The WoW FactorFollow

I get your happiness, but let's consider a perhaps too frequent scenario relative to this specific mob and its loot.

There was a time when Ullikumi had an 8+ hour respawn, making it an absolute drag for people who wanted Byakko's Haidate. As such, seeing 3 month waiting lists wasn't exactly uncommon between competition both on the outside and within your own ranks. Either way, you seemingly played nice in your LS's array of guild politics and eventually got what you wanted. That's cool.

Not all environments are equal, though, and game mechanics removing player politics as often is possible is something I really like to see when it comes time to distribute loot. But consider the existence of various other start-up LS with promises of lots of Sky loot, getting yourself pimped out, good times had by all, and all that blah. Realize a lot of these were just scams to get the leaders and his buddies their loot and then to GTFO. This left the stragglers either struggling to reform or just jumping to the next shell hoping things would be better with no guarantee that it actually would be. Some might argue this is less of a risk for groups that have been established longer, but I know my own experience suggests that you're still going to have cliques and favoritism going around.

So, in trying to peek into your head a bit, I wonder if maybe you understood all of this back then and were more glad this was no longer a risk for you than presumably having to fight Byakko another dozen+ times just to please those in the line still. During this process, I'd also be curious to know how many people suddenly seemed "busy" or even outright quit the game after accomplishing a goal of similar time requirement. I'd theorize this rush of happiness carries with it a risk of disappointment after if there is no new goal of similar proportions to take its place. So, aside from all the potential drama of "hard to get" ****, I try to consider that there are limits. And for some, the limit may translate to not even trying, which is a shame since it means wasted content.


Which then begs the question, is the prize the loot or the social interaction? Can one exist without the other? The trinity of difficulty, social requirements, and loot quality can certainly evoke a muddy situation. I'm too cynical to believe people play solely for the social aspect and I've certainly been burned enough by the "ding and ditch" crowd who suddenly want nothing to do with me and leave me hanging the moment they get what they want out of me or others in longer term investments. As such, it's become my habit to look at things from a worst case scenario in order to prevent it from happening again to myself or others. This can and does mean the downplaying or outright death of certain types of content design. And it isn't so much a ********** YOUR FUN!" as it is the contemplation that better accessing the majority opens up better potential for the game. So, how many of those folks do you still talk to? Do you think they even remember you and more specific details? Friends will come and go for various reasons, but at the same time, I realize friendship isn't even on the radar of some.

I played the beta in p3 briefly. In the time experience it seemed like it went a little fast at times, however considering you weren't just one class/job for the entire time to max level. It seemed appropriate. It wasn't super easy either. I felt many times while I was soloing around that I was tough and couldn't be beat. Then throw in an extra mob or two or have them be higher level and it was a different story. I like the idea of the game being difficult, but not a time sink. You can do it, you just have to think carefully and change something around to make it work. Getting groups was fun and so were fates that were scattered across the land. I really enjoyed this game and believe that it wont be just a time sink thats easy. Being productive is important in a video game and sitting around for 10+ hours to stay in an area for a group isn't a good idea.

Well Eve online can be called successful and it did close 10 years (or it will in a few months not sure) But then again it is not a casual game. But as another one pointed you need to define what you mean successful.

To make money. Believe it or not, everyone on the the planet is not as familiar with MMO gameplay as others. I think SE doesn't want to scare potential money away.

lolgaxe's statement is correct.

They are stating that an mmo still surviving is a success but that doesn't mean they are reaching the type of success they wish to have.
I imagine when Square first thought about making a new mmo in the same universe. They weren't thinking....

"Hey we want all the FFXI players to move to the new game."

Or they would have made FFXI-2 literally.

or

"Hey, let's not try to surpass the success of FFXI."

Or they would have followed through in the direction of 1.0 for better or worse.

It's very easy to measure levels of success in FTP just as it is in P2P.
If the game is still alive. It is successful enough.
You know how much profit an FTP game is making by the amount of introduction of content. If there is a ton almost on par with people's supposed precious view on something only P2P can provide. You better believe that F2P game is raking in the benjamins.


FTP is only truly free regardless of the implementation when a player can play the game till mandatory charges start and put it down then and there. If they want to make it a permanent home, it's going to cost money eventually.

P2P do it like nursing homes and charge you up front, you know what you're supposed to get.
F2P do it like casinos. They let you win early, but in the end, they win.

Edited, Aug 6th 2013 2:47pm by sandpark

Edited, Aug 6th 2013 2:51pm by sandpark

There have been a few "supernovae" MMOs however. Rift did pretty well for awhile as did SWTOR.

Rift did okay because it was a chip off the old WoW, but ultimately it lacked the staying power that a well established lore could have offered (not enough casual players to keep the game funded long term). SWTOR had the lore in spades, but that lore isn't rooted in a video game franchise, so it lacked an established and devoted player base (not enough hardcore players to see the game through the dry spells).

I think WoW, FFXIV, and TESO all have the ingredients that a casual, subscriber based MMO needs to be a long term success. They're all based on a successful video game series, but they're all approachable enough that the erstwhile fan and time strapped fanatic can also participate.

FFXIV's danger is that it already took a pounding from its "full of fall launch" 3 years ago, and a decade is a long time to wait to follow WoW's act and hope it all works out. But considering the alternatives, I think this is the best chance they've got.

[/quote] Final Fantasy has a giant fanbase who could get into a casual MMO with ease, including former FFXI players who just don't have the time like they used to. There's a huge market for what FFXIV is offering, but FFXI hasn't shut down, either, so choose your preferred style. It's not like you don't have options.

Finally, you may like horses and buggies a great deal. But that really doesn't make you look less undignified when you shake your cane at every passing car that those young whippersnappers insist on driving these days. The genre has changed before and it will change again. The old days are nice to reminisce over, but you can't turn back the clock. [/quote]



Unfortunately i gotta agree wit ya. altho i would love to c the old school ffxi come back, u gotta move wit the times.. i played ffxi for 4ish yrs when it first got released for ps2 and what it is now is just tryin to plz everyone instead of the "no lifers" myself included lol. to bad they couldnt keep ffxi like it was and bring ffxiv out sooner but from what i have seen and read it looks promising and cant wait to try it out on the 27th lol

I agree BartelX. I think the OP is one of those people who uses every MMO like a gateway drug, always looking for that next fix. Some of these folks can't even wait until the game's released before they are tired of it. I played PSO-X (Phantasy Star Online on XBOX) for nearly 3 years. It wasn't an MMO, but it was my first non Rainbow Six online multiplayer experience. And I stayed loyal to the end. I bought PSU (Phantasy Star Universe) and stuck with it until level 180 when everyone else said the game sucked. Now, in between those two I played FFXI for five years. I was on and off, I hated the party system and waiting on people, but I loved the nostalgia. I rode the ferry and fished for hours, hunted on the stupid sand for Carbuncle's Ruby, got pissed off at my best friend who broke the rules and played while I was at work and leveled his elf to astronomical proportions, and hunted every monster that would give my blue mage a spell, using blu/thf because I liked to SATA my mandibular bite and I wanted to /flee. I didn't give a crap what niche I fit into. I played the original FF, FFII (FFIVJ), FFIII (FFIVJ, I loved FFV (translated on my PC emulator), then I played FFVII, FFVIII (one of my favorites), FFIX, FFX, FFXII, and FFXIII. I even played and loved FF tactics and that stupid 3DS musical FF game. I love the universe and am loyal to the universe, so much so that I will stick around just to see that bg crystal on the title screen and hear the music.

Why complain about the lack of content in the initial release? Do you really think that on their second go they would mess this one up? To even attempt to re-release a game of this magnitude takes fortitude and you better bet that they are going to make us happy. Do you really think that we aren't going to have expansions in a pay to play model, and what we have at release is all that we will get? The game has a dedicated developer base who cares about ALL of its fans, from what I have seen. Let me give you an example of how a different developer, Sega, completely failed. When PSU (Phantasy Star Universe) first released everyone quit because it had two missions on each of three worlds and that was all. Nothing else. No cool drops, maybe a crappy A rank sword. You beat the dragon and you were done. For a year. Then after everyone had quit, the content started to open up, very slowly, BUT only after Japan had it for at least a year. I stayed around. I use my MMOs to keep me from buying M:TG and Baseball cards and hundreds of other video games so it saves be a boatload of money. So when I start on one, I stick to it. Be happy that Square Enix is not like Sega, who don't even care enough about their North American customers to even release their new game (PSO2) in the US. I lost my last bit of faith in Sega after the constantly indefinite delays and empty promises. Here, with ARR, everyone in the world gets to see the game at (very nearly) the same time, even us lowly minority who still *gasp* play MMOs on consoles. I don't care what anyone says, I'm sticking this one out.

Wow has millions for a reason....not that wow doesnt have faults ..every game does.

FFxi never had anywhere near that amount and to this day has a minimal stagnant population ...there is a reason for that as well. it simply can not flourish or expand, the old school design will kill any chance of that every single solitary time (the team just cant see that for some reason)

If they stuck to FF11 thinking then FFXIV would fail, period.
That is not what makes a modern mmo. I am thrilled they seem to be having a much more relaxed atmosphere and train of thought realizing ppl SOLO, duo..raid and most players have a lifestyle that forbids them from being online 24/7 (thankfully lol)

Its high time a ff enters this century and I am thrilled FFXIV is heading that way.

I have subbed to 11 from the start with one long break, i know what it is allll about., had some great memories there!!! but mannnnn they cant seem to pull that 2x4 out of their...and learn to relax. Fun> grinds and alliance only can ever win theories.

Please hear me when I say HORRAY if FFXIV is gonna not be so frumped up as 11. Lets have a fun game, one that has potential to grow in numbers!!! one that rewards more then ONCE every year, IF you are lucky!! lol good lord bring xiv on please

Remember they invested so much money into this game already they best pray it not only does "ok" but outstanding subscription wise....to achieve that then they be wise to appeal to as many playstyles as possible...

WoW changed early and often. If you talk to people who play it, they'll always have an opinion as to which expansion was their favorite or something along those lines, but Blizzard changed and updated the game so often that the playerbase got used to it.

FFXI couldn't do the same because so much of the population got used to and grew to love the fact that the game was stagnant. When they uncapped levels (though they had always said they never would) there was a large part of their population who was immediately turned off. They slaved for days, weeks and in some cases years for gear they thought would stand the test of time and it didn't.

So... people have short attention spans, check. Let's give them stuff that exceeds that under the assumption they'll magically take? Questionable logic there. Nevermind the typical hardcore condescension oozing from the text.

Yes, the gamers of 10 years ago are older, as well as a new crop now being in the 13-23 range. If anything, we shouldn't be encouraging these kids to be holing themselves up in their rooms doing nothing but playing a video game after school, or even skipping school to do it. People loved to mock the whole, "Don't forget your friends, family, and work..." splash screen of XI because the game's design pretty much contradicted that to the letter. So, while I'd rather not dive too deep into the, "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" rhetoric, encouraging physical interaction with their peers via less gotta-be-logged-in-24/7-or-we-fail-at-life will do a lot more for social development than just rambling with people you'll never meet and likely never even hear over the web.

So, yeah, you can claim we're ******** them out of content with that whole, "ME ME ME!" rhetoric (irony much?), when the truth is anyone arguing about the casual game objectively is simply trying to inject some sanity into the equation. Time sinks are not true difficulty no matter how much a dev clings to them to string out content life. And for all the blanket assumption of, "Casuals suck, we don't want dumbed down content!" there's a part of me that wonders how many are actually inclined to teach instead of just skipping to the flipping of tables while they themselves just follow some script someone else came up with. Because it's very much the adult thing to do to assist the younger generations and, bluntly, anyone who refuses to teach has no right to ***** about the quality of their peers. The root of community is sharing and the pooling of resources, not excluding and segregating. As well, suddenly being 30+ doesn't turn you game stupid, especially if you've been gaming as early as the Atari or Colecovision. So let's not imply those who have aged have lost touch with the scene, either. Because you seriously wouldn't have a "scene" if it weren't for them supporting the industry those 10+ years ago. And nothing breeds customer retention of an entire demographic like a good ol', ********** YOU!" right?

If you want to better challenge yourself, there are ways. If you want to feel more special than someone else you think doesn't deserve something even though they obviously did the content related to it? Get over yourself. The game isn't going to devolve into free epics in your mailbox no matter how much that slippery slope scare tactic is employed. Everyone has different degrees of skill and different amounts of potential play time. These aren't mutually exclusive traits, either. If you play more, just level more jobs and gear them up. Run out of things to do? Take a break until the next patch. It's not a crime. You're not any less dedicated to the game.