Final Fantasy XIV Then...

[elaniel]

I didn't manage to get on today (family issues). And the same for tomorrow. So probably not gonna be on again until Sunday.

I still think that synthing explanation is bull. I have had tons of white synthing fail and the red and flashing orbs succeed a lot more than not.

[djtickle]

Ask the Devs feature on synthesis.

http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=6d0b6db28f8c2c446d8e20ffc63fbbf3683177ea

I never subscribed to the theory of the colours matched which action you should perform as it would have made synthing far too easy. Glad I didn't put too much faith into that notion. As above, the colours represent the likelihood of the next action being successful.

Interesting the bottom part of that interview too. The higher your element the higher the drop rate for that crystal. Is that all them stats do? I thought they might be elemental resistance.

Maybe I'll reassign some stats see if sussess rate goes up on a craft with a higher elemental rating for that crystal also.

[abigsmurf]

I've just caved in and bought it. I'm already pissed off and I have even got past account creation.

The patching process is a pain in the arse. I've never come across bittorrent clients as bad as the ones favoured by MMO producers. Had to go through the hassle of putting it through Utorrent to download.

Then it took half an hour to install the sodding patch when it had downloaded.

Go to register, notice the format of the serial number on the leaflet in the case is completely different to what the form expects. Go searching around to see if I'm using the wrong form or something.

20 Minutes later, silly me, you don't using the code on the leaflet that says in big letters "PRODUCT REGISTRATION CARD". Oh no, you use the OTHER code hidden away on the back of the manual.

Product registered! Can I play now?

Nope, doesn't let you play without a subscription, despite the free time you get. Can I just enter my card details? Nope I've got to sign up to some crap third party service that needs my mobile phone number, a stupid "alphanumeric + one special character" password that no other site requires (and indeed few sites will let you use) which I'll probably forget unless I right it down.

This doesn't bode well for my enjoyment of the game.

[C']

The crafting is really starting to piss me off in this now. Not the actual process. To my mind it has been fixed and I'm succeeding a lot more synths than I fail.

My problem is the sheer complicated nature of the synths which adds a furter level of complication as we struggle to find the exact ingredients we need.

Just spotted that I may be able to create myself a pair of Hempen Trousers. Nice rank 18 piece of gear for DoW classes. However, I'm thwarted by the need of slate-grey leather ingredients. I'm not trying to made slate-grey coloured trousers, but regardless the leather parts of the synth need to be dyed grey. Standard parts won't work and I'm baffled trying to think why they have designed it like this.

I can try and spend all my time in the market wards hoping to find exactly what I need. Or I can go quarrying until I find the ingredients I need for the dye. Then level alchemy to create the dye. Then level leatherworker to make the slate-grey leather. Then use my weaver I've been leveling for the past week to make the item.

Or I can just say "**** it" and go and watch the football...

[Tsingtao]

Right I've gone and picked this up now, what server are we all on?

Did we end up on Figaro with the AaD guys or have we gone it alone?

[djtickle]

Right I've gone and picked this up now, what server are we all on?

Did we end up on Figaro with the AaD guys or have we gone it alone?

We all on Istory. Figaro had char creatation suspended, not sure if its back in action or not. I spoke to gry and it seems its all NA players on there apart from Danl.

Also we have a pearl sac in every town now i thinks Most people have started off in limsa or new windy i mean grandia!

[elaniel]

I'm currently in Limsa (got an even better tunic!) after marching all the way across the world. So dependant on what city you are in Tsingtao I can hook you up with a pearl.

[abigsmurf]

I'm see-sawing with this game.

First time I played I was impressed up until I started the game for real and I was completely lost, not knowing what to go. Eventually got to the first camp, all the mob spawn spots were camped out so there was no low level stuff to kill, tried attacking one enemy outside the camp and got one shotted. Not great first impressions.

Went back, read up a bit on what to do, tried my hand at guild levels, ranked up to rank 6 and level 8. Had much more fun.

Third session today, tried my hand at crafting. Had to look up how to get crafting equiptment. Took out a crafting leve, wondered how the hell I start it, learnt that I had to find an NPC (with no directions to where he was so I looked it up). Eventually got crafting. It's slow, cumbersome (why do I have to confirm 4 times that I want to start crafting) and frustrating. Opinion of the game plummets again.

At every turn the game feels cumbersome and not tested and tweaked properly. Here's my annoyances summed up:

-Directions! I shouldn't have to google where an NPC is every five minutes. I've never played an MMO which doesn't either mark a locaiton on a map or even give vaue "walk to the north to get there". It took me 25 minutes finding the way out of the starting city.

-menus; they're laggy especially when buying. 5 seconds for a menu to load is unacceptable. Also, why do some menus not have close buttons? Why does escape close some menus and drops focus on text boxes on others?

-Crafting: "select recipe > click craft". It's not a hard flow of events. It doesn't need 3-4 extra stages before the crafting process can even begin.

-skills: Why not remember which job specific skills you've applied for each job? Writing a macro to equip skills as you switch... Awful design. OK, I understand area effect skills have to be used on an enemy on not on a patch of ground but... Why do I need to then click on the enemy again to use them? Why not simply use an ability on the targetted enemy automatically? If I want to use a spell on a different enemy, I'll target them.

Maybe I should cancel my subscription and come back in 6 months time and see if they've reworked the game.

[Tsingtao]

I take once on istory there's no simple world migration?

I knew it sounded to easy to get us all on one spot...

[C']

Seem I’ve been undercutting myself with an item that I’ve been selling. Was something I made for Moot and myself on Sunday and found I ended up with some ingredients left over so made three more and left one on my retainer overnight for 17k. Sold straight away so I put another one on for 20k and it sold within an hour so put the final one up last night for 25k and still sold.

Plan to synth a few more later on but I’m interested to see how high I can push the price.

I am lucky that I have a stall in the market wards which probably does help in moving items (to some degree) so need to keep renewing my lease. Went within 20 minutes of losing it yesterday.

[djtickle]

I take once on istory there's no simple world migration?

I knew it sounded to easy to get us all on one spot...

I dont think there is any world migration at all. We have a nice little grp going on Istory now, must be about 15-20 in LS now.

On another note, does anyone want to try any fraction leves? Im sure i must have enough points for one. It replaces 1 of your 36hr leve slots, and weilds greater rewards not just ofr me for everyone. (Random chest at the end) People have been doing them with 4 ish people on 1 star so dont need that many.

[elaniel]

I'd be up for it. What time?

[C']

I'll help but I don't have the points to activate my own as yet. Think you need 100 faction points and the highest I have is around 52 (other two factions are in the 40s).

[djtickle]

I'd be up for it. What time?

Can try it out w/e people on.

If you guys want can hold up till we all have enough to do one. Not fussed.

Normal leves reset @2 ^^

[elaniel]

I'll be on within the hour. Probably a bit early to get a group going on it though.