Randomly Ridiculous FFXI to FFXIV

[Tulun]

I do agree with this. While I enjoy PvP in WoW from time to time I also enjoyed Ballista/Brenner in FFXI. Sure some things were OP but generally there is always some response to them (spam dispels on brd/blu or rdm/blu) and really I enjoying playing it a lot. The biggest issue was a lack of interest outside of JP players and pretty terrible scheduling of matches.

If they can get a better schedule out for a little game of PvP I'd be all for it, but don't change things in PvE just to suit PvP, keep skills working differently like they do in FFXI for those two aspects of the game. The idea of wanting all abilities to work the same in PvP and PvE is a major issue WoW has.

I hope PvP is as marginal as it is in 11 (though Ballista equivalent would be fine). World PvP in WoW simply bugged me; there was little benefit other than wasting each other's time.
I think issues of instances shouldn't necessarily be separated by server; being able to possibly due instanced content with people outside your server would be an awesome idea (even now, can you imagine the fun that could be had in Ballista if you could match up across servers?)

[Kawfee]

I hope PvP is as marginal as it is in 11 (though Ballista equivalent would be fine). World PvP in WoW simply bugged me; there was little benefit other than wasting each other's time.
I think issues of instances shouldn't necessarily be separated by server; being able to possibly due instanced content with people outside your server would be an awesome idea (even now, can you imagine the fun that could be had in Ballista if you could match up across servers?)

They had that in WOW, just recently (~6 months ago?) added, would be nice if they brought it to FFXIV.

[Lucavi]

I do agree with this. While I enjoy PvP in WoW from time to time I also enjoyed Ballista/Brenner in FFXI. Sure some things were OP but generally there is always some response to them (spam dispels on brd/blu or rdm/blu) and really I enjoying playing it a lot. The biggest issue was a lack of interest outside of JP players and pretty terrible scheduling of matches.

If they can get a better schedule out for a little game of PvP I'd be all for it, but don't change things in PvE just to suit PvP, keep skills working differently like they do in FFXI for those two aspects of the game. The idea of wanting all abilities to work the same in PvP and PvE is a major issue WoW has.

I had over 120 gold chevrons, so yeah, I loved Ballista. Ask Richardd. I would pay $500 bucks up-front for FFXIV if they could promise me a new ballista with the same awesome Japanese and NA players I was blessed with the ability to compete with.

Ballista (and the early rush of Brenner -- posten-storming was hilariously fun as a level 30 armed with nothing more than a wooden katana and an obi) added a few more years' worth of paychecks from me to SE. I hope it comes back in at least some form, rewards or not.

[Kaylia]

Screw PVP, not needed in this discussion since it's not going to be in the game (or will be in it in a marginal way like Ballista) as the dev's have already said.
Also, PVP in any way that affects PVE balance can go screw itself.

Screw pvp indeed.

It can be fun occasionally, but people tend to get really immature in a pvp environment. While I dont mind for certain game, if team play is important, I would rather avoid i.

[Hyan]

And he had the nerve to call -me- an addict. Hyan's addicted to this thread, and addicted to the notion that keeping people in the dark and ignoring their frustrations is the most successful business model, and that it will continue to hold up in 2010. He also calls the modern MMO gamer "spoiled" by actual customer service and for feeling like, by paying their monthly fee, they also get to feel like they have a hand in the process of the evolution of their game.

Kaylia, I have fun debating with you, so it pain me to see you doing this. Just give it up, and save it for another poster in another thread. I haven't seen such a hard-nosed poster since my Alla days.

Now you can disagree with me all you want and twist my opinions as you see fit, but what you're saying can also be said about Kaylia. Bias is a wonderful thing.

Your understanding of a what a development team is doing is beyond my grasp...

Planning a game from scratch isn't simple, but planning this kind of stuff isnt remotely difficult. A professional development team shouldnt make obvious mistake like this.

What is hard to plan is impact on a long run, but events like chocobo racing that are standalone arent an issue, since they don't have many.

But what the devs don't know is how events which are not created with the game engine in mind like some kind of a racing game would work within the system. In theory it may work, but they can't know if they don't try implementing it first. Making some kind of fps minigame may sound good on concept, but unexpected problems arise- from code, or the engine, or the design.

When you don't think of these things when planning the game from the scratch, it's pretty hard to try to implement said things later to a game that might not support them in the first place.

If you want a complete pvp experience, then yes, you need job balance and everything, and team balance will be complicated. If you want to make a "casual" event like ballista, rewarding every attendant the same is more appropriate to avoid issue (badge, experience, points or w/e).

Define "casual". Even casual events need job balance. You're saying that casual events are less important than "complete experiences", which sounds even more retarded. "Casual experience" can't be a "complete experience"? Casuals don't care about balance? Woah..

The event being "casual" or not makes no difference... the rewards do. When you add rewards, the balance starts to matter.

[Tulun]

They had that in WOW, just recently (~6 months ago?) added, would be nice if they brought it to FFXIV.

It would encourage the greater community more, for sure. It would also prevent smaller servers from having any issues with bodies on any instanced content...

Great idea. Hope they steal it, then...

[tymora]

A colosseum with pvp (1v1, group) pit fights will be nice, perhaps with server rankings as well.
Make the rewards special but just on par with everything else so it can just be a completely optional event. Not overbearing like full pvp, but enough to make pvp fans happy.

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And I personally think the multi-cultural mix in FFXI is fun and is unique. Despite all the community troubles, it does make the game more memorable (in both good/bad ways). It is nice to log in at 8am, 1pm, 3am and see the server buzzing with activity all the same for one. Region-specific servers go almost dead when it is time to sleep.

[Lucavi]

It would encourage the greater community more, for sure. It would also prevent smaller servers from having any issues with bodies on any instanced content...

Great idea. Hope they steal it, then...

BK just stole sweet tea and good coffee from Mickey D's, as well as stealing the idea to remove a slice of cheese from their dollar double cheeseburger and list it as a buck, while retaining the traditional 2-slice burger at a buck 19.

Sometimes taking from rivals shows that you're willing to remain competitive, because face it, some ideas are just good, period.

Now if SE needs to steal anything, its visible capes, cloaks, and/or mantles. I can't think of a single Square RPG past FFIV where main characters had bitchin' cloaks, besides FFT, and Knights and summoners looked badass in that game too.

I don't care if they rob from WoW or Snoopy Joe Cool's rag-time MMO down the street, I want to see a freaking cape flowing in the breeze while standing on the edge of a mountain or a high cliff.

IMMERSE ME, SE!! Don't give me pretty graphics then cock tease me with no capes.

[Kawfee]

Cloaks are gay, I turned off the option immediately in WOW to view mine, and hope SE keeps them off in FFXIV. The helmet-viewable toggle I like, though.

[Lucavi]

Cloaks are gay, I turned off the option immediately in WOW to view mine, and hope SE keeps them off in FFXIV. The helmet-viewable toggle I like, though.

You go to hell! You go to hell and you die! Cloaks are great, they just haven't been done well enough yet. FF needs to break the mold!

[Boom]

I can't think of a single Square RPG past FFIV where main characters had bitchin' cloaks

How about a half cloak and a sword that transforms into a gun?

[Lucavi]

How about a half cloak and a sword that transforms into a gun?

I'll only count that because of this steampunk fad that's lasted far too long. Hell, even in FFVI, the original steampunk Square RPG, Edgar, Celes, and a few others had capes.

I just don't like the idea of having accessories in a permanent slot on your character without the option of showing them, especially with the graphical advances of today.

Back when it was FFVI, you had "accessories", and since they could be random things like earrings or a white cape, that was fine, but FFXI had a persistent slot for cloaks, capes, and mantles for every class. If you can show shoes, you can show a cape.

Just an option for it - its better to have too much than not enough. Just sayin'.

[arus2001]

Big problem with capes are clipping issues and even making them flow naturally. XI did a good job with clipping most of the time, but I'll at least agree seeing some more fluid attire might be nice. And if they do the whole cloak taking your head slot thing again, I'd like a hood up/down option.

[Lucavi]

Some of those new doublet-styled robes look like they'll have some fluidity to them, but I'm waiting for a game that can properly code in wind effects on people, instead of just the little bits of stems and tree leaves that appear static in the background.

Standing to the side of the gust blows your stuff one way, and turning 45 degrees makes your stuff billow behind you.

A man can dream...

[Eaglestrike]

Some of those new doublet-styled robes look like they'll have some fluidity to them, but I'm waiting for a game that can properly code in wind effects on people, instead of just the little bits of stems and tree leaves that appear static in the background.

Standing to the side of the gust blows your stuff one way, and turning 45 degrees makes your stuff billow behind you.

A man can dream...

I'm fairly confident it's possible with todays technology. Some game will do it first and it'll become standard a year later.

[Lucavi]

Don't tease me bro.

[Kaylia]

But what the devs don't know is how events which are not created with the game engine in mind like some kind of a racing game would work within the system. In theory it may work, but they can't know if they don't try implementing it first. Making some kind of fps minigame may sound good on concept, but unexpected problems arise- from code, or the engine, or the design

Tell me, why everyone with programming knowledge were able to tell you before the release what chocobo racing would be like? We didn't even program the game, yet, it was obvious what could/couldn't be done.

SquareEnix should have known exactly what it would be like, and its not hard to explain why peolpe wouldnt like that content as well.

But what the devs don't know is how events which are not created with the game engine in mind like some kind of a racing game would work within the system. In theory it may work, but they can't know if they don't try implementing it first. Making some kind of fps minigame may sound good on concept, but unexpected problems arise- from code, or the engine, or the design¸

When you play a minigame within a game, you don't expect the same kind of balance. You can enjoy it occasionaly, without taking it too seriously.

[SilverBreeze]

Some of those new doublet-styled robes look like they'll have some fluidity to them, but I'm waiting for a game that can properly code in wind effects on people, instead of just the little bits of stems and tree leaves that appear static in the background.

Standing to the side of the gust blows your stuff one way, and turning 45 degrees makes your stuff billow behind you.

A man can dream...

That's one thing I really liked about Aion and FFXI to an extent. The swirling robes when you cast spells, or the little floating effect Elvaan had with their armor when they cast spells in FFXI. Hopefully we'll see that more in the future.

[Lucavi]

I just have this strange feeling that Guild Wars 2 is going to have something like it, based on the screenshots I've seen and just some premonition.

I know FFXIV will be able to do it, based solely on the elvaan animations (I had a theory that they wanted to put those in for each race, but time constraints forced their collective hand), but we'll have to see if that kind of immersion is a priority for them. I know there are many other things that they feel that they need to focus on, but who knows?

[SilverBreeze]

I know it's something minor as well, but I would like to see different casting animations for different spells too, every single White Magic or Black Magic spell you get has the exact same casting animation, would be cool if there was some sort of diversity this time around. Maybe it's just me but I don't think Fire I should have the same casting animation as Flare II.