for one character. So yeah the 12.99 sub fee isnt bad considering the average mmo is 14.99. If you want more than one character factor in 3.00 each toon for the overall sub fee per month.
Getting to the game itself, visually it's stunning. Awesome graphics and it gives you the FF look. The UI is different but definately not user friendly. It has a look of a old old outdated mmo. It's very very clunky and the chat system is meh. If you don't pay attention to the chat screen you can miss tells or requests. The lack of npc voice overs is pretty disappointing. The biggest problem with the game is it you dont know at times if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. I have found myself running around absolutely lost like "what do I do now?" There are just a lot of things in the game that are not explained (like choosing the astral moon/sun at character creation). I had no idea what linkshells or retainers were. It's hard to keep up with chain quests at times. I know FFXIV isn't supposed to be a "average mmo" but if they fixed the UI and made it more user friendly I think it would appeal to a lot of people. So I don't know. I am still in the headstart but I am already questioning if I will sub after my 30 day trial.
It becomes clear what the problem is when you "launch" the game. Yes, there are some old games that require an seperate configurating program but come on, almost every AND essential for performance setting has to be done by logging out completly, fire up the configurator and then logging back in again.
It signals a game produced by a company incapable of producing a PROGRAM. You can see a LOT of detail has gone into FFXiV. From the adjusted emotes for the different races, to the clothes with adjustment for tails and ears. LOTS of other games don't and have such things clipping through equipment.
But the PROGRAM, the APPLICATION, that what you use to play the game. And it comes to mind that from Japan, not a single program has ever come. Not MS-DOS, not Windows, not OS-X, not Word Perfect/MS Office/Open Office, not Linux, not Gimp, not anything. It is not the first time an japanese company utterly fails at making a PC game behave properly on a PC. I wonder if there is simply something missing.
FFXIV is a asian MMORPG at its core (read grindfest) with the production quality of a good FF game and it makes for a ill adjusted combo's.
MMORPG's are NOT RPG's and even less the on rails RPG's of the east. The odd mix of "fuck you user, I am not telling you anthing" and obsessive hand holding is rampant. It doesn't matter in a single player FF game were the rails are always clear, but in a MMO were you can run anywhere it does help to tell me WHERE I am supposed to go. Then when the quests itself starts you get so many annoying help messages, presented in such an annoying way that you get utterly fed up with them.
The ideas are there, but you get the feeling Square Enix has NEVER EVER actually played ANY other MMORPG or even used a computer. Only one dialog can be open, no scrolling, modal combat, lag affecting everything, single attack for the first few levels were due to lag it is never clear what the hell you are doing. I had updates to fights minutes after they ended.
It is a pity. The graphics are, for the most part, corgeous. The characters are nice looking and it is nice to see some slightly different takes on the usual classes and races.
But my god, does this game need an awful lot of polishing. Square Enix is a huge company and they are unlikely to break the record of shortest lived game recently set by APB.
But I do predict that this game will suffer the same fate as the original. A handful of fans claiming it is the best ever and denying the problems with its UI, quests and epic grinds, the rest passing it by after the catgirl attraction has worn off.
Pity. You would have thought they had learned form the previous attempt. The UI is not the same disaster, but it still is not what PC users expect and rightly demand. Its performance is horrible (the graphics are not THAT good) and the combat with the lag and delays is boring as hell.
If you can't afford to throw away money just to try out a game, consider yourself warned. This game is NOT ready for prime-time.
Nope as i've not played it, but that kind of fact doesn't seem to have put other people off slagging it off. Tbh i'm just looking forward to a few weeks time when there wont be as many threads on the game about.
"Come and have a look at what you could have won."
I spent some time with it but just can't get used to the control/movement system, gave it a fair shot and for all the rest of the goodies the game contains the main thing is the UI/movement and for me personally that failed. Refuse to play with a controller. Static combat camera angles..ugh. Nice crafting and class system though. Graphics A+. World design B+
You only have a fixed camera angle in combat if you do lock the target which can be disabled by the "C" key, if unlocked you can move and look freely around while fighting.
It is not needed to play with a controller, you have "wasd" for movement, "ijkl, v and mouse" for camera and some more keys but mouse adjusts camera the best way imho.
Ui is different and to slow but the speed of it will hopefully be fixed asap.
In the end it is not a gamebreaker to me bcs anything else is so much promising and the only way to hurt this game is to break that promises.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
MWO Music Video - What does the Mech say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6HYNqCDLI
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0x2iwK0BKM