Has there been discussion of a reset for 2.0, or new servers or something?
I'm guessing there won't be a reset, because why hit the player base again, but I remember how hard the NA release of 11 was for Americans, since the prices of everything were inflated as a result of an already established player base.
I'm still pretty new, so I am probably not the most qualified to comment on this, but so far all the things for sale that are around my level haven't seemed to me to be overpriced at all. True, its not like I can go out and buy a shiny new set of armor and weapons and still have walking around money, but I personally don't think it is overly expensive.
On another note, here are my initial impressions of the game as a newbie, I did play the game back at release, but for like three days before I quit. So I really don't remember a whole helluva lot and as a result can't really compare the current game to before the patches.
Lets start with the graphics. The game looks stunning. Armor models are some of the fucking best I've seen. Granted the armor models may range from silly looking to badass, but at least it looks like your dude is wearing them as opposed to having them painted on.
However, I have to run the game on standard for all the settings. I have a fairly high end gaming laptop, for reference I can run Skyrim on full without any fuss, but not FFXIV. In fact I was still getting some fairly annoying stuttering when I was out in the wild. Specifically whenever I turned the camera. I ended up finding an option to set my fps to 30 and that provided a noticeable difference, but still have some stuttering now and again. In towns with a lot of people I have zero problems. So I am unsure what it is and it could be something simple I need to turn off.
As for the combat, well I am still a newbie and have yet to do anything with a group, but I find the slower pace somewhat refreshing to me. There is an auto-attack now, IIRC I don't think there was one at release though I may very well be mistaken. As to the mobs, there doesn't really seem to be much rhyme or reason to their layout. Sometimes I will be fighting lvl 3s and then walk a few feet in another direction to find lvl 10-15s. Sometimes I'll go through a group of lvl 10s and run in to a cave filled with lvl 3s. This isn't a particularly big deal to me, just kind of weird is all.
Guildleves! I remember at launch there was jack-all to do, except for Guildleves. However they had a ridiculous daily limit. Well they still have that daily limit, but it seems to have increased. But, I haven't really found the need to do Guildleves. The payout is crap and the xp reward is not game changing. Seems the real reason to do them is to work up faction points I guess? I'm still new, so maybe I a missing something. I've basically ignored them and do not feel like I am missing out.
Quests! Well, they got them now. Though they are not as prolific as in most MMOs. It seems you get about one or two every level or so. They're fairly in-depth and have you running around doing this and that all over the place. Payout is real nice though. Sometimes a piece of gear, fat coin purse, nice chunk of xp. Oh, caveat with the quests. A quest giver will not appear on your town map unless you are close to the dude, as near as far as I can tell. So every level or so it would behoove you to take a walk around town. Some quests even pop up in the wild.
Crafting! Ho-boy. Well, when you finally figure out recipes it is kind of addicting. I've read that there are Craftingleves that will not only give you a recipe, but also all the materials (and then some!) you need to make the item. I haven't found these yet, maybe I am not looking in the right spot. But once you figure out recipes (numerous guides online) crafting stuff is fun, though I suppose YMMV :P. I ended up blowing an hour or so just making stuff and didn't even realize it.
Materia is a thing now. It provides various bonuses if you slot it in to your gear, provided your gear has slots. I'm not high enough to use it yet, I think, so I don't know too much more then that.
The game does not have an actual AH, but it has something similar, just not as good. Kind of like off-brand cola. The system they have works, but it feels a bit clumsy to me. I'm not sure how to explain this, I've never had a problem finding and then buying whatever I was looking for, the whole system just feels a little more complicated then it needs to be. The system they have is not global, so each city has their own. Problem I've seen is that everyone goes to Ul'dah so if you started in any of the other two towns you'll probably have slim pick'ns at the market.
The game overall is different from a western MMO. It has that Japanese shine to it, if you will. So there are various peculiarities about the game that will probably turn off many people. I personally am a big fan of Demon/Dark Souls, so I am used to (and love) to figure most things out on my own. A lot of people are not like that and will probably get frustrated with this game.
The main newbie/story quest chain you will do for awhile when you start, then the NPC will tell you to go out in to the world and do what you will and that the NPC will contact you later. Follow the NPC's advice. Go out and kill things, do guildleves, gather resources, craft stuff. Every couple of levels head back to town and see if any quests pop'd up. If not, then get a retainer and sell the stuff you've made or gathered. Before too long your linkshell will glow and it'll be time for another story quest.
Over all I think that FFXIV is a solid game now. It's not for everyone, but if its your cup of tea then there is plenty of fun to be had.
Axen, thoughtful review, thanks. As for your crafting leves, or "Local Guildleves," they are located at the same counter as the "Regional Guildleves" you've been picking up, just the other guy. This was true pre-1.1, anyway, I haven't checked since then.
Basically, you'll pick them up, then go talk to an NPC mentioned in the leve. They'll give you the components.
Oh ho! How 'bout that. Thanks for the tip. Man, these leves are awesome for crafting XP.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2012
Memoirs of a New FFXIV Player Part Deux or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Crafting
So I'm a level 16 Gladiator now. Things are going fairly smooth. I've done a couple of the story quests and have been quite surprised at how good it is getting. Sounds like at level 18 I need to go to talk to some chick to continue on. In the mean time I'vee been questing, which is good for money and junk to sell, but maybe not so much for XP.
I had decided that my gear was getting a bit old. So I set out to make myself a nice set of bronze chainmail. I was not prepared for the madness that awaited me.
First things first, I ended up making a full set (greaves, gloves, chest, helm), but for this story let me just highlight the chest piece to keep things simple. I have to admit FFXIV crafting is one of the most complex and indepth systems I've seen in an MMO. I think Fallen Earth is probably the only other MMO I'd say is comparable (well, not counting EVE).
I wanted to make a Dated Bronze Chainmail chest piece. Here is what I need:
Fairly simple yes? Five items, no biggie? Well, fuck you. Each of those items need to be made and each ingredient for those items need to be made and each ingredient of those items need to be made and finally the ingredients for those items need to be farmed or gathered. So here is the break down of just what one of those items (Dated Hempen Tabard) looks like:
Do you see that madness? And that is just for one out of five things needed to ultimately make the Dated Bronze Chainmail chest piece. Most of the other pieces of the recipe are as in depth. Now imagine if you will that you've gone through all that work, you got all the pieces, time to make that chest piece! Well, you still have a chance of failing the crafting and losing all your parts. If that had happened to me, I would probably drive my truck right in to the nearest Sushi Bar.
Needless to say I was quite frustrated when I set about this task. Remember, I wasn't just making a chestpiece I was also making the greaves, helm, and gloves to go with it!
Now time for a disclaimer: You actually do not have to go and make all those pieces yourself. You can buy a lot of it straight from the Market. Though if the Market doesn't have it then you will either have to make it or ask around for someone else to hook you up.
I did end up finishing the set and I felt like I had just made Mt. Everest my bitch.
Then crafting finally "clicked" with me. Did you read that disclaimer? Well thats how it is supposed to be! Its all about the player economy. As an armorer/blacksmith I shouldn't be out there weaving or leatherworking, I should be buying the crap I need from weavers and leatherworks and the like. In turn they buy tools and other parts they need to make their crap from me.
I'm not saying this system is good or bad, if you like crafting in other MMOs you'll probably love crafting in FFXIV. What I am saying though, is don't be like me and go in expecting to knock out some gear for your guy to keep his armor and weapons up to date with his level in ten or so minutes.
You can keep your dude's gear up to date, but its going to take a serious time investment as opposed to other MMOs.
And the whole loose all your crap if you fail thing? Well, that does suck, but generally if the item's rank matches your level (even one or two higher) you shouldn't have any problems. Basically its just like the EVE mentality, don't risk it if you can't afford to lose it. Nothing wrong with making buckles or chains or any of the other hundred different things that are needed to ultimately make an end product. You can pump those little things out no problem and sell them for decent change and carve yourself out a niche providing ingredient goods. Until you have the gil and the skill to easily buy the ingredients yourself and reliably make fancy products.
In which case, circle of life man, circle of life. :P
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
They definitely streamlined the system a lot, the 'dated' stuff is just that, all preupdate stuff that... as you said, leads to madness and sorrow. Of course, I prefered it, but they do make some concession to ease of use.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2012
Well no shit isn't that something. I just figured "Dated" was like "rusted", just there to indicate that it is still crap compared the the Mythril Chainmail of Righteousness. :P
I've broken 100k gil by selling stuff. I've even been "importing" wood from Lima to Ul'dah since, for whatever reason, I can buy it from the markets there for 400 gil a pop and sell it in Ul'dah for 1800 gil.
I also came across that dungeon Sphoshae (sp?). Killed some bats for awhile, had a close call with a Gripper, really want to go back there with a party or something.
edit- My goal is to hit 18 tonight and continue the story. I'm 17 now so it shouldn't take long. Really enjoying the fact that I can (at least so far) solo my way up the levels. Should probably find myself a linkshell before to long.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
Also I see you dont particularly like leves. I have to say for the sake of leveling, combat leve are pretty excellent for when you can't group. as long as you're grabbing level appropriate ones and such, you can net a good 1400xp+ for all of five minutes of work, generally.
I forget what the regeneration rate of leves are, though. I do know they collect up to 99 and stop I believe.
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2012
Yeah, I noticed that a few levels ago. When I first did leves I didn't pay attention to that bonus xp it gives you at the end, since it just shows up in the chat box. I thought all I got was what it showed me on that little window when you click on the node, which only listed gil and maybe an item. Since then I've been using combat leves to grind out a level quick if I am close to leveling up. Mostly I save my leves for the crafting ones since it is a real nice and easy way to level up a crafting class.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
Still considering coming back in 1.21... Thign is the only content left for me is to kill the Moogle and camp coffers. Both of which... Meh...p
I'm really hoping for robust additions in content in 1.21...
The other problem is I'm really enjoying ToR... It's kind of fucking fantastic
Who are you on TOR? I might bounce between 2 servers since my friend has been being lazy. XIV likely won't see much of me before the world explodes.
I am gallers, alita, and recently arina. All on shadowlands republic side.
FFXIV Petra Ironheart Infinity Mog 21 and over Free Company Sargatanas Server. Recruitment currently closed.
Then crafting finally "clicked" with me. Did you read that disclaimer? Well thats how it is supposed to be! Its all about the player economy. As an armorer/blacksmith I shouldn't be out there weaving or leatherworking, I should be buying the crap I need from weavers and leatherworks and the like. In turn they buy tools and other parts they need to make their crap from me.
This makes me incredibly happy to hear.
This is definitely a game that has (or initially had) a very interesting perspective behind it. It wasn't quite total sandbox, but it was definitely on the sandbox end of things, and now they're trying to shift it over to a more themepark style MMO. It's quite the anomaly.
I've really enjoyed it when I've played at a relaxed pace. I try to not stress out about logging in every day or anything like that, and for that matter I'm essentially just skipping this patch. But it can be hard to go from running the Epic treadmill and suddenly switch gears (teehee) into FFXIVs much slower pace. I've still yet to touch any endgame content. I was ecstatic to get my Lancer to 50 and get him some appropriate gear. I guess that was enough because I haven't done much since then.
But yeah, I'm glad to hear the crafting element clicked (even though it turns out you were messing with older/more complex recipes.) Quite glad indeed. Now get into a Linkshell ASAP so the members can rain gear upon you.
I tried using ShiftWindow to see if that would remove the constant crashes I've been getting with FFXIV. For the first 30 minutes it looked like things would be okay. But one simple trek across the road later...."unable to locate directx device". Sigh.
So I decided to take a screenshot of all the processes that were running at the time to see if anyone could point out any that might be causing these crashes.
If something looks off, please let me know. This shit is getting old.
I tried using ShiftWindow to see if that would remove the constant crashes I've been getting with FFXIV. For the first 30 minutes it looked like things would be okay. But one simple trek across the road later...."unable to locate directx device". Sigh.
So I decided to take a screenshot of all the processes that were running at the time to see if anyone could point out any that might be causing these crashes.
If something looks off, please let me know. This shit is getting old.
While I can't pinpoint the cause of your error, I can tell you that the "Unable to locate DirectX device" error is the same error you would get if you alt-tab out of fullscreen mode. This tells me that even though you are running it windowed, the program is mimicking fullscreen behavior, and something is stealing focus from it. Programs like Windower for XI used to run the fullscreen app inside a window, since it didnt have a native windowed mode. If you're using something similar, you might check to see if FFXIV thinks it's still in fullscreen.
XBL/PSN/Origin/NNID: StrykerFL GuildWars/GW2: Anton Firemaker FFRK: erNA
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AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2012
I had an idea of something I would like to see in an MMO for some time now, but it just didn't seem like it would work in most MMOs. However, I feel it would be a perfect fit for FFXIV.
In essence it would be player created Guildleves (or guild created perhaps).
To get down to the brass tacks I picture it like this.
You got a job board. A player wanting to create a job activates it and gets a menu. Menu has drop down boxes for Regions, Mobs in that region, X amount you want killed, and X time limit. All options you decide, though I imagine there would be minimum and maximum amounts for the number killed and time limit. The game will then calculate the difficulty of the mobs (based on level range I imagine), the amount requested killed, and the time limit. Then it will tell you how much the reward needs to be in order to post the job. The reward money comes out of your wallet. So as an example (just using random names/numbers here):
North Hills, kill 20 Goblins, 60 minutes, reward 60,000gil.
The more enemies (or higher level) that need to be killed the more money the reward requires, but the more time you give the less money (or even more money with less time).
In my head I don't think they would give an XP bonus on completion nor would it be tied to your daily leve limit.
Now you are asking yourself, "Okay fine that may be good for other players, but why would I spend my money for no gain?". Glad you asked that, since I have an idea for why you would do such a thing. TOKENS!
Okay, hear me out. Depending on the difficulty of the mission you put up, you as the contractor would receive X amount of Tokens when someone completes your job. You can then use these tokens to buy gear/unique mounts/cosmetic stuff/what'ev really. You would also have a daily (or maybe 8 hour) limit on how many jobs you can put up.
"Well okay, but what is stopping rich dudes from simply offering very high level missions to maximize there Token rewards?", you are asking yourself.
Another excellent question my friend! And one I have another answer for.
Each region has their own Tokens which are tied to various things you can buy. That way you have to offer missions for the various level groups. Plus, players outside of that level group would be unable to take the job. So if the level group for a region is 1-10 only players level 1-10 may take the job.
If you take a job, lets say you have 30 minute to complete and you do not finish the job in the time limit then you will fail that job and it will go back to the job board. That particular job will not be available for you to take for another 30 (or whatever) minutes.
As to the reward you get from the Tokens. It could honestly be anything, but I like the idea of it being tied to decorations for a player home (or maybe guild house). Basically each level zone consists of particular items you want to decorate your home with:
Low tier zones = small stuff, like lamps, fishbowls, fish (for the fish bowl), paintings, and the like.
Mid tier zones = furniture, beds, tables, chairs, desks, and so on.
High tier zones = fancy stuff, a stuffed monster, floating crystals, weird things in general
You could also have Tokens for the various dungeons too that give theme appropriate stuff based on the dungeon. As an example:
Sphoshae = pirate themed rewards, treasure chest, jolly roger flag, and other pirate paraphernalia
Nanawa Mine = mining stuff, mine carts, chunks of ore and gems, and things you'd find in a mine
Oh I could go on and on. However I do not expect to see such a system in any MMO.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
Suggest it under the housing topics when they pop up. They've already mentioned they will be doing company buildings and player houses/gardens.
Thus far they've taken quite a bit of player input on various things, just watch the forums for a good place to interject such a suggestion. I'm sure they need ways to offer housing rewards and such, since I doubt they want them all to be craft fodder like most moogle house stuff in XI was.
+Adv jobs
+Looks like the job/weapon swapping discussion from a few pages back might be addressed ("job stones")
+Housing is back!
+Option to turn off sub targetting for kb/mouse - hit spell, cast on target.
+Other stuffs!
AxenMy avatar is Excalibur.Yes, the sword.Registered Userregular
edited January 2012
I'm still new to all this so can someone explain what they mean when they talk about Paladins, Bards, White Mages, Black Mages, and pretty much all these classes that (near as far as I know) are not in the game.
edit-
I'm still Renric Valora on Wutai. Will hit 20 with my GLA tonight and continue on my oh so neat story mission.
They I may have to work on my Armorer/Blacksmith since that those have been lagging behind.
Axen on
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
I am so excited for this patch! I'm sad that hamlet defense was delayed but I am going to hope it is because they thought up a lot of new awesome stuff they wanted to add to it.
Basically, at level 30, you will have a questline to gain your advanced job:
THM-Black Mage
CON-White Mage
ARC-Bard
LNC-Dragoon
GLD-Paladin
PUG-Monk/Thief (I forget)
According to previous Yoshi-P posts, these jobs will advance in power and ability through story questlines, maybe?
So, you might be a 40 GLD with a selection of PLD abilities, I think, I'm not sure we have the full picture yet.
1.21 is supposed to hit at the end of Feb, so soon-ish.
Ah, I see. After reading more of the patch notes I started to get the impression it was a bit like FFXI.
Do we know if it is more like FFXI in that I can be, say, be a GLA and unlock Dragoon. Or will do I have to be the "base" class in order to unlock the advance? As in I have to be a Lancer to unlock Dragoon?
I get the feeling I have to be the base class.
A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
Strongly considering subbing for a month to play with ACs but not sure atm. Need to see how the AF is obtained.... If it more shitty coffer hunts no thankyou.
FFXIV Petra Ironheart Infinity Mog 21 and over Free Company Sargatanas Server. Recruitment currently closed.
I updated my GPU, double-checked my direct X, ran as Administrator, played for 30 minutes in the hopes the direct X error was finally gone.
Nope.
I am seriously out of ideas, unless I have to lower the background draw distance to low. I also e-mailed SE but I'm not expecting a timely or useful response.
Processes are listed one page back, if there's anything else I missed.
I was all for just kind of forgetting about this game, but Bard is one of those magic words that makes me look into things. Not to mention that I wouldn't mind seeing things with the hardware I've put together since I last played.
Agent Justin C: Hello and thank you for contacting SQUARE ENIX Customer Support. Just a few moments while I review your question, please.
Agent Justin C: May I ask? are you having problems with starting the game?
You: Hello, no there is no issue starting the game. The crashes occur while I am in-game.
Agent Justin C: That sounds like a tech issue, you will need to call our support center for detailed support. Here is the number for you: (310) 846 - 0345
You: That number is not toll-free, is it
Agent Justin C: Unfortunately not.
You: Isn't there a free method where I can describe my problem?
Agent Justin C: You may submit a ticket to the email support, they may be able to help without having to call in.
You: I did submit an e-mail, and they responded saying to use either the phone number or chat support
Agent Justin C: In that case you will have to call in, tech support is not available on chat support at this time.
Agent Justin C: Are there any other issues I can help you with at this time?
You: Why must I be charged extra to receive support on the product when it is the product that is giving me the issue?
Agent Justin C: I would not be able to comment on that issue. Are there any other problems you are having?
You: No, thank you for your time.
Forcing me to use a paid phone service to fix what could potentially take over an hour or two is...well no. Just no.
Only thing I can think of left is to lower the background draw distance to "standard", or see if any other processes are mucking things up. Otherwise, I'm clueless.
I mean, that does suck, but from their point of view, SE can't be sure that it is FFXIV causing your problem, which is why they don't want to pay for your tech support.
Playing devil's advocate here.
I only post this because I thought you were having issues in the Skyrim thread as well, so maybe it is your rig?
I mean, that does suck, but from their point of view, SE can't be sure that it is FFXIV causing your problem, which is why they don't want to pay for your tech support.
Playing devil's advocate here.
I only post this because I thought you were having issues in the Skyrim thread as well, so maybe it is your rig?
The two issues are unrelated.
At least, I hope they are, as I'm still experiencing that Skyrim issue, but that game worked fine for me until a couple of patches ago. FFXIV has been borked since day one.
Currently juggling several sites in an attempt to get this shit sorted once and for all, but I felt I might as well share with you what I've shared with them.
PC settings first:
OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name WIN7
System Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model EP35-DS3L
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz, 3000 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Award Software International, Inc. F5, 7/16/2008
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 4.00 GB
Available Physical Memory 880 MB
Total Virtual Memory 8.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 4.27 GB
Page File Space 4.00 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys
Name ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series
PNP Device ID PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_68B8&SUBSYS_29901682&REV_00\4&309465BD&0&0008
Adapter Type ATI display adapter (0x68B8), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. compatible
Adapter Description ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series
Adapter RAM 1.00 GB (1,073,741,824 bytes)
Installed Drivers aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx32,aticfx32,aticfx32,atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver Version 8.930.0.0
INF File oem86.inf (ati2mtag_Evergreen section)
Color Planes Not Available
Color Table Entries 4294967296
Resolution 1920 x 1080 x 60 hertz
Bits/Pixel 32
Memory Address 0xE0000000-0xEFFFFFFF
Memory Address 0xF5000000-0xF501FFFF
I/O Port 0x0000B000-0x0000BFFF
IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967294
I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BB
I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DF
Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF
Driver c:\windows\system32\drivers\atikmpag.sys (8.14.1.6248, 319.50 KB (327,168 bytes), 12/5/2011 9:12 PM)
FFXIV Settings:
And in case you missed it earlier, the processes that are running with the game:
I see you've at some point disabled mom.exe and such, So what are your radpro settings? Did you leave amds terrible intelligent aa enabled? Hell, would have to know your overdrive settings as well.
I don't have Radpro configured with FFXIV, so it doesn't factor into the game.
I may have found my solution though. One forum suggested I lower the FPS to 30 (it's in-game), and I ran around outside and killed a few things for about 30 minutes without a crash.
Gonna have to keep tabs on it, but I have the incentive as the site I'm writing for finally got back to me and said he still wants weekly entries.
I plan to discuss how parties work next. First I'm going to kill my character and start over in Figaro, since apparently no PA folks are active in Wutai anymore.
Glad to hear that you finally got it working, various members of the Aria LS in Wutai were wondering if you just up and quit since they're not PA forumers. I had let them know of your technical difficulties.
You may have already done this, but if you are planning on leaving Wutai, be sure to say bye to the LS and retire the LS. I think that if you leave without doing anything, your name would have been removed from the LS list, but given how shoddy SE has been about LS management, who knows?
There are still a few PA people in Wutai, but probably not a significant amount. Moving to Figaro would definitely give you a more populated world, but I will say that the Aria LS is a very friendly social LS with a lot of people willing to help out. The casual atmosphere in Aria feels similar to the old PA shell from a year ago.
It seems the leader is quite passionate as an "FFXIV Teacher". He tore me a new asshole, ripping apart the formatting, punctuation, use of beta images (I didn't pick the images), inaccurate content...it went on for a good 30 minutes.
I politely took his feedback, and admitted to a few mistakes that I would look into for future reference.
He then kicked me out of the group, saying that my posting history as a Goon for one week was "terrible", based mainly in the main FF thread.
I....don't think I have ever met such a terrible person online. Differing opinions are one thing, but not allowing me access to his super-special guild because of unrelated posting history is....
Well, I don't know if this is SA elitism or FFXIV community elitism. But I'm shocked, really.
March 1 (Thursday) to March 19 (Monday), 2012: Character transfer selection period. *
March 27 (Tuesday), 2012: World merge maintenance to be carried out.
During the transfer selection period indicated below, players will be able to select a destination World on the World Transfer Application Page. Players who do not select a destination World during this period will be automatically distributed across the Worlds.
* The World Transfer Application Page is scheduled to be available from March 1.
So basically everyone will get a chance to change servers come March.
This might be the best chance for PA to get together on a new meeting place, forming an LS that isn't full of elitist assholes who insist that this game "isn't for you", or uses your posting history as some sort of arbitrary requirement.
Honestly most of the people still involved in this game can be nicely called "inclusive" and not so nicely called "insular". If that's an issue, and you're not willing to suck up to the right people in the named guilds you're going to have to realize it's either smaller guilds, which can be an issue getting groups as smaller can easily mean only two on at any given time, or shelve it.
FFXI had this issue in a different way, much worse but almost totally confined to the foreign players on the other hand. Issue was sometimes they were all you had available and it was bad enough in many cases I don't understand how people could put up with them.
So I guess what I'm saying is learn to suck it up or don't. Things might change, but I'd not bet a rusty nickel on it.
To be fair, your SA posts were terrible enough to get you redtitled, and your little review thing was basically a slog of misinformation or just not trying. I'm not sure what you expected to happen, but thats pretty much what I'd expect from a Goon guild without a shadow of a doubt.
That is, to say, I've never met anyone in XIV yet who has been an ass. Surprisingly. Maybe not always super nice and helpful, but pretty much always at least polite.
FFXI had elitists like woah, but I had a few as friends from before the game so I never had to be worried about it too much.
I assume you're a member too? I feel like I'm part of some secret society that now has eyes on me wherever I browse. They even found the link to that article I wrote before I was ever given it.
And last I checked, the red title thing was meant to be more of a prank than a scarlet letter. It was literally two posts after I joined, and it was using my own quote anyway. I thought nothing of it.
I expected, at the very least, to be given a fair chance to see if I would fit in...not be kicked immediately after based on one week of posting history.
I've partied with LS members in FFXI who were absolutely terrible forum members, barely even capable of spelling...but they were still great guys to play with online.
But I don't care anymore. What's important now is finding a group so I can finally see what it's like to be in a party. Either I start over again in Wutai or try to find someone in Figaro.
I'm taking a day to look over that first FFXIV article I wrote. I'm going to chop it down a bit while still trying to get my points across, and see if I can add a more personal spin to things.
I'm concerned what the future holds, however. My free trial ends in two days, and I wasted a good chunk of it trying to fix my crashing problems (which I believe are good and gone). I've also had to start over in Wutai again after that ugliness in Figaro. The MMO site I'm writing for still hasn't gone up yet, either, so I'm waiting to hear back if he's going to renew my subscription or wait it out until his site goes live.
Assuming I will be resuming my duties, I could use some suggestions on what kind of topics people might be interested in reading about concerning this game. My original goal was to give a personal opinion on the game at its current state, as well as commenting on any upcoming changes as they happen (such as the upcoming patch). Ever since the critical panning I received, though, I'm re-evaluating the whole thing. I hate to say it, but my confidence in my writing is out of whack.
Overall it's been a disappointing month with the game, both technically and socially. I'm disappointed in myself for the first report I turned in, and even more disappointed that the webmaster didn't tell me when it was going up (I doubt he even proofread it).
If I started in Ul'dah, though, my initial impressions would have been pretty different. It's an easier city to navigate, the NPCs aren't assholes, and the opening cutscene was quite awesome.
Honestly, the raging of the leader of an SA guild (not exactly a badge of accomplishment in my eyes, takes "cat herder" to a new level) against your "writing style" of a game which has a history of housing people that are rabidly defensive about the failings of said game and social elitists to boot should NOT make you doubt your ability to write.
That said, if it really DOES bother you, perhaps you shouldn't be doing said writing regardless, because while the tone of such polite criticism might change in other, more popular mmos, the sheer amount of critism only goes up.
There is a reason professional reviewers don't give a shit about input. It isn't because they're dumb and don't like to hear your valid points on X. It's because they, assuming they are even valid points, are a pearl riding around in a sewage pipe of idiocy. It's better to leave that shit alone.
This game also seems to attract people who either talk about it while having never played it, or go in expecting X and getting Y and hating it for it.
You say 'Rabidly defensive', I say, 'People who actually play the game and know this isn't WoW, don't want WoW, and never expected WoW.' Yet thats what everyone complaining about it seems to expect it to be.
It isn't. It's FFXI, just updated and different. Thats still the target demographic though. I mean, I can go on all day about how Lord of the Rings is the worst tripe ever written. Honestly, it is, but there are fans and its for a specific type of person. Same with how WoW is probably one of the most boring games ever made. Yet its for a certain demographic I just don't happen to fit in to.
As for the writing, write what you want. No one but the editor/publisher can say what is right or wrong. I, personally, would go in simply looking for whats good about it. There are faults, a couple of them quite obvious, but a lot of them aren't until you've managed to grind your way to the end and just played the game. A lot of the stuff people cry foul about is just a design choice, and ones you get used to.
Basically, what I'm saying is, anyone who plays the game will pan your criticisms until you've actually played enough to actually experience a good portion of the game. Anyone who doesn't play the game will either just nod their head because 'Ya I heard it sucks' or read what you say and go 'omg not wow okaylol' and be done with it.
Axen's posts is a good example of someone who was just playing to play, ran into problems, but just putzed around with them until he got it to work and figured out what the game was doing. He has/had complaints, but they didn't seem to be the center of his posts, more just comments to go along with him describing what he was doing and how his experiences panned out.
There's probably a saying out there about how the harshest critics are the ones you listen to the most.
Don't get me wrong, the guy was a Grade A asshole (RED TITLE RED TITLE LOL RED TITLE), but his way of expressing his distaste in what I wrote was very concise; it wasn't all rambling.
He even at one point called my writing "Shatner-esque", which for some reason stung way more than any verbal slur.
In any event, I've rejoined the LS I was with in Wutai, and apparently I'm allowed to have multiple pearls under my belt. If anyone still playing is part of a group in Wutai, I'd love to be allowed to join. I'm certain that with more friends I have, the more I can get shit done. The one fundamental rule that hasn't changed from FFXI.
Posts
Oh ho! How 'bout that. Thanks for the tip. Man, these leves are awesome for crafting XP.
So I'm a level 16 Gladiator now. Things are going fairly smooth. I've done a couple of the story quests and have been quite surprised at how good it is getting. Sounds like at level 18 I need to go to talk to some chick to continue on. In the mean time I'vee been questing, which is good for money and junk to sell, but maybe not so much for XP.
I had decided that my gear was getting a bit old. So I set out to make myself a nice set of bronze chainmail. I was not prepared for the madness that awaited me.
First things first, I ended up making a full set (greaves, gloves, chest, helm), but for this story let me just highlight the chest piece to keep things simple. I have to admit FFXIV crafting is one of the most complex and indepth systems I've seen in an MMO. I think Fallen Earth is probably the only other MMO I'd say is comparable (well, not counting EVE).
I wanted to make a Dated Bronze Chainmail chest piece. Here is what I need:
Dated Hempen Tabard
Taupe Sheep Leather
Bronze Chain Sleeves
Bronze Rings
Bronze Chainmail Vest
Fairly simple yes? Five items, no biggie? Well, fuck you. Each of those items need to be made and each ingredient for those items need to be made and each ingredient of those items need to be made and finally the ingredients for those items need to be farmed or gathered. So here is the break down of just what one of those items (Dated Hempen Tabard) looks like:
-Hempen Yarn
*2x Moko Grass (farmed or gathered)
-Hempen Tabard Back
*2x Undyed Hempen Cloth
-4x Hempen Yarn
--8x Moko Grass (farmed or gathered)
*1x Hempen Yarn
-2x Moko Grass (farmed or gathered)
-Hempen Tabard Front
* 1x Undyed Hempen Cloth
-2x Hempen Yarn
--4x Moko Grass (farmed or gathered)
* 1x Taupe Sheep Leather
-1x Sheepskin (farmed or gathered)
-1x Willow Chips
--1x Willow Log (gathered)
* 1x Sheep Leather Strap (Taupe)
-Taupe Sheep Leather
--1x Sheepskin (farmed or gathered)
--1x Willow Chips
----1x Willow Log (gathered)
* 1x Bronze Buckle
-1x Bronze Nugget
--1x Tin Ore (farmed or gathered)
--3x Copper Ore (farmed or gathered)
-2x Bronze Square
--3x Bronze Nugget
----3x Tin Ore (farmed or gathered)
----9x Copper Ore (farmed or gathered)
* 1x Antelope Sinew Cord
-1x Antelope Sinew (farmed or gathered)
-1x Beeswax
--3x Beehive Chips (farmed)
Crafting classes used: Weaver, Leatherworker, Blacksmith, Armorer, Alchemist, Botantist (IIRC)
Do you see that madness? And that is just for one out of five things needed to ultimately make the Dated Bronze Chainmail chest piece. Most of the other pieces of the recipe are as in depth. Now imagine if you will that you've gone through all that work, you got all the pieces, time to make that chest piece! Well, you still have a chance of failing the crafting and losing all your parts. If that had happened to me, I would probably drive my truck right in to the nearest Sushi Bar.
Needless to say I was quite frustrated when I set about this task. Remember, I wasn't just making a chestpiece I was also making the greaves, helm, and gloves to go with it!
Now time for a disclaimer: You actually do not have to go and make all those pieces yourself. You can buy a lot of it straight from the Market. Though if the Market doesn't have it then you will either have to make it or ask around for someone else to hook you up.
I did end up finishing the set and I felt like I had just made Mt. Everest my bitch.
Then crafting finally "clicked" with me. Did you read that disclaimer? Well thats how it is supposed to be! Its all about the player economy. As an armorer/blacksmith I shouldn't be out there weaving or leatherworking, I should be buying the crap I need from weavers and leatherworks and the like. In turn they buy tools and other parts they need to make their crap from me.
I'm not saying this system is good or bad, if you like crafting in other MMOs you'll probably love crafting in FFXIV. What I am saying though, is don't be like me and go in expecting to knock out some gear for your guy to keep his armor and weapons up to date with his level in ten or so minutes.
You can keep your dude's gear up to date, but its going to take a serious time investment as opposed to other MMOs.
And the whole loose all your crap if you fail thing? Well, that does suck, but generally if the item's rank matches your level (even one or two higher) you shouldn't have any problems. Basically its just like the EVE mentality, don't risk it if you can't afford to lose it. Nothing wrong with making buckles or chains or any of the other hundred different things that are needed to ultimately make an end product. You can pump those little things out no problem and sell them for decent change and carve yourself out a niche providing ingredient goods. Until you have the gil and the skill to easily buy the ingredients yourself and reliably make fancy products.
In which case, circle of life man, circle of life. :P
http://ffxiv.yg.com/item/iron-scale-mail?id=8031609
They definitely streamlined the system a lot, the 'dated' stuff is just that, all preupdate stuff that... as you said, leads to madness and sorrow. Of course, I prefered it, but they do make some concession to ease of use.
I've broken 100k gil by selling stuff. I've even been "importing" wood from Lima to Ul'dah since, for whatever reason, I can buy it from the markets there for 400 gil a pop and sell it in Ul'dah for 1800 gil.
I also came across that dungeon Sphoshae (sp?). Killed some bats for awhile, had a close call with a Gripper, really want to go back there with a party or something.
edit- My goal is to hit 18 tonight and continue the story. I'm 17 now so it shouldn't take long. Really enjoying the fact that I can (at least so far) solo my way up the levels. Should probably find myself a linkshell before to long.
I forget what the regeneration rate of leves are, though. I do know they collect up to 99 and stop I believe.
I am gallers, alita, and recently arina. All on shadowlands republic side.
Infinity Mog 21 and over Free Company Sargatanas Server. Recruitment currently closed.
This makes me incredibly happy to hear.
This is definitely a game that has (or initially had) a very interesting perspective behind it. It wasn't quite total sandbox, but it was definitely on the sandbox end of things, and now they're trying to shift it over to a more themepark style MMO. It's quite the anomaly.
I've really enjoyed it when I've played at a relaxed pace. I try to not stress out about logging in every day or anything like that, and for that matter I'm essentially just skipping this patch. But it can be hard to go from running the Epic treadmill and suddenly switch gears (teehee) into FFXIVs much slower pace. I've still yet to touch any endgame content. I was ecstatic to get my Lancer to 50 and get him some appropriate gear. I guess that was enough because I haven't done much since then.
But yeah, I'm glad to hear the crafting element clicked (even though it turns out you were messing with older/more complex recipes.) Quite glad indeed. Now get into a Linkshell ASAP so the members can rain gear upon you.
So I decided to take a screenshot of all the processes that were running at the time to see if anyone could point out any that might be causing these crashes.
If something looks off, please let me know. This shit is getting old.
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While I can't pinpoint the cause of your error, I can tell you that the "Unable to locate DirectX device" error is the same error you would get if you alt-tab out of fullscreen mode. This tells me that even though you are running it windowed, the program is mimicking fullscreen behavior, and something is stealing focus from it. Programs like Windower for XI used to run the fullscreen app inside a window, since it didnt have a native windowed mode. If you're using something similar, you might check to see if FFXIV thinks it's still in fullscreen.
XBL/PSN/Origin/NNID: StrykerFL GuildWars/GW2: Anton Firemaker FFRK: erNA
In essence it would be player created Guildleves (or guild created perhaps).
To get down to the brass tacks I picture it like this.
You got a job board. A player wanting to create a job activates it and gets a menu. Menu has drop down boxes for Regions, Mobs in that region, X amount you want killed, and X time limit. All options you decide, though I imagine there would be minimum and maximum amounts for the number killed and time limit. The game will then calculate the difficulty of the mobs (based on level range I imagine), the amount requested killed, and the time limit. Then it will tell you how much the reward needs to be in order to post the job. The reward money comes out of your wallet. So as an example (just using random names/numbers here):
North Hills, kill 20 Goblins, 60 minutes, reward 60,000gil.
The more enemies (or higher level) that need to be killed the more money the reward requires, but the more time you give the less money (or even more money with less time).
In my head I don't think they would give an XP bonus on completion nor would it be tied to your daily leve limit.
Now you are asking yourself, "Okay fine that may be good for other players, but why would I spend my money for no gain?". Glad you asked that, since I have an idea for why you would do such a thing. TOKENS!
Okay, hear me out. Depending on the difficulty of the mission you put up, you as the contractor would receive X amount of Tokens when someone completes your job. You can then use these tokens to buy gear/unique mounts/cosmetic stuff/what'ev really. You would also have a daily (or maybe 8 hour) limit on how many jobs you can put up.
"Well okay, but what is stopping rich dudes from simply offering very high level missions to maximize there Token rewards?", you are asking yourself.
Another excellent question my friend! And one I have another answer for.
Each region has their own Tokens which are tied to various things you can buy. That way you have to offer missions for the various level groups. Plus, players outside of that level group would be unable to take the job. So if the level group for a region is 1-10 only players level 1-10 may take the job.
If you take a job, lets say you have 30 minute to complete and you do not finish the job in the time limit then you will fail that job and it will go back to the job board. That particular job will not be available for you to take for another 30 (or whatever) minutes.
As to the reward you get from the Tokens. It could honestly be anything, but I like the idea of it being tied to decorations for a player home (or maybe guild house). Basically each level zone consists of particular items you want to decorate your home with:
Low tier zones = small stuff, like lamps, fishbowls, fish (for the fish bowl), paintings, and the like.
Mid tier zones = furniture, beds, tables, chairs, desks, and so on.
High tier zones = fancy stuff, a stuffed monster, floating crystals, weird things in general
You could also have Tokens for the various dungeons too that give theme appropriate stuff based on the dungeon. As an example:
Sphoshae = pirate themed rewards, treasure chest, jolly roger flag, and other pirate paraphernalia
Nanawa Mine = mining stuff, mine carts, chunks of ore and gems, and things you'd find in a mine
Oh I could go on and on. However I do not expect to see such a system in any MMO.
Thus far they've taken quite a bit of player input on various things, just watch the forums for a good place to interject such a suggestion. I'm sure they need ways to offer housing rewards and such, since I doubt they want them all to be craft fodder like most moogle house stuff in XI was.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/36474
+Adv jobs
+Looks like the job/weapon swapping discussion from a few pages back might be addressed ("job stones")
+Housing is back!
+Option to turn off sub targetting for kb/mouse - hit spell, cast on target.
+Other stuffs!
edit-
I'm still Renric Valora on Wutai. Will hit 20 with my GLA tonight and continue on my oh so neat story mission.
They I may have to work on my Armorer/Blacksmith since that those have been lagging behind.
THM-Black Mage
CON-White Mage
ARC-Bard
LNC-Dragoon
GLD-Paladin
PUG-Monk/Thief (I forget)
According to previous Yoshi-P posts, these jobs will advance in power and ability through story questlines, maybe?
So, you might be a 40 GLD with a selection of PLD abilities, I think, I'm not sure we have the full picture yet.
1.21 is supposed to hit at the end of Feb, so soon-ish.
Ah, I see. After reading more of the patch notes I started to get the impression it was a bit like FFXI.
Do we know if it is more like FFXI in that I can be, say, be a GLA and unlock Dragoon. Or will do I have to be the "base" class in order to unlock the advance? As in I have to be a Lancer to unlock Dragoon?
I get the feeling I have to be the base class.
Infinity Mog 21 and over Free Company Sargatanas Server. Recruitment currently closed.
Nope.
I am seriously out of ideas, unless I have to lower the background draw distance to low. I also e-mailed SE but I'm not expecting a timely or useful response.
Processes are listed one page back, if there's anything else I missed.
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Steam - Wildschwein | The Backlog
Grappling Hook Showdown - Tumblr
Forcing me to use a paid phone service to fix what could potentially take over an hour or two is...well no. Just no.
Only thing I can think of left is to lower the background draw distance to "standard", or see if any other processes are mucking things up. Otherwise, I'm clueless.
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Playing devil's advocate here.
I only post this because I thought you were having issues in the Skyrim thread as well, so maybe it is your rig?
The two issues are unrelated.
At least, I hope they are, as I'm still experiencing that Skyrim issue, but that game worked fine for me until a couple of patches ago. FFXIV has been borked since day one.
Currently juggling several sites in an attempt to get this shit sorted once and for all, but I felt I might as well share with you what I've shared with them.
PC settings first:
OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name WIN7
System Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model EP35-DS3L
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz, 3000 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Award Software International, Inc. F5, 7/16/2008
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 4.00 GB
Available Physical Memory 880 MB
Total Virtual Memory 8.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 4.27 GB
Page File Space 4.00 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys
Name ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series
PNP Device ID PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_68B8&SUBSYS_29901682&REV_00\4&309465BD&0&0008
Adapter Type ATI display adapter (0x68B8), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. compatible
Adapter Description ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series
Adapter RAM 1.00 GB (1,073,741,824 bytes)
Installed Drivers aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx32,aticfx32,aticfx32,atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver Version 8.930.0.0
INF File oem86.inf (ati2mtag_Evergreen section)
Color Planes Not Available
Color Table Entries 4294967296
Resolution 1920 x 1080 x 60 hertz
Bits/Pixel 32
Memory Address 0xE0000000-0xEFFFFFFF
Memory Address 0xF5000000-0xF501FFFF
I/O Port 0x0000B000-0x0000BFFF
IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967294
I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BB
I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DF
Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF
Driver c:\windows\system32\drivers\atikmpag.sys (8.14.1.6248, 319.50 KB (327,168 bytes), 12/5/2011 9:12 PM)
FFXIV Settings:
And in case you missed it earlier, the processes that are running with the game:
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Similarly, what caps do you have installed?
I see you've at some point disabled mom.exe and such, So what are your radpro settings? Did you leave amds terrible intelligent aa enabled? Hell, would have to know your overdrive settings as well.
I may have found my solution though. One forum suggested I lower the FPS to 30 (it's in-game), and I ran around outside and killed a few things for about 30 minutes without a crash.
Gonna have to keep tabs on it, but I have the incentive as the site I'm writing for finally got back to me and said he still wants weekly entries.
I plan to discuss how parties work next. First I'm going to kill my character and start over in Figaro, since apparently no PA folks are active in Wutai anymore.
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You may have already done this, but if you are planning on leaving Wutai, be sure to say bye to the LS and retire the LS. I think that if you leave without doing anything, your name would have been removed from the LS list, but given how shoddy SE has been about LS management, who knows?
There are still a few PA people in Wutai, but probably not a significant amount. Moving to Figaro would definitely give you a more populated world, but I will say that the Aria LS is a very friendly social LS with a lot of people willing to help out. The casual atmosphere in Aria feels similar to the old PA shell from a year ago.
Upon joining in, the head honcho quickly stepped in and inquired about my first week article for this game, which went up without my knowing. You can read it here: http://www.gamingupdate.com/articles/114/Final-Fantasy-XIV-Week-1-Player-s-Perspective
It seems the leader is quite passionate as an "FFXIV Teacher". He tore me a new asshole, ripping apart the formatting, punctuation, use of beta images (I didn't pick the images), inaccurate content...it went on for a good 30 minutes.
I politely took his feedback, and admitted to a few mistakes that I would look into for future reference.
He then kicked me out of the group, saying that my posting history as a Goon for one week was "terrible", based mainly in the main FF thread.
I....don't think I have ever met such a terrible person online. Differing opinions are one thing, but not allowing me access to his super-special guild because of unrelated posting history is....
Well, I don't know if this is SA elitism or FFXIV community elitism. But I'm shocked, really.
Maybe I can reactivate in Wutai.
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So basically everyone will get a chance to change servers come March.
This might be the best chance for PA to get together on a new meeting place, forming an LS that isn't full of elitist assholes who insist that this game "isn't for you", or uses your posting history as some sort of arbitrary requirement.
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FFXI had this issue in a different way, much worse but almost totally confined to the foreign players on the other hand. Issue was sometimes they were all you had available and it was bad enough in many cases I don't understand how people could put up with them.
So I guess what I'm saying is learn to suck it up or don't. Things might change, but I'd not bet a rusty nickel on it.
That is, to say, I've never met anyone in XIV yet who has been an ass. Surprisingly. Maybe not always super nice and helpful, but pretty much always at least polite.
FFXI had elitists like woah, but I had a few as friends from before the game so I never had to be worried about it too much.
And last I checked, the red title thing was meant to be more of a prank than a scarlet letter. It was literally two posts after I joined, and it was using my own quote anyway. I thought nothing of it.
I expected, at the very least, to be given a fair chance to see if I would fit in...not be kicked immediately after based on one week of posting history.
I've partied with LS members in FFXI who were absolutely terrible forum members, barely even capable of spelling...but they were still great guys to play with online.
But I don't care anymore. What's important now is finding a group so I can finally see what it's like to be in a party. Either I start over again in Wutai or try to find someone in Figaro.
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I'm concerned what the future holds, however. My free trial ends in two days, and I wasted a good chunk of it trying to fix my crashing problems (which I believe are good and gone). I've also had to start over in Wutai again after that ugliness in Figaro. The MMO site I'm writing for still hasn't gone up yet, either, so I'm waiting to hear back if he's going to renew my subscription or wait it out until his site goes live.
Assuming I will be resuming my duties, I could use some suggestions on what kind of topics people might be interested in reading about concerning this game. My original goal was to give a personal opinion on the game at its current state, as well as commenting on any upcoming changes as they happen (such as the upcoming patch). Ever since the critical panning I received, though, I'm re-evaluating the whole thing. I hate to say it, but my confidence in my writing is out of whack.
Overall it's been a disappointing month with the game, both technically and socially. I'm disappointed in myself for the first report I turned in, and even more disappointed that the webmaster didn't tell me when it was going up (I doubt he even proofread it).
If I started in Ul'dah, though, my initial impressions would have been pretty different. It's an easier city to navigate, the NPCs aren't assholes, and the opening cutscene was quite awesome.
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That said, if it really DOES bother you, perhaps you shouldn't be doing said writing regardless, because while the tone of such polite criticism might change in other, more popular mmos, the sheer amount of critism only goes up.
There is a reason professional reviewers don't give a shit about input. It isn't because they're dumb and don't like to hear your valid points on X. It's because they, assuming they are even valid points, are a pearl riding around in a sewage pipe of idiocy. It's better to leave that shit alone.
You say 'Rabidly defensive', I say, 'People who actually play the game and know this isn't WoW, don't want WoW, and never expected WoW.' Yet thats what everyone complaining about it seems to expect it to be.
It isn't. It's FFXI, just updated and different. Thats still the target demographic though. I mean, I can go on all day about how Lord of the Rings is the worst tripe ever written. Honestly, it is, but there are fans and its for a specific type of person. Same with how WoW is probably one of the most boring games ever made. Yet its for a certain demographic I just don't happen to fit in to.
As for the writing, write what you want. No one but the editor/publisher can say what is right or wrong. I, personally, would go in simply looking for whats good about it. There are faults, a couple of them quite obvious, but a lot of them aren't until you've managed to grind your way to the end and just played the game. A lot of the stuff people cry foul about is just a design choice, and ones you get used to.
Basically, what I'm saying is, anyone who plays the game will pan your criticisms until you've actually played enough to actually experience a good portion of the game. Anyone who doesn't play the game will either just nod their head because 'Ya I heard it sucks' or read what you say and go 'omg not wow okaylol' and be done with it.
Axen's posts is a good example of someone who was just playing to play, ran into problems, but just putzed around with them until he got it to work and figured out what the game was doing. He has/had complaints, but they didn't seem to be the center of his posts, more just comments to go along with him describing what he was doing and how his experiences panned out.
Don't get me wrong, the guy was a Grade A asshole (RED TITLE RED TITLE LOL RED TITLE), but his way of expressing his distaste in what I wrote was very concise; it wasn't all rambling.
He even at one point called my writing "Shatner-esque", which for some reason stung way more than any verbal slur.
In any event, I've rejoined the LS I was with in Wutai, and apparently I'm allowed to have multiple pearls under my belt. If anyone still playing is part of a group in Wutai, I'd love to be allowed to join. I'm certain that with more friends I have, the more I can get shit done. The one fundamental rule that hasn't changed from FFXI.
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