FFXIV Hot Read Thursday

Check out the hottest topics from the past week of the FFXIV general forum.

"I wanna love you, but I better not touch. I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop."

I bet a lot of Final Fantasy XIV players would agree with Alice Cooper. The prevailing attitude on the FFXIV General Forum has been much more positive since the first of two large version updates to wrap up 2010. However, there is still plenty of room for criticism of Final Fantasy XIV, especially considering that most updates to this game have simply dealt with fixing the controls (and still, not all the controls are fixed). The flaws discussed in this week's Hot Thursday threads are more cerebral than Xs and Os. I'm talking about flaws that leave us wanting to socialize, desiring a tighter community and yearning for days long gone.

Here are the links (protip: for the desired effect, listen to "November Rain" while reading these):

Thread #1: What is keeping you from playing FFXIV

What do you do when you want to love a game, but you just can't? This thread reads like it's written from someone who really wants to love Final Fantasy XIV, but there are too many flaws to overlook. The OP then asks others who aren't playing to elaborate on the factors holding them back (oddly enough, "I only own a PS3" was never given as an answer). I guess it's true that every rose has its thorn.

Thread #2: Auto-attack and Socializing

Remember the good old days when you could play Final Fantasy XI and not have to pay attention to what you were doing? The days when you could get up and make a sammich while tanking Fafnir, or when you could randomly hit your refresh macro while meleeing away on your red mage? With a club? Seems like only yesterday, I know, and this OP agrees with me. Perhaps if there were an auto-attack feature in Final Fantasy XIV, we could enjoy a return to the glory days. They'll pass you by, those glory days.

Thread #3: Am I getting old or...?

Yes you are. And soon you'll be as old as I am, and you'll wake up every morning and count the new gray hairs growing around your temples, and you'll be amazed that you were alive long enough to play the original Final Fantasy at launch. And yes, I agree that FFXIV lacks the magic that the other titles seemed to have, but it's way too early in this game's life to compare it against the titles of our childhood. Have hope for Eorzea. Don't stop believin'... hold on to that feelin'!

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what flaws?
# Dec 05 2010 at 10:35 PM Rating: Good
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109 posts
FFXIV has the means, but not the necessity to have the socialization that FFXI offered. I can solo everything, so far, and so I don't really need to make friends. I do, anyway, because as far as gears go, it really helps to be able to trade materials.

I'm disappointed by the lack of awe the game inspires when exploring areas. But it could simply be me, and that I'm used to it by now. But I'll never forget how cool it was to leave West Ronfaure and enter LaTheine Plateau, to see that vast, expansive zone, and the Crag of Holla. I wondered about what it was, where it came from, etc. And lo and behold, there was a STORY behind its existence, there were plot quests and missions that brought the world and NPCs to life. FFXIV lacks them- but this, I believe, is because of how new it is. I'm only partway done with the current story quests, but it does look like there will be some depth and story and /purpose/ to our adventures in Eorzea. So I'm content to game casually, grind casually, and craft casually, until there's more of this. Then I'll play like a crack addict. /goodbye dear wife XD
what flaws?
# Dec 03 2010 at 6:33 AM Rating: Decent
I don't remember FFXI is about socializing. I mean sure we all seek groups while watching TV for 8 hours straight.

Once we group, we still watch TV while we just banging the same keys.

Beside the occasion lunatic come in Whitegate shouting "Hey good morning!" or those maniac shouting "WTF wrong with this"

I can't see much socializing.

How is it really different from FFXIV? We communicate through linkshell, the combat pace in FFXIV is a lot faster then FFXI is leaving no space to walk.

The game isn't making you socialize less, it is yourself making your socialization less because you are not relaxing and you are running around trying to finish these timed quests.

While a lot people agree on "missing/lack contents", to them, they are just looking for little tiny perks. If a patch add in chocobo is that really content? No, that is just perks.

Who remember Chocobo racing and pankatron? These are real contents but they last little to less then few days of excitement. The true contents lies in "story" and "combat".

There are is a lot content when there are quest in the 5, 10, 15, 20, 30...etc level. These are contents. Did you tackle them yet?

Did you play behest yet ? Did you group up and explore around?

If we look back to FFXI, what content there is at beginning of the game? We are not talking about the ffxi right now as it took 8 years of evolutions.

But what did you see in FFXI back when we all started retail?

Firstly, i level 1-10 in ronfaure. Then i walk to dune 11-20. Nothing particular here. Then i am force to run over to Jeuno, to feed the chocobo. I level 21-27 in Quifim. Then i am forced to farm keys for jungle access in the 3 areas. Then i level in jungle from 27-32. I went to the desert, i level 32-37 then i hit the cave... well you get what i am talking about.

What exactly did i do beside feeding the chocobo and doing nation mission?

I am pretty sure everyone does the same thing as me back then, it is all about leveling. Surely, the subjob and change job are also contents, however these are mechanic of FFXI and not FFXIV. You can't expect them to add in "quest" to stop you from leveling your choice of job at certain level to create "content".

I think everyone just too new to MMORPG and forgot the old days. We are either too new, or too old for this.
what flaws?
# Dec 05 2010 at 11:39 PM Rating: Decent
wrongfeifong wrote:
I don't remember FFXI is about socializing. I mean sure we all seek groups while watching TV for 8 hours straight.

Once we group, we still watch TV while we just banging the same keys.

Beside the occasion lunatic come in Whitegate shouting "Hey good morning!" or those maniac shouting "WTF wrong with this"

I can't see much socializing.

How is it really different from FFXIV? We communicate through linkshell, the combat pace in FFXIV is a lot faster then FFXI is leaving no space to walk.

The game isn't making you socialize less, it is yourself making your socialization less because you are not relaxing and you are running around trying to finish these timed quests.

While a lot people agree on "missing/lack contents", to them, they are just looking for little tiny perks. If a patch add in chocobo is that really content? No, that is just perks.

Who remember Chocobo racing and pankatron? These are real contents but they last little to less then few days of excitement. The true contents lies in "story" and "combat".

There are is a lot content when there are quest in the 5, 10, 15, 20, 30...etc level. These are contents. Did you tackle them yet?

Did you play behest yet ? Did you group up and explore around?

If we look back to FFXI, what content there is at beginning of the game? We are not talking about the ffxi right now as it took 8 years of evolutions.

But what did you see in FFXI back when we all started retail?

Firstly, i level 1-10 in ronfaure. Then i walk to dune 11-20. Nothing particular here. Then i am force to run over to Jeuno, to feed the chocobo. I level 21-27 in Quifim. Then i am forced to farm keys for jungle access in the 3 areas. Then i level in jungle from 27-32. I went to the desert, i level 32-37 then i hit the cave... well you get what i am talking about.

What exactly did i do beside feeding the chocobo and doing nation mission?

I am pretty sure everyone does the same thing as me back then, it is all about leveling. Surely, the subjob and change job are also contents, however these are mechanic of FFXI and not FFXIV. You can't expect them to add in "quest" to stop you from leveling your choice of job at certain level to create "content".

I think everyone just too new to MMORPG and forgot the old days. We are either too new, or too old for this.


... uh huh.
FFXIV has no content. im sorry, but you dont make an MMO anymore that you only has 2 forms of Grinding, both of wich are brokken.
i recently came back to FFXIV after the verions update were they "Fixed" allot of the issues.
... the didnt.

im thinking im gona let FFXIV die, like it deserves and go back to FFXI.
yes it took 8 years to get to the amazing game it is now.
but it IS a good game.

so you think FFXIV has content in the storys and the combat?
ok..
FFXIV story is lame, FINALY made it to rank 20, and im in limsa,
so i know that there is something awsome happening out to sea on an island somewere, sounds cool!
but all im doing is killing the same mobs i was grinding on for a fisher woman, and i know that theres some sneaky pirates doing sneaky pirate things.
... Great *Sigh*
and the battling!? lol, its the same idea as FFXI, only brokken.
no base exp? unpredictable leveling.. >.<
no skillchains, wtf? they were awsome fun!
no level Sync, can only asume there gona wait another 5 years to add that.


FFXI storyline.
has a similar slow start, exept instead of doing the same repeatable quests endlessly every single bloody day.
you did story based quests, that led onto other story quests, that helped you explore, and showed you things, and had C/S! yea sure can get anoying finding npcs to give them to you.
but its worth it.

in FFXIV
i still cant target a mob thats infront of me,
i still have nothing to do exept grind 20 ranks on 2 different class's to make a single level 6 weapon.
i STILL cant see any NMs.
i STILL find travaling Boring.
and i still think the Fing market ward is brokken and SE should stop trying to polish that ****, and just give it up. it sucks!!! everyone knows! GRrrr!

and in FFXI you can send messages to people, can you do this on FFXIV no. so anyone offline you cant leave them messages.
in FFXI you can actualy wright sentances, instead of only 5 words.
you have a reason to talk to people asking them to help with mobs, or team up to kill that NM. or do a Quest with you,
help you unlock your chocobo, or gain airship access.
snk and invis you places. reviving.
nothing like this in FFXIV.

so to summerise,
im Leaving FFXIV for the second time, i geuss these "Updates" arnt actualy gona fix anything just make it broken in a different way.
if i feel like paying for an MMO, i'll go to FFXI.
it took 8 years to get it good, but theres no Denying it IS good.


what flaws?
# Dec 03 2010 at 8:59 AM Rating: Excellent
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62 posts
I'm not you're talking about the same FFXI that I remember playing.... Perhaps it was your server, but I joined/created many a linkshell that housed a lot of great people. We chatted about in game mechanics, exploring new areas, doing missions, and even got to know each other offline via ventrilo and facebook. I knew a lot of these people on a personal level, as far as knowing someone on the internet goes. Perhaps you didn't take advantage of the extra things you could to be more sociable.
what flaws?
# Dec 03 2010 at 1:12 PM Rating: Decent
I was on 2 server, the problem is people come together and next they are gone. It is rare you see similar players in same party with level sync going on.

Back from retail, i always encounter the same people when i level at the similar level range since we can't all make group whenever we want.

There is some socializing. But not something we can keep together.

Socialize aspect can happen in any MMORPG. Not particular strong in FFXI then other. If game maker just simply provide people with a channel of communication that is simply what is needed.

FFXIV have that channel, however why do people insist the lack of socialize and communication aspect?

One particular point is that, we are all busy focusing on level. How often you found yourself sitting in the city waiting for shouts as oppose in FFXI? While the game let people solo, there isn't a need for party as well. Even if they can, most people will not.

How often in real life you see people group together every day to buy things? For example, you would save a lot money if you car pool but why do individual own a car and drive to work alone?

What i am saying is, everything is there, the linkshell, the channel of communication. What lacking is the motivation and these players are different from your typical FFXI or old school players. Just give it sometime, when they leveling die down. People will search their mean of communication and start to cooperate and build a socialize community.
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