Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - Part 2

[Orpheus]

Honestly, considering that GW2 is going to try to get out DLC every 2 weeks now, I might go back to that. I've been on and off playing FF14 for a while but it hasn't held my interested too much. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but it doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere.

Sorry to hear that. Hope you enjoy whatever you end up playing Why don't you feel like you are going anywhere? Where do you feel "stuck"?

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Sorry to hear that. Hope you enjoy whatever you end up playing Why don't you feel like you are going anywhere? Where do you feel "stuck"?

I can still level up and do quests and so on, but to a certain point it all starts to blend together. Lots of kill-the-monster quests or touch-this-thing-then-kill-monster quests and it just kind of blends together. Plus, I don't have the free time to pay for the game monthly, which is why GW2 still makes me a bit happier, mainly because I put 200+ hours into one character, and no monthly fee. FF14 is still one of the better MMOs I've ever played though, I just like GW2 more.

 

[Orpheus]

I can still level up and do quests and so on, but to a certain point it all starts to blend together. Lots of kill-the-monster quests or touch-this-thing-then-kill-monster quests and it just kind of blends together. Plus, I don't have the free time to pay for the game monthly, which is why GW2 still makes me a bit happier, mainly because I put 200+ hours into one character, and no monthly fee. FF14 is still one of the better MMOs I've ever played though, I just like GW2 more.

Ah, that's cool then, good luck It's always hard to leave a character you've invested so many hours into, I had that problem with both WoW and FFXI!

 

[Corto]

End game is fine, Coil is the very best gear in the game and also the hardest to get. The only catch with Coil gear is that it has a few deficiencies since it's optimized in a certain way, but its still the best gear in the game for most classes. Relic weapons are hardly an achievement, a good number of people in my FC are on their 4th or 5th, and they are so easy to get because they are pretty much absolutely required for Coil. Not sure why you are grinding CM or AK to begin with, both are extremely slow. Only reason to do AK is Mythology, and even then Coil is the best source, and a good coil group should be on turn 5, which is a 150 of your mythology cap. Then you only need 3 AK's a week for another 120, then 3-4 Garudas or something.

So I don't get it when you say "endlessly repeating non-challenging content". The easiest thing we do repeatedly is Titan, but that's because we 5-6 man him and sell the rest of the slots for gil. Praetorium may be easy, but in a FC run we do silly things like try and get each other killed or leaving all the bits up on the final boss.

Also, I'd like to add that you don't NEED to grind anything really. The crafted sets such as Vanya are actually better than Darklight, especially when HQ'd. Only catch is that they are expensive.

Coil is incredibly well tuned. Turn 1 is basically a "should you be in Coil?" gear check, Turn 2 requires planning, Turn 3 can be done in 5 minutes, Turn 4 is a really well balanced gear and planning check, and then Turn 5 is just everything on steroids.

I come from EQ2 raiding, everything in FFXIV looks easy to me...
My group did Garuda on the 1st try, Titan the first night (phase 5 on the 2nd pull) - the most overhyped encounter I've ever seen.
Coil 1 the first night, etc.

EQ2 end-game encounters (especially contested mobs) make FFXIV mobs look like CSI compared to The Wire.

But I could live with Coil...
If I didn't STILL need to run AK for Myth stones 4-5 times per week.

I just can't be arsed. I fall asleep during AK.
I'm not even joking. I can't force myself to do one single run more.

The idea of ONE end-game instance where you actually hope for loot is beyond ridiculous in my book.
And it's become way to boring to run just Coil and wait for the November patch.
You can run CM for currency and get the full DL set.
You get the best weapon in the game by beating 2 relatively simple mobs and one a bit harder.
Then you run one instance per week worth doing and twiddle your thumbs the rest of the time or re-run AK and stuff for stones...
You can get end-game gear very close to the best (DL, AF2 sets) by re-running simple instances that present no challenge.
In fact, you do that, odds are with time invested you'll have better gear than me running Coil but NOT piling up Myth stones in AK.

This game has potential...
But being forced into grinding without even hoping for drops is not my idea of fun.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I will say though, FF14 definitely got it right on how everything has their own separate inventory area. Genius.

 

[Turrican*]

Honestly, considering that GW2 is going to try to get out DLC every 2 weeks now, I might go back to that. I've been on and off playing FF14 for a while but it hasn't held my interested too much. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but it doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere.

**** man... I feel the same way.
I lv 42.. And 50 just sounds like a grind.
I haven't logged in, in about a week. =\

 

[McSkittlez]

I haven't played this for awhile since GTA V came out. Tanked Brayflox's Longstop and the run was going fine until the last boss. Non-stop lag and unplayable. Felt really bad for the group who I partied with. Luckily only one person KO'd. First time I lagged that bad in this game. Hopefully it won't happen again.

Trying to decide whether I should subscribe or not. Also thought server transfers were suppose to be available mid-September... it's October 2.

P.S My experience bonus is off the charts. I haven't logged in for two weeks and my whole bar is blue.

 

[ChibiPooky]

Never mind. I like tacos.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Is there stuff for you guys to do in the game, or is it dry until the next update?

 

[ChibiPooky]

Is there stuff for you guys to do in the game, or is it dry until the next update?

There's plenty for me to do. Of course, I still haven't hit level cap yet with any class. I suspect the larger issue is burnout, at least with some of these guys. Grinding stuff to get the best gear isn't fun long-term.

I'm not really familiar with most of the end-game stuff yet, so fwiw. Getting close though.

 

[RandV]

Yeah I've kind of hit my burnout point at level 28. Installed a new C drive over the weekend and my first attempt to re-install FFXIV didn't work for some reason, but now that I actually have hard disk space I can finally start installing more games from my Steam library. So I'm finally into the latest Civ V expansion and I don't think FFXIV has a chance anymore.

Considering I only paid $10 I don't think it was a bad purchase, I got enough time out of it, but it doesn't look like it will get a monthly subscription from me. Seems like the more I play it the more I'd rather just dust off the PS2 and give FFXII another playthrough.

 

[McRpro]

The lustre has wore off for me, I've barely played the game the last week. I wish everything wasn't so Damn easy. I've hit a wall at lvl 39 and don't even care to lvl anymore.

 

[Moskau]

The lustre has wore off for me, I've barely played the game the last week. I wish everything wasn't so Damn easy. I've hit a wall at lvl 39 and don't even care to lvl anymore.

lol WUT?

 

[McRpro]

lol WUT?

If you're talking about end game fights, yes I've heard they can be challenging. I just wish MMO's these days weren't all just a rush to get to max level ASAP, while ignoring any semblance of challenge on the way. Being able to hit cap in a week just doesn't appeal to me. The journey to lvl50 should be a big chunk of the fun, it shouldn't be when the fun begins IMO.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

If you're talking about end game fights, yes I've heard they can be challenging. I just wish MMO's these days weren't all just a rush to get to max level ASAP, while ignoring any semblance of challenge on the way. Being able to hit cap in a week just doesn't appeal to me. The journey to lvl50 should be a big chunk of the fun, it shouldn't be when the fun begins IMO.

Took me WAY over 100 hours to get to level 80 in GW2. Love how it's not all there at once, but a lot of opportunities to do different things to level up. FF14, while nice and some things are damn smart, feels more grindy and somewhat samey. That's just how it is for me.

 

[RandV]

Took me WAY over 100 hours to get to level 80 in GW2. Love how it's not all there at once, but a lot of opportunities to do different things to level up. FF14, while nice and some things are damn smart, feels more grindy and somewhat samey. That's just how it is for me.

How is the world map in Guild Wars 2, in comparison to say GW1 and FFXIV?

Comparing the map of those latter two games is what became one of the key turn offs for me. Typically in an RPG, a new area is a challenge to get to where you ideally get to explore a little bit and fight new and more powerful enemies along the way. This was how it was in FFXII, how it was in Guild Wars 1, but it's not how it is in FFXIV. When you first start playing it seems all nice and large, but it really became apparent that it wasn't as I hit the mid-late level 20's story quests. On each map everything is neatly compartmentalized into 'level zones' and they're all literally right next to each other. I think it was Western Gridania, for example, you have a level 1-5, 5-10, 30-35, and 40-45 all within a minutes walking distance of each other. I can tell that as I progress through the story the pattern of: teleport to previous quest location, walk/ride 30-60 seconds to the different level zone for next batch of mundane quests.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

How is the world map in Guild Wars 2, in comparison to say GW1 and FFXIV?

Comparing the map of those latter two games is what became one of the key turn offs for me. Typically in an RPG, a new area is a challenge to get to where you ideally get to explore a little bit and fight new and more powerful enemies along the way. This was how it was in FFXII, how it was in Guild Wars 1, but it's not how it is in FFXIV. When you first start playing it seems all nice and large, but it really became apparent that it wasn't as I hit the mid-late level 20's story quests. On each map everything is neatly compartmentalized into 'level zones' and they're all literally right next to each other. I think it was Western Gridania, for example, you have a level 1-5, 5-10, 30-35, and 40-45 all within a minutes walking distance of each other. I can tell that as I progress through the story the pattern of: teleport to previous quest location, walk/ride 30-60 seconds to the different level zone for next batch of mundane quests.

I personally love the world map. And the idea that you can 100% the world and actually get stuff for it (chests, achievement points, etc.) is really nice. Also, considering every place will level you down to the highest allowed level in areas (like if the enemies are 28, they will make me 29) usually keeps things from being too easy. Plus, you can basically warp to every major city off the bat (basically), and how much it costs per warp is based on distance and how much money you actually have in total.

Sorry though, didn't mean to go off-track from FF14 though. Was doing more of a comparison than anything.

 

[Jonimaus]

Endgame wise, this has been a huge disapointment, which I also predicted it would be before launch. Content is beyond easy. Twintania is a decent fight, but not as an end boss. If it was one of the first 3 fights in a raid I'd be happy.

So now I'll continue with raiding one hour a week clearing turn 1-5 waiting for 2.2 sometime in 2014. Thanks for the content SE!

 

[Moskau]

Endgame wise, this has been a huge disapointment, which I also predicted it would be before launch. Content is beyond easy. Twintania is a decent fight, but not as an end boss. If it was one of the first 3 fights in a raid I'd be happy.

So now I'll continue with raiding one hour a week clearing turn 1-5 waiting for 2.2 sometime in 2014. Thanks for the content SE!

Yeah it's brutal. SE is very out to lunch when it comes to the MMO community and specifically the North American community. 2.1 is set to release late December and it's a fairly underwhelming patch. Crystal Tower is a raid tier that is BELOW the current 2.0 raid tier. Considering most BC fights have easier mechanics than Molten Core which came out almost 10 years ago I'm not holding my breath for CT to be anything complicated and only 1 or 2 items are upgrades over current gear for Bard I wont have much reason to even run it.

You would think that since FF14 is keeping SE from having to sell off properties that they would be smarter about this. 2.1 is not that major of a patch. It's coming out 5 months after launch. MMO patches should come out every 3-4 months. Warlord of Draenor and Reaper of Souls will be released by the time 2.2 comes out. It's possible that Wildstar and ESO will be out shortly after that. Basically they ****ed up and shot themselves in the foot. This game although great at times will be lucky to keep the niche 200k subs that FFXI had with the markets emphasis on F2P. The North American needs to consume, consume, consume and SE will never be able to keep up.

 

[Jonimaus]

Basically they ****ed up and shot themselves in the foot. This game although great at times will be lucky to keep the niche 200k subs that FFXI had with the markets emphasis on F2P. The North American needs to consume, consume, consume and SE will never be able to keep up.

Oh how much I've been flamed for that in the previous thread of FFXIV here. People were so blind with their fanboy-ism. Funny. The game is bad. Noone here can dispute that (except maybe if you're an RP player that for whatever crazy reason loves leveling and the story in this game). They failed. They released the game at least half a year too early, probably more. I don't even think it has potential anymore, to be honest. The only reason I'm still paying a sub is because I enjoy raiding with my guild that monday (also the only time me and the other 7 log in at all), and because I don't see any potential in near-future MMORPGs.

 

[RandV]

Oh how much I've been flamed for that in the previous thread of FFXIV here. People were so blind with their fanboy-ism. Funny. The game is bad. Noone here can dispute that (except maybe if you're an RP player that for whatever crazy reason loves leveling and the story in this game). They failed. They released the game at least half a year too early, probably more. I don't even think it has potential anymore, to be honest. The only reason I'm still paying a sub is because I enjoy raiding with my guild that monday (also the only time me and the other 7 log in at all), and because I don't see any potential in near-future MMORPGs.

Personally I don't think it's the game that's bad as much as it is MMORPG's in general. Pretty much everything I didn't like about the game came from it's MMO'ness.

I'm curious though, with all the fuss at launch about it's unexpected success and needing to add new servers, now that the trial period is well over and the games had time to set and subscription fees have set in what's the retention rate? I don't want to see Square fail over this as I still want to play their single player RPG's... or at least they can turn things around there and get back more to what they used to be pre-2005 or so.

 

[Moskau]

I'm curious though, with all the fuss at launch about it's unexpected success and needing to add new servers, now that the trial period is well over and the games had time to set and subscription fees have set in what's the retention rate? I don't want to see Square fail over this as I still want to play their single player RPG's... or at least they can turn things around there and get back more to what they used to be pre-2005 or so.

After WoW came out FFXI had a peak retention rate of 200-300k Subs.

With the markets current emphasis on F2P I could see XIV having a similar retention rate by Summer of next year. It could be go even lower though because Warlords of Draenor, Reaper of Souls, Hearthstone, and possibly Elder Scrolls Online will all be out before then (patch 2.2). I believe before Rift went F2P it was hovering around 180k subscribers and still ditched the sub model something SE will likely never do.

 

[Jonimaus]

So the lightning event... No words for it. I REALLY hope the other parts have something fun in them.

 

[Moskau]

So the lightning event... No words for it. I REALLY hope the other parts have something fun in them.

FFXI had terrible events and Holidays too.

 

[Jonimaus]

FFXI had terrible events and Holidays too.

For whatever reason I thought some of them were pretty fun, like the summer event where you turned invisible in some zone trying to do-something-that-I-can't-remember. I dunno, I get that they probably didn't have halloween as a focus with the game just being released and having a very rocky/bad launch. I hope christmas will be decent (for whatever reason I love season events. ) Anyone who played 1.0 can give any info what kind of quality the events had there?