That's right folks! It's the moment you've all been waiting for, finally Square Enix has announced on The Official FFXIV site that Beta Applications are now being accepted. You can enter your application on The Official Beta Application site.
One of the things I want everyone to note about the Beta Application is the NDA agreement put in place by Square Enix for beta testers. You can find out all the information on it in the fine print of the disclosure on the beta application. Read it carefully and do not break it! It basically says that you are not to publish or disclose any information on the FFXIV beta period. That means no posting screen shots, no telling people about the game itself, not even giving your opinion! Please keep true and adhere to this disclosure should you enter into FFXIV beta.
The Application itself asks you a number of different questions, starting with the basics (your name and address) and a bit more about your life (when you are free to play beta, how much you could play beta, what kind of work you do) etc. It also asks you other MMORPG related questions, like if you played FFXI and if so what some of your info is, how long you played it, etc. Fear not though! This beta isn't just for previous FFXI players (although I do admit I hope they get priority) anyone can sign up and have a chance to enter in the beta! So what are you waiting for?! Get over there and fill out your application!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Beta Signups Underway!
"The Campaign Code"
Recently rumors have spread about a code being issued in copies of the Japanese Final Fantasy XIII game (The new offline installment in the Final Fantasy RPG Universe). For awhile it was speculated upon what this code might be used for or what it might mean. The final conclusion that most had imagined ended up coming true in the end after all. The code will be used for two things, a special in game item for those who purchased the Japanese version of Final Fantasy XIII and a code to enter for a chance to play in the Playstation 3 Beta Test.
This got me wondering where our beta chances were, and where our special in game items would be. I fear not though, as I have believed for awhile now, if you trasfer over to FFXIV from FFXI, you will most likely be given some kind of in game item to show your diligence to Square Enix MMORPG's. Perhaps even a way to show how long you played FFXI? Because let's be real, I don't want some one who played for 3 months to have the same doo-dad on their character showing that they played FFXI, as my 6 year old character would sport around. This doesn't mean they shouldn't get something to though. My idea was perhaps a cape, one with different colors or perhaps a different emblem showing you played FFXI for 6+ months, 1+ years, 2+ years, 3+ years, etc.
I think this would be something very nice for the people who have shown Square Enix their dedication for many years. It doesn't have to give any big bonuses or what not, just a fluff item to show you've been around and know your stuff. Hell, I think it would even be neat to add one for folks who participate in the Beta. I really do hope these things come to pass, and if I had to bet I'd bet that they will! But what about the folks purchasing the English or other copies of Final Fantasy XIII? Well, only time will tell! I can say one thing though. Playstation 3 beta has been confirmed from Square Enix themselves to be implemented after the PC Beta Test versions. I imagine this code or any other like it will be for some of the final stages of beta, so don't fret my friends! Your chances will soon come.
For more information, check out Elmers article on Zam!
FFXIV Site Updated!
The Official FFXIV Site has been updated with all new information about Gladiator and Pugilist as well as some new pictures!!! 
Wow! Some exciting new armor, as well as some great new information on some of the weapons that will be used. This is some great new information, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. Be sure to check it all out on the official site!
Follow-Up Answers from the interview with FFXIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka
This interview done by FFXIVcore, credit goes to them, and you can check the original source right here. As the title implies, these are some follow up questions & answers done by FFXIVcore e-mailed to Square Enix and E-Mailed back to FFXIVcore. I particularly enjoyed the little bit about the female Roegadyn and Male Miqo'Te.
Q1: Will we be able to fly somehow either by ourselves free roaming or scheduled transport airships like in FFXI?
A: At present, we have no plans for free-form aerial movement for players. We are, however, looking into a number of different types of flying transportation.
Q2: How will player run guild/linkshells work? What features can we expect and what benefits can a guild/linkshell get through progression if any?
A: For the time being, we are still keeping this information secret. But, we are very adamant about creating an entirely novel system.
Q3: Will the races hold the same benefits as they did previously in FFXI, or will the stat bonuses be different and play a larger role? In addition, will faction choice play a bigger role? In FFXI we had separate mission lines and friendly competitions such as ballista. Will we see something similar or something dramatically different than FFXI system for different factions?
A: The bonuses among races will be of a different variety than those seen in FFXI. But players need not be concerned with this when choosing a race based on aesthetics.
There is also an element of freedom in that players will not pledge their allegiance to a single city-state. This means that the guildleves or skills available will differ region to region, which all being accessible. Of course, this applies quests as well.
Q4: Will the artifact story line quests return for each class from FFXI? If not, will similar quest lines carry on a system of “right of passage� such as limit break quests?
A: Character development along the lines of the Armoury system and skill levels will incorporate familiar concepts from FFXI as well as entirely new elements.
Q5: What do you expect the cap level to be in FFXIV at the start and/or at the end?
A: This has yet to be decided. We will be setting the level cap after looking at the Beta phase results and other considerations.
Q6: Will there be a cooldown timer or anything that limits how often we can change class?
A: There is no real concept of static "classes" in the traditional sense. Rather, there may be somewhat of a restriction placed on the changing of weapons or tools mid-combat.
Q7: Will there be something like a Mog House? Maybe this time around we will have an actual HOUSE, and not a little tiny room!
A: Nothing is set in stone yet. There are a number of possibilities that we are still looking into.
Q8: Limit Breaks were powerful combat moves featured in several Final Fantasy titles. In FFXI we saw Weapon Skills and Magic Burst. Do you have any plans to include a similar system in FFXIV?
A: This has not been decided at this time. But it's safe to say that players can expect to see a completely new and revolutionary system.
Q9: Are there any plans to add female Roegadyn and male Miqo'te?
A: Well, the character model designs are finished... But further details regarding their implementation have yet to be decided.
Q10: Will this FFXIV be more "new person friendly" than FFXI was? (Once everyone had been playing for years, it was hard for new people who started to be able to play, even with the "level sync" system that was added in later. Not to mention, finding armors/weapons in the Auction House was nearly impossible for new players. Barely anyone used the "mentor" system in FFXI either, or rather, there were barely any hosts.)
A: We are developing in-depth introductory tutorials for new players. We are also designing the game while keeping in mind those users who enjoy playing solo, as well as those who can only log in for short periods of time. There will also be plenty of content for newcomers.
But, on the other hand, there will also be complex battles requiring large numbers of people for players more interested in content of that nature.
Our main goal is really to create a variety of ways in which to enjoy the game.
Q11: Will mobs actually drop armors/weapons like most MMOs or is FFXIV going to be like FFXI where you can only obtain these in Auction House or Crafting, or Raids?
A: The complete details of this are still undecided.
As in FFXI and other MMORPGS, some monsters will drop armor and weapons. However, items that drop in this manner are always a target for RMT exploitation. So to avoid any kind of player exclusion, most instances of these drops will yield items which cannot be passed between players.
To put it broadly, there will be a number of ways available to obtain a number of different items.
Q12: Is crafting still going to be an integral and value added portion of the game and somewhat prohibitive so that a selected dedicated few will feel like they are part of the economy and adventuring aspects? (Crafting and not adventuring usually keeps me hooked)
A: Players who wish to do so will be able to fully enjoy the game using only their crafting skills.
The same can be said not only for those wishing to specialize solely in synthesis of items, but those who prefer combat or the gathering of materials as well. All of these types of players will be important to the game world.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Famitsu - Some Q's & A's.
New information from Famitsu was just released with information about some of the new updates we just saw to the FFXIV site, and more! Credit for this writeup goes to Elmer from over at Zam.com, and of course original content provided by Famitsu Magazine of Japan. 
A new Famitsu came out with a nice spread on Final Fantasy XIV. While working on it, Square Enix posted all the new info on their official FFXIV site. Check it out for new information on some classes and monsters as well as a look into the life of a crafter in Eorzea. What I'm going to do now, is pick out information from some of the Q&A sessions sprinkled throughout the article, which didn't make the cut.
The first Q&A was about the trailer from Tokyo Game Show 2009. As the trailer depicts early on, the story for every adventurer will begin in Eorzea and all players will start wihtin one of the city-states. The bar scenes you see will also have a place in the game. Each city-state will have its own establishments, such as pubs and guilds. These places will serve an important purpose, one being a place to obtain Guildleves. The battle scene on the boat has been a subject of interest, and the developers confirm that battles against multiple enemies will be an aspect of FFXIV that players can look forward too. Another thing players can get excited about is hearing the fast-paced battle music from the trailer in-game as well. The track, as well as several others, are ready to be used as music during fights.
The next mini-interview spoke of weapons. Just as the description of Lancer implies, the reach and attack range for a character will change depending on the weapon they use. Polearms will allow players to attack from "out range," which most likely refers to a distance just outside melee range. Lancers will also have access to throwing Javelins. The developers state that they are considering characters being able to wield two weapons at once. However, in this particular case, the Javelin will most likely take the form of a throwing weapon, as see in FFXI. Each class will be given more variety by virtue of what throwing weapons they have available to them, one example being the claim that Archers have skill at "rock throwing."
The third and final set of questions focused on crafting. As in FFXI, food in Eorzea will have an effect on the stats of adventurers. The plan is to have a wide variety of foods that can benefit individuals in a myriad of ways. In order to craft, a player will first and foremost need the proper tool. Then, depending on the recipe, they need the ingredients and the corresponding crystal. There will also be many instances where certain equipment is required. And finally, requirements such as crafting support in FFXI will also be needed in some cases. Once a crafter produces their goods and is ready to sell, there will be a market, but no details were given at this time.
Another aspect of crafting will be repairing weapons. As a weapon is used, it will deteriorate, and the abilities of that weapon will gradually decrease as well. Certain crafters will be called upon to repair these items. However, crafters themselves must be careful, because even their tools are subject to wear and tear. As a final note, the developers note that there may be tools specific to different races. However, they do not wish to separate the races too much, so any differences will not have a prohibitive affect on game play.
FFXIV Official Website Updated!
Ohh joyous times, once again Square Enix has updated the FFXIV official website with a plethora of new information, in fact it's so much new information that sadly I'm not going to be able to copy and paste every last photo and detail, but hopefully I can give you a rundown of what we have just learned. Most importantly I recommend you check out The official FFXIV website for all the photo's and detailed articles on this new information.
With this update we see more details and information as well new never before seen photo's of the classes and official names for them in english! Not only that, but new information on the beasts of Eorzea as well. Not to mention what you might can expect in the daily life of a Eorzean!
The Classes
So far it quite obvious Square Enix isn't completely done adding all the classes to the website and information involved with them. So far however, we know there will be four different kinds of "disciplines", and classes within them. Whether there will be advanced classes to those or not is anyone's guess, as of now at least.
The Disciplines and Classes within them are listed below:
Disciples of War
Archer
Gladiator
Lancer
Marauder
Pugilist
Will we see more? I'm guessing most likely. When we take a look at the Disciples of War and can see the token "Bow user, Great Axe user, Sword and Shield user, Fist Fighter, Polearm user, etc. But what about our Dark Knights? Our Scythe weilders, our what about our duel handers, most importantly being a Theif/Assassin type? What about or Ninja's and Samurai's? As I said earlier, while this remains a bit blurry I would imagine at the very least you will be seeing a dagger and scythe user. So I have to say this section is most likely not done yet, and there will be more added.
Disciples of Magic
Thaumaturge
As you can see this list isn't anywhere near complete. They've only got one class up under this listing so far, and no information on it is up as well. This is far from complete, so look forward to new updates on the FFXIV site soon enough.
That being said, what of the Disciples of Magic? So far all we know about is the Thaumaturge. In FFXI a Thaumaturge actually does make an appearance, although it is in the form of a Dynamis monster. What kind of monster was it you ask? A black mage! And from the looks of this fellows attire I would say it's not going far out on a limb to say that's more or less what he will be. There are arguments stating that Thaumaturge can mean some one who is a summoner, but when you look closely at what a black mage is, they are one who "summons" the spirits of the elements to use for fighting. So again, this is a bit more controversial and up for discussion, however I'd guess from all things said it is a black mage. But will we have summoners?
What about the other magic classes? Most likely yes! Almost every MMORPG follows the trend of adding a summoner type job, and the earlier Final Fantasy games are no exceptions, so I'm sure you can expect to see them around. Not only that but we can all guess that there will of course be your obligatory "White Mage/Cleric/Healing class" as well as your hybrid "Red Mage" class. After that, again, it becomes more blurry and open for discussion.
Disciples of the Hand
Blacksmith
Alchemist
Culinarian
Tanner
Weaver
When we take a look at the disciples of the hand we see Square Enix is going with the same type of crafting professions you might see in FFXI, of course with more emphasis on them as actual jobs and not just side crafts. But it is obvious they are sticking to the core roots. One thing we see missing from the Disciples of the hand though, and quite possibly the only thing we are not seeing having seen from FFXI is of course, the wood-worker, or what you might be calling a Carpenter. So expect to see that added in very soon. Will there be more than just Carpenter added though? At this point it is hard to say. While I can almost completely assure you that you will be seeing the Carpenter, anything beyond that is more "up in the air" and not as certain. All we can do for now is stay tuned and wait for more information.
Disciples of the Land
Botanist
So far this is the only class they've released under the Disciples of the Land section. Of course we know more will be introduced soon though. When we take a look at the Disciples of the Land things become a bit more blurry, although we can still see the general direction they are going. Most likely it will be similar to FFXI as well, having classes like Lumberjack, Harvester, Angler, Miner, etc. However one more thing has been up for discussion lately, and that is what if there is a true master of hunting? Not a Ranger mind you, as we see already they will be had in the form of Archers. But perhaps a class that traps and scavenges for lesser monster/animals? Only time will tell.
So what can we expect to see in future updates regarding the different classes? Well it's pretty easy to see where Square Enix is going with this, and you're in luck because of my many years experience playing FFXI. It's quite obvious while they are using a new "system" to implement things, there will be some classes you can bet your last penny on.
As far as classes and disciplines go, that is what you can most likely expect to see in FFXIV, and in future updates, so let's move on to the new Monsters!
We see some new monsters being added to FFXIV, some familiar, some not so familiar, but the most interesting part is the bit on how monsters will have different sexes (male/female). Which monsters will fall under these categories? Some? Most? All?! And what does it mean? No one knows yet! All we can do is stay tuned. So far the monsters listed on the FFXIV site are:
Ahriman
Antelope
Cactaur
Opo-Opo
Ogre
Mammet
Puk
Raptor
Aldgoat
Morbol
Be sure and check the Bestiary on the official FFXIV website for more information!
After all is said about the new monsters and classes and the information with them, we take a look at the other new update to the official FFXIV website, "Lifestyle". This section is very interesting and talks about the circle of life in Eorzea. From disciples of the land providing the goods, disciples of war hunting them, and disciples of the hand crafting them into what they need, to the joys of versatility and capitalism.
Lot's of great new information on the Official FFXIV website for everyone to read, so be sure to check it out!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Game Watch Interview with Tanaka & Komoto.
Credit for this article and writeup goes to Eorzeapedia. These pictures are not mine, and belong to Eorzeapedia, Game Watch, and Square Enix, LTD. I am simply posting the information. Enjoy.
A surprise interview! GAME Watch got to spend a little bit of time with both Producer Hiromichi Tanaka and Director Nobuaki Komoto at Tokyo Game Show this past week. The two dropped by Makuhari Messe for the interview, which was conducted in the public lobby area. They talked about the trailer and the upcoming beta as well! Click to read more of this rather extensive interview.
The Trailer
Once again, they say that the setting is not science fiction, but high fantasy. They are making the game with fantasy in mind, but presenting it in a much prettier way than has been done before. The attention to detail is evident with the high quality images you can see in the trailer.
Ship heading for port in the FFXIV TGS 2009 Trailer
Near the beginning of the trailer, there is a scene with adventurers coming into port. This was done to visually show the idea behind how the game will start. Komoto says you can think of it as the prologue for Limsa Lominsa. Being a port town, new players will start their adventure coming into town by sea. Other towns will be different but further information isn’t available because they are still working on the prologue scenes for the other two starting city-states.
People on the forums have been wondering how much of the new trailer is pre-rendered and how much is done in real time. The answer Komoto gives is a little confusing. If you talk about the length, then the stuff done in real time is longer. However, if you talk more about the elements used to make up the trailer, the pre-rendered material wins out by just a smudge. There are scenes that switch between the two in the trailer and they are very proud of how it came out. It’s hard for even them to tell which is which. It’s also best not to pay too much attention to the order of the scenes. Komoto says the ones towards the end with the fight in the sky between Magitek are scenes that aren’t actually related to each other. The interviewer also asked if there would be psychic powers as a skill in the game due to the addition of Magitek. Komoto says even if there was such a skill, it would be called something else and it’s hard to make a distinction between psychic powers and magic.
The music playing in the trailer was made by Nobuo Uematsu. The scenes and the music used in the trailer have nothing to do with each other when it comes to how the tracks will be used in the actual game. The track from the first part of the trailer will be used in cutscenes while the second track is for battles.
The Game
The demo shown off at gamescom represented a game that isn’t even 50% complete yet. They worked on it to the last minute. It wasn’t so much about wanting to show off something at gamescom specifically but that the timing was right for them. As for nothing be available at TGS, the company’s decision was to focus on FFXIII. Rather than being unhappy about this, Tanaka says he was more relieved than anything. They really didn’t know how the gamescom demo would go since they didn’t have experience with showing off a game at this stage in development. They didn’t know how users in Germany would accept it. It sounds like they also had technical problems getting the demo to play on machines there.
Director Komoto says to expect changes between that demo and how things turn out in the end. Even Final Fantasy XI had changes to the final product when compared with its beta. While the user interface doesn’t look much like what people are familiar with in FFXI, it was inspired by the game. For example, the abilities that you set at the bottom were inspired by the macros you would create and set in FFXI. They haven’t decided the maximum number of abilities you can register yet. Tanaka laughs when recalling that some people think that the 200 possible slots in FFXI aren’t enough. Also not included in the demo was the ability to do skillchains, which will also be a part of FFXIV. However, due to a different battle system, the way skillchains are done is also expected to change drastically. There may be a way to do solo skillchains in the future, but for now they are focusing on chains you have to build with other people.
They then get into party dynamics and battle strategies. It will be very important to think about your position and the timing of attacks during battle. The enemies can also be in parties so you have to take that under consideration as well. This was something they wanted to show with the guildleves made available at gamescom. In FFXI, players primarily pulled back enemies one at a time and thought about how to do that without nearby enemies linking. For FFXIV, however, you have to think more about how to deal with an entire party of enemies. If you pull one, then many times the rest of them will come to fight as well. You have to learn how to deal with “many-versus-many” type fights. Sometimes you’ll find yourself in situations where you can just pull one enemy though.
There is still no official decision on the maximum number of players or enemies that can be in one party. However, they don’t want to make set patterns with the number of people in a party like with what happened in FFXI. Rather than saying that a party can have a maximum of six people, they want the system to be flexible enough that if you have two people, that’s ok, and if you have three, that’s ok too. That said, there won’t be any bonuses for having a certain number of players in your party as well. For example, sometimes you could get an exp bonus in FFXI depending on the number of people in your party and other factors. FFXIV is more about the difference in the level between you and what you are fighting rather than the difference in levels amongst players.
The interviewer also brought up the fact that you can brandish your weapon and walk into town during the middle of battle. According to Komoto, there are some people who don’t like the idea. However, there are also some who argue for it. For example, your movement speed changes when you brandish your weapon. They can also make differences in how you recover depending on whether your weapon is out or not. The combination of being able to pull out your weapon anywhere with a largely seamless world also allows them to do other things not possible in FFXI. For example, you could bring your fight into town. It may not happen frequently, but Komoto says it’s a definite possibility. 
The Classes
The first thing the interviewer asks about the classes in FFXIV is how they came up with the idea. It was partially inspired by Komoto’s own experience with FFXI wishing he could be an adventurer based just on the crafting and gathering elements. Then they started to divide out the different types of classes based on what you’d want during battle, like a magic user or a swordsman. Breaking them into different groups led to the creation of the Armoury System. You’ll be able to change your class just by changing your weapon. However, if you change to a weapon you aren’t skilled with, you will become weaker than if you had changed to a weapon you are skilled with.
The number of classes we’ll see at the start of service isn’t set yet. However, they do think they will add classes with version updates rather than with major expansions like they did with FFXI.
In prior interviews, they talked about how it will be important to set and decide roles during battle. They hint on that again with more information on how classes work. Some classes will be more suited to certain roles than others. For example, some classes might be better at tanking. However, they don’t want players to pigeon hole certain jobs. The goal is to design classes that are flexible. If a player wants to be an attacker, they can set more abilities suited to that. However, if their party needs a tank, they could set abilities for tanking instead and switch roles without switching classes. Some familiar abilities will also be making a comeback in FFXIV but people will need to be open minded about them. Komoto says Flee will most likely be included but that doesn’t mean the person using it is a Thief.
When it comes to crafting, the sky is basically the limit but they do have to start somewhere. They think armor will come first but they also have to think about other elements as well. For instance, furnishings or even larger items. If they don’t plan for those, there are people who will lose interest since they can’t do what they would like to do. Komoto says they’d like to support people who still want to advance in the game but mainly be crafters. He thinks there will be people in the game who specialize like that as well. There will surely be a need for people to repair items due to FFXIV’s weapon degradation. However, it’s not just weapons. Komoto says that, in a very overarching way, anything can degrade. Weapons, armor, and tools are given as examples. Even rare weapons can degrade over time and it will take somebody with a lot of skill to repair them.
The Specs
Right now, the game is being developed with DirectX 9 in mind. They looked into DirectX 10 and the machines currently available on the market as well. In the end, they decided that DirectX 9 was the best choice. Tanaka says they will also work on how to incorporate new technology in the future. Expect that you will need a computer on the high end of the current market to play FFXIV. They were told the specs for FFXI were too high when that game was released 7 years ago but look at the situation now. They have to design a game that will age gracefully. They also have to guess at what things will be like when the game is released in 2010. People will be switching from Windows Vista to Windows 7. There are people who will go from a 32bit system to a 64bit one. Tanaka also says device drivers can lead to different problems they have to try to foresee as well. They are also planning to support a wide variety of possibilities. For example, this time expect support for 64bit and multicore systems. Information on what that means exactly, for example, how much FFXIV will take advantage of such systems, is not available at this time. However, things will be different from FFXI. FFXI was made for consoles and ported to Windows. For FFXIV, it’s made with Windows in mind and then they’ll make adjustments as needed for any console systems.
Graphics will also be different. They are preparing separate graphics for the PS3 and Windows versions. For example, textures will be different. When the interviewer asked about HDTV video modes, Tanaka says the PS3 version will probably be 720p instead of 1080p. It will vary for Windows users depending on their system.
There is no deep reasoning for Art Director Akihiko Yoshida being on the team. At the time they were putting together the team for FFXIV, Yoshida had just finished working on FFXII so the timing worked out well that way. Tanaka mentions that Yoshida checks all of the PR material they send out for the game as well.
The Beta
Can you believe it? GAME Watch got actual information about beta testing! The first round of beta testing will be done with a relatively small group and be conducted worldwide. It won’t be a continuously running beta test but broken down into small 3 or 4 hour tests held at different times. They plan on doing very detailed testing on FFXIV so users will see how the game develops over time. At the beginning, tests will only be conducted with the Windows version. From the initial 3 or 4 hour tests they will expand to daily or weekly beta tests that run for 24 hours a day. After that comes stress tests which will require a lot of people. Tanaka says it could start with 10 thousand people and go up from there to 20, 40, and 80 thousand people. Finally, there will be a free open beta. Originally he thought it would take half a year to go from a development build to the open beta, but he now thinks it will be shorter than that. The interviewer guesses at a summer release based on that and Tanaka says it all depends on the feedback they get from players during the beta testing. It doesn’t sound like the development build he is referring to is the same demo shown at gamescom. He says whether or not a development build is made by year’s end will depend on the developers.
The interview ends with Tanaka saying things will be different from how FFXI started because they will take action against RMT from the very beginning this time around. People will also be able to use the security tokens and one time passwords. Komoto says visitors to gamescom were able to try out the game first but for people in Japan to please be patient because it will be awhile longer before they will have a chance to play it. Tanaka laughs and says he’ll be lighting a fire under the bums of all the developers.
And there you have it! A surprise Tokyo Game Show interview with quite a lot of new information. Will there be more surprise interviews? We’ll just have to wait and watch the Japanese media closely over the coming days and weeks. If you want to check out the original interview in Japanese and see the pictures of Tanaka and Komoto at TGS, visit GAME Watch’s page here.
New Trailer Released at Tokyo Game Show 2009!
At the Tokyo Game Show 2009, along with a few new interviews, Square Enix released a all new trailer for FFXIV! Be sure to check our the Official FFXIV website for both trailers under the "Media" section.
Dengeki Interview with Tanaka & Komoto.
Credit for translations and writeup goes to Elmer from Zam. The article itself is credit of Dengeki Magazine. I do not own any of this nor the pictures used. I am simply relaying information. All rights reserved to their owners, including Zam, Dengaki Magazine, and Square Enix, LTD.
Final Fantasy XIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka and Director Nobuaki Komoto sit down for another interview with Dengeki magazine. They reiterate what a busy time Gamescom was, and Tanaka attributes the presence of the well-received alpha demo to the hard work of Komoto and his team.Now, it is time to go beyond the developer version shown and get some more details about how the game is shaping up. There are some interesting new things to learn in this interview, so let's take a look.
Final Fantasy XIV is all about customization. In fact, the game is centered around the Guildleve and Armoury Systems, which allow players to tailor the game to their play style and available time. Tanaka states that Guildleve is probably the greatest difference between Final Fantasy XI and XIV. With Guildleve, you have a clear goal, you gather friends together and you play on your own terms. The Armoury System further allows the player the freedom to switch jobs anywhere, which is their way of expanding upon the popular Job Change system from FFXI.The graphics in FFXIV are also set to allow an unprecedented level of customization. Although the races look similar to the ones available in FFXI, which Tanaka says is to aid FFXI users in smoothly transitioning over, they plan to open up a new world of variation for designing avatars. Even graphical features that were not added to characters in FFXI, such as necklaces and belts, are being considered for FFXIV. Tanaka goes as far as to say, "We're even talking about showing the rings on their fingers," as he chuckles.
The power of this generation's technology will allow for seamless areas, although Tanaka makes a correction saying the entire world being seamless was a mistranslation. Seamless travel refers to individual areas being much bigger, with perhaps a single "area" in FFXIV being equivalent to the size of a full region in FFXI. However, players can rest assured that monsters will not chase you endlessly over the vast terrain.Areas of the game will basically be separated into Fields and Towns. In towns, you will have access to the Aetheryte, and various areas to gather with friends and/or chat. While FFXI did not allow Auto-Attack to function in towns, FFXIV uses a different system, so players will be able to draw their weapons even while inside town.
Weather will also be an element of the game, but the way in which it will be implemented will be different. The interviewer suggests that weather could affect one's performance, but Tanaka feels that while the realism would be neat at first, people would start avoiding certain areas just due to weather. Still, they want to make weather have certain effects, although the idea is not completely fleshed out yet.
Positioning in battle is something else the team is considering to add to the depth of strategy. The interviewer referred to a display on the screen indicating the player attacked from the right. This lead to a question of whether height would play a part in battle as well, for instance, elevated terrain giving an advantage. They are going to see what they can do with tactics involving positioning, but are more reluctant on the subject of elevation. Tanaka feels that position of the player relative to the enemy is an important aspect of battle, and that working in elevated terrain could open the door for abuse.
Some Things Change, Others Stay the Same
In FFXIV, the Crystal as a individual's Home Point is becoming the Crystal as social gathering site. The developers see Aetheryte as the starting point of adventure - literally, the spot where Guildleve begins. In a way, Aetheryte takes the place of the Mog House, the main function of which was to switch jobs and serve as a gathering point. It can also be used to travel between towns, or transport oneself out to battle some monsters. So, if Aetheryte handles so much of the legwork, will Chocobos have a place in FFXIV? While Komoto is still looking into what role Chocobos will play in Eorzea, he realizes they are an icon of the series, and their inclusion must satisfy all the fans waiting to meet the newest incarnation of the beloved birds.As for more personal changes, we know that FFXIV will facilitate the transfer of one's online avatar from Vana'diel to Eorzea by offering similar races, but how will the characters evolve from that point? Komoto states they are considering some cosmetic differences beyond equipment, such as being able to change one's hairstyle. However, they are not going to let you completely change your appearance, such as choice of face. The interviewer asks, in regards to weapon deterioration, whether characters will also physically age, but Komoto just laughs and says that is not something they are considering.
Another big chance for FFXIV is the addition of voice acting. Previously, it was reported that all cut-scenes would be fully voiced in English. However, Komoto says this is an over-statement of the facts and not every NPC in every cut-scene will be voiced. Important cut-scenes central to the story will have voice acting included. The idea is that if they want the player to be focusing more on the scene before them instead of reading subtitles, you can expect a voice-over track. Unfortunately for some, the voices are still planned to be recorded in English only. The reason is that they want to keep up a regular schedule of version updates, and having to translate and re-record all the scripts in multiple languages would cause too much of a delay.
Wear and Tear and Repair
One of the fundamental things that will connect battle-oriented classes and crafting classes is the addition of weapon deterioration. Characters will need to regularly seek the aid of a crafter, such as a blacksmith, in order to keep their weapons in prime shape. Besides weapons, shields and armor will also have durabilities that deteriorate. The current states of a piece of equipment will also affect its market price. Whether or not these change will be reflected graphically or not is still something that is being considered.
The idea is that there will be some gathering place, similar to Aetheryte for Guildleve, where players can go to meet up with a Blacksmith and get some repair work done. Search Comments, which were a popular way to advertise buying/selling will also be making their way in to FFXIV. Komoto also realizes that their may be times when a Blacksmith is not available, and he is thinking of how to address this. "It's not like you'll have to wander around with a broken weapon forever," Komoto jokes.
However, do not expect a crafter to magically fix your equipment on the first try. A crafter's skill will play into whether they can successfully repair a piece of equipment. Luckily, Tanaka adds that even if a crafter fails at a repair attempt, they will not lose the weapon or armor being worked on.
Crafters will have other unique abilities, such as being able to add their own colors or patterns to the equipment they make. It is also possible that shop signs will be made available to long-time players, although Komoto says they are still considering different options. As for battle, it appears that crafting classes may have some abilities that could be utilized for light battles, but have little strength when compared to a battle-oriented job.
Guildleve
Guildleve is basically the daily life of an adventurer in Eorzea. First, the player goes to an adventurer's guild where they can take on a number of Guildleves. Then they gather at the Aetheryte with other adventurers or go it solo. After completing their required quests (and maybe help their friends with some as well) they can return and repeat the process. The idea is that people will visit a guild, pick up several Guildleves, and they would have something to do for the next few days.As items, the physical Guildleves are "metal plates," as Tanaka puts it, and allow you to undertake a specific task. Anyone can participate in anyone else's Guildleve, which makes it easy to gather people and do quests together. The system itself will also be exceptionally large, including a wide variety of quests for all different classes. There will be Guildleves that help you skill up, and Guildleves wherein you hunt down Notorious Monsters. There will even be solo Guildleves, which Komoto states should take around 30 minutes to complete. "I thought it would be good if even someone with only an hour to play each day can complete about two of these," Komoto said.
Players should be aware, however, that there is a limit to how many Guildleves a single player can personally initiate within a set period of time. If you hit this limit, you can still help others with their Guildleves.
Misc. Q & A
Although there is no time for one at this stage in the development process, Komoto expresses his interest in having official offline events.
The Square Enix Security Token will be used in conjunction with FFXIV to boost account security, but it is not required to create an account.
Komoto says the control layout for FFXIV will not change much from FFXI. You can also still use a PC game controller if you wish.
In its current state, FFXIV does not allow one to change the window size or enlarge the text, but it is something they do plan to add.
Windowed mode is set to be a basic feature of FFXIV from the start. There are going to be web-based community tools and want to make it so you can have access to these while playing.
Miqo'te will have cat ears on the top of their head, just like Mithra. Komoto begins to wonder how they will be able to wear glasses, and starts laughing, joking with the interviewer to please go to the next question.
Although FFXIV races are similar in appearance to FFXI races, the lack of tails on Roegadyn were one of the changes they decided upon to make Eorzean races unique.
Characters in FFXIV will be much more expressive with a wider range of emotes and motions. Motion capture technology was used to create all of the body movements the avatars can express. Multiple characters being able to emote something together presents a number of obstacles for the developers, but they are considering it along with any ways to facilitate communication.
There is a running joke with the leader of the Lightning Brigade, a TaruTaru, who wants to be able to ride Galka. When asked if this could be made available through an emote, the developers laugh, saying they realize Leader has his hopes up, but it would be a little too difficult to actually implement.
Conversely, the interviewer brings up an interesting point, saying that the removing Auto-Attack and making players select every action could make it much harder to communicate during battle. Tanaka admits it will have an effect perhaps, but he encourages players to think of the new system as like having a lot more weaponskills at your disposal.
The suggestion is made that macros could be set up that simulate Auto-Attack, but they feel this could make battle more complicated if not done properly.
Final Thoughts
Komoto reiterates how they plan to show pieces of FFXIV as the development cycle continues. They have focused extensively on Guildleve and information on the races is plentiful, so next up will be a deeper look into the Armoury System. At the last second, Tanaka interjects, revealing that the graphical side of FFXIV is only 50% complete and players can expect big changes as we get closer to the final version.
A chat with Hiromichi Tanaka & Nobuaki Komoto.
Credit for this article and translations goes to Elmer from Zam. I believe the Article is from Famitsu as well. I do not own any of this nor the pictures used. I am simply relaying information. Enjoy.
Volume 8 of the ヴァナ・ディール通信 (Vana'diel Tsuushin) came out today, and like most things once dedicated to Final Fantasy XI, it is being slowly assimilated by Square Enix's new MMO. The back of the magazine had a recap of information we have seen revealed over the past months organized into charts and pictures. In addition, a DVD was included with this volume, containing extended versions of A Pleasant Chat with Tanaka and the follow-up session with Komoto.
The original version of the interview with Tanaka, presented in Famitsu Wave, was around 12 minutes. The extended version clocks in at a full 26 minutes and contains some Final Fantasy XI information as well. Let's take a look at what was said.
Tanaka Hiromichi Interview:
There was a lot in the interview that was either for people unfamiliar with MMOs and Final Fantasy, or simply discussion of information we have already heard several times over. Here is what could be considered "new and interesting":
While Vana'diel was an entire world, Eorzea is just a region. Hydaelyn will be the name of the world in Final Fantasy XIV. Tanaka elaborates further on the difference between the worlds of FFXI and FFXIV, saying they are not just different planets, but in different universes altogether. In other words, you will not be digging up relics of Vana'diel on Hydaelyn or vice versa.
The five races are going to have a number of variations when compared with their Vana'diel counterparts. There are some obvious ones, such as tail-less Galka, but there are other more subtle changes as well upon which Tanaka would not elaborate further. The interviewer likens the concept to Osamu Tezuka, a famous manga artist whose distinct style was re-imagined through a wide variety of characters. Tanaka connects that allegory to Cid, who since Final Fantasy III, has appeared in many different forms throughout the series. The interviewer moves to ask if Goblins, Orcs and Yagudo might be re-imagined as well in FFXIV. Tanaka says, "It's possible," to which the excited interviewer happily tries to confirm their appearance. However, Tanaka quickly puts out another subdued "It's possible," as if to pull back the reins on this line of speculation.
Eorzea will be a land of swords and sorcery, but also have a more technological side than FFXI. Tanaka makes a comparison to Final Fantasy VI as a past Final Fantasy title that FFXIV is most similar too. He even hints that something similar to Magitek Armor could be in FFXIV.
In the extended version, Tanaka reviews all of the races. The interviewer expresses his interest in playing a Roegadyn, saying he's made up his mind already to choose them. However, he tries to pry information of any other possible races from Tanaka. Unfortunately, Tanaka simply says, "Hmm, I wonder?" and the interviewer is left snapping his fingers in mock frustration.
As stated before, there is no connection between FFXI and FFXIV, and this goes the same for any character data. Nothing is going to transfer over as far as equipment, stats and the like. However, they are interested in preserving Friend Lists somehow. This may be accomplished through utilizing Square Enix IDs, as they function for both FFXI and FFXIV. The exact methods have not be hashed out yet.
There is more beta talk in the extended version, but not much more information. Tanaka says they have not decided upon a beta schedule for FFXIV. The idea is to start showing the game relatively early in development (i.e. before a full beta is complete) in order to get user feedback. Keep in mind, this interview was conducted before Gamescom, so the alpha they presented there is probably the first stage of the process he is referring to here.
Referencing FFXI's beta period, the interviewer tries to push Tanaka into a admitting a beta schedule or release date with some leading questions. Loosely translated, he says, "Well, if a beta test runs 6 months, and you start in January, you could see a release by next summer, huh." Tanaka simply evades, saying, "Yeah, I don't know about that."
Final Fantasy XI is briefly touched upon in the course of conversation, with Tanaka once again assuring fans that the MMO will continue alongside FFXIV. A Moogle Kupo d'Etat has just been added, and next up is A Shantotto Ascension. They display the box art in the video, but the text beside it shows that the release date and price are still yet to be decided.
The interviewer mentions how Tanaka has been quoted saying a year's worth of Version Updates are planned in advance. Tanaka nods in confirmation, agreeing that FFXI is far from over. In fact, he then reveals that the story for Wings of the Goddess still has around a year to go before it is complete. In addition, there are still a number of ideas and plans the FFXI team has in store.
Will there be Version Updates after the release of A Shantotto Ascension? Tanaka says they intend to keep new updates coming out once every three months or so. As for full add-ons or expansions, he admits they have not planned past A Shantotto Ascension yet, but with that wrapping up, they are at the point where they will start thinking about what to do for the future of Final Fantasy XI.
Nobuaki Komoto Interview:
Again, a lot of review here, so let's sift through for the good stuff.
Komoto talks about how the system in FFXIV tries to take the best parts from the FFXI Job System and build upon them. For example, the ability to freely change one's class and learn a different set of skills based on your weapon were two concepts they wanted in FFXIV.
In FFXIV, the "weapon" is what defines your character's current role. However, they are stretching the definition to cover not just swords and axes, but also magical weapons like the staff, or tools like the hammer. In FFXI, your equipment would change along with your job. FFXIV takes this idea a step further, and instead has the switching of equipment (your weapon) directly change what class you are using.
FFXIV will also evolve the process of party building. In FFXI, people might find themselves without a tank or healer, but there was always the chance a party member could switch to the necessary job. Players are once again afforded this luxury, but FFXIV is much more lenient, letting players change on the fly and not requiring long treks back to town.
While some abilities will be linked to weapons, there is a possibility that certain abilities will be usable across multiple classes. Komoto referenced the way in which FFXI allows players to use sub-jobs to access skills learned from different jobs. This will make its way into FFXIV, but in a different form. A character using an axe may still have access to magic, but it may not be as effective in battle as using the axe. As an example, Komoto says a Marauder may be able to use Steal, an ability not native to the class, but the success rate would be lower than normal.
For skilling up, they want to move away from the endless grinding against enemies, and instead allow a more fluid process of growth through quests. Again, variety will be the key as well as accommodating for those with various play styles and amounts of free time. They want to remove the walls from FFXI that would cause players to get frustrated and feel like they had no choice but to give up and leave the game.
When gathering members for a party in FFXI, players often utilize the /shout function. Komoto is looking to remove the need for this by providing different locations for players with similar goals to gather. Instead of having everyone just randomly sprawled around the city, there will be areas where people can go if they want to meet others and start quests quickly. For example, someone with only 30 minutes to play could login and be surrounded by characters ready to go, instead of waste their playtime seeking party.
In closing, Komoto presents a message to the readers of Vana'diel Tsuushin. He states, as does Tanaka, that FFXI is going to continue and still has many more Version Updates to come. He hopes that FFXIV will not become a "replacement," but rather "a new possibility," and that players will feel comfortable switching back and forth between the two, just as they would with any other games in their collection.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Dengeki Online - Developer Interview.
Credit for this Interview goes to Dengeki Online, translation and writeup done by Elmer over at Zam. All pictures rightfully reserved to their respected parties, Dengaki Online, Square Enix, LTD. And of course, Elmer from Zam. I do not own these pictures or Articles and am simply reposting them for information's sake.
Dengeki Online has posted a new interview with Producer Hiromichi Tanaka and Global Online Producer Sage Sundi. I imagine these guys must be really tired by now.
From reports all over the web, we have seen that players enjoyed the taste of Final Fantasy XIV they got at Gamescom. However, Sundi reveals that it really came down to the wire when getting a playable demonstration ready. As a whole, the game is about 40-50% complete, but the developers were set on having an alpha build that attendees could get their hands on. The German version was presented at Gamescom, but Tanaka assures us that the final product will see a simultaneous release in all four languages they plan to support. All versions are progressing along at the same time.
To help these different languages coexist, there will be another Auto-Translate Function included in the game. Tanaka says they are thinking of including something that is basically simiiar to what Final Fantasy XI, but improved upon. However, it is uncertain how they will expand upon the concept yet keep it simple at the same time. "If we add too many functions and it becomes complicated," says Tanaka, "then it loses its purpose."
A New Battle System
Again, the greatest difference from Final Fantasy XI is said to be the lack of auto-attack. The player must draw their weapon and then select their actions from the Action Menu at the bottom of the screen. These abilities can also be set to correspond with the number keys on the keyboard. Each weapon will have its own abilities the player can acquire by raising their skill in that weapon. When you switch weapons, the Action Menu also changes to reflect the abilities acquired with your new weapon. Although the alpha build lacked the hot-key functionality, the final game will allow players to bind commands and create full macros as well.
In Final Fantasy XIV, characters will no longer have experience points or levels. Instead, skill level will be used to determine how "strong" someone is in a particular class. For example, the higher you raise sword skill, the stronger your attack power with a sword becomes. Also, as you increase your skill you will acquire new skills and techniques. This was designed to avoid the problems faced by parties with a level gap in Final Fantasy XI. At first, they planned to go along with the usual level system, but decided to find a way around the difficulties it could pose, ending up with a skill-based system of progression.
There will be a cap imposed, but it is still being worked on. They say it is not something you can reach in a few days, but it will not be as brutal as Final Fantasy XI.
At Gamescom, there were three different Guildleve quests available that took around 30 minutes each to complete. However, Tanaka plans to add so many quests to the game that players should never run out of choices. There will be Guildleve quests that reward gil, others that reward items and many class-specific quests as well, such as a Gladiator Guildleve that awards sword skill. Players can either increase their weapon prowess through battle with monsters, or opt to gain some quick skill points through completing a quest.
Crafting classes, such as Weaver and Blacksmith can also benefit greatly from the Guildleve system. By completing quests, players can reach a "high level" within these professions and not have to engage in a single battle. In other words, playing a crafting class full-time is one way to adventure throughout Eorzea. Tanaka states that one of the concepts behind Final Fantasy XIV is that if a player so chooses, they can lead a quiet life as a crafter - players are no longer bound to relentless grinding against enemies.
However, there will be some things a Blacksmith simply cannot do, and if you wish to travel to the deepest, darkest recesses of a dungeon, you may need some front line jobs to back you up. This is where the weapon durability system comes in. While crafters need tough fighting jobs to help them, those same fighters need Blacksmiths to repair their weapons. In this way, the disciplines are interdependent, adding an interesting new layer to the game and perhaps giving new purpose to the weapon durability system. In Final Fantasy XIV, crafting is a job just as much as Warrior or Sorcerer is.
Aehteryte will be used in conjunction with Guildleve to transport players where they need to go. Depending on the land, the Aetheryte and Guildleve start locations may change. Also, there may be times when you cannot take on more quests until you finish ones you already have. In Final Fantasy XI, a lot of time is spent in town, but Final Fantasy XIV will utilize Aetheryte to allow players to travel easier, so it is thought these locations may end up being the central hubs of activity.
Besides Puk Exterminating, at which Tanaka proved to be so adept, there will be free-roaming monsters across the lands of Eorzea. Final Fantasy XIV will pull well-known monsters from throughout the Final Fantasy series. We have already seen pictures of a Cactuar and Ahriman, to name a few. Although not confirmed, Tanaka says there is the distinct possibility Notorious Monsters will make it into the game, bringing with them rare item drops. High Notorious Monsters, however, are planned to be included in the Guildleve system. There will be a number of quests designed to function as large-scale battle content, where players must gather strong parties in order to take down the required foe. The developers provide a very relieved follow up, saying that outside players or other parties cannot attack monsters involved with your current Guildleve quest. This should be great news to any veteran of the HNM scene.
Another thing that appears to be similar is they plan to offer a choice of only three starting zones: The Port City Limsa Lominsa, The Desert City Ul'dah and Gridania, the City in the Forest. There will be storylines for each of these city-states that players can follow. In fact, veteran scenario writer 佐藤弥詠子 (Sato Yaeko) will be returning to pen these stories. Sato was the mind behind Windurst's mission line in Final Fanatsy XI.
Voice acting will also be included in Final Fantasy XIV for cut scenes. At this time, they plan to have English voices for all versions of the game, but provide subtitles for different languages. There will be a lot of unique and interesting NPCs for players to enjoy, and Tanaka encourages all players to look forward to all the interesting personalities they will meet throughout the land of Eorzea.
Since levels are out the window, gear will now be equippable based on skill. When you switch your weapon, your skill in that weapon, as well as your class, will determine what equipment you can wear. For those looking for some light action and plan to change classes a lot, there will also be some generic gear available that is wearable by all classes.
Beta Testing and GMs
As for GMs, Sundi says there are no plans to recruit GMs for the closed beta, but once the open beta gets going, they will consider hiring some. It would be tough to throw people with no GM experience into an incomplete game, so in the early stages they will pull from their Final Fanatsy XI GM pool.
In addition, the Special Task Force is going to expand and cover illegal game-play issues in Final Fantasy XIV. Policies regarding third-party tools will be reviewed and changed as needed. They hope to make full use of the Square Enix ID and Security Token system that was established this year.
Final Words
Sundi: "The areas I am in charge of are still under development, but we are examining ways to build a strong, new community through active collaboration with fan-sites and overseas Premier Sites. Putting out information from the development team and coordinating with fansites and blogs will be my top priority."
Dengeki Alpha Report.
This article comes from Dengeki Magazine of Japan, all translations and writeups done by Elmer over at Zam. All pictures and Articles reserved to their rightful owners, including but not limited to; Dengaki Magazine, Square Enix, LTD. and Elmer from Zam. I do not own any nor take credit for them.
With that being said, there's something I noticed from what is being said as of late, about crafting jobs. From what I can gather (no pun intended!) a Weaver, Blacksmith, or Crafter in General might bring more to the battlefield than you would think. As always, and as Square Enix said, I'm sure all jobs will have some battle capabilities. But it is certain that jobs who are more skilled directly at battle will be more proficient in it than say, a weaver. However, weavers and smiths are needed to repair weapons correct? Some one has to do it! But why would you take them into battle?
Then it hit me... Square Enix said something about "Weapon Durability", well, they have several times now in many different ways. What if while you're out on the battlefield you actually need minor repairs done to your weapons/armor? Sounds like a hassle, I know. But perhaps they have some kind of well thought up system for it? Perhaps a blacksmith could cast a certain magic to restore a sword or some such? I'm not sure, I might just be going off on another wild goose chase of mine, but it is something worth considering.
One way or another, I'm sure Square Enix will make this a well balanced, fun to play game for everyone. So, enjoy the article and information below!
A lot of news came out at Gamescom last week, and several Japanese media sites had everything covered. This week, magazines are playing catch up, so there is not a lot of new information to be had. However, this week's Dengeki had a couple interesting tidbits tucked inside its pages.
Final Fantasy XIV was given a single page in the back of the magazine to review some information presented at Gamescom. Also, one of the editors wrote up a full report of their hands-on experience with the demo that may reveal new clues about the game system.
I expected a lot more from Dengeki this week, considering the magazine focuses on Playstation games. I also think they should be more careful about their typos, considering how excitable Final Fantasy fans can get.
First, let's read how they enjoyed the demo. Osho, from the Dengeki Travel Squad reports.
Characters began at near the Aetheryte where they could select their desired Guildleve. Once Guildleve began, HP and MP were healed to full and a timer counting down from 30 minutes was displayed. Osho decided upon the quest where the player must defeat a certain number of Dodos and Puks. This is the same quest we saw Hiromichi Tanaka demonstrate on video.
During his search, he checked out the map and found it to be much more detailed than Final Fantasy XI, allowing him to clearly see geographical features. From the map, he got the impression that field areas are also much more expansive. As we also know, during Guildleve this map will also display the locations of enemies the player must defeat. However, Tanaka has stated the alpha does not support this yet, so there is no mention in this play report.
One thing that was included in the alpha, though, was the ability to customize your user interface. This feature is a long time coming, and fans should be thrilled to see how flexible the Final Fantasy XIV UI is. Players can drag-and-drop every status bar and window. As Tanaka demostrated, the chat box is also expandable, allowing users to freely select size, shape and amount of lines.
Upon finding their desired prey, Osho was a little confused to find auto-attack was not working as normal. Instead of simply targeting and attacking, the player now has to unsheathe their weapon and chose attack and defense actions from the Action Menu along the bottom of the screen. However, Osho notes that you can also set abilities to different number keys to make the process quicker.
Certain abilities (such as Red Lotus Blade for the sword) use up stored TP, however it does not drop your TP gauge completely to 0. A full Action Gauge is required to activate some abilities, but if you keep a full Action Gauge without using it, the Power Gauage will begin to build. Patient players who store up a full Action Gauge and full Power Gauge will be able to unleash a technique at maximum power.
The new battle system really revitalizes the play-style of front line classes, requiring the player to keep active and constantly consider their options in battle.
格闘士(kaku-tou-shi)：Pugilist , 弓術士(kyuu-jutsu-shi)：Archer , 裁縫師(sai-hou-shi)：Weaver , 斧術士(ono-jutsu-shi)：Marauder
Dengeki magazine also managed to get in some of their own questions. As Tanaka has stated before, Guildleve will be central to the game play of Final Fantasy XIV. They plan to include an immense amount of variety for the quests available to players. Also, rewards will vary greatly, with quests granting the player with gil, items or even skill points.
When asked if crafting-based jobs like Weaver will have Guildleve quests designed for them, Tanaka answers that they will, and in fact, you can increase your skill without entering a single battle. Sundi reinforces this by saying players can easily choose to adventure through Eorzea as a Tailor or Blacksmith and simply focus on raising their crafting skills. One of the concepts behind Final Fantasy XIV, is that players do not have to slaughter monsters to reach a "high level," and can lead a quiet life as a crafter.
However, the developers do admit that sewing feathers into caps will not have you venturing into the deepest, darkest recesses of a dungeon. There are times when you will need strong front line classes to back you up. Still, Tanaka states there will be just as many times when those burly bruisers need to make use of your crafting skills. Final Fantasy XIV will add weapon durability to the battle system - if you use a single weapon too much, it will need to be repaired.
It seems like Final Fantasy XIV is set to make crafting classes actual jobs on par with choosing to be a Warrior or Sorcerer. Both active, battle-ready classes and skilled, crafting classes will find themselves needing each other in order to survive. An interesting concept that could alleviate some of the concerns players have with the often maligned weapon durability system.
More Info from Dengeki.
Dengeki Magazine of Japan has recently revealed some more information regarding FFXI. With it came some recaps of GamesCom and things we already know, but also came a few new tidbits of information spoken a bit differently. Being as I like to keep this blog up-to-date on all the information possible, I will post the information found for your viewing pleasure. I'm not sure who to give credit to for this writeup (as I've said before, some times you get information from different sources and do not know who originally produced it) but I believe it was FFXIVcore. So if that is the case, credit goes to them for the writeup and translation.
* Unlike in FFXI, the 4 different versions are being developed simulataneously to prep for worldwide launch of the game.
* Auto attack is removed.
* Even if a skill gap is present among party members, kiling a monster will still grant combat skill increase.
* Skill caps are equivalent to level caps.
* Short guild leves are developed for those who do not have much time.
* There are specific combat skill Guild Leves - uses sword as an example.
* Different nations will have different guild leves.
* Aetheryte system developed for convenience and focus on content outside of cities. Reduce travel time for groups meeting up and make the entire system more efficient.
* Aside from just items and money, NM(Notorious monsters) may present rare item drops in Guild leves.
* HNM guild leaves are being developed for large groups and are being considered to be implemented in the game at launch. (HNMs confirmed?!?!)
* There won't be any overlap between players killing monsters for guild leves since they are all instanced for the guild leve recipients.
* There is non fighting content for crafting classes, but for advanced dungeons fighting will be necessary.
* Weapons now have durability, working with a crafter or leveling a crafting job yourself will be crucial to progression.
* Economy will still be trade among players driven with an auction house possibility. Other options are still being considered.
* SE is attemping to create an economy and trading system that people who do not play often can use as well.
* Currently only the 3 starting nations exist.
* Main storylines are going to play a large role once again, this time with voice acting.
* English voice acting thus far, subtitles provided for other regions.
* The main aim or motivation for players in FFXIv will be "growth". You can develop your character and grow how you want to. Something a casual player and a hardcore player can share.
* Variation among armor progress more drastically than FFXI!
* Different armor will have different skill requirements. Each weapon has corresponding gear paths. There is general purpose gear and skill purposed gear, example is fencers for increased speed of sword skill leveling.
* SE would love to start the beta immediately, but more development work needs to be done. Tanaka wants some playable form of the game available to everyone like the 30 minute guild leve example at Gamescom.
* Tanaka wants a very large group of people to be able to test the game and provide feedback as early in the development as possible.
* Sundi wants to expand the GM team from FFXI to help with the beta of FFXIV.
* The Special Tast Force will be back for FFXIV, and use of SE security tokens may become required.
Tanaka and Sundi give their closing message to the Japanese populus waiting to play FFXIV.
Tanaka: It was important to show the guild leve system at Gamescom because it is such an important part of the game, I want to improve upon the system based on feedback from the user.
Sundi: We want to work hard with fansites and the global community, providing official information. Connecting the global community to the development team is what I'm concerned with.
Famitsu - Progression of Guidleve & More!
Famitsu Magazine of Japan introduced a new article on FFXIV, with exciting new information on Guildleves and just how they work and how one progresses through them. However, keep in mind these guildleves Square Enix has been demonstrating so far are simply in Alpha production. What does this mean? While I'm sure the base system is being explained and understood properly, I would say it's a safe bet that guildleves will end up being more complicated and involved that what we have seen. Don't worry, you're not going to spend you entire game life going around playing "Kill X mobs". These are simply introduction guildleves. More advanced ones, and more complicated ones will be introduced as well, you can count on that. So while reviewing any of the known information on guildleves so far, please keep in mind you are only viewing the tip of the iceberg.
All rights for this article reserved to their respectful parties, such as Elmer from Zam, Famitsu Magazine of Japan, and of course, Square Enix, LTD. I do not own these pictures or articles.
With that being said, please read the article below, translated by Elmer over at Zam and enjoy!
Japan brings us the latest Final Fantasy XIV information this week with another look into the alpha demonstration from Gamescom. Just when you thought it has been examined to death, the crew at Famitsu manage to bring to light a few more things fans may have overlooked.
At Gamescom, Final Fantasy XIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka gave a tour of Guildleve, wherein he had to defeat a number of Dodos and the Puks that appear afterwards. Guildleve will be a system of quests that make up the bulk of Final Fantasy XIV's game play. Now we get to take a closer look at how the Guildleve system works and how a typical quest progresses.
Once an adventurer receives their Guildleve from the town guild, they approach the Aetheryte to begin. In this case, Famitsu took on the "Puk Extermination" Guildleve that Tanaka demonstrated. However, there were two other Guildleves available. One required players defeat monsters called "Nut Eaters" and collect 5 Lemming tails. Nut Eaters are particularly agile and would flee from the player, encouraging cooperation with other players in order to trap and kill them. There are many factors that go into each quest that may not be apparent from the stated criteria alone.
This window contains the details of your selected Guildleve. You can review the clear conditions, time limit and rewards here. The objective of this particular Guildleve is to defeat Dodos and Puks.
Players can use the field map or compass in the bottom-right corner to locate their targets. As Tanaka stated, the alpha lacked some functionality, but the final game will show the locations of certain enemies on the map during Guildleve. This makes it easy to find your goal and is a welcome change of pace from the endless camping required of Final Fantasy XI.
Here are Dodos, one of the targets required of this Guildleve. Battles do not require a special encounter sequence like many RPGs, but rather take place immediately right on the field.
Players attack the enemy by selecting commands from the Action Bar located in the bottom-center of the screen. When defeating your enemy, a counter will pop up to show you how many of your targets have been subdued, and how many remain.
Now that the required number of Dodos have been defeated, the player must find the Puks that have popped as a result. This is a case where the intended target of the Guildleve will not pop unless certain conditions are met. Once all required monsters are defeated (i.e. Dodos and Puks) the Guildleve will be complete.
Once all the conditions of the player's quest have been fulfilled, a Warp Point will spawn right before you. The Warp Point will transport the player back to the Aetheryte where the Guildleve began. Warping back is instantaneous and allows the player to keep on enjoying the game without having the action broken up with excessive travel time. Considering how expansive the field areas appear to be, this is quite the welcome addition.
We have heard a lot about the battle system, and Famitsu reviewed it as well. Above is a picture they provided of the layout with the labels translated. The player selects which action or ability they wish to use and it registers to their right-hand or left-hand gauge, depending on which hand holds the associated equipment. For example, a sword may use the right-hand gauge, but a shield held in the left-hand would use the left-hand gauge.
If the Action Gauge is full, the command will activate. If not, it will activate once the Action Gauge is stored to full. If the player has a full Action Gauge and does not activate an ability, they will begin to store up their Power Gauge. This gauge will increase the strength and accuracy of your techniques. There will also be a TP Gauge that will affect your techniques in unique ways. While the Action and Power gauges increase over time, the TP gauge increases when you land an attack or are struck by the enemy.
To wrap up the article, there were some excerpts from Famitsu's interview and Gamescom. Here are the key points they decided to include:
- The battle system is designed to be more aggressive and keep the player involved in the action. This is why the user must select commands for every action instead of simply having an Auto-Attack function. In addition, the Action Menu is fully customizable and allows the player to easily adapt to all kinds of situations.
- Final Fantasy XIV is about 40-50% complete in its current state. Therefore, the version that was displayed at Gamescom is something that is still quite early in the development process, but the developers feel it is important to get user feedback as early on as possible. There are still many aspects of the game that are unfinished, and they wish to continue featuring parts of the game as they design them. They are hoping to get some form of beta testing running soon.
- The main point of Guildleve is to provide light, enjoyable content. This does not mean all quests will be simple, however. Also, as an entry in the Final Fantasy series, the core of Final Fantasy XIV will be its story.
- While players in Japan may not be getting their hands on the Alpha version shown at Gamescom, the developers wish to make available another "development version" similar to that presentation. However, it will not be at a convention like before, but rather a focus group or something they will recruit users for.
