[Multiplatform] Final Fantasy XIV

Never tried classic FF XIV, since I have a strong aversion to spending money on bad games.

That said, I did get a key for the current beta test of A Realm Reborn, and spent a few hours running around last night. First off, the game engine seems pretty solid. Didn't run into any major bugs; a few graphical glitches and anti-aliasing doesn't seem to work right, but there's a good chance that's AMD drivers and not the game proper. Graphics are quite nice, and more importantly, the game runs smoother than a Draven made out of butter and wrapped in silk. Guild Wars 2 hangs out in around 20FPS at the best of times on this computer, and FF XIV never seemed to drop below 30 frames per second even when a dozen moe catboys and catgirls were running around shanking helpless Cactuars in front of me.


I AM A HUNDRED FEET TALL and also the only black person in the entire world

Gameplay-wise, it feels like a slightly slowed down version of World of Warcraft. You don't get the action elements like dodging that games like Guild Wars 2 brought along. This might not be a bad thing, since as anyone who's played that game knows, every single fight turns into an action-obscuring particle effect maelstrom within about two seconds. Gamepad controls work very well if you have a mouse and keyboard along to do boring menial nerd tasks like inventory management and chat; I switched over to my 360 controller and never looked back. Quests have tended towards the Twenty Bear Asses side so far, but at least they aren't random drop dependent yet, and the rewards are good. World events are a neat touch.


This plate mail let through a disturbing amount of jiggle. Always remember to pack a good bra with your adventuring kit.

I dunno if I'll pick it up when it hits retail, but the fact that I'd even consider buying it and paying subscription fees is a pretty big compliment to the developers! They've managed to turn a Duke Nukem Forever-level laughingstock into a game that's actually worth a look, and that's no small feat.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Does anyone else on GFF play this game? I played the beta, enjoyed it but forgot about it since I was on a League of Legends (is the worst game) kick at the time, got a free month with my fancy-pants i5 processor in October, enjoyed it but forgot about it, picked it back up on a whim during the free weekend, and fell in love and bought a subscription.

I think bailing on my Gladiator in favor of an archer/bard was the secret to Actually Having Fun, since I've always hated the stress involved in tanking...also, my Elezen archer is much, much, much cuter than my Hyur gladiator ever was. Also much more hipster, since everyone either plays as a Huyr, a Lalafell, or a goddamn cat goddamn girl JESUS CHRIST TOO MUCH CATGIRL.


Pictured: bosoms. I was slightly disappointed when I hit level 30 and had to ditch the glasses and cleavage in favor of a helmet and sensible armor.

I'm Elena Mayi on the Phoenix server, if anyone happens to be on there.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

That is kind of horrifying, and yet totally what I expect from the average Miqo'te player.

Also, does anyone else play this game on Radeon hardware, and if so, is it more problematic than the usual bluescreens/dead fans/cards dying within one year that you would expect from an average Radeon card? I get random yellow flickering from time to time, and for some reason turning off the 30FPS frame limiter makes the game unbearably laggy even on minimal graphics settings.

Can't wait to blow my tax refund on a GTX 660 because jesus christ how the mighty have fallen.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.