Tweet
E3 2012: A chat with Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida | Massively
Final Fantasy XIV's major upgrade had been announced well before this year's E3, but this was its first public showing. While many of the major changes were only appreciable by long-term fans of the game, what was there was massive, ranging from major changes to the interface to several dazzling new areas. It was a lot to take in, and needless to say, we had some questions. Luckily for everyone, executive producer Naoki Yoshida was on hand to answer some of those questions and discuss the game's pending update.
Previous interviews with Yoshida have indicated that the version 2.0 update should begin alpha testing in late September, with a beta to follow not long after. He's also stressing the fact that version 2.0 is a major change for the game, almost an entirely new game in many respects, and while the live game has seen the fruits of a great deal of work there's still more to be done. As Yoshida put it, the game is an MMORPG, but it's an RPG before that, and a Final Fantasy game even before that.
Of course, current players will be most interested in the differences over the similarities, and Yoshida stressed that the familiar elements will be mixed with a great deal of changes. The guildleve system, for example, will still be a part of the game, but it won't work in the way it currently does. The system will change significantly, and it will no longer be the only option for solo leveling, as the game is also adding a much larger quantity of quests akin to a more traditional MMO experience. Players will have familiar touchstones to fall back upon, but the differences will be massive.
That's not the only change, either. Maps will be radically different -- there won't be anything truly unrecognizable (Yoshida used the example of Ul'dah suddenly being in a jungle) but areas with the same name won't look like the old area with a new coat of paint. Every area has been redone from the ground up, with a visual flow to each region but a new look and layout to every part of the world. The maps will also have a larger number of areas to explore, more little places to investigate and little hamlets or outposts scattered about. The idea is to fill the world with adventure, and that means more things to do and more places to go.
That extends, obviously, to the game's content. Guildleves will no longer make up the bulk of the leveling curve, with a larger number of quests added for players to partake. There will also be several added instanced dungeons, along with a content finder so that players can find groups quickly if usual partners aren't available. The content finder should have broad functionality to help assemble a party for any party-based content -- if you have a job quest that requires a group, you can assemble the group via the tool.
One of the major concerns that the team had regarding the game were the long gaps between relevant bits of story. Rather than a steady series of story quests, players would often perform a story quest, level, and finally reach the level required for a new quest... only to have forgotten what happened in the previous quest. Increasing the overall number of quests allows the team to ensure that there are fewer spaces between major story installments as well as keeping players involved in sidequest stories. Version 2.0 is set to include a large number of extra options for players to interact with the world and the plotline.
And on the note of interacting with the world, Yoshida confirmed that the game's estate system for player housing is on schedule for inclusion with version 2.0's launch. He did note that there's a small chance it might miss the launch window, but it would then be included in the first large content patch released after the revamp has gone live. Fans of the game will note that this is not an uncommon method with the development team.
Moving on from strictly mechanical questions, the issues of several players regarding physical server locations was noted. While Yoshida could make no firm comment at the time, he stated that the team is well aware of the issues regarding time zones and lag most notable for European gamers. He also noted that gamers affected by these issues should look for some announcement regarding it within the next two months.
Last but not least, when asked if he felt he was under any pressure when he was first given the task of revamping the game, he laughed and said that anyone who didn't feel pressure would presumably not be human. But at the same time, he made it clear that he felt a great sense of accomplishment in what he was being asked to do. Trying to essentially create an entirely new game after the game was released and negatively received is something that had never been tried before, and he felt that the development team rose to the challenge. He was also thankful to the fan community that has stood by the game over the past year and a half, dealing with its issues and idiosyncrasies as development worked overtime to add in new features and expand others.
Fans will have to wait a few more months for more hard data on what the revamp will include, but the promotions for the game should start in earnest in August. That means more system information, more previews, and more information on what the future holds for the second version of the game.
The Mog Log: What we saw of FFXIV at E3 | Massively
Final Fantasy XIV brings new gameplay and western sensibilities to venerable franchise | VentureBeat
Previous interviews with Yoshida have indicated that the version 2.0 update should begin alpha testing in late September, with a beta to follow not long after. He's also stressing the fact that version 2.0 is a major change for the game, almost an entirely new game in many respects, and while the live game has seen the fruits of a great deal of work there's still more to be done. As Yoshida put it, the game is an MMORPG, but it's an RPG before that, and a Final Fantasy game even before that.
Of course, current players will be most interested in the differences over the similarities, and Yoshida stressed that the familiar elements will be mixed with a great deal of changes. The guildleve system, for example, will still be a part of the game, but it won't work in the way it currently does. The system will change significantly, and it will no longer be the only option for solo leveling, as the game is also adding a much larger quantity of quests akin to a more traditional MMO experience. Players will have familiar touchstones to fall back upon, but the differences will be massive.
That's not the only change, either. Maps will be radically different -- there won't be anything truly unrecognizable (Yoshida used the example of Ul'dah suddenly being in a jungle) but areas with the same name won't look like the old area with a new coat of paint. Every area has been redone from the ground up, with a visual flow to each region but a new look and layout to every part of the world. The maps will also have a larger number of areas to explore, more little places to investigate and little hamlets or outposts scattered about. The idea is to fill the world with adventure, and that means more things to do and more places to go.
That extends, obviously, to the game's content. Guildleves will no longer make up the bulk of the leveling curve, with a larger number of quests added for players to partake. There will also be several added instanced dungeons, along with a content finder so that players can find groups quickly if usual partners aren't available. The content finder should have broad functionality to help assemble a party for any party-based content -- if you have a job quest that requires a group, you can assemble the group via the tool.
One of the major concerns that the team had regarding the game were the long gaps between relevant bits of story. Rather than a steady series of story quests, players would often perform a story quest, level, and finally reach the level required for a new quest... only to have forgotten what happened in the previous quest. Increasing the overall number of quests allows the team to ensure that there are fewer spaces between major story installments as well as keeping players involved in sidequest stories. Version 2.0 is set to include a large number of extra options for players to interact with the world and the plotline.
And on the note of interacting with the world, Yoshida confirmed that the game's estate system for player housing is on schedule for inclusion with version 2.0's launch. He did note that there's a small chance it might miss the launch window, but it would then be included in the first large content patch released after the revamp has gone live. Fans of the game will note that this is not an uncommon method with the development team.
Moving on from strictly mechanical questions, the issues of several players regarding physical server locations was noted. While Yoshida could make no firm comment at the time, he stated that the team is well aware of the issues regarding time zones and lag most notable for European gamers. He also noted that gamers affected by these issues should look for some announcement regarding it within the next two months.
Last but not least, when asked if he felt he was under any pressure when he was first given the task of revamping the game, he laughed and said that anyone who didn't feel pressure would presumably not be human. But at the same time, he made it clear that he felt a great sense of accomplishment in what he was being asked to do. Trying to essentially create an entirely new game after the game was released and negatively received is something that had never been tried before, and he felt that the development team rose to the challenge. He was also thankful to the fan community that has stood by the game over the past year and a half, dealing with its issues and idiosyncrasies as development worked overtime to add in new features and expand others.
Fans will have to wait a few more months for more hard data on what the revamp will include, but the promotions for the game should start in earnest in August. That means more system information, more previews, and more information on what the future holds for the second version of the game.
When it became clear that we weren't getting our 2.0 trailer at this year's E3, I sort of assumed that Final Fantasy XIV fans would have to be content without much new information. As usual, Naoki Yoshida proved me wrong in the most excellent way possible. So while we've only seen the tip of the iceberg about what's coming into the game, that tip is providing quite a bit of fascinating information all on its own.
My first thoughts on seeing the screenshots for the second version was that it might as well be an entirely different game. It's familiar elements ported into an altogether unfamiliar setting. I've been looking forward to it before, but I think this was the first time that I truly believed that this was going to happen and that it would be awesome. So if you've been following along with the game's E3 coverage across the web -- and I know you have -- let's just dive into reaction.
New crafting mechanics
I've said before that the Final Fantasy XIV crafting system is brilliant, and I'll say it again. Unfortunately, in the mid-to-high-level band, it does get pretty repetitive. Unlike the combat classes that just started getting all their cool toys, crafters already have most of the cool toys that they're going to get. That means there's less cross-class pollination as well, which eliminates some of the fun behind the game's class system.
In other words, for all that I like the crafting system, the crafting classes haven't always felt like they pull their weight. And when they make up nearly half of all the classes, that's problematic.
It looks like we're getting more options for crafters both in crafting and on the field. I can only hope something similar is coming for gathering, but knowing Yoshi-P, I'd say that's a safe bet. I think this is a spectacular idea, and I'd love to see some more cross-discipline abilities, period. If wanting to level your Carpenter to improve your Lancer is wrong, I don't want to be right. (And the reverse is true, too.)
But even if that crazy dream never materializes, I'm still looking forward to more meaningful crafting decisions because hey, it's just awesome like that.
Primal summoning
When I read up on this, my first thought was that Yoshida found a spectacular way to take the most annoying parts of Final Fantasy XI's HNMLS culture and make them even worse. My second thought was... OK, it was exactly the same as the first thought, but it included more curse words.
I'm not saying there's nothing cool about this idea; it's a neat idea, certainly, and it keeps things dynamic. But the idea that primals are wandering randomly and are very limited means that outside of very high-end content, you'll never see them around. That will definitely preserve their nature, but it also means blocking a big portion of the playerbase from enjoying a big nostalgic element. There are no summoners under this model, and that's kind of sad.
I do like the idea that the summoning will be a worldwide event, though. It doesn't make up for the several parts I find annoying, but it's still cool.
Chocobo-raising
Yes.
No, really, yes. This is just clever all around. It sounds like every positive aspect of chocobo-raising from previous games is being taken into account. The only annoyance is that it sounds like chocobos will have more customization options than individual characters... but do I really need a talent tree on my Thaumaturge?
Actually, that would be pretty awesome. Maybe we'll get a little more fine control over our individual disciplines.
What hasn't been mentioned one way or the other is how vital your chocobo will be in combat or how reliable said chocobo is. It's certainly possible that the developers could go for an Adventuring Fellow-type system, in which you have only limited use of your bird early on. Giving you free use might be better, but it might also change the design of areas to require a chocobo at all times if you're not in a group, which seems contrary to the game's existing design. We need more information.
High-end instanced raids
I've said before that I'm not a big fan of huge groups for endgame content. This sounds really cool -- the group finder and everything will be a welcome addition -- but the whole idea of 24-person content strikes me as just plain not fun. I'm sure someone will find it really neat, and hey, that's great. I am not that someone.
Beta, alpha, and the live servers
What we know now is that the alpha should be running in late September, with a beta starting not too long after that. This might seem a bit short, but the biggest changes are just the maps and some elements of the crafting system. The mechanics of most of the game should be fairly steady, so it's not as onerous a testing cycle as a new game would need. Yoshida is keeping in mind that the beta does need to be more flexible than the game's original beta, however.
Based on further statements, we also know that once the beta starts, the live servers end. So we've got a rough timescale placing the end of the world as we know it somewhere around mid-October. That's a while off, but it's also distressingly close. If you have any major goals to accomplish in Eorzea-That-Is before it becomes Eorzea-That-Was, you might want to hop to 'em sooner rather than later.
And there's more...
I know that there's stuff I'm missing at the moment because there's a whole lot to digest from the revelations at the show. So feel free to share your own favorite moments or personal impressions in the comments below, or mail them to eliot@massively.com.
For the record, I'm very sad that we saw catboys but no Highlander/roegadyn girls.
Next week, I'm going back on track to talk about useful cross-class skills. You know, like I was planning to this week but wound up missing. Ah, I love the news cycle.
My first thoughts on seeing the screenshots for the second version was that it might as well be an entirely different game. It's familiar elements ported into an altogether unfamiliar setting. I've been looking forward to it before, but I think this was the first time that I truly believed that this was going to happen and that it would be awesome. So if you've been following along with the game's E3 coverage across the web -- and I know you have -- let's just dive into reaction.
New crafting mechanics
I've said before that the Final Fantasy XIV crafting system is brilliant, and I'll say it again. Unfortunately, in the mid-to-high-level band, it does get pretty repetitive. Unlike the combat classes that just started getting all their cool toys, crafters already have most of the cool toys that they're going to get. That means there's less cross-class pollination as well, which eliminates some of the fun behind the game's class system.
In other words, for all that I like the crafting system, the crafting classes haven't always felt like they pull their weight. And when they make up nearly half of all the classes, that's problematic.
It looks like we're getting more options for crafters both in crafting and on the field. I can only hope something similar is coming for gathering, but knowing Yoshi-P, I'd say that's a safe bet. I think this is a spectacular idea, and I'd love to see some more cross-discipline abilities, period. If wanting to level your Carpenter to improve your Lancer is wrong, I don't want to be right. (And the reverse is true, too.)
But even if that crazy dream never materializes, I'm still looking forward to more meaningful crafting decisions because hey, it's just awesome like that.
Primal summoning
When I read up on this, my first thought was that Yoshida found a spectacular way to take the most annoying parts of Final Fantasy XI's HNMLS culture and make them even worse. My second thought was... OK, it was exactly the same as the first thought, but it included more curse words.
I'm not saying there's nothing cool about this idea; it's a neat idea, certainly, and it keeps things dynamic. But the idea that primals are wandering randomly and are very limited means that outside of very high-end content, you'll never see them around. That will definitely preserve their nature, but it also means blocking a big portion of the playerbase from enjoying a big nostalgic element. There are no summoners under this model, and that's kind of sad.
I do like the idea that the summoning will be a worldwide event, though. It doesn't make up for the several parts I find annoying, but it's still cool.
Chocobo-raising
Yes.
No, really, yes. This is just clever all around. It sounds like every positive aspect of chocobo-raising from previous games is being taken into account. The only annoyance is that it sounds like chocobos will have more customization options than individual characters... but do I really need a talent tree on my Thaumaturge?
Actually, that would be pretty awesome. Maybe we'll get a little more fine control over our individual disciplines.
What hasn't been mentioned one way or the other is how vital your chocobo will be in combat or how reliable said chocobo is. It's certainly possible that the developers could go for an Adventuring Fellow-type system, in which you have only limited use of your bird early on. Giving you free use might be better, but it might also change the design of areas to require a chocobo at all times if you're not in a group, which seems contrary to the game's existing design. We need more information.
High-end instanced raids
I've said before that I'm not a big fan of huge groups for endgame content. This sounds really cool -- the group finder and everything will be a welcome addition -- but the whole idea of 24-person content strikes me as just plain not fun. I'm sure someone will find it really neat, and hey, that's great. I am not that someone.
Beta, alpha, and the live servers
What we know now is that the alpha should be running in late September, with a beta starting not too long after that. This might seem a bit short, but the biggest changes are just the maps and some elements of the crafting system. The mechanics of most of the game should be fairly steady, so it's not as onerous a testing cycle as a new game would need. Yoshida is keeping in mind that the beta does need to be more flexible than the game's original beta, however.
Based on further statements, we also know that once the beta starts, the live servers end. So we've got a rough timescale placing the end of the world as we know it somewhere around mid-October. That's a while off, but it's also distressingly close. If you have any major goals to accomplish in Eorzea-That-Is before it becomes Eorzea-That-Was, you might want to hop to 'em sooner rather than later.
And there's more...
I know that there's stuff I'm missing at the moment because there's a whole lot to digest from the revelations at the show. So feel free to share your own favorite moments or personal impressions in the comments below, or mail them to eliot@massively.com.
For the record, I'm very sad that we saw catboys but no Highlander/roegadyn girls.
Next week, I'm going back on track to talk about useful cross-class skills. You know, like I was planning to this week but wound up missing. Ah, I love the news cycle.
Final Fantasy XIV brings new gameplay and western sensibilities to venerable franchise
You’ve never seen Final Fantasy like this before. Today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, took us through a quick demonstration running live on a laptop in the Square-Enix booth.
The first thing we noticed was the high degree of photorealism in the title. It has dynamic lighting, shaders, shadows, natural foliage, and beautiful scenery. Screenshots showed us Chocobo mounts and Moogles aplenty. The game looks and feels just like other massively multiplayer online games, with a third person perspective that Yoshida rotated around his avatar character, zooming in and out to show us the high level of detail. He promised, through a translator, that the game would be playable on a wide range of PC hardware, from lower end to high end, as well as the Playstation 3 console. Players of Final Fantasy XIV will play together, regardless of platform.
We were unable to take photos of the live demo, which mainly consisted of Yoshida’s avatar running through the forest near some NPCs and a large castle. His avatar had a tail and fuzzy long ears, features of his particular character’s race.
Yoshida told us that his concept of the game could be seen as a tripod, with the three pillars of gameplay, story, and beautiful graphics supporting a fourth concept: the player community. In Yoshida-san’s eyes, each of these support and enhance the other, with the ultimate goal of entrancing and engaging a large player community.
“What makes this work is all about the experience of the choices, you can choose what to fight, where to explore, you level up, the character grows,†he said. “The story changes based on player choices.â€
People play MMOs in different ways, especially ones who play on a console like the PS3, he reminded us. Some want to play them like a single player game, with storyline and enviroment providing incentive to spend hundreds or even thousands of hours in game. Other players, he said, want to stray far from the specific story and work on crafting, raise Chocobos, or do side quests. Players will be able to train their own Chocobos from birth and give them unique abilities for taking a support role in the game, like a mage chocobo or an item-storage chocobo. Other players might want to simply visit friends, hang out, or create and manage guilds.
The story of Final Fantasy XIV revolves around the city of Eorzea, which is being invaded by the empire to the north. Three different factions have arisen in the city to fight the threat. Players will choose a faction to align with and fight other factions along the way. They’ll also have a chance to join Free Companies, FFXIVs version of guilds.
If that wasn’t enough peril, Summons also threaten the world (the Demi gods fans will know from earlier installments in the Final Fantasy series). Gamers will have their hands full in this universe, across the many battles and alliances they will form.
Other things familiar to fans of the Final Fantasy franchise will manifest in various areas, like the Crystal Towers from Final Fantasy III, and the Magi Tech Armor (another mount that players can ride in the current game) from Final Fantasy VI. Yoshida said that the team wants to take various areas from earlier games, update them for the Final Fantasy XIV universe, and allow players to roam through settings and areas they might be excited about. “We want all players from the 25 year history of the franchise to have those recognition moments,†said Yoshida.
Yoshida hopes to bring these elements together into a title that allows Western sensibilities to enjoy and engage with a traditionally Japanese genre and series. “Final Fantasy is a global success,†he said, “and we do not want to ignore the western gamer.â€
He was less willing to share when the subject of a release date came up. More generally, said Yoshida, he hoped to bring an early alpha test online by late September, which will roll directly into a much larger beta test. He hopes to have the game out sometime in winter (“ish,†he said) of this year.
You’ve never seen Final Fantasy like this before. Today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, took us through a quick demonstration running live on a laptop in the Square-Enix booth.
The first thing we noticed was the high degree of photorealism in the title. It has dynamic lighting, shaders, shadows, natural foliage, and beautiful scenery. Screenshots showed us Chocobo mounts and Moogles aplenty. The game looks and feels just like other massively multiplayer online games, with a third person perspective that Yoshida rotated around his avatar character, zooming in and out to show us the high level of detail. He promised, through a translator, that the game would be playable on a wide range of PC hardware, from lower end to high end, as well as the Playstation 3 console. Players of Final Fantasy XIV will play together, regardless of platform.
We were unable to take photos of the live demo, which mainly consisted of Yoshida’s avatar running through the forest near some NPCs and a large castle. His avatar had a tail and fuzzy long ears, features of his particular character’s race.
Yoshida told us that his concept of the game could be seen as a tripod, with the three pillars of gameplay, story, and beautiful graphics supporting a fourth concept: the player community. In Yoshida-san’s eyes, each of these support and enhance the other, with the ultimate goal of entrancing and engaging a large player community.
“What makes this work is all about the experience of the choices, you can choose what to fight, where to explore, you level up, the character grows,†he said. “The story changes based on player choices.â€
People play MMOs in different ways, especially ones who play on a console like the PS3, he reminded us. Some want to play them like a single player game, with storyline and enviroment providing incentive to spend hundreds or even thousands of hours in game. Other players, he said, want to stray far from the specific story and work on crafting, raise Chocobos, or do side quests. Players will be able to train their own Chocobos from birth and give them unique abilities for taking a support role in the game, like a mage chocobo or an item-storage chocobo. Other players might want to simply visit friends, hang out, or create and manage guilds.
The story of Final Fantasy XIV revolves around the city of Eorzea, which is being invaded by the empire to the north. Three different factions have arisen in the city to fight the threat. Players will choose a faction to align with and fight other factions along the way. They’ll also have a chance to join Free Companies, FFXIVs version of guilds.
If that wasn’t enough peril, Summons also threaten the world (the Demi gods fans will know from earlier installments in the Final Fantasy series). Gamers will have their hands full in this universe, across the many battles and alliances they will form.
Other things familiar to fans of the Final Fantasy franchise will manifest in various areas, like the Crystal Towers from Final Fantasy III, and the Magi Tech Armor (another mount that players can ride in the current game) from Final Fantasy VI. Yoshida said that the team wants to take various areas from earlier games, update them for the Final Fantasy XIV universe, and allow players to roam through settings and areas they might be excited about. “We want all players from the 25 year history of the franchise to have those recognition moments,†said Yoshida.
Yoshida hopes to bring these elements together into a title that allows Western sensibilities to enjoy and engage with a traditionally Japanese genre and series. “Final Fantasy is a global success,†he said, “and we do not want to ignore the western gamer.â€
He was less willing to share when the subject of a release date came up. More generally, said Yoshida, he hoped to bring an early alpha test online by late September, which will roll directly into a much larger beta test. He hopes to have the game out sometime in winter (“ish,†he said) of this year.
Comment