Final Fantasy XIV

Is this an expansion or a new game?

It's a re-release. A version 2.0 that keeps previous player data (if available), but basically resets the way things work in game, menus, and plot. Well, I'd assume after the bad guy's plot to destroy the country/world (which obviously wasn't stopped, since these Reborn trailers, and the name itself, imply he succeeded on some level) there'd be a new story.

Beta signups now active.

Y'all know the one reason I'm giving this one another shot?

White. Mage. Chocobos. http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-19/ff14-chocobo-white-mage.html

Supposedly, you can raise a Chocobo with a class all its own that'll help in combat, which is pretty awesome.

edited 21st Feb '13 2:27:42 PM by Hashil

I wish I knew how to get into the beta...

Bitch please, Behemoth Armor Chocobos.

Registrations are still open, I think..

EDIT: Yes they still are.

edited 21st Feb '13 4:19:22 PM by dmysta3000

I did register...I think.

Just an update, the PS 3 beta goes live today and invites are being sent out as we speak. (in fact I just got mine! )

Also a PS 4 version has been confirmed to be released next year, and you can transfer your account from the PS 3 version to the PS 4 one.

Was gonna sign up for Beta, Australia isn't under the Country's drop bar.

Damn it Australia.

The NDA was partially lifted, too, so I can say some things about this.

I'm in the beta, and thus far, my favorite thing about the game is the character customization. I made the best looking black dude I ever have in an mmo. Sucker's really cute. Otherwise....

It's a lot like World Of Warcraft, but with lots of overwrought purple prose and a far more interesting art style and tone - the game tries to draw you in with cutscenes and plot, and it tides you over with it in quest intervals that are a lot easier to check in with than they were in XI. You can grind to your hearts content on FAT Es (basically public quests as in Guild Wars), or go through World of Warcarft style questing, which goes slower with all the dialogue boxes and the clunky item trading interface.

What's the combat like?

I haven't played enough in the current phase to give a proper assessment, and I'd like to try an instance or two and some party play for a feel of all of it.

Of note, the game opens with you falling through a vortex, fighting Butterfly Phantom of the Opera in a spontaneous set of your class's Job gear - classic outfits like the White Mage robe or a fittingly eastern looking monk's tunic, and being told to think, hear, and feel.... Something.

Appropriately vague and Final Fantasyish!

Edit: Nevermind. All scenes are skippable. They're kind enough to put a button that pops up in the lower right corner you have to click on when you press.... escape, I think? I believe the first one isn't because you make a few dialogue choices that probably affect some part of your experience.

edited 14th Jun '13 2:11:10 PM by Hashil

So guys, we all know of the ludicrous requirements to get FFXIV to run on good quality before ARR. Is it more likely that less super expensive computers can play the game? Or should I just stick with the PS 3 beta? Apparently Australia is now on the beta list, even though I clearly remember it not being there last time.

Just got my acceptance letter for the beta.

Also are we restricted to one character?

edited 28th Jun '13 12:04:55 AM by Chariot

Bump.

So watching some friends stream this game for the better part of a week finally wore me down enough to buy the game though I'll have to get my hands on it before deciding whether to subscribe. I figure this may be of interest to people looking for a copy since digital sales are turned off to deal with server load: If you're like me and there's not a physical boxed PC copy in a store within 100 miles of you in the US, Amazon lists it as availible although they're claiming a 2-3 week wait.

edited 11th Sep '13 2:48:40 AM by Elle

I have to say, I'm enjoying my little hour daily sessions with it. It's the first game I've played where crafting is actually pretty fun and engaging, and they treat it as as valid a choice as an adventuring class.

That they tie the inns to a special (adorable!) sleeping animation when you log out sold it for me - this thing has a ton of potential to be amazing. I just hope they follow through, but it's already very solid right now.

Its quite solid, yeah. Though I reaslly think FATE design needs to be looked at again in full. Its starting to seem like if you go to any of the fate farming zones that theres ridiculous numbers of people while everywhere else is practically abandoned.

Wither way, almost to 46 monk, soon to pickup sidequesting again.

I highly recommend anyone who has an IOS device to pick up Libra Eorzea. Its an app that will tell you were all the obscure quests are and other handy info.

Even Guild Wars 2 (which has a similar focus on environmental quests over mindless killing) has problems with a large percentage of players clustering in the most efficient XP spots.

I finally started playing, got a level 32 Paladin. I must say, this is great fun. I am huge final fantasy nerd and playing an mmo with final fantasy stuff in it is awesome. Completing a dungeon, or leveling up feels much better when you have the classic fanfare announcing it. So, I did not get a chance to play 1.0, although I heard it was really awful. Have they changed much? From the looks of it, it seems to have a completely new story. I don't think I have ever heard of any company doing what SQ did with this game. Pretty crazy.

a Lot changed, yes.

1.0 had largely the same areas (albeit they were far more flat and boring and had to be completely redesigned)

1.0 had no recipe book for crafting

1.0 combat was a bit slower and more deliberate

1.0 had almost no quests.

1.0 is set 5 years before 2.0

1.0 you didnt have market boards, your retainer hung out in an instanced room with everyone elses retainers with no easy way to search for items you wanted

1.0 was largely a obvious alpha until the 2.0 team took over and created te 1.23 patch that introduced the Circle of Knowing (Papalymo, Yda, Yshtola, Thancred, Urianger, Louisioux)

The original game was basically a prettier ff11 with less features and functionality than ff11 had.

The 2.0 version is more like an artful fusion of ff11 style with wow and GW 2 sensibilities because Yoshida is a huge nerd for MM Os

edited 12th Sep '13 5:25:31 AM by midgetsnowman

It's a little more grounded than most MM Os, which is very nice: World Of Warcraft and company are very abstract and game-y (and now World Of Warcraft is so self aware it rarely takes itself seriously), whereas 14 tries a little harder to immerse you in its world.

It also teaches you boss mechanics through solo quests throughout the story, which is fantastic design - most MMO's assume you know what's what and just leave you to it, but this one takes the time to teach you without obnoxious tutorial popups (though it has those, too, for other things.)

edited 12th Sep '13 5:48:47 AM by Hashil

Granted,m it can get really annoiying finding groups for shit like Garuda, and that'll likely only get worse as more of us clear it and never have to do normal mode Garuda again.

Ah, thank you. Wow, seems likes square pulled out all the stops. Kudos on them.

Yes, I have been noticing that too. I really like that there are instance dungeons that are a required part of the story. Still, it seems not a lot of players are learning. I have had so many dps and healers not understanding the enmity mechanic and that they should not spam craziness from the get go. I try explaining but to no avail. I never really played endgame World Of Warcraft but a lot of people on the FFXIV forum seems to be blaming it for these players performances. Something about World Of Warcraft having "faceroll" tanking or whatever that means...

edited 12th Sep '13 9:22:27 AM by GrieverVIII