Itemization: To shit is situational or to not shit is situational

[Ratatapa]

Pretty sure it's one of those "coming in update 2.1" things. It's certainly not listed on the roadmap.

Um Housing beta is P4 and it's on the roadmap

[solracht]

Free company housing is, but not player housing

[Grey Jorildyn]

My thought on that quote is they should be careful of making blanket statements and promises. There's no way to guarantee players won't consume new content in 90 before new stuff hits. No if they said "the average player" or "the casual player" then that works. They could ease our minds by declaring there will be normal/hard/extreme modes per dungeons to make that statement more believable.

SE's marketing and PR have to leave as little room possible for bitching and complaining from the playerbase. Yes statements need context, and they also need to be intelligently worded. We all 'know' how fickle this community is and they should understand that by now too.

[Lucavi]

Free company housing is, but not player housing

Man, while we're here, please explain the difference between a linkshell and a free company. You can chat in both, right? One just gets shit done while the other is for communication?

[Raldo]

Linkshells are strictly chat channels. You can hold a maximum of 8 of these.

Free companies are chat channels with benefits (do they actually come with their own chat channel? I never joined one in the beta). Points and housing and other cool stuffs. You can only be registered to one of these. The game even tells you when fellow FC members log in and log out.

[Niiro]

XIV is already throwing every possible Final Fantasy-ism at players in a desperate bid to sell the game to fans and that will be its selling point. It's a WoW-ish game with Chocobos, Moogles, an Empire, Airships, some dude named Cid, Limit Breaks, Buster Swords, Ifrit, Magitek and what looks in the future to be a shitstew of cameos. I'm sure somehow the game will get a battle versus Sephiroth in somehow.

Not terribly related to the discussion at hand but all of these things scare the shit out of me. I'm in the group of people that think nostalgia should be subtle and spread thin, not a main draw or used as a blunt object.

I was disappointed when jobs were announced way back when, I was looking forward to LNC/MRD/THM/etc AF and story, I had my fill of playing dress up as old characters in XI. Long before XIV 1.0 was even released I was excited by the prospect of playing completely new classes and that we weren't going to be using the same jobs again with the same styles, the same themes, the same roles, and the same lore.

As a company SE has been riding on "nostalgia" for too long, and I hated to see them seemingly fall back on it so hard when 1.0 bombed and apparently intend to double down on it in ARR.

[solracht]

Man, while we're here, please explain the difference between a linkshell and a free company. You can chat in both, right? One just gets shit done while the other is for communication?

FCs are Warcraft guilds, LSs are chat channels

We don't know wtf FCs offer besides housing and FC-wide buffs (an exp boost was mentioned in an interview) but there's a greyed out "Trait" tab and a "Journal" tab. Maybe they'll have levels with unlockable perks?

[Lucavi]

Thanks guys.

[Sigmakan]

Linkshells are strictly chat channels. You can hold a maximum of 8 of these.

Free companies are chat channels with benefits (do they actually come with their own chat channel? I never joined one in the beta). Points and housing and other cool stuffs. You can only be registered to one of these. The game even tells you when fellow FC members log in and log out.

Yes, can chat with /fc or alt+F

[Spider-Dan]

To be fair, LSes have always been chat channels in FF, right?

FC adds stuff like a shared safe and shared housing.

[Lucavi]

Yeah, they have, its just that most MMOs just wrap guilds/linkshells/companies all together: you form a guild and get to do all the fancy shit involved in one. They probably will, but I hope they separate the colors of LS text and FC text.

[solracht]

The colors are already different and both can be customized.

[Reve]

Not terribly related to the discussion at hand but all of these things scare the shit out of me. I'm in the group of people that think nostalgia should be subtle and spread thin, not a main draw or used as a blunt object.

I was disappointed when jobs were announced way back when, I was looking forward to LNC/MRD/THM/etc AF and story, I had my fill of playing dress up as old characters in XI. Long before XIV 1.0 was even released I was excited by the prospect of playing completely new classes and that we weren't going to be using the same jobs again with the same styles, the same themes, the same roles, and the same lore.

As a company SE has been riding on "nostalgia" for too long, and I hated to see them seemingly fall back on it so hard when 1.0 bombed and apparently intend to double down on it in ARR.

I felt the classes were the worst part. I still wish they'd ditch them. I mean most classes always fill an archetype: tank, weapon based dd, healer, dd mage, rouge, buff, debuff. You'll have some hybrids and maybe a token one thrown in depending on the game's context, but they'll all essentially the same archetype. If you're gong to make a healer class in a FF-game why go through the trouble of renaming it, when it's essentially a WHM? I've always loved the job system. I'll be happy if they can incorporate 20+ jobs from previous series.

I think the nostalgia is the best path to take, especially for a MMORPG. If they allow themselves to scan the archives, they've opened up a wellspring of content. A game can't be completely nostaglic, but the novelty can come in the story or re-purposing nostalgia from the NES or SNES FF-games into a current system.

[Grey Jorildyn]

I'm pretty sure they already do. Linkshells also have a number next to them in chat and FC do not.

[Spider-Dan]

I felt the classes were the worst part. I still wish they'd ditch them. I mean most classes always fill an archetype: tank, weapon based dd, healer, dd mage, rouge, buff, debuff. You'll have some hybrids and maybe a token one thrown in depending on the game's context, but they'll all essentially the same archetype. If you're gong to make a healer class in a FF-game why go through the trouble of renaming it, when it's essentially a WHM? I've always loved the job system. I'll be happy if they can incorporate 20+ jobs from previous series.

I originally didn't like the job system (as it essentially obsoleted classes) and thought that they should have went the route of class does one role, job does another. Now that they've unveiled the dual job system, I'm fine with it (or I will be when the jobs are all out).

[Karbuncle]

Gaining every armor in the game was never my goal, only core improvement, so it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

My goal was never gaining every armor either to be honest, But i always liked camping odd things. in FFXI you know whats my fondest memories? camping random-ass NMs with my friends for useless-but fun items. Bano Del Sol, Stumbling Sandals, Sand Gloves, Ascalon, Diamond Bangles... There were so many items in FFXI that were mostly useless but I camped em for the fact they were rare, I had them cause they were what i enjoyed doing... Finding those rare monster, and getting those hard drops, even if they weren't great.

That, and improving my character is the single reason i play RPGs. When i can't tell the difference between Stat+1 and Stat+100, it feels like anything I obtain to upgrade myself is meaningless, and when I come to the realization said things are meaningless, it kills my drive to even sorta play the game... A good RPG for me is one that makes me forget I'm essentially burning hours for virtual goods, even when i am. FFXI had a way of doing that by making even these useless items seem interesting and fun... Which i maintain is one of the fun parts of any RPG. While i agree that my opinion is not shared by everyone... and I do see what you value in a game and its reasonable.

Why'd you get tired of XI?

Bad Company i'd imagine. I quit for really two reasons. 1) Friends left and i felt alone in the game, 2) tired of THF being a dead worthless job and how SE deals with Job adjustments.

I'm not understanding why your obsession is only with the fear of getting burned out of chasing gear within a few years. Shouldn't you look back on the time you spent in the game, and have that fun you had be enough? You -never- got tired of camping some mob for a side-grade in XI, simply because it was a side-grade instead of vertical progression? I remember I was fucking sick of running sky for all types of gear, not simply side-grades, in XI.

You don't have to bring back Sky, Dynamis, Ground Kings and all the bad events FFXI had just to add variety to gear you know? Variety and flavor in gear beyond unimaginitive +1's across the board doesn't mean we're going back to Sky camping or 2-40 hour Ullikummi Pops. They are separate things. To my knowledge people asking for variety or flavor in gear aren't saying "BRING BACK KINGS BRO", just to make items feel Final Fantasy. Even generic, Offline RPG's these days have variety in armor, pieces that enhance X but lower Y, things that offer + to these stats but maybe -to HP, or Items that increase your DMG but drain HP on hit, so forth... Variety is what makes things fun for me... choices make me enjoy games more. Its why I enjoy games like Borderlands and Diablo, and in general, RPGs... they all give you a sense of customizing your character and, even if its just an illusion, choices.

Still, I do have to admit the nostalgia alone is nice, and the idea of these cameos and so forth make me excited just cause I love the idea of seeing Squall or some other FF character in this world, to fight by them again... I know what they're going for and I'm imagining its going to work for a good chunk of you. Not really complaining the entire game is flawed because of one thing i don't enjoy, Its just Itemization has always been one of my biggest gripes in a game, I'm sure you have your White Whale, Itemization is mine. That's understandable is it not?

Thanks for responding , PS: I still look back on FFXI and enjoy the times i spent on it, But I like the idea of a game lasting me in the long term, which is why I hope FFXIV doesn't flop out the gate like Diablo 3 did... GD was i disappointed with D3.

[Lucavi]

XIV's 2.0 not going to flop, and if it does, it won't be from anything related to 1.0 or Diablo 3.

[The Stig]

They are separate things. To my knowledge people asking for variety or flavor in gear aren't saying "BRING BACK KINGS BRO", just to make items feel Final Fantasy. Even generic, Offline RPG's these days have variety in armor, pieces that enhance X but lower Y, things that offer + to these stats but maybe -to HP, or Items that increase your DMG but drain HP on hit, so forth... Variety is what makes things fun for me... choices make me enjoy games more.

This struck a nerve. Agreed.

Regarding the interesting items look. I just hand picked something out of Golden Sun end game:

The Muramasa increases the wielder's base Attack rating by 126 points. It is a cursed item, which means that if an Adept equips it, he is inflicted with an equipment curse which causes him to be physically unable to de-equip it without assistance from a healer at a Sanctum, and if he is not also equipped with the Cleric's Ring then when in battle there is a chance he may be immobilized unable to do anything whenever he attempts a battle command. The Muramasa's Unleash effect is Demon Fire in the original Golden Sun but changed to Demonfire in The Lost Age. It has the standard base activation rate of 35%, which is a physical attack with an additional 60 points of damage added, and then the resulting damage is either increased or decreased based on how the user's Mars power measures against the target's Mars resistance. The Unleash may also inflict the Haunt status condition on the target. Visually, Demon Fire appears as a swarm of reddish spirit flames converging on the target while the attacker slides forward and strikes.

A nice powerful weapon with a proc effect, a debuff, a side effect.

Additional sample, I'd love it if they threw FF9 type weapons/armor in there.

Equip X weapon/armor which grants you additional traits/passives and maybe an ability. PLD AF shoes might have a proc that restores 2% HP or something when taking damage or dealing damage, etc.

Providing the playerbase doesn't turn it into a requirement and instead a nice little side bonus that should work out (i.e. a level 18 belt which increases haste to be used throughout the game with little to no alternative because no other belt gives haste)

I do currently accept the fact the game is still new and this stuff should only be down the lines. So it's just waiting and seeing. Either way, it's been interesting reading the viewpoints from both sides in this topic.

[shaddix]

That's interesting they've had an official response to it... whats your guys opinion on it? I mean, They might add a lot of stuff each update but will you guys feel the drive to get all this new armor when its just +1 to relevant stats and some DEF? or will that eventually get old. His response seemed like the generally PR response, "Ours is bigger", Which is what I could expect but good nonetheless.

Thanks for that link ... and being the only one to respond.

Yeah I really don't care about the gear that much, I had more fun watching my friends get equipment than getting it myself tbh. The most fun XI offered me was RDM/NIN solo or lowman. I enjoy perfecting my execution of the gameplay far more than I do acquiring equipment. Battle adjustment updates are always the most exciting patches to me, gear was interesting of course but always secondary.

[Reve]

Yeah I really don't care about the gear that much, I had more fun watching my friends get equipment than getting it myself tbh. The most fun XI offered me was RDM/NIN solo or lowman. I enjoy perfecting my execution of the gameplay far more than I do acquiring equipment. Battle adjustment updates are always the most exciting patches to me, gear was interesting of course but always secondary.

The items weren't the top priority for me either. I think they were more an ends to a mean. I liked playing jobs and bringing out the best in them. I really enjoyed SMN and PUP. They were pretty loljobs, but if you knew what you were doing you could really impress your friends. The items, of course were needed to make the jobs viable, but I saw it more as stepping stones. I also liked that not many people leveled SMN and PUP, I would hate to compete against other LS-mates for sought after items.