Alleged FFXIV open beta (AKA Squeenix fails at the internet)

[Fifthfiend]

Originally Posted by POS Industries

Literally everything is awkwardly and ineffectually set up. Movement, combat, communication with NPCs, communication with other players, video options... anything that one would consider the bedrock of a video game is just absolute shit.

It's something that I've noticed with a lot of new MMOs where they don't want to be accused of being a "WoW clone" so they try to avoid it in the most wrongheaded manner by just trying to reinvent the UI in a way that's as far removed from what Blizzard did as possible (and invariably coming up with something unplayably worse) and leaving all the generic MMO gameplay elements that people associate first and foremost with WoW in place.

It's like they're throwing out the baby with the bathwater, except they're keeping the bathwater.

This is so weird in that you think it'd be obvious that the best way to make a WoW-killer is to shamelessly rip off everything about WoW, then fix a couple of things people hated about WoW, then add a couple cool things that aren't in WoW.

And when I say obvious, I mean it's how WoW crushed Everquest beneath its sandaled thrice-elven +3 Boots of Buttzhammer-ed feet.

[Yumil]

OK, crafting isn't standard MMO fair. I just assumed it was as I had no idea what was going on when you crafted. It's actually far more skill based and I'm quite happy with it. I haven't really done any combat yet so I can't speak for that as blacksmiths only get to throw rocks(for 1 damage>.<)

Anywho, there is a lot going on in blacksmithing. You have to watch and listen while doing it know the cues to get the best results. Someone who knows what they are doing will make radically better stuff than someone who randomly clicks how to craft it.

Now if only I could figure out how to use the crafting quests better and whatnot>.< I don't know if they refill over time or what. If they do, this might be a pretty good casual MMO.

[Kim]

I tried to run the beta client and just got a generic error message. I take it that's God's way of saving me some pain.

[Funka Genocide]

I'm going to be honest here, after sacrificing untold months to the WoW gods I have grown accustomed to the interface to such a level that I don't think I could work another MMO with radically different control schemes and interfaces.

Like I tried to play FFXI some time back and was physically incapable of figuring out the interface. It's really rather strange since I have no less than 80 hot keys and custom keyboard layouts for WoW depending on circumstances, a multi button mouse and a bunch of other uber nerdy shit that all adds up to me looking like some freak show button mashing zombie when I play WoW, and yet I can't figure out how to walk down the street in FFXI without running into a wall.

If the controls in the new FF mmo are similar to its predecessor I'd probably rage quit in the first hour.

[Nique]

I'm in

Server: Besaid
City: Limsa Lominsa
Name: Nameless Seed

[POS Industries]

Originally Posted by Funka Genocide

If the controls in the new FF mmo are similar to its predecessor I'd probably rage quit in the first hour.

I never really played FFXI, but from my understanding the controls aren't so much similar to their predecessor than radically different and worse.

Anyway, every time I try to play I get a massive headache so I give up. Bear in mind I got two relatively enjoyable months out of the failfest that was Star Trek Online so clearly Square has royally fucked up here. Hopefully for their sake they overhaul the whole mess before launch.

[Funka Genocide]

Can we get a bullet point list of interface specific gripes?

and by we I mean "I".

[YHWH]

I take it that's God's way of saving me some pain.

Pretty much. I'm seriously trying to spare you guys here... What's wrong with the rest of you jerks?

[Nique]

Buh. Server error booted me. Sorry Yumil!

Originally Posted by YHWH

What's wrong with the rest of you jerks?

[Yumil]

Mouse and Keyboard

• Map doesn't really pan
• Have to hit space to talk(too common as jump in mmos)
• Have to hit CTRL+R to respond, only after opening say
• Sometimes CTRL+R doesn't reply to the last messenger
• Very small character limit in tells
• Very few keyboard hotkeys and no way to bind them
• Pretty much have to click everything
• Have to press f to go into combat mode
• After changing classes have to reset your tool bar. It doesn't save for each class
• After dying, you have to go to the main menu and hit return...no auto option pops up
• Most of the settings are set outside the program. As in you have to run a config app to do them.

Thats just off the top of my head. There is no jumping as well

Honestly, I think the gamepad fixes a lot of it, but still very sloppy.

It's grown on me as I learned how to do quests and in fact combat quests are fast and fun(as in they show you were to go and after you do what you need to do autocomplete and warp you camp to select a new one). Add in you can turn in old quest cards to increase rewards on new quests and it's pretty awesome.

You just have to get past the clusterfuck at the beginning and the huge learning curve on the interface and you reach a good game. Too bad thats going to kill membership probably>.<

EDIT: So, it also doesnt tell you when the person you are sending tells to is no longer online, so Ive been sending messages to people not knowing they got kicked off.