Aya

Monsieur Fats shall beg food from any and all!

I have always so adored Christopher Lee. Was very saddened to read the news this morning (I was so thrilled to see his scenes in the final installment of the Hobbit Trilogy: a Saruman we could actually root for, kicking butts, Chris Lee at 92!) Thank you for all of the memories.

Finally a terrific reason for Aya to once more brave the wilds of Gridania!

Never trust Tataru. Can't that be made more general? Never trust a Lalafel? Not even Chachan?! ^^

That's an amazing cover!

Mouser... mouser... Grey Mouser? Welcome to Balmung!

Just two more days until the second set of posters! In the meantime a few more outtakes :-] Outtakes #4 And bonus Queenie! (So cuuute!)

Its amazing the reaction you get for simple disagreement with something in the way the game is made.

The essence is people disagreeing over whether or not it is a good design decision to require the MSQ to be completed to access Heavensward content. The most salient frustration seems to be with regard to classes (I think the Au Ra will be open regardless?), but I think for many of us it has more to do with being worried about the reaction of new players, and general dissatisfaction with that kind of design. I was definitely disappointed to hear that Ishgard will be so gated. I had hoped to make alts for Aya's family in Ishgard, but that's a simple impossibility now - but that's kind of tangential to my dislike of this design decision. Which really has more to do with being unhappy about them doubling down on the element of FF XIV that I like the least

That's what Osric's been saying, actually. To paraphrase, "The problem is that people view it as an MMO, while the game design is more in sync with a single-player game with MMO elements."

Yes? But its not exactly relevant since they're requiring MSQ completion which will be significantly more work than leveling to 50. Free ride? Free ride? What's a free ride in a GAME? Trust me, anyone who doesn't understand the mechanics by level 50 isn't going to suddenly learn them because they completed the MSQ. Friends from other MMOs and RL that I've talked to about FF. I always make a point to mention the MSQ and how it gates gameplay, and so far at least, its earned universal eye-brow-raising (my initial response when I found out about it too). I don't know many FF players, and maybe that's the problem, as I've said elsewhere I am not the target audience of this game. It shouldn't be surprising that I don't exactly care for it, but that doesn't mean that my opinion is wrong or somehow invalid or unworthy of expression. Since I joined the game its been my least favorite part of it. That just hasn't changed! I'm just really disappointed that new players don't get to hit level 50, and then start on the 50+ MSQ separate from the 1-50 MSQ from ARR. Its not exploration. Its a straight-jacket, linear, ridiculously long quest chain behind which almost every relevant game feature is gated. The world to explore is entirely independent and separate from the gormless entity known as the MSQ. I do realize that some people like the MSQ for whatever reason. It does have its moments. But I don't think its fair to Final Fantasy to somehow sell it as being the game, or the game world itself. It is far far from it. Edit: I also think it should be completely accessible to players who wish to complete it. I just don't think it should be required. Reaching level 50 should be sufficient to begin Heavensward content, and I think many people who try Heavensward who didn't play ARR will expect that. Some won't mind the surprise, others will.

It will be a harder time (I suspect, but its too complicated and unclear to say for sure) to get your eight man clears for the MSQ for new players in Heavensward than it was for us. That's all I said. Edit: Okay, all I meant to say!

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. The vast majority of the MSQ is single player, what does any of what you said have to do with that? It will be even more annoying for them than it was for us, its true, but struggling through the 8 man thingies is only going to be a small portion of the overall effort they're required to undertake before they can see Ishgard or any of the new stuff.

Yes, but everything you mention occurs in the new expansion. New players are expected to level up through the old content (usually in a process that is streamlined and made easier by the expansion) and then hit the gear, rep, etc. grinds of the new expansion relatively quickly. Gating new players through the MSQ and all of the content, and time investment that involves in addition to everything mentioned above (this in no way alleviates rep grinding, gear, etc) is rough! Leveling to 50 isn't enough, you still have to complete all of the level 50 MSQ content, and all of the pre-50 MSQ content. Alt characters (such as Warren's) can do this quickly (but still tediously) by skipping all of the dialogue and cut scenes, is that what we expect of brand new players as well, or should they just anticipate a several month time lag from when they start the game before they actually get to see Heavensward? Try selling this concept to someone who has a slight interest in FF but doesn't know much about it, and see the sort of reaction you get. Yes, there are fans of it, since its related to FF's single-player style story line. That's fine and good, everyone's entitled to their opinion, and perhaps its a good thing that someone's made a game like this that prefers such heavy gating of accessibility. I don't (I prefer to get to play the game doing fun stuff with friends). That doesn't mean i think everything should be given to players on a silver platter. That doesn't mean I think people who buy the expansion should start at level 60 with raid gear. I don't even mind if the new classes are gated to high levels. I simply think that they're asking so much of new players before they can take part in anything current, that they're going to turn many away.

I'm so happy to see this! And disappointed I won't be able to make it.. but.. YAY! PIQUANT PUMPKIN!!!

I think leveling requirements are part of the expected standard package for an MMO. People expect to have to level to unlock stuff (whether it be mounts, higher end classes, or dungeons). What people don't expect is have to complete old content, i.e. the MSQ. That's a new thing, and its a very heavy-weight one behind which every expected feature of an MMO is locked. Thinking that is a terrible design decision (especially with regards to trying to attract new players) is not tantamount to thinking that everything in the game should be opened and accessible upon receipt of a sum of money. Nat, I think your wording is intentionally incendiary and that's disappointing but not really unexpected.

For one: you're conflating classes with content. For two, you're conflating "work their way up to content" with "put in hours of tedious effort on old level 50 MSQ stuff." Its a matter of wanting to be able to play the current game, not the two year old version of the game for six months in order to catch up. That's an entirely fair expectation for the purchase of the game and its most recent expansion. It is not an expectation of buying the game, suddenly being gifted a maximum level character of the desired class, and geared to the point of being able to clear raid content. How many MMORPGs have actually required full completion of the previous expansion to touch the new one? That is a genuine question since I am entirely unaware of any (but my experience in MMO's is not all that expansive).

Mischaracterize much? Seriously Nat.

Sure.. that's exactly it. It is different, it isn't "expected" and it isn't "standard". There's room to appreciate that, and there's room to criticize that.

I don't really have anything new to say that I haven't said already, but I just want to comment that I don't think any other game (at least that I've played) has anything approaching the MSQ, and its particular favor of massive time investment and complete requirement. This isn't asking a new player to level up to enter the new content, that is in keeping with standard MMO design. Its a very different, and much more burdensome, requirement.

I won't discourage you from anything, but I'd just like to say that the RP community on Balmung is one of the finest that I've ever been a part of. I understand that Gilgamesh's is pretty great too (but I haven't played there!) I went through a different series of trials trying to get on Balmung (it was during the launch era server lock troubles) but I know that it was well worth going to the effort to get onto the server, and I'm so glad that I did. Whatever you decide to do I hope you find a server where you enjoy yourself! That's what its about :-]

I would imagine you start asking people to call you something different The legal matter may be entirely separate.

The first set of posters were posted last Friday! Today some more outtakes (several of which are demo shots I took while working on outfits! - And while discovering that the sitting pose just didn't work well enough for a poster.) Outtakes #3!

I haven't been able to write anything yet... too busy giggling!

Thank you so much Freelance! Thank you Osric!