As of now, we know so much yet so little about the dynamics and gameplay of FFXIV. From the get go the developers have explained that they wanted a more active and user initiated battle system where the players become more involved in each individual action they preform instead of just engaging and auto-attacking. However, not everyone seems to be liking this system and there seems to be a bit of discontent by the alpha testers with it. Square Enix has said in a recent interview that they will be revising and perfecting much of the battle system itself when they transition from Alpha testing to Beta testing. However, one thing is clear, it will be a much more interactive and completely new system than most people are use to with other MMORPG's. Elmer over at Zam wrote up a full article about it so be sure to check it out.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Active Time Battle System.
Official FFXIV website updated.
As of may 19th The official FFXIV website has been updated once more with new information! This time we get an official look at the now well known map of Eorzea. We also get a huge load of information all about Limsa Lominsa and the guilds, landmarks, and details about the city itself and more. Luckily enough, we also finally get a bit of information on the other two cities, Ul'Dah and Gridania. So be sure to head strait over to the official FFXIV website to check out all the new information and pictures!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Alpha Vs. Beta (Screen Shots!)
Some new screen shots have come forth showing the DRASTIC difference in the Alpha version of the game and the Beta version. As anyone by now should know the Alpha version is a very basic version that is unpolished in every way from the beta version, which is itself a unpolished version from the final product that will be released and sold. From game mechanics, to latency issues, to glitches and bugs, and most importantly the graphics! Below, I will be posting some screen shots that have been released that show the drastic difference between the graphics in Alpha and Beta alone. It's amazing to think this is just the difference between Alpha and Beta and that the final product will be even slightly more tweaked than Beta!
I hope everyone is as excited as I am for this beautiful world we will soon explore!
Map of Eorzea and Latest Info from Famitsu.
The latest issue of Famitsu has come out with all new information on FFXIV, including one very exciting map of Eorzea. The developers have spoken in recent times of how the land of Eorzea is simply the first stage we will see in the mighty production of Hydaelyn (Eorzea is simply a region in Hydaelyn, the world which FFXIV takes place in).
In the map we see the city of Limsa Lominsa (Where all the alpha tests have taken place) in the south west corner, it appears to be an island with a waterway disconnecting it from the main continent. In the southern lands in the middle of the map we see Ul'Dah and in the upper right hand corner to the north east, we see Gridania. To the west of Gridania seems to be the city of Ishgard, which is thought to be the "Hub" city (think Jeuno/Whitegate FFXIers) for FFXIV. And if you look to the far north east corner you see the Garlean Empire, quite ominous looking don't you think? I wonder what adventures will await us in that far off land. Also, if you look at the very bottom left corner of the picture you will see the flags for each kingdom. From left to right they are: Ul'Dah, Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, Ishgard.
Read the full article's on Zam and FFXIVcore!
Famitsu Interview with Tanaka & Komoto.
A new interview has appeared in Famitsu with Hiromichi Tanaka and Nobuaki Komoto discussing the Alpha and Beta stages of FFXIV. A lot of interesting new information regarding their plans as well as what's been going on so far in the tests. Be sure and read the full interview and writeup by Elmer on Zam.
A Closer Look at Limsa Lominsa
Recently Elmer over at Zam did a writeup taking a closer look at Limsa Lominsa. As he explains a lot of Japanese magazines and media sources have been able to sink their teeth deep into some of the great details of the FFXIV Alpha being conducted so far. While so very little is known yet, we are finally able to take some in depth looks and tours around Limsa Lominsa. We get to visit some of the shopping guilds as well where you can see different armor for purchase as well as some novelty gear such as masks, glasses and "Fluff" items. It's nice to see we will be getting some fun aesthetic gear to play around in.
Click here for the full article and more information!
