Check out the hottest discussions from the previous week in the FFXIV General Forum.

Patch 1.19 is upon us, and there's hardly been a better time to be an Eorzean! We've got chocobos to ride, and airships to fly on. More quests, more leves, company membership, more UI options... need I go on? The impact of this patch has even been felt in the forums, which have been rather abuzz since the patch went live Tuesday night. That said, some people had negative points to make about Patch 1.19 (imagine that!). Heck, even a gaming journalist had bad things to say about FFXIV during the past couple weeks, although he didn't wait for Patch 1.19 to arrive before drawing his conclusions. This week's Hot Read Thursday is centered on these discussions.

On with the links:

Title: What the Heck Happened to Combat?

The original poster in this thread states that combat in FFXIV is far more difficult since the implementation of Patch 1.19. His claim is meant with mixed reactions, with most replies stating that combat has only become somewhat difficult, but in a way that it should be. Personally, I'm glad that battles are being made to be challenging, because let's face it -- fighting in this game was way too easy prior to the patch. To everyone who thinks combat is suddenly way too hard, I say give yourself some time to adjust, and don't forget about materia. Remember, the game is balanced now for people having materia attached to their gear!

Title: Partying / Combat / Patch Notes - Things I've Read

This thread is a pretty good counter to the "What the Heck Happened to Combat" thread posted above. Changes to the battle system have been among the biggest talking points since Patch 1.19, but I really think people just need more time to get used to these changes. Also, anyone who is dismayed by these changes must remember the game we're playing is still in development. It's going to change even more, so don't get too entrenched in any gear, class or craft until SE starts charging subscriptions.

Title: MMORPG.com Revisits FFXIV

How many of you would consider writing a restaurant review based on your apetizer but not the main course? Well, MMORPG.com decided to revisit FFXIV just days before Patch 1.19 was to be implemented. Shockingly, the reviewer gave the game a low score, citing many of the factors the Web site cited a year ago. Yeah, the game launched to early. Yeah, it has problems. Blah blah blah-blahbety blah. But seriously, MMORPG.com couldn't wait one more weak to witness the changes brought by Patch 1.19? As someone who plays FFXIV, I'm getting a little hired of hearing complaints from 2010 that aren't really as valid in 2011. All the MMORPG.com guy has to say is "the game needs an auction house, linkshell tools and a party search function." See, how hard was that?