FFXIV Criticisms

[Ghost of Cow]

So. Basically killing your character who you might have attachment to and maybe roleplayed with

Thats a terrible idea for an mmo, honestly

Gameplay has never assumed roleplaying connections, though. I don't think there's any responsibility on the developers to craft gameplay and/or the story around what players might or might not think their characters would do.

[Selah]

Or just have an event that strips all of our power, or even hit us with amnesia on top of that. Not like lore and gameplay power need to reflect each other

Sure, could take that route. Feels really cheesy and overplayed IMO. Especially since Alphinaud and crew are going to be like "hey, you're basically a god slaying beast yo." Whereas a death is a hard reset and those ties are severed entirely. Just my thoughts.

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So. Basically killing your character who you might have attachment to and maybe roleplayed with


Thats a terrible idea for an mmo, honestly

If you RP as the WoL from the MSQ you already know that SE has a high level of control over that character and could do anything to that character at any given moment. That's a truth you just have to accept. Yes, that does include dying.

If however you're referring to people's OCs in the game, then what happens to the WoL in the MSQ has no bearing on their OCs as that's an entirely different character who isn't likely to even be there for those events to start.

None of these are reasons as to why that route couldn't be taken.

[Maljinwo]

If however you're referring to people's OCs in the game, then what happens to the WoL in the MSQ has no bearing on their OCs as that's an entirely different character who isn't likely to even be there for those events to start.

Everyone's WoL is an OC. Telling the player "btw, you died" sucks

No matter what you RP as


Since this is because 'WoL is too op', remember that the WoL itself is not invulnerable. Not to go on any spoilers, but the WoL could have already died once. Twice if they aren't careful with what they drink

[Selah]

Everyone's WoL is an OC. Telling the player "btw, you died" sucks

No matter what you RP as


Since this is because 'WoL is too op', remember that the WoL itself is not invulnerable. Not to go on any spoilers, but the WoL could have already died once. Twice if they aren't careful with what they drink

WoL is a pre-determined character by SE and has a very strict role to play in the story. By definition they are a different character from your OC. The WoL dying is completely different than your OC dying and would not cause any complications with your OC's story.

Yes, the WoL is not invulnerable. But now the expectation is that the WoL will just murder anything that is stupid enough to step in front of the WoL. It detracts from any real sense of danger that might be presented by the game.

[Maljinwo]

.
Yes, the WoL is not invulnerable. But now the expectation is that the WoL will just murder anything that is stupid enough to step in front of the WoL. It detracts from any real sense of danger that might be presented by the game.

Like in 90% of the games where the protagonist cant die and is somehow able to beat everything that is put in front of them?
What if the danger isnt to the WoL themselves but to the world, their friends, colleagues. Theres still danger

The only rpg that dared to off the main character (That I know of) was Chrono Trigger and you could still get him back

[Selah]

Like in 90% of the games where the protagonist cant die and is somehow able to beat everything that is put in front of them?
What if the danger isnt to the WoL themselves but to the world, their friends, colleagues. Theres still danger

The only rpg that dared to off the main character (That I know of) was Chrono Trigger and you could still get him back

Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean it's a good way to tell the story. And it does detract from the story when someone squares up to the WoL because we know how that plays out before we actually ever start the fight.

Yes, there will still be danger to allies, friends, and so on. But unless those people actually start dying it really isn't a threat. Even when they do, it won't really matter because there still will be the WoL to save the day, world, universe, ect. The threat there is that the WoL isn't perfect. Whereas you contrast that with an untested WoL who nobody knows and things get really interesting. Especially since for a long time they won't even know it's the WoL.

[Yarathir]

This is so goofy.

The WoL has always been an OP "the chosen one" and always will be.

[Maljinwo]

Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean it's a good way to tell the story. And it does detract from the story when someone squares up to the WoL because we know how that plays out before we actually ever start the fight.

Again, isn't that almost every game?
You know Link will beat Ganon. Bowser gets defeated. Eggman's plans are thwarted and Sonic doesn't die even when imprisoned for months. Does that diminish the game itself?

[Selah]

Again, isn't that almost every game?
You know Link will beat Ganon. Bowser gets defeated. Eggman's plans are thwarted and Sonic doesn't die even when imprisoned for months. Does that diminish the game itself?

Again, it doesn't make it good.

And yes, it diminishes the game.

[NineSpine]

You are supposed to care about the other characters. That's what the story is really about. The WoL is a MacGuffin.

[zealo]

Maybe it's time to kill the WoL? Would help reset the threat level. WoL is an absolute monster and a certain Ascian trick in Garlemald did a really good job of demonstrating that.

That's not really an option because this is an mmo.

Just about anything they could do to the player character will by the very nature of the game have to be temporary, it's not like a single player rpg that has a definitive end, you can't really do that when continued play for years to come has to be a consideration.

WoL is a pre-determined character by SE and has a very strict role to play in the story. By definition they are a different character from your OC. The WoL dying is completely different than your OC dying and would not cause any complications with your OC's story.

Yes, the WoL is not invulnerable. But now the expectation is that the WoL will just murder anything that is stupid enough to step in front of the WoL. It detracts from any real sense of danger that might be presented by the game.

That the WoL is a predetermined characters has absolutely zero bearing on that players view that "OC" as their own WoL that they've formed attachments to over the years, it is flatly delusional to think anything like that would ever go over well with players.

[Selah]

That's not really an option because this is an mmo.

Just about anything they could do to the player character will by the very nature of the game have to be temporary, it's not like a single player rpg that has a definitive end, you can't really do that when continued play for years to come has to be a consideration.

Yeah, what they have to do is make sure that when you step back into the world after your MSQ experience that it makes sense for your character to be there. If they resolve that by having the next scene explain who this new character is then they can do what they want with the story. Which, if the WoL is killed having that next scene will of course be what will happen.

[Yarathir]

Again, it doesn't make it good.

And yes, it diminishes the game.

It really doesn't.

[Ghost of Cow]

You are supposed to care about the other characters. That's what the story is really about. The WoL is a MacGuffin.

Pretty much this.

The WoL is just the avatar of the inexorable progression of the player. In an MMO, the player can't really be removed, stopped, deleted, whatever so we have to be overpowered or lucky or have plot armor or whatever.

Sometimes the game even has fun with it all. See the Omega raid quests and the whole, "Dude, you don't even make sense." theme of it all.

[NineSpine]

I think the biggest problem with FF14 is that it is being crushed under the weight of its best design feature: The modular nature of the content.

The game feels like sort of a mess. The UI is gross, every system is a snowflake, and it just doesn't really come together from a usability and coherence perspective. This is a direct result of every piece of content being its own little isolated bubble. I love how modular the content is, but it's become a big mess as the game has expanded.

A distant second biggest issue is ability bloat being out of control.

[Yarathir]

I think the biggest problem with FF14 is that it is being crushed under the weight of its best design feature: The modular nature of the content.

The game feels like sort of a mess. The UI is gross, every system is a snowflake, and it just doesn't really come together from a usability and coherence perspective. This is a direct result of every piece of content being its own little isolated bubble. I love how modular the content is, but it's become a big mess as the game has expanded.

A distant second biggest issue is ability bloat being out of control.

I don't totally get what you mean.

But I can agree with your UI complaint at the least. The UI is archaic and was basically cobbled together from ripped paper and chewing gum even back when it was first introduced. Nowadays, all that's happened is that more is tacked onto it. It needs a proper overhaul but I'm not so sure anything like that's in the cards anytime soon.

[hzjf]

The Devs need to look at WoW GW2 or any other MMO out there and give the Interface a full MODERN 2024+ look to it. Just updating the Games Graphics simply isnt enough anymore

The Interface still feels like it has no proper mouse support selecting Stuff in this Menu feels like im stuck in 2007 or so. which is probably not far from the truth with this Game

also. its 2023 why am i still not allowed to make another Character without being forced to either play the MSQ again or PAY for skipping that ??

Auction House. What the... Hello Square Enix. Blizzard has created something amazing Copy it

Glamor or Transmog which is a super big Part of FF14 is yet another Element of the Game that is bound to a atrocious UI. again... Blizzard exist. COPY IT


Getting new Players to try out the Game wont get easier if you dont modernize your Game. Having a great Story is well ..great but ask random People and many will tell you they will never touch this Game because of how it looks.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

also. its 2023 why am i still not allowed to make another Character without being forced to either play the MSQ again or PAY for skipping that ??

Gotta milk those $25 story skips on the cash shop.

[NineSpine]

I don't totally get what you mean.

But I can agree with your UI complaint at the least. The UI is archaic and was basically cobbled together from ripped paper and chewing gum even back when it was first introduced. Nowadays, all that's happened is that more is tacked onto it. It needs a proper overhaul but I'm not so sure anything like that's in the cards anytime soon.

What I'm talking about is a lack of uniformity in how different pieces of content work, and the fact that it is unclear what the ultimate goal of any piece of content is. For example, when you stumble upon Palace of The Dead... what is it? Is it for leveling? Am I supposed to spend time here? It has an interface different than everything you've touched before. Leveling secondary jobs is a very weird process because certain pieces of content fade in and out of viability for getting XP, but it isn't clear how or why. There's multiple systems that seem totally disconnected from each other that feel like iterations on recruiting people and training them.

I'll go back to deep dungeons for a simple example. Why isn't there just one interface in the UI for it?

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The Devs need to look at WoW GW2 or any other MMO out there and give the Interface a full MODERN 2024+ look to it. Just updating the Games Graphics simply isnt enough anymore

The Interface still feels like it has no proper mouse support selecting Stuff in this Menu feels like im stuck in 2007 or so. which is probably not far from the truth with this Game

also. its 2023 why am i still not allowed to make another Character without being forced to either play the MSQ again or PAY for skipping that ??

Auction House. What the... Hello Square Enix. Blizzard has created something amazing Copy it

Glamor or Transmog which is a super big Part of FF14 is yet another Element of the Game that is bound to a atrocious UI. again... Blizzard exist. COPY IT


Getting new Players to try out the Game wont get easier if you dont modernize your Game. Having a great Story is well ..great but ask random People and many will tell you they will never touch this Game because of how it looks.

Japanese developers seem to have a consistent problem with interface design. It makes me wonder if they should contract it out to American developers or if its just a culture issue.

[Grinning Serpent]

I think the biggest problem with FF14 is that it is being crushed under the weight of its best design feature: The modular nature of the content.

The game feels like sort of a mess. The UI is gross, every system is a snowflake, and it just doesn't really come together from a usability and coherence perspective. This is a direct result of every piece of content being its own little isolated bubble. I love how modular the content is, but it's become a big mess as the game has expanded.

A distant second biggest issue is ability bloat being out of control.

FF14's biggest issue, such as it is, is that each of its individual parts are fairly mediocre. Taken as a sum, it's a pretty good game but individual bits and pieces of it are rarely more than half-baked. Really only the story is polished, and how much you enjoy that is going to be pretty subjective. I liked the story a lot through ShB but EW just killed my enjoyment of it.

All the other content? It's half-baked. Raids are very good, but there are very few of them and there's none of the class customization or gearing aspects that keep it feeling a little more lively compared to WoW - there's also no aspects of raid balancing and management as the comp for raids is pretty rigidly fixed and classes are all essentially interchangeable within a role. Parsing might have provided some element of longevity but EW dumbed down the gameplay so heavily that if "competent" is 80th percentile and too much above that starts getting heavily reliant on crit RNG, what's the point? Criterion dungeons were a cool idea but effectively DOA because of absolutely no reason to do them more than once or twice. PvP is cool but hamstrung by severely inadequate netcode and a playerbase that's not really aligned with the idea of competitive laddering Ishgard Restoration was a very welcome way for crafters to get more gameplay, but they didn't bring anything like that across to EW. Island Sanctuary tends to be pretty dead content, as it's essentially just following a spreadsheet each week, it's sealed off single-player content, and you can't even use housing items there for some unexplainably horribly stupid reason - remember how people bitched about garrisons in WoD? Yeah, that's Island Sanctuary, except even less interactive.

And so on. It's a lot of fairly mediocre or half-baked gameplay bits and bobs, and yet as a whole it's still quite good. But I do think it runs out of content quite fast. They've said it's an FF game first and foremost, which is fine... but why do I gotta pay a monthly fee for a largely single player experience...?