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MMO's on Switch.A great fit?

Asd202

Member
About FFXIV on Switch here are the minimum requirements for Stromblood:

.eJwFwdENhCAMANBdGIC2cBV0G4IETdQS2vu6uPu993PfebnNHWZDN4D91Cpz92oyS2--i_SrlXGqr3JDMSv1uNtjCsTEnHNcETl9CHmBiIlxpZQXDswpUoBAfjzdvX9WeiAs.s2AskMGoB-K6XV-Qe-V2Y2g-ngg


Space would be an issue from the get go also I don't know if it would ran well on Switch and seems like it would held the game back especially future expansion and stuff. I'm really not a fan of MMO on consoles can't shake the felling it's holding the game back.
 
The whole "Everything is perfect on Switch!!!" is getting out of hand....

I guess you're referring to the handheld mode of Switch, otherwise there's nothing that makes Switch special. In that case, you wouldn't use it to play a MMO outside as you'd need access to public wifi or data, which aren't ideal for a game that depends on ping that much. Not to mention that MMOs are usually something that takes up a lot of time, certainly enough to drain the console's battery... But even inside a house, supposing the wifi is good enough and you don't need an ethernet for a good experience, I feel that you're not doing a favor to yourself playing games full of different in-game windows on a small screen.

It's more than that, it's a really nice machine to play games on.
 

EDarkness

Member
About FFXIV on Switch here are the minimum requirements for Stromblood:

.eJwFwdENhCAMANBdGIC2cBV0G4IETdQS2vu6uPu993PfebnNHWZDN4D91Cpz92oyS2--i_SrlXGqr3JDMSv1uNtjCsTEnHNcETl9CHmBiIlxpZQXDswpUoBAfjzdvX9WeiAs.s2AskMGoB-K6XV-Qe-V2Y2g-ngg


Space would be an issue from the get go also I don't know if it would ran well on Switch and seems like it would held the game back especially future expansion and stuff. I'm really not a fan of MMO on consoles can't shake the felling it's holding the game back.

I have no doubt that the team behind FFXIV could get the game running and looking great on the NS. It shouldn't hold the game back at all. It has more than enough RAM and storage space wouldn't be an issue. It'd be awesome to see what they could do with that version. On top of that, they could have the pointer aspect of it taken care of, so all we'd need is a keyboard!
 

ksamedi

Member
The whole "Everything is perfect on Switch!!!" is getting out of hand....

I guess you're referring to the handheld mode of Switch, otherwise there's nothing that makes Switch special. In that case, you wouldn't use it to play a MMO outside as you'd need access to public wifi or data, which aren't ideal for a game that depends on ping that much. Not to mention that MMOs are usually something that takes up a lot of time, certainly enough to drain the console's battery... But even inside a house, supposing the wifi is good enough and you don't need an ethernet for a good experience, I feel that you're not doing a favor to yourself playing games full of different in-game windows on a small screen.

I am not very familiar with the specs needed to play MMOs but I am aware that some of them would not suit the Switch particularly well. 200GB of space is not realistic. Devs need to make it specifically for the Switch.
 

cw_sasuke

If all DLC came tied to $13 figurines, I'd consider all DLC to be free
If by MMO you mean MMORPG like WoW, then it would have to be a game built from the ground up A) for consoles (like FF14), and B) for Switch. Unfortunately Switch doesn't handle ports very well, and it would be a really unfortunate experience if an MMO turned out like the Dragon Quest Heroes games that have been ported.

Edit: also think about what a nightmare Nintendo's stance on party and chat would be for an MMO!
What the hell are you talking about? You realize that DQX will be on Switch right? Don't see how or what Nintendos stance on chats would have with a MMO.

Switch doesn't handle ports well couldn't be a more generic statement. Unless a Koei Tecmo launch port represents all 3rd Party efforts for the next 5 years for you.
 

ReaperXL7

Member
I haven't heard anything like that. Where did you hear it?

Either way, MMOs on non-PC systems haven't been all that popular. But nowadays even mobile phones start to get MMOs, so who knows. I definitely would love to play one again sometime.

This isn't accurate from my experience.

FFXIV, Elder Scrolls Online, DC Universe, Neverwinter, Onigiri, hell even Skyforge that just released all seem to have fairly healthy playerbases on PS4.

I don't think any of these companies have released solid numbers but MMOs on consoles seem plenty popular whenever I log into one.
 

Shamdeo

Member
Regarding FFXIV:

Putting aside performance questions, Nintendo would have to agree to allow Switch players the ability to play with PC, PS4, and Mac on the same servers. That's a big reason why the game hasn't come to Microsoft platforms - the director/producer wants everyone to play together rather than in separate bubble communities.
 

EDarkness

Member
Regarding FFXIV:

Putting aside performance questions, Nintendo would have to agree to allow Switch players the ability to play with PC, PS4, and Mac on the same servers. That's a big reason why the game hasn't come to Microsoft platforms - the director/producer wants everyone to play together rather than in separate bubble communities.

Dragon Quest X is coming to the system. It's a total non-issue.
 
Regarding FFXIV:

Putting aside performance questions, Nintendo would have to agree to allow Switch players the ability to play with PC, PS4, and Mac on the same servers. That's a big reason why the game hasn't come to Microsoft platforms - the director/producer wants everyone to play together rather than in separate bubble communities.

Nintendo is fairly hands off with this stuff. You can do whatever the fuck you want if you build it and test it yourself. There is definitely no Xbox live like situation when it comes to online features for Nintendo consoles.
 

cw_sasuke

If all DLC came tied to $13 figurines, I'd consider all DLC to be free
Regarding FFXIV:

Putting aside performance questions, Nintendo would have to agree to allow Switch players the ability to play with PC, PS4, and Mac on the same servers. That's a big reason why the game hasn't come to Microsoft platforms - the director/producer wants everyone to play together rather than in separate bubble communities.
How is that different from DQX that will be on PS4/PC/Switch by this year?
 

Wikzo

Member
I would love to see Nintendo do an MMO in their own way (like what they did with the shooting genre with Splatoon and the open-world genre with Zelda). To me, Animal Crossing and Pokémon seem like good candidates for MMOs on the Switch.
 
I've never played WoW, but in many ways FFXIV controls better with a controller than a keyboard. Analog thumbstick, for example, is better for movement than WASD. I also find quickly switching between skillbars to be easier with a controller than a keyboard.

The only classes I find rather difficult to play with a controller is Summoner and Scholar at higher levels, due to having to manually control a pet for best performance.

Also, everyone uses Discord or TS for voice chat in MMOs anyway, so the "LOL Nintendo and chatting!" concern is a non-issue too.
 

Eolz

Member
About FFXIV on Switch here are the minimum requirements for Stromblood:
.

Space would be an issue from the get go also I don't know if it would ran well on Switch and seems like it would held the game back especially future expansion and stuff. I'm really not a fan of MMO on consoles can't shake the felling it's holding the game back.

Considering that the official website and the new benchmark has different requirements, this really looks more like recommended requirements (despite what the top of the pic says).
The Switch is more powerful than the PS3 (even in handheld mode), I really doubt it couldn't run there. "Holding the game back" has always been a pretty bullshit argument considering the kind of game it is (it's an MMO that is not pushing much technically) and how other crossgen games didn't really hold games back. It's a matter of wanting to spend time and money on supporting a port or not, the only issue would be how limited the Switch port is in the end.
 
I have no doubt that the team behind FFXIV could get the game running and looking great on the NS. It shouldn't hold the game back at all. It has more than enough RAM and storage space wouldn't be an issue. It'd be awesome to see what they could do with that version. On top of that, they could have the pointer aspect of it taken care of, so all we'd need is a keyboard!
Aren't they dropping PS3 support with the new expansion? Wouldn't make sense to release themselves from the shackles of a mid-to-low spec console version (which they have been lamenting for quite some time), just to pick up yet another mid-spec console version.
I haven't played the game in a year and change but I'm pretty certain the community would be livid at the return of 'console limitations' so soon after Stormblood lol
 
What the hell are you talking about? You realize that DQX will be on Switch right? Don't see how or what Nintendos stance on chats would have with a MMO.

Switch doesn't handle ports well couldn't be a more generic statement. Unless a Koei Tecmo launch port represents all 3rd Party efforts for the next 5 years for you.

That's cool about DQX, I hadn't noticed any announcement about it. Is it coming to the US? Anyway, DQX proves my point exactly: it's a console-based MMO that originally shipped on the Wii. That type of game is a good fit for Switch,

A game like Final Fantasy XIV on the other hand isn't going to be a great fit. The game already runs not great on a PS4, how well do you think it will run on a Switch?

Maybe I'm generalizing too much when I say that the Switch doesn't handle ports very well, but until I'm proven wrong I'm not convinced that the Switch is great at running ports from PS4/XBO/PC. Part of the problem is simply the architecture of the system: Switch is running on an ARM system whereas the platforms I mentioned all run on x86 now.

As far as chat and party systems are concerned, those are pretty key aspects of any MMO game. And Nintendo has shown time and time again they can't deliver a good experience when it comes to that stuff. Maybe the Switch's solution will change that, but as of now it doesn't exist. Assuming it does ship and it's great, it's still running on your smartphone. How are you going to type chat messages back and forth while playing? Put your controller down, pick up your smartphone, and look away from the screen? You're not going to be hooking up a keyboard to the Switch (which you CAN do for FF14 on PS4), I promise you that! You might assume everyone will then simply use voice chat, but I doubt that will be ubiquitous as well. Finally, there's the whole double-charging aspect to consider: MMORPGs typically charge a monthly subscription which would be in addition to the subscription Nintendo requires to make use of online play. Of course maybe an MMO publisher will work out a deal with Nintendo to let non-Nintendo Plus (or whatever its called) members play but even then, those people won't have access to party or chat features.
 
Aren't they dropping PS3 support with the new expansion? Wouldn't make sense to release themselves from the shackles of a mid-to-low spec console version (which they have been lamenting for quite some time), just to pick up yet another mid-spec console version.
I haven't played the game in a year and change but I'm pretty certain the community would be livid at the return of 'console limitations' so soon after Stormblood lol

Aye. They've bribing PS3 players to upgrade to PS4 with discounts on that version.

I don't see FFXIV coming to the Switch, but I could actually see it getting the mobile release of FFXI or something.
 
Aren't they dropping PS3 support with the new expansion? Wouldn't make sense to release themselves from the shackles of a mid-to-low spec console version (which they have been lamenting for quite some time), just to pick up yet another mid-spec console version.
I haven't played the game in a year and change but I'm pretty certain the community would be livid at the return of 'console limitations' so soon after Stormblood lol

I have enjoyed my fair share of ps3 limitation jokes, but there is a bit of a gap in some crucial areas between a ps3 and what a switch is capable of, particularly when it comes to RAM.

But honestly, far to many issues were laid at the feet of the ps3 for being the way they are when the developers have repeatedly said it's because of server limitations over and over again. Luckily, they are finally addressing many of those issues come 4.0 with some much needed server enhancements

This is an MMO that is popular across Asia. They will NEVER escape the need to remain a game that needs to be highly scalable to some lower ends. The dropping of ps3 just meant they could finally bring up the requirements to standards that have long since been the norm on pc
 
Haven't played it, so you'll have to educate me. What is fundamentally different about WoW that it would be unplayable with a controller while FFXIV, ESO, DCUO, DQX, and several others are perfectly playable with one?

All those games were designed with consoles in mind. Generally speaking they require fewer skills on the hotbar, whereas to play WOW effectively you often need to install crazy UI mods to help manage all the skills you need to keep track of.

FF14 has a cool feature where you map 16 skills to the d-pad and face buttons, then switch to alternate hotbars with right and left triggers. That gives you easy access to about 32 (or is it 64, I forget) skills. Keep in mind this includes actions like your mount, menus, macros, crafting, etc. Thankfully FF14 was designed with this in mind and you don't need to use 101 skills to be effective.

There's also just the entire UI to consider. I'm sure Blizzard could hack together something but it would be a severely compromised experience. I think for an MMORPG to work on consoles, it needs to be designed to do so from the beginning as player input methods affect every aspect of the game.
 

Anteater

Member
Something like this on a 6 inches screen?
WoW-4.jpg


Good luck trying to read anything.

i'm actually curious what the UI would look like on that screen for ffxiv, but you know, the UI was huge as fuck on the ps3 beta before they patched it and the ui cluttered the entire screen for without showing much because it was using the game's native res (I think it was sub hd?) and people sorta lived with it, it might not contain as much information as a high res screen obviously but I'm thinking it should be functional
 

QisTopTier

XisBannedTier
Omfg

Please Square Enix

We need this on switch

Hell no we don't, the game just got away from the limitations of the ps3.

And why would anyone want to play a mmo in handheld form? That requires constant internet connection ...

Not having a lot of free time isn't gonna magically be remedied now that you are stuck tethered to your wifi 24/7.

If you didn't have the time to play one before you wont have the time to play one on a hand held
 

Eolz

Member
Maybe I'm generalizing too much when I say that the Switch doesn't handle ports very well, but until I'm proven wrong I'm not convinced that the Switch is great at running ports from PS4/XBO/PC. Part of the problem is simply the architecture of the system: Switch is running on an ARM system whereas the platforms I mentioned all run on x86 now.

DQX is sadly not coming to the west as far as we know.
You're indeed generalizing quite a bit about the Switch not handling ports well. You could look at Lego City, Snake Pass, the ports announced but not released yet, etc, but you'll probably either say "indie, doesn't count" (even though some can be really taxing), point out to a quick and bad port like DQH2, or say something just as ridiculous.
The architecture isn't an issue at all, but the hardware would be depending on what needs to be ported (just like Star Citizen couldn't be ported on PS4 Pro for example, even if the intention was there).


I don't see FFXIV coming to the Switch, but I could actually see it getting the mobile release of FFXI or something.

How weak do you think the Switch is? Seriously lol.

edit:
Can everyone play together? That's the point.

Yes. And Nintendo has been open to this kind of thing since a really long time now.
 

JustenP88

I earned 100 Gamerscore™ for collecting 300 widgets and thereby created Trump's America
Any game that ends up being a huge time sink is a game I want on the Switch.
 
Other points about FFXIV:

- UIs are scalable. The game can be played on a screen even smaller than the Switch. Vita's problems playing the game comfortably came more down to tiny sticks and buttons.
- Switch allows USB keyboards.
- Everyone uses 3rd party voice chat apps.
- The game runs perfectly fine on PS4.
- The PS3 held back FFXIV mostly because it only has 256mb of RAM. Obviously, the Switch has about an order of magnitude more memory than that.
- Double-charging subs and fragmented community is a made up concern with no basis. There's zero reason to believe that Nintendo would not allow Switch players to play with PC/PS4 players. DQX is precedent.

Storage space is definitely a concern though. 60gb as of Stormblood is massive and a barrier.
 

joecanada

Member
Am I the only one who did a double take when op said not much time to game and mmo ? Mmo is like the worst type of game if you have little time or are their MMOs that play well in short bursts?
 

bomblord1

Banned
Hell no we don't, the game just got away from the limitations of the ps3.

And why would anyone want to play a mmo in handheld form? That requires constant internet connection ...

Not having a lot of free time isn't gonna magically be remedied now that you are stuck tethered to your wifi 24/7.

If you didn't have the time to play one before you wont have the time to play one on a hand held

I'm not sure about everyone else but with the only exception being while driving I'm in a location with wifi at any given point during the day.
 
Haven't played it, so you'll have to educate me. What is fundamentally different about WoW that it would be unplayable with a controller while FFXIV, ESO, DCUO, DQX, and several others are perfectly playable with one?
I'm not sure how it works in those games. Looking at FFXIV it appears you cycle through ability sets, then use multiple button presses at the same time to use the right ability (L2 or R2 with the d-pad or face buttons). How do you target allies? How easy is it to move, select different allies, and use abilities at the same time?

When raid healing I'm moving (a mix of wasd+qe and toggling autorun with the middle mouse button), changing the camera (mouse), jumping (space bar), targeting different allies (mouse) or enemies (tab targeting), while using up to 20-30 abilities or items (number keys, clique bindings). It's very hard to imagine how this all would work with a keyboard without the game being changed to accommodate controllers.
 

QisTopTier

XisBannedTier
I'm not sure how it works in those games. Looking at FFXIV it appears you cycle through ability sets, then use multiple button presses at the same time to use the right ability (L2 or R2 with the d-pad or face buttons). How do you target allies? How easy is it to move, select different allies, and use abilities at the same time?

When raid healing I'm moving (a mix of wasd+qe and toggling autorun with the middle mouse button), changing the camera (mouse), jumping (space bar), targeting different allies (mouse) or enemies (tab targeting), while using up to 20-30 abilities or items (number keys, clique bindings). It's very hard to imagine how this all would work with a keyboard without the game being changed to accommodate controllers.

Up and down on the dpad to target party members, left and right to target monsters.

Some people got really good at it, but to me it's no where near as effective in the long run.


The game has it so you auto face the direction you press so no need to flick the camera around and stuff.
 

NolbertoS

Member
I haven't played an MMO since the PSO days, but if Blizzard and SE can make it work on the Switch, obviously building up the game from the ground up using Switch controls would be possible and a gold mine. Now as I'm typing this I can see a Blizzard and SE rep reading this and talking about it in their next company meeting. Also worse case scenario, Nintendo switch would have a keyboard attachment similar to the GC one for PSO. Portable MMO's could see more resurgence in the console arena. Would kill for an EverQuest revival.
 
Back when I played FFXI the console players were a blight to the game that held it back. The last thing I'd have wanted is a handheld to hold it back even further.

Good luck having an MMO work on something with the built in space of a switch.
 
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