FFXIV interview.

[Pwnagraphic]

Re: FFXIV interveview.

Lol.. a lot of companies will do the VO at the same time they are developing the game. Obviously they already got the graphics set and the game is halfway done. Trust me.. VO are already done.

I know so many people who do VO for games.. I got a VO audition tomorrow as matter of fact.

[Malacite]

Re: FFXIV interview.

Gamescom - Famitsu Interviews Sage Sundi :: Final Fantasy XIV (FF14) at ZAM

After chatting with Hiromichi Tanaka over a lively round of puk extermination, Famitsu sat down with Sage Sundi, who returns to Final Fantasy XIV to once again offer global user support.

Read on for the interview and discuss this in the ZAM forums.

Sage Sundi begins by explaining that he will be returning to his role as Global Online Producer for Final Fantasy XIV. They are looking at the development team, management team and user base as the three key factions supporting their MMO. Sundi's job will be to build the bridges between these three areas and get them working as one. For example, when there is an interview with the foreign media, Sundi will be there with Hiromichi Tanaka.

When asked how GM policies might change, Sundi doubts there will be any significant changes from Final Fantasy XI. More than establishing "public order," they wish to maintain a peaceful and safe playing environment for their users. Most of the policies from Final Fantasy XI will simply carry over and even the team is an expansion from the previous generation's MMO. However, they are going through the details of the system in order to make improvements to certain areas. One adjustment Sundi wishes to implement is making it easier for players to call upon a GM. Also, beyond simply improving the GM system, there will be active collaboration between the Special Task Force, management team and community team in order to create a better experience for all players.

Speaking of community, there is the issue of how Square Enix will maintain a solid flow of information between all the different regions they support. Although developers have expressed interest in an official forum for some time now, they are reluctant to limit it to one language. "If we make the forum in Japanese," Sundi says, "then it would become the Japanese player forum." Instead, they feel the best way to support all languages is to establish premiere sites and allow them to act as "community managers" for their respective user bases. Square Enix can then pull feedback and questions from these sites, allowing every user to voice their opinion in their own language. Sundi continues to say they wish to utilize the web even more than before and trade information directly with the users, tapping into the ingenuity they show when constructing item databases and wikis.

As for in-game communication, Sundi stated there will, of course, be a chat function included. There will also be something akin to the Final Fantasy XI linkshell, and a "Linkshell Community" of some sort on the official site. Sundi is unable to elaborate on any specific plans, but says they intend to use the site to communicate with players and perhaps work with fansites and blogs.

For the final question, the interviewer hints that a number of players may be looking for language-specific servers and looks for Sundi's reaction to such a request. However, Sundi believes that seeing as Final Fantasy XI made it this far without segregated servers, adding such a feature in Final Fantasy XIV would feel like a step backwards. They would rather work at making mixed servers a success instead of abandoning them altogether.

Sundi then closes with some words for players in Japan. He decides to speak directly to Final Fantasy XI players, and assuage some of the fears they have about moving to Final Fantasy XIV. "Making Final Fantasy XIV enjoyable for all users, including Final Fantasy XI players, is our number one priority," Sundi said, "We cannot build a community without considering that. First we address how to satisfy Final Fantasy fans. From there, we will attract other MMO players and develop a community like never before. I believe Final Fantasy Xi players will find their time in Eorzea to be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, and I hope you look forward to it."

[jenova_9]

Re: FFXIV interveview.

Lol.. a lot of companies will do the VO at the same time they are developing the game. Obviously they already got the graphics set and the game is halfway done. Trust me.. VO are already done.

I know so many people who do VO for games.. I got a VO audition tomorrow as matter of fact.

whaaaat? how did you get into the VO business? Did you send packages to Capcomn and Konami with your DVD performances? 0.0

[Grizzlebeard]

Re: FFXIV interview.

I really hope they don't mess up the implementation of weapon durability. I've many a time been on raids in WoW where my gear ended up entirely broken and useless, however, in that game there were ways to repair your gear without having to take 30 minutes to run back to town. If they adopt the FFXI approach of getting from A to B via Z, then weapon breaking could provide serious hurdles to enjoyment and progression.

[Pwnagraphic]

Re: FFXIV interveview.

whaaaat? how did you get into the VO business? Did you send packages to Capcomn and Konami with your DVD performances? 0.0

Ok.. I used to act and model when I was about 14.. I met a woman at a gaming convention here in Dallas they throw once a year called Quakecon who did the same thing for the same agency I was in. She got hired by ID software to do the voice of Crash on Quake for the Quake Live tutorials.
She also did VO for a couple DBZ characters (not sure who it's on her resume')But anyway.. She has a modeling company for gamers (which was all girls up untill recently) and she hired me as a model and now everytime ID software has a VO audition, she notifies me and my girlfriend. So really it was just chance that I met her 5 years ago which lead to now. Tomorrow would be my first audition though.

And Grizzle.. you need to always repair before going out to do raids. Sometimes you forget, but once you get used to it it becomes 2nd nature.

[jenova_9]

Re: FFXIV interview.

I really hope they don't mess up the implementation of weapon durability. I've many a time been on raids in WoW where my gear ended up entirely broken and useless, however, in that game there were ways to repair your gear without having to take 30 minutes to run back to town. If they adopt the FFXI approach of getting from A to B via Z, then weapon breaking could provide serious hurdles to enjoyment and progression.

the inventory is larger now,

anyone would make sure they bring along some backup weapons in case they can't repair the first one out in the field.

so far it sounds like only weapons have durability. if armor as well, then all the more reason to bring along backup gear.

[Grizzlebeard]

Re: FFXIV interveview.

And Grizzle.. you need to always repair before going out to do raids. Sometimes you forget, but once you get used to it it becomes 2nd nature.

I'm not quite sure what point you were trying to make there but I was referring to the fact that you can often turn up to a progression raid fully repaired and wipe multiple times over multiple nights over multiple weeks before mastering some content. The ability to repair needs to be very well handled or it will become a problem further on down the line when they do implement endgame content.

the inventory is larger now,

You're talking about FFXI when we're talking about FFXIV. Unless you know something about inventory space I've missed.

anyone would make sure they bring along some backup weapons in case they can't repair the first one out in the field.

Apart from the key fact the weapon dictates your class level and, as an extension, your abilities presumably. So, unless you want to change from the equivalent of a 60 fighter down to a 20 sorceror when your weapon breaks then either the repair system has to be very flexible or you're going to want to level 2-3 weapons in order to have access to 2-3 level 60 fighters. If that's how it works of course, just taking the lead from interview information there.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: FFXIV interview.

MS isn't under consideration currently because they see FFXIV as many FFXI players unfortunately do - a next generation, premium version of FFXI that should be on the main Xbox Live service. SE wants the same deal they got as FFXI - Xbox Live Silver.

Anyway, I wish they would have asked about the one thing this game is screaming for - Roleplay servers. I'm not even big into roleplay, but I can't fathom playing FFXIV without it being in-character with whatever I create. From the start there's already better material to go off of than FFXI had.

FFXIV seems to aim to change a lot of behaviors, roleplay servers would be a good change as well. Just keep summoning out of the game and we'll eliminate 90% of the bad roleplay right off the bat.

[Pwnagraphic]

Re: FFXIV interveview.

I'm not quite sure what point you were trying to make there but I was referring to the fact that you can often turn up to a progression raid fully repaired and wipe multiple times over multiple nights over multiple weeks before mastering some content. The ability to repair needs to be very well handled or it will become a problem further on down the line when they do implement endgame content.


.

I thought you were saying you were tired of going to a raid and you forgot to repair and were fucked then you had to resort to go back to town repair then meet back with your raid group.

---------- Post added at 03:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:25 AM ----------

Anyway, I wish they would have asked about the one thing this game is screaming for - Roleplay servers. I'm not even big into roleplay, but I can't fathom playing FFXIV without it being in-character with whatever I create. From the start there's already better material to go off of than FFXI had.

FFXIV seems to aim to change a lot of behaviors, roleplay servers would be a good change as well. Just keep summoning out of the game and we'll eliminate 90% of the bad roleplay right off the bat.

SE reads the wants of the players online, so if it's been suggested by a lot of people then I don't see why not? Also I am assuming we will be doing EN, EN-JP, and JP servers again??

[Grizzlebeard]

Re: FFXIV interveview.

I thought you were saying you were tired of going to a raid and you forgot to repair and were fucked then you had to resort to go back to town repair then meet back with your raid group.

Nah, I was referring to those long nights of wipes mastering new raid bosses and the inevitable wipes and gear degradation. Granted, if it's anything like FFXI you will wipe and have to return to town, then spend two hours collecting groundspawns, then go back to town to repair, then re-attempt the fight.

[Takelli]

Re: FFXIV interview.

really hope they don't mess up the implementation of weapon durability. I've many a time been on raids in WoW where my gear ended up entirely broken and useless, however, in that game there were ways to repair your gear without having to take 30 minutes to run back to town. If they adopt the FFXI approach of getting from A to B via Z, then weapon breaking could provide serious hurdles to enjoyment and progression.

Oblivion armor repair skill please! 125% durability on Armor and weapons? {yes, please!} XD

[Malacite]

Re: FFXIV interview.

And now for an epic saga;

The Adventures of Tanaka!

At Gamescom, Hiromichi Tanaka held and interview with staff from Famitsu. We posted translations of his and Sage Sundi's interviews earlier today, but now footage of the discussion is available on Famitsu.com.

While the information is the same, we now can see everything Tanaka was doing while explaining the battle and Guildleve systems, plus get a demonstration of how adjustable the interface will be. Read on to see the key points revealed in each video!

Episode 1

Tanaka ventures out into the plains of Eorzea in search of Puks to exterminate, but runs a-fowl of an infamous clan of Dodos wreaking havoc. Revealed in this episode:

* There is no auto-battle, commands must be selected every time the character attacks.
* Depending on the combination of commands chosen, the player can activate a variety of techniques.
* You can draw and sheathe your weapon freely, even outside of battle.
* The monsters you must defeat for a particular quest will appear on your map during Guildleve.
* There are two command gauges, one for your right hand and one for your left hand.
* The player chooses which commands they wish to register to the command gauge from the action icons lined along the bottom of the screen.
* There will be and Action gauge and Power gauge that increase over time. You must build these up in order to unleash special techniques.
* A TP gauge is also present, which increases by attacking or being attacked. A full TP gauge will alter your techniques in a variety of ways.
* Red Lotus Blade is hilarious. (レッドãƒãƒ¼ã‚¿ã‚¹ can be truncated to レタス, which became an amusing way to refer to the Weaponskill in FFXI due to it's dual meaning of lettuce, the vegetable.)

Episode 2

Having toppled the mighty Dodos of the eastern plains and bringing peace once more to the land, Tanaka bravely charges forth to wipe out an infestation of Puks. Revealed in this episode:

* The action icons you have at your disposal will change based on your equipped weapon. If Tanaka chose to wield a Staff, he would have access to magic.
* As the player increases their skill in a particular weapon, their character will acquire more abilities. However, the action menu at the bottom is limited to 10 icons at a time.
* The action menu can be customized to match a player's individual style.
* The status of party members will appear in the center of the right edge of the screen. Tanaka waves his hand to indicate their rough position around 0:55 seconds.
* The interface can be freely adjusted by the player. Window placement, chat box size and more will be customizable.
* There will be three different camera views: over-the-shoulder, overhead, and first person.
* The aim of the battle system is to deliver a more aggressive, engaging experience. The player will constantly be selecting commands, evolving their strategy and adapting to the flow of battle.
* The focus has been taken off the strict roles jobs had in Final Fantasy XI to allow players to easily play alone, with a friend or with a group of people.
* Warp points will mainly be provided for travelling back after completing a Guildleve quest.

The mini-series then closes with some words from Hiromichi Tanaka and Sage Sundi. Here is a rough translation:

Tanaka: "The fruits of our labor are finally coming to bear, and the development team is working hard to get the game ready. We're planning to let everyone get a shot at a playable version like we have done here in Germany, so please look forward to it."

Sundi: "I know many Final Fantasy XI users are quite worried about what kind of experience they can have in our upcoming MMO. Making Final Fantasy XIV enjoyable for all users, including Final Fantasy XI players, is our number one priority. We cannot build a community without considering that. First we address how to satisfy Final Fantasy fans. From there, we will attract other MMO players and develop a community like never before. I believe Final Fantasy Xi players will find their time in Eorzea to be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, and I hope you look forward to it."

[Grizzlebeard]

Re: FFXIV interview.

More I think about it the more it bothers me they're not letting us jump. I'd hate to know the hours I wasted running around the length of the world in FFXI because my avatar was incapable of lifting his foot up to the height of his knee in order to step up on to a ledge or all those fucking annoying little issues like running up steps in Ordelle's Caves or across hidden obstacles like in Xarcabard.

[Takelli]

Re: FFXIV interview.

* Red Lotus Blade is hilarious. (レッドãƒãƒ¼ã‚¿ã‚¹ can be truncated to レタス, which became an amusing way to refer to the Weaponskill in FFXI due to it's dual meaning of lettuce, the vegetable.)

LMFAO! This just made my day!!!!

---------- Post added at 08:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:30 AM ----------

More I think about it the more it bothers me they're not letting us jump. I'd hate to know the hours I wasted running around the length of the world in FFXI because my avatar was incapable of lifting his foot up to the height of his knee in order to step up on to a ledge or all those fucking annoying little issues like running up steps in Ordelle's Caves or across hidden obstacles like in Xarcabard.

Hmmm... Well, with the way the game play looks, it may be changed so that you can actually walk over them. The invisible walls may be gone as well.

[Malacite]

Re: FFXIV interview.

Elmer makes a few important notes I want to emphasize;

"* There are two command gauges, one for your right hand and one for your left hand."

This is very interesting, especially with regards to dual-wielding (and I don't see they wouldn't bring that back along with some ninja-like abilities; they did say katnana will be usable) and what about 2 handed weapons?



"* As the player increases their skill in a particular weapon, their character will acquire more abilities. However, the action menu at the bottom is limited to 10 icons at a time."


This bothers me a great deal, especially if individual spells are selected in this manner. Unless they allow us to use macros to switch out sets of abilities, this could be problematic.