My saga with trying to play beta contains gems as wrong links sent on emails, web pages not working over days, trying to download now for over 36 hours (only 25% done). And after the comment of some people playing the beta, I think you maybe right, and I think they have missed a golden opportunity.
 

I ended up having to download the patch from another source and copying it into the folder. I think I found the instructions on the FFXIVcore website in their technical support forums.
 

Mine also appears to be stuck at that same percentage. I think they just didn't send that particular piece out to anyone.
 

Some people apparently could download the last 5.2% and put the whole patch file on FFXIVcore. But now the server is down for "emergency maintenance".
 

This comment has been removed by the author.
 

Square Enix is definitely learning hard lessons here. As soon as the NDA drops, it's a marketing beta whether they like it or not.
 

I canceled mine before the beta downloader fiasco as there were already enough reasons to do so - but this has certainly confirmed my fears once more. =/
 

I'm really starting to like FF14. I wish my computer was better though to really show off those graphics. I'm a huge FF fan though so it isn't a surprise. (never played FF11 due to Army)

I totally understand that it turns people off though. The controls are very difficult to master, and even then you're not sure who the master is. From what I've been reading SE left some controls out during the beta for some reason.

As for the patcher SE patcher is corrupting the file for MOST people when you go through their patcher. FFXIV Origins has a down load and walk through for the work around.

http://www.ffxivorigin.com/
 

It's pretty bad. Their "open beta", which as you know means "free trial" in this industry, is becoming more and more of a PR disaster as almost everyone reacts negatively to the gameplay. No one at PAX actually playing it yesterday seemed very excited or bought in.
 

I can't imagine that absolutely not being able to play will leave a significantly better impression on people than playing and finding out that FFXIV is really bad. It would be like going into a car dealership for a test drive and the car doesn't start.

Because car analogies are as inevitable as Godwin's Law.
 

The patches I think stop in the last 2 percent because once you have 100 percent you install it and the patcher deletes the downloaded file. So no one has the completed file to share with others.
 

Try it again with a PS3 gamepad - it's worth playing it with the proper interface.

http://www.ffxivorigin.com/content/using-ps3-gamepad-final-fantasy-xiv-141/