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From 4Gamer.net:
And from Famitsu:
- Many players are still requesting faster battles and quicker action, and the developers are working on fulfilling their wishes.
- So far, players are very happy with the ease of solo play. In FFXI, players complained they couldn't get parties, but in FFXIV, they don't even mind not joining one.
- New types of Guildleve quests will open up for players as they increase in level.
- The open beta phase will last about 2-3 weeks. Tanaka believes they will be able to handle several hundred thousand players.
- The game currently has 10 servers, with more possibly planned for when service begins in September.
- The distance between each city-state is very far, allowing players to really explore the vast landscape of Eorzea for the first time. Getting to and from Limsa-Lominsa will require access to a ship.
- Once the open beta is complete, all data will be deleted. However the developers are hoping to allow players to retain their names for the release version.
- The game has been designed in a way that players cannot monopolize certain monsters in an area.
- A new version of the benchmark software is under development.
Tell us about FFXIV!
At Gamescom, we bumped into the Final Fantasy XIV triumvirate: Producer Tanaka, Director Komoto, and Global Online Producer Sage Sundi. We pulled them aside and asked them for an interview, and they acquiesced. HARDCORE!
Looking back over the year
Famitsu (F): It’s been over a year since you revealed FFXIV at E3 last year. How has that year treated you?
Producer Tanaka (PT): Wait, did we reveal it at E3 last year? (He laughs) We’ve been working on it so long we’ve kinda lost track of the time.
Director Komoto (DK): Time’s really flown, especially this last year. It’s hard to believe the E3 at which we revealed FFXIV was a year ago already.
F: So basically you haven’t had time to look back?
Sage Sundi (SS): Right now, not in the slightest. (He laughs)
F: I’m sure you’re busy cramming a lot of work into the last few weeks before release, but can you tell us when open beta starts?
DK: The plan is to start it at the beginning of September.
F: Yeah yeah, tell us what day!
PT: Would you let us off the hook if we told you “As soon as possible?†(He laughs)
Changes between phases two and three of the beta
F: What changed with the beginning of phase three of the beta?
DK: We added a few things, but a couple of big things that changed were the tempo of battle and the feel of the game. Also, for the players outside of Japan, the changes to the mouse controls were probably pretty big.
F: So mouse control was a pretty big deal to users overseas?
PT: I would say about 90% of the feedback we got about things people wanted to see in the game was related to the mouse.
DK: If you look at it globally, there was more feedback about that than anything else.
SS: Outside of Japan, many PC gamers use a mouse as the main controls for all games, from FPS’s to MMORPG’s.
PT: Gamepad and mouse controls are different at the most fundamental of levels. With a gamepad, you have to go through a layered structure command input for control, a mouse needs to be able to get things done with just a click. We have to set the game up to be able to handle both.
F: So there wasn’t much feedback from Japan about all that?
DK: Not really, but we got a lot of feedback about the user interface as a whole, so we’re working around the clock to fix that right now.
Don’t forget the other requests
F: Was there any other kind of feedback you received?
DK: There was a lot about guildleves, like allowing retries on failed guildleves or suiting them more for party play. We on the development team also believe we could do more to promote party play. We’re trying to figure out how to find that balance of enjoyable party play without taking away from the soloing experience.
F: So you’ll be adding content to that purpose?
DK: Right now our greatest priority is to increase the merits for party play. Though we still want guildleves to be a rewarding solo experience, we also want to add things that would make them rewarding to complete as a party.
SS: We got a lot of feedback about that, and all the feedback was consistent; players’ first concern was the user interface, then the merits of party play. Thanks to this, we know what everyone is focusing on.
From “Bun-bun†to “Shei-shei-ha! Shei-ha!â€*
F: The battle system changed drastically from alpha to the first phase of beta. Do you think the battle system could change even more?
DK: We feel that the battle system has become pretty set. What we have left to adjust are the abilities, monsters, and guildleve balance. The biggest part is probably the balance of the growth system, so we’ll be looking at that a lot during the third beta phase.
PT: Speaking of which, in open beta, the placement of monsters and their aggro settings will change greatly, so you may have to change your battle strategies, too.
F: So the changes are going to be so big they’ll even affect strategizing?
PT: FFXI was the same way. The system and balances change and adapt like a living creature.
DK: You’ll also be able to start in any of the three starting capital cities. It’s not just about the three different stories; it is from this point that you’ll actually see the economy begin to work the way we imagined it, and we can’t wait for you to see it.
F: So in open beta, will you be able to go between cities?
DK: But of course.
Where’s the magic?
F: Right now there’s only two Discipline of Magic classes available. Will there be any more than these?
DK: We’d like players to enjoy these two classes for a while. The caster class system is still being tweaked. However, this doesn’t mean we’re going to wait for the release of an expansion to release the class; it’ll be out when the timing is right.
F: So you’re saying that there will be more Disciples of Magic?
DK: Yes. They might come in a patch, they might come in an expansion. We’re not sure yet.
F: What about pet classes, like FFXI’s beastmaster?
DK: There was a lot of feedback asking for those. We’d like to be able to provide that, but it might come in an expansion…
F: …or it might be in a patch. We get it (He laughs)
DK: If you put a pet class in right from release, balance is really difficult, so right now we’re not putting them in.
F: Do you have plans for any other new classes?
PT: We’ve got a few in mind, but we’re keeping them under wraps for now.
F: What kind of class will they be? Give us a hint!
PT: No! (He laughs evilly, clutching his pitchfork and stepping on the interviewer’s toes with the malice of a kindergartener. Ok, the Japanese just says he laughs, but WE know what happened, don’t we, folks? –Manly)
*The “Ideal FFXIV Battle Tempo†according to the Japanese. In a Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus video posted on Japanese video site Niconico Douga, (14th in a series of DoC vids, which probably drew in people looking for FFXIV videos) bun-bun is the sound Vincent’s slow-firing gun makes, and shei-shei-ha is what Vincent says during his melee attack. Months ago, a common post on Japanese boards was, “The current FFXIV battle tempo: Bun… bun… Ideal battle tempo: SHEI-HA! SHEI-SHEI-HA! SHEI-SHEI! HAA… SHEI!â€
At Gamescom, we bumped into the Final Fantasy XIV triumvirate: Producer Tanaka, Director Komoto, and Global Online Producer Sage Sundi. We pulled them aside and asked them for an interview, and they acquiesced. HARDCORE!
Looking back over the year
Famitsu (F): It’s been over a year since you revealed FFXIV at E3 last year. How has that year treated you?
Producer Tanaka (PT): Wait, did we reveal it at E3 last year? (He laughs) We’ve been working on it so long we’ve kinda lost track of the time.
Director Komoto (DK): Time’s really flown, especially this last year. It’s hard to believe the E3 at which we revealed FFXIV was a year ago already.
F: So basically you haven’t had time to look back?
Sage Sundi (SS): Right now, not in the slightest. (He laughs)
F: I’m sure you’re busy cramming a lot of work into the last few weeks before release, but can you tell us when open beta starts?
DK: The plan is to start it at the beginning of September.
F: Yeah yeah, tell us what day!
PT: Would you let us off the hook if we told you “As soon as possible?†(He laughs)
Changes between phases two and three of the beta
F: What changed with the beginning of phase three of the beta?
DK: We added a few things, but a couple of big things that changed were the tempo of battle and the feel of the game. Also, for the players outside of Japan, the changes to the mouse controls were probably pretty big.
F: So mouse control was a pretty big deal to users overseas?
PT: I would say about 90% of the feedback we got about things people wanted to see in the game was related to the mouse.
DK: If you look at it globally, there was more feedback about that than anything else.
SS: Outside of Japan, many PC gamers use a mouse as the main controls for all games, from FPS’s to MMORPG’s.
PT: Gamepad and mouse controls are different at the most fundamental of levels. With a gamepad, you have to go through a layered structure command input for control, a mouse needs to be able to get things done with just a click. We have to set the game up to be able to handle both.
F: So there wasn’t much feedback from Japan about all that?
DK: Not really, but we got a lot of feedback about the user interface as a whole, so we’re working around the clock to fix that right now.
Don’t forget the other requests
F: Was there any other kind of feedback you received?
DK: There was a lot about guildleves, like allowing retries on failed guildleves or suiting them more for party play. We on the development team also believe we could do more to promote party play. We’re trying to figure out how to find that balance of enjoyable party play without taking away from the soloing experience.
F: So you’ll be adding content to that purpose?
DK: Right now our greatest priority is to increase the merits for party play. Though we still want guildleves to be a rewarding solo experience, we also want to add things that would make them rewarding to complete as a party.
SS: We got a lot of feedback about that, and all the feedback was consistent; players’ first concern was the user interface, then the merits of party play. Thanks to this, we know what everyone is focusing on.
From “Bun-bun†to “Shei-shei-ha! Shei-ha!â€*
F: The battle system changed drastically from alpha to the first phase of beta. Do you think the battle system could change even more?
DK: We feel that the battle system has become pretty set. What we have left to adjust are the abilities, monsters, and guildleve balance. The biggest part is probably the balance of the growth system, so we’ll be looking at that a lot during the third beta phase.
PT: Speaking of which, in open beta, the placement of monsters and their aggro settings will change greatly, so you may have to change your battle strategies, too.
F: So the changes are going to be so big they’ll even affect strategizing?
PT: FFXI was the same way. The system and balances change and adapt like a living creature.
DK: You’ll also be able to start in any of the three starting capital cities. It’s not just about the three different stories; it is from this point that you’ll actually see the economy begin to work the way we imagined it, and we can’t wait for you to see it.
F: So in open beta, will you be able to go between cities?
DK: But of course.
Where’s the magic?
F: Right now there’s only two Discipline of Magic classes available. Will there be any more than these?
DK: We’d like players to enjoy these two classes for a while. The caster class system is still being tweaked. However, this doesn’t mean we’re going to wait for the release of an expansion to release the class; it’ll be out when the timing is right.
F: So you’re saying that there will be more Disciples of Magic?
DK: Yes. They might come in a patch, they might come in an expansion. We’re not sure yet.
F: What about pet classes, like FFXI’s beastmaster?
DK: There was a lot of feedback asking for those. We’d like to be able to provide that, but it might come in an expansion…
F: …or it might be in a patch. We get it (He laughs)
DK: If you put a pet class in right from release, balance is really difficult, so right now we’re not putting them in.
F: Do you have plans for any other new classes?
PT: We’ve got a few in mind, but we’re keeping them under wraps for now.
F: What kind of class will they be? Give us a hint!
PT: No! (He laughs evilly, clutching his pitchfork and stepping on the interviewer’s toes with the malice of a kindergartener. Ok, the Japanese just says he laughs, but WE know what happened, don’t we, folks? –Manly)
*The “Ideal FFXIV Battle Tempo†according to the Japanese. In a Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus video posted on Japanese video site Niconico Douga, (14th in a series of DoC vids, which probably drew in people looking for FFXIV videos) bun-bun is the sound Vincent’s slow-firing gun makes, and shei-shei-ha is what Vincent says during his melee attack. Months ago, a common post on Japanese boards was, “The current FFXIV battle tempo: Bun… bun… Ideal battle tempo: SHEI-HA! SHEI-SHEI-HA! SHEI-SHEI! HAA… SHEI!â€
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