FFXIV Random Speculation/Question thread II: Let's Speculate the Speculations

[Gokulo]

Synthesis looks cool and all but what when you want 20 items ? >.<

[Loaar]

Synthesis looks cool and all but what when you want 20 items ? >.<

The only reason you would want to bust out a bunch of items fast is if your A. Skilling up or B. Making consumables.

Consumables probably aren't effected by durability, so you might be able to just use the "quick" skill a few times.

Skillups your probably not going to be too fussed on the end result, jsut the skillups, so the same thing as consumables.

If your looking to make good quality items then the fact you can influence it has to be better than just pressing a button 20 times and hoping for the best?

[Brefire]

Interesting stuff.

[Spira]

I wonder why the leve fails if you d/c.. that's pretty much the biggest problem I see with it right now.

Maybe they haven't been able to make it so you can continue the leve if your connection with the server is lost, and we'll see it change during Beta.. or maybe it's intentional? Can it be abused somehow?

Also, I'm getting mixed messages here. Spira had said earlier that other people can't see others leve mobs, but according to a post on last page you can indeed see them, but you just can't attack them. Hmm.

They fail because of time limitations I guess. It probably makes more sense to keep the timer running even tho you d/c but I suppose its kinda different or something.

As for the mob thing. I really wasn't able to see other people's leve mobs. One might wonder if its gotta do with lag even.. since a lot of the time, it screws up how the game is meant to look/feel. However, i still stand by what I say that you can only see your own leve mobs (or your party's). Thats how its supposed to be, according to the manual too.

Lower La Noscea is lag in a teacup because so many people are in the zone and so many people undertake leves at the same time, or the escort instance.
Over there, game was crashing every 15mins tops. I jumped over to Eastern to level. minimal lag, never crashed. Cassiopeia Hollow, completely lag free.

Also, it seems like Battle Regimen is just a more complicated way to skillchain.. lol. Only thing is if the order doesn't work, it'll not execute and you'll find yourself wasting a lot of time.

[Spira]

here are some interesting notes to take back from the design of the games UI.

Spoiler: show

In terms of handling status icons and showing statuses, its a hybrid of FF11, 12 and 13...

From FF11, we have the buffs/status at the top of our screen for our character, like so
http://i39.tinypic.com/2vjtsvm.jpg

and from FF12, we have the name of status effects appearing right on top of the mob whenever it lands
http://i44.tinypic.com/ortnhc.jpg

From 13, we have the buff/debuff icons appearing next to all party member's names, but not yourself.. and that buffs on you that are wearing will flash before disappearing. I think on allies too.

http://i44.tinypic.com/x0to9z.jpg

and if you target any unit, their statuses are also displayed below the target name

http://i42.tinypic.com/mm4bbb.jpg

to bring you a uniquely Eorzean experience lol..

all status effects are built into the system this time, so regardless of whether its you or your party members or the mobs, you can visually see the icons for all the statuses on them... it really useful for the mobs since you'll know whether a debuff/buff is still on them or not.

players who didn't like to have to monitor so much of this in XI should be pleased.

[Spira]

forum lag or w/e.

[Jinko]

Thats good to see, thanks for the screens :D

[Charismatic]

Someone please suggest that they add some kind of timer to show how long the buff has left, even if it's only on mouseover... something, anything.

[Lucavi]

players who didn't like to have to monitor so much of this in XI should be pleased.

Not to steal your thunder, as that's some great reporting, and is pleasing to guys like me who didn't like FFXI's archaic system, but much of that has become the MMO "standard", so they were as likely to draw that from their rivals as they were from their previous FF titles.

Considering that some of their "rivals" were out before FFXII launched, its a case of which came first: the chicken or the egg?

Regardless, its great info.

Edit: That's also something their "rivals" have, DK, and is a good idea. Hopefully it makes it into the launch.

[Hyan]

I think we'll have to let go of some of the "standards" when it comes to XIV.

That's good to hear nonetheless. I wouldn't really expect too much though.

[MsUnknown]

Someone please suggest that they add some kind of timer to show how long the buff has left, even if it's only on mouseover... something, anything.

Actually.. it gives you a visual indicator when the buff/debuff/weakness is about to wear off.

First the icon wil slowly pulsate.. then when its about to wear off it will start to blink fast. and finally it goes away.

[Izzy]

Actually.. it gives you a visual indicator when the buff/debuff/weakness is about to wear off.

First the icon wil slowly pulsate.. then when its about to wear off it will start to blink fast. and finally it goes away.

I love estimating when my buffs and debuffs will wear off!

[Hyan]

I also love it when the game does everything for me!

[Jinko]

I don't see how an icon flashing is doing everything for us, its no different than someone having to ask for haste or fresh every few minutes.

I think alot of people need to get rid of the notion that this is FF11-2

[Ae Cha]

I wish they would just give us a precise quantified UI to start off with. It's not like people aren't just going to use whatever windower equivalent pops up after launch. All they're really doing by using imprecise "flashing" systems is limiting console users who won't be able to change it.

Speaking of which, I hope they implement some system for PS3 users to customize their UIs so we can get this legally. One of the best things about WoW was the massive degree of UI customization; it would be nice if FFXIV could foster a modding community like that instead of limiting us to a vague default UI or illegally using scarce PC-only mods. I'm still going to mod my game whether it's legal or not, but it'd be nice if that wouldn't have to mean I'd have an unfair advantage over console players.

[Kensaki]

I also love it when the game does everything for me!

Yes cause asking for timers so one can plan ahead is akin to having the game play itself for us.

[Jinko]

I would rather they just listened to their userbase than have any kind of addon offical or not.

I do think its important to keep the playing field even and we don't want to see another example of blizzard who started developing their content around the addons.

[Hyan]

Yes cause asking for timers so one can plan ahead is akin to having the game play itself for us.

That's the first step.

[Ae Cha]

I would rather they just listened to their userbase than have any kind of addon offical or not.

It would be fine if they'd actually implement changes to the default UI, but they don't. The only thing I even really noticed changed from when I played XI in 2003 to when I started again in 2008 is that defocusing the window didn't crash the client, but even then that feature remained in the game so long that I have three or four old keyboards in my closet with the windows keys ripped out. Still no numeric buff timers, party TP gauges, distance counters, etc. -- things that would be very simple to integrate into the default UI and solve the modding problem at its root, but they don't do this. The fact these things don't seem to be in FFXIV from the beginning suggests that they aren't about to start, either.

I do think its important to keep the playing field even and we don't want to see another example of blizzard who started developing their content around the addons.

The only addon I remember that Blizzard really tuned encounters for was Decursive, but that was fixed with the release of BC. After that, I had no trouble playing the game with the default UI (with plenty of post-patch Tuesday raids to show for it), the customization just cosmetically enhanced it, streamlined it and made it easier for me to personally manage it to my own play style. Blizzard actually took cues from the modders and made their own default UI better, too, which I'm not seeing as a bad thing.

[Hyan]

It would be fine if they'd actually implement changes to the default UI, but they don't. The only thing I even really noticed changed from when I played XI in 2003 to when I started again in 2008 is that defocusing the window didn't crash the client, but even then that feature remained in the game so long that I have three or four old keyboards in my closet with the windows keys ripped out. Still no numeric buff timers, party TP gauges, distance counters, etc. -- things that would be very simple to integrate into the default UI and solve the modding problem at its root, but they don't do this. The fact these things don't seem to be in FFXIV from the beginning suggests that they aren't about to start, either.

You ever tried playing the game on PS2? Good luck fitting all that stuff to 640x480 resolution screen.