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the game isnt out till the 30ths. people playing now bought the collectors edition. its pay to play.
Question: can anyone tell me what max lvl is on the "classes" and "crafts" are?
i plan on getting it if it turns out to be a big grind like ff11 was.
the only reason i want it to be a grind because u can do anything with your character and i dont feel like having to compete with ever single person on the server if i do crafting.
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Wow, the registration process is so needlessly complicated and frustrating. Had to make an additional two accounts/passwords in addition to the one I used to play the beta. Then I apparently had to add a character in addition to the basic service (seriously, what kind of basic service doesn't include a character to play the game with).
Fiiiinally get through all the bullshit, go to make a character, and half the worlds aren't open so I can't even make one on the server my friends did like... a week ago. Mysidia isn't on the list either so I can't just say "fuck it" and play with TL people. I should at least have the option to make one on the same damn server I played on in Beta.
There's been a lot of criticism about the game mechanics, but those I can deal with as they just lead to a different style that some enjoy more than others (stuff being harder than "normal" often leads to less noobs, but how hard this game is supposed to be is another discussion). Having 20 hoops to jump through just to play with my friends. I feel like I'm trying to register friend codes on a DS, but three times more needlessly convoluted. -.-
Edit: At this moment, if I try to make a character I have a choice of 7 (SEVEN!!?) servers. Kashuan, Melmond, Bodhum, Saronia, Fabul, Istory, and Rabanastre. I could've sworn there was closer to 10 a few hours ago when I first tried to make my character. A post on FFIVcore has the list of servers that were to be available at launch in the news section. There's 17 names there. Over half the worlds are unavailable two days after the main retail launch.
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Is there anyone who wants to shoot a buddy pass over to me? I tried to get the beta to work but download always said maintenance after i got my beta key, and just never got around to getting it working. I'm actually looking forward to the higher learning curve of the game compared to others (such as wow)...
I can send a guest pass for SC2 for whoever wants to swap (or just be nice and share ;P )
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I gladly would give you a friend/buddy/trial pass if I knew where to go to get you a code/whatever that needs to be done. Didn't see anything in the packaging about it.
So far I'm less than impressed (having finally gotten my character on Cornelia started). There were some problems in Beta and I wrote half of them off as "beta" things and the other half being shit I could put up with. They're pretty much all here in the release version. They weren't really holding back story content in the interest of testing game mechanics for the beta. They just don't have much content at all. I think there may be some class quests that were added for mid-ish levels and maybe a third section of the story around 15 (apparently there was a second part in the beta at 10, but I didn't bother to grind as it was beta). But hey, they fixed some stuff. There's a wounded dude lying on the ground in the Gridania quest line that whines about losing his polearm but in the beta he had a polearm still attached to his character model. No more in official release! Though seriously, I noticed a few of the quests had been cleaned up from the beta (notably, the emote quest).
Inventory is still a mess. You only have 80 slots and items that are equipped still count towards that limit and there's 15-20 equipment slots (some aren't used for every class, like the ammo slot). Your retainer can hold another 80. That's it. With a shit ton of crafting materials, and gear you would need if you want to play multiple classes, along with just generic loot from killing stuff, it will be quite easy to hit that cap. Currently they don't have the ability to buy a second retainer ($1 a month per, after your first one). Extra characters are $3 a month (they're only $1 in FFXI). There's no way to move stuff from one of your characters to another without having a buddy act as a middleman, and trading mass items takes a LONG time, just like selling does.
Other stuff is still broken, like fighting multiple creatures. I can aoe stuff as a Conjurer, but I don't get physical or class experience for anything other than the first enemy. Get the loot, but no actual experience. The number after I've killed everything is the same as if I just killed one, so it isn't lumping it all into a final "end of battle" number either.
They also made crafting harder from the beta. Using Rapid has a much higher durability loss than it used to, so it's rather hard to even get a successful synthesis, let alone one with a high quality (and higher quality = more experience on top of the base for a successful synthesis). That's more of an annoyance than a huge complaint, though.
The game is chocked full of things that lead you towards one choice (say leveling multiple classes to increase the potency and options of your main) only for you to find other parts of the game directly opposed to you doing just that and making it harder on you. It can't decide if it wants to be casual friendly and limiting for hardcore players to keep the gap from growing to be, or being hardcore friendly at the expense of not being easy to pick up for a casual player. It's like the game has one, huge identity crisis.
It's a shame, because I really wanted to like the game and play it for a long time, but there's just so many things done poorly and so little that's amazingly right. Currently I'd have to go with popular opinion of "hold off on buying/subscribing for several months to see if they fix/add stuff." Unfortunately due to the retainer/inventory system I don't see them changing that anytime soon (unless they intend it to be a retainer per city, and not just multiple mules). Given that I like to play lots of classes and not just a single one all the time I'd end up fighting the system all throughout my playtime. I'll likely play off and on through the rest of the free month, but unless something changes my mind I'll probably cancel the sub. The "Diamond" to "Rough" ratio is currently waaaay too skewed in favor of the Rough.
Looks like for MMOs I'll end playing DDO (since their main payment model is essentially "free, buy areas via micro transaction as a one-time fee") and probably Runescape... lol.
[rage] Fucking dammit, why isn't this game the amazing game it could've and should've been. Screw you Squeenix. [/rage]
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Yeah I've heard there are still issues. I think the collectors edition is the only one that comes with guest passes at the moment.
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Played a bit more. Crafting isn't quite as frustrating if you go to the guild of that class (only one, in a specific city of the three) as you can pay to get a buff which helps your success rate. You can either get common (100), guild (200), or master (500) help. Buff seemed to be about 5 mins, but for the two local leves I did at the Alchemist guild with the mid level buff I had a rather high success rate. Granted they were level 1, but in the Beta when I did some without the buff it was essentially spamming rapid (completion %) and hoping to get lucky. Bit more consistent with the buff, even though rapid takes more durability now. It's annoying that it's only in one spot in one city, but at least crafting is doable without failing 60%+ of your attempts... or at least the lowbie stuff I was doing.
Amusingly, there's a low level Goldsmith/Alchemy leve (and Weaver a bit higher, I think) that has the turn in at an outpost in an area with a bunch of high level stuff. Like, short canyons to run through so hard to avoid enemies, which aggro and hit you for 1800-2500 a hit... when the most you're gonna have is like, 700. Rather silly design. Did I mention the map doesn't actually tell you how to get into the area (cave) and that some areas that look like dead end canyons on the map are wide open paths that save you a ton of time, if you know they're there and that the map is lying. Managed to get to the camp along with someone else facing the same issue with only one death due to some luck and waiting for the aggressive enemies to path just barely far enough away to squeeze past. Quest rewards were, of course, utter shit.
If the game had something to shoot for, some goal to aim for (high level area/loot/armor/dungeon/whatever) it'd be easier to be motivated to play and level up. As is it's essentially "level up and hope there's a reward when you get there." Given the sparseness of the lower levels, I'm just not filled with confidence that I'll feel rewarded after leveling to higher areas. Going from the level one zone that had Wharf Rats to the next one over (level 10 camp) that has "Plains Rats" doesn't excite me to see higher level creatures either, and that's not the only example of blatant copy, recolor slightly, paste.
And of course I like to play casters and the design in this game is incredibly archaic. You have MP, but you can't rely on using it because you'll run out way to fast if you actually use your baseline spells. It's like leveling a lowbie Priest in WoW. Sure you can kill something faster if you use your spells, but then you'll spend 70% of your time drinking to get mana back, so instead it's better to cast minimal buffs and just wand the shit out of stuff (aka, Spirit Dart).
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hey can anyone give me a buddy pass would love to try this game. =) just pm
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I too would like a buddy pass if possible, for the US region.. I would even be willing to pay.
Thanks again!
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me too.. wanted to try this game but I am hesitant to buy due to some bad reviews
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![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/SxlO4.jpg)
Seems SE has decided to take a page out of WoW's book and start making random cultural references.
So for those that still has a passing interest in FF14, I decided I give an overview of how the game has fared since launch. The developers admitted that the game was so crap upon release that they gave everyone not one, but two free months past the initial free month that most MMOs come with. I got the game at the end of September and I won't have to think about whether or not to actual pay a subscription until New Years.
They released a decent patch in November and have another major one planned for December sometime. The UI is slightly improved in appearance and information, and a couple of the menus aren't -quite- as obtuse. UI lag is still there, though I think the December patch is supposed to target that more than the November one did.
Inventory space got increased from 80 to 100. Still takes half an hour to sell shit to vendors, though. The market ward system got an overhaul. Instead of everyone cramming into the first one or two instances, they're spread out now as the tax (aka, auction house cut) is reduced on specific items in specific wards, making it more likely that you will find Conjurer/Thaumaturge crap in the "Spellweaver's Ward" (or whatever it's called) for example. I heard that the recent patch added some type of search function, but I haven't given enough of a shit to go have a look.
Leveling goes much faster in the early levels (aka, where 95% of people are at) as the experience needed between 1 and 20 (what the devs consider the game's tutorial levels, apparently) has been nerfed by a decent amount. On top of that they got rid of the retarded "random exp" system. Now you just straight up get skill points/experience when you kill stuff. Kinda like that system is the standard for a damn reason or something. I've only sat down for 2 or 3 decent play sessions since the patch and have gone from 11 Conjurer to 18 19. Hoping that I can bring myself to get to 20 as I think that'll unlock a class quest and possibly another story quest (looks like 20 is the main story quest that everyone gets, after doing the mini-storyline unique to their starting town).
Speaking of which, so far the game is just as barren and lacking in content. They apparently redistributed some of the monsters in the patch (more even placement, less completely empty tracks of land) but actual non-grind, game content is still incredibly scarce (and sounds like a quest every 5-10 levels + one or two class quests here and there from what little I've read - bleh).
Crafting gets -slightly- more involved once you get a few of them to 10, when you unlock the first ability (which can randomly show up as an option during synthesis). Although it's slightly less annoying, even with the guild buff (now lasts 30 minutes instead of 5, btw) crafting very much feels like a rather random coin flip. You get a little control, but it's generally just spamming "standard synthesis" and hoping you don't fail too much. Sometimes throwing in a bold or two if you have spare durability.
I've only been crafting via local leves, which provide all the materials for me so I risk practically nothing for free exp (good for physical experience, too). Have to pay for the guild buff, but the leve reward usually pays for that and more (especially now with the longer buff duration). And crafting still annoys me. If I had to spend the time/energy/money/whatever to actually gather the needed materials, I might just go crazy. Their system may be more involved than a "click, wait on progress bar, done" system but it just isn't fun enough to be worth it. Just feels needlessly complex for very little sense reward. In a word: chore.
I've heard mention that you can get crafting gear to improve your ability, just like you can for a class like conjurer or marauder. Unfortunately the crafting system isn't nearly engaging enough for me to care, especially since inventory is already pretty jammed. I recently sold off useless crap, keeping only stuff that may be useful to Carpenter or Alchemist, the two crafting professions I'm doing. Between those few items and all my "conjurer" gear and weapons for a couple of classes, I was at 52/100 inventory.
Ultimately, if you're really want to like the game then just check back in a year when they'll have had time to add actual content. Doesn't seem like it's worth the frustration and grind right now just for one or two mildly interesting quests every 5-10 hours of playtime.
Granted, the (story) quests so far have been mildly interesting, but it feels like it'd be much easier to just wait for someone to post a copy of the plot/find it on youtube as there really isn't much interaction so far (and usually only token interaction - early on it's something like "these monsters are attacking... but have 10 health and die instantly to any of your attacks") and is really just "observing" the story move along rather than being a part of it.
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Thanks for the update. I've wanted to play but it looks like I'll wait 6 months or a year.
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Squenix just sent out a new e-mail:
Thank you for your continued interest in and support of FINAL FANTASY XIV.
While more than two months have passed since the official launch of FINAL FANTASY XIV service, we deeply regret that the game has yet to achieve the level of enjoyability that FINAL FANTASY fans have come to expect from the franchise, and for this we offer our sincerest of apologies.
After thorough deliberation on how to meet those expectations, it was decided that the most viable step was to approach improvements under new leadership and with a restructured team.
To realize this vision, and in doing so, provide our customers with a better game experience, we have assembled our company’s top talent and resources. Taking over the role of producer and director is Naoki Yoshida, a passionate individual for whom customer satisfaction has always taken top priority. Not only is he one of our Group’s most accomplished and experienced members, Naoki Yoshida is also a charismatic leader possessing the skill to bring together and effectively helm a team which encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. We also welcome several new leaders handpicked from other projects to work with the existing talent on FINAL FANTASY XIV.
We realize time is of the essence and are fully determined to provide our customers with quality service. It is because of this that we ask our customers to be patient until we are able to confidently present them with a concrete plan outlining FINAL FANTASY XIV’s new direction. The free trial period will be extended until that time.
Regarding the PlayStation 3, it is not our wish to release a simple conversion of the Windows version in its current state, but rather an update that includes all the improvements we have planned. For that reason, we have made the difficult decision to delay the release of the PlayStation 3 version beyond the originally announced date of March 2011.
The FINAL FANTASY XIV team is working hard to bring our customers an unparalleled adventure, and we ask for your continued understanding and support as we march ever diligently towards that goal.
President and CEO, Yoichi Wada
The development and management teams would like to make an announcement regarding personnel changes.
[Organizational Changes to the Development Team] To improve the service of FINAL FANTASY XIV, Square Enix has made the following changes to the development team:
Managerial Changes
Producer/Director Naoki Yoshida
Section Leader Changes
Assistant Director Shintaro Tamai (FINAL FANTASY X, Front Mission 5: Scars of the War)
Lead Game Designer Nobuaki Komoto (FINAL FANTASY IX, FINAL FANTASY XI)
Lead Combat System Designer Akihiko Matsui (FINAL FANTASY XI)
Technical Advisor Yoshihisa Hashimoto (Next Generation Game Engine Development)
Lead Programmer Hideyuki Kasuga (FINAL FANTASY XI, DIRGE OF CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII-)
Senior Concept Artist Akihiko Yoshida (FINAL FANTASY XII, Vagrant Story)
Lead Artist Hiroshi Takai (FINAL FANTASY XI, THE LAST REMNANT)
Lead UI Designer/Lead Web Designer Hiroshi Minagawa (FINAL FANTASY XII, Vagrant Story)
These members will make up the development team’s new core—a core dedicated to ensuring we achieve a level of enjoyability that will more than satisfy our customers. Under a schedule of more frequent version updates, the new leaders and their respective sections will strive for continued improvements to FINAL FANTASY XIV service operation and development.
[Extension of the Free Trial Period] As stated above, the newly restructured team’s top priority is to bring about improvements to the game’s enjoyability, and therefore we have decided to extend the free trial period until we can provide a plan that outlines a level of enjoyment that will satisfy both us and our customers. When we are confident that we have reached that goal, we will notify our customers immediately.
[Future Version Updates] At present, the development team is putting the finishing touches on the previously announced version update, which is still slated for release in mid-December. In addition, there is one more version update scheduled for release before year’s end. Details on the content and dates of these updates will be released in the near future.
[Delay of the PlayStation 3 Version Release] Although the release date for the PlayStation 3 version of the game was previously announced as late March of 2011, we regret to inform that this date has been changed.
The PlayStation 3 release will be delayed until we are confident that the game has reached the level of enjoyability and service befitting the FINAL FANTASY name for users on all supported platforms. We offer our sincerest apologies to any fans anticipating the PlayStation 3 release, and humbly ask for your continued patience and understanding as both the development team and Square Enix as a whole strive towards making FINAL FANTASY XIV a truly enjoyable and unforgettable adventure.
[New Development Team Policy] I would like to take this opportunity to greet all of you—those currently playing FINAL FANTASY XIV, those who have taken a respite from playing, and those awaiting the PlayStation 3 release—and offer a brief word by way of an introduction.
No doubt there are very few, if any, among you who have ever heard the name Naoki Yoshida. To be sure, I have never been in the fore on any of the titles I have worked on in the past. I am, however, honored and privileged to work alongside many talented and inspiring colleagues, and with their support have enjoyed making games for a number of years. I am aware that a great many people will think the responsibility of leading FINAL FANTASY XIV is far too large a task for someone so unknown. After all, even my very best may seem no more than a drop in the bucket when considering the sheer scope of FINAL FANTASY XIV. But working together with me are the very talented and very capable development and management teams, whose dedication and motivation are unwavering. I would like to ask you to please put to rest uncertainties that you may have.
Now, more than ever, myself, the development team, and Square Enix as a whole, are committed to furthering our efforts to provide a quality service.
Everything we do will be for our players and customers.
FINAL FANTASY XIV Producer/Director, Naoki Yoshida
First of all, I would like to apologize for our inability to fully satisfy our users with the initial release of FINAL FANTASY XIV. I take full responsibility for the game’s current situation, and have therefore made the decision to step down from my role as producer. A number of concerns that have been voiced by users, such as the design of the user interface, availability of tutorials and game content, and battle system functionality, represent key issues that must be addressed. While improvements are already well underway in many areas, we were unfortunately not able to incorporate player feedback as quickly as we would have liked. We are aware, however, that in many cases, addressing these issues will call for a reworking of game elements. As these changes are our first priority, they will be commanding our full attention and efforts. It is to that end that we have put a new organizational structure into place for the development team. Under this new system, FINAL FANTASY XIV will see changes and additions in line with the desires and expectations of players. Though no longer producer, I will be continuing to support the development team in other capacities, and personally hope that you will continue your adventures in the realm of Eorzea.
You gotta love Japanese customer service. While I hate the game as much as everyone else in it's current state, it's great to see that Squenix is as dissatisfied as all of us and are hard at work to improve it.
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i gave up on ffxiv mainly because my computer couldnt handle it. it is nice to see square enix listening to feedback, making changes, and extending the free trial period, even though the game was so bad to begin with
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I've upgraded my computer just for this game! Even though the current state of the game is poor, I believe they will live up to their promise and improve it drastically.
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I am happy to see SE getting new people to work on it. I seriously don't want FF to die here.
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That email is... impressive.
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On December 10 2010 18:41 UniversalSnip wrote: That email is... impressive.
I know, right? I love the fact that they're not going to charge monthly fees until they decide how they're going to fix it. I'm not going to play it anyways (lol), but it takes HUGE balls to man up and do something like that.
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It's funny the leaps and bounds SE has come offering game support since the times of FFXI, JP publishers are so awesome
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