FFXIV interview.

[Malacite]

Re: FFXIV interview.

The more I hear about it the more FFXIV seems like an online Dungeons & Dragons game, where you get to be both DM and a player >.>b


WoW had dedicated RP servers for those who wanted to do that which is great because RP'ers piss me off for the most part. Not because I can't get into it, but it just doesn't do it for me inside an MMO. Or maybe there just hasn't been a game crafted yet specifically for RP that could still be highly successful (enough to maintain the game at least)

---------- Post added at 01:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:28 PM ----------

Look, I couldn't care less if 5 billion out of 6 of the Earth's population wants to know KFC's secret 11 herbs and spices recipe, it's still a stupid thing to ask God when you've only got 5 things to ask. How many people want to know it is irrelevant to its usefulness. Those that seriously believed SE is just going to work for free are too stupid to deserve having their question asked.

What the fuck gives people the notion that any MMO might be free anyway? To base it off of all the cheap school-project ones you see scattered on the net is just silly, and Guild Wars was sort of an oddball being the only free MMO (to my knowledge) to ever hit retail. It wasn't even that good either...

I love it when they QQ over it costing money too. Do you like new shinies? Do you like a game that runs properly and has half-way decent customer service when problems arise? Guess what, that shit costs money. Now, I won't judge people who claim it's a budget issue as that's their business, but I mean it's hardly the end of the world... no worse than renting something from the video store or going out to see a movie and it lasts the whole month!

[jenova_9]

Re: FFXIV interview.

"bad" questions always happen in interviews.

at least some of them brought in new "good" answers and information.

[Ziero]

Re: FFXIV interview.

...I get the feeling that you're missing the point entirely.

[Armando]

Re: FFXIV interview.

but one answered a question far more people(even if it did have an obvious answer) were asking then the other would have.

Look, I couldn't care less if 5 billion out of 6 of the Earth's population wants to know KFC's secret 11 herbs and spices recipe, it's still a stupid thing to ask God when you've only got 5 things to ask. How many people want to know it is irrelevant to its usefulness. Those that seriously believed SE is just going to work for free are too stupid to deserve having their question asked.

[Ziero]

Re: FFXIV interview.

Moooooooot poiiiiiiiint. They never had an interest in PvP and still added Ballista. Even though nobody does Ballista and Brenner they said they're still open to the possibility of adding similar sports to XIV. Moreover they're clearly taking several departures from XI's design so it's unfair to generalize "this is how it was in XI, so this is how it'll be on XIV." SE has bent over enough times in the past (hi2u picking servers). It's not outrageous to think they may do so again. Nowhere near as outrageous as assuming they're going to do charity work, at least.

Which is more or less the point. You may see it as a waste of a question, but even if I conceded that point, it's on an entirely different order of magnitude.

Actually it's not a moot point because as you pointed out, SE can add stuff to all servers to try and satisfy the desire for specific types of play without creating an entire series of servers around it. It has nothing to do with the design differences between FFXI and FFXIV, it's all about the way SE works.

Ever since it was announced people have been rumor-mongering whether or not it would be f2p or p2p, but few...if any...ever wondered about the possibility of RP specific servers. Which is why I made the original point, that it was comically hypocritical for OMG to judge the questions that were asked so harshly when the one he wanted to ask was as, or even more, useless to the majority of the potential player base. In the end, both questions would have been a waste to ask, but one answered a question far more people(even if it did have an obvious answer) were asking then the other would have.

Edit: While I do agree there has always been a massive difference between western "RPG"s and JP "RPG"s, SE seems to be trying to mix the two concepts together this time around to satisfy all players and parties. The far more open class system, different sub-tribes within the races, a stronger focus on crafting/worker classes, all seem to be pushing towards a more open ended, western style RPG. Yet we know they'll be adding in epic, flowing stories and plot lines, specific quests and characters and such that all those JRPGs are famous for.

What I see them doing is trying to make the game as immersive as possible, which will be good for those who just want to play in this game world and for those who want to "live" in this game world. Again, you don't need a back story and a funny way of talking to be RPing, if you can make it so just playing the game allows you to fulfill the role of your choosing, it fully becomes a true RPG.

[Armando]

Re: FFXIV interview.

Seriously, where are you getting this from? Have you ever played with Japanese players before FFXI? For four years I shared a server with two dominant JP raiding guilds called Far East and Maxwells, or Femax, as their alliance was called, on Drinal. They were a particularly insular crowd and while their general tactic was zerg over refinement, they raided just like the rest of us, competing on an even basis. So, let's drop the, "They" references.

Uh, I'm not quite sure where you're going with this. BBQ's point is that western RPGs and JRPGs tend to be polar opposites, with the former almost always being more of a platform for the player to RP on by providing free-roaming gameplay and generic character creation, while JRPGs hand you a cast of characters and a plot to go through. It's obvious that those that favor western RPGs have different interests than those that favor JRPGs.

Obviously they play like the rest of us, both ends of the playerbase are going to seek the same goals - get loot as effectively as possible. That doesn't mean their interests aren't different. I don't see why you need to get so offended about it, either.

I'd say Final Fantasy took a huge inspiration from Everquest, it was essentially the Japanese version of the game. Everquest in turn took its lead from D&D which in turn took it from Tolkien.

Flayers, Bahamut and I believe Tiamat too have been in the Final Fantasy series since FF1 which far predates EverQuest 1. Hell FF1 had generic characters (and you could choose any 4 man party composition out of the 6 jobs available) and dwarven smiths and elves and all that jazz. And that asinine god-awful outdated level-based magic system. FF1 was very D&D, from my passing knowledge of it.

[Grizzlebeard]

Re: FFXIV interview.

FFXI had two years to be influenced by the japanese,

Influenced how exactly? FFXI plays just like any other MMO I've come across in ten years of playing them. Any real remnant of Japanese influence on the game was steamrolled into the ground by the NA players about a year after it released there.

they don't really have the same concept of RPGs that older western players do.

They, like the JRPG-bred players in the west, think RPGs are about story and that's how they approached it. People who play western designed RPGs and who have a history with those tend to think differently.

Seriously, where are you getting this from? Have you ever played with Japanese players before FFXI? For four years I shared a server with two dominant JP raiding guilds called Far East and Maxwells, or Femax, as their alliance was called, on Drinal. They were a particularly insular crowd and while their general tactic was zerg over refinement, they raided just like the rest of us, competing on an even basis. So, let's drop the, "They" references.

Not to mention Final Fantasy initially drew a ton of inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons. Its whey we have Flayers and their version of Bahamut and Tiamat as dragons.

I'd say Final Fantasy took a huge inspiration from Everquest, it was essentially the Japanese version of the game. Everquest in turn took its lead from D&D which in turn took it from Tolkien. Though to be fair, any modern fantasy MMO can have it's roots traced back to Tolkien. Many of the other influences on FFXI come from regional myths and legends, such as this monster which originated from the legend of the [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambton_Worm]myth[/ame]. Something I was surprised to see in FFXI as I thought it was a myth only popular in the area where I live.

[Armando]

Re: FFXIV interview.

It's a wasted question because SE never had an interest in creating servers for specific functions, especially for something like RPing which they never really supported either.

Moooooooot poiiiiiiiint. They never had an interest in PvP and still added Ballista. Even though nobody does Ballista and Brenner they said they're still open to the possibility of adding similar sports to XIV. Moreover they're clearly taking several departures from XI's design so it's unfair to generalize "this is how it was in XI, so this is how it'll be on XIV." SE has bent over enough times in the past (hi2u picking servers). It's not outrageous to think they may do so again. Nowhere near as outrageous as assuming they're going to do charity work, at least.

Which is more or less the point. You may see it as a waste of a question, but even if I conceded that point, it's on an entirely different order of magnitude.

[Ziero]

Re: FFXIV interview.

It's a wasted question because SE never had an interest in creating servers for specific functions, especially for something like RPing which they never really supported either. They do focus on immersion though, and making you a part of the game to the point you could be unintentionally RPing by just playing the game. RPing isn't in too great of a demand from those who are interested in playing this game (the third word in RPG btw), but as long as we can play this game in a role of our choosing, it will live up to the full gamut of the term RPG.

You don't have to have a back story and a funny way of speaking to Role Play, and if the game is made right, then everyone will be role playing whether they intend to or not.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: FFXIV interview.

The reason I bring RP up is because, you know, its an RPG. Let's go back for a second and look at these two letters again and what they stand for - "Role Playing."

SE didn't make FFXI unfriendly to roleplay save for the server selection angle - for the most part, it was the players that made it incredibly difficult for that environment to thrive. There wasn't a lot of material to work with at the start, but it was still there.This time we have races and while there might not be default good/evil alignments, there are apparently factions within some of these races and been confirmed in the Miqo'te and human races as selectable.

FFXI had two years to be influenced by the japanese, they don't really have the same concept of RPGs that older western players do. They, like the JRPG-bred players in the west, think RPGs are about story and that's how they approached it. People who play western designed RPGs and who have a history with those tend to think differently. Even a few JP developers out there still skew to the more western style. Not to mention Final Fantasy initially drew a ton of inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons. Its whey we have Flayers and their version of Bahamut and Tiamat as dragons.

And c'mon, Dusk Elezen? Dark Elves. DND again.

This time, things will be different. No JP time advantage. Sorry to say it, but six months of beta culture is much easier to bring down than two years of established player communities. I would like to see SE support a few servers for roleplay for the players that want them.

Its not an unreasonable or wasted question at all, being an RPG, its totally relevant.

[Ziero]

Re: FFXIV interview.

With the whole "no jumping" thing it's not so much pure RPing as it is immersion into the game world. The more realishtic the game world the easier it is to become a part of it while you play. So it's not so much you acting out as a character in the game world, but rather the game making you a part of it's world.

FFXI had very few RPers, it just wasn't really built for RPing in sadly. Especially since the server selection was so rigid and strict, it made it hard for those who enjoyed RPing to gather together. The simple act of leaving server selection open from the start while allowing server hopping will let those who want specific need servers group together if they're so inclined, but SE as a whole won't make servers specific to any function.

Edit: Raydeus kinda just gave an example of my post just now. His talking about characters and events "as if they really existed" is a product of an immersive world and story. The game pulled you in and made you a part of it, even though you knew it was a game. RPers on the other hand become the characters in the game and see the world through that character's eyes. Even if the character has a differing point of view and opinion(or gender!) then the person RPing.

Though I agree, a lot of RPers stories are kind of weak or overblown. But that just makes the good ones all the more interesting!

[Raydeus]

Re: FFXIV interview.

Annoying actions are annoying. And that's about it.


About roleplaying I kinda sort of roleplayed with my friends in the sense that we always talked about characters and events in the game as if they really existed. Things like my crush on Prishe or my loyalty to the Star Sybil.

But we never ever got "into character" because that's the part I usually dislike about roleplaying.

Also even though I'd joke about being raised by tarus when people mentioned I had too much mp for a hume and stuff like that it was never "in character". And I've never ever tried making stories and acting them because that's just too much for my taste, I'm already playing a RP game so adding "original content" to the mix is overkill (not to mention from what I've seen most RP'ing stories are pretty crappy.)

So yeah, I don't know what exactly would you call what I do but that's pretty much it.

[Pwnagraphic]

Re: FFXIV interview.

I thought that a good chunk of the people on this forum RP. Atleast that's what I took from the whole "no jumping" argument.

[Ziero]

Re: FFXIV interview.

Yes, and answering "will there be RP servers?" will shut up the people that keep hoping for RP. Any non-redundant question will answer something and shut up someone, that doesn't exactly make it useful.

There have been far more talks of "free or p2p" then there has over RP servers. In fact, BBQ is the first person I've seen since FFXIV was announced that wanted RP servers. In the end though, they're both bad questions, it's just that one was more common then the other.

[Pwnagraphic]

Re: FFXIV interview.

I forgot about asking if servers were random. But he also said in the interview that he had more questions but they had to wrap it up.