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Final fantasy XIV any good?

Deleted member 7219

Guest
Well, I've got to level 50 and I'm now in the intermission quests between the original game (A Realm Reborn) and the first expansion (Heavensward). My character is a level 51 Paladin.

Things I liked:

  • Class Story (at least for Gladiator and Paladin, the class I played)
  • Level of polish
  • Overall art direction
  • Quests are short and quick to complete
  • Hardly any trash mobs
  • Good natured player community
  • Soundtrack

Things I wish were better:

  • Main storyline
  • Nasty FXAA implementation of anti-aliasing making everything look blurry without taking away all the jaggies. I wish there was another AA option
  • Combat follows the usual MMO formula of click button and wait for it to execute, other buttons on GCD, feels a bit boring at this point - I wonder if they could have implemented a turn-based system like FFX, as that is my favourite combat system from any FF
  • No character progression system except for just bland levelling up the classes/jobs (the Sphere Grid from FFX or Licence Board from FFXII would have been better)

Things I haven't tried yet:

  • The expansions, which I hear are good
  • Crafting
  • Minigames

All in all, a good game which I want to see more of before I put it to bed. I've just paid for the complete edition which includes all the expansions. I'd have tried to get to level 60 first, to make full use of the free trial, but I hit the gil cap and I don't want to lose out on cash. I hear the cash is useful for player housing and other endgame stuff.
 

deama

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Well, I've got to level 50 and I'm now in the intermission quests between the original game (A Realm Reborn) and the first expansion (Heavensward). My character is a level 51 Paladin.
It'd be interesting what you think of heavensward, keep us updated!
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
Here are some thoughts on the storyline and gameplay between A Realm Reborn (original game) and Heavensward (first expansion). They may change as I get into Heavensward but I just went through a massive storyfag moment and had to write my thoughts down somewhere.

My thoughts after completing the main quest 'The Parting Glass', and the final quests and cutscenes of the main game.

Gameplay: I enjoyed the raid and the storyline surrounding that.

Quests: Quite dull in the first half but quite good in the second half, mainly thanks to the storyline which I'll go into below:

So things were boring for most of the way through, dealing with more primals, beastmen etc. And then Ishgard came along. Things got pretty good from there. I liked the way the Ascians were brought back, the Scions actually become a decent fighting force, and the main plotline was finally driven forward past the primal shit.

Then I got to the final cutscenes. WTF.

(I wrote all of this out while having the text on manual advance mode, which allowed me to process this colossal shitfest piece by piece...)

When Sultana Nanamo announced her intention to make Ul'dah a republic I thought "What fucking decline". Republics are almost always worse than monarchies and especially constitutional monarchies where the monarch reigns de jure, but elected officials rule in their name. The problem with Ul'dah was the officials were almost all (except for Raubahn) corrupt pondscum. And the Sultana thought the way to resolve it was to throw in the towel and let the people elect their leaders in a republic? In a city state where the corrupt officials are bound to get votes due to voter intimidation? Fucking decline. Idiotic writing.

I was hopeful however that the Japanese, understanding the notion of constitutional monarchy, would roll it back a little in the end and have the Sultana acknowledge her mistake and understand that nations must have a figurehead to keep people together, while having elected officials do the politicking....

But Teledji was a massive cunt - maybe one of the biggest cunts in video gaming. Of course, you see his betrayal coming a mile off (though maybe not the assassination). But it was the behaviour of everyone else that fucking pissed me off. First, the player character. Surrendering to the guards when they burst into the Royal Chamber. Here is where the linear storytelling of Final Fantasy got in the way of player expectations. I felt like I should have been able to shout, "DIE YOU FUCKING CUNTS!" and carve my way out of there in a Kill Bill-style bloodbath. By this point I've got a fucking cool armour set, taken on the Garlean Empire and dealt with ancient utter bastards in the raid. I should have been able to deal with Teledji's thugs enough to get back to the feast hall to join with my pals.

Also, the guys from Ishgard should have told Teledji to fuck right off. And then when Teledji kept spouting his mouth everyone should have charged forward and killed the fucking lot of the traitors. Not just Raubahn. His response was utterly justified, but came after so much fucking talking back and forth.

When Raubahn acts in a completely justified and rational manner, the other nations of Eorzea (the guys we've just been fighting for, and in some cases alongside for the entire game to this point) just... leave. What. And Ilberd, traitorous filth, took off Raubahn's arm, the greatest warrior in all the realm. I guess Raubahn was too upset over losing his Sultana? All of this fucking happens while your character is on the floor in handcuffs, because you decided to give in to Teledji's thugs instead of fighting them.

Of course, Ilberd admits to killing the Sultana. Only after all the biggest bastards in Eorzea have left the room. And they left the room because Raubahn killed Teledji. Either they are butthurt little fucking bitches and can't understand a fucking plot against them by utter cunts, or they were bursting for a piss. Maybe it was the latter as that makes more sense. What the bleeding fuck? When Raubahn attacked Ilberd after his taunt about killing the Sultana, all the Scions present in the room (they are all there at this point) should have charged forwards, attacked all the traitors, raped them and killed them and raped their corpses again, using their blood as lubricant. Instead, they all just fucking watch.

So, Thancred is a fucking bro, my character started as a Gladiator so I've been with Thancred and Ul'dah from the start and he was the only. Fucking. Scion. to actually do anything at all in this shitfest. All credit to him for not giving in.

That whole segment should have had the Scions, the leaders of the other Eorzean nations, the Ishgardians and loyal Ul'dahnians hacking their way out of Ul'dah, with blood dripping from their clothes and bitten off flesh hanging out of their mouths. Yes, I know some of the Scions stay behind and there's some good fight scenes but they aren't angry enough, and they come far too late - being completely ineffective, they should have come much sooner during the banquet room sequence.

Also, Raubahn should have bled to death quite quickly after losing his arm - but Japanese gonna Japanese I guess.

As for the final cutscene... Urianger is a traitor too? Who isn’t a traitor at this point? Minfilia best not betray me too!
 
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HoboForEternity

sunset tequila
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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I currently in the sylphid area holy shit this questline is fucking dull especially when you have to do fetch quest for bartender to find missing elder.

Previous quest wasn't that bad, funny even like when you have to dance and find missin brother or finding empire agent in the woods.

It's really 50/50 so far, sometimes you get decent questline just to get thrown off again. That said th game generally pick up after you join the scion. I am a pugilist and home base in uldah too thranced is reallyva bro so far.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
I currently in the sylphid area holy shit this questline is fucking dull especially when you have to do fetch quest for bartender to find missing elder.

Previous quest wasn't that bad, funny even like when you have to dance and find missin brother or finding empire agent in the woods.

It's really 50/50 so far, sometimes you get decent questline just to get thrown off again. That said th game generally pick up after you join the scion. I am a pugilist and home base in uldah too thranced is reallyva bro so far.

Anything and everything in Gridania is by far the weakest parts of the game. Unfortunately, the interquel quests between ARR and HW have you cycling around the three main cities and it’s a case of ‘Oh no, Gridania AGAIN’ when you have to go back to it. I bounced off FFXIV the first time around because I made an archer and that whole area is tedious as hell. I only got going when I made Ul’dah my starting city instead.

Things aren’t so bad after ARR though as you have a flying mount and you can just fly over the maze like areas to get to your waypoint. It’s just annoying to have to keep going back to them.

All that stuff gets left behind when the Ishgard stuff finally gets going. Also, The Crystal Tower raid plot line is pretty good and is a self contained story in of itself.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
I'm halfway through the Heavensward expansion.

The Ul'dah plotline from the interquel quests is given a satisfactory conclusion (well, I'm sure there's more to follow, but I'm more than happy with the direction taken so far), and the main story in Ishgard/Dravania has been excellent so far. Likeable, believable characters with motivations and ambitions that make sense and interesting quests (for an MMO). Probably the best MMO storyline I've seen since the original SWTOR character stories.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
Well, I've got to level 50 and I'm now in the intermission quests between the original game (A Realm Reborn) and the first expansion (Heavensward). My character is a level 51 Paladin.
It'd be interesting what you think of heavensward, keep us updated!

I have finished Heavensward and the quests following it.

It had a good story, and good characters. Well written, dramatic, barely any silly anime, but also restrained, reigned in, an understandable conflict and lots of time taken to develop the characters and explore the issues raised - definitely one of the better Final Fantasy stories out there.

A shame about the combat, as it’s still an MMO. I’d love to see someone try to make an MMO with Final Fantasy X’s turn based combat. It would definitely work for single player, maybe some adjustment would be needed for dungeons and raids (but I’d be really interested in seeing if it could work).

Ishgard is the best nation in Eorzea by far - best designed city, best art direction, best music, best environs and every character is a bro.

A shame it became a republic though. Aymeric should have been forced to become King or Duke or something. Republics are decline, especially in fantasy settings.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
I'm nearing the end of the Stormblood expansion.

I really appreciate the fact that the expansion is dealing properly with the Garlean Empire storyline, given how weak it was in the original game, and Heavensward was basically a side story which didn't feature the Imperials much at all.

The new areas are absolutely beautiful, the music is great, and the story is holding up pretty well so far. Character-wise it may not be as good as Heavensward - the new characters aren't as interesting to me as the Ishgardians - but Lyse is great, I love her every time she's on screen, a big improvement over what she was like as Yda.

Both Heavensward and Stormblood could stand on their own as good singleplayer RPGs on the strengths of their storylines, were it not for the fact that it's an MMO and the gameplay has to be constrained by that.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
I'm about half way through the post-Stormblood quests, having completed the main expansion.

Gameplay wise, my thoughts haven't changed. The combat is still dull. Maybe it is because I'm playing as a Paladin but I don't think so. I'm sure casters and pure DPS classes have the same experience. It's an MMO, just like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic (and Elder Scrolls Online, from the limited free trial I played).

Story wise, this game blows all the others out of the fucking water. It is excellent and worthy of a singleplayer title.

So far:

A Realm Reborn (original game): Meh
Post-ARR quests: Great
Heavensward: Great
Post-Heavensward quests: Ok
Stormblood: Very good
Post-Stormblood quests (half way through): Great

Asahi is a Joffrey-level cunt. I wonder if the writers named him after the piss poor Japanese beer exported around the world? Still, a great character you absolutely feel hate for. All the Scions continue to be fucking bros, Hien being my favourite of the new characters who at this point beats any of the Heavensward Ishgard bros for me. Nice to see Estinien pop up once or twice in cutscenes, though. The main story of Stormblood was ok but I much prefered the quests in Doma to the quests in Ala Mhigo (I just felt like the Ala Mhigans were whiney pricks). I adore Lyse though. The voice actress, the character model, everything. Fucking decline that Ala Mhigo become a republic like fucking Ishgard though. She should be the fucking queen. She's glorious.

Hien though? He's a king and he knows it. I just hope he doesn't cuck out and turn Doma into a republic too.

Right, I'm going to crack on with the rest of the post-Stormblood quests and get to Shadowbringers.
 

deama

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Gameplay wise, my thoughts haven't changed. The combat is still dull. Maybe it is because I'm playing as a Paladin but I don't think so. I'm sure casters and pure DPS classes have the same experience. It's an MMO, just like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic (and Elder Scrolls Online, from the limited free trial I played).
How does WoW's combat compare to FFXIV? Also, what's the best compared you've played in an mmorpg?
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
Gameplay wise, my thoughts haven't changed. The combat is still dull. Maybe it is because I'm playing as a Paladin but I don't think so. I'm sure casters and pure DPS classes have the same experience. It's an MMO, just like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic (and Elder Scrolls Online, from the limited free trial I played).
How does WoW's combat compare to FFXIV? Also, what's the best compared you've played in an mmorpg?

WoW’s combat is better because each class has three specialisations for you to choose from which makes it much more varied. SWTOR basically copied it.

To be fair to FFXIV though I’ve only played Paladin and haven’t tried the other classes. I’m going to complete Shadowbringers and then take a rest, then come back for the next expansion.

I guess the difference is FFXIV is a younger game and they haven't had as much time to add extra classes in.
 

deama

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To be fair to FFXIV though I’ve only played Paladin and haven’t tried the other classes. I’m going to complete Shadowbringers and then take a rest, then come back for the next expansion.
Are you gonna try other classes after you finish? Just for a bit to see if they're any good?
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
To be fair to FFXIV though I’ve only played Paladin and haven’t tried the other classes. I’m going to complete Shadowbringers and then take a rest, then come back for the next expansion.
Are you gonna try other classes after you finish? Just for a bit to see if they're any good?

I want to try Machinist because I want to see what my character (Anna) looks like firing a gun. I've got a thing for chicks with guns.

I already did the first samurai quest but not too keen on watching her run around wearing a dressing gown.
 
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Alphard

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Gameplay wise, my thoughts haven't changed. The combat is still dull. Maybe it is because I'm playing as a Paladin but I don't think so. I'm sure casters and pure DPS classes have the same experience. It's an MMO, just like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic (and Elder Scrolls Online, from the limited free trial I played).
How does WoW's combat compare to FFXIV? Also, what's the best compared you've played in an mmorpg?
sry not the person you quoted, but best combat mmo is Dragon Nest. no other mmorpg come close in terms of fluidness and animations. too bad the game is dead. other mmos with good combat are vindictus and Tera
 

Kem0sabe

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The biggest problem with FFXIV is the mind numbing shit combat, it completely kills the game, also Square enix have progressively turned the game into a single player game, you dont even need to group to complete the dungeons in the new expansion.
 

Stokowski

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WoW’s combat is better because each class has three specialisations for you to choose from which makes it much more varied. SWTOR basically copied it.

To be fair to FFXIV though I’ve only played Paladin and haven’t tried the other classes. I’m going to complete Shadowbringers and then take a rest, then come back for the next expansion.

I guess the difference is FFXIV is a younger game and they haven't had as much time to add extra classes in.

SWTOR's specialisations are often relatively minor variations around a repeated core. As you try more FFXIV classes, I think you'll find they can have very different patterns of rotations and priorities. That is, each class has a gameplay style more different from others than you might expect to find in a WoW/SWTOR derivative.

My entirely unscientific comparison between my SWTOR and FFXIV gameplay is that SWTOR rotations are built around squeezing the most out of different lengths of cooldowns, whereas FFXIV is more about chaining abilities in subgroups, and building these subgroups as the battle unfolds to the most effective cumulative path permitted by time, positioning, battle phases, reacting to group-member fuckups, etc. It feels far more fluid or responsive and less spammy, but an awful lot does depend on the class. In any case, even though end-game Black Mage has a relatively simple core rotation, I never found squeezing out the most DPS I could in any given moment a dull process.

Then again, I've not played since Stormbringer so I might be talking out my arse.
 

deama

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Gameplay wise, my thoughts haven't changed. The combat is still dull. Maybe it is because I'm playing as a Paladin but I don't think so. I'm sure casters and pure DPS classes have the same experience. It's an MMO, just like World of Warcraft and Star Wars: The Old Republic (and Elder Scrolls Online, from the limited free trial I played).
How does WoW's combat compare to FFXIV? Also, what's the best compared you've played in an mmorpg?
sry not the person you quoted, but best combat mmo is Dragon Nest. no other mmorpg come close in terms of fluidness and animations. too bad the game is dead. other mmos with good combat are vindictus and Tera
Ye, vindictus is pretty nice.
Best mmorpg combat though I think goes to black desert, vindictus I think is a bit better, but it's just a lobby multiplayer, black desert is an actual mmorpg.
 

Garyxeao88

Novice
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May 15, 2020
Messages
17
If you like the MMO genre, then yes. The game is quite good.

The game features:

  • Play all classes on one character.

  • Fantastic "Final Fantasy"-style story.

  • One of the friendliest MMO communities (in-general, there are of course bad apples in the bunch).

  • A rich in-depth Gathering/Crafting system

  • Large quantities of both casual and hardcore end-game activities.

  • more that I can't think of.
 

KeighnMcDeath

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Not to be totally dumb but are XI, XIV, XIV: A Realm Reborn, and XV (probably XVI) just online? Why the online skip with XII & XIII?
No offline soloplay? Excuse my ignorance.
 

HoboForEternity

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eh after level 32 i finally uninstalled. i keep forcing myself into it, but couldn't. i lasted that long, but the combat was just too boring, quests are just walking around with repetitive combat encounters and i play as pugilist, every encounters are basically the same as you don't really have choice how to develop your character, it's even more linear than the offline FF games. like no char dev at all so far, no party members, nothing. just dull "press hotkeys in sequence and use the active cooldowns once in a while"
 

Robber Baron

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eh after level 32 i finally uninstalled.

I only just recently managed to finish ARR campaign and I was "playing" since open beta. The only positive thing I found were the extreme trials and the fact that the entirety of hardcore content(that you'd need a guild in other MMOs) is avaiable to everyone because of level sync and party finder. No seriously King Moogle extreme was the shit.
 

SerratedBiz

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Since I don't care that much for the story, instanced dungeons/raids really are what make the game appealing for me. And yeah, job rotations aren't anything to celebrate (and they've only been getting easier over time), but successfully running your best rotation (which you don't even get all the buttons for until level 7x) is one thing - doing it while the screen looks like a shmup pinata is another.

Just my two cents. It took me several tries to get through ARR. Pro tip: ignore all sidequests, just do MSQ, and take it casual so you don't burn out. Because it is long, and the game only really starts to shine further in (ARR lv30+ dungeons, raids).
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
I'm a chunk of the way into the Shadowbringers expansion.

It is meant to be the best expansion, with a story ranking among the best of Final Fantasy, but I've found it to be very dull so far, especially in comparison to Stormblood and Heavensward which were fulll of great characters.

I've put my playthrough on pause while I play Dragon Quest XI. Next week, Trails of Cold Steel IV will be out, so I'm not sure when I'll get back to FFXIV.
 

Siveon

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Not to be totally dumb but are XI, XIV, XIV: A Realm Reborn, and XV (probably XVI) just online? Why the online skip with XII & XIII?
No offline soloplay? Excuse my ignorance.
This is a bit of a dumb question but I'll try to answer to the best of my ability.

FFXI and XIV are the only MMOs, XV has online co-op but it's not an MMO. MMOs require a lot of money and are expected to get updates frequently, they didn't add any online component to 12 because they were still developing 11. 13 didn't have an online component because at that time they were likely in the planning stages of 14. MMOs typically do not have an offline option as the games are typically built with a server structure, and they profit from having others pay monthly access to them.
 

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