Rawr!
Final Fantasy has two events currently happening, and another starting up the DAY these two end.
Currently, until Dec. 31st, there are the events, in game, of The Starlight Celebration and The Maiden's Rhapsody happening for people to enjoy.
The Starlight Celebration is the 'Christmas' themed event, which starts in Limsa Lominsa and sends you on a quest chain for the children of the world to renew an old custom of bell ringing. The reward for this is a set of reindeer antlers, complete with a big red glowing nose, helm, and some hoof gloves and shoes.
The Maiden's Rhapsody is a little more involved, but is basically a tribute to Final Fantasy XI, with music, flashbacks, and even a character from the first online mmorpg from SquareEnix. You will end up helping someone get her memories back by competing with her in FATEs which sport battle music from FFXI and at the end of it all, your reward will be some good fuzzy feelings, nostalgia, and a red Samurai outfit.
The 31st also marks the first day of a new event, Heavensturn, which features the antics of the 'Monkey' and the gods of Eorzea coming to together to decide the theme of the next year. It will last until Jan. 14th.
Of course, Maiden's Rhapsody has been out for a while, and Anima Weapons came out almost at the same time as The Starlight Celebration, so there has been plenty to do, even besides the 3.1 content that just came out in Nov. SquareEnix seems to love dropping the tidbits of content, and I love that they do.
And also of course, the seasonal events, while reoccurring, are different each year, with new rewards and storylines, so don't miss out on them if you can help it! (though, if you do, you can just buy the rewards for a couple dollars in the Mog Station next year. Final Fantasy likes to add content, not take away, and I appreciate this sooooo much. :) )
So get out there and enjoy and remember, the 31st is the magic date to get two events in by, and prepare for the third :)
Rawr!
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Friday, December 18, 2015
Anima Weapons in Final Fantasy XIV (how to)
Rawr!
The level 60 relic weapons are out in Final Fantasy XIV, Anima Weapons, and the grind is real :D
So... To start working toward your weapon, you will wanna go to Idyllshire and talk to Rowena, who will be trying to carry on with life without being way-laid by Gerolt (big surprise) complaining to her about not being able to pay her back what he owes (even less surprising) because he drank all his income away (of course). You will also find her being accosted by a young guy with a pigtail complaining that his master had the good sense to give up on Anima, but that he cannot, and wants her help.
Of course, Gerolt will berate the kid, cuss at him a bit, and then mention weapons. Rowena sees a money maker, and thus, you are on your way toward your very own powerful weapon, the lucky Guinea pig for Rowena's newest money scam.
Sooo, then the boy and Gerolt run off to Azys Lla, since the lovely technology there left behind by the Allag is sweet, and yet, not sweet enough, because then, they send you to talk to Rowena again, but this time, her spot in good old Revenant's Toll.
She will send you upstairs to the balcony to talk to some girl in a bonnet about acquiring gems. NOW, if you have your Zeta weapon from maxing out your relic at 50 content, then GRATS.
She will trade you everything to move to the next part on the spot, and you can just buy a Glam version of your Zeta and move forward.
Other people, who didn't max out their lvl 50 relic weapon have to grind, for hours.
Now, what you are grinding are luminous crystals of elements, which drop 'randomly' off of FATEs in each Heavensward zone. You will need 3 of each kind of crystal, which each zone only drops one type. You do NOT have to do this grind on your 60 you are trying to get your weapon for. I lvl'd a lvl 54 alt class up doing this. The crystals for your main will still drop even if you are not on them.
So, using my experience, grinding these FATEs, since I did not have a Zeta to turn in, we will compare two zones: Sea of Clouds and Azys Lla.
In the Sea of Clouds, I got my first Crystal after FATE 3, second after ten more FATEs, and third after about sixteen or seventeen more. All in all, took about an hour and a half.
In Azys Lla, I got my first Crystal after 12 FATEs, second after twenty more and third after forty more. It took over four hours.
Soooo, essentially, with six zones to farm FATEs for, that means at minimum you are looking at 9 to 24ish hours of work to get your quest done.
Now, the next step, doing the 10 dungeons, isn't so bad. Think, about 30 minutes ish to do each one, and that is 5 to 6 hours of effort, or less if faster, to push through. Honestly, that Zeta weapon probably took way more than 24 hours to complete, but, the reward of skipping those hours of grinding seems pretty decent to me. I think that Square actually did a good job here of rewarding the people who already put in effort on their weapon.
Now, the dungeons, I find amusing, because most of them are from lvl 50 content.
So, 4 duties make the required special item which is used in the recipe for your High Quality tokens made by the other 4 duties.
This is gonna cost you a lot, even if you have friends and you gathered the mats yourself.
Now, these are 1 star crafts, so I guess that helps, but you need 4 of each token in HQ to turn in.
So 4 Adamantite Francesca, 4 Titanium Alloy Mirror, 4 Dispelling Arrow, and 4 Kingcake.
You will need 20 of each of your unidentifiable items, which you can honestly get pretty easily in my opinion. You will need:
The level 60 relic weapons are out in Final Fantasy XIV, Anima Weapons, and the grind is real :D
So... To start working toward your weapon, you will wanna go to Idyllshire and talk to Rowena, who will be trying to carry on with life without being way-laid by Gerolt (big surprise) complaining to her about not being able to pay her back what he owes (even less surprising) because he drank all his income away (of course). You will also find her being accosted by a young guy with a pigtail complaining that his master had the good sense to give up on Anima, but that he cannot, and wants her help.
Of course, Gerolt will berate the kid, cuss at him a bit, and then mention weapons. Rowena sees a money maker, and thus, you are on your way toward your very own powerful weapon, the lucky Guinea pig for Rowena's newest money scam.
Sooo, then the boy and Gerolt run off to Azys Lla, since the lovely technology there left behind by the Allag is sweet, and yet, not sweet enough, because then, they send you to talk to Rowena again, but this time, her spot in good old Revenant's Toll.
She will send you upstairs to the balcony to talk to some girl in a bonnet about acquiring gems. NOW, if you have your Zeta weapon from maxing out your relic at 50 content, then GRATS.
She will trade you everything to move to the next part on the spot, and you can just buy a Glam version of your Zeta and move forward.
Other people, who didn't max out their lvl 50 relic weapon have to grind, for hours.
Now, what you are grinding are luminous crystals of elements, which drop 'randomly' off of FATEs in each Heavensward zone. You will need 3 of each kind of crystal, which each zone only drops one type. You do NOT have to do this grind on your 60 you are trying to get your weapon for. I lvl'd a lvl 54 alt class up doing this. The crystals for your main will still drop even if you are not on them.
So, using my experience, grinding these FATEs, since I did not have a Zeta to turn in, we will compare two zones: Sea of Clouds and Azys Lla.
In the Sea of Clouds, I got my first Crystal after FATE 3, second after ten more FATEs, and third after about sixteen or seventeen more. All in all, took about an hour and a half.
In Azys Lla, I got my first Crystal after 12 FATEs, second after twenty more and third after forty more. It took over four hours.
Soooo, essentially, with six zones to farm FATEs for, that means at minimum you are looking at 9 to 24ish hours of work to get your quest done.
Now, the next step, doing the 10 dungeons, isn't so bad. Think, about 30 minutes ish to do each one, and that is 5 to 6 hours of effort, or less if faster, to push through. Honestly, that Zeta weapon probably took way more than 24 hours to complete, but, the reward of skipping those hours of grinding seems pretty decent to me. I think that Square actually did a good job here of rewarding the people who already put in effort on their weapon.
Now, the dungeons, I find amusing, because most of them are from lvl 50 content.
| 1 | Snowcloak |
| 2 | Sastasha (Hard) |
| 3 | The Sunken Temple of Qarn (Hard) |
| 4 | Keeper of the Lake |
| 5 | Wanderer's Palace (Hard) |
| 6 | Amdapor Keep (Hard) |
| 7 | Dusk Vigil |
| 8 | Sohm Al |
| 9 | The Aery |
| 10 | The Vault |
These are all places anyone who is lvl 60 should have already been, and most have very straightforward mechanics, except Keeper of the Lake and the Vault, last bosses, which can be heal intensive depending on your group.
The dungeons to me aren't that big a deal, but after them comes the grind that having a Zeta won't have saved you from. The actual 'hard' part of making your Anima weapon is step 3.
Basically, Gerolt wants 4 items to make your weapon. 4 things doesn't sound so bad, but to make these 4 things, you have to get tons of other things.
So, there are two kinds of tokens required to make the 4 items he wants, the first tokens are unidentifiable stuffs, that you need 20 of each for making 1 of the 4 items he wants.
The second tokens are crafted. You have to have 4 high quality items of each type made by 4 specialties of the Hand, which to make those items, you have to use the other 4 specialties to make a specific item that gives you the ability to craft the high quality items. ALL DUTIES OF THE HAND ARE REQUIRED.
So, either you gotta have friends, be on good terms with your FC, or deal with the price gouging on the Market Board, cuz you can't Specialize in all the duties of the Hand yourself, even if you have maxed out crafters.
Sooo what this all looks like is this:
|
Made by
| ||
|
Made by
| ||
Made by
| ||
|
Made by
|
|
You need for Blacksmith to make your token
| Leatherworker | |
|
You need for Alcemist to make your token
| Armorer | |
|
You need for Carpenter to make your token
| Weaver | |
|
You need for Culinarian to make your token
| Goldsmith |
So, 4 duties make the required special item which is used in the recipe for your High Quality tokens made by the other 4 duties.
This is gonna cost you a lot, even if you have friends and you gathered the mats yourself.
Now, these are 1 star crafts, so I guess that helps, but you need 4 of each token in HQ to turn in.
So 4 Adamantite Francesca, 4 Titanium Alloy Mirror, 4 Dispelling Arrow, and 4 Kingcake.
You will need 20 of each of your unidentifiable items, which you can honestly get pretty easily in my opinion. You will need:
20 Unidentifiable Bone, 20 Unidentifiable Shell, 20 Unidentifiable Ore, and 20 Unidentifiable Seeds.
You can get these with tombstones of law and poetics, 680 each, which are easy peasy to farm and you should have gotten a bunch just from doing your dungeons to get to the items turn in part anyhoo, doing the lvl 50 dungeons, for the poetics, plus you can use beast tribes, Alexander, 1000 allied seals, and Heavensward treasure maps.
Anyhoo, you trade your tokens in to a girl in Revenants Toll, Cristina, and boom, you get your items for Gerolt.
Anyhoo, for the first part of your questing, (FATE grind/Zeta turn in) you get a 170 ilvl weapon, and it might seem like, uh... what? but it upgrades each time you put in more effort, and you do end up with a good weapon, after all is said and done, If you push thru the grind.
So, again, Grats to the people with Zeta weapons who don't have to farm FATEs in each Heavensward zone for hours on end. Enjoy the nostalgic run thru some old dungeons, and then good luck with your items. In the end, I hope you like your weapon enough to do this again for your other 60 alt classes :D
And square does too.
Which, you can be on part 1 on say, your DRK, and be on part 3 on your SMN, for example, and that is ok, btw.
But that's what's up, it takes a while, so don't give up, and Rawr!
All links are from http://ffxiv.consolegameswiki.com/wiki/
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Thursday, December 17, 2015
World of Warcraft Legion is Final Fantasy XIV with another story
Rawr!
So, firstly, here is the video that I made about how I feel, which I have had uploaded for a while, and don't care if loyal fans of Blizzard don't like it, because honestly, I still feel this way.
So, what my real problem with Legion, what is really making me sad inside, is not that Blizz copied stuff from other games. Honestly, every game does it. Every game compiles a few things they liked from another game and mash them into their own game ideas. All games are just repeats of another in some way or other. That is no surprise. What makes me upset is that EVERY 'new' aspect of Legion is copied. Not a single new mechanic, new class playstyle, new gameplay or even mini games play is unique.
On top of ONLY copying from what has already been done for play, and not being innovative about a single thing for their expansion, Blizz has copied their own content they have already made as well. Literally nothing about Legion is new. Every last part of it has been seen before, but with a reskin.
I used to think of Blizz as innovators, as creative geniuses who made cutting edge gameplay for genres of games. Now, they are lazy, not making a single thing up for themselves, just pushing out anything they can easily do with minimal effort and with the most money getting raked in.
That is what makes me sad inside.
Copy other games some. Return to some of your greatness, but every single aspect? Why even call it an expansion? Why even make it? Nothing is new.
I want to play new content. I want to play a game by someone who likes making up at least a few ideas instead of only taking from other stuff, including their own products from the past. Call me crazy, but this is how I feel.
So, firstly, here is the video that I made about how I feel, which I have had uploaded for a while, and don't care if loyal fans of Blizzard don't like it, because honestly, I still feel this way.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Rawr! Anti tune up
Rawr!
So, this is a little off topic, but not fully. I love my gaming, and thus, I love my computer. I do not want anything to ever happen to it and I try to keep it happy and feeling good.
I actually clear my internet history, cookies, cache, so on. I actually clean my registry every 2 weeks.
I try to keep my files cleaned up, my deletes from cluttering and I only download from trusted stuff I have researched.... Usually.
I had, in the past, used AVG anti virus and been ok with it, so when I saw they had a computer doctor tune up program out, and were doing a free trial thing for the holidays, I shrugged, and downloaded it.
At first, it was ok, it fixed up a bunch of stuff, but at the bottom, it had skipped my drive, so I thought, oh, I must have to manually hit that. HUGE MISTAKE # 2.
My computer restarted and came up black, with a 'scan and repair' on it that locked at 10% and would not do anything. My poor baby (computer) was trapped, for hours. I switched the back, so I could soft turn off my computer, and forcing it off only brought up the 10% again. So I tried again, and it came up totally messed up, saying the computer could not start properly. Freaking, that I might have to deal with the bios now, that somehow this thing had destroyed my baby, I tried one last time.
This time it came up saying that I had a few seconds to hit any key and skip the scan. After a couple minutes of being frozen on second 6, for I had hit about 12 keys and clicked my mouse for good measure, it came up normally, but lagging, as if having a little trouble.
So, I did what I should have done in the first place, my FIRST MISTAKE, I researched, and found nothing but bad reviews from consumers for the tune up.
I promptly uninstalled it and when asked to do a survey, of course warned them that their product had about tried to kill my poor baby. Anyhoo, don't use it, is the point, that and always research, even products from companies that didn't screw you over in the past, cuz they might just have made a bad egg this time.
Of course, some of the negative reviews said that if you didn't buy it after a day, it would undo all the good it had performed in the first place, or uninstalled it. So, after uninstalling, I ran my registry cleaner, and sure enough, all errors were back that the tune up had cleared.
So, for hours, my time was wasted, my fears for the safety of my baby spent, and in the end, I might as well have never downloaded the program, cuz even the orig ok things it did were not there to show for the trouble.
Also, you can't just uninstall it and it be completely gone, make sure you go into your drive, your programsx86 and go under AVG and remove it there after uninstalling from your remove programs/apps (depending on windows version).
Take care of your game systems, your putters, your laptops, your babies, by all means, but don't use the AVG tune up to try to do so, cuz it is not your friend.
Gaming is too important to not have my gaming baby (computer).
Rawr!
So, this is a little off topic, but not fully. I love my gaming, and thus, I love my computer. I do not want anything to ever happen to it and I try to keep it happy and feeling good.
I actually clear my internet history, cookies, cache, so on. I actually clean my registry every 2 weeks.
I try to keep my files cleaned up, my deletes from cluttering and I only download from trusted stuff I have researched.... Usually.
I had, in the past, used AVG anti virus and been ok with it, so when I saw they had a computer doctor tune up program out, and were doing a free trial thing for the holidays, I shrugged, and downloaded it.
At first, it was ok, it fixed up a bunch of stuff, but at the bottom, it had skipped my drive, so I thought, oh, I must have to manually hit that. HUGE MISTAKE # 2.
My computer restarted and came up black, with a 'scan and repair' on it that locked at 10% and would not do anything. My poor baby (computer) was trapped, for hours. I switched the back, so I could soft turn off my computer, and forcing it off only brought up the 10% again. So I tried again, and it came up totally messed up, saying the computer could not start properly. Freaking, that I might have to deal with the bios now, that somehow this thing had destroyed my baby, I tried one last time.
This time it came up saying that I had a few seconds to hit any key and skip the scan. After a couple minutes of being frozen on second 6, for I had hit about 12 keys and clicked my mouse for good measure, it came up normally, but lagging, as if having a little trouble.
So, I did what I should have done in the first place, my FIRST MISTAKE, I researched, and found nothing but bad reviews from consumers for the tune up.
I promptly uninstalled it and when asked to do a survey, of course warned them that their product had about tried to kill my poor baby. Anyhoo, don't use it, is the point, that and always research, even products from companies that didn't screw you over in the past, cuz they might just have made a bad egg this time.
Of course, some of the negative reviews said that if you didn't buy it after a day, it would undo all the good it had performed in the first place, or uninstalled it. So, after uninstalling, I ran my registry cleaner, and sure enough, all errors were back that the tune up had cleared.
So, for hours, my time was wasted, my fears for the safety of my baby spent, and in the end, I might as well have never downloaded the program, cuz even the orig ok things it did were not there to show for the trouble.
Also, you can't just uninstall it and it be completely gone, make sure you go into your drive, your programsx86 and go under AVG and remove it there after uninstalling from your remove programs/apps (depending on windows version).
Take care of your game systems, your putters, your laptops, your babies, by all means, but don't use the AVG tune up to try to do so, cuz it is not your friend.
Gaming is too important to not have my gaming baby (computer).
Rawr!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Friday, November 13, 2015
Final Fantasy XIV: Events, 3.1 launch, and so on
Rawr!
So, Final Fantasy XIV is still keeping me fully engaged and interested. The seasonal based events have dif stories and rewards each year, the old stuff being available in the mog station so that anyone can get the rewards if they want them always, which I find a much better system than the whole "always take stuff away to make it seem elite" nonsense, since nothing is made elite with temp content, just cheapened by how much effort you put in, to only find that the newest coolest thing a month or two later has appeared.
But anyhoo, the All Saints' Wake Halloween event was fun, and I did make a youtube quickie guide without spoilers for the story, but that is over now, but basically, Square Enix gave all players a new witch outfit, a new minion, the pumpkin butler, and a flying mount, the broom, which lasts forever, unlike a certain other Halloween event in a certain other game that gives a broom... Cough.
Honestly, the event made me realize that I just don't touch WoW or like it anymore, at all. My sub is about to expire for WoW and I think I am going to let it, and just remove it from my computer. I am to the point where I just don't want Blizz to have any of my money or attention, and honestly, their product doesn't deserve it at this point. I already removed Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone. Their games are repetitive boredom at this point. I actually get thrills and excitement in Final Fantasy XIV.
Like the new event, that ties in Final Fantasy XI with Final Fantasy XIV, it gives tribute to the mmo that preceded, some nice nostalgia, flashes of major storyline from FF11 and the music. And then, to top it all off, you get a red FF11 outfit so you can always remember. This event runs thru til Dec. 31st, so make sure if you play FF14 that you get it done, it starts in the Limsa Lominsa adventurer's guild.
I also am not the only person who has found a happy place playing Final Fantasy XIV either, because they are to more than 5 million subs now, which means they have more people actively playing than WoW. I feel like some of that number were people who left WoW for FF14 because Blizz chased them off, but that is cides the real point.
The point is that FF14 is still fun. I am max lvl, doing max lvl content, and still having fun. I am not bored, I don't dread dailies, nor do I have to fight with myself about playing. Patch 3.1 just came out, and it has been like taking a game I already was loving and jazzing it up, like adding oreos to the top of an ice cream cake.
3.1 added a nice chunk of content: 2 new dungeons, a 24 man raid, a new beast tribe, Lord of Veminion (Minion battling like a really basic version of LoL mixed with old Age of Empires battle mechanics) new gear and outfits, more flying mounts, minions, Triple Triad everything, easier MGP gains, being able to go as a free company on your airship to the Diadem, which is a new zone, that changes, with elite baddies to kill for gear and spoils and fun, and of course more storyline, plus so much more. They did changes and UI fixes and housing managing and even tiny things like, new things to grow in your garden at your house, and multi purchasing for stuff you get with Grand Company Seals. Little things that most people wouldn't freak out excitedly about, but they managed to pump greatness into an already great game.
I so far haven't found a single aspect of 3.1 I dislike. Nothing. It all has been good times and nice challenges mixed with excitement.
And relic weapons and more is coming right around the corner with 3.1.5
I bought an expansion and they give major content patches. The A Realm Reborn time before Heavensward they did over 50 content patches, and supposedly are going to do at least that many for Heavensward. Actual content, that isn't temp, and isn't going to leave you feeling like you missed something you will never get back. Stuff that just builds on a great foundation. It all makes me so very glad I play this game, and only wish I had sooner. If you read this, and haven't tried it, do. Just try it for a month or two and you will be hooked. And it is a good feeling. It really is.
Rawr! :)
So, Final Fantasy XIV is still keeping me fully engaged and interested. The seasonal based events have dif stories and rewards each year, the old stuff being available in the mog station so that anyone can get the rewards if they want them always, which I find a much better system than the whole "always take stuff away to make it seem elite" nonsense, since nothing is made elite with temp content, just cheapened by how much effort you put in, to only find that the newest coolest thing a month or two later has appeared.
But anyhoo, the All Saints' Wake Halloween event was fun, and I did make a youtube quickie guide without spoilers for the story, but that is over now, but basically, Square Enix gave all players a new witch outfit, a new minion, the pumpkin butler, and a flying mount, the broom, which lasts forever, unlike a certain other Halloween event in a certain other game that gives a broom... Cough.
Honestly, the event made me realize that I just don't touch WoW or like it anymore, at all. My sub is about to expire for WoW and I think I am going to let it, and just remove it from my computer. I am to the point where I just don't want Blizz to have any of my money or attention, and honestly, their product doesn't deserve it at this point. I already removed Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone. Their games are repetitive boredom at this point. I actually get thrills and excitement in Final Fantasy XIV.
Like the new event, that ties in Final Fantasy XI with Final Fantasy XIV, it gives tribute to the mmo that preceded, some nice nostalgia, flashes of major storyline from FF11 and the music. And then, to top it all off, you get a red FF11 outfit so you can always remember. This event runs thru til Dec. 31st, so make sure if you play FF14 that you get it done, it starts in the Limsa Lominsa adventurer's guild.
I also am not the only person who has found a happy place playing Final Fantasy XIV either, because they are to more than 5 million subs now, which means they have more people actively playing than WoW. I feel like some of that number were people who left WoW for FF14 because Blizz chased them off, but that is cides the real point.
The point is that FF14 is still fun. I am max lvl, doing max lvl content, and still having fun. I am not bored, I don't dread dailies, nor do I have to fight with myself about playing. Patch 3.1 just came out, and it has been like taking a game I already was loving and jazzing it up, like adding oreos to the top of an ice cream cake.
3.1 added a nice chunk of content: 2 new dungeons, a 24 man raid, a new beast tribe, Lord of Veminion (Minion battling like a really basic version of LoL mixed with old Age of Empires battle mechanics) new gear and outfits, more flying mounts, minions, Triple Triad everything, easier MGP gains, being able to go as a free company on your airship to the Diadem, which is a new zone, that changes, with elite baddies to kill for gear and spoils and fun, and of course more storyline, plus so much more. They did changes and UI fixes and housing managing and even tiny things like, new things to grow in your garden at your house, and multi purchasing for stuff you get with Grand Company Seals. Little things that most people wouldn't freak out excitedly about, but they managed to pump greatness into an already great game.
I so far haven't found a single aspect of 3.1 I dislike. Nothing. It all has been good times and nice challenges mixed with excitement.
And relic weapons and more is coming right around the corner with 3.1.5
I bought an expansion and they give major content patches. The A Realm Reborn time before Heavensward they did over 50 content patches, and supposedly are going to do at least that many for Heavensward. Actual content, that isn't temp, and isn't going to leave you feeling like you missed something you will never get back. Stuff that just builds on a great foundation. It all makes me so very glad I play this game, and only wish I had sooner. If you read this, and haven't tried it, do. Just try it for a month or two and you will be hooked. And it is a good feeling. It really is.
Rawr! :)
Monday, September 21, 2015
Final Fantasy XIV: Chocobo color changing made easy
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Final Fantasy XIV - The Rising
Rawr!
So right now while writing this, there is an event going on in the world of FFXIV called The Rising, which I completed on the first day it launched, but I can't stop thinking about it, so decided to make a post.
In the event, you do your normal "save everyone" quest and then discover that actually, behind the face of the in game minstrel asking for your help is the real life face of one of the main creators of the game! Not only do you get two cute minions and some fun, but, the completion of the quest grants you access to a special secret floor in the game where the real life makers of the game, the heads of all the diff departments, dwell at their desks in the game, as they would in real life, except, with fantasy themes, like unicorns and dragons and such. Plastered on their walls are production art and glowing shapes, and each one wants to tell you about what they do for the game and how much they appreciate you playing.
After you do all of this, enjoying their witty references to Final Fantasy titles from the past, and remarks about current concerns of players in the forums, such as housing, then you talk to the head guy again, only to have him explain that long ago, in this same world, they made a mistake, and were quick to realize that they needed the heroes as much as we needed them. They put out content that was not worth putting out and went back and remade the world into one worth saving. They love their world. They wholeheartedly care about it and the people in it that they have invested so much of their own effort and time and money into. And they won't ever let that prior mistake happen again.
What he is talking about is the orig version 1.0, where, it had bad reviews and whatnot, but then, they, of their own volition, remade everything, and listened as much as they could to every complaint and thought of ways to incorporate player wishes into A Realm Reborn, which has been a giant success of a game. But he didn't stop there.
He then had all the in game versions of the real life game makers circle around you, cheering for you, thanking you as a unit, and he said something that has stuck with me.
He said that sometimes the heroes and the makers argue and disagree, but he appreciates it all the same, because it shows how passionate both sides are about the world and it being the best world it can be. He appreciates heroes wanting to save the world, because he loves the world, and by me, and every other player, wanting to save it and love it too, we become the makers' heroes. Every player who loves their creation like they do is their hero and not merely an in game hero.
I have gamed since I was 5. I have loved gaming without needing anyone to thank me or without anyone needing to applaud me and say anything about it. But, especially after Blizz's deceptions and lack of concern about player input or whether or not players stick around and want to be there anymore, I will unashamedly admit I cried when I saw such an all out level of appreciation on this big of a scale done for us who play Final Fantasy XIV. They went above and beyond to express how much their game means to them, and how much their players do.
I love gaming. I always will, even when FFXIV has long passed away into the annuls of gamer history, but it has taken a place, even though I have only played for such a short time, as one of the greats for me, and Square Enix, which I have always admired Square since I was just a kid and playing the first FF on the orig Nintendo, has only uplifted its already prestigious name as a gaming company. I used to feel like Square and Blizzard were decently on par with each other, one a master storyteller with incredible gaming graphic and gameplay feats, and the best rpgs, and the other with the best rts games and super innovators of whatever niche they chose in gaming, taking something common and remaking it awe inspiring. Blizz has stepped down from that, into making games that are easy, but not amazing, and are mass played, but only because they are there, repetitive, and made by a known gaming company.
Square, on the other hand, is still pushing itself to expand its own greatness and it is very wonderful to experience. Square Enix has done everything they could to make me feel safe with a gaming company again, safe to trust them and not worry that they will just be heartless money suckers, without me even having to express to them that I felt that distrust. I feel like someone who broke up with a lying jerk, and met someone awesome, who didn't even know about my ex, but still made up for everything they did.
I never had to be thanked for gaming. To me, I always was grateful to the makers of the games for giving me such wonderful worlds and lives to lead. But now that I have been thanked, and in such a fun and sincere way, I am just so happy. That which I love loves me back. I couldn't be more pleased that I am giving my money to someone who cares about their product and their customers on this level. It is nice. Really nice.
Rawr :)
So right now while writing this, there is an event going on in the world of FFXIV called The Rising, which I completed on the first day it launched, but I can't stop thinking about it, so decided to make a post.
In the event, you do your normal "save everyone" quest and then discover that actually, behind the face of the in game minstrel asking for your help is the real life face of one of the main creators of the game! Not only do you get two cute minions and some fun, but, the completion of the quest grants you access to a special secret floor in the game where the real life makers of the game, the heads of all the diff departments, dwell at their desks in the game, as they would in real life, except, with fantasy themes, like unicorns and dragons and such. Plastered on their walls are production art and glowing shapes, and each one wants to tell you about what they do for the game and how much they appreciate you playing.
After you do all of this, enjoying their witty references to Final Fantasy titles from the past, and remarks about current concerns of players in the forums, such as housing, then you talk to the head guy again, only to have him explain that long ago, in this same world, they made a mistake, and were quick to realize that they needed the heroes as much as we needed them. They put out content that was not worth putting out and went back and remade the world into one worth saving. They love their world. They wholeheartedly care about it and the people in it that they have invested so much of their own effort and time and money into. And they won't ever let that prior mistake happen again.
What he is talking about is the orig version 1.0, where, it had bad reviews and whatnot, but then, they, of their own volition, remade everything, and listened as much as they could to every complaint and thought of ways to incorporate player wishes into A Realm Reborn, which has been a giant success of a game. But he didn't stop there.
He then had all the in game versions of the real life game makers circle around you, cheering for you, thanking you as a unit, and he said something that has stuck with me.
He said that sometimes the heroes and the makers argue and disagree, but he appreciates it all the same, because it shows how passionate both sides are about the world and it being the best world it can be. He appreciates heroes wanting to save the world, because he loves the world, and by me, and every other player, wanting to save it and love it too, we become the makers' heroes. Every player who loves their creation like they do is their hero and not merely an in game hero.
I have gamed since I was 5. I have loved gaming without needing anyone to thank me or without anyone needing to applaud me and say anything about it. But, especially after Blizz's deceptions and lack of concern about player input or whether or not players stick around and want to be there anymore, I will unashamedly admit I cried when I saw such an all out level of appreciation on this big of a scale done for us who play Final Fantasy XIV. They went above and beyond to express how much their game means to them, and how much their players do.
I love gaming. I always will, even when FFXIV has long passed away into the annuls of gamer history, but it has taken a place, even though I have only played for such a short time, as one of the greats for me, and Square Enix, which I have always admired Square since I was just a kid and playing the first FF on the orig Nintendo, has only uplifted its already prestigious name as a gaming company. I used to feel like Square and Blizzard were decently on par with each other, one a master storyteller with incredible gaming graphic and gameplay feats, and the best rpgs, and the other with the best rts games and super innovators of whatever niche they chose in gaming, taking something common and remaking it awe inspiring. Blizz has stepped down from that, into making games that are easy, but not amazing, and are mass played, but only because they are there, repetitive, and made by a known gaming company.
Square, on the other hand, is still pushing itself to expand its own greatness and it is very wonderful to experience. Square Enix has done everything they could to make me feel safe with a gaming company again, safe to trust them and not worry that they will just be heartless money suckers, without me even having to express to them that I felt that distrust. I feel like someone who broke up with a lying jerk, and met someone awesome, who didn't even know about my ex, but still made up for everything they did.
I never had to be thanked for gaming. To me, I always was grateful to the makers of the games for giving me such wonderful worlds and lives to lead. But now that I have been thanked, and in such a fun and sincere way, I am just so happy. That which I love loves me back. I couldn't be more pleased that I am giving my money to someone who cares about their product and their customers on this level. It is nice. Really nice.
Rawr :)
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Final Fantasy 14 - Happy!
Rawr!
So, I have not had any interest at all in WoW since I started up on FF14, period. It is like I upgraded games. The graphics, not only the engine, which would be unfair to compare to WoW's since it is over a decade old, but the style is refreshing. Your enemies are to the point of cute when you first start out, as if you are not yet skilled enough to fight harder creatures, cooler things, more dangerous things, but the awesome looking monsters are hinted at, and you start seeing more and more of them as you increase in skill and lvl.
Your race and all when you create your character, really, don't add much to the stats, but rather, to your experience. My race is Elezen, which are basically Elves, but they are a 'noble' race, so I ride side saddle and I stand tall in perfect posture. There are other races who ride broad back on their mounts, skip, and even ones who stand cross legged and bored. This is all little characteristic stuff that adds nothing to combat, but it makes you feel closer to your own character.
The rain in this game doesn't fall straight down. The wind can push it. It can spray right toward your face. When you are in it, you actually get wet. If it is storming, there are pockets of air and rain lashing about.
When you go looking for enemies, the animal types actually live near their respective type of home, and do not wander the whole zone spread equally with equal numbers of each kind. Most zones have a lot of smaller, common animals, spread all over, and then, by the water are the mosquitos and newts while the raptors like highlands and the predators such as wolves are often in clusters of three to five. There are elementals on the maps, spread out, tending nature.
The gathering in the game has you walk up to a tree, and you have to decide whether to harvest something that you are skilled enough to get a high percentage of success at getting, or to go for something with a lower percent of success, but higher experience rewards, while knowing that you could come back for it later once you are more skilled and you would have that higher percent, but also, would you need it? Would you want just a log for making knife handles, or a full branch for making a lance? Or would you rather grab that snail crawling along the branch to cook up later for exp increasing food?
The game has the straightforward, follow this path, main story, but there are tons of side stories, some just placed in towns or around the maps as you lvl, some involved in your class training, and some, just to unlock dungeons, fun games, or even new emotes and dances.
The mounts move in manors characteristic of their species. The cat mount's claws extend and retract as it runs. The unicorn mount canters and jumps like a show horse. The dragon snorts and shrugs its wings.
The details in this game. I could go on and on. The lighting. The expressions. The game is full of examples of someone going above the call of their position and trying to add something extra to make it more special. The combat is fun, but right now, it is the GAME itself, that is impressive.
And yet, the combat, it is also engaging. I haven't gotten this excited, this much thrill, from a game in years. I haven't felt as much thrill at beating a boss (Garuda, which you fight challenging fights as low as lvl 25, this one was higher, but still) since BC in WoW. The baddies in this game start out being almost easy, but swiftly add more and more skills to avoid and more ways to find victory. Fighting requires brain function, which is such a nice change. And the bosses are sufficiently awesome and engaging that you WANT to beat them.
The minions are not all just re-skins of the bigger version of themselves, but are their own smaller, cuter model. The races have different histories and goals, unique ways of viewing the world.
The class quests are not repeats of each other. They build up to a climax at lvl 30, and then again, another as you go on, and for ANYONE who has ever been sexually abused or molested, make an Arcanist. I know, personally, the story filled me with a huge sense of closure, and I had thought myself pretty much over it all since it happened so long ago in my life.
That is another thing. The stories, and the things that are in the lives of the people in this game are not for small children. There are real issues dealt with and confronted. There are mature lessons. There is fun cute stuff, funny stuff that has you literally going lol, and yet, serious themes you get passionate about.
I wish I played it sooner. My siblings made the switch to FF14 from WoW and I wish I jumped into it faster. I wish I played it years ago. It felt hard to leave a game I had so much invested in as WoW, but now, all I can think about are all the ways I want to invest my time into FF14. All the experiences, the goals I have for the game. And it is so good to CARE about playing a game again; it is just so good to be this happy.
Rawr :)
So, I have not had any interest at all in WoW since I started up on FF14, period. It is like I upgraded games. The graphics, not only the engine, which would be unfair to compare to WoW's since it is over a decade old, but the style is refreshing. Your enemies are to the point of cute when you first start out, as if you are not yet skilled enough to fight harder creatures, cooler things, more dangerous things, but the awesome looking monsters are hinted at, and you start seeing more and more of them as you increase in skill and lvl.
Your race and all when you create your character, really, don't add much to the stats, but rather, to your experience. My race is Elezen, which are basically Elves, but they are a 'noble' race, so I ride side saddle and I stand tall in perfect posture. There are other races who ride broad back on their mounts, skip, and even ones who stand cross legged and bored. This is all little characteristic stuff that adds nothing to combat, but it makes you feel closer to your own character.
The rain in this game doesn't fall straight down. The wind can push it. It can spray right toward your face. When you are in it, you actually get wet. If it is storming, there are pockets of air and rain lashing about.
When you go looking for enemies, the animal types actually live near their respective type of home, and do not wander the whole zone spread equally with equal numbers of each kind. Most zones have a lot of smaller, common animals, spread all over, and then, by the water are the mosquitos and newts while the raptors like highlands and the predators such as wolves are often in clusters of three to five. There are elementals on the maps, spread out, tending nature.
The gathering in the game has you walk up to a tree, and you have to decide whether to harvest something that you are skilled enough to get a high percentage of success at getting, or to go for something with a lower percent of success, but higher experience rewards, while knowing that you could come back for it later once you are more skilled and you would have that higher percent, but also, would you need it? Would you want just a log for making knife handles, or a full branch for making a lance? Or would you rather grab that snail crawling along the branch to cook up later for exp increasing food?
The game has the straightforward, follow this path, main story, but there are tons of side stories, some just placed in towns or around the maps as you lvl, some involved in your class training, and some, just to unlock dungeons, fun games, or even new emotes and dances.
The mounts move in manors characteristic of their species. The cat mount's claws extend and retract as it runs. The unicorn mount canters and jumps like a show horse. The dragon snorts and shrugs its wings.
The details in this game. I could go on and on. The lighting. The expressions. The game is full of examples of someone going above the call of their position and trying to add something extra to make it more special. The combat is fun, but right now, it is the GAME itself, that is impressive.
And yet, the combat, it is also engaging. I haven't gotten this excited, this much thrill, from a game in years. I haven't felt as much thrill at beating a boss (Garuda, which you fight challenging fights as low as lvl 25, this one was higher, but still) since BC in WoW. The baddies in this game start out being almost easy, but swiftly add more and more skills to avoid and more ways to find victory. Fighting requires brain function, which is such a nice change. And the bosses are sufficiently awesome and engaging that you WANT to beat them.
The minions are not all just re-skins of the bigger version of themselves, but are their own smaller, cuter model. The races have different histories and goals, unique ways of viewing the world.
The class quests are not repeats of each other. They build up to a climax at lvl 30, and then again, another as you go on, and for ANYONE who has ever been sexually abused or molested, make an Arcanist. I know, personally, the story filled me with a huge sense of closure, and I had thought myself pretty much over it all since it happened so long ago in my life.
That is another thing. The stories, and the things that are in the lives of the people in this game are not for small children. There are real issues dealt with and confronted. There are mature lessons. There is fun cute stuff, funny stuff that has you literally going lol, and yet, serious themes you get passionate about.
I wish I played it sooner. My siblings made the switch to FF14 from WoW and I wish I jumped into it faster. I wish I played it years ago. It felt hard to leave a game I had so much invested in as WoW, but now, all I can think about are all the ways I want to invest my time into FF14. All the experiences, the goals I have for the game. And it is so good to CARE about playing a game again; it is just so good to be this happy.
Rawr :)
Friday, July 24, 2015
WoW - to continue to play or not
Rawr!
So... I have been very frustrated with Blizzard as a company lately. I was one of the thousands upon thousands who protested the 'no flight again ever' thing. I should have copy and pasted my forum posts, but I didn't so oh well, but basically, for anyone who doesn't know, WoD gets more and more lackluster as it goes on, more and more boring and tedious. People started leaving in droves because of the sheer issue of NOTHING but chores to do at max lvl. So Blizz very foolishly decided that the people who were left were the 'hardcore' fans and said they didn't want to put in the effort to design flight anymore. They pretty much had a riot, but not really so much because of flight itself, though flight is liberating, but because of the way they had been treating their customers.
Blizz announced the no flight thing on a third party website no one watches the day before a holiday weekend in the hopes that no one would notice, and if they did, that it would blow over in three days. During that time, they were bombarded on twitter, the forums, everything, with pure rage from their playerbase, not only for the silly decision, but also, for the way it was done, and yet, they responded over the weekend on twitter with comments such as "We are listening. Tell us how to make the game better without flight." or "Just because we don't agree with you and don't respond doesn't mean we are ignoring you." even though that is the literal definition, but anyhoo, they were being very very condescending about the whole thing, especially after they had always led everyone to believe that flight would be added to WoD.
Back before it even launched, they said, "there will be no flight during the beginning, so that you have to do land work and appreciate our content we made, but we will add it later."
Of course, Blizz, they tried to say that they never 'actually said they would add flight, just that they might', and so players themselves had to go back and do the research and find the documents, the comments, and fight back against their own company they love with the company's own words in writing. Blizz was confronted with multiple times they had actually used terms that meant 'for sure we will'.
So then people started asking for their money back for the new saber mount from the Blizz store, which, when advertised, is shown flying over Shadowmoon Valley in Draenor. Blizz refused, so then people started saying it was illegal in the state of California to false advertise, and though you cannot take Blizz to court as a player, per the agreement you sign when you play, you can, as an American citizen, take them to court, over breaking laws.
At this point, Blizz announced that they would have a giant Q&A about the new content in 6.2 and everything, and plz to hold off on anything til then. After 10 days, they would do this. So the rioting continued, because again, Blizz was not responding, just blowing everyone off, and not addressing player concern. What started as 'no more flight ever' had become 'we know how you should have fun in our game, and you should accept what we say and do at all times, or gtfo'
Now Blizz didn't need our money, as players. Now they were putting out reports, as well, during this, saying, the loss in sub's didn't matter, because they could always suck more money out of current players with in store mounts, pets and also, with tokens. They didn't need every player to stay, cuz each player was expected to be worth more revenue.
People just got more furious and left in droves. People had been posting their 'leaving the game' in the forums, but now, it was thousands of people leaving, instead of only hundreds.
Blizz postponed the Q&A. They had to 'carefully consider how to address the needs of the players'
The truth is, that they finally decided to change their mind about flight, and make it that you have to complete achievements you would probably complete by playing the fullness of their content in WoD anyhoo.
Now you can unlock some achievements, and boom, you can fly, in a later patch. This seemed fine to me, but what wasn't fine was all the hurt Blizz had caused, the realization that they didn't care, and the utter disappointment in their mind set. What also wasn't fine was 6.2 itself.
6.2 is nothing, absolutely nothing, but a giant grind fest of chores and annoyance. The chores are not fun. The grinding is not fun. The rewards are not awesome. It is just a giant zone of things that want to kill you for you to kill for some crystals to buy a couple of ok items, like the raven mount, and then the rest are all wasted on gear you can get better than of in the raid.
The raid is full of repeat of other raids, the mechanics are just all dodge or die, and the bosses are re-skins of previous content. Even Gore sits in a pool imitating Yog, letting his belly mouth float in the water with the exact same mechanic when you first walk up to him to fight him. Everything is just a green glowie of stuff you have already seen.
Now I could get flight, but why? What content is there worth putting in any effort to do? I came to realize that WoD is quite simply, no fun, at this point. I could waste my hours farming felblight, grinding out dailies, or just murdering enough in each little area that I fill the bar to the right of my screen. That is it. There is nothing else.
On top of that, after everything that happened, I feel kind of sick about Blizz. There can only be two causes I can reasonably comprehend for their actions, and neither are comforting.
Either, on the one hand, they are that arrogant and genuinely want the players to only enjoy the game how they dictate, streamlining the game to the point that player invented adventure is bad and not listening and paying them for telling you how to play is insubordination so go play something else, or, they are actually purposefully trying to 'kill' WoW because it is not cost effective in their mind to keep it up when they have other, new, easy to produce games on the market.
Either way, they are gift wrapping their customers for other games. Customers who would have gladly kept throwing their money at them if only they deserved it. Customers who did love WoW and love Blizz and actually didn't really want to leave, but were pushed into it. Customers like me.
I have ended my subscribing to WoW. I am 'paid' thru October, but honestly, I don't know if I wanna stay. I certainly don't care about playing. I log in maybe once or twice a week, just to toss a 'hi' to my old guildies. I wouldn't touch it again if not for them. If I do keep the game up, it would be with a token a month, which I know gives them an extra 5 bucks, but, well, it is easier to stop playing and not feel bad if you just waste in game gold, and plus, I don't hate Blizz. Honestly, I am heartbroken that this is the stance and direction they are going.
Blizz has already announced that they are now done with WoD. They will not be adding anymore content to it, cept maybe something to introduce whatever new expansion they make. They want more money faster, so another expansion already suits them fine, more 60 bucks a pop from everyone, 70 for CE, but also, WoD is no fun, and the players they still retain, they will try to keep and string along and squeeze as much money out of that they can, and at this point, new content is the only thing that will make anyone play WoW.
Personally, I don't know if I can care about whatever they put out next. I don't know if they have ended my interest, much like GW2 did back when they destroyed the game for me. I have never played GW2 again, after they did that, despite it being free for me. I have good memories of the game. I don't wanna play it when it is less than that.
I feel this way about WoW now. So, I have purchased a new game, which I have wanted to play for a while, but didn't, because I was unsure of it, knowing no one else really who played it, but, well, I need something fresh and fun. I need something that feels epic. So, I picked the game that always inspired me and kept my eyes wide with awe as a kid and teen- Final Fantasy.
So far, it has been an excellent choice, and I would recommend the game to anyone. It has so much more 'filler content' than WoW, so if you get sick of all the 'normal' MMO stuff, like raiding and pvp and dungeons, there is still lots to do. The game is more involved, and rewards effort, plus, the FF aspects are refreshing and nostalgic. The storyline is incredible, which as a writer myself, I certainly appreciate being immersed in an in depth story I can get emotionally involved in. I am thoroughly enjoying my dive into the game, and am not even max lvl yet.
WoW has left a bitter taste in my mouth, and FF14 is filling me with that childlike wonder at gaming again, which is a relief, because I have been a gamer since I was 5 years old. I need it. I need it like I need to eat or need to write. I try not to let companies that hurt me keep me from playing at all, and apparently, so do many of their former players, since the number one game people are going to when they leave WoW is FF14. And unlike Blizz, who puts out worse and worse content, seemingly on purpose, and cares about the dollars per customer as the most important thing, Square Enix put out FF14 in the first place, and got bad reviews, so they spent their own money and resources to make it BETTER because they cared about making the game great. I find that very comforting about their company. They care if their players enjoy their game. They want it to be amazing. They want it to be worth buying.
And so, they will be getting my money.
Rawr :)
So... I have been very frustrated with Blizzard as a company lately. I was one of the thousands upon thousands who protested the 'no flight again ever' thing. I should have copy and pasted my forum posts, but I didn't so oh well, but basically, for anyone who doesn't know, WoD gets more and more lackluster as it goes on, more and more boring and tedious. People started leaving in droves because of the sheer issue of NOTHING but chores to do at max lvl. So Blizz very foolishly decided that the people who were left were the 'hardcore' fans and said they didn't want to put in the effort to design flight anymore. They pretty much had a riot, but not really so much because of flight itself, though flight is liberating, but because of the way they had been treating their customers.
Blizz announced the no flight thing on a third party website no one watches the day before a holiday weekend in the hopes that no one would notice, and if they did, that it would blow over in three days. During that time, they were bombarded on twitter, the forums, everything, with pure rage from their playerbase, not only for the silly decision, but also, for the way it was done, and yet, they responded over the weekend on twitter with comments such as "We are listening. Tell us how to make the game better without flight." or "Just because we don't agree with you and don't respond doesn't mean we are ignoring you." even though that is the literal definition, but anyhoo, they were being very very condescending about the whole thing, especially after they had always led everyone to believe that flight would be added to WoD.
Back before it even launched, they said, "there will be no flight during the beginning, so that you have to do land work and appreciate our content we made, but we will add it later."
Of course, Blizz, they tried to say that they never 'actually said they would add flight, just that they might', and so players themselves had to go back and do the research and find the documents, the comments, and fight back against their own company they love with the company's own words in writing. Blizz was confronted with multiple times they had actually used terms that meant 'for sure we will'.
So then people started asking for their money back for the new saber mount from the Blizz store, which, when advertised, is shown flying over Shadowmoon Valley in Draenor. Blizz refused, so then people started saying it was illegal in the state of California to false advertise, and though you cannot take Blizz to court as a player, per the agreement you sign when you play, you can, as an American citizen, take them to court, over breaking laws.
At this point, Blizz announced that they would have a giant Q&A about the new content in 6.2 and everything, and plz to hold off on anything til then. After 10 days, they would do this. So the rioting continued, because again, Blizz was not responding, just blowing everyone off, and not addressing player concern. What started as 'no more flight ever' had become 'we know how you should have fun in our game, and you should accept what we say and do at all times, or gtfo'
Now Blizz didn't need our money, as players. Now they were putting out reports, as well, during this, saying, the loss in sub's didn't matter, because they could always suck more money out of current players with in store mounts, pets and also, with tokens. They didn't need every player to stay, cuz each player was expected to be worth more revenue.
People just got more furious and left in droves. People had been posting their 'leaving the game' in the forums, but now, it was thousands of people leaving, instead of only hundreds.
Blizz postponed the Q&A. They had to 'carefully consider how to address the needs of the players'
The truth is, that they finally decided to change their mind about flight, and make it that you have to complete achievements you would probably complete by playing the fullness of their content in WoD anyhoo.
Now you can unlock some achievements, and boom, you can fly, in a later patch. This seemed fine to me, but what wasn't fine was all the hurt Blizz had caused, the realization that they didn't care, and the utter disappointment in their mind set. What also wasn't fine was 6.2 itself.
6.2 is nothing, absolutely nothing, but a giant grind fest of chores and annoyance. The chores are not fun. The grinding is not fun. The rewards are not awesome. It is just a giant zone of things that want to kill you for you to kill for some crystals to buy a couple of ok items, like the raven mount, and then the rest are all wasted on gear you can get better than of in the raid.
The raid is full of repeat of other raids, the mechanics are just all dodge or die, and the bosses are re-skins of previous content. Even Gore sits in a pool imitating Yog, letting his belly mouth float in the water with the exact same mechanic when you first walk up to him to fight him. Everything is just a green glowie of stuff you have already seen.
Now I could get flight, but why? What content is there worth putting in any effort to do? I came to realize that WoD is quite simply, no fun, at this point. I could waste my hours farming felblight, grinding out dailies, or just murdering enough in each little area that I fill the bar to the right of my screen. That is it. There is nothing else.
On top of that, after everything that happened, I feel kind of sick about Blizz. There can only be two causes I can reasonably comprehend for their actions, and neither are comforting.
Either, on the one hand, they are that arrogant and genuinely want the players to only enjoy the game how they dictate, streamlining the game to the point that player invented adventure is bad and not listening and paying them for telling you how to play is insubordination so go play something else, or, they are actually purposefully trying to 'kill' WoW because it is not cost effective in their mind to keep it up when they have other, new, easy to produce games on the market.
Either way, they are gift wrapping their customers for other games. Customers who would have gladly kept throwing their money at them if only they deserved it. Customers who did love WoW and love Blizz and actually didn't really want to leave, but were pushed into it. Customers like me.
I have ended my subscribing to WoW. I am 'paid' thru October, but honestly, I don't know if I wanna stay. I certainly don't care about playing. I log in maybe once or twice a week, just to toss a 'hi' to my old guildies. I wouldn't touch it again if not for them. If I do keep the game up, it would be with a token a month, which I know gives them an extra 5 bucks, but, well, it is easier to stop playing and not feel bad if you just waste in game gold, and plus, I don't hate Blizz. Honestly, I am heartbroken that this is the stance and direction they are going.
Blizz has already announced that they are now done with WoD. They will not be adding anymore content to it, cept maybe something to introduce whatever new expansion they make. They want more money faster, so another expansion already suits them fine, more 60 bucks a pop from everyone, 70 for CE, but also, WoD is no fun, and the players they still retain, they will try to keep and string along and squeeze as much money out of that they can, and at this point, new content is the only thing that will make anyone play WoW.
Personally, I don't know if I can care about whatever they put out next. I don't know if they have ended my interest, much like GW2 did back when they destroyed the game for me. I have never played GW2 again, after they did that, despite it being free for me. I have good memories of the game. I don't wanna play it when it is less than that.
I feel this way about WoW now. So, I have purchased a new game, which I have wanted to play for a while, but didn't, because I was unsure of it, knowing no one else really who played it, but, well, I need something fresh and fun. I need something that feels epic. So, I picked the game that always inspired me and kept my eyes wide with awe as a kid and teen- Final Fantasy.
So far, it has been an excellent choice, and I would recommend the game to anyone. It has so much more 'filler content' than WoW, so if you get sick of all the 'normal' MMO stuff, like raiding and pvp and dungeons, there is still lots to do. The game is more involved, and rewards effort, plus, the FF aspects are refreshing and nostalgic. The storyline is incredible, which as a writer myself, I certainly appreciate being immersed in an in depth story I can get emotionally involved in. I am thoroughly enjoying my dive into the game, and am not even max lvl yet.
WoW has left a bitter taste in my mouth, and FF14 is filling me with that childlike wonder at gaming again, which is a relief, because I have been a gamer since I was 5 years old. I need it. I need it like I need to eat or need to write. I try not to let companies that hurt me keep me from playing at all, and apparently, so do many of their former players, since the number one game people are going to when they leave WoW is FF14. And unlike Blizz, who puts out worse and worse content, seemingly on purpose, and cares about the dollars per customer as the most important thing, Square Enix put out FF14 in the first place, and got bad reviews, so they spent their own money and resources to make it BETTER because they cared about making the game great. I find that very comforting about their company. They care if their players enjoy their game. They want it to be amazing. They want it to be worth buying.
And so, they will be getting my money.
Rawr :)
Monday, January 19, 2015
World of Warcraft: WoD
Rawr!
So WoD has been out long enough now that someone needs to review it as a long term expansion. My opinion being only mine, but meh, I will do it anyhoo.
Firstly, the storylines and quests are mostly spot on, with more fulfilling endings, well done cut scenes, and promises of more to come with things like Tanaan Jungle and the "Netherstrom" area in the future. The settings feel good, for the most part, and some of the new creatures are awesome. The Missions in the garrisons and picking buildings to suit you is great.
Now, I wish they hadn't gone a little overboard with re-skinning. The mounts, the beasts, even the battle pets, though, battle pets they always have, but good grief, soooo many re-skins. The garrison building picking is limited, because some you realize you HAVE to get to be effective and some you get them, used them for a bit, and now they are useless pretty much (Inn) and you have to put in money and resources for something else. The sheer overabundance of ore you get from your garrison is crazy, and I really really hope that they add more recipes in 6.1 to eat up all that extra ore in every profession.
The dungeons, well, they are typical dungeons. Not insanely impressed or depressed about any of them, except quite disappointed in UBRS, having been a fan of the orig, and sure there is a nod to it with the arena fight, but, it feels like a waste to redo content instead of add.
The raiding so far, is typical raiding, nothing majorly amazing or jumping out at you.
Once you finish the awesome story in each zone, you realize that some are beautiful and you want to go there all the time (SMV Nagrand) and some are just places you visit for dailies and mount camping (Frostfire Gorgrond). At least Gorgrond has the delightfully ironic war between dirt, and the evil plants that eat dirt, but it is kinda just a huge nothing. Frostfire's scenery is so boring and redundant that I still haven't gotten my hordie main to 100, despite almost 3 alli's up.
Blizz did a wonderful thing with the 'random upgrades' with gear, and a long tedious thing with the grind for all reps. They gave us a toy box for our crap, and then gave us a ton of things that should be considered toys that aren't so our bags are still full. Still nothing about a tabard collection tab, though, in the future, they have announced heirlooms will get one, which will rock.
They put the totally awesome treasures on the maps, and the rares that anyone can tag, only to leave you feeling like you completed a zone once you get/kill them, and now what else is there but a fishing daily or pet trainer to draw you back. I fell in love with the Spires of Arak from the first moment they drop you at the entrance and a laser is shooting down into the stunted forests while refugees flee. The entire story was captivating, and the veils all matched the people who dwelled there so perfectly. The curse of Sethe and the three gods, and even just the fun voice acting for the hunched, crooked, Talonpriests was so great. But after the story is done, you are left with an open end and nothing else to do in the zone except go to one corner and farm rep for hours.
Now, every zone gets left behind at some point in this game, when the next expansion comes out, usually, but it is still this expansion, even the beginning of it, and zones are becoming pointless. The garrison is just rinse and repeat, like checking an app on your phone daily. The camping and the rep farming takes hours of monotony. After the very well done initial content, being 100 feels like a let down. 6.1 is coming soon, so hopefully that will help comfort everyone standing around in their garrisons with no reason to leave except to destroy their banks full of ore.
In conclusion, I have enjoyed WoD tremendously, and would suggest that if you haven't played it, to do so. WoW feels like WoW again, for the most part, and some of the content is just awe inspiring. But, take it with a grain of salt that the leveling content is better than the max level content right now, and that once maxed, it will be more fun to level alts than to grind away on your main until more content is released. I do see WoD having a bright and prosperous future though, based on the improvements over MoP I have seen thus far.
Rawr! Smile :)
So WoD has been out long enough now that someone needs to review it as a long term expansion. My opinion being only mine, but meh, I will do it anyhoo.
Firstly, the storylines and quests are mostly spot on, with more fulfilling endings, well done cut scenes, and promises of more to come with things like Tanaan Jungle and the "Netherstrom" area in the future. The settings feel good, for the most part, and some of the new creatures are awesome. The Missions in the garrisons and picking buildings to suit you is great.
Now, I wish they hadn't gone a little overboard with re-skinning. The mounts, the beasts, even the battle pets, though, battle pets they always have, but good grief, soooo many re-skins. The garrison building picking is limited, because some you realize you HAVE to get to be effective and some you get them, used them for a bit, and now they are useless pretty much (Inn) and you have to put in money and resources for something else. The sheer overabundance of ore you get from your garrison is crazy, and I really really hope that they add more recipes in 6.1 to eat up all that extra ore in every profession.
The dungeons, well, they are typical dungeons. Not insanely impressed or depressed about any of them, except quite disappointed in UBRS, having been a fan of the orig, and sure there is a nod to it with the arena fight, but, it feels like a waste to redo content instead of add.
The raiding so far, is typical raiding, nothing majorly amazing or jumping out at you.
Once you finish the awesome story in each zone, you realize that some are beautiful and you want to go there all the time (SMV Nagrand) and some are just places you visit for dailies and mount camping (Frostfire Gorgrond). At least Gorgrond has the delightfully ironic war between dirt, and the evil plants that eat dirt, but it is kinda just a huge nothing. Frostfire's scenery is so boring and redundant that I still haven't gotten my hordie main to 100, despite almost 3 alli's up.
Blizz did a wonderful thing with the 'random upgrades' with gear, and a long tedious thing with the grind for all reps. They gave us a toy box for our crap, and then gave us a ton of things that should be considered toys that aren't so our bags are still full. Still nothing about a tabard collection tab, though, in the future, they have announced heirlooms will get one, which will rock.
They put the totally awesome treasures on the maps, and the rares that anyone can tag, only to leave you feeling like you completed a zone once you get/kill them, and now what else is there but a fishing daily or pet trainer to draw you back. I fell in love with the Spires of Arak from the first moment they drop you at the entrance and a laser is shooting down into the stunted forests while refugees flee. The entire story was captivating, and the veils all matched the people who dwelled there so perfectly. The curse of Sethe and the three gods, and even just the fun voice acting for the hunched, crooked, Talonpriests was so great. But after the story is done, you are left with an open end and nothing else to do in the zone except go to one corner and farm rep for hours.
Now, every zone gets left behind at some point in this game, when the next expansion comes out, usually, but it is still this expansion, even the beginning of it, and zones are becoming pointless. The garrison is just rinse and repeat, like checking an app on your phone daily. The camping and the rep farming takes hours of monotony. After the very well done initial content, being 100 feels like a let down. 6.1 is coming soon, so hopefully that will help comfort everyone standing around in their garrisons with no reason to leave except to destroy their banks full of ore.
In conclusion, I have enjoyed WoD tremendously, and would suggest that if you haven't played it, to do so. WoW feels like WoW again, for the most part, and some of the content is just awe inspiring. But, take it with a grain of salt that the leveling content is better than the max level content right now, and that once maxed, it will be more fun to level alts than to grind away on your main until more content is released. I do see WoD having a bright and prosperous future though, based on the improvements over MoP I have seen thus far.
Rawr! Smile :)
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