"Oh btw, FFXIV Online in 2010"

[Reg]

You're probably right. And I'll bet you only get a single character like in FFXI so you can't even play a real alt without paying more.

[Velorath]

Going back to the exp gating all I could think of was in wow terms "Hey, now you get to do the barrens 10 times in a row!"  

having to stop and switch classes is one thing but when you think about it, you'll be cycling through the same content immediately after doing it except you probably won't even get to re-do quests.  Imagine if you will an mmo where you are forced after ever vouple levels to switch to an alt but on that alt you could only do dungeons or grind mobs.  FFXIV is sort of like that.

Well, there was really only one quest chain that I know of in the beta, which was sort of a tutorial/get to know where everything is in the starter city/set up some plot threads kinda thing.  Everything else was guild leves, which are repeatable to an extent.  Beyond that, until we start seeing how the classes play at high levels, I'm not sure if there would be any incentive into leveling multiple melee classes.  Seems like most people would have their hands full at start leveling at least 1 gathering, 1 crafting, and 1 combat (or maybe 1 melee, 1 caster) class.

Edit:  If you're leveling crafting, gathering, and a combat class equally, you're pretty unlikely to ever hit the 8 hour line on any of those classes unless you're a complete catass.

[trias_e]

Looks like the open beta should be starting tonight now, 7pm PDT.  As in one day later than the announced date.  If you started your download yesterday, this is probably about when it would be finishing anyways.

[Cyrrex]

Or if you are like me and just started my newest attempt at a beta client download, it should be ready in about a week.  I'm finally up to a scorching 103 kb/s and .3% total download.  Oops, spoke too soon, it seems, now my speed is back down below 40 where it belongs.

 

Has anyone found a torrent for this shit?

[Rendakor]

You actually downloaded the torrent when you started patching. It should be somewhere in the vicinity of My Documents > My Games > Final Fantasy XIV Beta Version > downloads. Poke around in there, you'll probably find a couple .torrent files; load them up in your client of choice, and just point the files to the appropriate folder.

[Cyrrex]

On second thought, it's beginning to actually behave now.  Blazing along reasonably well. 

[Mrbloodworth]

So, where can one apply or download the client?

[Ard]

http://tinyurl.com/33coz2o

[Mrbloodworth]

I would not have asked if the beta sign up page still had the client download, or has the sign up.

[Ard]

My point still stands.  Check the obvious sources first next time, fileplanet.

[Mrbloodworth]

Right, because after staring at the link to download, and setting up my account and such with SE yesterday, it was totally logical to know I would have to download and apply for beta through fileplanet.

Anyway, the sign up page still has no apply form or the like, do you just need a SE account at this point, or how do I go about that, as you can't apply through fileplanet. I am guessing its just locked out for now due to volume.

[palmer_eldritch]

So, where can one apply or download the client?

Go here and click on the relevant flag to get to the open beta application page: http://entry.ffxiv.com/. However, you cannot actually apply until the open beta begins. For now, it has some info about the beta process.

Edit: Applications have now opened.

[tmp]

Edit: Applications have now opened.

Yup, their account login site keeled over from overload by the looks of it.

[Velorath]

Eventually managed to hammer my way through to a registration code using this link several dozen times.  Most of the time you'll get to an error page.  A small fraction of the time you'll get to the page where it wants you to log in with your Square-Enix account.  A small fraction of those times it will send you a code (or in my case after hitting that screen a few times, it told me I had already been accepted and asked if I wanted the code resent to my email).

Made a character on the Mysidia server (mostly chose that one because I remember the town from FFIV) named Alerosh.  Starting city of Gridania.

[Outlawedprod]

Eventually managed to hammer my way through to a registration code using this link several dozen times. 

Link now says "Applications for the FINAL FANTASY XIV Open Beta Test have been temporarily suspended. Please wait until we are ready to accept new applications and then try again. "

[Numtini]

Hmm, I got through about an hour ago and was able to register and create a character, but there was a 1048 queue to get onto the server.

[tmp]

Link now says "Applications for the FINAL FANTASY XIV Open Beta Test have been temporarily suspended. Please wait until we are ready to accept new applications and then try again. "

If it wasn't for the server being shared to handle both US and EU and both opening at the same time it'd be probably easier. As it was, the EU beta was also pretty much impossible to get despite it opening at 3am (or maybe there's lot of grunks out there)

Now in the afternoon there's this "temporarily suspended" notification, just now replaced with "the service is currently unavailable due to maintenance" screen. Bodes well 

[01101010]

Earlier in phase 2 of beta they had what I could consider a login server stress test to which we broke the fuck out of it. I really expected SE to not come across it again since they seemed to have fixed the issue. Obviously not. I might go through the punches and try and get into the OBT but right now I really don't want to bother. Besides, all the alpha and beta testers are now required to re-register and all that jazz... yeah fuck you - I already have 4 million SE accounts from the alpha testing, no way in hell am I running through your hoops again.

[Lantyssa]

The login page said beta testers don't need to reapply for open beta, unlike what we were told in the e-mail they sent.  I didn't try to confirm that, but you may not have to do anything, j.

[Draegan]

I tried patching my alpha account to check out beta a week ago and it never fully patched.  Someone needs to log in this beta and tell me how they changed the UI and controls and menu system, if at all.  I expect no changes, but you never know.

[01101010]

The login page said beta testers don't need to reapply for open beta, unlike what we were told in the e-mail they sent.  I didn't try to confirm that, but you may not have to do anything, j.

Attempted to get on my beta account. I get this nice message:

You could not log in because the service account in question is not registered.
If you would like to log in to the service, please log in to the Square Enix Account Management System and register the service account.

I don't really want to register or go to my master Square account and update anything at the moment. I'll just drink from my cup of bitters and gnash my teeth till the pain subsides.

[Mrbloodworth]

If I understand correctly, it wants you to enter a CD key. (or the key).

Anyway, kinda sucks, I wanted to see the shiny graphics first hand.

[Ard]

I tried patching my alpha account to check out beta a week ago and it never fully patched.  Someone needs to log in this beta and tell me how they changed the UI and controls and menu system, if at all.  I expect no changes, but you never know.

The big change is that they added modifiable keybinds, although not for everything everyone would have wanted, but it's a start and a step in the right direction.  The UI itself as far as I can tell hasn't changed, but some people are claiming the lag is gone for them, but this isn't the case for everyone.

The login page said beta testers don't need to reapply for open beta, unlike what we were told in the e-mail they sent.  I didn't try to confirm that, but you may not have to do anything, j.

They posted a message stating that was in error.  Everyone has to register anew.

[palmer_eldritch]

For anyone unable or unwilling to take part in the open beta who wants some idea what the game is like to play, I have posted a video showing my own first experiences in the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsCIw_FMRKw

[rattran]

I'm thwarted by the patcher mini-game, so no open beta for me. Really, having a crashtastic patcher is not a good advert for your game.

[Shatter]

For anyone unable or unwilling to take part in the open beta who wants some idea what the game is like to play, I have posted a video showing my own first experiences in the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8bUeAyWn9s

That combat was so slow I wanted to punch my dog to compensate

[Lantyssa]

Combat never felt all that slow to me.  You can also build up a bit of stamina then chain several attacks.

They posted a message stating that was in error.  Everyone has to register anew.

Well, there we go.  I was still patching so I never went back.  Guess I'll try tonight.

[Velorath]

For anyone unable or unwilling to take part in the open beta who wants some idea what the game is like to play, I have posted a video showing my own first experiences in the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8bUeAyWn9s

That combat was so slow I wanted to punch my dog to compensate

To be fair, there's few if any MMO's out there where the combat is going to look good at first level.

[Hawkbit]

It looks like White Knight Chronicles combat pace.  Hell, the whole thing looks like WKC.

[Cyrrex]

I'm thwarted by the patcher mini-game, so no open beta for me. Really, having a crashtastic patcher is not a good advert for your game.

I'm playing that same game.  It's even more fun when you think you downloaded the whole thing yesterday, then open the client up today only to have it hang there as if it is trying to update something.  You should get bonus xp for having to go through this process.

I'm also playing the F5 refresh minigame for the registration, and that hasn't dinged yet either.

[tmp]

Gotta love how their beta application page only tells you they aren't currently accepting new people only after you jump through hoops of logging in and whatnot. Nothing like free extra load on their account servers from all people trying to f5 their way in. 

[palmer_eldritch]

Do the characters have English accents in the cut scenes for north American players too? I'm wondering if they went as far as localising the voice acting for the UK.

[Velorath]

Do the characters have English accents in the cut scenes for north American players too? I'm wondering if they went as far as localising the voice acting for the UK.

I think the only cutscenes with voiceovers are at the start of the game.  At least those are the only ones I've come across.  Didn't really pay attention to the accents.

[Numtini]

The accents are English in the NA version.

I can't alt-tab out of the game or it crashes. The windowed resolutions don't take the bottom menu bar into account so you can't play full screen in a window. And at that, this all needs to be set outside of the game.

Graphics are pretty, but yes that test thing was accurate. Unplayable other than on low settings on the same PC where I can dual client Eve fleets with the graphics maxxed and 400 ships on screen. The gameplay itself. I'm in a clearing, there are two moaning victims of a crash. I clicked repeatedly and nothing happened. Then I clicked got a pointless cutscene and got dumped into a completely inexplicable battle system. No clue what I am supposed to do. So I'm off to play World of Tanks and wait for Earl.

This is really not impressive.

[Shatter]

But its beta!!