FFXIV review

[thistlechaser]

FFXIV is in open beta now, and the NDA is lifted, so we're free to post about it. Unfortunately, while last weekend was a beta weekend, I wasn't able to log in. Turns out you needed to make a new account, and somehow I lost my beta registration numbers. I have no idea how that happened, since gmail doesn't delete your mail unless you tell it to... maybe I misclicked? Whatever the reason, no June beta testing for me.

The game goes live in August, I guess I'll just wait until then.

I wrote the below part of this post in April, but I couldn't share it until now:

FFXIV: This is the first weekend I actually played the beta (instead of dabbling at it while in WoW or outright forgetting about it), and I enjoyed it. It's like the good parts of FFXI, the good parts of WoW, and (parts? the good parts?) of Guild Wars2 put together into one game.

It's easy, which is so very not FFXI-ish. It's got those "active quests" (like GW2, I think?) where attacks just randomly happen and you can take part to make nice XP. It holds your hand like WoW does. It also "stacks" quests like WoW does, which is really handy (one quest to kill 7 of X mobs, while another quest wants you to kill 10 of those same X mobs, and what do you know! Another quest wants you to get a drop from killing that same X mob!).

I hit level 10 in archer, so I ran to the leatherworking guild (because what else would Thistle do?) ...only to find that (of course) there's something like the old G1/G2/G# system that FFXI had. No where near as hard/bad, but still a frustrating pause. The quests would have been easy as pie, but I have SERIOUS trouble with the game-maps and have a really hard time getting from one place to another. I spent an hour trying to get to where I needed for the second quest of G1, then had to log out and take a break. Of course once I got there, the quest was easy as heck.

So, finally finishing the G1 quests, I was able to open leatherworking. Would you believe it took me a good 15 minutes to figure out how the heck to synth? I googled, but of course there's little info out there right now. I finally found a video about crafting, loaded it up, glanced down at the bit of FFXIV window showing below that one, and spotted a button I hadn't seen before.

I can't say I like the crafting system. In FFXI, it was bad enough to have to hit one button for every synth, now we have to hit a button multiple times per synth? But we get XP for it, so I guess they don't want it to be too easy.

----

Rereading that post now, I can say I have fond memories of the beta testing. Fortunately or unfortunately, I was in one of my "I'm quitting WoW" periods, which means I was able to concentrate on FFXIV more than I otherwise would have. (That's also part of why I'm not very distressed at missing out on June beta, I have stuff I want to do in WoW.)

I'm unsure if I'll buy it in August or not. The graphics were amazing. I've been playing WoW for many years now and I still hate their graphics to death. I think the gameplay was better than WoW's, but WoW has RP. RP means more than most anything else. (Will FFXIV have RP? Who knows, but FFXI didn't.)

Comments

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

There was RP on some FFXI servers, but not to the extent of what it sounds like in WoW. Waaaaaaaaaaay back when I first started FFXI, I got a pearl to an RP shell, but I was really too shy to do much, and it folded pretty quickly.

I'll keep you posted as to what I end up doing with FFXIV; Cydori Silvertide will be making her return somewhere, but we're still deciding whether to stick with our Version 1.0 server or move to another one.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah! I remember being one of the few RPers in whatever LS we were in (CTY, I guess it was).

I'll be interested to hear! :D

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

As am non-gamer I have little idea of what any of the above post means?

(Although I am aware enough of the world beyond my nose that I believe WoW means World of Warcraft - no?)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yep, WoW means World of Warcraft. :) I have some gamers on my friends list, so I wanted to share my thoughts about it with them. Understandable that it makes little sense to everyone else!

[voidmagus.livejournal.com]

So, I'm in the beta...and didn't get into my account until Monday, so I missed the weekend beta session. I'm positive my computer can run the game, but the question is whether my wife's can, so if nothing else i wanted to load the game just to benchmark it.

I picked up the digital collector's edition preorder for $35 when I found it on sale somewhere. My craving to return to FFXI is crazy strong the last few months - I would've tried FFXIV the first go round but I had so much real life crap going on at the time, I didn't have free time. Now I've changed back to a 9-5 job, life at home is happy, and I've found some good quick weeknight recipes that my wife will eat (mostly indian food - Murgh Makani and various Tikka Masala with jasmati rice + peas) so more time to actually game in the evening while she watches Hannibal or Grimm or whatever.

I just remember FFXI people so fondly - RL friends got me into the game (Vashts and Meyoh are two of my best friends), and I count so many I met in FI/CTY and my endgame shells as people I'd love to spend more time with. If any of ya'll do go for the game, if someone suggests a particular server many are joining then count me in.

[voidmagus.livejournal.com]

There's a v1.0 server? Are they maintaining past ARR? Can you sign up to play in it now?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Agreed. It was the people I have such fond memories of. (Which is also why FFXI left a slightly bad taste in my mouth -- my time there ended with Beanie going batshit insane on me and tossing me out of the LS/posting a giant insane rant about me. People can make the game or break it.)

I remember the names Vashts and Meyoh! I don't recall much about them, but I do remember the names. :D

I wonder what the "Cait Sith Doll Minion" and "Mog Cap" CE bonuses look like.

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

Both lokyst and I got into the latest FFXIV beta weekend. We got to level 16 in one class each (Lancer and Pugilist) and very briefly tried out a few others (Conjurer, Thaumaturge) and some gathering (Mining, Harvesting) and crafting (Goldsmith and Carpentry).

We thoroughly enjoyed it. Far better than FFXIV 1.0 in terms of UI and gameplay, but still with the signature Final Fantasy character design and stories.

Based on our experience, we have pre-ordered one physical collector's edition and will be subscribing to the game for at least a few months. This will probably be our main MMO for the next while.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yay that's great to hear! I haven't bought the game yet, but I'm still strongly thinking about it.

Everyone who is playing for sure should decide on a server!

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

We rolled on Midgardsormr, a North American server. It's the same name as the server we originally played FFXI on.

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

Here's a pretty good review from ZAM on gathering and crafting in the latest FFXIV beta: http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=32577

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah! I don't think that server existed when I was in beta. There were only six or eight of them, all named after monsters. (I was on Coeurl.)

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think those are the JP servers. They posted an article a little while ago listing the server names for each region and which ones were intended for legacy characters and which were for new characters.

http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=c04f3593f6d9559a3c75c30887a9678758c91b95

http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=758c9a3a9f3045637d0d36f1afa1dd51085f4be3

I can't find the post with the full list of new server names but it's somewhere on the internet. ;)

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

Oh, sorry, I meant the server I was on for Version 1.0. Everything's being converted over to ARR. We're on Gungnir, but since that's going to be JP region server we're debating whether or not we want to stay there or move over to one of the NA region Legacy servers.

What I've been hearing in bits and pieces is that Legacy characters will be limited to Legacy servers for the beginning of the game. I suspect that after a bit, they'll allow them to move to the newer servers.

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

The FI folks are going to be starting on Midgardsormr, so if you don't want the chance of running into them, you may not want to start there.

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

There are pictures of the Cait Sith and Mog Cap on the official FFXIV website, I think.

I'm torn; I actually *don't* need to rebuy it because I played the first incarnation, and I actually am going to get all the Collector's Edition in-game bonus items because I had the original Collector's Edition, but part of me wants the soundtrack and the artbook and the other in-game things. :/

Also also, if you want to discuss server selection further in a more private format, drop me an e-mail (it's my FFXI character's name at gmail).

[machinegirl.livejournal.com]

I'm going to start playing the beta this weekend!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Woot! Enjoy!