Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

[Kaelan]

Surprised there's no topic about this game here (considering how popular the Final Fantasy topic is), given that launch is right around the corner.

• Complete remake of the original Final Fantasy XIV
• Releases on Tuesday, August 27th
• If you've pre-ordered, you can start playing the game on Saturday, August 24th

World




Gameplay

• 8 Classes and 9 Jobs (upgrades of classes) available:
• Gladiator → Paladin
• Marauder → Warrior
• Pugilist → Monk
• [SIZE=12.727272033691406px]Lancer [/SIZE]→ Dragoon
• Archer → Bard
• Conjurer → White Mage
• Thaumaturge → Black Mage
• Arcanist → Scholar
• Arcanist → Summoner

Unlike most MMOs, you can level as many classes and jobs as you want on the same character. There are also 8 crafting classes (Carpenter, Armorer, Blacksmith, etc.) and 3 gathering professions (Miner, Botanist, Fisherman), which have their own equipment, abilities, quests and experience levels. Several abilities, once acquired, can be used in other classes (i.e. once you learn Cure on Conjurer, you can also cast it as a Gladiator).

Main gameplay features:

• Quests - As per any other MMO. Talk to an NPC, go kill things, come back, get reward.
• Class Quests - Quests given by specific NPCs that are specific to your class/job and usually give significant rewards. The Lv15 and Lv30 class quests for each class each gives you a new ability or spell.
• Story Quests - A quest chain that starts at level 1 and takes you all the way to 50. The earlier ones double as tutorials which introduce you to the variety of mechanics in the game. Includes several voiced cutscenes and large battles (at Lv.20 there's a big fight against Ifrit, for example).
• FATEs - Public quests, as per RIFT and Guild Wars 2. Quests that pop up randomly on outdoor maps and can be joined by anyone walking by. You gain rewards based on your contribution to the FATE.
• Guildleves - Repeatable solo quests that can be completed fairly quickly (5~15 minutes) available in certain locations. You can do up to 6 of these per day. These are also available to crafting and gathering classes (Carpenters, Miners, Fisherman, etc.).
• Guildhests - Repeatable party-oriented quests that replicate situations found inside dungeons, but are much shorter and easier to complete. They're meant to teach players new to MMOs the basics of party play, as well as how to fight using certain strategies required at higher levels. All Guildhests give a massive EXP bonus the first time you complete them. The first one is available at level 10.
• Dungeons - Long (30~45 minutes) quests which involve travelling through an instanced dungeon in a group of 4 to 8 players, with a boss found at the end (and usually several mini-bosses on the way). First available at level 15. Dungeons drop equipment that cannot be found anywhere else in the game.

Dungeons

• 16 Dungeons available on release: first one available at Level 15, then a new one every 3 levels after that until 50 (level cap)
• Earlier dungeons done in groups of 4 players. Higher level dungeons in groups of 8
• You don't have to create your own party. There's a system called the Duty Finder that automatically does cross-server matchmaking between players to form groups to enter specific dungeons. Of course, if you're in a party with a group of friends on your server, you can still enter a dungeon through the normal means, without using the Duty Finder. You can also use the Duty Finder to join Guildhests and Story Quests which required a party.

If you're not sure whether your computer can run the game, you can download the Benchmark here: http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/benchmark/. 

The Benchmark also contains the game's character creator, so you can see the types of characters that can be made in-game before actually buying the game itself.

If you're unsure and looking for more gameplay videos and/or first impressions, YOGSCAST did a series of videos covering the early parts of the game during the game's beta last month. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/user/yogscastkim/search?query=xiv

 

All that being said, is anyone else here planning on playing the game? I played the original and dropped it after about week, given how bad it was. I gave the new version a chance and I've more than liked everything I've seen so far - they've literally turned the entire game around and upside down. Currently looking forward to playing this much more than XII-3 or XV. Eagerly awaiting release next week.

 

[IXVI]

i really enjoyed the beta. im withdrawing from not playing it right now! lmfao. what level did you make it to? (if you had the beta, that is.)

 

[StrawberrySmiles]

I really enjoyed the beta too, and so did my boyfriend (we both played on my account).

Although we have a PS3 to play this on, because we can't play together, we probably won't be buying the game until he gets a kick-ass desktop that can run it (it lags like heck on his laptop).

 

[Daijou]

I've been a beta tester since the first phase, except I missed phase two due to real life obligations. I can honestly say it's improved vastly since then. My retention during the first test, I could hardly tolerate being logged on for more than an hour or two at any given time, with plenty of intermittent breaks throughout. This last weekend, during phase four / open beta, I probably played a good five or six hours straight, doing everything I could. The game itself felt far better than it had before.

However, I don't think that it's a game a lot of people will be able to get into easily. The combat pace is slow compared to a lot of other online games, and the combat system itself isn't the most captivating at times (read: from the beginning until late teens). It does pick up once you can change your class at level 10, as you gain access to other class' skills, along with leves if you're looking for a nice challenge. I'm a masochist in the sense I always put the leve's level at +4 for optimum challenge/reward. Having access to every class with one character ensures you'll always have something to do as well, and gives plenty of variety for your playtime.

I'm currently waiting on early access to start this weekend so I can get back in and see everything else Eorzea has to offer. Currently my only regret was not pre-ordering the physical collector's edition when it was available.. my early impressions of the game had me convinced I'd never play it, but they really have done a great job with it.

i really enjoyed the beta. im withdrawing from not playing it right now! lmfao. what level did you make it to? (if you had the beta, that is.)

I made a lalafell marauder and got that to 19, with armorsmith and blacksmith somewhere around 15, along with arcanist to 10. Then that character got 3102'd the final day of the test, so I had to make a new character on a Japanese server to play at all. Got a gladiator to 13 then became so addicted to mining that I probably ran around gathering materials for a solid two hours.

Crafting in this game is probably the best I've seen from any game before. It's not just something tacked on the side for additional 'content,' they're full blown classes with abilities and skills to use. It's going to be hard to juggle everything I want to do when the game goes live... I'll probably be the very last person to hit level cap because I'll be so sidetracked with everything else. 

 

[Berylstone]

I was having a lot of fun on the beta too until error 3102 got a hold of me

 

[IXVI]

I really enjoyed the beta too, and so did my boyfriend (we both played on my account).

It sefinitely fun to play with your significant other. Especially to experience them as a different class and see what they can do. My gf plays as an Arcanist as i am the thurmatauge...or however you spell it..

Although we have a PS3 to play this on, because we can't play together, we probably won't be buying the game until he gets a kick-ass desktop that can run it (it lags like heck on his laptop).

 

[Greensburg]

Doesn't look like Final Fantasy at all =/. More like yet another uninspired Korean Cliché. But eh, I haven't played it.

 

[Kaelan]

> crystals, job changing, gun blades, tonberries, malboros, chocobos, summons

> "doesn't look like Final Fantasy"

Looks more like final fantasy than any other final fantasy since 10 to me, but ok

i really enjoyed the beta. im withdrawing from not playing it right now! lmfao. what level did you make it to? (if you had the beta, that is.)

Played GLD to 20, then leveled miner and goldsmith. Really liking the crafting so far, I might end up doing more of that than anything else in this game. And mining is wayyy more addicting than I expected it to be. I thought I'd get bored of it right away...next thing I knew I had been mining for three hours straight, lol.

 

[Daijou]

Doesn't look like Final Fantasy at all =/. More like yet another uninspired Korean Cliché. But eh, I haven't played it.

That's especially weird considering it's a Japanese game, not Korean. The more recent FF's have diverged from the fantasy type universe the franchise used to be known for. The fact that XIV has the jobs that the older games had, makes it more FF than any of the recent ones. That's just my opinion at least. I wouldn't tell someone to play this game because it's Final Fantasy, but more on it's merits as an MMORPG. The fact that it has the lore and other things we've come to know and love from the series just makes it more familiar and enjoyable to play.

Played GLD to 20, then leveled miner and goldsmith. Really liking the crafting so far, I might end up doing more of that than anything else in this game. And mining is wayyy more addicting than I expected it to be. I thought I'd get bored of it right away...next thing I knew I had been mining for three hours straight, lol.

This. Even as basic as the gathering classes start out as, it still managed to hook me somehow. If my attention started to slip, I'd just happen to level up and get a new skill, which would then change the way it worked slightly pulling me back in. This was especially true for crafting. I'm afraid to even play the game with anyone else because I'm going to fall so incredibly far behind just becoming distracted with all the classes to level. I'm one of those people that likes to keep up a craft as I level so it's actually -useful- but it'll be hard to do this time. Leveling armorsmith to gear my marauder? Well, armorsmith needs tools to craft well, so now I'll need to also level blacksmith. But wait, what will they wear for crafting bonuses? Better level up tailoring so they aren't hitting the anvil naked! It seems crafting just turns into a nasty circle of you need it all to do it all... time consuming, but I love it!

 

[Kaelan]

New video on Primal battles:

Spoiler

dat garuda theme, HRNNGGGGGG

 

[Espon]

Been playing it since phase 1 and enjoyed it.  Was a Conjurer in phase 1/2, a Thaumaturge (this has to be the weirdest thing to call a mage, ever) in phase 3, and Arcanist in phase 4.

Usually reached max level, although I didn't really play much in phase 4 because it hit right during exams.

Levelling can get a little meh, as with most MMOs, but running dungeons is a lot more fun.

Not sure if I'll be playing right on launch day, there's a few other games I've been meaning to play but been too busy to do so.

 

[IXVI]

I saw theyd be including magitek armor. When will those be available and where can they be obtained?

 

[Espon]

I don't think they'll be obtainable at launch, there's still a number of features they plan to roll out in future patches.

 

[Kaelan]

According to xivdb, the early access patch data has the magitek mount in it, so we might be getting it on release after all. I'm guessing it'll probably be something related to the later story quests, where all the NPCs are riding magitek as well.

 

[IXVI]

Any pre-order players going to play early here? (Me)

 

[Galenmereth]

I've been playing for about five hours today, but the servers went down for some emergency maintenance. Taking a break to clean the house Anyone else playing?

I'm Lhei Lhei on the server Shiva.

 

[IXVI]

I've been playing for about five hours today, but the servers went down for some emergency maintenance. Taking a break to clean the house Anyone else playing?

I'm Lhei Lhei on the server Shiva.

What level are you? Id say id join you. Unfortunately wre on two different servers. As im on the Ultros server.

 

[Kaelan]

Audrey Weaver on Behemoth

Early access has been pretty smooth so far. Played for hours without encountering any quest/gameplay bugs. Only issues have been server capacity, but that always happens on MMO launches.

 

[IXVI]

Audrey Weaver on Behemoth

Early access has been pretty smooth so far. Played for hours without encountering any quest/gameplay bugs. Only issues have been server capacity, but that always happens on MMO launches.

I second.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Is this available in asia?

anyway it looks good, though with the current state of my internet connection at home and my laptop, I don't think I can play it...