Square Enix have opened up a Final Fantasy XIV YouTube channel which can be found here
There's only one video up at the moment but it's full of new gameplay (new to me anyway!)
The video brought back a lot of memories of FFXI to me. I think with the races being the same in both games, it just all seems very familiar but new at the same time. The locations shown in the video looked very promising, everything looked very grand and with what I'm imagining will be the theme song to the game being played in the background I'm sure it will be epic.
Unfortunately I had no clue what they were talking about but thanks to ZAM you can get the translation here
I hope that the game is still set for release this year, I'm definitely looking forward to getting my hands on it
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Thursday, 25 March 2010
See you soon STO
Star Trek Online has been a success, at least in the eyes of Atari and Cryptic Studios. I don't think the same thing would be said by a vast majority of the initial player base, myself included. I don't think it's a failure, but it definitely needs some work!
The game has been launched nearly 2 months now and while Cryptic are still pushing out content updates like the recently released Season One which adds new PvP maps, more missions and a few other things you can find out about here
I've decided to cancel my subscription to the game for a while. My reason is being is that I can't justify the cost of a monthly subscription when there's so little to do. While the first taskforce mission was a lot of fun to play, in reality (for the moment anyway) it's the only real piece of endgame content available.
Another reason, which might not have played a part in my original decision to cancel the subscription, has definitely helped me in not regretting it. Charging real cash for in-game items. Aka - Microtransactions. I've made my opinions clear on the MT subject and they've officially become a reality today. Charging $4 dollars so you can create 2 more character is ridiculous. While I can understand stupid cosmetic things like new uniforms or bridge layouts, charging you to make more characters??
It's always been my opinion for an MMO that the first thing the developer should be concerned about is how they're going to keep people playing the game. Allowing the player to create more characters so they can play as different classes or factions usually does the trick for a while, it gives the developer enough time to build on it's existing end-game content. Cryptic, in their infinite wisdom decided to only give 3 character slots (5 if you bought the lifetime subscription)
I think it's very cheeky to ask a player to pay a fee on top of a monthly subscription for a slot to make a new character, something I think Cryptic (and any other company that does it) should be very ashamed of. I don't care that more characters take up extra server space. This is why you pay a monthly subscription in the first place!
In the end it's the long time/loyal player base who are the ones being targeted here. A new player isn't going to worry about multiple slots, retraining options and god knows whatever other ideas they come up with, it's the end-game players who need to consider them which is eventually what happens. I think as long as Cryptic keep game changing items out of the C-Store, people are most likely just going to accept these charges, but if Cryptic do cross that line...Game Over
I know I sound very harsh, that just goes to show how strongly I feel about it I guess but I don't want to say I'm finished with game forever because it's not true. You'll never see me using the C-Store, if they can continue to add more missions and new types of end-game content I would definitely come back to play them, but until then I'll watch from the sidelines so I don't miss anything and wait for the right time to come back.
The game has been launched nearly 2 months now and while Cryptic are still pushing out content updates like the recently released Season One which adds new PvP maps, more missions and a few other things you can find out about here
I've decided to cancel my subscription to the game for a while. My reason is being is that I can't justify the cost of a monthly subscription when there's so little to do. While the first taskforce mission was a lot of fun to play, in reality (for the moment anyway) it's the only real piece of endgame content available.
Another reason, which might not have played a part in my original decision to cancel the subscription, has definitely helped me in not regretting it. Charging real cash for in-game items. Aka - Microtransactions. I've made my opinions clear on the MT subject and they've officially become a reality today. Charging $4 dollars so you can create 2 more character is ridiculous. While I can understand stupid cosmetic things like new uniforms or bridge layouts, charging you to make more characters??
It's always been my opinion for an MMO that the first thing the developer should be concerned about is how they're going to keep people playing the game. Allowing the player to create more characters so they can play as different classes or factions usually does the trick for a while, it gives the developer enough time to build on it's existing end-game content. Cryptic, in their infinite wisdom decided to only give 3 character slots (5 if you bought the lifetime subscription)
I think it's very cheeky to ask a player to pay a fee on top of a monthly subscription for a slot to make a new character, something I think Cryptic (and any other company that does it) should be very ashamed of. I don't care that more characters take up extra server space. This is why you pay a monthly subscription in the first place!
In the end it's the long time/loyal player base who are the ones being targeted here. A new player isn't going to worry about multiple slots, retraining options and god knows whatever other ideas they come up with, it's the end-game players who need to consider them which is eventually what happens. I think as long as Cryptic keep game changing items out of the C-Store, people are most likely just going to accept these charges, but if Cryptic do cross that line...Game Over
I know I sound very harsh, that just goes to show how strongly I feel about it I guess but I don't want to say I'm finished with game forever because it's not true. You'll never see me using the C-Store, if they can continue to add more missions and new types of end-game content I would definitely come back to play them, but until then I'll watch from the sidelines so I don't miss anything and wait for the right time to come back.
Friday, 5 March 2010
Final Fantasy XIII Review Scores
I've been certain for the last few years that it's very hard to trust the scores that websites and magazines give to high profile games, simply because I'm convinced they are payed off in some sense to give it favorable reviews. Today IGN wrote what I thought was a very fair review and gave it a score it deserved. Unfortunately they picked a game I had the high hopes for to give a low score.
I've already had people come back at me with saying that 8.3 isn't a bad score for a game. Normally I would agree; A lot of people and a lot of developers would be happy to get above 8 but I don't think there has been a numbered Final Fantasy that has ever gone below 9 on its first-time review (remakes don't count!) which what upsets me I guess.
From what I've gathered, there isn't really a "Bad Guy" like Sephiroth. There aren't any NPC's to interact with and no towns to explore. Basically, it seems like they took out all the RPG elements (much like Bioware did to ME2) and have made it more of an action game.
Yeah I know this post doesn't really have a point, you might say that this is my way of venting on the subject. I just read EDGE's review and they gave it a 5/10. Stating the same issues I mentioned above :(
The game isn't out till Tuesday and I'll definitely be picking it up regardless of bad reviews. I just hope that I enjoy it as much as I have the others in the franchise, it can't be much worse than Final Fantasy X-2....can it?
Expect a review once I get my hands on it!
I've already had people come back at me with saying that 8.3 isn't a bad score for a game. Normally I would agree; A lot of people and a lot of developers would be happy to get above 8 but I don't think there has been a numbered Final Fantasy that has ever gone below 9 on its first-time review (remakes don't count!) which what upsets me I guess.
From what I've gathered, there isn't really a "Bad Guy" like Sephiroth. There aren't any NPC's to interact with and no towns to explore. Basically, it seems like they took out all the RPG elements (much like Bioware did to ME2) and have made it more of an action game.
Yeah I know this post doesn't really have a point, you might say that this is my way of venting on the subject. I just read EDGE's review and they gave it a 5/10. Stating the same issues I mentioned above :(
The game isn't out till Tuesday and I'll definitely be picking it up regardless of bad reviews. I just hope that I enjoy it as much as I have the others in the franchise, it can't be much worse than Final Fantasy X-2....can it?
Expect a review once I get my hands on it!
Friday, 26 February 2010
STO Suggestions
So STO launched about 2 weeks ago, I was going to write a review but I don't think it's really possible to fully review a game which is never meant to end, so instead of that, I'm going to give my suggestions to make the game better.
Ditch the Memory Alpha Crafting System
I hate to come off like I'm being mean for no reason, but whoever thought that Memory Alpha was a good idea needs a good kick up the arse. Cryptic have never been very good with crafting, Champions Online has suffered the same fate and City of Heroes/Villains is no better off either.
One thing that people have been begging for pretty much since Cryptic took over development was a full and interesting crafting system and while there is Tribble breeding for the Federation, what we really want is to craft consoles and weapons.
More Scripted Episodes
Right now I'm only a second grade Captain in-game and I've heard that content can get very thin towards the Admiral rank, my experiences as a Commander were pretty bad, I found myself with no missions other than the repeatable Cluster and Deep Space Encounter ones. While procedurally generated content is good for filling in gaps, it is in no way a replacement for scripted missions. Some of the "Episodes" have been amazing, it really did feel like being in an episode of Star Trek, while the procedural content is fairly boring. (Does anyone else notice that the Galaxy seems to be overrun by lava bleeding trees??)
Raid Groups and Missions!
I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure there are a lot of other people out there who hate the Crystalline Entity with a passion thanks to being grouped with morons who don't pay attention. Cryptic really need to implement raid grouping, so that Fleets can group together and take on Fleet Actions privately. So far, the only real benefit to joining a Fleet has been to use a Fleet Bank and have the use of a fleet channel. It seems that the new "Raidisodes" being released soon are still only 5-man instances which is very disappointing.
Speed Ground Combat up again!
During Beta, Ground Combat was fast and furious, until they decided to try and slow it down to keep with more traditional MMO pace. I personally prefer it faster, for a sci-fi MMO I think it needs to feel like everything is happening quickly, as it would in a real gun-fight, having to wait for a 1 second cooldown between shots just feels wrong.
Tweak Exchange
I'd like to see more options on the exchange. I think they need to add sub-sections to the weapons tab so that we can search for turrets, cannons, phasers, distrupters individually. As it stands now you need to know the name of an item to search for it. New players specifically aren't going to know whats going on (I know I didn't anyway)
Conclusion
I can't think of any MMO that hasn't suffered from problems during launch (Yes, even World of Warcraft!) so it would be unfair to say that STO isn't living up to my expectations. I plan on giving Cryptic another month or two before I make any final decisions on whether I'll renew my subscription, if they were to implement some of my suggestions above, I think it'd go a long way to making the game as popular as it deserves to be.
Ditch the Memory Alpha Crafting System
I hate to come off like I'm being mean for no reason, but whoever thought that Memory Alpha was a good idea needs a good kick up the arse. Cryptic have never been very good with crafting, Champions Online has suffered the same fate and City of Heroes/Villains is no better off either.
One thing that people have been begging for pretty much since Cryptic took over development was a full and interesting crafting system and while there is Tribble breeding for the Federation, what we really want is to craft consoles and weapons.
More Scripted Episodes
Right now I'm only a second grade Captain in-game and I've heard that content can get very thin towards the Admiral rank, my experiences as a Commander were pretty bad, I found myself with no missions other than the repeatable Cluster and Deep Space Encounter ones. While procedurally generated content is good for filling in gaps, it is in no way a replacement for scripted missions. Some of the "Episodes" have been amazing, it really did feel like being in an episode of Star Trek, while the procedural content is fairly boring. (Does anyone else notice that the Galaxy seems to be overrun by lava bleeding trees??)
Raid Groups and Missions!
I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure there are a lot of other people out there who hate the Crystalline Entity with a passion thanks to being grouped with morons who don't pay attention. Cryptic really need to implement raid grouping, so that Fleets can group together and take on Fleet Actions privately. So far, the only real benefit to joining a Fleet has been to use a Fleet Bank and have the use of a fleet channel. It seems that the new "Raidisodes" being released soon are still only 5-man instances which is very disappointing.
Speed Ground Combat up again!
During Beta, Ground Combat was fast and furious, until they decided to try and slow it down to keep with more traditional MMO pace. I personally prefer it faster, for a sci-fi MMO I think it needs to feel like everything is happening quickly, as it would in a real gun-fight, having to wait for a 1 second cooldown between shots just feels wrong.
Tweak Exchange
I'd like to see more options on the exchange. I think they need to add sub-sections to the weapons tab so that we can search for turrets, cannons, phasers, distrupters individually. As it stands now you need to know the name of an item to search for it. New players specifically aren't going to know whats going on (I know I didn't anyway)
Conclusion
I can't think of any MMO that hasn't suffered from problems during launch (Yes, even World of Warcraft!) so it would be unfair to say that STO isn't living up to my expectations. I plan on giving Cryptic another month or two before I make any final decisions on whether I'll renew my subscription, if they were to implement some of my suggestions above, I think it'd go a long way to making the game as popular as it deserves to be.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Mass Effect 2 Review
I could literally sum this up in a sentence, actually in a word. Epic. Bioware are blessed to have such a great writing staff on hand because their last few games have been amazingly pieced together with great stories and Mass Effect 2 is no different.
I don't want to spoil the game for anyone so I'll try my best to keep them out.
The Good
The conversation system has been completely upgraded now to include Paragon/Renegade actions as well as good guy/bad guy conversations. Some of them are really amazing. I think this is the closest they've come to morality and hopefully they can only improve on it for the next game.
The Bad
Unfortunately there are some bad parts to the game, most of which isn't really the fault of Bioware but more a platform issue. I can only speak for the Xbox 360 version which is what I played.
The Verdict
There are very little problems with Mass Effect and the problems I listed really were only an Xbox problem (I never thought to install the game at the time so next playthrough I'll be doing that to test if those framerate issues are still there) but the game itself storywise and gameplay-wise make it a must have game. I simply can't wait for the third game which is hopefully not that far away. I just hope they take another stab at the UI and maybe add back some of the RPG elements.
Score: 9.5/10
I don't want to spoil the game for anyone so I'll try my best to keep them out.
The Good
- Amazing Storyline
- Improved Game Mechanics
The conversation system has been completely upgraded now to include Paragon/Renegade actions as well as good guy/bad guy conversations. Some of them are really amazing. I think this is the closest they've come to morality and hopefully they can only improve on it for the next game.
- More interesting characters
- Better side quests
The Bad
Unfortunately there are some bad parts to the game, most of which isn't really the fault of Bioware but more a platform issue. I can only speak for the Xbox 360 version which is what I played.
- RPG elements are gone
- Bring back the old UI!
- Loading times
- Framerate issues
The Verdict
There are very little problems with Mass Effect and the problems I listed really were only an Xbox problem (I never thought to install the game at the time so next playthrough I'll be doing that to test if those framerate issues are still there) but the game itself storywise and gameplay-wise make it a must have game. I simply can't wait for the third game which is hopefully not that far away. I just hope they take another stab at the UI and maybe add back some of the RPG elements.
Score: 9.5/10
Friday, 29 January 2010
What I've been up to
As some of you might know, I'm currently stuck at home with tonsillitis. I've taken the time to overhaul a few things and make some plans to upgrade my home network.
As I mentioned in my last post I've finally figured out that damn problem with the mixed up " and @ keys which has made working on the Mac so much easier. I know it sounds like such a stupid thing but when you've spent 10 years with them that way, it's hard to break the habit!
I used to think Mac's were crap but I've come around to them now and I actually really like the OS but unfortunately there are some Windows only programs that I need to do my work. I was using Bootcamp for a while but it was such a nightmare having to reboot and switch between the both. I'm currently testing out VMware Fusion 3 which so far has been working wonders, I've used Virtual PC before so I knew the drill. The most important thing though is VMware supports 3D acceleration which I need for some of the applications I use for college work.
I installed Windows XP and got each of the programs working without any issues.
I'm currently planning out a home server for the house. I'd like to be able to stream content all over the house without having to leave my computer on, I'm currently leaning towards using Windows Home Server for the OS and using spare parts from old computers I've picked up over the years. From what I've read it will run well (as long as I don't plan on streaming HD content straight away) on the parts I've got. The major thing I need to invest in is storage space for backups and hosting my media.
Last but not least I've discovered two amazing things (one thanks to my cousin, the other thanks to Google) Groove Shark and Mozilla Prism.
Groove Shark is basically the YouTube equivalent for the internet radio industry. It runs much like Last.fm but instead of charging you to listen to the music, they let you listen for free but offer VIP services that gets rid of some annoying ads and offers you a bigger library. So far I haven't had any problems finding a song I like.
One thing I really hate is having to keep Firefox open for web applications so Prism is like a godsend to me. It lets you make a stand alone program out of web applications that can collapse to the taskbar. It means that if your browser crashes (as they do) the radio or game you are using isn't going to crash with it. I highly recommend checking it out.
So that's what I've been up to the last few days. Mass Effect 2 tomorrow and then STO next week. Those plus college is going to keep me very busy!
As I mentioned in my last post I've finally figured out that damn problem with the mixed up " and @ keys which has made working on the Mac so much easier. I know it sounds like such a stupid thing but when you've spent 10 years with them that way, it's hard to break the habit!
I used to think Mac's were crap but I've come around to them now and I actually really like the OS but unfortunately there are some Windows only programs that I need to do my work. I was using Bootcamp for a while but it was such a nightmare having to reboot and switch between the both. I'm currently testing out VMware Fusion 3 which so far has been working wonders, I've used Virtual PC before so I knew the drill. The most important thing though is VMware supports 3D acceleration which I need for some of the applications I use for college work.
I installed Windows XP and got each of the programs working without any issues.
I'm currently planning out a home server for the house. I'd like to be able to stream content all over the house without having to leave my computer on, I'm currently leaning towards using Windows Home Server for the OS and using spare parts from old computers I've picked up over the years. From what I've read it will run well (as long as I don't plan on streaming HD content straight away) on the parts I've got. The major thing I need to invest in is storage space for backups and hosting my media.
Last but not least I've discovered two amazing things (one thanks to my cousin, the other thanks to Google) Groove Shark and Mozilla Prism.
Groove Shark is basically the YouTube equivalent for the internet radio industry. It runs much like Last.fm but instead of charging you to listen to the music, they let you listen for free but offer VIP services that gets rid of some annoying ads and offers you a bigger library. So far I haven't had any problems finding a song I like.
One thing I really hate is having to keep Firefox open for web applications so Prism is like a godsend to me. It lets you make a stand alone program out of web applications that can collapse to the taskbar. It means that if your browser crashes (as they do) the radio or game you are using isn't going to crash with it. I highly recommend checking it out.
So that's what I've been up to the last few days. Mass Effect 2 tomorrow and then STO next week. Those plus college is going to keep me very busy!
Thursday, 28 January 2010
I love solving old problems!
Something that has always annoyed me about using the macbook is that the " and @ signs were always mixed up. Apparently Apple doesn't know what an Irish keyboard layout is. I spent hours looking for a solution to it, apparently one guy made some kind of hotfix for it but I couldn't get it working. I've also seen guides on setting up custom keystrokes to fix it but nothing really worked.
Today my friends I've finally found the solution. For some reason I decided to start looking around for a fix again today and funnily enough it was one of the first pages I checked.
I had to download an additional keyboard layout (from Microsoft) which switched them around properly.
I've also installed VMware so I can get back to work with my Java and HTML work.
Today my friends I've finally found the solution. For some reason I decided to start looking around for a fix again today and funnily enough it was one of the first pages I checked.
I had to download an additional keyboard layout (from Microsoft) which switched them around properly.
I've also installed VMware so I can get back to work with my Java and HTML work.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Apple iPad Impressions
So it's finally been announced. We've known about it for month's but now the iPad is official and I've to be honest. It's a bit of a disappointment. First the Nexus 1, then the HP Tablet and now the iPad.Software wise it met all my expectations. We knew it would run on some kind of hybrid iPhone OS and we weren't wrong. All those iPhone apps are still going to work without any issues, they're just going to look very small (apparently it will have a zoom function that will make the apps look bigger but will lose visual quality)
My biggest gripe is the physical design of it. That big black border around the screen makes it look horrible! I think 99% of the concepts different websites came up with had the screen extending to the absolute edge, similar to the iPhone and iPod touch. I guess the reason for that could be that they simply couldn't fit the hardware in to such a small place but that begs the question, why didn't they make the screen bigger then? It's supposed to be a 9.7" capacitive touch screen, an extra .3 inches could have made a huge difference aesthetically (to me at least)
I'm sure by the time the next iteration of it is released sometime next year they'll have redesigned it to be more streamlined as Apple do with all their products.
The most exciting thing that comes to mind now for the iPad is the development of iPad applications which I'm guessing will have an extremely, if not identical process to that of the iPhone via the App Store. Being a bit of a programmer myself this is where I think the iPad could potentially shine just like it's little brother.
I think I'll definitely be waiting till next year to pick up the revised version after all the initial bugs and problems have been kicked.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Welcome to 2010
Hey all. Happy New Year
I know I've been away for a while. As I've said a million times by now, college has had me busy and it hasn't changed so I haven't had the chance to update as much as I'd like to.
Modern Warfare 2 has started to get a bit old which I expected to happen, I've been playing the multiplayer for about 2 months now and it's been fun so I think its run the course.
Mass Effect 2 is coming out in a few weeks which I'm really looking forward to playing. "Santa" brought me a Sony eBook Reader for Christmas and the first book I got for it was the first Mass Effect Novel which is a prequel to the game and has been great so far. I plan on playing through the first Mass Effect again after finishing the book and then if I have time I'll pick up the second novel which is a sequel.
STO's beta is still in full force. Apparently the NDA has been lifted which means we can talk about it and I do plan on talking about the state of the game very soon. I've actually decided to take a break from testing because I don't want to ruin the game for myself at launch.
I ordered a new phone today called the HTC HD2 which should be here on Monday, I'll write up a first impressions on it when it comes.
So I hope everyone had a good Christmas and plan on having a great new year.
I know I've been away for a while. As I've said a million times by now, college has had me busy and it hasn't changed so I haven't had the chance to update as much as I'd like to.
Modern Warfare 2 has started to get a bit old which I expected to happen, I've been playing the multiplayer for about 2 months now and it's been fun so I think its run the course.
Mass Effect 2 is coming out in a few weeks which I'm really looking forward to playing. "Santa" brought me a Sony eBook Reader for Christmas and the first book I got for it was the first Mass Effect Novel which is a prequel to the game and has been great so far. I plan on playing through the first Mass Effect again after finishing the book and then if I have time I'll pick up the second novel which is a sequel.
STO's beta is still in full force. Apparently the NDA has been lifted which means we can talk about it and I do plan on talking about the state of the game very soon. I've actually decided to take a break from testing because I don't want to ruin the game for myself at launch.
I ordered a new phone today called the HTC HD2 which should be here on Monday, I'll write up a first impressions on it when it comes.
So I hope everyone had a good Christmas and plan on having a great new year.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Christmas is nearly here!
So Christmas is just around the corner, I wish I could use it as the excuse as to why I've been away but the honest truth is, I've been too busy. I've said this a few times in my last few blogs but it's the truth. I'm having a hard time juggling my time between games, college and having some sort of a social life.
STO is currently chin deep in beta which is moving along smoothly, open beta isn't too far off either. I really wish I could talk about it but as I've said before, the NDA is in effect and I don't want to get on the bad side of Cryptic because I really want to keep playing :P
2010 is looking to be a great year for games we've got Mass Effect 2 in January, Star Trek Online in February, Final Fantasy XIII and White Knight Chronicles in March as well as some that don't have a solid date.
I went to the open day of the college I'm hoping to switch to next year on Saturday and it was really cool. The building, the people and the general atmosphere of the place was awesome. After talking to a few of the people currently in the course as well as the lecturers it just looks like the place for me.
Christmas break is coming up soon which means I'll be able to chillax and get my gaming on. I plan on replaying Mass Effect and going through all the side quest content just in time for Mass Effect 2's release and maybe I'll even finish Dragon Age, you never know!
Cya all later and again I'm sorry for not writing too much lately!
STO is currently chin deep in beta which is moving along smoothly, open beta isn't too far off either. I really wish I could talk about it but as I've said before, the NDA is in effect and I don't want to get on the bad side of Cryptic because I really want to keep playing :P
2010 is looking to be a great year for games we've got Mass Effect 2 in January, Star Trek Online in February, Final Fantasy XIII and White Knight Chronicles in March as well as some that don't have a solid date.
I went to the open day of the college I'm hoping to switch to next year on Saturday and it was really cool. The building, the people and the general atmosphere of the place was awesome. After talking to a few of the people currently in the course as well as the lecturers it just looks like the place for me.
Christmas break is coming up soon which means I'll be able to chillax and get my gaming on. I plan on replaying Mass Effect and going through all the side quest content just in time for Mass Effect 2's release and maybe I'll even finish Dragon Age, you never know!
Cya all later and again I'm sorry for not writing too much lately!
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