Beta 3 impressions and general discussion

[popsiclestix]

The marks are pretty sweet. Even though the first dungeons are rather easy, in one the tank was doing marks and it speed everything up even more.

In phase 2, you had to be the party leader to mark targets, they kept it that way in phase 3 as well i bet? I kind of wish it was open to a designated person by the party leader. Also, when you leave dungeons, it seems like the party gets recreated, sometimes with a different party leader, and sometimes the order of members is changed. This can confuse healers.

I liked the chocobo companion that I got (good old Drumsticks), but what is with the mob linkage? I get the feeling that the level 17 monsters in the low level areas were added specifically to curtail me from using my companion. Turtles and treants linking on me while I try to kill marmots... >.>; I wish they add a specific dungeon for duoing with your chocobo. I think it could help ease people get through the 10-15 hump for a player's secondary job since you have exhausted quests, but high enough level to obtain a chocobo. It would be fun to earn gear for your chocobo, or maybe coloring.

[Jaybar]

^ It is no longer dedicated to party leader. I don't have official details but another person and I both were able to mark during an instance run.

[BerenTebogo]

It isn't party leader. I had no problem doing it when I wasn't lead.

[Tokitoki]

I have no issues with how tanking works at low levels (though I think PLD is far too linear at 50), but I think it's silly to claim MRD is more involved at that level -- everything is pretty simplistic (which, again, is fine to me). I tanked the first three dungeons' trash with Overpower spam until packs were at ~20-30% then just stood there, waiting for TP, and didn't lose hate against THMs, PGLs, or ARCs. The only abilities I used on trash other than Overpower were self-buffs.

My comment was made in the context of low level dungeons, since that's what Sath was talking about. It was also a slight exaggeration.

My DDs were attacking whatever they wanted (usually different targets) and they were going all out since the moment I engaged. In this scenario, the only way I could keep everything locked on me 100% of the time was with overuse of Flash (especially in 3+ mob pulls). It got more varied/fun later on with Rage of Halone and Shield Swipe, however.

To clarify it's not like I was doing nothing but Flash, it just felt like I had to use it too much, especially at lower levels. Thinking back on it, complaining that combat is boring at low levels is sort of stupid, I guess.

I'm glad to see the comparisons of the two tanking classes.

@solracht - I'll have to try GLA again because through Toto Rak I was able to keep hate off the randomly targeting DDs fairly easily after 2 Flashes per group (a group being at least 3 mobs). Rage of Halone just meant I could Tab through the mobs after an initial Flash and complete a part of the combo on each and I wouldn't lose hate. The mobs also died very quickly by the time Haukke Manor was the place to be so starting to generate enmity on the next mobs in the pull helped a lot I believe.

I want to get my MRD up to try out at least the first few dungeons. I just haven't had the time to play this phase so far. Fuck summers...

[Jamison]

Going through some serious withdrawl right now.

[Elcura]

I feel like PGL/MNK needs an overhaul altogether. I don't really feel like I have a choice when it comes to which moves to use for my combo string. It's always Bootshine > Twin Snakes > Snap Punch. Once I got Demolish I started alternating Snap Punch and that but I'm not entirely convinced its better DPS, which is a shame because its the first cool looking move we get. You could alternate True Strike with Twin Snakes, but Twin Snakes is only 10 less potency than True Strike and True Strikes bonus is 5% crit chance increase which is hardly significant. Don't even get me started on Arm of the Destroyer which is so weak I'm pretty sure auto attacks do more damage. In Brayfox's Longstop my auto attacks were doing 30ish while Arm was doing 18-20. The silence isn't useable whenever you want because you need Opo-Opo form bonus so the only use it would get is if the boss just so happens to be casting a spell while you just so happen to be in Opo-Opo form. But even then you have 2 Stuns you could utilize instead which also won't mess up your DPS string. Dragon Kick is stronger than Bootshine unless you auto-crit, but even then Dragon Kick gives 10% Blunt Resistance down and it can crit on its own too.

It doesn't need an overhaul at all, it just isn't the job for you. It's understandable, it probably isn't easy to grasp.

If Bootshine > Twin Snakes > Snap Punch is your only combo you're doing it wrong already. Alternating between the two is best because especially at GL2+ you can easily go a rotation with the Twin Snakes buff active and it only really comes close to running out by the time it gets in rotation again. Even so, True Strike is always going to be your strongest Raptor form move, since One Ilm Punch is more utility and Twin Snakes is just the easy/lazy option. Hell, you can easily throw in a Touch of Death or Haymaker and not run out of GL or Twin Snake buff.

Arm of the Destroyer isn't a damage move, it's an AoE silence attack, useful for getting attention and pulling stuff away from those who don't need it on them. On general enemies that cast spells the chances are you will interrupt them. It's fun to use against elementals. And it will be fun in PVP.

Dragon Kick costs more TP than Bootshine (iirc), meaning if you're using it constantly instead of alternating with Bootshine (guaranteed crit is always nice, especially with debuff). Of course, you could choose to spam Dragon Kick, Twin Snakes and never use Arm of the Destroyer at all. That's the beauty of MNK.

Sorry for the rant. I do find the game enjoyable if only for the boss encounters, it's just the general combat needs work to feel more rewarding. I want to feel like a MNK or a DRG while smacking a target around not just a Melee DoT.

DPS is pretty much just another way of saying melee DoT.

[Gulkeeva]

Going through some serious withdrawl right now.

same here, but its good enough excuse to update the ffxi/ffxiv imageboard.... since I pretty much eat/sleep/breath ffxiv while its up O_o

[Ratatapa]

For those who played with low lv jobs in beta 3, how important gear stats are compared to 1.0

Aka I hate lancer but i need to lv it from 18-33 for PGL SJ, would i be able to do it, (without too much trouble) if i keep an up to date weapon and just use spiritbond gear?

[Raldo]

For those who played with low lv jobs in beta 3, how important gear stats are compared to 1.0

Aka I hate lancer but i need to lv it from 18-33 for PGL SJ, would i be able to do it, (without too much trouble) if i keep an up to date weapon and just use spiritbond gear?

Well, armor is only useful if you're getting hit. I can't speak for the class quests, but if you're doing LNC in dungeons, you should be fine even if you were naked. The minor combat stats on armor at low levels isn't worth much.

[Amiricle]

Well, just as a touch point comparing my char at level 15 quests/dungeons the 1st weekend phase 3 and my legacy char last weekend at level 15 quests/satasha. My 1st test char had full set level 15 quested / npc gear, my legacy all dated - no stats, just defence. The legacy char took, on average 2 more spells(THM) to kill the same stuff till I got gear with +stats.

[Amiricle]

Well, just as a touch point comparing my char at level 15 quests/dungeons the 1st weekend phase 3 and my legacy char last weekend at level 15 quests/satasha. My 1st test char had full set level 15 quested / npc gear, my legacy all dated - no stats, just defence. The legacy char took, on average 2 more spells(THM) to kill the same stuff till I got gear with +stats.

Edit: there was also a racial difference and I forgot to spend bonus stats as well. Lol

[Gulkeeva]

For those who played with low lv jobs in beta 3, how important gear stats are compared to 1.0

Aka I hate lancer but i need to lv it from 18-33 for PGL SJ, would i be able to do it, (without too much trouble) if i keep an up to date weapon and just use spiritbond gear?

Gear stats themselves don't seem to amount to "too much" till around lv 30+ then it becomes somewhat noticeable between dungeon gear and crap stuff you get from quests/npc's.

The weapon, is the most noticeable difference though.

Randomly, I was playing around with Fire III on my THm outside hatali geared + naked (don't ask why).

Fire III on a Lv19ish earth elemental naked was about 200-220ish (2 umbral fire) with no gear and about 260-280 with gear (all my gear is pretty much either pink/green quality Lv 30+)

[Niiro]

geared + naked (don't ask why).

I don't think anyone really needs to.

[LD]

Gulk is everyone's favorite and is awesome is why.

[Hyan]

Or have TP not auto regenerate during battle and be based off of auto-attacks. Then turn skill speed into Haste (which is already a status effect that some monsters use ie. Spriggans) and have it affect auto attack speed as well. That way auto attack has a purpose besides just bonus DoT while you are spamming skills and would fix skill speed being a detriment instead of a boon.

Fuck this, really. I like having to manage a constant and predictable resource instead of having to deal with bullshit like the auto-attack missing.

Auto-attack doesn't need a purpose besides DoT.

Also I don't really get that people are saying having to manage a resource is bad? What's the point of TP if you can't run out of it? However there needs to be an active component to regaining TP instead of doing nothing, I agree.

[Kachiko]

Not really sure why they didn't just make Limit Breakers for each individual job and make it so that your spell/ability uses charged your TP, just like most every other FF game. Combat stays the same and you get your meaningful use out of your TP bar, and you get rid of the goofy party Limit Break.

[Deuce]

Fuck this, really. I like having to manage a constant and predictable resource instead of having to deal with bullshit like the auto-attack missing.

Auto-attack doesn't need a purpose besides DoT.

Also I don't really get that people are saying having to manage a resource is bad? What's the point of TP if you can't run out of it? However there needs to be an active component to regaining TP instead of doing nothing, I agree.

You can certainly run out of TP in a fight and while it might regenerate over time it isn't instantaneous.

It is true that TP works far differently in XIV than it did in XI, but you shouldn't mistake the change in the way TP is gained as a removal of the resource management component. In FFXI, TP usage was dictated by the desire to put out the highest DPS possible in every fight. This severely limited what melee classes could do with their TP and because of this players would always choose the weaponskill which did the most damage. Essentially the battle system of XI forced players to use the same weaponskills over and over to achieve the best results, hence in today's market FFXI's combat is considered dated and boring. I would also argue that it is highly one dimensional. FFXIV also used a similar TP management system, but added one additional component through the use of combos; however, the system was still pretty flat and boring at its core.

As for A Realm Reborn the reversal of TP from being a resource that is gained through auto attacks to one that is granted at the start of battle creates a more dynamic battle system with room for expansion and I'll tell you why. By being given TP at the start of a fight players are granted more choices with how to approach a fight. In XI the beginning of battles were often limited to the same process of allowing the tank to generate enmity before allowing the other melees into the fight. This forced players to play a particular way and therefore created a steep learning curve at the beginning of endgame.

The new system allows for a greater number of choices to approach a fight. Players can choose whether or not they want to deplete all of their TP at the start to deal massive damage initially or use it more economically for the longer fights. This aspect also grants the development team a wider range of design choices. For instance, under the old system most fights were limited in design because of the need to establish TP before doing significant damage. Many fights were simple: fight this one boss, which is cool, I guess. However, under the new system, boss fights can be created so that players must do significant damage to survive in the first place through the use of thresholds, timed actions, or even additional monsters. A lone boss can become a boss with several adds that need to be killed quickly at the start of a fight. Essentially dungeons can become more complex because the new system allows for it.

I'd also like to mention that players in XI were practically wanting a battle system that granted you TP at the start of a fight. The use of Samurai, meditate, TP building, TP burns, and so on were all over the endgame in XI by 2007. Players had created that aspect of endgame because the dev team provided just a few abilities for players to utilize and I'd argue that FFXI benefited greatly from it. Unfortunately, for many players this meant meeting the status quo, which was limited to SAMs out the ass and SAM subjobs galore. I might even go so far as to argue that this aspect is what made PvP in FFXI a joke.

In the new system, all players, regardless of job are granted the ability to gain TP before a fight and choose how they wish to utilize it, so long as the development team provides players with plenty of choice. I'm glad that TP is the way it is in ARR, because fuck FFXI's limiting battle system, which promoted elitism to the thousandth degree. At least with ARR I can expect players to be a little more dynamic and interesting with the way they play.

[SK_FFXI]

Regardless of what you think of FFXIV, the transparency and responsiveness from the developers shows a ton of promise.

Just only read this now http://forum.square-enix.com/ARR-Tes...A-Realm-Reborn

Really pleased with SE atm

[Rocl]

Not sure where to put:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ARR-Tes...629#post814629

Dates and Times
June 28, 2013 (Friday), 2:00 a.m. to June 30 (Sunday), 2:00 a.m. (PDT)
June 28, 2013 (Friday), 9:00 a.m. to June 30 (Sunday), 9:00 a.m. (GMT)

Testing Requests
Transferring character data from Version 1.0
* Please see below for further details.
Basic functions of the PlayStation 3 version
Check for server stress due to battle system revisions
Verify changes based on all feedback up to beta test phase 2
In the event that testers are asked to test additional content, separate notifications will be sent.

Issues causing the PlayStation 3 to crash as well as error 90000 have been made a top priority. As we continue to investigate the source of these issues, any bugs encountered during this weekend's testing will be addressed on an ongoing basis.

Although testing of the duty finder was scheduled for Test 3, final QA checks of the system are still in progress. Stress testing of the duty finder will be conducted during Test 4 at the earliest.

We deeply apologize for the delay of duty finder testing, and ask for your continued cooperation.

[Kainos]

Going through some serious withdrawl right now.

^^phase 3 needs to get all the way the fuck outta here already. I was sold the first weekend, just take my money and give me the game