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1. Are you a fan of the Final Fantasy franchise?
Long-time Final Fantasy fans are used to learning a different system with just about each new release. Just think about the differences we saw between FFIV and FFVIII:
- FFIV had party members coming and going instead of with us from start to finish. Players got to choose between a few spells as one character remembered the magic he had forgotten.
- FFV introduced the job system. While the characters were static, their roles changed greatly depending on the job we set them to.
- FFVI used Espers to teach magic and summons. Players came and went. We had special moves to execute that were unique to each character.
- FFVII gave us Materia as the method for learning magic and summons, and Materia could be socketed into gear to change its properties. Getting the right combinations of Materia was key. Characters had special moves we had to unlock. One character even died!
- FFVIII employed the controversial Draw system of stockpiling magic from enemies. Finding enemies with rare spells was a joy at times. Also, gunblades!
Clearly, Final Fantasy fans are used to learning a new gameplay mechanic with each release. This is a good thing, because FFXIV is different from any other title in the hallowed franchise, too. Expect to spend 2-3 hours learning how to manipulate the mechanics of classes, skills, and Guildleves at the basic level; it'll take much longer to master the intricacies. People who are not Final Fantasy fans will be annoyed by an MMO that is so different from everything else on the market.
2. Did you play Final Fantasy XI?
Gamers who played FFXI for more than a couple of months will have a leg up on gamers who did not in a couple of areas. First, they will be better equipped to deal with the wacky controls of FFXIV. Second, they will be accustomed to the concept of slow but steady progression centered around a story rather than expecting a quick trip to the cap for some epic gear and mobs.
The controls in FFXIV are, in a word, very unusual for an MMO. First, I find it next to impossible to use the WASD keys by themselves to move. The A and D keys make my character turn at a right angle and move left and right, respectively. Meanwhile, the camera stays fixed, so I see my character moving from the side view. In order to turn the camera to see what was ahead of me, I need to use the right mouse button or the camera control keys (IJKL). In the end, I found I could move very smoothly by using WJSL. This meant using two hands to move and letting go of the mouse, certainly an awkward control scheme for the average North American gamer. I could tell it would be a terrific scheme for a controller, though. Using the left analog stick to move forward while changing the camera with the right analog stick is standard on most console games. Since FFXIV also releases on the PS3, this makes sense.
Two other control settings that are counter to my MMO intuition are the use of the number pad "-" key to open the main menu instead ESC and the use of the space bar to open the chat menu rather than Enter. It takes some getting used to, but opening the main menu with a key on the right side of the keyboard allows players to keep moving forward while opening the menu. Since FFXIV does not give players the ability to jump, the space bar goes unused outside of chat, making it the perfect key to open the chat box. Again, these controls are different from what most PC MMO players are accustomed to.
The final way worth mentioning that controls in FFXIV differ from the norm is the Active and Passive systems. In FFXIV, your character does not run around with his sword drawn all the time. With weapons stowed, players are in the Passive mode. This is the mode for talking to NPCs and logging out of the game. To attack enemies, players must draw their weapon and enter Active mode via the F key or clicking an icon on the action bar. As with the other controls, this slight difference will have many gamers puzzled.
In the end, FFXI veterans are more likely to forgive a design intent with the controls that is contrary to the norm than people who never played FFXI. That doesn't mean that gamers who did not play FFXI will hate the game, but I must honestly acknowledge that the controls are very awkward for no good reason.
Also recognize that FFXIV is not a game where you speed to the top and get to the "real" content. FFXIV is about story and slow progression. You see your character in the major cut scenes, and you can count on levels to come slowly. It's about the ride in this game--not the destination.
3. Will you be playing FFXIV four hours per day or less?
This is a key factor. Square Enix designed FFXIV from the ground up to be a better fit for casual gamers. As such, a lot of systems are in place to support short gameplay sessions each day instead of marathon sessions daily.
Take the Guildleves as an example. Currently, Guildleves are on a 48 hour timer. This means you can only complete the same Guildleve once every 2 days. In the lower levels (less than 20), you can burn through all of your battlecraft Guildleves in about an hour. Then you have to choose either fieldcraft (harvesting) or local (crafting) Guildleves. But be warned: if you go through all of them in one play session, then you really have nothing to do the next day.
Then think about the Surplus XP system. Play the same class long enough and you start to get reduced XP because the game really wants you to hop around from class to class. How long does it take for this to happen? Well, that depends on your play style and efficiency, but the game is designed to allow for about 8 hours of play in a one week span at 100% XP and skill gains. After that, XP and skill points earned gradually reduce to 0% after roughly the 15th hour of playing the same class in a one week period.
I must state the obvious here as a caveat: Square Enix will be adding story quests to the launch version, and I have not experienced the depth of Guildleves at the higher levels. But I have to be honest about the way the game is now. You can play about 2-3 hours before you need to make a decision. Do I burn through all of my content for the next two days, or do I log off and save some for tomorrow?
4. Can your computer run the game well?
Trying to run a game on a machine that cannot handle it can negatively color your perception of the game (see EQ2 at launch, Vanguard, or Age of Conan). Now, I hear what you are saying. But Vanguard had piss-poor optimization at launch! You are right. It did, but some of the people who complained about the game were trying to run it on the bottom of the required specs. Same thing will happen with FFXIV.
I run a Core 2 Duo E7500 processor @2.93 GHz with Win 7 32bit as my O/S. I have 4GB RAM and a Radeon HD 5770 1GB graphics card. My hard drive is a pedestrian 1TB Seagate Barracuda @ 7200RPM. My graphics card, which is a terrific mid-grade card is the best piece of hardware in my case. I get terrific performance (40ish FPS in the fields with FRAPS and Vent running in the background, 20-40 FPS in the city), but I would not recommend anyone attempt to play with much less than I have, especially on the graphics card end.
People who try to run FFXIV on less than my specs must be prepared to deal with some frustrations in performance. I haven't seen what my machine does in a raid situation yet, but I assume it will drop me down to 20FPS or so, like in the busy parts of town. A lesser machine, especially a lesser graphics card, likely will drop down to teens or even single-digit FPS.
To see if your rig can run FFXIV, check the system requirements. For help upgrading your system, look at the Graphics Card Matrix and the Processor Matrix.
5. Do you want to like Final Fantasy XIV?
I hold a strong belief that people almost never enter a gameplay experience with an open mind. Either you are a fan (see #1 and/or #2) and want FFXIV to be good, or you are not a fan and are looking for any excuse to write off the game as a failure.
FFXIV has flaws, many of which will not be fixed by some miracle patch at launch (no auction house, mana regen issues for Disciples of Magic, Guildleve timers that suck so hard when you disconnect and your active Guildleve fails, UI lag, and more). If you are hoping to like FFXIV, you'll probably be able to overlook these flaws and find your enjoyment. If you are only curious, you're probably going to use these issues as the basis for your decision to dislike FFXIV.
Parting Thoughts
Time to tally up your score. Use this as a loose guide when deciding whether or not to add Final Fantasy XIV to the shopping at cart at your favorite online or local retailer.
How many questions did you answer "yes" to?
- 5 out of 5: You should pre-order FFXIV right now. Put it off no longer. Start working on getting into a good linkshell now. You'll have a blast.
- 4 out of 5: FFXIV is a safe bet for you. It's unlikely that your one "no" answer came to #5, so try it during open beta and see how it goes. Make sure your computer can handle it and you have an understanding of the play style FFXIV offers.
- 3 out of 5: FFXIV is a gamble for you. If you did not answer "yes" to #1 or #2, I fear the game may be too different from the MMOs you are used to. If you did not answer "yes" to #5, you likely won't be able to look past the game's current flaws. Try the open beta and see if you can get used to the controls and gameplay mechanics. If you get comfortable with them now, you will have more fun at launch.
- 2 out of 5: FFXIV is too risky to buy at launch. Think of trying the open beta. If you fall in love with what you see, reconsider that pre-order. Poll your friends to see who else will be playing. That could increase your enjoyment. If you are bothered by some of the design elements, wait around for the PS3 launch in March 2011. By then, a lot of those problems should be fixed for you. Also, if you own a PS3, you can skip the computer upgrades by playing the game on your PS3.
- 1 out of 5: You won't like FFXIV right now, so don't buy it. Avoid open beta. The game's current build won't do much to change your mind. See if you can get a buddy key or a trial around the time the PS3 version launches in March 2011 if you have a lot of friends playing. Keep your eye on the FFXIV community and see how people are reacting to the game and its patches. You may need to upgrade your computer to play the game, and you want to be sure the expense works out for you.
- 0 out of 5: FFXIV is not the game for you. You don't want to like it, and you won't. Stay far away from open beta, or you will hate the game forever. If a ton of your friends are playing, ask them about the game after the PS3 launch in March 2011. See if you can try it at a friend's house. Price the upgrades you will need to make the game run well on your computer, and then consider if the expense is worth playing a game with your friends. If they seem to be in for the long haul and some of the launch problems are resolved, you may be upgraded to a 2 out of 5 on this quiz. Refer to that section of this quiz when the time is right.
