Bear in mind, the only public footage to date is also solo content under level 20.
I have played Tera, GW2, TSW and DCUO (all action combat systems) through the equivalent level. I don't recall the solo encounters to be any more or less engaging. Even basilisks in TERA (the first BAM you find) are simply stab-stab-stab-block as a lancer.
The only group oriented conten ARR alpha was the dungeon which was illustrated in the ARR video released today. They cut away from the final boss and, out of respect for the NDA, I don't talk about content that is not already publicly released.
Net result, there isn't much to take into account just yet. FF combat should be more about layers and complexity than visceral reaction. Combos and Limit Breaks should be a big part of making that happen. However, for now, all we can do is speculate (in both directions) as to whether or not that will work out.
I'm just wondering, why can't they make the combat look more like their CG cinematics? Imagine a cinematic cg with the current combat system. That'd be hilarious to watch.
After playing the alpha, I have to warn you, this game suuucks. Also, don't post screenshots of the original, as it's a form of deception. A Realm Reborn is greatly downgraded from that, graphically.
All Yoshi knows how to do is copy WoW.
How is this comment even remotely helpful? You dont even explain what is so poor about the game. Mechanics? Gameplay? UI? All of it? This is useless.
'Copy WoW' is a generic statement. There are honestly some things that WoW did right and I wouldnt mind seeing in FF. But you didnt present a clear argument so that is moot here.
I channel the others here and prefer "slower" combat over "action-based" combat. What I have seen so far this looks promising and will definitely try it out for a month. In its initial offering I didnt even feel inclined to download it.
Originally posted by rojo6934 i am looking forward to A Realm Reborn, but please Square Enix.... these videos show horrible static combat. That is a huge deal to me and im sure many people agrees. A game like Guild Wars 2 that doesnt even have a subscription managed to make active combat. If ARR reborn relaunches with this silly "my shoes are glued to the ground" combat i wont pay a subscription for it. That is enough deal breaker to me. Specially as a black mage. Add either instant cast or let casting work while moving. Or come up with something to make us more active while fighting.
Well, I think in the spirit of the Final Fantasy series combat isn't supposed to be run around action based. As it is it looks a lot quicker FFXI but I dont think most Final Fantasy fans want an action based combat.
Exactly, FF is about tactics and position not running around the mob like rabbit on drugs.
im not asking for action combat, i said active combat (with more movement involved). I agree with you two that FF has always been more about tactics but there is zero tactics in a static combat. Even FF single player games had more tactics and even more movement with its dated turn based combat. These videos of ARR shows the typical asian combat where nobody moves around and everyone just clicks skills and endure enemy attacks from the same spot.
@Silok, position you say? more mobility is much better for strategical positioning in combat.
Originally posted by rojo6934 i am looking forward to A Realm Reborn, but please Square Enix.... these videos show horrible static combat. That is a huge deal to me and im sure many people agrees. A game like Guild Wars 2 that doesnt even have a subscription managed to make active combat. If ARR reborn relaunches with this silly "my shoes are glued to the ground" combat i wont pay a subscription for it. That is enough deal breaker to me. Specially as a black mage. Add either instant cast or let casting work while moving. Or come up with something to make us more active while fighting.
Action combat (TERA/RaiderZ and GW2) have their fans, but FF has always been more about timing/sequence and knowing ones role, and what to do, when, than it has been bouncing around like a mad superball. ^^
Different games for different people. The more I see of this game, the more interesting it looks. Lets see how it plays.
After playing the alpha, I have to warn you, this game suuucks. Also, don't post screenshots of the original, as it's a form of deception. A Realm Reborn is greatly downgraded from that, graphically.
All Yoshi knows how to do is copy WoW.
Given the mans past history, I'd say that Yoshi P pretty much knows what FF fans want. Its moving beyond that limited demographic that is required to make the game more successful.
Unlike many here, I still consider WoW to be a good game, all the way to level cap. It has years and years of content, and a great deal of polish at this point. It has made Blizzard *billions* of dollars over the years. It would hardly have done that, if many millions of people hadn't enjoyed the game enough to pay a monthly subscription for years and years. Not to mention millions paying for the four expansions.
If he can take some of the elements that make WoW popular, and give them a FF twist, it will be interesting to see how it works out. I'm quite looking forwards to seeing how the game plays. If its entertaining, that all I'm looking for.
It would be relatively easy to point out that a lot of these features should have been in from day one, but at least they are there now.
It will take a heck of a lot of marketing to inspire some people to spend money again on FFXIV no matter what the prefix. A lot of people weren't just burnt by the original launch, they where incinerated.
Maybe a wise approach will be to hold off for a while after ARR launch until several reviews are published.
Anyone who was 'burnt' by the original release doesn't have to spend any money. If you bought the game before the relaunch it's still valid to play ARR and all old accounts will get 30 days free playtime at (re)launch as well. SE is well aware that most people will hold off on giving the game a second chance but there's no reason not to now as it's essentially free to try if you already have an account or old access key...
It is clear FFXIV is becoming more like a FF game and thats an IP they want to make the most of. Don't go the bland everymans WoW route, I would say that for any MMO. I still don't see enough for me to give it a go, but they seem to keep adding quality updates so maybe next year.
Originally posted by Scot It is clear FFXIV is becoming more like a FF game and thats an IP they want to make the most of. Don't go the bland everymans WoW route, I would say that for any MMO. I still don't see enough for me to give it a go, but they seem to keep adding quality updates so maybe next year.
It doesnt feel like a FF game. It feels like a forgettable, uninteresting MMO. They just downgraded the original graphics/aesthetics and threw in spam quests.
@JudgeUK - I agree, all (most?) of this should have been launch or near-launch features. They weren't, though, and I think it says a lot for the changes under Yoshida that these systems came in, in such short order. My understanding is that those who bought FFXIV will get a look at ARR without additional cash outlay, some will be won back, some won't. Their attempt to recover from the FFXIV launch is not one guaranteed to succeed, but certainly respectable to see.
@ste2000 - The UI is more of a change to a core system, I'm going to talk about it a bit in an upcoming column. However, the End of an Era UI is still a weak UI. It's years ahead of the launch UI, but it's still hindered by the original UI. From what we have seen in the alpha videos, the ARR UI should stand up nicely alongside other competitors UI's.
I'm on the road for the holidays, so I'll be a bit spotty responding to comments. All the same, thank you for reading and thanks for commenting!
I wish them every success. To see the efforts being put in to turn this game around is great. The company knows they have a really tough task ahead of them to make this work. I can only imagine the trauma that they've been through to get this far.
Ok the problems are of their own making, but none of us is fortunate enough to get through life without making some mistakes. It's how we react to them that counts.
So, I hope they do win through in the end. If they do, they'll have one of the most determined teams looking after the game, which can only be good for it's longer term content.
Originally posted by rojo6934 i am looking forward to A Realm Reborn, but please Square Enix.... these videos show horrible static combat. That is a huge deal to me and im sure many people agrees. A game like Guild Wars 2 that doesnt even have a subscription managed to make active combat. If ARR reborn relaunches with this silly "my shoes are glued to the ground" combat i wont pay a subscription for it. That is enough deal breaker to me. Specially as a black mage. Add either instant cast or let casting work while moving. Or come up with something to make us more active while fighting.
You shouldnt be able to move as you cast, you should be focusing and putting all your energy into the spells you cast, so the timers on casting are fine. Being able to cast powerful spells at the click of a finger is silly.
After playing the alpha, I have to warn you, this game suuucks. Also, don't post screenshots of the original, as it's a form of deception. A Realm Reborn is greatly downgraded from that, graphically.
All Yoshi knows how to do is copy WoW.
Your gaming experience is based on an alpha stress test, and obviously you gave a lot of feedback to the Devs about what can be improved and what you didnt like? Strangely the game felt nothing like WoW or played like it. I can't speak for anyone else, gameplay > graphics, but saying that, the game looks great compared to a lot of other MMO's.
Nah seriously I played alpha and it isnt so terrific as alyosha17 says. Its much better than previous version. One friend of mine who got into alpha with me is of same opinion.
Quest hubs do not equal WoW-clone, and I wish people would stop rushing to judge the game based on a stress test alpha with most of the content yet to be put in, as the beta phase lists demonstrates, I get that XIV 1.0 was a nightmare, but the eagerness to dismiss Yoshida's efforts is sickening.
I really do think cast bars need to go, they really feel out-dated now for dps and solo questing. I get there's a lore reason, but dull is dull.
Originally posted by rojo6934 i am looking forward to A Realm Reborn, but please Square Enix.... these videos show horrible static combat. That is a huge deal to me and im sure many people agrees. A game like Guild Wars 2 that doesnt even have a subscription managed to make active combat. If ARR reborn relaunches with this silly "my shoes are glued to the ground" combat i wont pay a subscription for it. That is enough deal breaker to me. Specially as a black mage. Add either instant cast or let casting work while moving. Or come up with something to make us more active while fighting.
Well, I think in the spirit of the Final Fantasy series combat isn't supposed to be run around action based. As it is it looks a lot quicker FFXI but I dont think most Final Fantasy fans want an action based combat.
While I'm not a fan of the combat system, this is true from a fans perspective and really all of theses changes have been done for their benefit.
I'm not sure any other franchise or company could have released such a mess but still have people interested in a revamped product. Then again, many other companies don't have the amount of diehards that FF seems to generate, (especially in Japan), and I'm glad for them that at least Square/Enix are trying to address the problems with this title.
For their sake I hope it works out to be a good experience in the end
Originally posted by Scot It is clear FFXIV is becoming more like a FF game and thats an IP they want to make the most of. Don't go the bland everymans WoW route, I would say that for any MMO. I still don't see enough for me to give it a go, but they seem to keep adding quality updates so maybe next year.
It doesnt feel like a FF game. It feels like a forgettable, uninteresting MMO. They just downgraded the original graphics/aesthetics and threw in spam quests.
alyosha17 has been on a crusade since August 2011 against FFXIV, check his history and you will see 90% of his posts are bashing this game. We get it alyosha17 you don't like the game, go find something to like and play that, your hand isnt forced to play anything or like it. Or do you get a kick from your hate for the game? Whats really interesting for all the information he has on specifics, he must be still playing.
Originally posted by Scot It is clear FFXIV is becoming more like a FF game and thats an IP they want to make the most of. Don't go the bland everymans WoW route, I would say that for any MMO. I still don't see enough for me to give it a go, but they seem to keep adding quality updates so maybe next year.
It doesnt feel like a FF game. It feels like a forgettable, uninteresting MMO. They just downgraded the original graphics/aesthetics and threw in spam quests.
alyosha17 has been on a crusade since August 2011 against FFXIV, check his history and you will see 90% of his posts are bashing this game. We get it alyosha17 you don't like the game, go find something to like and play that, your hand isnt forced to play anything or like it. Or do you get a kick from your hate for the game? Whats really interesting for all the information he has on specifics, he must be still playing.
Lol on Crusade.
I had to check his profile after this post He surely is on hate crusade for FFXIV (besides he has got over 200 screenshot of this game in his profile).
Man I hated 1.0, but 2.0 is so much better. [mod edit]
Originally posted by rojo6934 i am looking forward to A Realm Reborn, but please Square Enix.... these videos show horrible static combat. That is a huge deal to me and im sure many people agrees. A game like Guild Wars 2 that doesnt even have a subscription managed to make active combat. If ARR reborn relaunches with this silly "my shoes are glued to the ground" combat i wont pay a subscription for it. That is enough deal breaker to me. Specially as a black mage. Add either instant cast or let casting work while moving. Or come up with something to make us more active while fighting.
Well, I think in the spirit of the Final Fantasy series combat isn't supposed to be run around action based. As it is it looks a lot quicker FFXI but I dont think most Final Fantasy fans want an action based combat.
The problem then comes down to how they intend to grow. I am a middling ff fan, I enjoyed a few of the games when I still played turn based console games, but the combat is very much a deal breaker. If I am not engaged by the combat, I simply cannot play it. 2.5 sec cast spells are insane, especially in the current playerbase. There is a reason why games like WoW instituted haste, and Rift has dropped the gcd for its classes to 1 sec. People prefer "faster" combat.
I actually prefer slower paced combat. I liked combat in EQ1 for example, because a single mob fight could be challenging and take a while to kill, especially if you get an add or two. It also gives you more time to react and adjust your strategy as needed. Action combat that is over in 10 secs is not very gratifying for me. I think MMOs in general need to slow things down instead of speeding everything up.
The reason people like faster casting is because fighting tends to be a repetitive task. After killing 10 mobs, you know what rotation you need to press to kill the 50 next mobs, thus the need for fast-paced combat. If FFXIV goes slow paced, they need many mobs with many abilities so the player has to actually feel engaged in combat and has to react to actual situations. If you have to be a robot that waits and waits, people will leave. I'm sure Square understands what customers want, that's why they destroyed their first world, right?
Boycotting EA. Why? They suck, even moreso since 2008.
Comments
Bear in mind, the only public footage to date is also solo content under level 20.
I have played Tera, GW2, TSW and DCUO (all action combat systems) through the equivalent level. I don't recall the solo encounters to be any more or less engaging. Even basilisks in TERA (the first BAM you find) are simply stab-stab-stab-block as a lancer.
The only group oriented conten ARR alpha was the dungeon which was illustrated in the ARR video released today. They cut away from the final boss and, out of respect for the NDA, I don't talk about content that is not already publicly released.
Net result, there isn't much to take into account just yet. FF combat should be more about layers and complexity than visceral reaction. Combos and Limit Breaks should be a big part of making that happen. However, for now, all we can do is speculate (in both directions) as to whether or not that will work out.
Beta will be interesting!
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Was just trying to warn you. I'm thinking of your welfare here.
How is this comment even remotely helpful? You dont even explain what is so poor about the game. Mechanics? Gameplay? UI? All of it? This is useless.
'Copy WoW' is a generic statement. There are honestly some things that WoW did right and I wouldnt mind seeing in FF. But you didnt present a clear argument so that is moot here.
I channel the others here and prefer "slower" combat over "action-based" combat. What I have seen so far this looks promising and will definitely try it out for a month. In its initial offering I didnt even feel inclined to download it.
As a avid FFXI fan (think I logged over a full year on there servers (actual time online))
I am happy to say, the new(old?) features are more then welcome!
Slower based combat, expanded crafting? more centered twards parties? yes please.
Please check out my channel. I do gaming reviews, gaming related reviews & lets plays. Thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/user/BettyofDewm/videos
im not asking for action combat, i said active combat (with more movement involved). I agree with you two that FF has always been more about tactics but there is zero tactics in a static combat. Even FF single player games had more tactics and even more movement with its dated turn based combat. These videos of ARR shows the typical asian combat where nobody moves around and everyone just clicks skills and endure enemy attacks from the same spot.
Action combat (TERA/RaiderZ and GW2) have their fans, but FF has always been more about timing/sequence and knowing ones role, and what to do, when, than it has been bouncing around like a mad superball. ^^
Different games for different people. The more I see of this game, the more interesting it looks. Lets see how it plays.
Given the mans past history, I'd say that Yoshi P pretty much knows what FF fans want. Its moving beyond that limited demographic that is required to make the game more successful.
Unlike many here, I still consider WoW to be a good game, all the way to level cap. It has years and years of content, and a great deal of polish at this point. It has made Blizzard *billions* of dollars over the years. It would hardly have done that, if many millions of people hadn't enjoyed the game enough to pay a monthly subscription for years and years. Not to mention millions paying for the four expansions.
If he can take some of the elements that make WoW popular, and give them a FF twist, it will be interesting to see how it works out. I'm quite looking forwards to seeing how the game plays. If its entertaining, that all I'm looking for.
Anyone who was 'burnt' by the original release doesn't have to spend any money. If you bought the game before the relaunch it's still valid to play ARR and all old accounts will get 30 days free playtime at (re)launch as well. SE is well aware that most people will hold off on giving the game a second chance but there's no reason not to now as it's essentially free to try if you already have an account or old access key...
You have Tera and GW2 with diffrent combat soon Blade and Soul, you cant demand all mmo's needs to copy a 6 button skill bar with dodge.
Final Fantasy needs to remain the way it was or it isnt Final Fantasy anymore.
Might as wel call it Guildwars 3 then dont we ?
It doesnt feel like a FF game. It feels like a forgettable, uninteresting MMO. They just downgraded the original graphics/aesthetics and threw in spam quests.
I wish them every success. To see the efforts being put in to turn this game around is great. The company knows they have a really tough task ahead of them to make this work. I can only imagine the trauma that they've been through to get this far.
Ok the problems are of their own making, but none of us is fortunate enough to get through life without making some mistakes. It's how we react to them that counts.
So, I hope they do win through in the end. If they do, they'll have one of the most determined teams looking after the game, which can only be good for it's longer term content.
You shouldnt be able to move as you cast, you should be focusing and putting all your energy into the spells you cast, so the timers on casting are fine. Being able to cast powerful spells at the click of a finger is silly.
Your gaming experience is based on an alpha stress test, and obviously you gave a lot of feedback to the Devs about what can be improved and what you didnt like? Strangely the game felt nothing like WoW or played like it. I can't speak for anyone else, gameplay > graphics, but saying that, the game looks great compared to a lot of other MMO's.
I agree with you alyosha17!!!
This game will UTTERLY FAIL ! as previous one did. FInal Fantasy XIV is doomed.
Quest hubs do not equal WoW-clone, and I wish people would stop rushing to judge the game based on a stress test alpha with most of the content yet to be put in, as the beta phase lists demonstrates, I get that XIV 1.0 was a nightmare, but the eagerness to dismiss Yoshida's efforts is sickening.
I really do think cast bars need to go, they really feel out-dated now for dps and solo questing. I get there's a lore reason, but dull is dull.
While I'm not a fan of the combat system, this is true from a fans perspective and really all of theses changes have been done for their benefit.
I'm not sure any other franchise or company could have released such a mess but still have people interested in a revamped product. Then again, many other companies don't have the amount of diehards that FF seems to generate, (especially in Japan), and I'm glad for them that at least Square/Enix are trying to address the problems with this title.
For their sake I hope it works out to be a good experience in the end
This looks like a job for....The Riviera Kid!
alyosha17 has been on a crusade since August 2011 against FFXIV, check his history and you will see 90% of his posts are bashing this game. We get it alyosha17 you don't like the game, go find something to like and play that, your hand isnt forced to play anything or like it. Or do you get a kick from your hate for the game? Whats really interesting for all the information he has on specifics, he must be still playing.
Lol on Crusade.
I had to check his profile after this post
He surely is on hate crusade for FFXIV (besides he has got over 200 screenshot of this game in his profile).
Man I hated 1.0, but 2.0 is so much better. [mod edit]
I actually prefer slower paced combat. I liked combat in EQ1 for example, because a single mob fight could be challenging and take a while to kill, especially if you get an add or two. It also gives you more time to react and adjust your strategy as needed. Action combat that is over in 10 secs is not very gratifying for me. I think MMOs in general need to slow things down instead of speeding everything up.
Boycotting EA. Why? They suck, even moreso since 2008.