Letter from the Producer, XXX (06/21/2012)

[Lucavi]

I'll do you one better, Sephiroth. As much of a Yoshi-P homer as I am (or could reasonably be after the stream of failure emanating from SE recently), I'm leaving it until Closed Beta 2 to determine the worth of the upcoming game. Its not enough to test a product that a company has delivered to us; anyone can serve their product to someone. Its an entirely different thing to take heed of the comments and suggestions that players have submitted across the alpha and CB1 stages of testing, to sort through them, and to properly implement or attempt to implement them and ask for additional feedback.

The biggest reason that many people like myself lost faith in XIV so quickly was the complete and utter lack of changes that the company made to the game, based on our testing and feedback, and we offered plenty of it. After playing GW2's CB1 and CB2, I was amazed at just how much stuff they modified or changed in response to a few thousand people testing their stuff. Things that they didn't change, they explained why it had to remain as such, but there was enough life injected into the CB2 that many people felt relieved that the product was going to be A-OK at launch, since it seemed like the devs were making an active attempt at making sure that everything was/is refined.

We got like, what, 2, 3 changes in all of the betas for XIV? The battle speed/stamina change, and some gear adjustments. I can't think of too much else off-hand, but it was awhile ago. You can help me out in that department, I'm sure.

With that said, I have a feeling its going to be closer to my experience with GW2 this time around. Yoshi-P sounds and seems like a guy who isn't afraid of working and isn't afraid of listening. A dev can listen without changing everything and still make a consumer feel happy and acknowledged, and I feel like Yoshi will be that kind of dev, and you really can't ask for anything else from a dev.

[Egon]

I could be wrong, but I think nothing changed in FF14 beta was because the engine and the servers couldn't handle it. Everything Yoshi has given is actually pretty simple stuff, like serving a piece of cake on a plate made of poo, the engine and servers being the poo. SE knew a new engine had to be made in order to save face, which is why it had never been done before.

My biggest complaint with the game currently is no real AH and lag. I have an OC'ed i7 and a 7970 and the game maxes out my card to 99%. No other game out there does this. Only a new engine can fix these issues.

[Lucavi]

Why would you design a modern/future-era MMO with that kind of oversight? What were you doing in the years spent in production? I'm not giving one of the biggest companies on the planet a free pass on stuff like that. If Tiny Tim AKA Arenanet can pull this shit out, why could SE, the juggernaut that's been around for eons, not do something half similar?

The game didn't need a full engine re-balancing, but Christ, it was like they designed a Model T engine for a 2012 Mustang, then scratched their heads when people asked for changes.

[Kurokikaze]

When people ask for reasonable shit like the following:

- Changing graphics settings within the game so you can fine tune better.
- Invite/Kick/Promote/Demote players in LS without them being right next to you.

and your response is "We're unable to do that because of server/engine difficulties."... I think theres no other way around it.

[Lucavi]

Their response should have been "We're unable to do that because we've never done it before", because that was the reality.

[Spider-Dan]

I'll do you one better, Sephiroth. As much of a Yoshi-P homer as I am (or could reasonably be after the stream of failure emanating from SE recently), I'm leaving it until Closed Beta 2 to determine the worth of the upcoming game.

Weren't you just bragging about how you supposedly predicted (by CB2) that retail XIV 1.0 would be unfixably broken? Given that that didn't actually stop you from buying and playing the game, what will it actually mean if you declare (upon playing 2.0 CB2) that the game is worthless? Does that mean that you'll only subscribe for a few months, or perhaps that you will only spend one more year talking about it in forums?

[Lucavi]

Yes, I was the one, and yes, I was right. How do you think I got into the beta, SD? It wasn't by having a God rig and getting lucky, if that's what you're thinking. The game flopping wouldn't stop me from buying it, because most every flop of a game not only has a few good months in it (and considering I didn't have to pay for a monthly sub for the entire span of my playtime, I wasn't sweating the purchase), but because, much like with voting, if you don't do your best to support a game's launch through purchase, you really have no leg to stand on when it comes time to bash it post-launch. Because I bought it, and because I supported it when there was still time for things to change, I feel perfectly justified in pointing out its flaws after the fact, just like I pointed them out during the fact.

It wasn't a matter of getting suckered like with some games, where they promise you one thing and you get another. No, we got exactly what we had been getting all throughout beta. What myself and many others did, however, was hope that a game created in a genre of multiple patches and fixes, would effectively trim the fat and correct itself. Our hopes were misplaced, for sure, as fixes came, but far after the majority moved on to greener pastures. This is neither here nor there, however.

What does it matter to you how long I'll subscribe to 2.0? Are you that tired of seeing me in your own personal XIV section, SD? I'm so sorry for your pain. Truly, truly I am. Its somewhat ironic that, while you've gleefully given SE your money to support the product's funding, you've given them nothing into what they actually needed to fix a sinking ship; realistic solutions. On and on you've prattled about how the game could thrive by sticking to the way things went, and you were wrong. Is 1.0 thriving, SD? Is it? Please answer me. Now you've come down with a severe case of butthurt because the game tanked so swiftly and so painfully that its had to be fully remade from the ground up.

Well, tough tits, SD. I plan on rolling with 2.0 the same way I rolled with *snort* 1.0. Is that what you're calling it? 1.0, as if it was some extended paid beta test instead of a real, tangible product? At any rate, I'll give 2.0 a chance, just like I gave 1.0 a chance, and I'll post in the XIV section for 2.0 just like I did - and still do - with 1.0. If it burns you up, get over it.

[Spider-Dan]

The game flopping wouldn't stop me from buying it, because most every flop of a game not only has a few good months in it (and considering I didn't have to pay for a monthly sub for the entire span of my playtime, I wasn't sweating the purchase), but because, much like with voting, if you don't do your best to support a game's launch through purchase, you really have no leg to stand on when it comes time to bash it post-launch. Because I bought it, and because I supported it when there was still time for things to change, I feel perfectly justified in pointing out its flaws after the fact, just like I pointed them out during the fact.

It wasn't a matter of getting suckered like with some games, where they promise you one thing and you get another. No, we got exactly what we had been getting all throughout beta. What myself and many others did, however, was hope that a game created in a genre of multiple patches and fixes, would effectively trim the fat and correct itself. Our hopes were misplaced, for sure, as fixes came, but far after the majority moved on to greener pastures.

So wait... when other people hoped that XIV would be fixed based on feedback from the beta, and bought the game based on that hope, well, they were just deluded morons who couldn't read the writing on the wall, and you are deservedly gloating over their foolish beliefs in the face of your prediction to the contrary.

You, however, possessing the shrewd foresight to know better... went ahead and bought the game anyway. Was it because you wanted to be one of the cool kids and declare an upcoming product to be a failure even as you slavishly buy it anyway? No, no... it's because if you didn't buy this garbage product, well, then you couldn't fairly complain about it! Yeah, that's the ticket.

Because simply electing to not buy this Clearly Doomed game and doing something else instead... well, what kind of option is that? Buying XIV is just like voting: if you don't buy it, then... well, something bad happens. But it's like voting.

A totally plausible excuse, good sir. Well played.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Is this gonna turn into some new three page flame war only mildly related to the actual content of the OP? I just wanna know so I can prepare the proper amount of popcorn this time.

[Lucavi]

Shut. The fuck. Up. SD. Get over it. 1.0 sucked. Lets hope 2.0 is better. You're crazy if you think 2.0 can be better sticking to nothing but FF designs in a MMO.

End of story. Move on. I'm not even reading your post above.

[Spider-Dan]

I don't think I've ever seen someone declare that He Is Not Reading A Post, even as he still feels compelled to reply to it.

Maybe I agreed with your extremely well-crafted argument! I guess it'll be an eternal mystery, seeing as how You Are Not Reading It. But seriously, what are you, 5? You just did the rhetorical equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting, as if that magically means that I never really pointed out your rank hypocrisy because you scrolled past it.

Bottom line: you don't get to crow about how smart you were in predicting the failure of XIV before its release when you still bought the game anyway. So please STFU with that noise.

[shepardG]

I'll behonest, game is pretty fun now... i can understand though, that if you've been playing for the past 2 years, your probalby bored... however, having just came back, my plate is full, got gld 50, mrd 32, miner 20, got my 2 mounts, got all my Pld gear! almost got seargent rank in GC quests, and can't wait to start actually running instances on a regular.

I will have a relic this game.... I WILL HAVE A FUCKING RELIC.

*(80+ pieces of 100 sitting on my ffxi toon.... will not re-sub to finish it)

[Achitophel]

I'll behonest, game is pretty fun now... i can understand though, that if you've been playing for the past 2 years, your probalby bored... however, having just came back, my plate is full

Agreed. Playing casually (won't log in a for a week, then will spend a whole weekend on) is part of it for me, and barely knowing anyone on the server is another, but MAN, there's been no shortage of shit for me to do for the past few months.

[xopher]

Yeah I can't put a finger on why it's better, but I have been addicted the past couple of weeks.

[Xanthe]

I've been playing somewhat regularly (as time permits) for the past couple of weeks now. Nearly every day I've played I've been able to accomplish something, be it grinding out a set of guildleves for exp on DoW/M or DoH, completing quests, or hunting for missable achievements prior to 2.0. Thanks to some advice in another thread and from LS members I was able to complete the Been There, Done That achievement solo on DRG (and thankfully no bugged drakes)! It's nice to be able to accomplish things on a regular basis.

That said, I do wish that Hamlet Defense wasn't so skewed towards DoH/L, as it's something I'd love to be able to participate in now. I'll just have to keep working on my DoH classes for now.

[Churchill]

Some of the Aetheryte's are impossible to get to. I had more obtained on my other character before they added in Lv99 mobs in every zone around every teleport.

Which achievements besides those will be/may be going away?

[rezn0r]

i actually wanted to ask that, are some literally impossible to get to without having a group to sacrifice themselves for each other? i spent 2 days last month getting what i could (was actually fun for me, i used to love just wandering around new zones in XI) but i think i'm only at about 80% or so.

[TacoTaru]

Some are hard to get to, but none are impossible and all can be got with two people. I'm pretty sure there are people who have soloed all of them as well.

[Raldo]

There's been no official list given for what's going to disappear, though it has been asked and Yoshi-P said he'd like to cook up a list sometimes soon.

You can get to all the Aetheryte's solo, however some will take a lot of patience and/or luck. Having Hallowed Ground (15s, no damage) and knowing what monsters you can walk by without aggro really helps.

[Odin'sLaw]

i'm stuck trying to get to Scorpion keep all the hall ways leading to it are filled with bombs