Official global alpha start date: November 28th.

[Spira]

going by all thats been said, there's more than enough content thats required for an alpha. and if you extrapolate what is currently available and add what we know will be present in the actual release of the game, it definitely doesn't have a lack of content to peruse.

things to note.
1. the number of quests will be at least triple that of what you see now because of 2 other starter towns.
2. guild specific quests
3. FATE
4. more regional dungeons
5. story missions
6. leves

and this is not considering whatever other systems they might bring back for ARR. one would think behest, hamlets and skirmishes would return in some form. also bahamut's labyrinth and crystal tower.

[drwaffles]

What kind of dynamic were you thinking of that would be suitable to make it more interesting? Is there something you had in mind to make it less boring?

No, but I don't see why I have to have a brilliant alternative to hand in order to make the assertion that the current combat system is boring. If you want an example, TERA's combat system is much more interesting. It's just a shame that game was fucking awful in almost every other respect.

I mean, this isn't at all everything that is available, but I'm trying to imagine that it'll be more interesting when you have a dozen or so more skills to work with.

Which I already acknowledged. My first post wasn't me complaining - it was in response to someone asking if we could talk about Alpha yet, to which I responded that there wasn't much to talk about.

[Gokulo]

behest, hamlets and skirmishes would return in some form

Behest, hamlets and chocobo escorts fall under FATE in ARR. But yeah, Skirmish might be back in some form too.

As for TERA. Its novelty ran out pretty fast for me, after that the battle system actually annoyed me because the great "action" game has such horrible animation locks ;< In that respect, ARR is already a ton better for me.

[LD]

No, but I don't see why I have to have a brilliant alternative to hand in order to make the assertion that the current combat system is boring. If you want an example, TERA's combat system is much more interesting. It's just a shame that game was fucking awful in almost every other respect.



Which I already acknowledged. My first post wasn't me complaining - it was in response to someone asking if we could talk about Alpha yet, to which I responded that there wasn't much to talk about.

In game design, it's actually preferred that feedback is only what specifically bothered the player or what they enjoyed, leaving out as much of their opinion on how it could be improved as possible. This is for a couple of reasons, the big one being that if you're saying "Do this." you're assuming the devs HAVEN'T ALREADY THOUGHT OF THAT and shot it down in development for a specific reason.

[Rionel]

No, but I don't see why I have to have a brilliant alternative to hand in order to make the assertion that the current combat system is boring. If you want an example, TERA's combat system is much more interesting. It's just a shame that game was fucking awful in almost every other respect.



Which I already acknowledged. My first post wasn't me complaining - it was in response to someone asking if we could talk about Alpha yet, to which I responded that there wasn't much to talk about.

I guess I was hoping for potential solutions. Isn't that the best way to try and approach these things? Or perhaps well thought out and intelligent solutions would be a better wording... the OF seems to be brimming with various "solutions".

I just hope things turn out for the better. Sometimes it just really worries me.

[Kelenae]

Obviously there needs to be 10 years worth of content like wow in a Alpha.. whats more to ask?

[xopher]

Spoiler: show

http://www.sascha-tausend.de/FFXIV2.0/FFXIV_2.png

"That UI is totally photoshopped"
suckithaters.gif

So, it's impossible to create a mock-up first and then actually create something to match it?

It was me who said the UI was photoshopped on that image months ago, and there are reasons why I said it.

[ksamim]

So, it's impossible to create a mock-up first and then actually create something to match it?

It was me who said the UI was photoshopped on that image months ago, and there are reasons why I said it.

It was pretty obviously photoshopped too. But, as you said, it's pretty industry-standard to do a mockup first. They did adhere to it pretty well, FWIW.

[Elcura]

It's not like people in the games industry use Photoshop....................

Right?

[Madeline]

lol is there really about to be another shooped tirade?

[Dirge]

Is there any other game that offers interesting gameplay in early levels, let alone in alpha stage? Im curious to know

[Cichy]

not that I can think of

[Rakisho]

TERAs gameplay was pretty interesting starting at level 20ish soloing BAMs and stuff. FFXIs gameplay sucked through the entire game, WoWs became fun at endgame because that's when you actually had to press more than 2 buttons (well some classes still got away with it). I guess Rift was also good pretty early. That's pretty much what I can come up with.

As for alpha, no idea, never played any game in alpha stage.

[Sup3rB4d]

Rift has really good "gameplay" 1-10 before it turns into the boring filler questing.

[Elcura]

I don't think TERA is fun in the early levels at all. Considering how much your character changes at 60 the earlier levels are a really poor representation of what you can do. Most of the time, you have to wait until level 16-26 for the skill that makes your class worth it and makes it play how it should've played from the start.

Then again, rarely any RPGs are good from the start, they all show potential but it's only ever the endgame that truly shows you what the battle system is capable of. Even games like Tales, Kingdom Hearts and Star Ocean are shitty when you just start compared to how crazy stuff gets at the end. It's just the way the genre is.

[Rakisho]

There is no game that can throw 20 useful skills at you from lvl 1 and make lvling up still be interesting. I wouldn't read too much into any of it.

[Lucavi]

GW2 kinda does, but it tapers off in that you very rarely receive any additional skills once you hit level 20; you get elites at 30, but more often than not, they aren't skills that radically change the way you play.

By level 30, I think, any RPG (MMO or otherwise) should have given you enough toys to play with that you're feeling strong, but can still expect to feel even stronger with new abilities. WoW did a fairly decent job at it considering when the game came out, and despite the fact that much of the skill training consisted of yet another tier of firebolt spell.

Good gear, regardless of a plethora or lack of abilities, typically masks any feelings of skill-based inadequacies, as seeing big numbers pop up and 3-shotting mobs always leads to a short-term contact high of satisfaction.

[Alkimi]

Is there any other game that offers interesting gameplay in early levels, let alone in alpha stage? Im curious to know

Aion had a lot of content for low-mid levels, especially from 25+ with the abyss/pvp etc. but that game is such a godawful grind that it needed it or people would go insane.

[drwaffles]

I guess I was hoping for potential solutions. Isn't that the best way to try and approach these things? Or perhaps well thought out and intelligent solutions would be a better wording... the OF seems to be brimming with various "solutions".

I just hope things turn out for the better. Sometimes it just really worries me.

As another poster said, having testers spout their own solutions to problems isn't usually a great idea. As you acknowledge in your post, just look at the state of the Alpha forum. I think it's more constructive to say 'I think the combat is boring' than to say 'I think the combat is boring please make it more like XI' or something equally inane.

[drwaffles]

Edit: double