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

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

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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

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.

Ace reporter Alisha, on the scene!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

tl;dr