[Megathread] Final Fantasy XIV

[Faroth]

While that could work, sooner or later there would be situations where the RP concept would require a new character. I don't know FF14's lore (only played a little on trial account), so using WoW's examples, can't exactly use the same character to portray a gnome tinker, and a Draenei vindicator, even if say, I'd have a Draenei paladin with engineering.

As for time consuming, if I'd have "RP alt", they would only need to be geared as much as it's needed to be able to collect transmog gear (I don't remember how FF14 calls it), so likely wouldn't need as much effort as the main character also used for "proper" gameplay. (and I'd only need to level them up as high as it's needed to be able to access the zones I'd RP in with that alt, so possibly not necessarily the max level etc., depending on who would the character be).

Seeing as I wouldn't be able to play on Balmung right now, and possibly I'm not quite done with WoW yet (I don't want to play more than one sub-based MMO, because of how time consuming they tend to be), that's moot point anyway, at least at this time.

The main thing is you'll have to play through the MSQ (Main Scenario Quests), which has EVERYTHING locked behind it. Having a private room in your Free Company's house is locked behind it at 50, for example. Retainers (bank equivalent, plus auction house listing abilities) are locked behind it, albeit low. Getting your mount is locked behind it at 30. Training your mount to fight as a companion as well.

As for transmog (it's glamour here in Eorzea), that would fully depend on what set you like whether you'd need to get into Heavensward content, of course. Again, trust me, I've been an alt-player in WoW and even to some extent in EverQuest a little bit. I know how where the road leads.

"I just need 50 to get the gear set I want and then I can just log that character in for RP when it strikes me"
*next patch*
"O_O Dat....dat....dat mount is PERFECT.... I need to level to 60 and get the gear to get it."
So the time commitment does grow. I also have a nutjob friend who doesn't RP, but has character personas in mind for his alts and he keeps 3 at max level and geared in two sets (tanking + one other). He's a special bird. >_>

Sorrior's solution isn't bad, though. Make a character in every slot, mass transfer at once for $20 and use fantasia later if you want to change races/appearance (they will each get 1 free fantasia). Name change is $10, I think, if that is required down the line and isn't part of the Fantasia.

Not the best work around, but it at least gets everyone on Balmung!

If you downgrade to 1, I think it's the first one on the list, but I could be wrong.

However, people tend to overlook this:
1 character sub = $10/month
8 character sub = $15/month
8 character sub, 6 month payment = $60/twice a year

So, in other words, the 1 character/month cost can be matched if you're okay paying for 6 months of game time at a time. I use this one. Even if I take a break and don't play a couple weeks (Star Fox 0 and Uncharted 4 just came out), I'm still getting time towards my veteran's rewards. *snicker*

[Sorrior]

The main thing is you'll have to play through the MSQ (Main Scenario Quests), which has EVERYTHING locked behind it. Having a private room in your Free Company's house is locked behind it at 50, for example. Retainers (bank equivalent, plus auction house listing abilities) are locked behind it, albeit low. Getting your mount is locked behind it at 30. Training your mount to fight as a companion as well.

As for transmog (it's glamour here in Eorzea), that would fully depend on what set you like whether you'd need to get into Heavensward content, of course. Again, trust me, I've been an alt-player in WoW and even to some extent in EverQuest a little bit. I know how where the road leads.

"I just need 50 to get the gear set I want and then I can just log that character in for RP when it strikes me"
*next patch*
"O_O Dat....dat....dat mount is PERFECT.... I need to level to 60 and get the gear to get it."
So the time commitment does grow. I also have a nutjob friend who doesn't RP, but has character personas in mind for his alts and he keeps 3 at max level and geared in two sets (tanking + one other). He's a special bird. >_>

Sorrior's solution isn't bad, though. Make a character in every slot, mass transfer at once for $20 and use fantasia later if you want to change races/appearance (they will each get 1 free fantasia). Name change is $10, I think, if that is required down the line and isn't part of the Fantasia.

Not the best work around, but it at least gets everyone on Balmung!

If you downgrade to 1, I think it's the first one on the list, but I could be wrong.

However, people tend to overlook this:
1 character sub = $10/month
8 character sub = $15/month
8 character sub, 6 month payment = $60/twice a year

So, in other words, the 1 character/month cost can be matched if you're okay paying for 6 months of game time at a time. I use this one. Even if I take a break and don't play a couple weeks (Star Fox 0 and Uncharted 4 just came out), I'm still getting time towards my veteran's rewards. *snicker*

Lol I am like your friend minus geared...most of my characters either represent a side of myself or alternatively develop a personality of their own..dat dark Knight quest has caused a few identity issues on a couple characters...WHY SQUEENIX WHY?!??'!''!!

[Demoneq]

"I just need 50 to get the gear set I want and then I can just log that character in for RP when it strikes me"
*next patch*
"O_O Dat....dat....dat mount is PERFECT.... I need to level to 60 and get the gear to get it."

It's possible, I guess I won't know unless I try.
(it was kind of the same in WoW, started with one character, a hunter, then I had an RP idea for a shaman, then I wanted a gnome mage and so made one, then when Cataclysm prepatch hit, I wanted to try a tauren paladin for tanking... you get the idea - sure, it took time, but eventually I got there)

How long on some sort of average does it take to play through MSQ to level 50?

Either way, since transferring eight characters costs the same as only one, could as well do it, if I start playing.

[Deleted]

Getting your mount is locked behind it at 30. Training your mount to fight as a companion as well.

Luckily a bit sooner. Getting your mount is locked behind a main story quest you can do at level 20. Training your mount to fight as a companion requires only level 30 (and the mount) - no MSQ requirements.

[Faroth]

How long on some sort of average does it take to play through MSQ to level 50?

Hmm, that's a good question. I want to say it was around 50 hours when the game released. They try to make the leveling and leveling story about equal to a standard JRPG. With Heavensward, the MSQ got a big xp boost so you don't need to do any side quests at all. I want to say it took me about 2-3 weeks to get my alt from 20 to 50 without dedicated play (I was still keeping my main capped on weekly currency for gear, etc).

Luckily a bit sooner. Getting your mount is locked behind a main story quest you can do at level 20. Training your mount to fight as a companion requires only level 30 (and the mount) - no MSQ requirements.

^
I stand corrected....... wait, my little lalafell can get her chocobo! Wark, ho!

[Sorrior]

It's possible, I guess I won't know unless I try.
(it was kind of the same in WoW, started with one character, a hunter, then I had an RP idea for a shaman, then I wanted a gnome mage and so made one, then when Cataclysm prepatch hit, I wanted to try a tauren paladin for tanking... you get the idea - sure, it took time, but eventually I got there)

How long on some sort of average does it take to play through MSQ to level 50?

Either way, since transferring eight characters costs the same as only one, could as well do it, if I start playing.

Ehhh depends on if you skip cutscene or not tbh

- - - Updated - - -

Hmm, that's a good question. I want to say it was around 50 hours when the game released. They try to make the leveling and leveling story about equal to a standard JRPG. With Heavensward, the MSQ got a big xp boost so you don't need to do any side quests at all. I want to say it took me about 2-3 weeks to get my alt from 20 to 50 without dedicated play (I was still keeping my main capped on weekly currency for gear, etc).



^
I stand corrected....... wait, my little lalafell can get her chocobo! Wark, ho!

Yeah you get the chocoho quest when you join a GC they reduced the seals to 200 instead of 2k too. It was basically the intro to spending and gaining company seals

[Faroth]

Excellent. Then I just have to get high enough to be able to alter their colors.... and decide on what color our FC administrative lalafell arcanist/scholar will ride. XD

In my mind, she's our own little Tataru. She keeps the day to day business running and handles the money!

[Kazgrel]

It's possible, I guess I won't know unless I try.
(it was kind of the same in WoW, started with one character, a hunter, then I had an RP idea for a shaman, then I wanted a gnome mage and so made one, then when Cataclysm prepatch hit, I wanted to try a tauren paladin for tanking... you get the idea - sure, it took time, but eventually I got there)

How long on some sort of average does it take to play through MSQ to level 50?

Either way, since transferring eight characters costs the same as only one, could as well do it, if I start playing.

It took me about a month and a half of casual play to get to 50, and that was before the msq xp buff. I would guesstimate 3-4 weeks if you worked on it each day. I could be grossly underestimating the xp buff, though.

[Aruhen]

Took my friend 5ish weeks to get to 60 and he barely played at all because of work/kid.

[Fadewind]

I usually lost my original sprout icon around 35~40 (usually around the range I was doing the Titan arc) so...it can take 40 hours to get there. However, I usually spent a day or two levelling up my secondary class to make sure that when I hit 30 that I could immediately get my job stone. (Since that comes with a nice boost.)

Really, what I notice is that levelling from 1-50 takes the least amount of time in the whole levelling process IFF you're treating this as a JRPG in terms of the MSQ. (I would add in to do your daily dungeon roulette, weekly challenge log and most sidequests. Around the Coerthas arc, there are less MSQs so you'll be thankful that you're 5+ levels ahead then. At level 45, it starts to wind-down.) Level 50 MSQ feels like it takes an eternity. Mostly because the first two arcs are REALLY fetch-questy. The third gets a bit better...and 2.4~2.55 becomes REALLY, REALLY packed with story. I've heard of people able to get through everything in a couple weeks playing a few hours a day IFF you skip the cutscenes. But why would you play an RPG and miss the story for the first couple times?

[Aruhen]

gotta love these queues on aether ;>.

[SodiumChloride]

I notice that if I switch "Texture Filtering" in the AMD control panel to "Quality", it greatly improves the look of the game.

As to why Quality isn't the default ...

[Lathais]

As to why Quality isn't the default ...

Probably because in some games it does not make a very noticeable visual difference but does make a noticeable performance difference. It also depends slightly on your monitor, on some monitors, it may not make any difference at all. In some games, turning it up can cost you about 20FPS and the difference is not near as noticeable as it is in FFXIV or as it is on your monitor.

Gotta remember, default settings are for most people and most games, not you and the game you play.

[SodiumChloride]

Probably because in some games it does not make a very noticeable visual difference but does make a noticeable performance difference. It also depends slightly on your monitor, on some monitors, it may not make any difference at all. In some games, turning it up can cost you about 20FPS and the difference is not near as noticeable as it is in FFXIV or as it is on your monitor.

Gotta remember, default settings are for most people and most games, not you and the game you play.

The way I see it, there is one "correct" way to render a 3D scene (limited/defined by the specs of the GPU/graphical API in use**; DX11 in this case) and every other "way" is pretty much trading accuracy for speed with how much accuracy you can trade (are willing to trade) being dependent on the game (and the user).

No reason why full accuracy mode shouldn't be the default - players who want more speed and don't mind the IQ loss can trade accuracy for said speed to their hearts content.

** Developers will be designing their assets with the limitations in mind.

[Kazgrel]

gotta love these queues on aether ;>.

I got a near-instaqueue (ding to join within 10-15 seconds of queueing) as DPS for trial this afternoon...DPS being the Adventurer In Need.

Course, being mid afternoon US EST on a weekday, weird things can happen.

[Fadewind]

The way I see it, there is one "correct" way to render a 3D scene (limited/defined by the specs of the GPU/graphical API in use**; DX11 in this case) and every other "way" is pretty much trading accuracy for speed with how much accuracy you can trade (are willing to trade) being dependent on the game (and the user).

No reason why full accuracy mode shouldn't be the default - players who want more speed and don't mind the IQ loss can trade accuracy for said speed to their hearts content.

** Developers will be designing their assets with the limitations in mind.

Even IF you are correct that there is one way to render a 3D scene (which you are WOEFULLY incorrect), the thing about programming is that, just like mathematics, there are a number of ways to approach that rendering. Especially considering that graphical programming uses a combination of some intense linear algebra and some times multivariable calculus to calculate movement on a frame by frame basis.

And there are multiple ways to render a 3D scene. It all depends on how you create the 2D plane on which the 3D scene will be rendered. (I remember having to learn 3~5 methods when I took a class on OpenGL.) And no, some players (like myself) do not give a rat's ass how the game looks when we're doing group content. I'd rather play at a shitty setting at 60 FPS versus something that looks nice at 30. If I want a higher viewing experience, I'd just swap my settings when I'm in RP or taking screenshots.

Lastly, no developer can know every limitation of every setup. There is no standard. Especially in graphics. It is an utter waste of time to even fathom making ANY programmer waste time adhering to a standard. That's why we have setting options. It's much, much, much easier to create a wider range of options for rendering than it is to create a set standard that is going to change every few months. Especially since game development takes YEARS to do on larger scale basis. The devs won't even know the limitations that the average user will have once the development cycle reaches a point of release. This is why betas exist. Not just for gameplay tests, but graphical ones as well. Devs tend to work on VERY, VERY powerful machines and have to build down for consoles and other PCs.

[Lathais]

The way I see it, there is one "correct" way to render a 3D scene (limited/defined by the specs of the GPU/graphical API in use**; DX11 in this case) and every other "way" is pretty much trading accuracy for speed with how much accuracy you can trade (are willing to trade) being dependent on the game (and the user).

No reason why full accuracy mode shouldn't be the default - players who want more speed and don't mind the IQ loss can trade accuracy for said speed to their hearts content.

** Developers will be designing their assets with the limitations in mind.

Because to the non tech savvy all they look at is FPS. If FPS is low, they complain.

[Graeham]

Just a little over a week until more 3.3 news!

[Granyala]

I agree with SC on some level:
It's kinda weird that the driver by default LOWERS quality of any game.
Imho the driver should not affect that unless manually set to do so (ie: to compensate for overzealous tesselation) and leave all the settings to the actual application in question, so that all options are in the same place.

I set the "filter quality" from "standard" to "high" but I'll be honest: I couldn't spot any difference at all.

But maybe it clashes with my re-shade profile. Any of you have any "before / after" screenies?

[Fadewind]

I agree with SC on some level:
It's kinda weird that the driver by default LOWERS quality of any game.
Imho the driver should not affect that unless manually set to do so (ie: to compensate for overzealous tesselation) and leave all the settings to the actual application in question, so that all options are in the same place.

I set the "filter quality" from "standard" to "high" but I'll be honest: I couldn't spot any difference at all.

But maybe it clashes with my re-shade profile. Any of you have any "before / after" screenies?

Well, think of the first part as this way: it's easier to go from a low setting to a high one than the other way around. It's easier to load in an area. It's easier to get the menu working properly. (As menus in very low FPS are impossible to navigate.) And it's easier to go back down.

I understand the issue, but it only affects people with higher end PCs really. And those people tend to be more tech savvy...or at least savvy enough to understand their computer's limits and adjust accordingly. Lower end users tend to get enough just to get by and might not even care to learn about the limitations.

There is a happy middle ground where you aren't low enough that it looks like shit on a bike when you first load in, but not too high that it makes it a headache to change. The latter is MUCH more important as it creates the old barrier to entry MMOs used to have in the pre-WoW days and what RIFT had at launch.