[Megathread] Final Fantasy XIV

[Wrecktangle]

im prety sure ffxiv doesnt schedule shit around wow XD

I genuinely don't know if one game targets the other or not (so I'm not saying FF14 is doing it to WoW or vice versa) I'm saying it's annoying that they always seem to overlap regardless of the reasons.

I liked what they did with the 5.3 trial and the Adramellech fight.

• In the 5.3 trial and Adramellach, they use a random element combination mechanic that is fun and keeps me on my toes everytime.

• In the second half of the 5.3 trial, there are four mechanics, but the order in which they happen is randomized each time.

I like that FFXIV fights aren't WoW levels of random, but some randomness is nice to spruce things up.

To each their own. I'll have to check out the mentioned fight though.

[Granyala]

im prety sure ffxiv doesnt schedule shit around wow XD

Actually, they do. So does Blizzard.
Most large MMOs do try to deliver content when a competitor does.
It makes perfect business sense too, you want to avoid that your customers only play the other game for a few weeks because they have nothing to do in your game.

Luckily (?) I don'T have time for 2 MMOs and no one to play WoW with, so Shadowlands will be the first release I skip. Feels a bit weird tbh.

[Graeham]

I'm toying with ESO as my side game to FFXIV. The latter doesn't quite have enough content to keep me busy these days - I don't raid, since I never managed to find a reliable group of players to do it with. Party finder exists, of course, but it isn't the same as running with the same bunch of players each week and building up a strong rapport with them.

Cyberpunk is also out two days after 5.4 goes live and I'm much more interested in that than another round of baiting from the writers about 'something big' happening that conveniently gets thwarted before it can even arise as an actual threat. I wasn't terribly impressed with how 5.3 ended and how such a major character went out without even taking out a throwaway character, let alone anyone of note. I miss the days of ARR and HW - consequences were much more common back then. Though the writer in charge left to go work on FFXVI, I believe.

I'm really hoping Shadowlands does very well, though. FFXIV sorely needs a wake up call at this point and a solid rival that forces it to adapt rather than play things extremely safe.

[KrayZ33]

Gotta say, the Shadowlands experience so far has been utter shit, worse than BFA even.
The sharding is absolutely horrible and half the shit doesn't even work correctly and you see dead enemies in front of you while you wait for it to respawn, basically spoiling the whole fight and scenario. Not to mention that the cutscenes are so poorly done, they make FFXIV's "turn 180° degree and walk out of the scene"-stuff like a masterwork.

They should really make it a co-op / single player game when it comes to leveling and story telling. Jesus christ am I unsatisfied with the whole thing so far.
And the funniest thing I've seen was a "puzzle" that told me to light up 5 thingies around the object so I can loot it and it literally said "you know you have to do this because you are psychic" WHAT - THE - FUCK.

All these flipping streamers that told me how good the shadowlands story was and how interesting it is must have been under influence of cyanoacrylate adhesive or something. FFXIV really has nothing to fear - I'm not going to pretend that I'm still playing FFXIV but at least I can go back to it and not feel like the game is a total shitshow.

[Katchii]

Gotta say, the Shadowlands experience so far has been utter shit, worse than BFA even.
The sharding is absolutely horrible and half the shit doesn't even work correctly and you see dead enemies in front of you while you wait for it to respawn, basically spoiling the whole fight and scenario. Not to mention that the cutscenes are so poorly done, they make FFXIV's "turn 180° degree and walk out of the scene"-stuff like a masterwork.

They should really make it a co-op / single player game when it comes to leveling and story telling. Jesus christ am I unsatisfied with the whole thing so far.
And the funniest thing I've seen was a "puzzle" that told me to light up 5 thingies around the object so I can loot it and it literally said "you know you have to do this because you are psychic" WHAT - THE - FUCK.

All these flipping streamers that told me how good the shadowlands story was and how interesting it is must have been under influence of cyanoacrylate adhesive or something. FFXIV really has nothing to fear - I'm not going to pretend that I'm still playing FFXIV but at least I can go back to it and not feel like the game is a total shitshow.

It honestly just sounds like you're over the whole WoW experience.

I'm loving Shadowlands so far, the cinematics and cutscenes are well done in Blizzard style, and look great to me. I don't know what standard you're holding these to, but these are typical WoW cutscenes with higher fidelity graphics due to the better technology in the game.

That quest text is meant to be tongue in cheek humor. Don't take it too seriously, because the game certainly doesn't. Even FFXIV does this sometimes.

IMO, Shadowlands is fine, even great. You obviously disagree. But I do honestly wonder if this is truly an issue with the game, or an issue with you personally...not saying you have issues, just that you may have simply outgrown the game or your tastes have changed. It happens.

[KrayZ33]

It honestly just sounds like you're over the whole WoW experience.

It honestly does not, I'm just calling it out for what it is.
I've never had the "WoW Experience" you might be thinking about, because the games storytelling has been dogshit since forever. I've been playing the game for the gameplay alone. But since 4 addons they've been throwing these supposedly epic "scenario quests" at me that I can't dodge anymore.
So I actually have to play through it and I can see nothing but poorly executed cutscenes, scenario quests, horribly placed triggers that completely destroy NPC interactions, overlapping voicefiles, nonstop "in and outsharding" (no clue what to call it). For example, you go towards the Maldraxus Chosen castle and see NPCs patrolling and guarding it, and when you move closer the sharding changes and you see dead bodies everywhere.

And that's just one example out of several issues I encounter every 20-30 minutes or so.

That's just poorly done, no excuses.
Not sure what the beta-testers were actually doing other than whining about how OP some covenants are.
Very rarely do I ever get thrown out of my immersion and considering how often it happens in WoW, I can't help but state that it's just awful.

That quest text is meant to be tongue in cheek humor. Don't take it too seriously, because the game certainly doesn't

sure, lets pretend.
Not sure why you think the game "certainly doesn't" mean it seriously though. It's not even a quest in the first place. It's a description for the "puzzle" you are supposed to read and *have* to read and it's the only text for it. There is no NPC no diary or anything. It's not even funny - it's just sad.

[A Chozo]

Used those free days from the campaign to finally finish the latest patch's MSQs, what an ending to a magnificent campaign. Can't wait to face off against Zenos Yae Nofucks in the future - dude's like our nemesis at this point.

It honestly does not

No, he's right, it really sounds like you're over WoW. Go play something else instead of paying to dislike a good game.

[KrayZ33]

No, he's right, it really sounds like you're over WoW. Go play something else instead of paying to dislike a good game.

Yeah, the issues I stated are obviously "good" and not just "issues".
And I'm paying for the combat and raids - thank you very much. Just because you don't think that's worth it, doesn't mean I have to scrap all the fun I have in that game outside of the horrible quest experience.

[Katchii]

It honestly does not, I'm just calling it out for what it is.

You're calling it the way you see it, which is obviously colored by your personal perception, bias, prejudice, etc...

I've never had the "WoW Experience" you might be thinking about, because the games storytelling has been dogshit since forever. I've been playing the game for the gameplay alone. But since 4 addons they've been throwing these supposedly epic "scenario quests" at me that I can't dodge anymore.

Which, to me, translates to YOU not liking the aspects of the game Blizzard introduced. Not a problem with the game itself.

So I actually have to play through it and I can see nothing but poorly executed cutscenes, scenario quests, horribly placed triggers that completely destroy NPC interactions, overlapping voicefiles, nonstop "in and outsharding" (no clue what to call it). For example, you go towards the Maldraxus Chosen castle and see NPCs patrolling and guarding it, and when you move closer the sharding changes and you see dead bodies everywhere.

And that's just one example out of several issues I encounter every 20-30 minutes or so.

That's just poorly done, no excuses.

The sharding/ phasing issue you're describing is something that's been an issue since phasing/ sharding was implemented, that's not new to Shadowlands. I agree that it's off-putting, and can be described as "poorly done" but it's not Shadowlands specific.

As to cutscenes. I think they're fine, as do many others. You don't, along with many others. That fact alone means it's not a game issue, it's a personal "issue" or preference.

Not sure what the beta-testers were actually doing other than whining about how OP some covenants are.
Very rarely do I ever get thrown out of my immersion and considering how often it happens in WoW, I can't help but state that it's just awful.

Again, this is a very subjective thing, which translates to it being more of a YOU issue than a GAME issue.

sure, lets pretend.
Not sure why you think the game "certainly doesn't" mean it seriously though. It's not even a quest in the first place. It's a description for the "puzzle" you are supposed to read and *have* to read and it's the only text for it. There is no NPC no diary or anything. It's not even funny - it's just sad.

Ok it's not quest text...the point stands. The game is make a tongue in cheek joke. It pokes fun at itself, the genre and the typical MMO tropes all the time. The fact that you don't find it funny, is again, a subjective thing and means it's not an inherent problem with the game as is a YOU issue.

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Yeah, the issues I stated are obviously "good" and not just "issues".

They're issue's YOU have with the game. That's a personal thing.

And I'm paying for the combat and raids - thank you very much.

You can still experience those things, right? What's the issue? If you were never paying for the things you dislike anyway...why do the things you've always disliked have an impact on your enjoyment now?

Just because you don't think that's worth it, doesn't mean I have to scrap all the fun I have in that game outside of the horrible quest experience.

Who's asking you to scrap anything?

[KrayZ33]

How about you read what I'm writing and don't add whatever backstory you got for me to the discussion?

like

You can still experience those things, right? What's the issue? If you were never paying for the things you dislike anyway...why do the things you've always disliked have an impact on your enjoyment now?

The issue is that it's still bad? What makes you think they have an impact "now" and not "always had" an impact on my experience?

Who's asking you to scrap anything?

The guy who told me to go play another game?

Again, this is a very subjective thing, which translates to it being more of a YOU issue than a GAME issue.

how the *fuck* is that an "You" issue and not a game issue.
It's immersion breaking when the NPCs talk over each other, it's immersion breaking when things phase in and out non stop, it's immersion breaking when NPCs warp and teleport over the place because you trigger the next quest step randomly. That's a fact, as much as it's a fact that a citrus tastes sour.
If people are able to ignore shite and eat shite, doesn't mean that shite tastes good and it doesn't mean you should have it as your meal when you could eat something good instead.

[Katchii]

How about you read what I'm writing and don't add whatever backstory you got for me to the discussion?

like

The issue is that it's still bad? What makes you think they have an impact "now" and not "always had" an impact on my experience?

First, I'll say that we seem to be going off-topic so this will be the last time I respond here.

Second, fair enough

The guy who told me to go play another game?

Again, fair enough.

how the *fuck* is that an "You" issue and not a game issue.

Because it's an issue you have with the game that other people may or may not have. Therefore, it's not an inherent game issue. Like a bug or something.

It's immersion breaking when the NPCs talk over each other, it's immersion breaking when things phase in and out non stop, it's immersion breaking when NPCs warp and teleport over the place because you trigger the next quest step randomly. That's a fact, as much as it's a fact that a citrus tastes sour.

I can accept this. However, this is simply a part of the game, and has been since this technology was implemented. I've simply learned to live with it and disregard it. I understand that this is somethin other's may or may not also be able to do.

If people are able to ignore shite and eat shite, doesn't mean that shite tastes good and it doesn't mean you should have it as your meal when you could eat something good instead.

If it was literal shit, you'd have a point. But it's not. It's differences in preferences, like some people liking brussel sprouts and others hating them. There are still those in between that can acknowledge that they don't like them. It doesn't have to be so polarized.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Cyberpunk is also out two days after 5.4 goes live and I'm much more interested in that than another round of baiting from the writers about 'something big' happening that conveniently gets thwarted before it can even arise as an actual threat. I wasn't terribly impressed with how 5.3 ended and how such a major character went out without even taking out a throwaway character, let alone anyone of note. I miss the days of ARR and HW - consequences were much more common back then. Though the writer in charge left to go work on FFXVI, I believe.

I'm really hoping Shadowlands does very well, though. FFXIV sorely needs a wake up call at this point and a solid rival that forces it to adapt rather than play things extremely safe.

Yeah. I'm guessing that Urianger might die in 6.0, but otherwise I'm not hopeful for any actual consequences for the heroes.

Well, Hydaelyn might be gone, but it's not like that will actually have an impact on anything.

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Also, I'm not sure if I've asked this before, but how is ESO now? I remember playing the open beta during 2013/2014 and I thought that the MMO questing rather mediocre. I've heard that they've since then added some more sandboxy stuff, like thieving and werewolves and vampires, but is it just mostly the same game?

[Graeham]

Yeah. I'm guessing that Urianger might die in 6.0, but otherwise I'm not hopeful for any actual consequences for the heroes.

Well, Hydaelyn might be gone, but it's not like that will actually have an impact on anything.

Also, I'm not sure if I've asked this before, but how is ESO now? I remember playing the open beta during 2013/2014 and I thought that the MMO questing rather mediocre. I've heard that they've since then added some more sandboxy stuff, like thieving and werewolves and vampires, but is it just mostly the same game?

Yeah, Hydaelyn is pretty much a non-entity at this point. That she didn't appear on any of the 'popular character' lists is telling.

As for ESO, it's been improved a lot since I played at launch. There's a lot more areas to explore and everything scales so just running off in a random direction to explore works out well enough.

I don't like how much the game revolves around the cash shop for convenience and cosmetics, but in terms of giving me stuff to do out in the open world it scratches an itch that FFXIV fails to. One of the recent updates added an archaeology system and gave everybody a free large house in Skyrim. I'm curious to see what future updates bring.

I don't intend to quit FFXIV, though my partner and I have found ourselves starved of things to do in-game. So during downtime it's been better to stray to other games.

Thieving is a lot of fun - and surprisingly profitable. I play a nightblade myself since I like the thief aesthetics.

[Granyala]

I don't intend to quit FFXIV, though my partner and I have found ourselves starved of things to do in-game. So during downtime it's been better to stray to other games.

Much better for your mental health than religiously playing one MMO into burnout, doing crap you don't find fun just because it's "sth to do" anyway.

Currently I am derping around in Factorio when Ifalna sits on the sofa and relaxes with a good book.

[Graeham]

Much better for your mental health than religiously playing one MMO into burnout, doing crap you don't find fun just because it's "sth to do" anyway.

Currently I am derping around in Factorio when Ifalna sits on the sofa and relaxes with a good book.

Yeah. I've accomplished most of the goals I set out to do in FFXIV, too. There's technically things I still could do but they're all very grindy and not fun to do all at once.

I think a lot of it is the story focus, too. Once we get back to characters I'm enthusiastic about I'll be more invested I suppose.

[dope_danny]

And here we go. Those towers look very Mhachi in design but i wonder if thats something do with whatever Fandaniel and Zenos are doing or the Rumbling in the Earth that caused the Terminus?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Maybe we will finally get to see what is behind that door in the Chrysalis. Maybe the door leads to Zodiark? Or it leads to the center of the star, where the source of the sound is?

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Ah, nice to see that they aren't sweeping the Limsa-Kobold thing under the rug anymore.

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At the end of Meoni's summary of the live letter, he said that a new ShB role quest is being added, which you can do once you have finished the four questlines and the fifth bonus quest after doing the four, and it will require you to have completed the Warring Triad questline.

Are they remembering that Unukalhai exists? 5.3 did him dirty. I wonder what they will do with him now that he missed the big event.

[Merie]

Maybe we will finally get to see what is behind that door in the Chrysalis. Maybe the door leads to Zodiark? Or it leads to the center of the star, where the source of the sound is?

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Ah, nice to see that they aren't sweeping the Limsa-Kobold thing under the rug anymore.

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At the end of Meoni's summary of the live letter, he said that a new ShB role quest is being added, which you can do once you have finished the four questlines and the fifth bonus quest after doing the four, and it will require you to have completed the Warring Triad questline.

Are they remembering that Unukalhai exists? 5.3 did him dirty. I wonder what they will do with him now that he missed the big event.

I was so disappointed they left out Unukalhai. But I think I can guess what the quest will be. Why Elidibus saved him. And the reason? Because Unukalhai was a small child trying to carry the unimaginable burden of saving his world and people from destruction. Only to fail. Just like Elidibus. Elidibus must surely have empathized with Unukalhai's situation. Not the least of which because he and his fellow paragons were the primary reason Unukalhai's world was destroyed in the first place.

[Xilurm]

Yeah. I'm guessing that Urianger might die in 6.0, but otherwise I'm not hopeful for any actual consequences for the heroes.

Well, Hydaelyn might be gone, but it's not like that will actually have an impact on anything.

That's a bit random. Why Urianger of all people? And Hydaelyn is still around though.

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Yeah, Hydaelyn is pretty much a non-entity at this point. That she didn't appear on any of the 'popular character' lists is telling.

I'm pretty sure that both Hydaelyn and Zodiark will play big roles in 6.0. They didn't introduce Venat just to forget about her.

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Are they remembering that Unukalhai exists? 5.3 did him dirty. I wonder what they will do with him now that he missed the big event.

They actually changed his lines in both 5.0 and 5.3

[Val the Moofia Boss]

That's a bit random. Why Urianger of all people? And Hydaelyn is still around though.

Urianger is the most expendable of the main cast.

• Alphinaud is the pretty much the main character of FFXIV after the WoL. Good chance of him being our adventuring buddies in further adventures after 6.0.

• Alisae is an adventuring buddy, also is treated as a waifu as of 5.0, and waifus are seldom ever killed off.

• Y'shtola has been treated as the poster girl for FFXIV, is very popular, has also been waifu-ized, so she won't die.

• G'raha Tia already had a climatic "death scene". Killing him in 6.0 after 5.3 would receive a lot of backlash for milking. He's also too popular, has been husbando-ed.

That just leaves Thancred and Urianger. Thancred is more popular than Urianger, and is in a good position to peacefully retire his character after 6.0. Or he could be brought back for further adventures.

Urianger, on the other hand, doesn't have much going for him once the story ends. He is unlikely to go adventuring with the player after 6.0, and killing him off won't cause backlash. So if anyone dies in 6.0, it'll be him (and maybe Gaius).

And Hydaelyn is still around though.

Hydaelyn is a loose end and the writers probably don't want to write around her going forward. She's been oddly used; she regularly contacted the player in 2.0, but fell off of the map after that and the writers kept having to contrive reasons to justify why she wasn't involved as she should have been. "Oh, she doesn't have enough power to talk to us!". They've even used Hydaelyn to get rid of characters the writers found no use for, such as Minfillia. I think the FFXIV team wants to move past the Hydaelyn-Zodiark stuff to new, fresh territory after 6.0, so she's going to get axed. Not like it matters anyway since, again, no one cares about her as a character. They've already teased that she might get axed as of the 5.0 ending.

They actually changed his lines in both 5.0 and 5.3

Hardly makes up for missing the big event with the one character his story revolved around.

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I think 6.0 will be focused on fixing the source of the sound. Already in 5.2 and 5.3, the Scions have been hearing the sound, and in 4.5 Matoya's magics were shorting out. I think the source of the sound will get worse. The Scions will go to Sharlayan (might be the next big city) and we will get a story about Sharlayan breaking out of their self isolationism and trying to help.

Meanwhile, Garlemald will be a subplot, as it seems the defeat of the Empire is being handled offscreen in the MSQ and in side content like Ivalice/Bozja and Werlyt. If Gaius survives the Werlyt questline, then either he will take over what remains of Garlemald, or he will die and some other little known/newly introduced Garlean (like Maximus) will take over what remains of Garlemald.

Zenos/Fandaniel fully bring about the Final Days and an apocalypse occurs across Aldenard (maybe all of the Source?). The WoL faces Zenos in a 1 vs 1 duel and loses. Zenos and Fandaniel retreat to the last zone, which will either be the center of the planet, where the Source of the Sound and the Lifestream are, or they go to the Moon where Zodiark's essence is. Scions and WoL follow them and beat them. Then they fix the Source of the Sound (I don't think it's going to be the final boss). Hydaelyn either dies protecting the WoL from Zenos and/or Zodiark, or dies undoing the Source of the Sound, or something. Somewhere in here Urianger dies.

Post patch content involves rebuilding Garlemald. Future expansions are self contained adventures with new casts going to new lands.