Anyone who played on the NA/EU servers during the Early Access this weekend knows that there were problems. Many players were not able to log in at all, Duty Finder had issues, several lengthy server maintenance, plus the fact that log-ins were limited most of the time made playing virtually impossible for many players. That said, there were also many players that were able to play, besides the maintenance time, and the game is worth it.
The Root of the problem
Based on the fact that the JP servers did not seem to have issues, my money is on the fact that the NA/EU servers just couldn’t handle the traffic. Most MMOs separate the two regions so that could be a problem, but I’ll also say that they should have been better prepared for it.
It will only get heavier as official release starts soon, but the good thing is that they are working diligently to fix these issues. I’m a little worried about the official release, but I’ve been playing pretty smoothly for a while, so hopefully it’s starting to get corrected.
The plus side is that the game is fantastic when you’re actually playing it. There are issues in every MMO during a launch, content patch, or expansion so I’m sure this will all be cleared up eventually. There will just be some problems for at least a few days most likely.
This is the MMO you’re looking for
Whether you want to gather, craft or fight, FF XIV has it all. The best thing, in my opinion, is the ability to change class simply by changing your main weapon. Unlike other MMOs you are stuck with the character you choose from the beginning. Once you reach level 10, just go to another guild, complete the quest that asks if you want to join, then you’re in. All you need to do after that is change your main hand weapon.
This gives players a lot of room to try new classes out. The fact that crafting and gathering are actual jobs makes it even better. This engages players more and allows them to actually gain stats, gear, skills, and traits. It also makes it so players have to put effort into it. It is also more enjoyable than most games I’ve played so players should have plenty to do if they don’t feel like killing things.
I had that same look on my face when I found out about this game.
Player housing and marriages are in the works so there is plenty to get excited about in this game.
To Official release and beyond
There are still things that can be changed or added of course. One way to help with the Duty Finder, besides making it more stable, is to have more role options for classes and having more classes in general. Square Enix already stated the latter, but the former is a little more tricky.
Let me preface this by saying I don’t personally know if this is the case, only what I heard from other players. As far I know only Conjurers and Arcanists can heal other players. It appears that only Conjurers can select healer. This means only one class can heal, mix that with the fact that many players choose damage dealers anyway, and it could take a long time to be matched up with other players.
If this is true, then you have nearly every class being a damage dealer except two or three. This is a problem, but as players level, it should hopefully get better.]
I don’t know anything about the PvP system, but I know many players enjoy that aspect, so hopefully that is/was addressed.
The fact is that this is still a very solid game, and one I’d recommend anyone that finds it remotely interesting, to pick up.
Leave any comments about your experiences with FF XIV below or how you feel about the future of this game.
