So I thought I'd give the beta application another bash since I have some time to kill, and actually got through the many hoops they throw in your way.
I then, after much searching, actually managed to find the client (you'd think they'd have a link for that once you're signed up, huh?). So far so good right? Wrong. I double clicked the installer and was greeted with this:

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/8624/wtfsquare.jpg
 
I didn't realise any developer, whether PC is their main platform or not, could be this incompetent. It's a well known tactic for tech savy PC users to intentionally have their system partition very small, generally just enough for the OS and a few programs, in order to keep file defragmentation down. It also keeps all system files on the inside edge of the disk, keeping loading times down. So Square-Enix, in their infinite wisdom, make it so that you have to install the game to the system partition?
 
I've said in a previous post that I'm actually not too bothered about the game, I was just interested to see where they've taken the franchise. However, this complete lack of any sort of thought, and complete abundance of stupidity really gets on my nerves.

They also cant handle the concept of optimization. The first FF mmo had the same issue's with never quite run as it should. Its almost like they say PC spec's be damned, we will just make it random.

Wow, that's just awful.

I'm not super tech savvy. What would this mean if you're on a mac and your windows itself is on a partition?

" I'm not super tech savvy. What would this mean if you're on a mac and your windows itself is on a partition? "

I remember Supreme Commander having this exact issue at one point.

" I remember Supreme Commander having this exact issue at one point. "

"in order to keep file defragmentation down. It also keeps all system files on the inside edge of the disk, keeping loading times down. "

" @Dedodido said:

"in order to keep file defragmentation down. It also keeps all system files on the inside edge of the disk, keeping loading times down. "

Don't you mean "keep file fragmentation down"? And isn't having system files on the outside edge of the disk better because of something in basic geometry from which I forgot the proper terminology (I think it's Constant Angular Velocity) where the outside part of a disk spins "faster" than the inside part? "

this is really bad for people like me that have an average of 2GB or available on there windows participation

" @Dedodido: How many people use that EXACT avatar holy fuck, are you the same person just making multiple accounts this can't be a coincidence. "

i am really kind of not amused with ff14.. how can it run so shitty on a quad core with specs that dwarfs the system specs. why does it constantly have direct x problems (i reinstalled direct x so maybe that will fix it. will update on that later today maybe. crashes are still common from what i have seen with my playtime last night before server downtime).
 
battle system seems ok but so far class structure seems odd.  
movement of everything seems really clunky, more so than 11 did.  
anyone else notice missing or lots of bugged animation? 
quest system seems out of place or not fully fleshed out. 
partyin so far seems pointless since the guildleves all allow for solo play.  
mobs have terrible range between total stupidity and genius reactions. 
difference in exp/skill point progression per mob seems wildly varied. 
map is terrible and really clunky. not to mention hard to read.
classes dont seem to have the purpose they had in 11. hard to really see how a class is meant to be played (other than previous knowledge of mmo game structure). 
audio is very hit or miss.. at first it all seems to be well voiced, then all the sudden you are reading everything.  
menu system is not well structured or explained.  
crashes crashes crashes...
 
jeez by all that it sounds like i hate it.. i really don't. i guess it amounts to this game being in dev for 5 years and just doesn't feel done enough to think of releasing now. just feels like it is missing the heart of 11 or something. i know this is a beta, but i can't see most of this being much different in the 20 or so days before release. i played 11 for years and i have some really high hopes for this one, but like i said.. it feels hollow right now. after 5 yars though at least it looks pretty. =/

This game has one of the clunkiest, most horribly poorly thought out and backwards user interface I have seen in a long time. I recall reading somewhere that they didn't pay attention to other MMO's like WoW, but God damn they should have. Also, you can't jump.

" @Dedodido: I won't call myself a super tech guy but I have always set my windows partition between 100-150GB from a 1 TB HDD. Is it really that much of a difference loading wise? "

" @Dedodido: How many people use that EXACT avatar holy fuck, are you the same person just making multiple accounts this can't be a coincidence. "

Ever since the old Final Fantasy games, S-E have never really got PC porting down. My advice: show your discontent; don't buy the PC version of the game.

 @Dedodido:  Save yourself the trouble and avoid this terrible game.  I downloaded it and installed it, it was uninstalled in less than 15 minutes.
 
Everything about it is bad.  OK, the graphics can be pretty, but the game runs like shit.

 I didn't realise any developer, whether PC is their main platform or not, could be this incompetent. It's a well known tactic for tech savy PC users to intentionally have their system partition very small, generally just enough for the OS and a few programs, in order to keep file defragmentation down. It also keeps all system files on the inside edge of the disk, keeping loading times down. So Square-Enix, in their infinite wisdom, make it so that you have to install the game to the system partition?

MMO+Final Fantasy+Square Enix+PC=Obvious Disaster. 
And lucky you,I can't even log in to get the fucking client itself,and said screw this,I have better things to do than play a Final Fantasy MMO.

I'm absolutely loving it, but I was also a longterm FFXI player.   It's an absolutely gorgeous game with an amazing soundtrack, I enjoy just walking around enjoying both of those a great deal.  Even if you hate the game, I'd recommend picking up the soundtrack when it is available.  I find the gameplay pretty fun, with a more streamlined version of job-changing that made FFXI so much fun.   
 
The UI issues are easily worked around by using a gamepad to play it.  Yeah okay, you may not prefer playing an MMO that way, but that's just the ideal way to play it, generally was the case for FFXI as well.  You can wait to play it on PS3 if it bothers you that much, but it's really quite trivial to set it up on the computer.   
 
 My one big complaint was the horrible downloader/patcher client, but hopefully they fix that by launch.  I ended up just downloading it from another source and manually patching, cause it was MUCH faster than SE's shitty patching software.  Hopefully that'll be fixed by launch.   
 
Otherwise, really no complaints at all, except that I have to reboot to my windows partition to play it.  Sad the PS3 one is so far down the line.

It was said by the developers that the game still had "critical bugs" a month before its launch. The beta registration process was a nightmare. Most people couldn't get into the "open" beta until a week after its launch. Many of those that did suffered from severe performance issues, either through the download client or the game itself. And now this. 
 
I'd have to agree with the OP.