Tanaka's out, and more free play time!

[Elskidor]

Are you drunk or something? Because this is the worst load of dribble I've ever read in this section of the forums.

Not sure, but I could have been but I read and understand it just fine today, and if you can't then that's your own problem. Try reading it a little slower next time.

[Ouch!]

I think the part that doesn't make sense is the part where you suggest that companies who make video games for a profit should care more about the quality of subscribers they have rather than the number of them.

If you like the outdated model of the MMORPG which is by design difficult primarily by virtue of being a time sink (note: see most all MMORPGs which precede World of Warcraft), that's fine. Don't expect that such a model will hold up in today's market, though.

[Lionx]

Its been a while since i browsed EoFF since the Final Fantasy franchise really dipped off for me after FFXI.

But I must say that FFXI wasn't really that hard per say. Half the time as White Mage all i really needed to do was manage my MP, and stare at a wall at the life bars. If i was to do this in WoW i would probably die and would be blamed for being so tunnel-visioned.

Never have I been forced to actively move around avoiding hazards(sometimes from the monster(s) but other times from the dungeon itself), pay attention to what monster's do and interrupt them doing some dangerous move, while doing what i had to do in FFXI when healing. I really have to pay attention, and on tough parts actually get on Ventrillo to talk to my raid group. You can't survive without voice chat in WoW's hardest dungeons, whereas in FFXI i always felt it was tacked on and not necessary if people used it.

I can fall asleep or in the process of doing so in Dynamis as a healer but not so in WoW...ever.

I guess what I wanted to say is, if you take away all the artificial time sinks that FFXI has...the game is remarkably more simpler to play than WoW for most instances. While i agree that Lich King expansion was roflstomp easy, Cataclysm has been quite hard with a PUG groups in Heroics and Raids. I just want to echo what Rostum said in this:

The whole idea of a "time sink equals challenge" is long dead. Just because you don't need to play 40 hours a week to get anywhere, doesn't make it easy mode. Reports of incredibly challenging dungeons are arising in the World of Warcraft community, and after a friend explained them to me they certainly do require a lot of skill, co-ordination and member management. Moreso that any "hard-mode" MMO I've played, including FFXI.

Because its quite true...there are parts in WoW where its easier (ie: Less frustrating to do a simple task), but where it needs to be challenging they bring it onto the table. I don't think Square really knows the first part very well.

It worries me because a broken game is not fun to play; you say they need to break FFXIV before it can be fixed. I am confident in this development team's ability to break the game. Anyone can overpower everything. I'm just worried that they're going to be able to then take a step back and reel it all in and make a solid experience.

I know it sounds like i am backing blizzard up alot, but the way they did it with Death Knights upon release was to make it super overpowered, then slowly nerf and adjust things over time to even it out with the rest of the classes. So i think it is totally doable if given what you said about the changes in FFXI is correct. From what i am hearing it does sound like a good change overall.

[Yar]

I have two feelings about this game.

First of all, I kinda want to try it.

Second, I want it to suck horribly, be critically panned, and basically go down like the Titanic so Square Enix can stop releasing Final Fantasy MMOs.

[Del Murder]

Well that strategy may backfire, Yars. If it tanks really really bad they may go back to the drawing board to create a whole new MMO. Successful MMO = license to print money.