I'm on vacation this week, which means I have some time to play some video games as I'm not heading anyplace. I probably won't make lengthy posts here either, which means I have no graph porn planned. No, I'm just going to try to keep my market orders stocked up, try to revive my nanite repair paste activity again, and play Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy XIV? What happened to Wildstar? Honestly, once I got to level 16, I just lost interest, so I unsubbed my account, although I still have some time left. Also, someone at work who doesn't play MMOs got hooked on the game and sent me a referral code. The code doesn't do anything unless I subscribe past the 30 days that comes with the download, but he could get a chocobo mount if I do wind up subscribing. Besides, whether looking at Xfire or Raptr, FFXIV is one of the most popular MMORPGs and I haven't given the game a try.
I was a little dubious about playing the game because I've heard how grindy games from Asia are, so I checked the game out a little more than I normally would. First, I wanted to make sure the game runs well on my computer, as Wildstar really doesn't. I downloaded the benchmarking software Square Enix provides and the game looked beautiful just using the standard desktop settings. I also get around 55-60 fps at that setting. I added a couple of graphical settings that drops the performance down to 35 fps, but as that is the performance I'm used to when playing most games, I'm keeping it.
Next, I did a little research and the job system looks intriguing. While not as flexible as the skill-based system in EVE or The Secret World, I like the fact I can theoretically level up all classes on one character. Since I wanted to play a healer, I rolled a conjuror. I'm not sure if I want to play a White Mage or a Scholar, but I understand that White Mages usually want a skill Archanists have at level 34, I can do both if I play long enough.
The game looks good, and the class system is different from what I've found in most western games. But how does it play? I am currently a level 10 conjurer so I haven't played enough to really tell. But on the first night, I played until 1:30am and yesterday I wound up playing until I got sleepy and my character died for the first time.
I don't want to lead anyone on about FFXIV. I still haven't purchased a subscription as I'm waiting to see whether the game grinds to a halt around level 15-20 or so. I hope not, because I'm enjoying the world right now and I would like to see how everything turns out.
Keep at it. I got sucked into FFXIV when it launched. Those launch days were painful, but the game is great. Once I reached 30 I had to take a super long break due to life stuff, but have recently hopped back in. Follow the main storyline and hit those dungeons when the storyline requires them. As you're running quests and traveling, hit all of the Fates you come across. This will help you get ahead on keeping your level up. I didn't hit as many Fates as I should have when I was playing and stuck to the main storyline only. I hit a wall around the time I had to take a break requiring some grinding around the 30 mark, but grinding a few Fates isn't too bad when it comes to getting your level back up.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're enjoying FF XIV as much as I did at first!
ReplyDeleteI'd stopped playing due to lack of interest before my first month was up, though, just like you with Wildstar. :-)
It's possible that my expectations for Wildstar were just too high. But I did spend 75 hours in Wildstar, so I didn't do too bad.
ReplyDeleteAh, me too. I recently picked up FF14, and I'm about the same level. I like that the quests only require you to hunt 3-5 monsters at a time, but the back and forth can get a bit grating. The levequest and fate system are pretty good too.
ReplyDeleteI am a little concerned about whoever designed the Subligar armour though. I know it's an FF tradition, but it killed the seriousness of some of the cut-scenes.
FF14 is a good game! I'm actually still subscribed to it as I attempt to max out all the classes. I really enjoy the dungeons and the primal fights. The biggest thing I love about FF14 is that the they have a system where all the areas are reused so they don't become a ghost town. They also promote heavily for higher ups to help lower levels by doing regular daily dungeons. Guild Housing is very cool and the story line is always expanding. It can get grindy when working on the next level of armors/weapons.
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