FFXIV and why WoW should be worried.

[Toppy]

Reposting this here, since I wasnt aware that threads concerning why WoW needs to change aren't allowed on the wow general forum.

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.

[jcf190]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/squar...ribers/0143457

[Toppy]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/squar...ribers/0143457

So a report from over a year ago, followed by square setting it straight (which they did half a year ago). Whats your point?

[Usagi Senshi]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/squar...ribers/0143457

Hey guy, you left out an important bit, not that sub numbers mean anything:

"Updated: These MMO figures actually come from an original financial report that was filed on March 31st, 2014. Square Enix tells MCV that the actual number of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn paying subscribers sits at 500,000, with over 2.5m registered users. These numbers do not include the game's performance in China, which charges Chinese gamers on a per-minute pay model. A Realm Reborn will launch in Korea in 2015."

[Keile]

It wasn't locked because of "reasons WoW needs to change" it was locked because it was turned into a Game vs Game thread.

[glowpipe]

Wow should not be remotely closed to worried about ffxiv. It sucks and hardly anyone plays it.

Wow should be worried that all of its developers got brain tumors and is not fit to take care of it

[Kolvarg]

Wether "WoW" should be worried or not, it's not my concern =P

But for the players WoW having more serious competition is a good thing. Might stir things up a bit on the development side, or at least give some good other options to turn to if you've had your share of WoW by now.

[renegeed]

FFXIV will never have the success WoW has, it was released in a very different time, that said, It's doing very well with it's sub model and actually makes use of that money to release new story content and features every once in awhile to keep people interested, something Blizzard has forgotten.

[Deleted]

HotS, SC2, HS are sucking up all the dev time and delaying WoW patches and content but if you like Farmville you will be ok in WoW for a while.

FFXIV, eh. They can put the time in at Square and it shows. They love their game, it's got bells and whistles added to it, over and over but the love in WoW development isn't felt if it's going into Blizz's shiny casino card game.

[Deleted]

ffxiv is fun, a lot of effort put in

But I just cannot get past the tab targeting (why yes id love to hit that pack 40 yards away, thank you for picking those)
and the proffesions,

Apart from that it is fun

[Deleted]

Wow should not be remotely closed to worried about ffxiv. It sucks and hardly anyone plays it.

Wow should be worried that all of its developers got brain tumors and is not fit to take care of it

Anecdotal evidence here but I've just started playing FFXIV in the past couple of months. About half the people on my rather full friend list (yeah, the community is much better on FFXIV) have recently picked up the game due to WoD.

But as you point out, that is less about FFXIV being stellar and more about WoD being absolutely awful though that does mean WoW will bleed subs to other games and if those other games can capitalise on that, WoW's woes are only compounded.

[Jinxz]

My WoW sub runs out May 8th 2018. I bought all the AH tokens, will I log in to play? Ofc not. FF14 is a much better game now, story and raiding wise.
And pls don't tell me WoW has good raids, they're mind numbing boring imo

[Fenixhart]

FFXIV will never have the success WoW has, it was released in a very different time, that said, It's doing very well with it's sub model and actually makes use of that money to release new story content and features every once in awhile to keep people interested, something Blizzard has forgotten.

Players don't care about success, players care about what's doing fun now.

It's the reason why WoW could never be competed with for a time, because no other MMOs could gain momentum while WoW was in full swing.

Now WoW has all but stalled on the tracks and other MMOs are gaining momentum.

[Chrno]

Even though I don't play anymore I must say that I love FFXIV. I think it's an amazing game. I just don't have the time for both...

[Deleted]

Well, a lot of people ditched wow for Rift during Cata, and during that days the Rift devs were crazy in pushing out updates there... same as I guess people feel now, why play a game that feels neglected when you can play one where you feel the developers actually care about the players.
However, we all know that Rift didn't end up as a wow killer... and same will happen with final fantasy most likely. But it's nice that people have a mmo they can play now when wow is having a hard time getting good content out.

[narzinor]

http://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/ne...15q4slides.pdf

While this is not entirely indicative of FFXIV only, this is a pretty good measure for looking at the company as a whole, and I'm certain a good portion of that is due to FFXIV.

It shows how the company from this end of the fiscal year has increased it's net income by 50% from last year to this year. Unfortunately, there's no sub info in this one, but they might make a presentation like last year for this year as well.

[Toppy]

Well, a lot of people ditched wow for Rift during Cata, and during that days the Rift devs were crazy in pushing out updates there... same as I guess people feel now, why play a game that feels neglected when you can play one where you feel the developers actually care about the players.
However, we all know that Rift didn't end up as a wow killer... and same will happen with final fantasy most likely. But it's nice that people have a mmo they can play now when wow is having a hard time getting good content out.

I think rift failed because it was almost a carbon copy of WoW. It was set to fail when WoW got a little better, since RIFT was pretty much just wow in another setting. It had very little to set itself apart, and not really any of the things players had been requesting of WoW.

[Ferrair]

I am one of those who went to FF XIV, i bought it when it first released, a huge mess, bought ARR, didnt play much.

Now that WoD is basically farmville + raiding the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, it finally pushed me to try other games.

Loving FF XIV, the story is super long and quite interesting, with betrayals and stuff. Graphics... lol its quite obvious who wins.

The jobs system is super interesting and i like how 1 character can play all the classes.

Can't wait to finish the main story on my summoner, once that's done, i'm going to level a pugilist and lancer, targetting to be a monk in Heavensward.

[buck008]

MMO's in general have stagnated because the players want specific things that are all exactly the same over and over again. Any deviation from that usually leads to failure. The new Final Fantasy game is "better" than WoW because it is new and exciting. It has a new environment with new characters and things you haven't seen before. Play it for a year and see what you think. Play it for 10 years and see if you don't hate everything about it.

Also, I laugh pretty hard at every single person that says Blizzard doesn't listen to their players. Their biggest problem is that they listen to their players too much and let them dictate too much. By way of example, there have been threads on this very forum for half a decade about how flying is ruining the game and Blizzard should get rid of it. Everyone agreed. Now they got rid of flying and people hate it.

Whatever, if you don't like WoW, don't play it. That's fine. You'll be much happier playing whatever game you prefer. To come in and say some game that barely survived its awful launch is going to somehow threaten a giant of the industry that clears a billion bucks a year in revenue is just crazy pants though. I mean I love Marvel Heroes. They put out new stuff all the time too. It's a fun game with a strong IP and a loyal fan base. WoW has nothing to worry about from Marvel Heroes. I guess you can keep waving the flag for your game and hope for the best though.

[Faroth]

I am one of those who went to FF XIV, i bought it when it first released, a huge mess, bought ARR, didnt play much.

Now that WoD is basically farmville + raiding the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, it finally pushed me to try other games.

Loving FF XIV, the story is super long and quite interesting, with betrayals and stuff. Graphics... lol its quite obvious who wins.

The jobs system is super interesting and i like how 1 character can play all the classes.

Can't wait to finish the main story on my summoner, once that's done, i'm going to level a pugilist and lancer, targetting to be a monk in Heavensward.

If you haven't finished the main story yet, you've barely begun to see the levels of twists and betrayals. Square's storyline for the game is damn good MMO storytelling and the set up for the expansion was absolutely awesome. I was expecting a WoW-esque "Dragons are attacking, go save the city hero!" sort of thing. You'll love it.

They even tied the story into why enemies are going to be so much more dangerous in the expansion (where they're saying 2 mobs at once out in the world is going to be a dangerous challenge and you may want to run). Assaulting enemy areas is suggested to work together.