Worth playing now?

[Hyan]

I've played over a dozen mmos so don't worry your face much.

Yet you still find "fun" in something like RoM?

Fascinating. I wish I never got bored of the same shitty gameplay either. I'm a bit jealous now.

[Grey Jorildyn]

I don't play RoM btw. I did so for like a week and moved on. Maybe you missed that.

That said, everyone experiences fun in their own unique way. If the way someone experiences it differs from yours that doesn't make it wrong. But if you assume that, which seems to be so, then you are a fool.

[Meko]

After playing RIFT in beta and even playing FF14 in it's current state, the one glaring thing that stands out to me above all else is that RIFT feels like a world. It feels open and free whereas FF14 certainly feels like a series of tunnels and walk ways that are controlled by invisible walls and 1 foot ledges. I'm hopeful for a big change this month with the "miracle patch" but I'm also doubtful it will matter as RIFT will certainly grab some of the new playerbase and with Cata/WoW, people are going to be busy.

[Riposte]

Flame Wars pt 2

[Lucavi]

Character progress isn't all about having fun, you have to grind a bunch of levels after all but i think there's much fun to be had grinding with friends or just random people. If you waited a year or so to progress your character then you will be left behind struggling to catch up with the more established players.

All of those things will already be improved with the upcoming version updates, it won't take 2 years long.

I believe that the heart of every mmorpg is endgame because that's where the majority of group content in these games are located at. Mmorpg titles get more and more endgame content as time goes by so if say 2 years time have passed then final fantasy 14 will have alot of endgame content for both casual and hardcore players. Also, the level cap may rise, there's more items to craft, more resources to gather, more classes, new weaponskills, new magic spells, more badass weapons and armor. Things that directly affect endgame are also important and they get better as time goes by. Everything before endgame is pure preperation for endgame, it's not supposed to be fun (although it can be at times) but i can guarantee you that it's absolutely rewarding.

1) Things continue to get easier with subsequent patches. I don't think it'll be as hard as you make it out to be to "catch up" to anyone. Its easier to grind early levels now, and by the time that SE actually has some end-game content ready, it'll be easier to grind high levels.

2) So why not wait until then, when you have a chance at having fun, instead of playing now, when you aren't (this is operating under the assumption that the player is not currently having fun; simply for the sake of "not falling behind).

3) So... again, why not wait until the content actually exists before paying them? Everything you say sounds lovely, but none of that currently exists.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Not sure I agree there but that's not really important. I feel the central point is that leveling to rank 50 is an empty goal because there is no end game.

In response to the quoted poster, end game may be at the heart, but a game doesn't need to only have end game content. There are 49 other levels we could have content for. SE has a knack for having players grind til end game. That's how XI began and that seems to be their goals here. It's fairly ridiculous and very misguided. Imo it's a lot of wasted levels just grinding away at levels with the only ever accomplishments achieved are the next level.

This is very apparent as they've tied everything into level/rank in some way. It's very plain.

[Hyan]

That's how XI began and that seems to be their goals here.

Based on.. what exactly? That rank 50 guildleves haven't even been implemented? That there is nothing at all to do?

Although, your XI comment doesn't make much sense either. There were always milestones to reach, with 60-75 being the worst levels. XIV has no such things, or if it does, it doesn't mean anything.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Guildleves are a sad excuse for contents, let's just be real about it alright?

And milestones in XI prior to end game? Please. Maybe nowadays but pre-ToAU days, not really. There were missions to unlock areas which were just an "opportunity" to do new content. But even with CoP, the only real content came at the end of the line. Same with sky, sea, etc. It got better thereafter.

[clobetasol]

To the OP, i wouldnt play till atleast this months patch. if its good try it, if not just put it on the back burner till march

[Hyan]

Guildleves are a sad excuse for contents, let's just be real about it alright?

Yeah, I'm just asking how you came to the conclusion that SE is ignoring low-midgame for endgame when they have done the complete opposite as far as guildleves go. Explain.

And milestones in XI prior to end game? Please. Maybe nowadays but pre-ToAU days, not really. There were missions to unlock areas which were just an "opportunity" to do new content. But even with CoP, the only real content came at the end of the line. Same with sky, sea, etc. It got better thereafter.

Yes, milestones. 18 subjob quest, 20 chocobo 25 2-3 dragon & kazham keys, 30 advanced jobs, 40~ airship pass + AF1, 50~ AF2-3 and Shadow lord + start of RoTZ, genkais.

Not to mention 10 valkurm, 18~ Jeuno, et cetera.

[Riposte]

Guildleves, alongside behest, are a pretty good base for content. Something akin to Fields of Valor, but it took FFXI years and years before something like that came along. They are mostly for exp though. We will see how faction(and NM) leves develop from here.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Sure, if you wanna call those milestones, I'll agree.

I tend to think of those as just what every person does and isn't really special in any way. SJ is just what you did at 18, choco quest is just what you did at 20, etc. Nothing really milestone-worthy about imo, but point taken.

XIV on the other hand has none of those things. Levequests are garbage timesinks.

The way this game is designed is entirely around combat. As such, imo, they've severely limited true character progression. If this is what they're going for, fine, but I don't think it's worth playing until that progression becomes far less painful.

[notorious bum]

gonna agree with Hyan on this one. When I started FFXI I actually had some sort of goal all the way until 60 atleast. Then, it becomes more of the usual endgame grind.

In FFXIV, its purely grind your ass off solo with the flavor of guildleve grind thrown in; this is ridiculous for 50 levels.

[Hyan]

The way this game is designed is entirely around combat. As such, imo, they've severely limited true character progression. If this is what they're going for, fine, but I don't think it's worth playing until that progression becomes far less painful.

I don't understand what you're trying to say here? What is the alternative?

In FFXIV, its purely grind your ass off solo with the flavor of guildleve grind thrown in; this is ridiculous for 50 levels.

Exactly... not worth it.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Just what the second quote is--that having the only way to get to 50 is purely grinding is dumb. Read between lines

Here's an alternate idea: quests that have me talk and have only minimal combat if any that send me running around and put me in a story. A possible reward: a books of sword learnings that gives me 5k sp, or some amount worth the time i spent doing the quest. Anything that isn't tied into a frickin aethryte ffs!

[Riposte]

I imagine there is potential for non-combat quests with Parley. But apparently that system isn't liked much. Haven't been able to try it out myself, yet.

[Carraway]

I parleyed my way through the majority of the main storyline. It's dumb.

[Hyan]

The addition of new battle content:
>>The addition of item exchange quests

...I guess that's parley? Didn't strike me as battle content but I guess it's designed for everyone to do.

[Grey Jorildyn]

One can hope. Bringing back guild daily quests would be good too. Another way to get guildmarks that isn
totally random and secretive would be nice for crafters too.

[miokomioko]

The only milestones that exist right now are:

8-mission 15-mission 20-mission+classquest 26-mission 30-classquest 34-mission 36-classquest 42-mission 46-mission

It's currently pretty poop because none of those "milestones" actually give you anything besides gil, guild marks, and access to purchase abilities. When content like Chocobos, Airships, Ishgard, Ala Mhigo, etc. are opened up, their rank-requirements will probably look something like XI's milestone spread and it will be exciting nearing those levels and give more meaning to grinding. Right now my only incentive to go rank up my Pugilist is to hit 30 and spend 10,000 fuckin' guild marks on an ability... to use as I grind it further. If hitting 30 meant I could ride airships between the 3 cities and 40 meant I would get inside Ishgard's gates, I'd be punching coblyns right now along side the 500 other people inside Nanawa Mines.

Instead, I'm taking my time because, as it was said, 50 is a hollow goal which only holds the meaning that you... ranked up to the cap. I'm not sure who's expecting anything else at this point other than e-peen. However, it doesn't mean the game isn't worth playing at all if you can deal with the few frustrating bits as tangible new stuff is nearing. (I'm sure "few" will be argued).