Credit for this Writeup and Translation goes to Elmer over at Zam. Credit for the actual interview goes to Famitsu Magazine of Japan. All rights reserved to their owners and Square Enix, LTD. These are not mine nor are they my property, and I am simply reposting them. However, I already did a personal writeup on these video's myself, which can be found in a recent post I made on this blog, a few posts back.
As Hiromichi Tanaka, producer of Final Fantasy XIV, hacked his way through a demonstration of a "Puk Extermination" Guildleve quest, Famitsu flanked him with some questions about their presentation and what it says about the state of the upcoming MMO.
In the gameplay videos, we saw some people fighting dodos and others fighting puks. It turns out that the full scope of the quest requires one to defeat dodos until puks appear. Tanaka states that this is just one of the many ways they will incorporate puzzle-solving elements into Guildleve quests. Also, while there may be an expansive area to explore, later builds of the game will display your targets on the map, so finding those puks that need exterminating will be much easier. As an alpha version, the demo at Gamescom did not include this feature yet.
When the interviewer remarked on how beautiful the graphics were, Tanaka took the opportunity to give some hints about how powerful they will become. It turns out the background scenery was heavily compressed for the demo, and will be greatly improved to the point where individual trees will be rendered far into the distance.
At this point, Tanaka begins attacking some dodos and moves on to discuss the battle system. In Final Fantasy XI, the player would select the attack command and enter an Auto-Attack mode. To spice up the flow of battle, Final Fantasy XIV will require players to select commands each time they attack, and the combination of commands they choose will determine the technique they use. This will put all new emphasis on strategy and keep players engaged in battle.
Action Commands, as Tanaka calls them, are lined up along the bottom of the screen as icons. Those who are grumbling about a passing resemblance to World of Warcraft will be happy to know the layout is tentative and certainly subject to change. The current setup has players selecting an ability from the from the bottom which then appears as a command in your gauge. There are two gauges - one for the left hand and one for the right hand. For example, the character that Tanaka was controlling had a shield in his left hand, so the left-handed gauge had shield commands registered to it.
To activate an ability, the player needs to store up their "Action Gauge." The strength and accuracy of a technique can be further increased by storing up the "Power Gauge." The "TP Gauge" also makes a return, which when full will alter the effects of your technique in a variety of ways. The TP gauge will increase when the player attacks or is attacked by an enemy. During this explanation, Tanaka unleashes Red Lotus Blade with a grin, much to the delight of the interviewer, who immediately recognizes the sword technique.
Magic will be used the same way - through Action Commands - but will only be available if you are equipped with a weapon that allows their use. Swords give sword-based abilities and staves will give magic-based abilities. Also, there are skills that cannot be used until you have acquired enough skill in a particular weapon. In total, you can line up 10 commands in the bar of icons along the bottom. However, in future versions Tanaka states they intend to include a macro system, so players can customize and combine their favorite abilities to their liking.
Another bit of customization, to which players are responding positively, is the ability to drag-and-drop the various info boxes around the screen. There are default positions for each piece of the UI, such as Action Commands, player status, chat box and party status. These will all be movable, and the chat log will be fully adjustable as well. The camera position will have options as well, although the main position will be an over-the-should third person perspective. Tanaka expects there to be three different camera angle to choose from in the final version.
When asked why they decided to go with this battle system, Tanaka explained that first and foremost they wanted to get players more active in battle, which the auto-attack system discouraged. Final Fantasy XI focused on each job having a clear role, with players designing parties around combining those roles. However, in Final Fantasy XIV, they wanted to develop a system where players could easily enjoy the game alone, with a friend, with three people or more. The system is built around the concept of meeting each player's own playstyle.
Tucked in next to the Action Commands, the interviewer noticed a smiley face, which Tanaka revealed was a set of emoticons. In Final Fantasy XI, players were limited to creating emotes through text, but Final Fantasy XIV will provide a set of graphical smileys for users to express themselves. In addition, there are the motions that we all saw displayed in the video at Gamescom. According to Tanaka, these were created through the use of motion-capture technology. However, capturing facial expressions proved too difficult, so the developers ended up designing those manually. Unfortunately, players cannot use full-body emotes during battle at this stage.
At this point, Tanaka finishes up his quest and warps back to the starting point of the Guildleve and moves towards the Aetheryte. Although prevalent in the demo, transportation via Aetheryte will not be so common in the actual game. The majority of their use will be involved with the Guildleve system, as players need to travel to the site of the quest and back again. However, like the user interface, a lot can change before the final game is complete. Tanaka says the game is likely only 40-50% complete at this stage, and the demo cut out basically any elements that were not essential to displaying the Guildleve system. The main focus of the presentation at Gamescom was to show players how Guildleve worked, and how it delivered quests that were enjoyable and light on time. However, this is not to say things will be all fun and games. While the quests shown to players took only 15 minutes of their time, there will many more quests with varying levels of difficulty and time requirements. In addition, there will be hordes of other monsters roaming the countryside that will be sure to make completing your intended task a little trickier.
Tanaka admits that showing off an incomplete game can draw criticism from disappointed players, but he hopes that others may show praise for how far Final Fantasy XIV has come. Currently, the most advanced portion of the game is the graphics, so there are many areas that many completely change before the release date. The idea is that Square Enix will showcase new portions of the game as they continue development, allowing players to experience individual content before a complete beta is put together. While in Germany this meant a playable demo at Gamescom, there may be a playable version that users sign up to try out in Japan, more like, as Tanaka put it, a giant focus group. Players will be added gradually, and once the game is polished enough, and there is a solid base of users, they will initiate an open beta.
Whatever the shape it will take, Tanaka uses his closing words to assure fans everywhere that everyone will get a chance to play a demo of the game, saying, "The fruits of our labor are finally coming to bear, and the development team is working hard to get the game ready. We're planning to let everyone get a shot at a playable version like we have done here in Germany, so please look forward to it."
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Famitsu Interview with Tanaka Hiromichi
4Gamer's Interview with Tanaka & Sundi.
Credit for this Interview and Writeup & Translation goes to Elmer from Zam, as well as the interview itself from 4Gamer.net. This interview and writeup is not mine as does not belong to me. All rights reserved to their respectful owners and Square Enix, LTD. 
As Gamescom comes to a close, 4Gamer was able to secure a block of time with Final Fantasy XIV producers Hiromichi Tanaka and Sage Sundi. Previously, Tanaka took staff from Famitsu through a tour of the demo provided to attendees at the convention. 4Gamer, however, spent their time prying out details regarding the game itself.
Learning from Final Fantasy XI
Surf to any Final Fantasy XI forum, and you will see players making comparisons between XI and XIV. How will Final Fantasy XIV be different? Will Square Enix address common concerns from XI? Have the developers learned from any mistakes they may have made?
Tanaka admits that one thing they learned was how technology advances over the life of an MMO. When they first began development, single-processor CPUs were the norm, but soon after release, multi-core processors grew to become the standard. With Final Fantasy XIV, they are thinking five years ahead and plan to include support for multi-core and mutl-threading technology from the start.
Beyond PC technology however, the most crucial point for the developers is the server. Since they are creating an MMO, the client's machine is irrelevant if the server cannot deliver the information. A station can broadcast to a black and white TV or a color TV, but if the signal does not get out, then everyone loses. This is why Tanaka is adamant about creating a stable game server, which he says is the most difficult part of the process.
Another issue that plagues fan forums is whether Final Fantasy XI is going to continue or die. Even if it continues, will it be actively supported with Tanaka and co. focused elsewhere? As it turns out, there are separate areas within the offices of Square Enix for the respective development teams. The work will not be combined, but rather each will be developed as a separate entity.
Tanaka also gives an amusing look into the part he played creating Final Fantasy XI. "When making FFXI," Tanaka admits, "I felt it was faster to do things myself rather than take the time to explain what I wanted." This led to him designing some of the fonts and user interface himself. In Final Fantasy XIV, however, he will be taking a much more hands-off approach, allowing the team to do the bulk of the work. "Sometimes you have to stand back and let the younger guys take control," Tanaka jokes. "If I don't allow them that much, they can't become the next generation of great developers."
Billing Systems and Item Selling
There was a brief mention of billing practices at E3, and the interviewer tries to press Tanaka for more information. He states they wish to use an "Anniversary Billing" system, which means players will pay a certain amount of money to play for a period of time. In other words, X dollars a month, like in Final Fantasy XI; or X dollars for 30 days, which Tanaka expressed interest in at E3. As always, the developers oppose the use of micro-transactions to make items sellable. They feel by allowing players to purchase everything they want, they would rack up larger bills, but quit the game faster for lack of anything to strive for. The developers would rather players find lasting enjoyment in the game itself, instead of make a mad dash for treasure and quit soon after.
However, Sundi interjects saying not to rule out optional services altogether. For example, they may want to add server transfers or other options for players to purchase. There is no elaboration on what else they have in mind, but they will be considering what to offer.
How Everything Works
Thankfully, the interviewer begins to delve into the details of what Tanaka displayed earlier during his Puk hunting and find out exactly how one manipulates their character. According to Sundi, you perform an action by selecting from the "Action Menu" along the bottom of the screen that appears once you target an enemy. The more you use a weapon, the greater your prowess grows, and thus, the more skills you learn to utilize with that weapon. You then set these abilities in the Action Menu and activate them during battle. Changing your weapon will also change what is displayed in your Action Menu. For example, equipping a staff will present your magic-based Action Menu. Also, multiple abilities you wish to perform in sequence can also be registered as macros.
In order for the character to perform commands specified by the player, one must first store up the Action Gauge. If you select a command before the gauge is ready, it will activate once the gauge fills up. There is also a Power Gauge, which can increase the strength and accuracy of one's techniques. The interviewer notes that even with the absence of Auto-Attack, the player could simply use the most powerful skill over and over again. However, Tanaka reveals that repetitive usage of one skill will cause the monster to start seeing through your actions, and it will become harder to land your attack. In other words, employing a variety of tactics is the best way to defeat a monster.
The main goal behind the battle system was to allow freedom of playstyle. Players can easily go solo, as demonstrated by the demo, or they can join up with a number of friends. In Final Fantasy XI, one had to return to their Mog House in order to switch jobs, but players in Eorzea can do it anywhere they please. However, Tanaka warns that swapping weapons during battle is not allowed, so there are some minor limitations.
Another reason they are focusing on solo play is to encourage players to explore all the variety put into the game. If players were forced into parties all the time, they would most likely stick with one weapon and master that. However, when adventuring solo or with small groups, players need to acquire a number of different skills and abilities to be able to survive. The developers hope this will create a rich variety of players and really make each character unique. However, Tanaka admits that growth can come slowly if one focuses solely on adventuring alone. Grabbing a party and working together will help your character improve faster. So, there are positives and negatives to both, which is exactly how they like it.
Content That Keeps on Giving
Guildleve, which was demonstrated at Gamescom, will become the core activity of Final Fantasy XIV, according to Tanaka. It's greatest merit is that you can enjoy it over and over again. Up until now, players would progress through a series of quests or missions, effectively "consuming" these activities until there was nothing left to do. However, Guildleve will allow players to repeat similar quests to their heart's content.
The developers will also be looking at how players use the system, Tanaka says. In Final Fantasy XI, the users would sometimes inject their playstyle into the game and the system would bend and shape into something new and unexpected. Tanaka hopes to see this kind of ingenuity once again, and says the developers may be able to improve the game based on how the players enjoy it.
As the heart of Final Fantasy XIV, Guildleve will come in many different shapes and forms. The type of Guildleve one can accept will change based on the character. Also, new types of Guildleve will continuously be added through version updates. Tanaka promises that the development team is working hard to create a wealth of content in this area. There will be quests that take less than 30 minutes to complete, all the way up to epic missions that span a couple days. Guildleve is all about customizing the game to one's own style.
When asked for more specific information on the actual quests, Tanaka is unable to divulge too much more. However, he explains more about the system, saying that there is an upper limit to the number of Guildleve one player can acquire at a time. If you want to play beyond that, you may have to help other people with their Guildleves. Sundi explains that players can freely aid each other on quests, even if one player does not possess the particular Guildleve being fulfilled.
Races and Faces
While rumored Gria sightings have been squashed, fans are still wondering if new playable races are going to pop up anytime soon. Unfortunately, Tanaka's response to this is to sidestep and instead boast the merits of the character creation system. Players will be able to craft their avatars in more detail than ever before, with skin, eyes, hair-style and face being adjustable. There will also be factions within each race from which to choose, possibly the ones mentioned in descriptions on the official site. For example, a Miqo'te could belong to the Seekers of the Sun or Keepers of the Moon. While this change does not have an impact on the story, Tanaka indicates they may add more aspects to the game that further differentiate the factions.
When creating a new character, players will be able to freely select their starting location as well. While Final Fantasy XI offered special rings depending on your hometown, Tanaka expresses interest in giving everyone a completely level playing field this time around. The point is to allow everyone to start fresh and not influence their choice of race, hometown, or what path they may wish to take with the growth of their character. To this end, there will also be no significant differences between the races. All races can learn the same skills and abilities, but there may be other slight nuances to make them unique.
Hearing that the developers are striving for equality, the interviewer wonders if this will make PvP a reality in the world of Eorzea. However, Tanaka quickly states that PvE will be the focus of the game. If PvP elements are ever added, they will be in the form of sports and games, like Final Fantasy XI. It was decided very early on that PvP would not be added, and it does not appear the developers are going to waver from this.
Final Thoughts
As 4Gamer starts running out of time, they briefly touch on the camera perspective. Players at Gamescom got to try the demo in the 3rd-person perspective from behind the character, and Tanaka indicates they are looking at having a "third-person shooter" style shoulder camera and a first-person camera. The interviewer appears surprised to see the shoulder-cam make it into an MMO, but Tanaka explains that they have heard complaints about the camera positioned behind the character making it difficult to see what is in front of you.
Finally, Tanaka closes the interview by expressing how pleased he was to be able to meet so many fans and gather so many opinions on their work already and hopes to have more chances to do so in the future.
Famitsu Interview with Sage Sundi.
At GamesCom 2009 Famitsu got a interview with Sage Sundi. I will post the interview here but I would like everyone to know, the translation and writeup were done by Elmer over at Zam. The official interview was done by Famitsu Magazine of Japan. I am simply reposting it for your viewing pleasure and up to the date information on FFXIV. The original source can be found here.
After chatting with Hiromichi Tanaka over a lively round of puk extermination, Famitsu sat down with Sage Sundi, who returns to Final Fantasy XIV to once again offer global user support.
Sage Sundi begins by explaining that he will be returning to his role as Global Online Producer for Final Fantasy XIV. They are looking at the development team, management team and user base as the three key factions supporting their MMO. Sundi's job will be to build the bridges between these three areas and get them working as one. For example, when there is an interview with the foreign media, Sundi will be there with Hiromichi Tanaka.
When asked how GM policies might change, Sundi doubts there will be any significant changes from Final Fantasy XI. More than establishing "public order," they wish to maintain a peaceful and safe playing environment for their users. Most of the policies from Final Fantasy XI will simply carry over and even the team is an expansion from the previous generation's MMO. However, they are going through the details of the system in order to make improvements to certain areas. One adjustment Sundi wishes to implement is making it easier for players to call upon a GM. Also, beyond simply improving the GM system, there will be active collaboration between the Special Task Force, management team and community team in order to create a better experience for all players.
Speaking of community, there is the issue of how Square Enix will maintain a solid flow of information between all the different regions they support. Although developers have expressed interest in an official forum for some time now, they are reluctant to limit it to one language. "If we make the forum in Japanese," Sundi says, "then it would become the Japanese player forum." Instead, they feel the best way to support all languages is to establish premiere sites and allow them to act as "community managers" for their respective user bases. Square Enix can then pull feedback and questions from these sites, allowing every user to voice their opinion in their own language. Sundi continues to say they wish to utilize the web even more than before and trade information directly with the users, tapping into the ingenuity they show when constructing item databases and wikis.
As for in-game communication, Sundi stated there will, of course, be a chat function included. There will also be something akin to the Final Fantasy XI linkshell, and a "Linkshell Community" of some sort on the official site. Sundi is unable to elaborate on any specific plans, but says they intend to use the site to communicate with players and perhaps work with fansites and blogs.
For the final question, the interviewer hints that a number of players may be looking for language-specific servers and looks for Sundi's reaction to such a request. However, Sundi believes that seeing as Final Fantasy XI made it this far without segregated servers, adding such a feature in Final Fantasy XIV would feel like a step backwards. They would rather work at making mixed servers a success instead of abandoning them altogether.
Sundi then closes with some words for players in Japan. He decides to speak directly to Final Fantasy XI players, and assuage some of the fears they have about moving to Final Fantasy XIV. "Making Final Fantasy XIV enjoyable for all users, including Final Fantasy XI players, is our number one priority," Sundi said, "We cannot build a community without considering that. First we address how to satisfy Final Fantasy fans. From there, we will attract other MMO players and develop a community like never before. I believe Final Fantasy Xi players will find their time in Eorzea to be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, and I hope you look forward to it."
Two More Gameplay Video's!
Two more short but sweet gameplay video's of FFXIV Alpha at GamesCom 2009. Enjoy!
Credit for these two great video's goes to Gametrailers.com
Video Interviews with Tanaka Hiromichi.
Two great video interviews with Tanaka Hiromichi, developer of FFXI and FFXIV. These interviews include Tanaka himself playing FFXIV alpha and explaining different elements of the game.
Tanaka demonstrates and explains battles, guildleves, and even goes on to note that the amazing graphics are not even complete and are still under development, meaning of course the final product will have even more stunning graphics than it already does.
You can also see in the video that the keyboard control elements are almost exactly like those of FFXI, which is great for us FFXIers making the transition to FFXIV. For those of you not accustomed to it, I can assure you that it is the greatest control system of any MMORPG once you get used to it. Although, for you WoW and other MMO fans, it has been stated they will allow functioning with the mouse as well (if that is your cup of tea).
Once more, something I want viewers to keep in mind while viewing these video's is the game is in ALPHA stage at the time of these videos, and is the version Tanaka is playing. You can notice how the character movements and transitions are not always smooth, like when running and making a turn. This is all going to be corrected (as they have assured us time and again recently) by the time the final product is out. So if something doesn't appear as smooth as it should, keep in mind this is not the final version of the game, and we are seeing it while it is still under heavy development.
Tanaka goes on to explain how you will be able to see monsters and quest objectives on the map when you run a guildleve mission, but that you cannot see them in this video because once again, he is playing the Alpha version of the game.
He also goes on to talk about the "TP gauge" which seems to work just like FFXI, where attacking a mob and being attacked will increase your TP. Although in FFXIV, as all well know by now, you will be preforming more actions instead of the basic auto-attack you get so used to in FFXI. However, in FFXIV it appears gaining TP will allow you to preform more advanced skills and abilities, and execute the normal ones more proficiently.
And now on to video #2!
Tanaka explains how your commands and abilities change depending on what kind of weapon you are currently using and have equipped. For example, equipping a staff gives you magic related abilities, and equipping a sword gives you melee related abilities. It seems a lot more strait forward than the more "hybrid" system in FFXI. However, I'm sure there will be tons of "hybrid commands" in FFXIV. He goes on to explain how learning certain commands and abilities will require you to be using and have the proper weapon equipped, perhaps even magic?
The next tidbit of information he gives is that there is a "Command Bar" much like the ones many MMORPG's use (such as World of Warcraft, and Lineage 2), where you set certain abilities to be used at once. He explains that "currently" (meaning as of this Alpha version) 10 can be set, however, we will most likely get more in the end product, or it may advance will your level in the game. However he explains what many already know, that by limiting ones total usable abilities it allows you to customize how you play, and what you are most proficient in at the time.
Another great thing Tanaka explains is that the User Interface is customizable. Meaning you can move things around such as the party member stats, your own stats, the chat window, etc. to make it aesthetically pleasing to the user based on their own preferences.
He goes on to talk about the Camera Angles as well, which he explains (and we learned more later on) will also work much like FFXI, in that you will have the shoulder view 3rd person cam, and the first person view as well. It was also explained later on that the 3rd person cam view would indeed work like FFXI when the FFXIV final product is released, in that it will follow you.
Tanaka once more goes on to stress that there is hardly anything to see in this Alpha version of FFXIV compared to what the final product will be like, and that they are just trying to show off some of the guildleve systems.
At the end, Sage Sundi chimes in to reassure us this game will not be a clone of any other MMORPG. That their main concern is pleasing the final fantasy fans first and foremost (that's a lot of F words) and from there finding ways to attract other MMORPG players. Sounds like a win win situation to me!
I'm sure FFXIV will be great, and I hope you all enjoyed these two video interviews, taken from GamesCom 2009.
As a disclaimer I would like to note that these video's do not belong to me. These video's belong to their rightful owners, and Square Enix, LTD. As well as FFXIVcore and the staff and associations who produced them. Please keep in mind that I had nothing to do with the making or development of these video's and am simply re-posting them as pure fan related material.
