[Ralsu]

Getting to the Core

Fraidy Cats

Plain and simple, I know some real fraidy cats. I have talked to everyone I can about Final Fantasy XIV, sharing my exuberance over Square Enix's newest title, and some people genuinely are afraid to think about trying FFXIV. The reasons they give range from monsters under their bed (stuff they imagine to be in the game but isn't) to recurring nightmares (stuff that was in FFXI and could be in FFXIV). I know even us devoted fans have some fears about FFXIV, but I wanted to allay as many as I could while I "spread the good news" about the game. I'll share how I addressed the concerns I heard and ask to hear how you talk your friends down from the ledge.

Monsters under the Bed (Stuff that is not really in FFXIV)
When I spoke about FFXIV to my friend, Eric, his biggest concern was the combat system. He has never enjoyed the menu-driven, RPG combat styles most of us are so accustomed to. He had done no research on the latest project from SE and assumed combat would function just like FFXI. Once I informed him about the combat system (that it uses the hot bars traditional MMO gamers know and love and that it will be faster paced than combat in FFXI), he calmed down a little. Some of the screens released in December 2009 got him to at least promise to look into FFXIV. For Eric, the fear was unfounded, but he didn't know that.

It was not as easy to dispel all David's fears as I had done with Eric's. David cited the way FFXI launched in different regions of the world, making the game very unfriendly to gamers in the West. Now, we all know that FFXIV has a projected simultaneous worldwide release, which should prevent anyone from being at a major disadvantage in the economy or combat. Even so, David noted a dichotomy between Westerners and Easterners in FFXI likely fueled by its asynchronous release that I could not dismiss.

Recurring Nightmares (Stuff that was in FFXI and Could be in FFXIV)
David's primary concerns were that 1. Japanese players (whether accurate or not) are notorious for valuing steep difficulty and tedium (i.e. grinding or boring tasks) and 2. Square Enix would value the loyalty of Japanese customers over any others. His contention was that FFXI garnered most of its subscriptions from players in the Eastern hemisphere and that FFXIV would stick to the hardcore roots established in FFXI regardless of any publicly declared commitment to causal gameplay (like the one espoused here in question #5).

Ignore the contentious aspects of David's concerns (that Japanese gamers are more hardcore, that most subscribers of FFXI lived east of Moscow, or that SE values one customer base over another). Don't his arguments make a little sense? Most people can agree that FFXI was no slouch in the area of subscriptions. Few can deny how hard it was to start at launch for the American audience. In fact, many of the Americans who stuck with FFXI did so because they enjoyed the challenge of mechanics like XP penalty, forced grouping, and difficult mobs even at level 1.

And just look at any forum frequented by FFXI players for another reason to be scared. Most FFXI veterans talk in detail about searching for months for a single set of gear (because it was necessary to survive major encounters early on), the most efficient XP grinds (and how people would be shunned from groups if they were anything less than optimal), and class balance swings that made some classes obsolete from time to time. All of those things can be frightening for gamers who just want to have a good time and not feel like their MMOG of choice is a job.

Conversely, it was the job-like dedication required to progress in FFXI that attracted many players and made the game a success. Certainly SE knows its fan base well enough to know that it gambles alienating those gamers if it strays too far in an attempt to capture a new market. Why would SE want to change a formula that made the company substantial amounts of money and satisfied a population of gamers for seven years and counting?

Okay, so maybe that question is rhetorical. We all know that World of Warcraft's existence reminds companies daily that millions of non-hardcore gamers would love to pay money for entertainment in a game. In the end, I could do little to persuade David to give FFXIV a look, but I could at least point to the promises for more casual-friendly gameplay made by SE at this point in development.

Parting Thoughts
I hope I have not added to anyone's doubts about FFXIV. I am committed to the game from Day 1 even though I am not a hardcore gamer. Instead, I have shared a few of the fears my friends have revealed to me and how I attempted to address them. While Eric's fears stemmed from his lack of knowledge about the game, he and David shared fears about FFXIV because what FFXI was (at least from their points of view).I have a feeling they are not the only gamers to have concerns about the next SE MMOG based on the previous one. How can we FFXIV fans spread the word, assuage the fears, and convert the heathen masses? What do you tell your friends to get them excited about FFXIV?

Missed a Getting to the Core? Catch up on all the topics here.

This post has been edited by Ralsu: 02 February 2010 - 03:47 PM

[Vlad Tepes]

Man i dont know about you all but i enjoyed the grind more than anything else. I just hope they dont make it to easy like WoW and lvl up in a day or two and then stand around waiting for Gods to pop. I realy enjoyed it taking 4~6 months just to get one job to 75. I just hope the guildleve system takes care of the HNM scene. That was the only thing i hated was standing around for 2~3 days then a RMT shows up mins before spawn and magicly outclaims 20+ people.

[Dagda]

Lets see, I couldn't get into FFXI because it was too hardcore and I left WoW because it got too casual...

I'm really hoping they find some middle ground between the two which seems to be what their going for from what I can see.

As for the differences between Japanese and Western gamers it would be silly to say there was none, just look at the games that sell here versus there. When it comes down to it though its more about making the game better and I don't see how they could really focus on one group over the other post launch as once your all playing the same game I think it obvious that your interests overlap with those of all other cultures and people playing it.

[Ralsu]

Vlad Tepes, on 02 February 2010 - 12:49 AM, said:

Man i dont know about you all but i enjoyed the grind more than anything else.

So, for you circle of friends, the fear might be that the game will be too casual. What would you say to ease that concern?

Dagda, on 02 February 2010 - 01:20 AM, said:

I don't see how [Square Enix] could really focus on one group over the other post launch as once your all playing the same game I think it obvious that your interests overlap with those of all other cultures and people playing it.

A solid response I could give David.

[Vlad Tepes]

To little known on the "Grind" at this point to make a cohesive Response. I probly would try and explain how FFXI was and convey my hopes for similar lines in FFXIV. Ive already converted a few of my friends that have never played a MMORPG before into raving lunitics like me waiting on this new adventure to begin. :)

This post has been edited by Vlad Tepes: 02 February 2010 - 01:56 AM

[Chickem]

Vlad Tepes, on 02 February 2010 - 12:49 AM, said:

Man i dont know about you all but i enjoyed the grind more than anything else. I just hope they dont make it to easy like WoW and lvl up in a day or two and then stand around waiting for Gods to pop. I realy enjoyed it taking 4~6 months just to get one job to 75. I just hope the guildleve system takes care of the HNM scene. That was the only thing i hated was standing around for 2~3 days then a RMT shows up mins before spawn and magicly outclaims 20+ people.

i agree with ya there man the grind was tough and sometimes annoying but overall it what made it so rewarding in the end and when ya do it again it is fun becuase well it is hard unlike most mmorpgs *cough* lol

yeah i hope they keep the rmts out as much as possible like they done in ff11 from the last few years in it.

what im hoiping and pretty sure what will attract most people to this game is the music soundtrack because the whole score is done by nobou uematsu and he is just brilliant with his music and i just know it will make the game so much more alive and just the much better :)

This post has been edited by Chickem: 02 February 2010 - 06:00 AM

[Redox]

I believe FFXI pretty much nailed it when it came to appeasing many different demographics of players, it had content that was rewarding and challenging for people that wanted to party, or raid. I don't understand this new wave of MMO players who want to be able to get to the max level in a few days, see all the available raiding content in a week, and then have nothing left to do for a long time. Anything worth doing in an MMO should take time, effort, and rewarded thusly. If I wanted to solo for all my gear, get it all over with in a short amount of time, and chat with people.. I'd play a console rpg while sitting at my computer chatting on aim... same experience eh?

[Requiem]

fear is a waste.

XIV, til death due us part.

[Ralsu]

Redox, on 02 February 2010 - 07:03 AM, said:

I don't understand this new wave of MMO players who want to be able to get to the max level in a few days, see all the available raiding content in a week, and then have nothing left to do for a long time. Anything worth doing in an MMO should take time, effort, and rewarded thusly

I think you are grossly oversimplifying and inaccurately representing what people want. I can't speak for everyone, so I'll just have to speak for myself. I don't want to reach max level in a short time. It took me three years to do it in EQOA, the only MMO I ever played to the cap. I am a "journey is better than the destination" guy all the way.

That said, I don't want to be forced to group ALL the time. I want options to solo, and I have called for those options to NOT be as rewarding as group content. In the past, I have said:

Quote

In no way am I trying to assert that FFXIV should be completely soloable. I could list just as many reasons for why Square Enix should take care of the hard core crowd because, whether or not Core gamers like to admit it, the hard core gamers are essential to the success of any online RPG. Let me give some specific examples of what I am asking of Square Enix.

• Create multiple minor story arcs for the solo players.
  
• Make major plot points and boss monsters group and raid play. Solo players can do travel quests, fetch quests, and take on minor take out small mobs. Groups should be needed for bosses and major events that greatly affect the story.
  
• Think of opportunities afforded by copying the gameplay of the Monster Hunter series. Solo players could join a hunters guild and handle the minor threats in the form of multiple weak mobs. The more intense, social gamers could take down the big prey (think Emerald Weapon from FFVII).

I also made the realization that more casual gameplay should yield lesser results in my definition of a Core gamer:

Quote

The Core gamer is the guy who wishes he could play 40 hours per week but can only spare 12. He's the person who knows how to build another cookie-cutter max damage scout class but chooses to build one with better-than-average tanking ability. Maybe he does this because he welcomes the challenge of playing a character that is less than optimal. Maybe he does it because he is forced to tank a lot in solo play or in unorthodox groups. The Core gamer can have as much fun teaching a newbie how to pull using a skill like Feign Death as he can being the first on his server to reach the level cap. He's not lazy, stupid, or guilty of a sense of entitlement. He understands the limits of his time and/or abilities and accepts that he gets what he works for while recognizing that his potential is nearly limitless if he allows himself time to accomplish his goals.

I often have to wonder if the fear of solo-friendly play that many FFXI veterans have isn't a fear of losing a sense of elitism. I know it must be scary to think about some idiot who only plays 10 hours per week getting gear as good as you when you play 30 hours per week. That's not what I am calling for in FFXIV. I am just calling for something to do that doesn't require a group.

Back to the original topic, you can see why David expressed this fear. He knows the hardcore nature of FFXI resonated strongly in its player base. And it seems gamers like you will be disappointed if FFXI strays too far from that formula. That's why he's afraid it won't.

Bonus notes: I have been playing MMOs since 2001 and have never subscribed a single month to World of Warcraft. I am not a "new" MMO player spoiled by WoW. :)

[Creatine]

The first time I went overseas I had less expectations than what I currently have for this game. Good article.

[Triston]

My biggest fear is the same as some of the others here, that they make it too easy. The force grouping of FFXI is what made us make friends (and enemies) but mostly friends in the game, and added to your adventure. However, they have already said in some interview that they are going to make it a choice, that one will be able to do either, solo or group. I think the idea of "getting less" for solo is a good idea. The solo aspect scares me however, that the game will be too easy. Seems to me the MMO's that are solo quest based, you can level up in a week and are @ max cap and bored..There is lots of speculation and I try not to think about it, since it isnt coming out for a long time and it gets me all excited to think about another FF!!! COMON SE RELEASE EARLY!!!! =P

~Peace
Triston
Ragnarok

[Ralsu]

Triston, on 02 February 2010 - 10:47 AM, said:

Seems to me the MMO's that are solo quest based, you can level up in a week and are @ max cap and bored

This concern has come up more than once now. Since that is the fear you would encounter, what would you say to quell that fear?

[Triston]

What I tell myself is simple. SE would never do this (make a FF easy! Yet sometimes this fear creeps back in =P

~Peace
Triston
Ragnarok

[jadan2000]

first off let me say that im definately hoping that this game sticks to its hardcore fanbase and keeps the toughness.
The one thing i hope they do change is the numbeness of teh grind. i dont mind the game taking 6 months to level to max, but i do mind having to do the same style of fighting over and over and over again to get to max.

[eewrie]

FFXI was great for the grind took me ages to get 75's and was fustrating but the satisfaction when you reached the end was so satisfying. I'm yet to play an MMO that gave me that feeling. My thoughts are that its not going to be watered down but that they are just trying to combat the LFG timesink or those that are short on time sitting logged in with nothing to occupy them. I don't think SE will bend on their hardwork and effort = satisfaction. It's the only reason i'm so hyped cause i want an MMO to play for 3 yrs plus.

[Requiem]

the irony for me is: even with all the complaints about FFXI it still impressed the shat out of me.

so I'm not worried. it can only get better.

[Vennidus]

The arduous work and insane amount of time that I put into playing FFXI only made achieving my goals in game more satisfying. I enjoyed getting out what I put in. I hope that FFXIV continues FFXI's "hardcore" system. I want to be able to be proud of my accomplishments and know that my dedication and perseverance allowed me to reach my goals. I want this game to be just as challenging to me as FFXI was when I played. Some of my fondest memories from FFXI were times in the game when I had to rely on help from multiple people, both strangers and friends that I had made along the way. The game would not have been near as memorable for me if I would have been able to accomplish everything on my own easily.

[Apricoth]

I am coming to the FFXIV table with little to no speculation or expectation beyond the information Square Enix has chosen to reveal. I find that if I try to read between the lines (or between the pixels if you will) I set myself up for a world of hurt and bitterness. This is not to say that FFXIV cannot be an outstanding game. I want to meet it at what it is and not what I dream it to be. I suppose I do not want to fall into the damning chasm of hype. I have said it many times - I have played several mmorpgs, a few rpgs, FPSs, a few RTS' and I feel like I know what I want but it is not necessarily what I will receive nor necessarily what is good for me personally. SE has thus far stated that they are attempting to appeal to the middle ground where a casual gamer will find their casualness and a hardcore gamer will find their hardcoreness. I guess the one hope I have is Square Enix pulls this off spectacularly.

Those who have fears of their own need to put away all preconceived notions of what FFXIV should be - notions that are based on previous mmorpg experience other than it has to stand out and rely on its own merit. One must liken preconceived notions as bad habits that have to be broken and done away with. We must have an open mind, somewhat of an open heart, so we can come to this table laid before us by FFXIV as a clean slate. What is written on those slates, good or bad, is dependent on what Square Enix delivers. As some have already expressed, it is possible FFXIV could be the stink of all stinks.. It keeps reality in check when we have this thought in the back of our minds.

Healthy fear is alright and is to be expected. I would personally encourage it within reason. Do not allow it to rule you or actions in full. Just have it temper the outcome of your point of view.

[Infares]

Ralsu, on 02 February 2010 - 10:54 AM, said:

This concern has come up more than once now. Since that is the fear you would encounter, what would you say to quell that fear?

To be realistic, if you were in a tight party you could hit 75 in a week in FFXI as well.

I don't think the leveling curve will be quite like it is in most games, though. As long as there's content to do all along the way I don't care if it takes me a year to hit 'cap'.

[Gamereaver]

The less Eric's and Kevin's playing during release the better IMO. There are Thousands of us freaking out to play this ASAP (you know who you are!) and the last thing we need is more no believers crashing the servers. They can warm up to it later and maybe even become one of us some day.
It doesn't seem to hard to figure out that all this game needs is updated graphics, more ways to earn xp, and stuff you can do by yourself as well as others.

This post has been edited by Gamereaver: 03 February 2010 - 12:11 AM