FFXIV and why WoW should be worried.

[Toppy]

I am starting off this thread by saying that the intent is not to bash WoW, but rather compare the current WoW with what I believe to currently be one of its bigger competitors, FFXIV. And using FFXIV as an example of why blizz needs to pick up their game..

The basis for comparison will be content patches.

Here is a list of the patches since FFXIV relaunched in August 2013
http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodest...patchnote_log/

The first patch came 4 months after release in december and added dozens of quests, continuation of multiple storylines, three dungeons (two were hard modes of old dungeons, a hard mode is less like a normal -> mythic and wow, and more like the remakes, for example old dead mines -> new dead mines), a new raid, a new "trial" boss (trials are where you fight a singular boss, think of it like going to BRF to just fight blackhand), as well as 4 higher difficulties for old trials (think of it as going from a heroic boss to a mythic boss, lots and lots of new mechanics), and guild housing. There were many many other features added in this patch: the questing alone was quiete notable, but it'd just be easier if you just looked them up in the link, they're better explained there.

Other patches added similar amounts of content: side quests, new systems, new armors, new weapons, new raids, new trials and so on (one added an entire new class, complete with story reasoning for why they are suddenly a thing). The second content patch followed the first by 3 months, the third took 4 months, the fourth took 3 months, and the fifth took 2 months, and with two mini patches coming 1 an 2 months afterwards. The expansion is set to release in June, which would mean it is taking 7 months, 4 if you count from the end of the second mini patch, for the expansion to release.

In other words, FFXIV has been launching very substantial patches at over twice the speed of WoW. Warlords of Draenor launched in November, the new patch likely wont be till June or July, or heaven forbid August. Thats 7-8 months waiting for a patch. No, I am not counting 6.1, and for obvious reasons: it added nothing substantial, its smaller even than the FFXIV mini patches: the first of which added a darkmoon faire like area complete with mini games, an entire card battling system, and an actually legitimate racing and mount raising system.

WoW should be worried about games like FFXIV. It is flat out shaming World of Warcraft by pretty much doing everything better. Hell, FFXIV has a system in place for visiting old content, and if I remember rightly, has had it from the start. The way it works is, you scale down, both gear wise and skills wise, to the old content. This way old players can play with new players doing the dungeons and what not. FFXIV updates and adds new things to old dungeons and does so without entirely getting rid of old content (like they do with all of their dungeon remakes).

Just about every feature players have been wanting in WoW, FFXIV has or is getting: player housing, armor dyes, a system for doing old content, fast and constant new content, class specific quests, in the expansion they are adding flying mounts, but actually being sure to put restrictions on them so they don't completely outshine ground mounts, hell, even though the pvp isnt popular, FFXIV made sure to put a system in place where skills act different in pvp.

WoW really needs to step up its game and learn from the competition if it wishes to stay afloat. It needs to start actually churning out content, and it needs to stop treating its players like dirt, and actually listen to what players want, rather than telling players what they want.

[Arcbound]

I completely agree. After I unsubbed from WoW for no flying AND no content I went to ff14. Do not forget their professions are actual professions, if you have not tried them they have an awesome profession system (and each one has a story).

[Arenis]

I think I'll give that game a shot soon. I just hope I can bear all that weaboo stuff in it...

[Lolsteak]

I think I'll give that game a shot soon. I just hope I can bear all that weaboo stuff in it...

Compared to a selfie camera...


It's a great game, it has it's flaws here n there but overall it's a great experience. My only gripe is there was no catchup mechanic for the relic quest when i last played (Correct me if that's changed).

[Toppy]

I completely agree. After I unsubbed from WoW for no flying AND no content I went to ff14. Do not forget their professions are actual professions, if you have not tried them they have an awesome profession system (and each one has a story).

Yeah, I myself have never done the profession, so didn't mention them, but from what I've heard its a rather in depth system.

[Vargas]

I think I'll give that game a shot soon. I just hope I can bear all that weaboo stuff in it...

If you can stand WoW's geekiness, you'll be fine in FFXIV.

[Toppy]

Compared to a selfie camera...


It's a great game, it has it's flaws here n there but overall it's a great experience. My only gripe is there was no catchup mechanic for the relic quest when i last played (Correct me if that's changed).

It has, the requirements for past stuff are easier than when they started.

[Bumkin]

Nobody cares about FFXIV

[kamuimac]

*better graphic
*better crafting/proffesion system
*better live event system
*game which lets you play all classes on 1 char
*is going to implement flying soon (without ^tm mark :P)

now guess what game i just described and why its become more and more popular in comparison to 11 year old game that has been nuttering game for last 3 years.

[Darsithis]

We don't allow game vs game threads here.