Final Fantasy XIV alpha test guide leaked

It's called the Streisand effect. Look it up.

Hey I posted this info on my blog too when it was on Game Informer, I'm not questioning the info getting everywhere so much as to why major publishing sites are okay with posting NDA breaks but smaller sites and players are told not to, especially when it happens to be the same info.. O.o

I may believe a conspiracy theory of some sort. :)

Seriously, are you trolling here?

What?

No, I'm expressing an opinion based upon the impressions I formed from the videos linked above.

Is that ok with you, Joakal..?

Maybe this is an unfinished product and the reason SE is trying to keep a tight lid on the whole thing is because they know it looks a little crude right now?

This may be why those videos were taken off youtube at the request of SE... /shrug.

Pooky's original youtube channel and stream site were taken down, but others have recorded or downloaded his streams and are passing them around, this is what happened here on Kotaku.

As for your other comments, I take it you're not a rabbid a SE fan? :P

@CindyL:
Hehe actually I'm a huge SE fan. I love all the FF console classics (including all the DS remakes) and am currently on my 2nd playthrough of FFXIII, but no; I'm absolutely no fan of FFXI.
:S

I really wanted to be, but after attempting to play it on all platforms (PC when it came out, then PS2, then Xbox 360) I gave up. It was just too clunky and grindy for my tastes.

@Wisdomandlore:
That 'j-metal-too-many-notes-all-at-once-cock-rock-virtuoso' music is most definitely *not* what I'd call typical of FF music. Yes it's typical of many titles coming out of Japan, but FF music is far more orchestral-based, and guitars only ever feature underneath that orchestral layer.
The soundtrack I hear in these videos is just awful (in terms of suitability and 'FF flavour').

FFX-2 had that kind of music you detest so, possibly "Dirge of Cerberus" too. And FFXI had great orchestral music("Ronfaure" is one of my favorite FF tracks ever), but its inclusion didn't make you stay with FFXI, so it's obviously not a deal breaker.

I have much respect for FFXI. Though I barely played through a trial and beyond that mainly watched a friend play at his house, I do have fond memories of it. Those who've played through it and all its expansions have said its storyline is one of the best FF stories ever, and I'm inclined to believe them. Its learning curve is a bit rough, but it's a great game otherwise. The music is stellar as I mentioned before, and I love the way it handled people speaking different languages via hundreds of preset words and phrases. It's the only successful console MMO, but also successful in having people across all gaming platforms and nations worldwide playing on the same servers in perfect harmony.

"FFX-2 had that kind of music you detest so.."

Lol come on - hardly. Out of X-2's entire soundtrack there's only 1 or 2 tracks that even come close to 'maniacal egotistical guitar solo non stop over everything' tracks.
Barely worth the mention, and still nowhere near approaching the scale of awfulness heard in these videos.

"..its inclusion didn't make you stay with FFXI, so it's obviously not a deal breaker."

Is that some feeble attempt at superiority or domination or Epeen-waving?
I never mentioned disliking the FFXI music (if you care to read my comment again).
If you are seriously going to try to suggest that the music you hear in those videos is in the vein of Final Fantasy, then I give up.

It wasn't an epeen or domination thing, it was more that FFXI having great music didn't make you stay, so music wasn't a high priority. And with that in mind, FFXIV's bad music likewise wouldn't be a priority on you staying or not. I did note that you said you tried to play FFXI on most platforms though, so maybe the music did get you to keep trying it on almost every platform it's on. :)

There's more to a game than the music. If it has great gameplay, then it can make up for the underwhelming soundtrack. Everything else about FFXIV is why I'm excited for it, not the music. I play FF games for the story and gameplay, the music is just a bonus. I did listen to some leaked FFXIV music though, and I loved the Chocobo music and FFXIV's version of a "Distant Worlds"-like song. The rest was just pure 90's Uematsu, for better or worse.

It's a sad thing that Amana's comment was voted down. It's just expressing a dissenting opinion and isn't at all like a troll post. Nor was it overly hostile or negative.

I wish people would entertain thoughts and/or opinions that are not their own.

-

As many have been quick to point out, it's still in early developement so the game can be forgiven for sucking right now. The footage itself isn't the best quality either which only compounds and magnifies FFXIV's current flaws.


I'm also a fan of Squaresoft (now Square Enix) and I'm not keen on letting that admiration blind me to what's in front of my eyes. Not to say that the game is a horrid abomination that should never see the light of day, not at all; just that I'm not gonna overlook any defects that might be present. That's it.

Hopefully, the improvements we see from now 'til launch are enough to make this the game we all hope it will be.

This game -is- FFXI under a new guise. FFXI-2, if you will, and we can't pretend that the new naming conventions qualify as substative changes to the races or world of Vana'diel (read: Eorzea).

Can't wait to see Final Fantasy XIV as it developes. Lookin' forward to it.

@RogueJedi86:
Ah ok =)
And yes, there's a bunch of the FFXIV music that's sounding really great, it's just that combat music in the videos that was terrible and unfitting (in my opinion).

Re FFXI - hehe no it wasn't the music that had me trying every rendition of it, it was an attempt to try and like it. Didn't work though; I guess it's just not my style of game? ;p

(And thanks, Syntax. All said and done though, I do hope it turns out great, even if only for the fans.)

it's funny that I watch the videos and I see a vast improvement already in the UI, combat, time and speed with everything else that goes into the mechanics compared to FF11. Then again I've been playing ff11 for a few years now, and the changes to me seem major. The game is def running a bit clunky, then again might be his computer, might be the servers, it's alpha either way.

As far as the music goes. It's Blue Dragon style, composed by Uematsu as well. He probably just loves that style as in an interview he said his favorite game to compose for was Blue Dragon lol.

I'm more of a Final Fantasy 12, Tactics soundtrack fan myself.

and @syntax
I actually really like FF11, so in my perspective I'm seeing FF11 with improved graphics and combat. FF11-2, I couldn't ask for more! :)

final note: I would've preferred that their new MMO took place in Ivalice. :)

I'm a FFXII fan as well. I really liked the combat system and 'open world feel' for a change.
Perhaps we're the only two that are, mind, judging by the reception it seemed to get.. ;p

I enjoyed FFXI while I was playing it, Alecks.

There were also some things that bothered me about it. None of that's here nor there, though. The main point is that the FFXI-2 remark wasn't meant as a mark against FFXIV - I can see how it can be interpreted that way and should've probably made it more clear - but was more an expression of my own frustration that we're being sold this package as something brand new and unseen when, clearly, it's not.

It is a fond wish of mine to have Final Fantasy XIV borrow from other existing, successful, and fun MMOs and also turn out a great success.