tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post5356581120790824695..comments2022-04-11T20:34:56.519-07:00Comments on Gamer By Design: Epic Blog Battles of Gaming: FFXIV vs. WoWTalarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-70721502232849972632015-05-11T23:31:04.094-07:002015-05-11T23:31:04.094-07:00That's pretty awesome if true! Do you have a s...That's pretty awesome if true! Do you have a source for that?Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-8977732581636416392015-05-11T22:22:03.244-07:002015-05-11T22:22:03.244-07:00FFXIV has actually topped 4 million registered pla...FFXIV has actually topped 4 million registered players recently. The information you have about 500k was actually an error when a publication published Square's end of year report from an earlier year. The information spread around online, but the error was later corrected.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-2471007891467745962015-04-15T04:39:37.069-07:002015-04-15T04:39:37.069-07:00Have you heard the music for Shiva yet? I would be...Have you heard the music for Shiva yet? I would be really interested to know what you think to it, since opinion was so divided on it. Personally, I really like it, but then I like orchestral, classic and pop-rock, so it fit my taste. :DAchaiushttp://gamergrove.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-65911384153018771132015-04-04T00:20:40.819-07:002015-04-04T00:20:40.819-07:00The dungeons were especially bad but it's the ...The dungeons were especially bad but it's the open world that felt "too" perfect. Like, it FEELS designed rather than something that might occur naturally. The repeated doodads cause that in the dungeons for me.<br /><br />Also, one of my biggest requests back when I played was for a particle-effect priority system :( hope they get to that at some point.Clockworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00565064315360664711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-36550654818917886632015-04-03T17:00:18.778-07:002015-04-03T17:00:18.778-07:00I haven't played Ninja yet, and I haven't ...I haven't played Ninja yet, and I haven't done a 24-person raid yet, so we'll see if my opinion on flashy spell-effects stays. Maybe if I could find a way to prioritize them. ie: As a healer, I want to see tank effects so I can tell when they pop a cooldown (not just the buff icon), as a Tank I want to see DPS AoEs so I can make sure I can drag the mobs in there. As a DPS, just me, all my effects please.<br /><br />Yeah, I like how WoW approaches their environment better than FFXIV overall. I'm not sure I'd liken it to a dollhouse. They do dilapidated pretty well. It's just extremely obvious to see Doddad #1, and then go, that's just Doodad #1 rotated. That one is shrunk 50%. etc. And realize that there are maybe a total of 3 Doodads in the entire dungeon/cavern. Efficient, but once you see it you can't unsee it.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-73669099664161763032015-04-02T22:23:53.858-07:002015-04-02T22:23:53.858-07:00"That being said, the spell effects? FFXIV wi..."That being said, the spell effects? FFXIV wins, absolutely beautiful."<br /><br />I agree in part. Generally speaking the FFXIV effects are much flashier and better looking than WoW's, the problem is I think at times they go overboard with it. In FFXIV even mundane skills look like the 4th of July. Play a Thief/Ninja and you'll experience a world of swirling light only comparable to spinning around in circles at a laser show.<br /><br />But that is pretty common for MMOs from the other side of the Pacific; gorgeous graphics, flashy spells, picturesque landscapes. Yet the worlds often feel like a dollhouse, they're just too perfect to be believed. I wish I could get an MMO that had FFXIV's art budget but WoW's approach to story-by-environment (which is not perfect, but as you pointed out is focused on much more).Clockworkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00565064315360664711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-27891821562721295842015-04-02T16:46:23.485-07:002015-04-02T16:46:23.485-07:00Define "open world elements" Murf. WoW r...Define "open world elements" Murf. WoW relied heavily on backgrounds until they added flying to the whole world. Everquest and Ultima Online had pretty restrictive zones as well. Heck, so does SWTOR and Wildstar. There are edges to zones, with backdrops.<br /><br />Admittedly, FFXIV's zones do tend towards smaller than others, and perhaps that's the rub, but I'm honestly at a loss as to what differentiates FFXIV negatively compared to other themepark MMOs with respect to "open world elements" aside from WoW's ability to fly everywhere.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-59925833797567475272015-04-02T16:42:28.132-07:002015-04-02T16:42:28.132-07:00Gotcha. I've see a lot of people complain abo...Gotcha. I've see a lot of people complain about how WoW not having Fire Elementals immune to Fire is ruining the lore for the sake of gameplay and didn't know if you had similar complaints ;) I know you don't seem hung up on the elemental stuff but there might have been others ("OMG MALE NIGHT ELF PRIESTS? THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!").<br /><br />I doubt the quest work is that much harder...I suspect part of it is that each quest is really only done once "fresh" and then in repeated times for other characters people care a lot less about it. But the basic gameplay is repeated constantly and raids/dungeons are meant to be done several times in most cases.Balkothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12425374556730828853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-6418939656303258902015-04-02T16:35:46.419-07:002015-04-02T16:35:46.419-07:00So I guess it's more complaints around the pre...So I guess it's more complaints around the presentation (or lack thereof), though the Garrosh retcon and Tyrande hissy-fit are prime examples of not having their story straight.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-2116149914857748662015-04-02T16:24:17.058-07:002015-04-02T16:24:17.058-07:00The latter, and that's by their own choice/adm...The latter, and that's by their own choice/admission. They spend a lot more time on mechanics than they do quests/story/features around sound/music. They're slowly upgrading their graphics, which is definitely good (and I don't begrudge them wanting to have the game run on all sorts of hardware--in fact, probably a big reason their still #1), and their artists/musicians are top notch with the tools they have.<br /><br />And maybe that's the rub. They have an old infrastructure. Maybe the amount of work it takes to implement a quest in WoW is significantly higher than it is in FFXIV.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-44440391216684080892015-04-02T11:30:14.599-07:002015-04-02T11:30:14.599-07:00"Definitely gameplay first, which is fine, bu..."Definitely gameplay first, which is fine, but I agree they've taken it to the point of absurdity at the expense of other elements."<br /><br />Any particular areas that stand out to you where other stuff suffers due to gameplay? Or do you simply mean that they spend so much time focusing on gameplay that they spend less time on non-gameplay?Balkothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12425374556730828853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-29590456191254464662015-04-01T20:33:48.839-07:002015-04-01T20:33:48.839-07:00Honestly, they can't do Open World because of ...Honestly, they can't do Open World because of hardware limitations. They may be able to convert a lot of it into open world eventually though once they drop the PS3. FFXV is said to be open world so they are capable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-77964822614078485182015-04-01T17:43:42.672-07:002015-04-01T17:43:42.672-07:00I also like the 2.5s GCD, now -- but at the beginn...I also like the 2.5s GCD, now -- but at the beginning of the game, it made things feel intolerably slow, given that you only have two buttons to press anyway. I'd also appreciate slightly longer cast times for some things, though perhaps that's Square telling us to roll warriors. :)<br /><br />Agreed; WoW does gameplay right, most of the time. Still, I'm hoping to see more diversity in fight mechanics from XIV as I get through the content -- the latest trial they added was, gratifyingly, not a single monster in a circular arena -- but I'd also like some meaningful options for customization. As it is, everyone takes the same cross-class skills and uses (mostly) the same points distribution, so you either do it "right" or "wrong".<br /><br />--TevonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-64240758468653992612015-04-01T17:09:04.592-07:002015-04-01T17:09:04.592-07:00I do. Even in a Themepark MMORPG, I believe open w...I do. Even in a Themepark MMORPG, I believe open world elements are necessary.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00289459451344261371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-17628198414930848022015-04-01T16:53:08.593-07:002015-04-01T16:53:08.593-07:00It's a Themepark MMO, which are all about the ...It's a Themepark MMO, which are all about the curated experiences. I don't necessarily think "open world" and "MMO" are synonymous.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-49799238642809914862015-04-01T16:19:33.041-07:002015-04-01T16:19:33.041-07:00It's a MMORPG. I'd rather have a world tha...It's a MMORPG. I'd rather have a world than a hallway with a pretty backdrop.<br /><br />JRPGs are a different beast altogether. I don't mind their more linear nature, especially since they tend be so heavily curated anyway. And no, I never forgot how linear FFX was or that FFXII was very open and sucked.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00289459451344261371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-31953982635263278232015-04-01T14:52:31.799-07:002015-04-01T14:52:31.799-07:00So I've heard! I have yet to reach him in my s...So I've heard! I have yet to reach him in my story quests, but I'm looking forward to it.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-33932598773883787542015-04-01T14:52:10.660-07:002015-04-01T14:52:10.660-07:00I get what you're saying, and at the same time...I get what you're saying, and at the same time I don't care as much. I'd rather have an excellent curated yet narrow experience than a super open world which is mediocre in nature because development resources were spread too thin. But admittedly, that's personal preference.<br /><br />For the record, I had 0 problems with FFXIII's linearity. Also noting that people complaining about FFXIII's linearity also rarely remembered that FFX was also nearly entirely as linear. But I digress.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-52385708434874021972015-04-01T14:50:00.992-07:002015-04-01T14:50:00.992-07:00Nooooo, MSPaint, you have failed me!
Agreed on th...Nooooo, MSPaint, you have failed me!<br /><br />Agreed on the early leveling experience for Gladiator at least. The 2.5s GCD I rather enjoy, actually. It did take a bit to get used to after WoW's 1s GCD for Melee/Casters w/ Haste, and I find cast times to be not quite long enough to interrupt readily with a GCD that long, but I like that I have time to dodge stuff, think about my next move, etc.<br /><br />Agreed with WoW's team focus. Definitely gameplay first, which is fine, but I agree they've taken it to the point of absurdity at the expense of other elements. Still, their gameplay is top notch, from raid bosses to dungeon design, to how customizing your class works, WoW still beats out FFXIV imho. But unfortunately for WoW, there's so much more to games than just sheer gameplay.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-46229420682823159342015-04-01T14:45:11.362-07:002015-04-01T14:45:11.362-07:00Yeah, I'm working on the story :D The early du...Yeah, I'm working on the story :D The early dungeons definitely feel thrown together by a small team. Winding tunnels, not much differentiating each area from the last. Basically all variations on Deadmines, except Deadmines still had more personality as a dungeon than many of FFXIV's early dungeons.<br /><br />But the later fights/dungeons definitely feel more interesting.Talarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17684944568000522986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-87106584993544694732015-04-01T14:25:22.549-07:002015-04-01T14:25:22.549-07:00Good King Moggle Mog XII is the best battle music ...Good King Moggle Mog XII is the best battle music of the game IMO. It start decent while you're fighting the minions, then he shows up and it just gets hilarious -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiB0-PFXv6UMagsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05870589034885773525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-50984143138185702892015-04-01T12:07:38.549-07:002015-04-01T12:07:38.549-07:00My issue with Final Fantasy XIV's graphics (an...My issue with Final Fantasy XIV's graphics (and most Asian-style MMOs) is the over-reliance on background. Often the settings are rather linear or limited, but there's a lot of additional backdrop to make things feel bigger, fuller, or part of a greater whole. I have issues buying into this illusion: it feels like a wall of mirrors so everything feels more open.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00289459451344261371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-41759874714463045782015-04-01T10:48:52.820-07:002015-04-01T10:48:52.820-07:00Remind me next time you're online and I'll...Remind me next time you're online and I'll help you install an image editor with proper resizing and compression options. That's a whopper of a 2MB image right at the top of your blog post. :)<br /><br />I think there are some places both games could improve. FFXIV's early leveling experience is overshadowed by extraordinarily boring abilities (especially gladiator, ugh) and the 2.5-second global cooldown, which turns off a lot of people. Its voice acting is also terrifically bad in places, and there's not much in the way of character ability customization.<br /><br />WoW, on the other hand, seems to have lost its stride in creating "fun" end-game content that isn't Raid Finder (where your contributions to the group are overshadowed by at least one of the other 24 people). There's also a relentless focus on gameplay to the detriment of music, storyline, and even content -- one look at any set of Blizzard patch notes shows that 80% of them, by volume, are minute changes to class mechanics. I'd argue that their biggest weakness, though, is not having a real vision for the game and reacting too much to community feedback. Time after time, Blizzard wields the buff and nerf bats with a very heavy hand, and restricts options to funnel players into their preferred Content Du Jour instead of offering multiple ways to get things done. (Case in point: daily quests between Cata->MoP->WoD.)<br /><br />That said, I agree with this post overall -- I'm enjoying my time in FFXIV a lot more than I had in WoW, and so far it seems to be keeping my attention pretty well. Let's hope that continues into the expansion!<br /><br />--TevonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2814591084344141656.post-1837652090957838262015-04-01T09:21:40.733-07:002015-04-01T09:21:40.733-07:00I cannot wait for you to finish the entire 2.X par...I cannot wait for you to finish the entire 2.X part of the game (just released the last of the story yesterday!). There's so much more added. And, the later dungeons get better and better.<br /><br />And the music is fantastic.<br /><br />But, seriously, finish the story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com