Final Fantasy XIV - initial thoughts

[Diddums 4,346]

Seeing as I've been shoving this down everyone's throats this week I may as well do a little write up after a few hours this evening. 

 

Make no mistake, this is a PC port, plain and simple. The simple act of getting online involves creating an account, verifying email, etc. This is an MMO to the core, a fact it flaunts more than it hides. The controls are ridiculously complicated at first, but once you start figuring it out and perhaps most importantly, tweaking it to how you want it, it becomes second nature and muscle memory starts to take over. 

 

The character creation process is by far the best I've ever used, and for the first time in 36 years I actually spent 20 mins creating a character, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The music is very relaxing and peaceful, which is, for lack of a better word, lovely. 

 

There is a LOT to take in. This game tries to ease you in to it a bit but male no mistake: if you're not the kind of person to enjoy MMORPGs, you won't last an hour. That said, finally figuring stuff out is all the more satisfying for it. The interface and navigation is confusing as hell at first, but I'm gradually getting used to it. 

 

This isn't a game which dumbs things down for folks, it embraces all the complexities, all the intricacies, the customization options, the constant having to figure stuff out (for now at least) - it forces people to learn how things work and the experience is all the better for it. Last time I was this curious and intrigued about things was back in 2007 when I started playing World of Warcraft for the first time. 

 

The graphics are simple yet perfectly functional. I suspect it'll look a lot better on PC but the whole reason for me wanting to get in to this is because I miss playing on the PS4. 

 

The combat feels a bit clunky at first but I'm getting used to it, and pulling off some epic combos is very satisfying. 

 

The game has everything you could wish for in an MMO. I'm yet to find one single aspect of WoW that this doesn't offer, and in many ways a lot of the things this game does, and how it does them, feels like logical progress from the way WoW does things. 

 

There are plenty classes to go round, and you can genuinely make your character your own. The game works on the Holy Trinity principle: healer, tank, damage dealers. This is hands down the best system I've ever played in a game because you learn your role intimately. This was also the biggest disappointment for me in Destiny, when I found out that in raids you were just 6 dudes with guns, there are no specific roles. Being an absolute badass at your role, performing at your ultimate, knowing that your group wouldn't have killed the boss without you, is to this day the most satisfying feeling I have ever experienced in a game. 

 

Make no mistake: this is a game that will test you. I got close to chucking in the towel when I couldn't figure out how to get to a quest objective but perseverance paid off and the game is all the more rewarding for it. 

 

It's a shame it's an expensive game to play with a monthly sub as many consider that heresy but in my experience, sub based games are a whole new level of commitment from the developers. They engage in their communities and listen to what they have to say. The fact that Square Enix is one of the best around is just icing on the cake. 

 

I can see myself spending WoW levels of time playing this game. The amount of content is insane and might even be the first game I've ever played which can hold a candle to WoW and in many aspects, beat it. 

 

I can't wait for my next session. The learning curve is more of a cliff but then when every other game I've played in the last year or so has been about as sophisticated, and therefore rewarding as fucking Fortnite, this is a genuine refreshing change and one I honestly believe, based on my very short play time, the one I've been looking for for the last two years. 

 

And as you all know, the search has been very, very real. 

 

Anyway, meet Diddums Futtbucker:

 

 

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

Have you abandoned PC games for the next 6 months then?

[phil bottle 9,763]

7 minutes ago, Plumbers Crack said:

Have you abandoned PC games for the next 6 months then?

This is Diddums, he's just bought a lovely new PC so he can play more PS4 😂

[Diddums 4,346]

25 minutes ago, Plumbers Crack said:

Have you abandoned PC games for the next 6 months then?

 

Nah, not at all, I'm still very much on PC, but this was the culmination of a few things:

 

1: Being fed up of not having something I could really sink my teeth in to on PS4. I don't mean like CoD, I mean like Destiny. Hours and hours, with friends, long sessions, drunk, sober, day, night, whatever. A proper meaty game.

 

2: Not playing on PS4 enough as that's where the majority of the people I tolerate play.

 

3: Being fed up with WoW, but not enough to cancel my sub, but still wanting to put it to rest so I have no excuse but to get on the likes of Star Citizenships, Sea of People with Long Fingers, Mingecraft, Runt: Mowdown, etc. 

 

I'll still very much be on PC, in fact this will likely increase my time on PC, just playing other things than WoW. 

[Nutcuttlit 359]

I'll happily sink lots of hours into this, game has lots of choice when making character which is nice. Jobs or classes are interesting and will help keep boredom at bay due to starting area changing with each class you choose. So get yer arses into this and join myself, didds and Marcimoo in this strange new world. 

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

2 hours ago, Diddums said:

 

2: Not playing on PS4 enough as that's where the majority of the people I tolerate play.

 

 

Hopefully, I fall into this category of being a tolerable person! 🤣

[Diddums 4,346]

5 minutes ago, Plumbers Crack said:

Hopefully, I fall into this category of being a tolerable person! 🤣

 

 

 

🤣

[Plumbers Crack 4,062]

🖕

[The3rdWalker 1,271]

I have a SMN and would be willing to resub. It's arguably the best MMO out there over the past few years.

[Diddums 4,346]

1 hour ago, The3rdWalker said:

I have a SMN and would be willing to resub. It's arguably the best MMO out there over the past few years.

SMN? 

[The3rdWalker 1,271]

Summoner.

[GazzaGarratt 11,053]

Happy to give it a go for sure. I enjoy Final Fantasy worlds although will need to persist past the starting learning curve.

 

It wont fill the void of Destiny as that's still good enough for me to continue roll in, just alongside other games until September.

[Spacedeck 920]

I'm enjoying this game, I'm around level 18 and just arrived at the next two islands, ready to go out and explore more later today. I did start out on PS4 but I found the clutter overwhelming and confusing, which isn't helped by using a controller.  As soon as I switched over to PC, it looks better, runs better and it doesn't look as much complicated.

 

A good thing with this game being on both systems, means you can easily go from playing on the PC to the PS4 on the same subscription.  You still need to buy the game for both systems you wish you play on but at least you don't have to pay twice for the sub and your characters are saved across platforms.

 

I like the idea of not needing to level up a bunch of different characters to use different classes, so while I'm currently running with Archery, I may pick up healer at some point.

 

If I had any gripe with this game, it would be the lack of voice acting and the amount of reading you have to do to get through even basic none main story quests.  When you get to the cutscenes however, they are rather enjoyable.  Oh and the stupid amounts of rain in the starting island.

[Diddums 4,346]

1 hour ago, Spacedeck said:

I'm enjoying this game, I'm around level 18 and just arrived at the next two islands, ready to go out and explore more later today. I did start out on PS4 but I found the clutter overwhelming and confusing, which isn't helped by using a controller.  As soon as I switched over to PC, it looks better, runs better and it doesn't look as much complicated.

 

A good thing with this game being on both systems, means you can easily go from playing on the PC to the PS4 on the same subscription.  You still need to buy the game for both systems you wish you play on but at least you don't have to pay twice for the sub and your characters are saved across platforms.

 

I like the idea of not needing to level up a bunch of different characters to use different classes, so while I'm currently running with Archery, I may pick up healer at some point.

 

If I had any gripe with this game, it would be the lack of voice acting and the amount of reading you have to do to get through even basic none main story quests.  When you get to the cutscenes however, they are rather enjoyable.  Oh and the stupid amounts of rain in the starting island.

 

 

I spent a good 20-30 mins sorting out the UI. Changing font sizes, ditching shit which isn't immediately important, etc. It's looks immeasurably better now: 

 

 

 

@Nutcuttlit  did the same with great effect too, we just haven't figured out a way to get rid of that annoying chat box. 

[Spacedeck 920]

3 hours ago, Diddums said:

I spent a good 20-30 mins sorting out the UI. Changing font sizes, ditching shit which isn't immediately important, etc. It's looks immeasurably better now: 

 

So are you playing this on PS4 or PC? I haven't changed my UI yet, the only things I've done is hotkey rebinding.  Anyhow, here's my character

 

 

I want to make another one as a main healer class with the first name Morgana but I can't think of a second name for her yet.

[Diddums 4,346]

27 minutes ago, Spacedeck said:

 

So are you playing this on PS4 or PC? I haven't changed my UI yet, the only things I've done is hotkey rebinding.  Anyhow, here's my character

 

 

I want to make another one as a main healer class with the first name Morgana but I can't think of a second name for her yet.

 

 

PS4. There are a few of us, @Nutcuttlit , @J&B  are the two main ones but they seem to have sunk back in to Hunt Showdown again. 

[J&B 28]

I still play, though I’m only level 30 white mage (healer). 
 

one of the good things I learnt is one character can all the jobs, you just have to visit the other job guild of o learn them. Then you just equip the weapon and you switch to level it up.

 

This is the same for crafting I believe, but I haven’t dipped my toe in that pond yet. 

[Nutcuttlit 359]

I'll be back just shooshting things in the face

[JasonHill 12]

Actually I don't want to waste so much time into farimg FFXIV gil, but I'm willing to spend time exploring.

[RenFengge 1,042]

15 hours ago, JasonHill said:

Actually I don't want to waste so much time into farimg FFXIV gil, but I'm willing to spend time exploring.

Have you started the game? I go back and forth on starting it or not... out of fear that a fantastic MMORPG will consume me lol.