Building a Better World: Final Fantasy XIV, Part I
*cracks knuckles* Ok, I've been avoiding this one for too long. Let's do this.
As I stated before, my first dedicated experience with an MMO was Final Fantasy XI. So when it was announced that they were building a successor, I met the news with moderate excitement mixed with trepidation. Trepidation that they 'better get it right god dammit'. My typical MO when it comes to new MMO (MMO MO?) releases is to not get too wrapped up in the hype that comes with it. I'm currently failing miserably at that when it comes to Guild Wars 2, but that's a story for another day. While I managed to stay out of the hype for XIV, a friend of mine was mired in it deep enough for both of us. He sent me pictures from the alpha test, talked incessantly about features, setting, models, and everything else under the sun. From this, I began to develop additional hesitation towards the game.
I present to you an idea in a vacuum: The Armory System. Imagine for a moment that your class was not determined by what you chose at character generation, but instead was based on what weapon or tool you had equipped in your main hand. Think on that, swirl it around in the mind, let it settle...Neat concept, right? I like the thought of being able to flip to a healer whenever I need it, or suddenly swap to craft something in the field. Now let's think a little further...Now you have to start carrying gear around for multiple classes (in a game where inventory space has the approximate market value of diamonds...which is a shame because it can't be sold, traded, or purchased), and what happens to your hotbars when you change classes? In the case of XIV...you have to manually re-assign your keys each time you switch classes. There are macros you can set up that will do it for you, but you have to craft them ahead of time and adjust them every time you get a new ability. Sounds cumbersome? That's the word I'd use to describe the Armory System in XIV.
The event that raised major alarm bells in my head, however, was the announcement that the release date for their game was being pushed -forward-. I can think of no circumstance where this can be a good sign for the game in question. If there's anything I know about development, -especially- for MMOs, it's that the developers always, always, -always- need more time to polish their features. Launch day is supremely important for any MMO as it helps establish a loyal base. To botch launch day is a kiss of death. At any rate, I purchased the game (special edition and everything, just call me Mr. Classy...or a sucker, *shrug*), installed it on launch day. I didn't have the trouble that others were talking about a difficult registration system, but I understand it can be quite counter-intuitive.
I will say this for the game. It is pretty. Pretty, pretty, pretty. The graphics engine impressed me greatly. I will go ahead and admit that the first week or so I was playing the game with rose-tinted glasses. I tried to ignore the flaws and forgave the infractions I noticed. And though I didn't encounter any bugs (unlike another MMO which shall remain nameless...for now. YOUR TIME IS COMING! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!), the game itself was a skeleton. It was rushed, corners were cut, and it was noticeable. So noticeable in fact, that the backlash was fierce. However, it was the company's response to this backlash that struck me as utterly unprecedented.
Within the first month of launch, Square Enix had announced that they were waiving the monthly fee for the second month of launch as a means to placate their furious fans as they tried to patch the most glaring problems. By the end of that second month, it became apparent that a patch was not going to be sufficient. The community tore the game apart from top to bottom, from the fundamental engine (seriously, Squeenix? No jumping? How can I waste time in the city if I can't jump around like a frenetic baboon on cocaine?), to the content (um...what content?), to the core mechanics of the game (I've never been in a game where tradeskill interdependency was done well, but that's another issue entirely). That was when Square Enix took a great leap of faith.
In an effort to prevent this from turning into a giant wall of text, I will continue this article in the next installment (now with regularity?) For now, a teaser:
Can anything truly save FFXIV from its auspicious launch fiasco? What can other companies, and players, learn from this? Why does this matter at all? Does this spell the end of Square Enix as a dominant force in gaming (or has that already happened. Hint: ...no, it was on the decline for awhile)? All that and more, next time, on Building a Better World.
-CDP
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