Final Fantasy XIV Open Beta!

[Yggdrasilly]

I've actually been doing more exploring than anything else... trying to get to locations that I technically shouldn't be able to get to at my level. And I came across this stunning view of a city that is currently inaccessible. It's got a couple of castle-type holds around it, but there's nothing in them, and only a few enemies around them. The incredible view [in the second image] is my favourite so far in this game, though. Looks beautiful--wish I could get into the city, though. Can't wait for the retail version so I can go check it out.

[Massiveterra]

For a quick second I seriously thought I was looking at Final Fantasy 11 screens

[Bei337]

I've been playing this for a few days. Got the game running smoothly with max settings on my PC with i7 920 and SLI 460GTX. Had to turn Ambient Occlusion and Depth of Field off though.

I'm on the Palemacia server and have a Physical Level 11, Rank 7 Thaumaturge, Rank 8 Carpender, Rank 6 Botanist.

I played WoW for a long time, and I've also played Aion, AoC, Warhammer for a couple months, so initially FFXIV felt really really slow, and the server lag didn't help either, which is particularly noticeable when I cast a spell.

The UI lagginess is remedied by using a good controller. I use a wired XBOX 360 controller and it makes the game a lot more responsive, and you could tell it's designed with a console controller in mind. But I guess I'm just not used to playing a real time MMO with a controller yet, since targetting is still quite a challenge sometime.

To those of you who are accustomed to the WoW style fast paced (relatively) game play, I'd say you would have to approach FFXIV with an entirely different attitude. Keep an open mind, be patient while going through the learning curve, and you might find some rewarding experiences while roaming around in FFXIV, which for me was grouping up with 3 strangers and did bunch of leves (quests). This is where the game really shines, because it encourages grouping a lot, which I believe is an essence in any MMORPG.

With all that said, I probably won't be getting the game on the PC release. But it's simply due to the fact that I'm a PVP fan, and FFXIV doesn't have PVP at all. I would however consider getting it for the PS3 when it comes out, because frankly it is the console they designed this game for.

[Emn1ty]

For a quick second I seriously thought I was looking at Final Fantasy 11 screens

This looks nothing like the test they distributed.

[CPressland]

Hey, have any of you guys worked out how to /check targets like way back on FFXI?

[Shaun N.]

I played this for a few hours the other day and really don't like the feel of it.

[Joseph B]

The recent updates really made things run smoother for me for some reason. Rolled a Marauder, and now i'm very use to the controls, feels very FFXI-eske, but better. I like having the movement on WASD a lot more then the numpad like with FFXI.

I'm excited now, the game feels a lot more solid compared to when the beta first started. I can't wait to see what endgame is like eventually after release.

[trag3dy]

So no one has mentioned this.. what about the copy & paste terrain?

Seems really really really incredibly lazy on their part:

http://www.gametrail...-terrain/349560

http://www.mmorpg.co...d/290874/page/1

[twist]

using http://www.windowerxiv.com/ really makes the game easier to play for me, still not a fan though.

[Joseph B]

So no one has mentioned this.. what about the copy & paste terrain?

Seems really really really incredibly lazy on their part:

http://www.gametrail...-terrain/349560

http://www.mmorpg.co...d/290874/page/1

Copy + Paste is in every game, ever made, in one form or another... Thats just a part of the process, we're all only human. D:

[trag3dy]

Copy + Paste is in every game, ever made, in one form or another... Thats just a part of the process, we're all only human. D:

I've never seen it be so blatantly obvious in any other game. It's just lazy and there's not really any excuse for it. Did you watch the video?

[Joseph B]

I've never seen it be so blatantly obvious in any other game. It's just lazy and there's not really any excuse for it. Did you watch the video?

Yeah. It's not like that for every zone, just most.

[George P Global Moderator]

Yeah. It's not like that for every zone, just most.

That doesn't have to be the case at all though, look at what ID has done with Rage. The level designers went in and did everything different for every single part of the world map. There's no repeating pattern anywhere.

[Pablo2008jedi]

can anyone play this? or do you need an invite code?

[trag3dy]

That doesn't have to be the case at all though, look at what ID has done with Rage. The level designers went in and did everything different for every single part of the world map. There's no repeating pattern anywhere.

Exactly.. in the video the repeated areas were literally right next to each other. I've never seen copy & paste job like that in another game before where it was so blatant.

[KSib]

This game... I've heard so many negative things. Is there anything redeeming about it aside from the graphical quality (minus the apparent copy-pasta)?

[Minifig]

This game... I've heard so many negative things. Is there anything redeeming about it aside from the graphical quality (minus the apparent copy-pasta)?

Well.. :unsure:.. the music is nice?..

[KSib]

I did like the music.

The pace of the game seemed slow to me and things weren't explained to me as well as I liked. I understood the guildleves and how to undertake them, but that beginning part is definitely made for someone who isn't new to the ff online universe.

Combat seemed like basic mmo hotkey spam. Moving around during combat seems to serve no useful purpose outside of being in range to attack something. Manual evading would be nice or defending. Even free to play mmos are becoming more action-oriented now. Look at vindictus, for instance.

I can't imagine investing in this game unless you just love the feel of being in an FF world that much.

Edit: sorry if there are any typos. I did this from my phone. I used Swype though so it wasn't too bad.

[spacer]

Has anyone seen what is being included in the "Collector's Edition" of FFXIV? It's really, really pathetic compared to what other games are (and have been) doing...

http://www.ign.com/videos/2010/09/22/final-fantasy-xiv-online-unboxing-video?objectid=79669

[KSib]

Yeah, my comment is at the top of that list :p

It's kind of a waste of money for what you get, but for those who have consoles and don't keep up with the Final Fantasy online "series" that well will probably buy it.

[Tharp Daddy]

This game has made some laughably bad decisions. 1) Crysta system.. wtf. You either pay with a convoluted microsoft points system, or you pay through a company in england that adds even more cost onto the game. 2) The fact that you can only earn so much experience per day - i paid for the game and you are deciding when i can play? It's stuff like this that made my slight interest drop to zero.

[LOC Veteran]

Can anyone still get a beta key or is it to late? Plus, will the beta end soon or? :|

[Joseph B]

This game has made some laughably bad decisions. 1) Crysta system.. wtf. You either pay with a convoluted microsoft points system, or you pay through a company in england that adds even more cost onto the game. 2) The fact that you can only earn so much experience per day - i paid for the game and you are deciding when i can play? It's stuff like this that made my slight interest drop to zero.

I have no idea what they were thinking with this payment system, it's like FFXI, there is always a catch with the payment system for their MMOs... With FFXI, it was you always had to have a credit card on record on the account... Now with this bull****...

@ The amount of experience earned per day.

[Tharp Daddy]

I have no idea what they were thinking with this payment system, it's like FFXI, there is always a catch with the payment system for their MMOs... With FFXI, it was you always had to have a credit card on record on the account... Now with this bull****...

@ The amount of experience earned per day.

Thank you so much for that video, it was very well made and i don't feel quite so angry over the system.I get what they were going for with it but i don't see WHY they want to keep casuals and hardcores the same. People like to enjoy the game at their own pace, if someone wants to reach max level and blow through PvE content that should be their choice instead of holding them back. It makes me wonder if they will eventually do away with it, but it's only in place now because they might not have enough end game content to keep hardcores satisfied if they happened to reach level cap.

[Joseph B]

Thank you so much for that video, it was very well made and i don't feel quite so angry over the system.I get what they were going for with it but i don't see WHY they want to keep casuals and hardcores the same. People like to enjoy the game at their own pace, if someone wants to reach max level and blow through PvE content that should be their choice instead of holding them back. It makes me wonder if they will eventually do away with it, but it's only in place now because they might not have enough end game content to keep hardcores satisfied if they happened to reach level cap.

Indeed, they want everyone roughly on the same page for awhile. They very well may do away with it eventually, perhaps when the PS3 version comes out?

Maybe they don't want PC users to have too far of a head start I imagine? I for one know, the original level cap in FFXI was 60-And once you hit the cap there wasn't much content to be had, until quite a few patches and expansions later.

It's not like it is a bad thing though, as the game is right now-I'll probably just find myself crafting and camping NMs until March, which isn't a bad thing. One of my favorite aspects from FFXI was camping NMs and crafting. It's just the idea of... Thats all that will be there besides exploration is a little disheartening. But who knows, i'm just guessing right now. I'm barely even a physical level 13 Puglist right now, and I still have a long way to go to make a true judgment of the game in it's current state.

As FFXIV is right now, is more like a "beta" then even a finished product-We'll be pretty much paying for a beta until March when the PS3 version comes out, with the first major patch. The thought of that does suck a little, which begs the question-Why release at all right now?

Though, im just gathering most of my assumptions from how FFXI went, and so far it doesn't look like they've learned much from the first MMO they made.