As many people know, I love a good MMO. In fact since "quitting" World of Warcraft I have probably played more than a dozen MMOs. So with that said, once I heard the re-release version of Final Fantasy XIV was good I decided it was time to go on over and see what made it so.
As of right now I have only just reached level 20 with my "main" job of Thaumaturge, the mage that makes things go boom. I also have leveled an Archer and Arcanist (summoner) to 10. As such this is only my initial thoughts based on the 20-30 hours I have put into the game.
Final Fantasy XIV has one of the slowest starts I seen in recent MMOs. Upon booting the game up and going through the introduction to your starting city (something not chosen by you but based on what class you pick) you are sent on a breadcrumb quest through the city. This in turns leads to other quests that teach you the basics of interacting with items in the world and make sure you are familiar with the layout of the city. However, this meant it was probably a good hour before I actually started killing anything.
Of course I now know that the initial start can be skipped very easily if you would rather jump right into the fray. This is not readily apparent though. The game also locks away many of the more interesting features, like renting a inn room, until you get to certain milestones in the main quest. Which can be annoying if you were not following your main story and just questing or doing the more dynamic FATEs.
There is a main storyline of quests to follow, also a series of class related quests that are separate from the main story. It is these two quest chains that so far have been the most interesting and rewarding. A clear majority of the remaining quests are mostly kill this, or blow up that, all very generic. This is made up by the writing of the game. You can tell some very skilled and talented writers are behind each and every line of text. Much of it is worth the time it takes to read.
Yes, I did say read. So far a clear majority of all the NPC I have encountered have no spoken dialogue. Voice acting is usually reserved for the massive set pieces of the main story quests. This does not really bother me, I grew up in an era where voice acting was a rare treat but I know it can be jarring for people that perhaps are coming over from a game like The Secret World or The Old Republic.
Now let get to the real meat of the game, the combat. If you have played any hotbar MMO than you should know what to expect. Tab targeting, cast bars, and the trinity are all represented. The wheel was not reinvented with this game. However, the game is very much aware of this and makes up with it with punishing difficulty. It is not needlessly difficult, but the game is not afraid to let you die for your mistakes. And as I approached level 20 I began to see a clear increase in difficulty of all aspects of the game. The instanced dungeons in particular seem to be showing off mechanics I don't normally see this early in a MMO.
As to how you go about committing your genocide there are more quests than just the classic explanation point. The two worth mentioning so far are FATEs and guildleves. FATEs are dynamic quests found in the world randomly, similar to the rifts in Rift. You go to where the FATE is happening and participate and earn rewards. The objectives of the FATEs have not been too interesting as of yet, mostly kill waves of monsters or defeat a large monster. I have a feeling that will change though as I get to higher levels. Finally guildleves are quests that you initiate by "purchasing" the quest. Usually these are more involved than other quests requiring a bit more coordination. You can even choose to set the guildleve to a higher level for better rewards. The downside is you are only granted the ability to purchase three guildleves a day (capping out at 100 total).
Finally I want to make special mention of the UI in Final Fantasy XIV. It is one of the best user interfaces I have seen in years. Things are easily adjusted and it displays all the information you would ever need. My favorite feature so far is the list of monsters you are in combat with and their aggro to you.
There is still more that I wish to talk about, for example you can level all classes on the same character. That is probably best left for the next time I check in, which will be when I breach level 40. So far though, I have to say I am not impressed but I am having fun. At the end of the day having fun is what matters most. MMOs that have impressed me in the past I rarely have seen to endgame. That won't be the case with Final Fantasy XIV, I want to see it through to the end.
Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn is made by Square Enix and is available for PC (29.98 USD) and PlayStation 3 (39.98 USD). It is a massively multiplayer online game that requires a subscription fee and constant Internet connection.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Life of Aya: The I got sick and bored addition
So you know what sucks about having "This Week in Haven" be weekly? Besides the fact my life has no real rhythm, it can be dreadfully boring some weeks. So I decided to change it to something more erratic. So welcome to "Life of Aya" the semi-regular blog post that reveals what I been up to lately.
Shortly after my last post I got a nasty little cold and had to hit the bed for a few days. Followed by taking care of the others in my household and then cleaning up the house that had fallen apart of the course of all this. Needless to say this kinda threw me out of my original planed blog schedule. Not to mention would have made "This Week in Haven" horribly boring, dull, and short.
On the game front I got into Terraria, and it has been a total blast. Defiantly better then Minecraft, feels more like a real game and the stronger role on combat makes exploration far more enjoyable. Now I just need to defeat that Skeletron and get access to the Dungeon area.
Also with the announcement of Star Wars: The Old Republic finally getting a firm release date I decided to pre-order the game. I know I been a bit harsh on the game, mostly for its unoriginal combat and the feeling that it is so big it could go down like the Titanic. I feel what Bioware is trying to do is worth a look, especially now that Diablo 3 has been delayed. We shall see if I give it more then the free first month.
Finally this week saw the release of a cheap little game called The Binding of Issac. Being a bit of a cut and paste from The Legend of Zelda (NES) it is incredibly fun and addicting. With a price of less than five dollars, it is great for that quick fifteen minutes. The game is also very disturbing. Being something of a decent into a personal hell in many ways. However, with its cheap price, random dungeons and classic gameplay I can't say no to spending several hours in Issac's dark and evil basement.
On the non-interactive side of things I just finished watching two great anime. Baka and Test and Dance in the Vampire Bund. Both were really good but I have to give the better hand to Baka and Test. It is probably the funnest anime I have watched in years. I would definably suggest watching the first season on Netflix. The second season is still airing in Japan and while I have watched the Dubs I find many of the great things about the first season are missing or taken out of proportion in the second. Except for Hideyoshi who manages to continue to be one of the better designed and hilarious characters.
As for Vampire Bund, it was not what I expected but I have to say I was pretty impressed. Though I think I gagged at a few parts involving the Vampire Princess. Anyone who has seen the series probably knows what I am talking about.
Also just finished reading Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. It takes the iconic vampire novel that has been so pervasive and tiring as of late and tips it on its side just enough to make it somewhat enjoyable again. Great use of setting and characterization overall and I can't wait for the next one.
That's it for now I have a few opinion blog posts that are rolling in my head. Don't know when I will get those out. Also will probably be doing a few game reviews in the next few weeks. Sadly I don't get paid for this so I can't guarantee I will review everything.
Shortly after my last post I got a nasty little cold and had to hit the bed for a few days. Followed by taking care of the others in my household and then cleaning up the house that had fallen apart of the course of all this. Needless to say this kinda threw me out of my original planed blog schedule. Not to mention would have made "This Week in Haven" horribly boring, dull, and short.
On the game front I got into Terraria, and it has been a total blast. Defiantly better then Minecraft, feels more like a real game and the stronger role on combat makes exploration far more enjoyable. Now I just need to defeat that Skeletron and get access to the Dungeon area.
Also with the announcement of Star Wars: The Old Republic finally getting a firm release date I decided to pre-order the game. I know I been a bit harsh on the game, mostly for its unoriginal combat and the feeling that it is so big it could go down like the Titanic. I feel what Bioware is trying to do is worth a look, especially now that Diablo 3 has been delayed. We shall see if I give it more then the free first month.
Finally this week saw the release of a cheap little game called The Binding of Issac. Being a bit of a cut and paste from The Legend of Zelda (NES) it is incredibly fun and addicting. With a price of less than five dollars, it is great for that quick fifteen minutes. The game is also very disturbing. Being something of a decent into a personal hell in many ways. However, with its cheap price, random dungeons and classic gameplay I can't say no to spending several hours in Issac's dark and evil basement.
On the non-interactive side of things I just finished watching two great anime. Baka and Test and Dance in the Vampire Bund. Both were really good but I have to give the better hand to Baka and Test. It is probably the funnest anime I have watched in years. I would definably suggest watching the first season on Netflix. The second season is still airing in Japan and while I have watched the Dubs I find many of the great things about the first season are missing or taken out of proportion in the second. Except for Hideyoshi who manages to continue to be one of the better designed and hilarious characters.
As for Vampire Bund, it was not what I expected but I have to say I was pretty impressed. Though I think I gagged at a few parts involving the Vampire Princess. Anyone who has seen the series probably knows what I am talking about.
Also just finished reading Bloodlines by Richelle Mead. It takes the iconic vampire novel that has been so pervasive and tiring as of late and tips it on its side just enough to make it somewhat enjoyable again. Great use of setting and characterization overall and I can't wait for the next one.
That's it for now I have a few opinion blog posts that are rolling in my head. Don't know when I will get those out. Also will probably be doing a few game reviews in the next few weeks. Sadly I don't get paid for this so I can't guarantee I will review everything.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Diablo 3 and its always online auction house
Originally Published August 31, 2011
So it was a month ago today that the highly anticipated Diablo 3 gave up the last of its secrets. The two big ones that upset quite a few people are the Real Money Auction House and the fact the game expects you to always be online. Both have certainly ruffled quite a few feathers. I have my share of friends that are now refusing to buy the game, saying Blizzard has turned on them for the final time.
The Real Money Auction House (RMAH) allows people to sell items found in game, characters, and gold to other players for real life cash. This is similar to the dozen of black markets that existed in Diablo 2, through shady, underground sites. In fact some of them still exist today so, someone, somewhere is turning a profit on Diablo 2 still.
There are some drawbacks for choosing to use the RMAH versus the In-Game Currency Auction House. For starters, Blizzard takes a flat fee for anything deposited. However, a highly under-reported fact is that Blizzard will be giving players waivers to bypass this upfront deposit fee on regular intervals. Allowing you to start building your Diablo 3 economic empire for no money down. Blizzard then takes a second flat fee if the item actually sold. From there the money is placed in to one of two areas determined in advance, a Battle.net wallet, or a real world bank account.
Cashing out to a real world bank account leads to a third party site that has yet to be determined (like Paypal). There Blizzard and the third party both take an additional piece of the pie before it finally is deposited into the real world. Not to mention I am sure the tax collector would love to hear how you came about this money.
Going the route of putting earned cash into a Battle.net wallet is just like getting store credit or a gift card. It can never be cashed out into the real world but the funds are safely tucked away. Waiting to be used not just for Diablo 3, but all Blizzard games and merchandise. This means World of Warcraft subscriptions and services and, when release Starcraft 2 premium maps from the Starcraft 2 Marketplace. Not to mention, I still believe that one day Battle.net will attempt to take a bite at what Steam and Origin are doing. Does this mean that my Diablo 3 obsession could allow me to buy new PC games for essentially free? Only time will tell but I sure hope so. transaction
Really when it comes down to it the individuals feeling on the RMAH are dependent on how they feel about microtransactions as a whole. There are plenty of games out there that would have died if they had not moved to the microtransaction model. Not to mention this is not like buying power directly from the company, which only the worst microtransaction games do. Rather, a player is paying money for the time others have spent farming these items. The same principle that has always been a part of every auction house in every game.
While hearing all this left me with a momentary fearful and confused I quickly fell in love with the idea. I just hope I can sell Hardcore (read: perma-death) characters to people that have no right playing them. And really there has not been as big a stink about this. Sure some people are threatening a weak boycott but I saw more people foaming at the mouth over Left for Dead 2 than I have for Diablo 3.
As for the people complaining about having to be always online I would like to take the time to say this. I quit Diablo 2 when I realized I had to make a new character to play online. I have not been to a LAN party in nine years. My PC is always connected to the internet. When I am on a trip, I talk to family, play Sudoku, read a book, or pull out my PSP/3DS. As I see it the only people with the right to complain are the ones that are living in areas of the world where being always online is a luxury. Everyone else can just stop complaining.
I am still hyped about Diablo 3 and can't wait for its release. Now here is hoping I get a beta key.
So it was a month ago today that the highly anticipated Diablo 3 gave up the last of its secrets. The two big ones that upset quite a few people are the Real Money Auction House and the fact the game expects you to always be online. Both have certainly ruffled quite a few feathers. I have my share of friends that are now refusing to buy the game, saying Blizzard has turned on them for the final time.
The Real Money Auction House (RMAH) allows people to sell items found in game, characters, and gold to other players for real life cash. This is similar to the dozen of black markets that existed in Diablo 2, through shady, underground sites. In fact some of them still exist today so, someone, somewhere is turning a profit on Diablo 2 still.
There are some drawbacks for choosing to use the RMAH versus the In-Game Currency Auction House. For starters, Blizzard takes a flat fee for anything deposited. However, a highly under-reported fact is that Blizzard will be giving players waivers to bypass this upfront deposit fee on regular intervals. Allowing you to start building your Diablo 3 economic empire for no money down. Blizzard then takes a second flat fee if the item actually sold. From there the money is placed in to one of two areas determined in advance, a Battle.net wallet, or a real world bank account.
Cashing out to a real world bank account leads to a third party site that has yet to be determined (like Paypal). There Blizzard and the third party both take an additional piece of the pie before it finally is deposited into the real world. Not to mention I am sure the tax collector would love to hear how you came about this money.
Going the route of putting earned cash into a Battle.net wallet is just like getting store credit or a gift card. It can never be cashed out into the real world but the funds are safely tucked away. Waiting to be used not just for Diablo 3, but all Blizzard games and merchandise. This means World of Warcraft subscriptions and services and, when release Starcraft 2 premium maps from the Starcraft 2 Marketplace. Not to mention, I still believe that one day Battle.net will attempt to take a bite at what Steam and Origin are doing. Does this mean that my Diablo 3 obsession could allow me to buy new PC games for essentially free? Only time will tell but I sure hope so. transaction
Really when it comes down to it the individuals feeling on the RMAH are dependent on how they feel about microtransactions as a whole. There are plenty of games out there that would have died if they had not moved to the microtransaction model. Not to mention this is not like buying power directly from the company, which only the worst microtransaction games do. Rather, a player is paying money for the time others have spent farming these items. The same principle that has always been a part of every auction house in every game.
While hearing all this left me with a momentary fearful and confused I quickly fell in love with the idea. I just hope I can sell Hardcore (read: perma-death) characters to people that have no right playing them. And really there has not been as big a stink about this. Sure some people are threatening a weak boycott but I saw more people foaming at the mouth over Left for Dead 2 than I have for Diablo 3.
As for the people complaining about having to be always online I would like to take the time to say this. I quit Diablo 2 when I realized I had to make a new character to play online. I have not been to a LAN party in nine years. My PC is always connected to the internet. When I am on a trip, I talk to family, play Sudoku, read a book, or pull out my PSP/3DS. As I see it the only people with the right to complain are the ones that are living in areas of the world where being always online is a luxury. Everyone else can just stop complaining.
I am still hyped about Diablo 3 and can't wait for its release. Now here is hoping I get a beta key.
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