FFXIV 3.0 : Heavensward - Expansion Information and Discussion

[SamanosukeShiva]

JP voice only.

I am using JP voice, but the text are still in ancient english, and sometimes they even write down the accents too, which annoys me a lot. Just write in goddamn plain english, I don't wanna read shakespeare when im playing vidya games.

Also the VAs only appear in cutscene, they cant even bother to put some for regular quests, or even raid bosses.

I mean... how fucking cool would it be if Titan actually talks when you fight him. Not just some text in the middle of the screen.

example raid bosses audio from WoW:





the famous

[Kaisha]

I wouldn't mind more battle cries or general noises from the bosses, but voiced dialog in this game is such hit & miss, and it'd get repetitive when farming without them doing 15 takes on every line.

Also you guys making me depressed with all the talk of how all the bullshit we have now will carry over to Heavensward as if they learned nothing.

[Qeomash]

Bouncing off someting that was mentioned like 5 pages ago--

I really wish that the whole rebellion and unrest in Ul'dah wasn't in the main storyline. They really should take a page out of FFXI's Zilart book and have the main story be the world saving good guys vs bad guys plotlines. Reserve the Lalafell politics for a seperate "nation quest" set of storylines that could also recieve continued updates. And, y'know, let us see what's going on in the other two nations. I'm sure interesting things are happening in Gridania and Limsa, too. Well, maybe just Limsa for the other interesting bits. Us Gridanians will just keep casting cure on trees.

[The Stig]

I mean... how fucking cool would it be if Titan actually talks when you fight him. Not just some text in the middle of the screen.

example raid bosses audio from WoW:

That girl last boss in CM talks (if only a bit), but her voice is really really faint. Likewise, I believe Gauis has some cries, but it's all in the background. Nothing else makes much noise I don't think.

As for voices in WoW, I always particularly enjoyed Warmaster Blackhorn as it was memorable:



For many raid groups, he's not joking when he starts off with:

Hah! I was hoping you'd make it this far. You'd best be ready for a real fight.

As the 6th boss out of 8 in the final raid of the expansion, the first 5 bosses had maybe 2 mechanics each to deal with, this guy has something like 6 and he instantly shreds naive raid groups lol. As he taunts you over the raid and finally enters the fight himself during phase 2, his roars and grunts throughout battle was hammy and fun.

I wouldn't mind more battle cries or general noises from the bosses, but voiced dialog in this game is such hit & miss, and it'd get repetitive when farming without them doing 15 takes on every line.

Hm, WoW's raids have a bit of dialogue, but considering how you can only enter them once per week per char, which makes it not so repetitive (unless you have lots of chars and like to do old content). Given the farming repetitive nature of content in FFXIV, yeh I think it could get really annoying quick.

Dungeon dialogue is minimal at best, so it doesn't get too jarring.

[Seha]

cutscene mechanics need work too. i'd be happy if there was an auto-play function when voice-acting is present. instead of having to listen and then click through. it just breaks the flow.

I believe it's like this for people who need to read subtitles. Unfortunately the game isn't translated in every language, and not everyone has a good enough English to be able to read fast enough to keep up with the conversation.

Also at VA haters: I fap to Urianger's pretentious monologues.

[Insanecyclone]

Probably because Urianger is Balthier

[Lucavi]

I am using JP voice, but the text are still in ancient english, and sometimes they even write down the accents too, which annoys me a lot. Just write in goddamn plain english, I don't wanna read shakespeare when im playing vidya games.

Also the VAs only appear in cutscene, they cant even bother to put some for regular quests, or even raid bosses.

I mean... how fucking cool would it be if Titan actually talks when you fight him. Not just some text in the middle of the screen.

We have that with Gilgamesh fight. Its hit or miss, again depending on VA quality. Most of WoW's VAs kick the crap out of JRPG VA.

[Slycer]

I'm not sure if this has been posted earlier, sorry if it has. Note that often the pricing in different regions is not nearly as close as you would expect it to be, but just throwing this out there for some reference points...

Based on below, my price guesses for US edition are $39 for regular (boxed or download), $59 for digital collectors and combo pack (boxed/download), $129 for collectors (boxed), and likely a $20 digital upgrade thing like before to go from regular to collectors at any point. I'm going through the press release to see if there's any other info that wasn't announced here.


Pricing Info (JP editions):

Collectors Edition
PC Version (Boxed): Open Pricing
PC Version (Digital): Open Pricing
PS4/PS3 Version (Boxed): 14,800 yen + tax ($122 at current conversion)
PS4/PS3 Version (Digital): 5,800 yen + tax ($48 at current conversion)

Regular Edition
PC Version (Boxed): Open Pricing
PC Version (Digital): Open Pricing
PS4/PS3 Version (Boxed): 3,800 yen + tax ($31 at current conversion)
PS4/PS3 Version (Digital): 3,800 yen + tax ($31 at current conversion)

Combo Pack (ARR + Heavensward)
PC Version (Boxed): Open Pricing
PC Version (Digital): Open Pricing
PS4/PS3 Version (Boxed): 5,800 yen + tax ($48 at current conversion)
PS4/PS3 Version (Digital): 5,800 yen + tax ($48 at current conversion)

[Slycer]

Edit: Found a good high res image of the dragon statue - click below.

[Slycer]

At least for JP, early access is for preordering, codes will be distributed by retailers starting in April. I don't see why it would be any different anywhere else, though. I may put another thread together with some of these details summed up.

[Spider-Dan]

This vertical progression is nothing but a way to make things easier for worse players.

Fixed.

This is the system working as intended. You can have hardcore gearing that separates the elites from the plebes, or you can throw all your gear in the trash every 6 months, but you can't do both.

[Lucavi]

^ I have to agree. Hardcore money is the same as casual money; SE ain't catering to the whims of the hardcore over the casual. They'll offer titles and now a separate tier with separate gear, but you'll have to find another way to lord your status over the filthy, unwashed plebeian masses if you're looking to really grind your Lordship's heel into the back of those beneath you.

[Eurell]

^ I have to agree. Hardcore money is the same as casual money; SE ain't catering to the whims of the hardcore over the casual. They'll offer titles and now a separate tier with separate gear, but you'll have to find another way to lord your status over the filthy, unwashed plebeian masses if you're looking to really grind your Lordship's heel into the back of those beneath you.

The answer is obviously having the fastest chocobo

[Yuri-G]

The answer is obviously having the fastest fenrir

fixed

[Ramset]

Fixed.

This is the system working as intended. You can have hardcore gearing that separates the elites from the plebes, or you can throw all your gear in the trash every 6 months, but you can't do both.

Sure, but that doesn't mean you can't have vertical progression with gear from multiple sources. And what I was referring to was the BACKWARDS alternating patch progression where lower ilvl comes out after higher ilvl.

Edit: I love this game, I'm just venting my frustrations and opinions on how I think the system could be improved. It works for the overall population because it allows people to play catch up, but the backwards progression really irks me. Why can't they release 24 man and 8 man raid at the same time? The business answer is probably to extend content lifecycle, but from a game design perspective it makes no sense. They already admitted that it was supposed to be crystal Tower first in 2.0.... So why not correct the wrong with 3.0?

Edit 2: and it's not about being elite and putting others down, it's just looking for more diverse content and gearing options. It's disheartening to think (as it appears now) that we will be getting the same exact content as 2.0 but with a different facade. Same content lifecycle...why do I feel like the only one who cares about this? Everyone enjoys clearing raid content in one night after a few weeks and then not having anything meaningful to do until the next week?

[Spider-Dan]

Sure, but that doesn't mean you can't have vertical progression with gear from multiple sources. And what I was referring to was the BACKWARDS alternating patch progression where lower ilvl comes out after higher ilvl.

Since the 2.2 implementation of welfare-upgrade system, the purpose of the "backwards" patch progression is specifically to help the proles gear up. It is not a coincidence that the items needed to upgrade token gear (i.e. mats that drop from coil) are also distributed via the "backward progression" content.

Why can't they release 24 man and 8 man raid at the same time?

Because the express purpose of the brainless 24-man content is to upgrade the unwashed masses.

and it's not about being elite and putting others down, it's just looking for more diverse content and gearing options.
[...]
Everyone enjoys clearing raid content in one night after a few weeks and then not having anything meaningful to do until the next week?

If your problem is that you have nothing to do because you clear T13 in one night and then have nothing to do for the rest of the week, you are not the target audience for this system.

[Kaslo]

Since the 2.2 implementation of welfare-upgrade system, the purpose of the "backwards" patch progression is specifically to help the proles gear up. It is not a coincidence that the items needed to upgrade token gear (i.e. mats that drop from coil) are also distributed via the "backward progression" content.


Because the express purpose of the brainless 24-man content is to upgrade the unwashed masses.


If your problem is that you have nothing to do because you clear T13 in one night and then have nothing to do for the rest of the week, you are not the target audience for this system.

Dear lord just stop talking. We get it, you hate this system for your arbitrary reason.

[Kaslo]

Sure, but that doesn't mean you can't have vertical progression with gear from multiple sources. And what I was referring to was the BACKWARDS alternating patch progression where lower ilvl comes out after higher ilvl.

Edit: I love this game, I'm just venting my frustrations and opinions on how I think the system could be improved. It works for the overall population because it allows people to play catch up, but the backwards progression really irks me. Why can't they release 24 man and 8 man raid at the same time? The business answer is probably to extend content lifecycle, but from a game design perspective it makes no sense. They already admitted that it was supposed to be crystal Tower first in 2.0.... So why not correct the wrong with 3.0?

Edit 2: and it's not about being elite and putting others down, it's just looking for more diverse content and gearing options. It's disheartening to think (as it appears now) that we will be getting the same exact content as 2.0 but with a different facade. Same content lifecycle...why do I feel like the only one who cares about this? Everyone enjoys clearing raid content in one night after a few weeks and then not having anything meaningful to do until the next week?

To be fair, if the content was flipped (CTs before Coils) then elites would be crying that their Coil gear was being outdated by faceroll easy content that is CT.

[ronin sparthos]

I'm more concerned that Heavensward won't be addressing the lack of FC-centric things to do. It'd be the perfect place to put some 12 man raids to fill in the gap between a full party 8man and the gigantic mess that 24man becomes.

Some type of campaign, FC progression, 'bring out the whole family' content is sorely lacking. Everything seems to revolve around the individual experience or a raid group where superfluous things like 'having fun' and 'horsing around' aren't welcome.

It's still an MMO, it's not unreasonable to expect I dunno... an MMO. Also, WvW.

[Eurell]

I'm more concerned that Heavensward won't be addressing the lack of FC-centric things to do. It'd be the perfect place to put some 12 man raids to fill in the gap between a full party 8man and the gigantic mess that 24man becomes.

Some type of campaign, FC progression, 'bring out the whole family' content is sorely lacking. Everything seems to revolve around the individual experience or a raid group where superfluous things like 'having fun' and 'horsing around' aren't welcome.

It's still an MMO, it's not unreasonable to expect I dunno... an MMO. Also, WvW.

Seems like The FC airship might hopefully help out with this. The reddit interview mentioned sending people out and finding NMs on different floating islands or something like that.