FFXIVstuff, aka monster hunter XIV Options

[Alisha]

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/04/final-fa...new-job-system/

The latest edition of Famitsu Wave recently hit newsstands in Japan, bringing with it a DVD which contains an 8-minute exposé on Square Enix's second stab at the MMO genre, Final Fantasy XIV. The whole video is posted after the break. Fret not -- it sports convenient English subtitles.

Here's some of the more titillating excerpts: The game features a reinvented character progression system which does not include experience points or leveling up. The job system from XI will make an appearance, but in a heavily altered form -- an interview with the game's director, Nobuaki Komoto, revealed that the game will place a focus on the weapons players use, explaining that your armaments will determine "the way you play" and "the way you grow." Sounds reminiscent of Final Fantasy IX. (That's a very good thing.)

In addition, FFXIV producer Hiromichi Tanaka explained that the game takes place in a new region with a more "modern" feel to it -- the mysterious Eorzea which was mentioned in the trailer. The new world features familiar races (albeit with new names), and plays host to a "deep story," which is told through cut-scenes and quests. For more FFXIV info than you can possibly handle, check the video after the jump.


sounds similar to monster hunter no?

Race Scans

Someone translated the text on BG Forums regarding the characters:

"When you make your character, aside from choosing the race, you will also be able to customize their appearance. Head, skin color, hair type etc, there will be multiple factors. Just how exact we will be able to customize their appearance is still unknown, but we mean it in a good way when we say that it seems like it will become a worry to many players."

[Crushinator]

The characters look nice, a big improvement over (what I felt was) the creepy appearance of the Taru's and Mithras in FFXI. They had better make it more fair/accessible to get these weapons if thats the only factor for leveling up your dude. Otherwise the level grind will simply be replaced by overcrowded weapon drop camping or some crap.

I like that they are addressing the problems with not being able to do anything outside of a party though.

I will be a Galka on this game

[AC9breaker]

Fuck yeah dood, Galka brotherhood 4 li4e.

You guys find it funny on some of the names seem like broken engrish like Hyuran. Might as well just call them humans. Also is it just me or do Galkas look very asian like? Anyway, I'm excited. I'm wondering how they're gonna handle range weaponry. I've always preferred range weaponry myself and FFXI was quite difficult to focus on that even as ranger what with the cost of materials.


Tr3y 4 Li4e!

[Crushinator]

Direct translations from the Famitsu article courtesy of neoGAF:

Races:
Hyuran: 2 clans - midlanders and highlanders
Elezen: the original race of Eorzea, oppose the Hyurans, developed hearing
Roegadyn: more human looking than Galkans, their base is in the north and there are a lot of fishermen
Lalafell: based in the south, agricultural, high intelligence, not many females
Miqo'te: 2 clans - the Sun Seekers who live regular daytime lives and the Moon Keepers who are nocturnal, not a lot of males, not clear if they will speak like cats
More races to come later

Stages:
Desert City - Uldaha
Forest City - Gridania
Ocean City - Rimsa Rominsa
(the spelling could be way off, just going from the 2ch stuff Munba posted)

Armory System:
- you can change jobs and lifestyles freely
- by changing your weapon, you are essneitally changing jobs, and can do so anywhere
- so if you are invited to a PT and there are a lot of fighters, you can switch to a caster, then when your adventures are over, go fishing or synth some stuff
- weapons and def gear all have their own merit. if you want to hone a particular skill, you can coordinate your equipment in that direction
- rather than character levels and skills, the main thing is the skill of the item you are holding
- you can play on your own and switch between fighter and caster to heal yourself, so soloing is easy
- changing is as simple as changing your weapon, so there's no stress
- typical jobs of the FF series, e.g. warrior and black mage, are being avoided
- you can basically enjoy this world in any way you want.

Guild Leave:
- these are passes of trust you obtain from guilds
- a Leave is not a quest. it's a card.
- you can mix your Leaves with other players' Leaves
- at the Adventurers' Guild, you can get Guild Leaves
- there are Leaves that you can't get when your skill is low
- typically a Leave will take 30 mins to complete, there are some shorter too
- you can set the number of people needed to clear the Leave by yourself (seems to be like a difficulty level)
- if one person is carrying a Leave, other players may join whether they have the same Leave or not
- the contents of the Leave change after a week passes
- you can carry multiple Leaves (they are card form, like invitations)
- Guild Leaves are designed like Tarot cards and are really beautiful

Ethelite (sp?)
- installations that can warp you to your adventuring spot instantly

Interview
- in Eorzea, the cities are not all on one connecting landmass, like they were in FFXI
- the difference between races is not as big as FFXI
- but their is a difference between male and females, which they are keeping secret
- character creation: face, hair colour, eye colour, skin, etc. etc.
- battles are realtime, but not action based
- targeting an enemy and fighting (like FFXI) is not the main system, there will be a lot that you have to think about besides the target itself.
- because of the armory system, they are going to make it possible to carry lots of stuff
- there will also be stuff included that makes it easy to change gear
- they're considering whether to let you master everything or not - there may be a see-saw like approach (like FFXI)
- the base of the character growth is the weapon. use a weapon and raise your skills.
- they are considering the option to let you arrange your windows how you want
- weapons will degrade with use
- Guild Leaves include monster hunting, expulsion, skilling up, etc etc
- when you go on a Leave run, you can use Ethelite to take you where you need to go instantly
- there are pirates in Rimsa
- Miqo'te are more catlike
- some trumpeting about how it's going to be an awesome game
- right from the start, it'll be exciting and you'll be thinking "orly!?"
- weather changes, day/night too
- 1 game day = 1 earth hour
- people who can only play an hour a day will still be able to enjoy the game
- the monetary system is Gil
- the people living in the cities all have their own backstory
- you'll start the game from your home city (I guess it's based on race, but doesn't say implicitly).

[tanshin]

After reading all this new info, I can't help but get worried, honestly. It seems like they are going to make the game too easy, much like world of warcraft. The only reason people still play WoW after the simple task of maxing out their character's level is so they can go on raids to get more stuff to become the best PvP person ever. I'm not particularly fond of either time consuming raids nor a main focus on PvP in an MMO. I notice that square enix also are not fond of PvP, so I'm starting to wonder what the hell we're gonna do if they make leveling (oh, I'm sorry increasing your skill with a weapon or whatever) so easy that you hit the cap a month after playing? I'm glad that they seem to be doing away with the mistakes made in FFXI, but I hope they don't throw away the aspects about it that were good as well.

[Knightsword]

Hopefully they also get rid of that annoying extra fee per extra character. Every other mmo I've played has yet to commit that form of asshatery.

[Alisha]

obviously we need to know more but i don't like the idea of changing jobs midfight to heal yourself. i think the idea is to be solo friendly and for those times when you are making a party and you cant find a healer or tank or refresh whore. but i think there has to be better ways to tackle those problems.

[AC9breaker]

I don't know, it makes the game sound like PSU and I thought you loved PSU? I mean didn't you get like a billion hours offline? I would prefer if they went with a PSO type of thing myself. The game certainly sounds like it's drawing a lot from Monster Hunter what with weapons degrading and such. May not be such a bad thing since that game owns.

[Crushinator]

obviously we need to know more but i don't like the idea of changing jobs midfight to heal yourself. i think the idea is to be solo friendly and for those times when you are making a party and you cant find a healer or tank or refresh whore. but i think there has to be better ways to tackle those problems.

I sincerely doubt that switching your weapon/job to a healer to cure yourself mid battle will be the most efficientj/intended way to play the game. If anything, the ability to change on the fly will keep you from having the problem of finding a healer/tank/whatever-role, because any player can potentially fill the spot. You don't need to say "ok we need a pld and a whm and a brd and then 3 other mooks to hurt things" you can just say "hey lets get 6 friends and have fun."

[HC82]

You don't need to say "ok we need a pld and a whm and a brd and then 3 other mooks to hurt things" you can just say "hey lets get 6 friends and have fun."

That was the biggest turn off for me when it comes to MMOs. I hate forming PTs. I don't like waiting or being unable to do things because someone had to go and now we need a tank etc... The dynamics are obviously that it creates party diversity and can make for more unique encounters, but there needs to be a balance. That's partly why WoW was a success in that way for casual gamers. Although, WoW is really just very user friendly as you level up and becomes strict on the raiding level, which I don't have the time to devout too.

It's important for MMOs to understand the benefits of how they do things, and why it does or doesn't work, but also think outside the box and carve their own path. Too many MMOs follow a strict path or 'mantra' of MMO gaming guidelines. I think they just need to let go at times and focus on "what's fun as all shit and will last a long time with players?"

PSO, being in all honestly a rigid action rpg with only 4 stages had me playing again and again. It didn't have miles of digital landscape, realistic worlds, and all these immersive aspects, yet I'v clocked more into that then most MMOs.

What does that mean exactly? That means that the main focus is "FUN!!!" The MMORPG aspects of immersion of huge worlds can easily dwarf a game like PSO (and it does dwarf it), yet if a small-ass-4-stages-game can have me playing for 400+ hours, than a huge-massive world should have me playing longer (obviously it will), but also having waaaaay more fun.

WoW has some of those elements which make it easier to get into and has you generally exploring each area fully, due to the nature of the quest system. FFXIV understands that these elements are important to a MMOs success, but originality must still prevail.

[Crushinator]

Some in-game screens posted at Kotaku:

http://kotaku.com/5332049/final-fantasy-xi...m-here/gallery/

Looks VERY pretty. Also notice all the character images are in-game models, not concept renders. Looking really nice.

Also, the official site http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/ has been updated with a lot of content. Mostly covering the stuff we already found out from Famitsu, but at least its in real english now, not mysterious translations

[Alisha]

I don't know, it makes the game sound like PSU and I thought you loved PSU? I mean didn't you get like a billion hours offline? I would prefer if they went with a PSO type of thing myself. The game certainly sounds like it's drawing a lot from Monster Hunter what with weapons degrading and such. May not be such a bad thing since that game owns.

actually i think psu is crap 4.5/10

as for FFXIV my fear is this:
i only hope that in their attempt to make it more mainstream friendly they dont destroy the things that made ffxi so fun. i saw this happen once before when i used to play asherons call. in AC2 they oversimplified everything and it ended up being crap.

[Crushinator]

i only hope that in their attempt to make it more mainstream friendly they dont destroy the things that made ffxi so fun. i saw this happen once before when i used to play asherons call. in AC2 they oversimplified everything and it ended up being crap.

What was it that made FFXI so fun to you? Legitimately, I want to know.

Even though I played the game a shitload, I pretty much despise every aspect of the game, aside from the intricacy and teamwork required for things like skillchain/magic bursting. And by the end of the game nobody gives a shit about things like that anyways and just spams their best attacks, at most with like a 2 step chain.

Other than that the real fun of the game is purely social, playing with your friends and getting shit done -- which FFXI seems to try and STOP you from doing at every possible juncture, whether it be through arduous travelling, death penalties, level caps (yes i know they addressed that NOW 5 years later), or other bullshit.

[Wiryu]

It's because of monster hunter I feel really good about the new character progression system in FFIVX. There being no levels, I was skeptic with monster hunter, but I see a huge difference in performance against the different levels of monsters with each piece of gear I obtain, and if they can pull it off so great with a small game, I feel really excited about seeing if a successful gaming company can pull off a similar system, with much more content, even moderately well. I've been juggling MH and FFIVX since MHF came out on the PSP, so to feel like I may potentially have both games combined into one, I think that's pretty awesome!

It's speculation to say it'll be anything near what I expect, but the similarities are present enough to get me excited, and I feel confident that the system may just work out nicely. The only thing I have concerns about with the new system is whether or not I'm going to have to tediously change each piece of gear, or if they'll make it easy enough that by changing the weapon for example, all the gear worn previously, and macros used, change with it. (Assuming there are macros)

I'm also interested to see how the branch out system works (which I admit sounds like WoW) but that's for another day.

[Alisha]

gameplay videos

Video Games | Final Fantasy XIV Online | GC 09: Character Animations (Cam)

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Video Games | Final Fantasy XIV Online | GC 09: Magic & Melee Gameplay (Cam)

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

[Crushinator]

Blast! I was just here to post those! Yeah it looks cool to me, I like the closer to the character camera, almost over the the shoulder. Looks a lot like FF12's gameplay.

[Vitamin D]

It certainly seems that they're trying to rope back in the old (and current even) XI crowd as well as new players. It looks pretty damn good so far. I'll definitely give the beta a whirl if possible haha.

[Crushinator]

Video Games | Final Fantasy XIV Online | GC 09: Lalafell Gameplay (Cam)

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Another vid with some hot taru action.

I really like the movement animations on the characters, although the people playing seem to have trouble grasping the camera controls...

[Crushinator]

[Alisha]

mega boss. i'm geussing thats the games opening cutscene.

[Crushinator]

From RPGsite:

PS3 fans who want to beta test the newest online Final Fantasy epic may want to think about upgrading their PCs as Final Fantasy XIV director Hiromichi Tanaka told Japanese publication GameWatch that FF14 XIV beta testing will initially only be carried out on the Windows platform.

In the same article information was revealed about how the beta testing will be conducted. To begin with, the beta will not be continuous, only lasting for a couple of hours at a time so the development team can directly monitor the goings on. They'll also be conducted with a relatively small group of people from all over the world.

As the game is tightened up and nears release a full 24-hour beta will begin on the PC, finally ending with a full, free open beta.

It was also revealed that this game is being designed for PCs and ported to consoles - the opposite of PS2-developed FF11. The game is being built with Direct X 9 in mind. You can get more from the Final Fantasy experts at UFFSite.

Ooooohhhh, so much for TR3Y 4 LY4E as far as FF14 goes. Starting development on PC will make it a lot easier to get on both PS3 and 360 eventually, though.

I have to question why they are using DirectX 9, especially when we're on the verge of the launch of DX11 with Windows 7, DirectX 10 has matured a lot by now and sticking with DX9 will really hold back FF14 in the graphics dept.

Technology Information
FF14 is being developed for PC first and then ported to consoles - the opposite of FF11, which was made for PS2.

Fans can expect support for systems with multiple cores and 64-bit machines, unlike FF11.

FF14 is designed with today's higher end machines in mind.

The team is working on seperate graphics for the PS3 and PC versions.

The PS3 version will likely run in 720p - the PC version will depend on the settings and hardware the user has.


Beta Information
Early beta testing will only be a small group worldwide and will only take place in 3-4 hour segments.

Currently the planned beta is only for the Windows version.

Length of testing will gradually increase as the game nears completion until the beta is online 24 hours a day.

Eventually there will be a free open beta for everyone to join.

Originally the development team anticipated it would take 6 months to go from closed beta to open beta - now they believe it could be shorter.

Ultimately how long the open beta takes to arrive will depend on the feedback offered by members of the closed beta.

[Scan_Man]

About the DirectX9 thing. From what I heard the majority of PC gamers were still running XP. Something about they think the jump in graphic quality is not worth it enough or noticeable enough to change their operating system. I would imagine this is even more so for Japan, where PC gaming is not very popular compared to the rest of the world. I'm sure they have researched this. I know for beta sign ups they always ask you for your PC specs. So I'm sure there is likely data to back up that decision.

[Knightsword]

And if I recall only ati has launch its dx11 cards now, and nvidia has yet to put one on the market. Also it is kinda hard to develope a game (that started what 2 years ago?) for Windows 7/dx11 when they haven't been officially released. and Scanman is right many people still use XP and just don't care.

[Crushinator]

But on that same token, the developers for FF14 have specifically stated they were developing the game with the "high end PC user in mind", so I don't get why they don't support DX10 at all.

[AC9breaker]

Not only that but, of course the people won't buy something if there's no product for it. If FFXI supported D10 it'll be all the more reason to get it. It's like saying Let's focus on making games for the ps2 rather then ps3 or 360 becuase it has a higher installed base. I'm with Crush on this one, I mean I don't blame them for not making it for D11 but at the very least could have been D10

[Wiryu]

Least of my concerns. If it only supported Dx3 my curiosity would still lead me to at least try out the game. The details to this point have intrigued me enough for that at least.

[Knightsword]

I would rather have it be dx9 and usable by all the windows user base and be successful, then chained to vista with dx10 and used by quarter of the user base Also of course they are gonna make it so it can be ported to consoles easily they would be damn stupid if they didn't and be honest console owners out number the pc owners by quite a large number.

p.s. even the 360 and ps3 cant do dx 10

[Crushinator]

Making a game DX10 compatible does not preclude it from working on DX9 systems. Because Crysis, Bioshock, Mirror's Edge, Resident Evil 5, and dozens other games support DX10 that means DX9 computers also can't play them? I'm not saying they need to make FF14 vista/7 exclusive or DX10 compatible only, I'm just saying that its stupid to not embrace current technology if they are aiming for a high end game experience.

and be honest console owners out number the pc owners by quite a large number.

You can't be serious. PC ownership dwarfs consoles. Check it:

http://thenextweb.com/2009/01/02/computer-...ip-per-country/

United States: 76.2%

Now that info is from 2006, so the PC ownership has only swelled since then. I'm also aware that its referring to PC's per-capita, not just per household so it could include government/corporate systems. But the sheer amount of PC's in homes still stands head and shoulders above consoles.

http://www.theesa.com/newsroom/release_det...sp?releaseID=65

Forty-two percent of American homes have a video game console;

Of course keep in mind this figure includes ALL game consoles, not just current gen systems.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/54128

PCs are used for gaming more than any console

This is a great breakdown of gaming ownership, but for the sake of this conversation this is what's relevant:

Only 26.5% of people have a current gen console, compared to ~75% PC ownership.
Of the total US population, only 16.68% have a PS3 or 360.

Now I'm not sure what the breakdown of PC owners with a system capable of running FF14 is (to compare it to the total of PS360 owners), but thats besides the point. The thing is, PC's are a large step ahead consoles are far as gaming market penetration goes.

[HC82]

All these stats hurt my brain (well not really), and are more or less moot without knowing how many people's PCs can play a graphic intense game at a good performance level. I PC game and grind out on my Mac too, but I can tell you that my comp can't really grind the graphics I'd like on certain games, so I console game more often, as oppose to updating my PC on a bi-annual basis. For me it's more practical and I fall into the category of people who game, have a PC at home, but don't have a PC Gaming rig, and as a result, choose not to PC game very much, if it all.

If something can substantiate DX10 and allow for DX9, why not? Does it matter, overall? Maybe just for a select few who have solid PC Gaming rigs, but I seriously doubt many people with a PC at home have a dedicated gaming rig.

Also, while statistically, PC's may have far greater overall penetration then consoles worldwide, this is completely irrelevant and separate from those PCs which actually contain a library of video games equal to current generation console gamers, or even a generation past. If we're going to attempt to make a comparative study, then the variables used in the study (ie, gamers), need to be just that, comparative. From a marketing perspective, you can't market something to one crowd and expect the same results with another. Playing Bejewled or some bullshit DL doesn't equate anymore to the topic of our type of gaming, as someone playing tetris on a cellphone. We're talking about actual "gamers" here, so the correlation between PC's are a step ahead of consoles as far as the gaming market penetration goes, should be more accurately stated as that PC's have greater potential for overall penetration, due to they're superior user base; although, when reviewing subsets with the gaming market (ie. types of end-user), there are less costlier barriers to entry for console level gaming, but with the potential for overall greater constant performance then on a PC vs a console gaming. The barriers to entry have to be addressed when reviewing true market penetration for PC gaming versus console gaming.

Anyway, Square probably isn't even looking to cater to certain gaming demographics, because the game will be released on consoles anyway. They should offer the very best, but I doubt that's they're concern for the time being. You never know, it might change at the last minute.

[Crushinator]

Yeah I'll admit I kinda lost my way toward the end of that post. I think the main thing I wanted to get across was that PC's are far more pervasive than consoles.

I agree that its difficult, if not impossible from the information we have available, to get any kind of idea was to how many "serious gaming PCs" are out there, compared to current-gen consoles. Maybe Square-Enix is taking a WoW-approach, trying to make sure this game is playable by as many people as possible. From a marketing standpoint it does make the most sense to scale back an MMO to meet requirements on low-end hardware so they can expand the player base.

I just feel its a disservice to gamers to say you're going to create a product for a high end PC gamer, and disregard the latest graphics APIs.

[Alisha]

Not only that but, of course the people won't buy something if there's no product for it. If FFXI supported D10 it'll be all the more reason to get it. It's like saying Let's focus on making games for the ps2 rather then ps3 or 360 becuase it has a higher installed base. I'm with Crush on this one, I mean I don't blame them for not making it for D11 but at the very least could have been D10

but isn't that already happening? why do you think the valkyria chronicles sequel is on psp instead of ps3 and/or 360.

[Crushinator]

but isn't that already happening? why do you think the valkyria chronicles sequel is on psp instead of ps3 and/or 360.

The reason Valkyria Chronicles 2 is on PSP is because the original bombed, and the dev cycle and cost is much cheaper on a PSP title, so there's less risk for Sega.

Its not even similar to what we're talking about here. PSP is still current technology, there's nothing "beyond" it. If FF14 came out today for the PS2 or based off PS2 technology and then ported to PS360, like AC said, it would be a fucking joke creating it with outdated tech in mind.

THATS the comparison he was trying to make.

[Crushinator]

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/

Updates on the official site with a lot of job classes (alchemist, blacksmith, culinarian, tanner, weaver, archer, lancer, gladiator, marauder, and pugilist), and monster bestiary info. Also some little thing under "lifestyles" about cooking.

[Scan_Man]

LOL at the Armoury section with the Leeroy example.

[Crushinator]

PC version beta signups are a GO!

http://entry.ffxiv.com/na/index.html

Looks like Square Enix was serious about fast-tracking this game's beta for a 2010 release. Blizzard could learn a thing or two... *coughstarcraftcough*

[AC9breaker]

Applied! So yeah the last question was Do you run a fan dedicated website? There wasn't a no option available so I selected a Site that isn't listed. wtf

Hope I get in, looking forward to this game.

[Alisha]

some screenshots someone posted on another board for ya

[Crushinator]

Looks hot. Now how about they actually reveal some info on the game damn mage classes?

[Alisha]

some character creation info

http://www.ffxivcore.com/topic/2724-new-sc...acter-creation/


looks like the entrance to norg lol.

[Crushinator]

Those crabs are fucking awesome.

Good to see there's a titty size slider.


EDIT: High res pics from SE




And lots of in-game and CG scene pics too.

http://kotaku.com/5433453/more-final-fanta...ke-a-chocobo-at

Hopefully with all this media coming out is a sign the game is pretty far along

[Alisha]

some old some new

http://www.ffxivhq.com/reposit/media/

[AC9breaker]

YOU'VE ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD!

[donkeybeatz]

[Vitamin D]

LMAO X2.

[Alisha]

a copy and paste job for you!

So drama has broken out over FFXIV with the admin Zyuu over at FFXIVCore.com having been caught trying to sell beta keys. It's fucking hilarious and I am enjoying the drama thoroughly, but more importantly, it has basically been revealed that the beta for FFXIV is supposed to start in the early part of March. Zyuu is trying to play damage control, and Square likely is not going to give that site beta keys.

Just a heads up.

so the leakage should start soon.

[AC9breaker]

How much money you figure he could get for that? Ii heard beta keys for Starcraft 2 where going from anyway to 300 to over 9000!!!

[Crushinator]

Call me when we can actually get a beta in english. No way in hell I'm trying to decipher an MMO in moonspeak.

[Alisha]

Call me when we can actually get a beta in english. No way in hell I'm trying to decipher an MMO in moonspeak.

i'm just looking forward to more information about the game. the only time i've played a beta version of a game was red alert 2 because i knew someone on the development team.

[Crushinator]

http://www.destructoid.com/final-fantasy-x...11-165348.phtml

March 11th! Hopefully we'll have better luck with this than the SC2 beta access, right?

[AC9breaker]

I'm pretty doubtful. It seems like they're gonna be giving the codes away to weeaboos. ie: not us.

[Crushinator]

I knew i should have set my excitement for FF14 as a "10 out of 10" instead of an 8!!!! God damnit!

[Alisha]

this isnt ffXIV related but the level cap in ffxi is going to be raised from 75 to 99.

heres a condensed version

FFXIV Tester Site opening March 11th for those chosen! - Invite notification info still unknown
Beta announced for FFXIV - Details have not yet been completely revealed
New FFXIV gameplay footage - not yet viewable to non-attendants for the moment
Info on the FFXIV Alpha for the FFXI players invited will be sent March 1st

FFXI News
Odin and Alexander as Summons in FFXI!
Level cap increased to 99 in FFXI!
Three Mini Expansions announced
New high level area - Abyssea
Earn AF3 in Abyssea with only a single party!
New gigantic NM and HNM!
Black Mages to possibly learn Meteor!
Many class adjustments - will be detailed later

http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/event/vanafes2010/

[AC9breaker]

Apparently the invites have only been sent to people who are currently FFXI players, and they say it's an invite to the "alpha". It's ambiguous as to whether the closed beta on the 11th is the alpha they mention in the emails, or if everyone else who applied but is not a FFXI player can still get in to whatever is happening on the 11th.

The email says: "You will be participating in the Alpha Test, which will be taking place prior to the launch of the Beta Test". A lot of people are taking this to mean that the thing on the 11th is the alpha test, and the beta won't be happening for quite some time after that, since having an alpha for one week and then rolling out a beta seems a bit odd. I guess we'll find out.

Alisha get back on FFXI and hit level 99 so you can give us impressions on 14. TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM

[Alisha]

Apparently the invites have only been sent to people who are currently FFXI players, and they say it's an invite to the "alpha". It's ambiguous as to whether the closed beta on the 11th is the alpha they mention in the emails, or if everyone else who applied but is not a FFXI player can still get in to whatever is happening on the 11th.

The email says: "You will be participating in the Alpha Test, which will be taking place prior to the launch of the Beta Test". A lot of people are taking this to mean that the thing on the 11th is the alpha test, and the beta won't be happening for quite some time after that, since having an alpha for one week and then rolling out a beta seems a bit odd. I guess we'll find out.

Alisha get back on FFXI and hit level 99 so you can give us impressions on 14. TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM

lol maybe i will. if you look on the site theres a picture of a whm using convert and a pup using chi blast.

[Crushinator]

That level cap raise seems really stupid. Its like they're saying "fuck any sort of balance we had before, go nuts guys. It's over."

[Wiryu]

I'm just too curious to stay away!

[Crushinator]

Apparently if you buy the PS3 version of FF13, you get a chance to get into the 14 beta.

http://kotaku.com/5488909/how-to-try-out-f...antasy-xiv-beta

[Crushinator]

http://www.ffxivcore.com/topic/4268-famits...ki-leak-rumors/

Leaks leaks leaks!

• Everything done in battle in FFXIV increases TP, including casting
• Defense can happen both automatically and at the will of the user
• The PC version will be able to run on PCs from a few years ago, but the alpha version will only run on high-end PCs
• Can be run on 512MB of VRAM and above
• Alpha test starts soon
• Square wants to make it possible to play with your friends from FFXI
• Character customization won’t be fully available in beta (can’t change facial features)
• There’s a mode for restoring HP while moving
• The plan is the make the maximum number of members in a party between 6 and 8, and there will also be alliances
• The important things in battle are distance, range, and direction
• There will be magic you can use while moving
• There are screenshots in the magazine of the alpha version, and it looks like there have been a lot of small changes
• “Aggro/hate” has a different name in 14 (Translates to something like how much the enemy views you as a threat)
• Enemies will not be set in one area in order for people to pull them to camps; places that enemies will appear will be scattered around

[Alisha]

this url has a boat load of pics
http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1232830_1124.html



heres a translation someone posted as well.

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Re: FFXIV Thread
« Reply #33 on: Today at 12:22:09 AM »

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Being nitpicky, but the sky looks kinda crappy in that shot, and the foliage doesn't feel much improved compared to FFXI. Might be the angle though, and it would probably look a lot better in motion.

I'll give my attempt at a rough translation of some of it for those of you who can't wait.

Opens with short introduction about SE's new MMO, FFXIV, and this is a class breakdown.


Gladiator
A flexible class capable of wielding swords of all types. With a shield, it may act as a tank. With a light sword it can act as a fast striker. It can adapt to many situations.
Equipment introduction includes a curved scimitar and a small-sized buckler.
The third picture looks to be a stance selection...IE Warrior from WoW.

Abilities
Sword's Cheer(?): Attack before the enemy, provoking it and encouraging it to attack the user.
Cover: Defend the party member behind you.
Rampart: Focus on defense over your blade, ups both physical and magical defense.
Aegis Boon: After blocking with a shield, the damage can be converted into HP recovery.
Weapon Skills
Phalanx: After a block, strike quickly from behind your shield, angering the enemy.
Red Lotus: A flaming strike with your sword.
Shield Bash: Damage + Interrupt
Spin Stroke: Deals more damage if you have aggro
Circle Slash: AoE attack

Followed by commentary by development team, who all basically say that the class if focused on being balanced in both attack and defense, will be often asked to tank for parties, but can also switch between a stabbing and slashing type attack pattern to add versatility in DPS.


Lancer
Capable of using spears of all kinds, as well as javelins to attack from a distance.
Equipment shows two types of spears, one of riding and one for normal use(?)
Third picture shows that you can attack while out of the enemy's range, as well as attack multiple weak enemies.

Abilities:
Inspire: Erect a spear with a flag, increasing morale (party members attacking the enemy gain TP)
Ferocity: Sacrifice HP to deal massive damage
Focus: Reduce own HP to up TP
Collusion(?): Attack from behind a party member to trick the enemy into thinking he attacked (IE Trick attack from FFXI)
Dragon Sword: Push the enemy with a spear, lowering evasion and draining HP.

Weapon Skill:
Overrun: Spear lunge, appears to allow the PC to charge forward colliding into the enemy and starting the battle with extra TP
Feint: Perform a feint, lowering evasion and attacking immediately with 100% accuracy
Leg Sweep: Stops movements of enemies in front of the user, ineffective on flying enemies
Moon Lance: Thrusts spear, lowers enemy TP gain
Skewer: Seems to attack multiple enemies and slow down ground enemy movement

Developers say it is a class that is half attacker, half support class. It is a class that must focus on the positioning of others during battle as well as being mindful of what abilities are used. It appears to be a mish-mash of SAM, THF, and DRG from FFXI.

Will continue in a bit.

Oh well curse you Elmer. Given that Elmer's translation doesn't seem to include the abiltiies, I'll go ahead and do that.

Pugilist

Ability:
Whistle: Gain attention of enemy
Blindside: Larger damage from behind enemy
Chakra: Reduce TP to gain HP
Steal: Steals item (herp derp)
Phase Step: Up evasion

WS:
Jarring Strike: Appears to be Hamedo from FFT. Ups aggro.
Relentless Strike: Attack weak point, repeated use lowers critical strike.
Haymaker: Dodge and attack
Tackle: Charge
Earthen Slash: Hit ground for Earth damage around Pugilist, ineffective on flying


Marauder

Ability:
Bloodbath: High critical strike on next attack
Defender: Attack-, Defense+
Disorient: Lower enemy evasion
Invincible Charge: Movement is possible even if hit with restricting magic

WS:
Skill Thunder: Damage, AoE larger if charged
Log split: Effective against plantoids
Fracture: After being hit, attack and seal enemy WS
Brandish: AoE attack
Ion Tempest: Donut-shaped attack around user with wind-type damage


Archer

Ability:
Replenish: Attack with several arrows at once
Chameleon: Disappear
Stride: Higher movement speed
Retrieval: Lower HP, recover arrows
Hawkeye: Next attack has high accuracy

WS:
Shadowbind: Bind enemy in place
Wide Volley: AoE attack
Quick Knock: Fan shaped AoE
Feathered arrow: Remove enemy's buff
Shrieker: Make enemy flee


Conjurer

Ability:
???: Longer cast time, higher damage
Trance Chant: Magic cannot be interrupted
Spirit Bind: Bind caster in place(?), lowers MP costs
Roaming Soul: Casting possible while walking (Thank you SE)
Purge: Recover status of party and enemies to normal

WS:
Fire: Fire damage in area of effect
Cure: Heals party members in area of effect
Protect: Do I really need to explain this
Shock Spikes: Enemies that hit you take thunder damage and get stunned
Frost: Causes ice slip damage in area of effect


Conjurer

Ability
Blood Ritual: Reduce own HP, up magic damage
Thorns: Return damage done to caster back to attacker
Dark Seal: Ups magic accuracy
Initiation: Party members gain your buffs
Paradigm Shift: In exchange for spell distance, AoE is enlarged

WS:
Drain: Drain HP
Gravity: Slow movement
Sacrifice: Reduce own HP, heal other's HP
Siphon-Magi: Drain MP from enemy that cannot move
Absorb-Accuracy: Lower enemy's accuracy and ups yours

more good stuff
http://ffxiv.zam.com/story.html?story=21825

[AC9breaker]

I'm rolling Galka Archer and Maybe Marauder.

[Crushinator]

The officiall AT linkshell will be "Bro". You can only get a pearl if you're a Galka.

[Alisha]

the official jp site has been updated and you can hear the battle theme.

http://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/

[AC9breaker]

Just reached the first save point for in FFXIII and just finished filling out my Beta application for 14 with my promotional code from 13. I gotta say, that square enix website is fucking cumbersome as shit to navigate. Here's to hoping I get in the beta!

[Crushinator]

The different "Tribes" from FF14. So I guess we have to make the important choice: Red Galka or Blue Galka?












I gotta give it up to the character design on FF14, every race looks fantastic and appealing, even the mithra.

EDIT: TARU PANIC!

[AC9breaker]

Looking fantastic. I just hope the framerate isn't gonna be like that.

I'm gonna go with Blue Galka because I've always picked the blue-ish games in the Pokemon series.

[Crushinator]

Alpha Test users' manual:

FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Test Manual

FINAL FANTASY XIV is a cross-nation, cross-platform massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) that brings together people from all across the world to compete, cooperate, and communicate within the virtual fantasy realm known as Eorzea. While solo adventuring is always an option, most will agree that joining forces with their fellow gamers not only makes the game that much easier, but that much more fun as well!

* The Alpha/Beta versions contain only a fraction of what is planned in the full version. This includes playable races and clans, character customization options, selectable classes, and available areas, to name a few.

1. After logging in, select “New” from the Character Selection screen.

2. Select your character’s race, clan, and gender.

3. Choose a preset appearance for your character.

4. Customize various aspects of your character’s appearance via the available menus.

5. Select your character’s starting class*.

6. Select your character’s nameday (birthday) and guardian (patron deity).

7. Input your character’s first and last name.

8. Select the city-state in which you wish to begin your adventure.

9. Finally, select “Enter” to create your character and begin the game.

* Classes
In FINAL FANTASY XIV, a player’s class is determined by the arm or tool in his/her hand. The class chosen during character creation simply determines the items a player begins the game with. Players can change their class at any time by simply equipping different items they purchase, find, or create.

- Note
In the Alpha Version, a character’s race, clan, gender, nameday, and guardian do not affect his/her attributes.

At the onset of the game, you will find yourself on a boat, though at this point your character is already within what is called an instanced area, meaning it will not be occupied by any other players.

* Instanced areas, or instances, are areas in which only players directly related to or involved in what happens within may enter. The initial stages of gameplay in the Alpha Test will take place in instanced areas which only single players may occupy.
Instances will only be used for special events, such as the game’s opening sequence. For the most part, gameplay will take place within public areas occupied by any of a number of players.

As you progress through the opening event, the ship will eventually make port. After arriving, speak to the NPC Hob, who will be located directly ahead of you. At certain points in the game, Hob will present you with a list of options in accordance with your progress. For now, select the option presented to continue through the current event.

After speaking with NPC Hob and proceeding to the location to which you have been directed, there will be another NPC named Baderon who will present you with another set of options. After speaking to Baderon, you will automatically be transported from to a public area.

In public areas you will come across many other players. As fellow adventurers, it is up to you to make the most of your time in Eorzea together!



1. Display Name
The color of a display name reveals important information.
White – Other PCs
Blue – Party members
Green – NPCs
Yellow – Enemies
Red – Engaged enemies

* Semi-Transparent Display Names
When the display name of a PC is semi-transparent, it indicates that player is currently in a different area than you. These PCs are still displayed on-screen to help contribute to the seamless transitioning between areas. However, players should note that party invites cannot be extended across areas.

2. Minimap
The minimap displays the immediate vicinity around you, the direction you are facing, the direction the camera is facing, and the position of various NPCs.

3. Log
This display contains all of the various logs used to display text within the game, such as the system log, combat log, and chat log. Players may input text by selecting the chat prompt area.

4. Unit Frame
The unit frame displays various aspects of your character’s status, such as HP, MP, and TP.

5. Connection Status



1. Action Bar
This bar displays the various commands available for use in relation to the PC or NPC you are currently targeting.

2. Action Gauge
This gauge tells how much time is left before the next action may be executed. Though there are a few exceptions, for the most part all attacks, abilities, weapon skills, and spells require that the action gauge be full.

For certain classes, a secondary action gauge will appear when a shield is equipped in the off hand. All shield-related commands will make use of this gauge.

The action gauges of the main hand and off hand are entirely independent of one another. Should a character have a shield equipped in their off hand, two action gauges will be displayed simultaneously.

3. Effect Gauge
The effect gauge comes to life once the action gauge has completely filled. When a command is executed, the state of the effect gauge will determine certain bonuses to factors such as accuracy, power, or potency. These bonuses apply to all actions, both physical and magical.


- Other
- Passive Mode and Active Mode
“Passive Mode” is the designation given to the state in which a player’s arm or tool is not drawn. In this mode, hit points regenerate automatically.
“Active Mode” refers to the state in which a player’s arm or tool is drawn. In this mode, various battle commands are available, but movement speed is reduced in comparison to passive mode.

- Arms and Tools
There are a vast array of arms and tools in FINAL FANTASY XIV which allow players to assume the role of any of a number of classes. However, the following conditions should be kept in mind when changing equipment.
Equipping Arms – Players must be in passive mode and not engaged with an enemy.
Equipping Tools – Players must be in passive mode.

During the Alpha Test phase, there will be a total of nine types of arms and tools available (swords, hand-to-hand weapons, axes, polearms, bows, conjurer arms, thaumaturge arms, hammers, and pickaxes). Players can change their class simply by virtue of changing the arm or tool they have equipped in their hand.

The Flow of Battle
1. Ready an arm or tool, changing from passive mode to active mode.

2. Target an enemy.

3. Select a command from the action bar, and make use of the action and effect gauges to execute it effectively.

4. Strategize with other party members, deciding upon an appropriate Battle Regimen*.

5. Gain victory in battle to be rewarded with experience and skill points.

6. Obtain and distribute any loot dropped by the enemy.

* Battle Regimen
Battle Regimens are combat tactics which party members may employ against a single enemy. By coordinating and executing battle commands in a precise order, players may cause certain additional beneficial effects to occur.

A Battle Regimen begins with the stacking of battle commands. All party members who wish to take part in the Battle Regimen must stack their actions in the correct order against the desired target. One of the members then initiates the Battle Regimen, and the stacked actions will be executed automatically.

Step 1: Consult with other party members to determine the best Battle Regimen to use against a specific target. The battle commands and the order in which they are to be executed should all be decided.

Step 2: Wait until your position in the queue comes around to switch to Battle Regimen mode and select the battle command you wish to stack.

Step 3: After all participating party members have stacked their battle commands, one of the party members selects to initiate the Battle Regimen.

Step 4: Once the Battle Regimen is initiated, the stacked battle commands will all be executed automatically, chaining together to create additional effects.

Please note that factors such as distance from the enemy may prevent stacked battle commands from being executed once the Battle Regimen is initiated. In these cases, the Battle Regimen will not end, but will instead proceed on to the next command in the queue.


Enemy Toughness
An enemy’s degree of difficulty is represented by the color of the circle located in the extreme left portion of the unit frame. This display takes into account whether the player is solo or a member of a party.

Red – Incredibly Tough
Orange – Very Tough
Yellow – Tough
Green – Decent Challenge
Blue – Easy Prey


Physical Levels and Skill Ranks
In FINAL FANTASY XIV, a character’s progress is measured in two ways. Physical levels represent one’s actual physical development, while skill ranks measure how adept one is with various arms and tools.

- Physical Levels
Characters gain physical levels by accumulating a certain amount of experience points.
(During the Alpha Test phase, experience points will be obtainable only by achieving victory in battle.)

- Skill Ranks
Skill ranks are gained by accumulating skill points from various endeavors, such as combat or crafting. As a character’s skill rank increases, they will learn new actions, such as abilities and weapon skills.

* Physical level and skill rank caps will be set at 20 for the Alpha Test Phase.


Setting Actions for Use
Actions that have been acquired by a character can be set to the action bar for use. During the Alpha Test phase, the maximum number of actions available at any given time will be limited to 20.

Barring a few class-specific exceptions, actions will be available for use even when using a class different from the one on which the action learned. However, the power and efficacy of each action is determined by its affinity with the character’s active skill.


The Spoils of War
Any items received after a battle will be placed in a player’s loot list. During party play, items are distributed randomly to the lists of each member.

After a certain period of time, items on a loot list will be automatically moved to a player’s inventory. Should the player’s inventory be full, the items will be lost.

Items on a loot list are not considered in a player’s possession until they are added to his/her inventory. Until then, any items, including those which are rare (untradeable) and unique (players can possess no more than one), can be transferred to another party member’s list.

* Items received while mining/quarrying will also be added to the loot list before being moved to a player’s inventory.

If a character’s HP is reduced to 0, he/she will be “knocked out” and no longer able to move or act. A character can be revived by selecting “Return” from the main menu and choosing a destination from the listed aetheryte camps or aetherial gates.

* If a character is KO’d while participating in a levequest, he/she will be teleported back to the corresponding aetheryte.
* For the duration of the Alpha Test, characters KO’d will receive a weakness penalty which will not only lower total HP, but also reduce the speed with which their action gauge fills, as well as increase the length of casting times. This penalty will last five minutes before wearing off.

The "Battle Regimen" system seems like a successor to skillchaining, and its cool that you can use skills learned from other jobs on your current job.

[tanshin]

Good info there, that answers a lot of the questions I had in my mind about some of the finer details. I can't wait!

[Alisha]

lol it seems a ton of people are getting banned for violating the NDA. theres a bunch of videos on youtube better watch em before the SE nazi's step in and remove them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg0iL_0ovEI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEUJR-GHoCQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OefDCDD3yQo so choppy


just posting things as i come across them

http://scrawlfx.com/2010/04/more-final-fan...a-screens-awash

http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/Final-Fantasy-XIV...ntasy-XIV-Alpha

http://www.gemaga.com/2010/04/08/final-fan...eaks-showing-up

[Crushinator]

Ace reporter Alisha, on the scene!

[Alisha]

Ace reporter Alisha, on the scene!

your starting to creep me out lately but in a good way!

[tanshin]

Ace reporter Alisha, on the scene!

your starting to creep me out lately but in a good way!

I agree, it is creepy when Crush is being nice... why is that?

Also, it seems like kind of a stupid thing to get banned for, posting vids on youtube. Do they do it for some kind of brief fame or recognition? Common sense would tell me not to do it, not worth it.

[Crushinator]

From what I understand, the person posting the youtube vids had more than one alpha account, so they suicided their account knowing full well the repercussions.

[Bilix]

First one to name a Hume Justin Beiber wins a prize.

[AC9breaker]

Looks more like a taru to me.

[Scan_Man]

I can't wait. I love the music previews on the main site. Right now they have the FF theme up. Though I'm worried there seems to be a disproportionate amount of caster classes compared to physical classes. I would like to see a little more variety in the caster department. Like, summoner with healing capabilities. Having one healing class is asking for trouble.

This post has been edited by Scan_Man: Apr 18 2010, 10:02 PM

[Alisha]

I can't wait. I love the music previews on the main site. Right now they have the FF theme up. Though I'm worried there seems to be a disproportionate amount of caster classes compared to physical classes. I would like to see a little more variety in the caster department. Like, summoner with healing capabilities. Having one healing class is asking for trouble.

actually it seems all the caster can heal and all the melee's can tank.

[Scan_Man]

Yeah I saw that. But the other one lacks a group heal that I see; that is what I was referring to. It could be possible that the game is not AOE damage heavy. Which could explain why all classes have a way to recover HP on their own. Still could use one more caster type though.


I really hope the gameplay is decent though, and this alternative progression system works. And I hope there is some nice story and gameplay driven quests that offer a great experience, and not grouping up to farm X amount of rabbits for hours. You know battles with some strategy involved and not just tank and spank.

[Alisha]

the only mmo ive played where you need group heals is wow. in most other mmos group heals are situational like goblin bombs in ffxi.

[Scan_Man]

Apparently there are 2 more caster classes, among a few more physical classes, that were data mined from the game. There is so much variety in the physical classes, but not caster; it is odd. A lot of people wish to play a pure healer. I would like to see a pure healer class in this game. The advancement system can lead itself to pure builds, but being able to distinguish who is who makes grouping so much easier.

I hope there is a way to distinguish who is a pure healer. Same goes for pure tank. With the state of the MMO community these days, the thought of having to find a group makes me cringe. For example, I don't want to group with the Conjurer who has been advancing his damage spells but says "LOL I can heal I got curez!" But, the truth is he has not touched/advanced his healing spells at all, and we are doing high level group content. I can think of a million scenarios like this because it has happen to me in every MMO I've played recently. I need to know who is going to be an idiot, and who is going to be good at the role/class they were invited to play as.

The idiots suck the enjoyment out of the game and makes the community hostile; trusting other players. This is mostly because of the WoW player base, and the state of the WoW community. The majority of the WoW player base are very very very bad at playing these types of games, and they don't listen when you tell them they are doing it wrong. The thing is the people playing FFXIV, US side, are going to to be mostly WoW players. The success of FFXIV game is going to rely on how many WoW players that stick.

The cycle is always the same when a new MMO comes out. First you have the hype that it is a "WoW killer." All the baddie WoW players believe into this garbage, and buy the game. The game will generate record breaking sales or pre-order sales. Server instability the first week of release. Awesome reviews from gaming sites. After a month people realize the game is not WoW or the "WoW Killer" they bought in to, they abandon the game. For the people that actually enjoy the new MMO for what it is, they are left with a deserted game where it is difficult to find good groups, or difficulty in taking on certain content because the population is spread thin.

Looking at the classes being able to have multiple roles, as well as being able to solo and switch jobs on the fly, this tells me they want to be more friendly to WoW players. There are so many pitfalls with having so many classes being able to do multiple roles, though. Having so many classes able to tank, for example, is a balancing nightmare. Just ask Blizzard with introducing Death Knights in WoW. The problem is when people get a firm grasp of the mechanics, min/maxing will always determine which class is best suited for a particular role. What that does is leave the people who want to tank with another class out to dry. So you have to ask, why are the lesser classes able to tank anyway? That is why I ask where is the pure healer and pure tank?

FFXIV seems to have very well defined class roles, but they decided to haphazardly throw in some ambiguity for the sake of appealing to WoW players; or solo enthusiast. This ambiguity in the class roles is not a good thing when you are trying to put together a group that will have the highest chance of being successful. The result of this issue is different depending on how many people are playing the game. If the population is huge, then you are more at risk of running into idiot players like I mentioned above; not having the correct skill or knowledge for the role they were invited for. If the population is small, then desired roles/classes/playstyles will be harder to find, thus finding a good group takes longer.


I do like there is no PVP to speak of. Having PVP always ruins balance for PVE.

I really want this game to do well because I think the advancement system, ie no experience based leveling, is the direction MMO's need to go. Maybe, it will encourage MMO developers to stop making WoW clones that suck.

This post has been edited by Scan_Man: Apr 21 2010, 03:50 PM

[tanshin]

The thing is the people playing FFXIV, US side, are going to to be mostly WoW players. The success of FFXIV game is going to rely on how many WoW players that stick.

I don't know about that. I think most of the players will be transplants from FFXI or simply final fantasy fans before they consider themselves "WoW players". Anyone that has invested even a little time into FFXI will be interested in this game before someone who is into WoW. Given that, I think the game will have an automatically adequate player base no matter who comes and goes back to WoW. (FFXI is still going even now)

Also, not everyone who plays MMOs likes WoW, or has even played it past the free trial. Me, for example. And I don't think I'm an exception, either. WoW buster or not, who cares.

[Scan_Man]

There is over 2.5 million, there will be more when Cataclysm comes out, active US WoW subscribers. My point is WoW dominates the MMO market for subscription based MMOs. In comparison, FFXI never hit over 500k worldwide. I agree FFXIV will pull long time FFXI players; which is very small right now they had to merge servers. As for those that once played FFXI (a number of these play WoW now) or FF fans, I agree there as well. However, those players are less likely to stick around with FF fans being the most likely not to stick.

Don't underestimate how the WoW population get sucked into the latest fad, or hot thing to come out, and spend money on it. And I'm sure FFXIV will qualify as that because it is a new FF MMO. A week ago Blizzard released a mount, that is basically a reskin of an existing mount in the game, and charged $25 dollars for it. Guess what? Everyone and their mom bought this stupid thing. On its release Blizzard made 2 million dollars within 4 hours.

And everywhere you read about how FFXIV going to be more casual friendly, or solo friendly. These are words WoW players buy into.


My concern is more so how WoW and WoW players have influence on the over all MMO community. While there are some people that never really touched WoW, a good number of people playing free MMOs or other payed MMOs have. And a lot of MMO's try to do what WoW does, so thus attract the same type of players. There is a lot of hostility and immaturity in these communities, and it comes from the state of the WoW community. People stop playing WoW because they get tired of dealing with those types of people, but they are those type of people, and bring it to other games. I saw this happen in both Aion and Star Trek Online.

Ultimately, I'm going to have to decide if I want to give this game a try. I do play WoW, but only to participate in raids with my guild; they are a good group of people but it took me years to find this. One of the reasons I don't play other parts of WoW is because the community is awful. After seeing parts of the WoW community jump over to Aion and Star Trek Online, I have a hard time thinking any future MMO's are going to be any different. WoW population is too large, and too willing to spend money to try out new MMO's to not have a sizable chunk wanting to play FFXIV.

Now for WoW the developers are changing a lot of mechanics in order to reduce some of the issues in the community. I applaud Blizzard for recognizing that some of their gameplay is partly at fault.

For example, Blizzard added a cross-server, play with people on other servers, grouping system that allows you to queue up with your class/roll. It will automatically place you into a party with the correct class makeup and then port you to the instance. It has a vote-kick system to deal with bad players. If you vote someone out, it automatically replaces the player and ports them where your party is. So you hardly ever have to deal with idiots that are rude, or screw up your party. It also gets rid of the problem in these types of games when you get a group and it falls apart before it starts, or half way through. Lastly, it helps players easily find groups for low level content that has been deserted. Best feature in a MMO ever!

On the other hand, I read about some FFXIV mechanics that I think need to be fleshed out a little more, so they don't create the mistakes that WoW had. They need to catch up with the times. My opinion, but will determine if I like the game or not. Allowing US players in the Alpha test so early on is a good sign that they want American feedback. Which is a good thing because Japan is not exactly known for MMOs. I hope Alpha and Beta test are successful and Square listens to good feedback.


I understand if you play a couple smaller population MMO's, played FFXI in the past, or have not experienced the current state of the WoW population; what I am saying has no barring on your decision to play FFXIV then. However, I am all too familiar with the WoW population and I know they will most likely be trying out FFXIV in the first few months of release; which is a crucial time in deciding if one will be sticking with the game. I know how these players behave. The thought of having to play a new MMO with these types of players again does impact my decision to play FFXIV or not. I'm throwing this possibility out there to warn those, that may be like me, who care about having a decent community to play with when deciding to stick with a new MMO. If you don't care about the community in the MMO you are playing, then who plays the game will make no difference to you. Or you already have a good group of people to consistently play with; consider yourself lucky.

This post has been edited by Scan_Man: Apr 24 2010, 05:55 PM

[Alisha]

click here mang

http://killingifrit.com/forums/topic/18208...p;#entry3849747

i like how there seems to be a bar onscreen that shows when your ja is back up instead of

/recast boost

/recast boost

/recast boost

/recast boost

/recast boost

[Crushinator]

So in other words final fantasy has caught up to where every other MMO has been for the last 6 years?

Good job, ace reporter!

[Alisha]

well i've only played 3 mmo's asherons call, ffxi and wow. though in wow the highest level i got to was about 15. one of those games didn't even have non magic abilities.

[tanshin]

Well, long story short, I've been chosen to participate in the Final Fantasy XIV Beta. I don't know what beta testing would mean to any of you, but to me I feel like I might be able to play a role in making sure the game comes out nice and clean, bug and balance issue free. Since my profession in life for the past years seems to have fallen to quality assurance in gaming, I hope I can do a good job in identifying issues that I believe need attention. Based on my experience in the industry however, the developers tend to work harder trying to talk their way out of fixing something rather than actually fixing it, so don't blame me if there are serious problems left in the game. Believe me, I'll report everything and try to be a pain in their ass.

As far as sharing information with you guys, I'll do what I can, but I'm not going to break the terms I agreed to when I downloaded the beta. Sure, you'll probably find tons of other leaks all around the internet, but I wouldn't want to fuck up this opportunity like those idiots on youtube did, heh. I guess I'll post some updates of my adventures here (or what I am allowed to post of them) and answer questions you guys have if any.

Wish me luck!

[Crushinator]

Awesome, keep us updated on the front lines with what you can! Maybe if its allowed, you can get some scoops for a guest appearance on the podcast!

[Crushinator]

It wouldn't be Final Fantasy online if you weren't fight crabs... all the god damn time.

Game looks damn nice though, I like the wow-esque ability bar.

[Alisha]

It wouldn't be Final Fantasy online if you weren't fight crabs... all the god damn time.

Game looks damn nice though, I like the wow-esque ability bar.

just watched this it looks way faster than XI. seems you can keep attacking till your action bar runs out and it regenerates. [sweets]


heres the second live report

[Crushinator]

I didn't post the 2nd report because its just a bunch of stupid people being surprised by 3D shit while NOTHING IS GOING ON in the game.

[Alisha]

I didn't post the 2nd report because its just a bunch of stupid people being surprised by 3D shit while NOTHING IS GOING ON in the game.

yeah i stupidly posted that one before watching it because i posted it right before going on my dinner break.

[Scan_Man]

I really like how the action bar changes based on context. Should be great for the unfortunate folks that have to play this on a PS3 with a controller.

I think the combat is too slow, though still an improvement over FFXI. It seems they got a lot of feedback regarding that because they mentioned they turned the attack bar into basically a stamina bar. So you can get more attacks in by depleting instead of waiting for it to fill to attack. But, I understand the combat pacing is most likely due to the game also being for PS3 and the limitations of playing with a controller. They have to find a middle ground because the two version will be playing together, and they have to play the same. Or else you get the situation like Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age where the pacing and flow of combat feels like two different games when you compare PC and 360 version.


Maybe towards endgame when you have most of your abilities it gets faster? Since, you might have more active abilities to use. Sitting there waiting to do you your next attack is not fun. Controller folks would have a hard time keeping up though. So maybe not? We have to see.


And very interesting AI there. He seemed to dodge an attack by running behind the crab, and it just sat there, until he had to provoke it. Then the crab turned around. LOL! What is that?

[Alisha]

unfortunate? i actually preferred playing ffxi on ps2/360. but i think its one of those things where tend to like it the first way you tried it. its like in pso where through muscle memory you could do elaborate button presses to cast spells from the menu at the drop of a hat.

[Scan_Man]

Compared to a controller, using good keybindings with a keyboard and mouse allows you to multitask with greater efficiency (I'm speaking strictly about MMORPGs). Scrolling to find abilities and then activating them takes longer than pressing a specific key you have memorized. Yes muscle memory does help, in both setups. But, keyboard and mouse with keybindings will always come out ahead because you also don't lose functionality such as moving your character, controlling the camera, targeting, when activating an ability. In some cases, a controller user has to lose one function in the control scheme in order to scroll through and use an ability, same goes for other types of tasks. On the other hand, a keyboard and mouse user can do all those tasks simultaneously.

Targeting suffers the most on the controller because you have to cycle through targets, while with a mouse you can point and click the person or enemy. There seems to be a lot of abilities in this game, and things could get messy when you have them all at your disposal. Not to mention you are going to need macros on your bar too for times when you need to share vital information with your party.

They are unfortunate because they likely do not have a PC able to play this game: which I hear the game looks gorgeous on a powerful rig. Nor think, or unable, to maybe use some kind of keyboard and controller setup. Unlike FFXI, FFXIV is being designed and tested with the PC version as a priority. So certain things in the user interface and control scheme may not translate well on a console. The context sensitive action bar helps though. It grays out what you can't use but lights up what you can use at the given moment based on some context. Basically narrowing down your options to a few abilities, so you can find the one you need faster. It reduces the disparity between the two control schemes, keyboard/mouse or controller. The slow combat reduces the disparity too. Sadly, these are just some of the design choices they have to make in order to successfully make the game work for both platforms, which will likely being playing together. Without these design choices the PC users would have a very large advantage over PS3 users. Square seems to be trying their best to find a middle ground, ie speeding up combat through the attack gauge, and adding the context sensitive action bar.

I don't think there will be many of these unfortunate people outside of Japan though. But I think it is great Square is actually trying to polish the user interface in order to be most viable for both versions. FFXI on PC suffered greatly for being a port of a PS2 game.

But it has to be said: Playing a MMORPG with a controller is doing it wrong. This is partly why you don't see many MMORPGs on consoles.

This post has been edited by Scan_Man: Jun 18 2010, 12:08 AM

[Crushinator]

I guess this belongs here.

[tanshin]

tl;dr

While testing the alpha for FFXIV, I've been experimenting with both the keyboard and the controller. I don't feel like reading your wall of text, but there is virtually no difference between the two at all other than I find it much more relaxing to sit back and relax with a controller in my hand. You can use the D-pad to scroll back and forth between all the choices on the action menu, and given the fact that you can't do two moves at the same time, it doesn't matter how much faster you can tap "5" on a keyboard than the 1 second it might take to scroll over to it with the d-pad. Crush and I also used controllers in ffxi, and we were great players, and I don't think we were "doing it wrong".

Rest assured, Alisha, your way of using the controller in the game is still intact.

[Scan_Man]

I explained why there is little difference between control schemes in this game, I'm aware of it. The effort Square is putting forth here is a good thing, to restate. Too many companies try to favor one version of the other, or adapt the controls poorly during the port. With one version suffering a bit relative to the other version (Alpha Protocol for PC comes to mind), or gameplay feels slightly different between the two (Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age for consoles comes to mind here).


But I have questions.

-How is the combat system, and is it fun?

-Can you attack and use abilities while moving?

-Is there any strategy involved depending on enemy types?

-What is your favorite feature in the game?

-How do you feel about the combat speed (I been hearing a lot of complaints about this)?

-Is there a story attached to the quests you are doing?

This post has been edited by Scan_Man: Jun 18 2010, 05:05 PM

[Crushinator]

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/30/final-fa...ch-2011-on-ps3/

Official launch data, September 30th, 2010!

If you get the special edition you actually get to start a week early, on the 22nd.

Special edition looks pretty swank:


The normal game is $49.99 and the SE is $79.99, both come with a free month of play. Subscriptions are $12.99 a month.

Also this is ONLY the PC version of the game, the PS3 one is not coming out till March of next year.

[Scan_Man]

Those are very shitty release dates for both versions. Square has to know they are in a tight spot.

It would be nice if the PC version and PS3 version were released closer together, but the competition is forcing Square in a corner here. They need to get the PC version out as soon as possible because of WoW: Cataclysm. They are probably betting that Cata will be out no sooner than late October; giving them enough time for people to choose FFXIV instead. But, Blizzard has always released new content when a new MMO tries to challenge them. So I expect a similar release date for Cata. Especially, since on the very day Square announces release date for FFXIV, and a closed beta coming soon, Blizzard sends out their closed beta invites for Cata. So there is going to be closed beta competition too.

A spring release for PC version would be decent because it gives all those players who want to try WoW enough time to experience the content available, and decide if they want to continue or quit. However, The Old Republic is going to be released in the spring. So the Sept 30 release date makes sense. Square needs to get the game out as soon as possible. The anticipation for both Cataclysm and The Old Republic are relatively higher than FFXIV among PC gamers.

If you are a PC FFXI fan, that has no interest in WoW, you will be happy with the release date. But it has got to suck for Square. And it sucks for people like me that play WoW and were interested in giving FFXIV a try.

And the monthly pricing is stupid as hell. What are they thinking? Subscription models are dead. It only works for WoW. And even WoW is slowly transitioning to micro transactions; though until maybe 5+ years down the road.

Not to say this anything to do with the quality of FFXIV as a game. But, they are coming into this as a major underdog for capturing the PC player base. An uphill battle that's for sure.


I'm going to have to pass on this one, barring exceptionally excellent reception, until some time after The Old Republic comes out.

It's very fascinating to me though. Can't wait until fall to see how it all turns out.

This post has been edited by Scan_Man: Jun 30 2010, 10:59 PM

[AC9breaker]

That's a good question Scan_man.


guess I'm gonna reserve special edition.

[Scan_Man]

Well I am in the beta. Guess I'll see for myself.