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[Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn] Next Beta This Wednesday July 10 (Lasts Five Days!)

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  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    FINALLY they've put up the translation from the most recent Letters from the Producer: http://www.siliconera.com/2012/09/27/final-fantasy-xiv-may-let-you-ride-red-xiii-in-the-future-and-other-info/

    Going to watch this later, but in response to the subject header....

    Oh come on, now they're really reaching for the FF references.
    But then one minute later I can't help but get excited over the prospect.

  • StollsStolls Brave Corporate Logo Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    FINALLY they've put up the translation from the most recent Letters from the Producer: http://www.siliconera.com/2012/09/27/final-fantasy-xiv-may-let-you-ride-red-xiii-in-the-future-and-other-info/

    Going to watch this later, but in response to the subject header....

    Oh come on, now they're really reaching for the FF references.
    But then one minute later I can't help but get excited over the prospect.

    Like most nods back to FF7, I roll my eyes at first then mull it over a bit and like it more as time goes on. If 2.0 winds up with a Gold Saucer-a-like, there needs to be at least one oblique reference to some spiky headed dude on an awkward date with an angry, one-armed guy.

    kstolls on Twitch, streaming weekends at 9pm CST!
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  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    I notice that they are using the same guy from the original opening in the "Reborn" trailer.

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    You mean the black-haired Hume/Hyume? He's been the "mascot" of the online FF series since XI, probably since he has the most common features of a regular person. Incidentally, he was also my main look for both games.

    One of the things mentioned in the latest letter was that Yoshida wants to add more customizations for the faces, as he found the presets "too bland". He's not wrong, but I do wonder if that engine will allow for that kind of facial variety.

    He spent a lot of time in this video doing damage control, addressing the concerns people have had with the last few statements as well as the current issue with Instances in FFXIV. The guy must get swamped with angry letters on a minute by minute basis, but he's always going to great lengths to keep peoples' spirits up. I feel for the guy, he probably gets a lot of undeserved hatred from jaded fans who don't realize he had nothing to do with the original game. He doesn't deserve it.

    Someone who does deserve it, however...

    Wada: "Hey everyone, how's it going? I had just gotten back from playing Final Fantasy XIV using my Level 50 Monk. Boy, those Instance server issues sure are frustrating, aren't they? I wonder what other features you will offer for A Realm Reborn? Can you tell my interest is totally genuine and not pre-written?

    Yoshida: "......"

    (stands up, slams fists on table)

    "Get. The. Fuck. Out."

    Wada: "B...but I need to show the community I'm in touch with them..."

    Yoshida: "You already fucked up one game. You're not fucking up this one."

    Admittedly the jury's still out on who is truly to blame for vanilla FFXIV. AP once told me it was most likely a collection of greedy people with SE who wanted to release it as quickly as possible to beat WoW Cataclysm's date.

    But you'd think the CEO of Square Enix would have some say in that decision, so he certainly shares some of the blame.

  • jothkijothki Registered User regular
    I'd assume that if FFXIV's biggest problem was that it rushed, they wouldn't have had to remake it so heavily.

  • NoxyNoxy Registered User regular
    I read the OP and wanted to verify in the thread; is there nothing to gain from getting into this now? Assuming the legacy period is already passed and I've been told the game is terrible.

    I really, really enjoyed FFXI but kinda dropped away from it when finding a party started to take 2hrs.

    Ragnar Dragonfyre
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    Fonjo wrote: »
    I read the OP and wanted to verify in the thread; is there nothing to gain from getting into this now? Assuming the legacy period is already passed and I've been told the game is terrible.

    I really, really enjoyed FFXI but kinda dropped away from it when finding a party started to take 2hrs.

    You could work to finish the story that leads into 2.0, though you could probably just watch cutscenes on YouTube. I believe you can still gain levels and items to carry over to 2.0, though there's supposed to be a cutoff date for when nothing you do will carry over (somewhere in November). The game will also be F2P by then, though you'll also only get a couple of weeks before it is wiped from history completely.

    It was rather amusing how many questions Yoshi-P had to address about features and items people want carried over from the original game. I can understand not wanting any of your accomplishments to go to waste, but based on his wording the people who will benefit the most from 2.0 is anyone who starts a brand new character from Lvl 1.

    Which I'm perfectly fine with as the current FFXIV has the opposite problem (new content only relevant to high lvl players).

    Also slightly amusing (and quite a bit sad) were the new abilities he was showing off that were shamelessly taken right out of WoW (the sprint ability, targeting enemies, the mini-map). It's good that he actually did the research on this instead of straight up lying about it (see the original dev team), but I'm hoping he has more unique features in store that even WoW hasn't implemented.

    Right now the sole advantage 2.0 has is the fully customizable UI. I can't count how many times I've played WoW and wished I could just seamlessly drag around every icon and text box as shown in 2.0 previews.

  • NeurotikaNeurotika Registered User regular
    Fonjo wrote: »
    I read the OP and wanted to verify in the thread; is there nothing to gain from getting into this now? Assuming the legacy period is already passed and I've been told the game is terrible.

    I really, really enjoyed FFXI but kinda dropped away from it when finding a party started to take 2hrs.

    If you can find a box copy, it'll be cheap. So, there's that...

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    The last chance to start a new account in 1.0 is uh...tomorrow. after that there's no more billing and thus, I'm assuming anyway, no more account creation.

    Incidentally @Fonjo XI doesn't have that problem anymore; if anything (to some people anyway, not me) the problem is that it's too easy to level. But that's neither here nor there.

    Honestly I would just wait for 2.0 if you're interested in this. I mean, I suppose it could be interesting to see the sheer (hopefully) difference between now and then, but the novelty of that might not be worth it when you could just pretend 2.0 is the 'real' launch of the game and go from there.

    Also, my understanding is SE asked most stores to destroy the boxed copies for 1.0, presumably so they could sell 2.0 at retail prices. You can't even buy it on like Gamestops Impulse service anymore (where I bought it awhile back on sale). You might have a hard time finding it.

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  • NoxyNoxy Registered User regular
    Fair enough, thanks for the info.

  • DelphinidaesDelphinidaes FFXIV: Delphi Kisaragi Registered User regular
    Still excited for this but that Trailer needs to touching up. Those animations are clearly not in a finished state and are missing a lot of inbetween work. I'll be very disappointed if it releases with them in that state.

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  • KazakaKazaka Asleep Counting SheepRegistered User regular
    Kazaka wrote: »
    Is this game going to be good™ now? I loved FFXI like...like a person who loves a thing very much. They could've resold me the same game with better graphics and I would've bought it. With that in mind, what am I looking at going into 2.0?

    This is too broad a question to even ask but I guess it's worth just sticking out there and seeing what happens.

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    I can't remember the last time I was so excited to witness the devastation of an entire game world (and the game itself). I really hope someone like GiantBomb will have a live stream up to show us the final day of the Meteorfall.

    To quote Jessie Custer:
    bJwCv.jpg

  • GrundlestiltskinGrundlestiltskin Behind you!Registered User regular
    Kazaka wrote: »
    Kazaka wrote: »
    Is this game going to be good™ now? I loved FFXI like...like a person who loves a thing very much. They could've resold me the same game with better graphics and I would've bought it. With that in mind, what am I looking at going into 2.0?

    This is too broad a question to even ask but I guess it's worth just sticking out there and seeing what happens.

    You're probably going to have to be more specific about what you like about FFXI or dislike about FFXIV 1.0 if you want a constructive answer.

    3DS FC: 2079-6424-8577 | PSN: KaeruX65 | Steam: Karulytic | FFXIV: Wonder Boy
  • StollsStolls Brave Corporate Logo Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    You do have to admire the spectacle, since they're canonically and then literally destroying the game world. Even after all the previews and stuff, I really have no idea what kind of game we're going to get when it comes back. But I'm feeling strangely optimistic all the same.

    kstolls on Twitch, streaming weekends at 9pm CST!
    Now playing: Teardown and Baldur's Gate 3 (co-op)
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  • AstaleAstale Registered User regular
    The real question is going to be what happens when the new version goes live. Can they convince people to even try it? Even if they did, would it have a shot in hell at actually making back it's costs?

    And if it doesn't, what then? I mean, honestly, if they greenlit this much I find it hard to believe they'll judge the reception harshly. They must have some inkling of the odds they're up against, and if that had bothered them one would assume it would have just been shut down long ago. But who knows? This whole thing makes zero sense from a business perspective. I mean, it COULD somehow catch on enough people try it out, turns out to be great, and actually becomes a success. But it's enough of a long shot that no sane person would have made that bet. So I'm going to assume those at the controls know the odds and have already gone "do not give a fuck" long ago.

    That said, it's kind of like 'the little engine that could' only it's carrying a shipment of volatile explosives. Better get that happy ending or someone is going to end up fucked.

  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    Stolls wrote: »
    You do have to admire the spectacle

    I keep wondering exactly what kind of spectacle we're going to get. Is everyone playing during that time going to witness a lengthy cutscene followed by a server boot? Will there be some sort of "Thanks for playing, now stay tuned for the GOOD version" message? A CG cutscene?

    On the subject, what are some notable online games with "final day" events? I believe Giant Bomb had a video for some Star Wars game during its final moments. Been meaning to check it out if the payoff was entertaining.

  • StollsStolls Brave Corporate Logo Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    edited November 2012
    Supposedly the Matrix Online ran something interesting, even though the game ran out of steam pretty quick. I gather the GMs came up with events on a frequent basis, which was a neat idea, but takes a lot of effort to sustain.

    Word is that critters are now attacking towns openly and things have basically gone to hell, though I haven't logged in since the cutoff period for save data so I'm not sure. I'm hoping for something spectacular, ideally something you don't have to be online to witness; maybe a client update that adds a new trailer or something. Lord knows CG cutscenes are one of the few things SE still knows how to do.

    There's supposedly code for some kind of world-ending event for FFXI, something about a global rift that caused monsters to appear everywhere. Someone found messages like "The rift has appeared over San d'Oria" buried in the game text, or something like that. That was before the Abyssea stuff came out, and I can't find it on a quick googling, so who even knows. But it wouldn't surprise me if someone on staff had an idea for the endgame, and they incorporated the framework into XIV. If so, that's either irony or one of those things I frequently mistake for irony.
    Astale wrote: »
    The real question is going to be what happens when the new version goes live. Can they convince people to even try it? Even if they did, would it have a shot in hell at actually making back it's costs?

    And if it doesn't, what then? I mean, honestly, if they greenlit this much I find it hard to believe they'll judge the reception harshly. They must have some inkling of the odds they're up against, and if that had bothered them one would assume it would have just been shut down long ago. But who knows? This whole thing makes zero sense from a business perspective. I mean, it COULD somehow catch on enough people try it out, turns out to be great, and actually becomes a success. But it's enough of a long shot that no sane person would have made that bet. So I'm going to assume those at the controls know the odds and have already gone "do not give a fuck" long ago.

    That said, it's kind of like 'the little engine that could' only it's carrying a shipment of volatile explosives. Better get that happy ending or someone is going to end up fucked.

    That's the craziness of it. No doubt any rational accounting department would recommend writing the thing off as a loss and trying to move on, or maybe going F2P or something. But there's definitely more than just money at stake, as we've said before SE really tied their own hands by marking it 14. It's more like a response to a PR disaster than business strategy, where it's less about recouping short-term costs than about salvaging the brand. Of course, if they'd thought long-term in the first place, taking their time with development, we wouldn't even be here.

    My guess, someone high up at SE bothered to actually read the feedback one day and took a long, hard look in the mirror. Here's hoping it was enough.

    Stolls on
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  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    And remember the name "Final Fantasy" comes from the fact that Square was on the verge of bankruptcy when they made it back in 1987 and they thought it was their final game. Seems like Square does their best when they're on the edge of complete failure. Maybe.

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
  • EumerinEumerin Registered User regular
    Stolls wrote: »
    You do have to admire the spectacle

    I keep wondering exactly what kind of spectacle we're going to get. Is everyone playing during that time going to witness a lengthy cutscene followed by a server boot? Will there be some sort of "Thanks for playing, now stay tuned for the GOOD version" message? A CG cutscene?

    On the subject, what are some notable online games with "final day" events? I believe Giant Bomb had a video for some Star Wars game during its final moments. Been meaning to check it out if the payoff was entertaining.

    iirc, Blizzard tends to get a bit dramatic when it comes time to shut down their expansion betas right before release. I don't think they've ever dropped a big rock on everyone, though. One other thing to keep in mind is that there are hints that there's something, or someone
    (generally believed to be Odin...)
    inside that rock, which complicates the "rock lands, everyone dies" scenario somewhat. It's possible that the rock will open just before it impacts.

    I'll probably be online if I can pull it off, though my schedule that day is somewhat up in the air. The possibility of something happening is just too good to pass up.

  • AxenAxen My avatar is Excalibur. Yes, the sword.Registered User regular
    edited November 2012
    Well I haven't had a subscription to this in awhile so I just hope that those of you who do take plenty of screenshots and or videos. :D

    Axen on
    A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    I'm still trying to find screens/vids of Yoshida's NPC in the game, who was jailed for spreading propaganda that the Meteor is a good thing and that the world will change for the better.

    The concept is hilarious in hindsight.

  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    tch. Even if it turns out to be awesome, I just don't have time for a new MMO these days. Maybe if it's still around in early 2014, I'll join.

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJAOSFCDOMY&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;hd=1

    So I'm not the only one who notices an uncanny similarity with the music, right?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h3tgNuX5X4&amp;hd=1

    Anyway, it's alpha footage, so there's no real point in critiquing how empty the town looks. Yoshi-P said that the NPCs wouldn't just be standing around villages, and would instead engage in several animations and activities. Hopefully that comes to pass, in addition to all his other promises.

    Still hoping that someone is planning a live streaming of FFXIV's final hours.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    I find it interesting that the 'new' Gridania looks awfully close to the old one, just somewhat scaled down so the walking between places isn't as stupid. And just more decorated or something.

    And randomly split into two zones.

    Well, not randomly I guess; it probably plays a lot into performance splitting it. Which is fine. Never bothered me in FFXI that every city was 3-4 zones.

    I'm not really feeling any meaningful similarities between the musics though. They've both just got a 'bouncy' upbeat theme.

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  • AstaleAstale Registered User regular
    So how much work, realistically, do they have to go on the new version?

    I know that's a bit of a bland question, but just seeing if anyone has a general idea of what kind of work is going to be done between now and relaunch, and a rough guess as to how long that will take. Since what takes one mmo team a month can take another a year, ect ect. Though I'm assuming most of the doesn't-require-the-main-servers work and testing would be done. But that's a large swath of possibilities left.

  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    edited November 2012
    We won't really know about the actual state of ARR until alpha starts here before long. They aren't starting alpha until the live servers are fully shot down which is in a few days.

    All they've really shown off so far from alpha is Gridania/Black Shroud stuff, which, honestly makes sense because it was widely accepted to be the biggest clusterfuck, zone design wise anyway, of XIV; I think they're hoping that showing that the new version of that will indicate that they have their heads screwed on straight this time.

    It indicates that to me anyway; everything I've seen from ARR has been really top notch and not just in a "well, this is better than 1.0 anyway" manner, but just in a straight up video game quality perspective.

    They seem to have a pretty aggressive timeline on what they'd like to get done during testing to get it out as soon as they can. The haven't (and won't anytime soon) given any firm dates aside from when Alpha is starting and their plans for each phase; but I think they're hoping to get it out live in the first quarter/half of '13.

    The Dude With Herpes on
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  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    I really hope we get some before/after videos, so we can really appreciate the drastic differences between the two versions.

    Never went to the original Gridania, though I imagine it's as bad as every other part of the game. And Windurst was always a goddamn pain in the ass to get around.

    Thankfully, that jump button makes a world of difference.

  • ArkadyArkady Registered User regular
    edited November 2012
    Windurst was the easiest city to get around, once you knew where the mages were. Bastok and Sandoria were both much worse.

    Still waiting on some actual, real combat footage before I get too excited for this game.

    Arkady on
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  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    A new Letters from the Producer is being streamed Saturday morning at 4 am (est). They're likely going to talk about the Meteorfall event and the Alpha, and hopefully show off more stuff.

    If I recall, it won't get translated until after the live stream. Last one took a while, though.

  • StollsStolls Brave Corporate Logo Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    edited November 2012
    Three hours to impact. Logged in on another character to watch the world end (different server; Lloyd didn't quite hit 50 before the cutoff.) Gonna try to get video assuming it doesn't melt my computer, since you definitely don't see this every day.

    Edit: And lagging like a sonovabitch, predictably. In weird ways, too. r0ing, but still communicating via linkshell. Can teleport but can't accept invites. Yoshi-P's probably flaying someone alive right now.

    Double edit: One hour to go and basically nobody can get in. Hoo boy. People gonna be pissed.

    Final edit: Aaaaaand denied. Well then. If anybody asks, I was totally there and, like, killed a hundred guys. It was really cool.

    Stolls on
    kstolls on Twitch, streaming weekends at 9pm CST!
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  • Professor SnugglesworthProfessor Snugglesworth Registered User regular
    edited November 2012
    The End Has Come:

    end1cgs9w.jpg

    end2gsscv.jpg

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqL3-n2-3J4&amp;feature=g-all-u&amp;hd=1

    I have never been so happy to witness the destruction of society and the slaughter of so many brave warriors.

    Worry not, they've all gone to a better place.

    Literally.

    Professor Snugglesworth on
  • NeurotikaNeurotika Registered User regular
    Wow, that was pretty fucking epic.

    DisruptedCapitalist
  • StollsStolls Brave Corporate Logo Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    edited November 2012
    That is considerably more epic than staring at a black loading screen for several hours.

    Now I actually am kinda mad. Goddamnit SE.

    I mean, it's kinda fitting, considering how the game started, but still.

    Stolls on
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  • The Dude With HerpesThe Dude With Herpes Lehi, UTRegistered User regular
    that video was fucking amazing.

    I don't really have anything else to add. Kinda regret now not just getting to 50 and finishing the story quests. Guess I'll have to youtube them.

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  • ShenShen Registered User regular
    That was actually really awesome and surprisingly moving, and I don't know anything about the characters or the world.

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  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    edited November 2012
    It's really well done... I'm probably going to end up resubbing a month when this goes live, to see how it is.

    Polaritie on
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  • ShimazuShimazu Registered User regular
    That's a hell of a note to go out on. :O

    FFXIV - Cao Cao @ Sargatanas
  • Just_Bri_ThanksJust_Bri_Thanks Seething with rage from a handbasket.Registered User, ClubPA regular
    And come back in on.

    ...and when you are done with that; take a folding
    chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    Just the way Final Fantasy was meant to be. Eorzea never really had much of a compelling (in the traditional apocalyptic fashion of Final Fantasy) story until now.

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
This discussion has been closed.