FFXIV Windower (Square is Lazy)

Sorry, another XIV rant... but this is getting over the top.

Apparently there's a version of Windower, a popular set of extensions for Final Fantasy XI, that is now available for XIV. The sad thing is, all it does is fix things that shouldn't be there in the first place: Windower XIV allows hardware mouse support, allows you to alt-tab in fullscreen mode without crashing the game, keeps it from crashing when you come up against something UAC related, and makes the game run faster than it does on it's own.

Seriously? Seriously?! Come on, Square, your game hasn't even launched yet and already people are fixing things that should've been fixed long before the final stage of the beta (and I wouldn't be shocked if these things aren't fixed by the time the game officially releases). Worse yet, if it's like XI, they'll punish you (through suspensions or bans) for using any sort of third party programs.

Only in Square's MMO world are burns and powerleveling allowed, things typically illegal in an MMO, and the most innocuous of third party applications a bannable offense. The fatigue system is supposed to cater to casuals, but XIV requires high specs to run, and tools that make the game more palatable aren't allowed. WoW, on the other hand, by having lower requirements and allowing third party tools at the users discretion, is hugely popular with casuals, telling us either SE doesn't understand the fanbase it's aiming for, or the whole "catering to casuals" is just an excuse to keep you from leveling too quick for whatever reason, buying themselves endgame time or just trying to keep you around longer.

I've heard Square Enix referred to as lovable "mad professors," trying to be "innovative," but is it possible maybe they're a massive corporation who could care less about the little guy when they know their legions of fans will clean up and run interference for them? Fanboys can't even entertain the notion SE is just as shady as, say, Microsoft, and I'm sure simply comparing SE to MS would set some of them into a raaaage, hah hah.

I'm not knocking FFXIV. I'm stoked for it, I really am. I've sank money into a video card upgrade as well as the Limited Edition. But it's inexcusable the way SE has been handling itself lately, and it's perfectly okay for us to admit that. We don't have to blindly defend every single one of their actions, to pass off every flaw as intentional and brilliant, to be fans. If we do, then we've just become drones.