YAY for FFXIV !!!!

[D~ONE]

Despite being quite upset with the amount of grinding that was required in FFXI I still consider it a fun and good experience tha I would not mine going through again.

I played FFXI on Fenrir with quite a few PSOW members back in the day, Kent a.k.a Wattari the Monk, Dgo a.k.a Dgo the white mage eXo a.k.a Stealth the redmage, VulpesMundi aka VulpesMundi the Dragoon.

Anyway this was definately a good experience and if any of you old school FFXi players are still here will you be interested in playing 14?

[Saner]

Definitely. the FFXI veterans that refuse to switch will be convinced eventually. :p

FFXIV Online will be the #1 most played game for me. ^^

hopefully they improve some things, but thankfully its a new world and this will be the first time I'll play a FF mmorpg during its 1st generation (I didn't join FFXI until the 4th year.)
so it will be fresh and new for everyone!

ya it may be a grind again but it'll be the prettiest mmorpg around and FF atmosphere
just brings so much goodness that no other franchise can match! :D the Vagrant Story
artist is doing the art and Nobuo is doing the music! and it's being produced and directed
by FF vets that have been involved in FF I-III, as well as IX and XI!!! so ya, they will
bring what they learned from FFXI and make FFXIV the ultimate gaming experience! ^^


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK5bXa7u-M0

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/

[D~ONE]

Definitely. the FFXI veterans that refuse to switch will be convinced eventually. :p

FFXIV Online will be the #1 most played game for me. ^^

hopefully they improve some things, but thankfully its a new world and this will be the first time I'll play a FF mmorpg during its 1st generation (I didn't join FFXI until the 4th year.)
so it will be fresh and new for everyone!

ya it may be a grind again but it'll be the prettiest mmorpg around and FF atmosphere
just brings so much goodness that no other franchise can match! :D the Vagrant Story
artist is doing the art and Nobuo is doing the music! and it's being produced and directed
by FF vets that have been involved in FF I-III, as well as IX and XI!!! so ya, they will
bring what they learned from FFXI and make FFXIV the ultimate gaming experience! ^^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK5bXa7u-M0

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/


yea even if it is a grind once again i think that the single most beneficial thing that they should have learned from FFXI is that players need the ability to solo productively witth any class and job.

[Saner]

ya there are so many good things they can do now without the PS2 limitations. like I think equipped capes/mantles will now be visible. And they might even expand and tweak many things to make everything more fun and doable. There's so much possibilities!

[Kent]

I can't wait for more information. I'm really curious as to what exactly they're going to do as far as making it not replace Final Fantasy XI...

And lets not forget, 2010 release? That means they must be entering beta pretty soon. Maybe Veteran FFXI players will have an easier time getting into a public beta, should one happen...

[Zyrusticae]

I just want to know WTF is going to change in this one.

I'm a stickler for character creation, and the creation in FFXI was, um, underwhelming, to say the least.

Besides that, hopefully the interface is more PC-friendly in this one as well. It's just not nice when a PC port virtually requires a gamepad...

[Kent]

Final Fantasy XI was a game designed to be used with a controller, and it was designed for the PlayStation 2. Much like the case with Phantasy Star Universe, the PlayStation 2 limitations pretty much spell out how far the game can really go until it reaches its limit.

Though it is rather keyboard and mouse-unfriendly... I just played it with my Xbox 360 controller, and things worked fine. :/

[Saner]

actually I forgot what interview, but they clarified that while FFXI will continue to be supported, it isn't gonna last forever. FFXIV will exist alongside FFXI, but once FFXI's population drops too low, it's gonna be all about FFXIV.

Final Fantasy XIV Online is the new online FF every XI veteran will jump to eventually.

[Kent]

Right. At the same time however, they're probably going to be different enough that transferring from Final Fantasy XI to Final Fantasy XIV will still have quite a bit of difference to them.

It's entirely possible that, for example, Final Fantasy XIV will be centered more around instantiated dungeons and questing (like WoW is, in comarison to FFXI), while still retaining the emphasis on story and missions with a diverse job system, like what made Final Fantasy XI so good. The only real possible downside to this I could see however, would be that end-game could be significantly less hardcore, much like WoW in comparison to Final Fantasy XI.

...But I don't really consider that a bad thing, unless they take it too far... Which isn't all that likely.

[Saner]

aaaah. hopefully those instanced dungeons are optional. I prefer persistent worlds!

I respect PSO and PSU but I wouldn't want FFXIV to turn into that just so it doesn't take FFXI's spotlight or tries to be too different that it ends up being less than people expect from FFXI's successor.

[Zarode]

The problem with persistent worlds can be directly linked to FFXI. I've heard so much drama, especially with the Japanese being little gaming whores, over certain things like timed boss spawns and such.


And yay, another Final Fantasy. Better ignore this one too.

[Omega_Weltall]

ANOTHER Fantasy mmo...great...eh ! just hope character creation is the bloody Aryan Nation like the 11 was. Well, the trailer was all just CGI so I should withhold judgment until more info comes up. And if Viera are playable I'm SO gettin one!

[NPCMook]

ANOTHER Fantasy mmo...great...eh ! just hope character creation is the bloody Aryan Nation like the 11 was. Well, the trailer was all just CGI so I should withhold judgment until more info comes up. And if Viera are playable I'm SO gettin one!

The Viera do not exist in Vana'diel(I think I spelled that right) I kind of hope we have a little more choice than just Hume, Galka, Tarutaru, Giraffes, and Mithra this time... Let me play a cuddly Moogle damn it >.>

Things I'd like to see:
1)No Dependency on White Mages for leveling
2)Potions Stack and restore a considerable amount
3)No dead leveling area
4)Beastmaster not treated like an outcast

[Omega_Weltall]

Vana'Diel again?! i remember seeing something 3 years ago saying the next FF MMO was gonna be in Ivalice, screen shots and everything. Oh well they must have scraped that idea. From the cg it looks like they'er gonna have alittle more technology this time.

oh one thing I hated was that if you want to be a Black Mage (or any Mage job) and blow stuff up um.. prepare to do 37 lvs of playing babysitter. i wanted summoner, did the quest and everything. Only to realize that as Summoner you have to sub WHM and sit an heal the whole time, wtf is the point of the Avatars then?! Send them out, have them do ONE thing(buff) and dismiss them?! OH COME ON!....

[Outrider]

Am I the only one who wishes that this wasn't using the same (or similar) world as Final Fantasy XI? From what I saw and read of the game (having never played it myself), it always seemed to skew a little too much towards fitting the "generic fantasy" genre than the more traditional Final Fantasy games.

Now, if they set the game in Ivalice, with Viera, Bangaa, Nu Mou... that would be something I'd gladly play. (After all, FFXII practically has an MMO setting already - I'd love to have one more chance to explore a world like that.)

[NPCMook]

FFXII is the Offline version of FFXI

FFXI had its own feel, it was large and pleasant to view, I heard the story was really good, but it was just so much work to get to it, since they didn't want you to walk though it with a couple of level 75 buddies they put level caps on them, and would level you down to that level and unequipping all your higher level gear... So you had to go re-buy gear for that level, which beyond level 10, it was a pain in the ass to get that gear...

Crafting was terrible, I think it had more rumors about it than PSU had for synthing, Face a certain direction at a certain time, on a certain day, during a certain moon phase to increase the chance of a success.

I did enjoy the play one character and have access to all the classes, I also liked the questing for more adv. classes. I disliked the cookie cutter combinations of classes... even though there were other better ones... One thing I would have liked to see was earning special abilities like in FFV, like playing a warrior long enough you gained a passive ability to equip heavy armor on any class. I'd like to see that again.

Most of my ranting comes from 2005 when the game was in dire need of changes... So I may be out of the loop for those who stuck with the game...

[SSephy21]

I would get this game! I came to think that now there are coming out with alot of online games for the PS3 and 360.

[D~ONE]

Right. At the same time however, they're probably going to be different enough that transferring from Final Fantasy XI to Final Fantasy XIV will still have quite a bit of difference to them.

It's entirely possible that, for example, Final Fantasy XIV will be centered more around instantiated dungeons and questing (like WoW is, in comarison to FFXI), while still retaining the emphasis on story and missions with a diverse job system, like what made Final Fantasy XI so good. The only real possible downside to this I could see however, would be that end-game could be significantly less hardcore, much like WoW in comparison to Final Fantasy XI.

...But I don't really consider that a bad thing, unless they take it too far... Which isn't all that likely.


I have no problems with the dungeons being instantiated especially since it will really help to reduce to frustration caused by the jerkoffs that get a kick out of training mobs to a group etc.

FFIV will benefit alot if they take a few concepts from the book of Wow like better methods of transportation, I liked what they did with the whole chocobo raising thing if they take the srives that they made in FFXI and build on them the game will be solid.

And I can see myself bouncing between FFIV and diablo III whenever it hits ALOT. Also I hope that they drop the garbage ass artifact gear chest camping.

[Zyrusticae]

It's not "instantiated"; the proper term is "instanced".

Just starting to peeve me...

[D~ONE]

It's not "instantiated"; the proper term is "instanced".

Just starting to peeve me...


I know I play WoW have been for over 4+ years /embarassed ....^^; but I just went with it.

[Volcompat321]

I have a quick question-For someone like me, where PSU is the only mmoRpg I've EVER played, would it be easy to start a game like this? I've never played 11 or 12, or whichever one is online only....Could I start this and learn it's play style, or would I already have to know something about the game, how it's played, and how it works (magic?, weapons, armors, horses?) lol.
And, I didn't take the time to read through this whole thing, is this for the 360, pc, and ps3? If so, I think I'd want it for 360 or ps3...wise choice?
I really need to make my 360 worth buying. I bought it and got like 2 games right away, then recently spent almost $200 bucks on it. I like some of the games I got for it, but they weren't any MMO RPG's. I think I'd get it for 360 so it would make my 360 worth having. Other than that I don't really have much use for it :(

[D~ONE]

You will be able to pick this game up and learn as you progress if they keep some of the elements from the original battle system like magic burst then players might have a slight advantage but nothing that you cnt pick up on rather quickly.

Also this game will only be available on PC and for the PS3 gaming console so that pretty much gives you an idea that either you need to start slowly upgrading your PC/Mac or invest in a PS3 if you want to play this game.

[Volcompat321]

I have a ps3 already, and my PC is amazing :D
I guess I'll have to find another game to make my 360 worth having :(

[Tetsaru]

Lol, just hope your 360 doesn't die on you like my friend's did 3 days after he got it... >_<

But yeah, this looks pretty awesome... reminds me of how I felt when I first saw the trailers for FFXI, lol. Of course, I had a shitty computer back then and couldn't play it, and then all my friends got into it while all I could do was sit back and watch... then PSU came along and I had my new PC, lol, and then FFXI just seemed so... slow-paced. =/ I hope they fix that this time around.

[Volcompat321]

Well I've had it about 6 months, and the only problem I have with it so far is not being useful to me, and uh the memory unit slot 1 thing got pushed in somehow....and I cant get it out. I don't use a memory unit anyway. I think I'll end up trying this for the Ps3, maybe pc. I'll decide which when it comes time to do so.

[SpikeOtacon]

Square Enix is holding a press conference soon. (http://e3.g4tv.com/e32009/pressconference/squareenix/20/) Hopefully they'll give us more details on FF XIV. I was never into FF XI, a mixture of things kept me from really enjoying myself. But i've found myself more open to MMOs recently so who knows?

[Puppet_Papaya]

...I'm just speechless. It's like my past is coming back to haunt me. As hard as I try, the memories of FFXI won't let me go!
I might need to get a PS3 now...

[McLaughlin]

There aren't any cameras allowed in Square's conference by the looks of things, but I found G4's live blog (http://e3.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/696020/Live-Blog-Square-Enix-E3-2009-Press-Conference.html).

[SpikeOtacon]

Err, looks like that link isn't any good. Try this liveblog though:

http://e3.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/696020/Live-Blog-Square-Enix-E3-2009-Press-Conference.html

EDIT: Beat'd.

[Outrider]

Well, the liveblog just posted a note:


11:56
FFXIV will be coming to the PS3 & PC. They are currently considering other hardware (including Microsoft hardware!)

Which everybody and their grandmother figures is the case anyway. But at least now that Square has said the Xbox is a possibility in their press conference, the fanboys who have no concept of how a business works will quiet down. I'm putting my money on a timed-exclusive, but there are a couple different ways they could approach this.

[Waki Miko Syamemaru!]

Looks interesting. Might give it a glance when it nears completion.

[joefro]

Well, the liveblog just posted a note:



Which everybody and their grandmother figures is the case anyway. But at least now that Square has said the Xbox is a possibility in their press conference, the fanboys who have no concept of how a business works will quiet down. I'm putting my money on a timed-exclusive, but there are a couple different ways they could approach this.
If they're using PlayOnline again, which I assume they are, (but hope they don't) this exclusivity is not very exclusive. All people are going to do, myself included, is get this for PC and play for a year, then get the 360 port and transfer character data to the console. I'm starting to think that this game won't be exclusive at all.

[SpikeOtacon]

If they're using PlayOnline again, which I assume they are, (but hope they don't) this exclusivity is not very exclusive. All people are going to do, myself included, is get this for PC and play for a year, then get the 360 port and transfer character data to the console. I'm starting to think that this game won't be exclusive at all.

You maybe somewhat happy to hear about this from the conference then:


12:26
A: The game is completely different. There will not be any XI character transfers to XIV. However, the character design is familiar and XI players will be able to create a similar character. 12:26
A: We will NOT be using PlayOnline, but friend lists will transfer over.

[joefro]

You maybe somewhat happy to hear about this from the conference then:
Yeeeeessssss!!

[Kent]

The problem with persistent worlds can be directly linked to FFXI. I've heard so much drama, especially with the Japanese being little gaming whores, over certain things like timed boss spawns and such.

This was a huge problem in FFXI. World spawn encounters are just not things that are fun, because it all depends on who can select and tag something first, right as it spawns within its 24 to 72 hour spawn window. It's just not something that provides any sense of enjoyment - especially if you spend hours trying to find a single enemy, just to see a random THF/RNG dash in at the last second and claim it from 30 feet away.


It's not "instantiated"; the proper term is "instanced".

Just starting to peeve me...
You really shouldn't get peeved from someone using a word correctly. Instantiated is the past tense form of instantiate, which means to create an instance of something.

Guess why they're called instances.

[Mewnie]

I loved the setting of FFXI. But the gameplay was horrible. MAssive time-sink driven grindfest.

If they speed up the pace of combat and make it more action-packed, rather than the 'pull one mob to group and ritually slay it', I'd like it a lot more.

Job/Subjob balancing. Dragoon, nuff said.


This was a huge problem in FFXI. World spawn encounters are just not things that are fun, because it all depends on who can select and tag something first, right as it spawns within its 24 to 72 hour spawn window. It's just not something that provides any sense of enjoyment - especially if you spend hours trying to find a single enemy, just to see a random THF/RNG dash in at the last second and claim it from 30 feet away.

Having played Everquest, and participated in high-end guikld raiding, world bosses are nothing but DRAMA-MAGNETS. I played on a server that had top-tier American, European and Taiwanese guilds, and a lot of the raid encounters there were on at least a 3 day spawn.. sometimes a week.



You really shouldn't get peeved from someone using a word correctly. Instantiated is the past tense form of instantiate, which means to create an instance of something.

But instantiated is clumsy to read/pronounce and makes you sound retarded X3


Guess why they're called instances.

Yup ;3

[McLaughlin]

Dragoon is finally getting the recognition it deserves in the game, as a very versatile DD job. It got "fixed" when they stopped penalizing jobs with pets three or four years ago.

[ChronoTrigga]

I hope that FFXIV plays like PSO/PSU. But on a massive world rather than missions like PSU.

[Saner]

persistent zones is always better than instanced. instances should only be reserved for stuff like BCNMs. :)

[NPCMook]

Hopefully they will keep the JP, and NA servers separate this time... There was some pretty rampant racism from what I remember, most of it was from the Japanese towards us.

Mind you I found a few cool Japanese players, grouped with one for a while when I was leveling Bst/whm

[Zyrusticae]

You really shouldn't get peeved from someone using a word correctly. Instantiated is the past tense form of instantiate, which means to create an instance of something.

But no one else on the entire internets uses "instantiated" when referring to instances in MMOs. So, y'know... meh. :-?

[McLaughlin]

Hopefully they will keep the JP, and NA servers separate this time... There was some pretty rampant racism from what I remember, most of it was from the Japanese towards us.

Mind you I found a few cool Japanese players, grouped with one for a while when I was leveling Bst/whm

Everyone's on one server again.

[Kent]

persistent zones is always better than instanced. instances should only be reserved for stuff like BCNMs. :)
While I do agree that boss fights should always be done in instances, I do think there is some merit to having to explore a dungeon to get to said boss fight.

Consider for a moment, the possibility of having instances of dungeons where there are many different possible layouts (kinda like how PSO didn't have truly "random" layouts, but just one from an assortment) and the players(s) wanting to fight the boss of that area not only have to get to the end, but since it's not a static layout every time, they actually do have to explore a bit to get there.

I think exploration can be a fun part of games, and it shouldn't really be done away with. Additionally, the act of not making areas randomly-generated, but rather, picked from an assortment of hand-crafted layouts would allow greater quality control among the developers. They'd present the player with some level of requisite exploration to advance, while at the same time, they'd also be able to (easily) ensure that the players don't have one instance that lasts five minutes, and then another that takes an hour to get to the end (which is what happened a lot with areas in Diablo II).

Granted, it's not something that would really work in FFXI, due to the plodding nature of the game, but if it were balanced out correctly, it could be really fun. I think the closest thing they had was Assault (which was still pretty fun).

[D~ONE]

While I do agree that boss fights should always be done in instances, I do think there is some merit to having to explore a dungeon to get to said boss fight.

Consider for a moment, the possibility of having instances of dungeons where there are many different possible layouts (kinda like how PSO didn't have truly "random" layouts, but just one from an assortment) and the players(s) wanting to fight the boss of that area not only have to get to the end, but since it's not a static layout every time, they actually do have to explore a bit to get there.

I think exploration can be a fun part of games, and it shouldn't really be done away with. Additionally, the act of not making areas randomly-generated, but rather, picked from an assortment of hand-crafted layouts would allow greater quality control among the developers. They'd present the player with some level of requisite exploration to advance, while at the same time, they'd also be able to (easily) ensure that the players don't have one instance that lasts five minutes, and then another that takes an hour to get to the end (which is what happened a lot with areas in Diablo II).

Granted, it's not something that would really work in FFXI, due to the plodding nature of the game, but if it were balanced out correctly, it could be really fun. I think the closest thing they had was Assault (which was still pretty fun).


Yes I agree rare spawns and things of that mature are definately a welcome part of MMOs however, providing instances were everyone has their fair shot at downing certain mobs will result in a much friendlier enviorment.

[Omega_Weltall]

Hopefully they will keep the JP, and NA servers separate this time... There was some pretty rampant racism from what I remember, most of it was from the Japanese towards us.

Mind you I found a few cool Japanese players, grouped with one for a while when I was leveling Bst/whm

oh dont get me started on this crap >_<! call ME a Gaijin in my own goddamn house. I'M LEARNING YOUR LANGUAGE TO BE FUCKING COURTEOUS TO YOU,YA BASTARDS! My friends say they run into mostly cool JP players but NOOOO I get all the assholes >_<!

[Sekani]

Cautiously optimistic. FFXI was a beautiful storybook version of hell, they'd need to do quite a bit to the gameplay to get my money on this one.

[Sano]

Got this from http://www.killingifrit.com (http://www.killingifrit.com/) Forums. Sources and such noted as well.


Product Details
Platforms: PS3, Windows PC (360 is being considered)
Genre: MMORPG
Release Date: Simultaneous worldwide 2010
Unit Price: TBA
Subscription Fees: TBA
ESRB Rating: TBA
Languages: English, Japanese, German, French

Main Staff
Producer: Hiromichi Tanaka (FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFXI)
Director: Nobuaki Komoto (FFIX, FFXI)
Art Director: Akihiko Yoshida (Vagrant Story, FFXII)
Music: Nobuo Uematsu & Smile Please Co., Ltd (Final Fantasy Series)

Questions and Answers
(Will be updated as more information comes along.)

Sources:

#1. http://www.massively.com/2009/06/03/e3-200...ore-details-re/

#2. http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/

#3. http://e3.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/69602...Conference.html

What is the world of Final Fantasy XIV?

Takes place in a new world called Eorzea, according to the trailer. 2
Is it related to Final Fantasy XI?

It is NOT RELATED to Final Fantasy XI; completely new storyline. 1
I saw familiar races in the trailer, who are they?

Final Fantasy XIV will use the same races as Final Fantasy XI "so players could continue with the races they already love." 1
Who is developing Final Fantasy XIV?

The original developers of Final Fantasy XI. FFXIV was originally intended to not be an MMO, but the team opted for what would "allow them to make the best Final Fantasy they could make. This option was, of course, an MMO." 1
Will there be a beta test?
There will be a beta test, but no details have been finalized as of yet. Any relation between FFXI and FFXIV?

FFXIV and FFXI are two completely different games. There won't be character ports to XIV from XI. However, the character designs are similar and XI players will be able to create a similar character.3
What is the deal with PlayOnline Viewer?

PlayOnline Viewer will no longer be used, but your friends on Friend List will transfer over.1 3
Will there be other languages considered?

Spanish is a possibility if there is a large enough demand for it. 3
Will FFXI be discontinued?

FFXI will not be discontinued. There is already a year's worth of content planned out for FFXI. Both FFXI and FFXIV will continue on two separate paths of development. It has been repeated again that as long as there are players still playing and supporting FFXI, they will not end it. 1 3
What is FFXIV in general?

Developers have stated that after seven years of operation for FFXI, they have learned from this game and World of Warcraft. They have taken the best of both and put it in FFXIV. 1

There will also be more casual play and soloing options. The job system from FFXI will make its return as well, but more focus on the base development of the character. 1

[Saner]

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/story.html?story=18309

in case that link doesn't work or the archive is changed:



NEW INTERVIEW :burger: :burger: :burger:

Sources: GameWatch , 4Gamer , Famitsu
Right off the bat, Tanaka confirms that is was the plan all along to make "Rapture" into the latest numbered installment in the Final Fantasy series. However, he jokes that they were not sure if Square Enix would have already made it to 14 during the four years they spent in development, forcing them to go with Final Fantasy XV Online. Also, just as they did with XI, they wanted to show players that they had full confidence in the game being worthy of the Final Fantasy name - a feeling that may not have been conveyed by using "FF World" or "FF Online."

Eorzea will differ from Vana'diel in a number of ways. First, Eorzea is but a region within the full world of Final Fantasy XIV, which will be named ハイデリン (ha-i-de-ri-n). This land will be blessed with high technology, but not to the point of more sci-fi themed worlds found in Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy X. This new MMO will stay true to the fantasy-style roots of the series, while setting itself apart as a completely different world than Vana'diel.

As we have seen in the trailer, all the races from Final Fantasy XI appear to be present and accounted for. Tanaka comments that this was done in order to add an air of familiarity to the game, so the Final Fantasy XI community would be comfortable transferring over and trying it out. However, while they look similar on the surface, they will be given somewhat of a makeover, which Tanaka says will include new names for the races. Many noticed the Galka-looking character in the trailer was missing a tail. Little changes like that will further define the races in Final Fantasy XIV. TaruTaru and Mithra fans can also rest easy knowing that similar models will be waiting for them in Eorzea.

The developers attribute the long-lasting success of Final Fantasy XI to the Job System, and plan to learn from it and greatly expand off the concept. They want to end up with something completely different, one that maintains this lasting appeal for the player. Instead of leveling up with experience points, weapons will play a key role in how a character grows and develops. When the interviewer asks if series mainstays like Warrior or Paladin will appear, the developers simply hint that nothing will be exactly the same as we know it. No more grinding XP for levels - they have something new in store.
===

So what is going to drive people to buy Final Fantasy XIV? The developers claim that Final Fantasy XIV is all about "growth." They laugh as they admit that "growth" in Final Fantasy XI would often amount to an endless cycle of shoot-pull-kill, shoot-pull-kill. The new MMO will focus on the variety and accessibility of methods to grow one's character. This includes an emphasis on attracting people who are not as familiar with online games with a smooth progression of content. Core fans can also count on there being plenty of story-driven content and cut scenes to enjoy. Everyone will be able to freely choose how and when they want to play, regardless of style or schedule.

Players looking for action can start sharpening their blades in anticipation for a battle system that takes a marked departure from Final Fantasy XI. In order to make the battles interesting and have lasting appeal, there will be a number of strategical elements added to encounters. They imply there will be a learning curve of sorts - beginners can expect simpler fights as they get the hang of things, while hardcore players looking to test their mettle can find serious battles that require much more cunning. It will not be realtime, action style encounters, but rather a number of more cerebral aspects.

Career loners will be happy to know solo play is getting a lot more attention this time around. However, the developers are still going to have a lot for parties to do. The core concept is growth through one's natural, everyday activities. Perhaps you solo a lot of quests, maybe you meet some people and band together against evil. it's all about enjoying the game in your own way, and developing as you see fit. Here, Tanaka chimes in to express his preference for balanced parties, as opposed to everyone meleeing at once. When designing the party system, he made sure it would facilitate more strategic setups, where everyone can play their respective role.

As for enemies, there will be instances where you face one at a time and others where you take on a bunch, but nothing more could really be said, as it has not been fully fleshed out at this time. Tanaka admitted the Battle System as a whole has not yet been perfected because that is something beta testers will need to take a crack at. The interviewer also brought up PKing and PvP, to which the developers responded they were considering options for the latter. They explain that while the game will involve cooperation, this does not necessarily always mean party vs. monster. Still, they say PvP will more likely take a shape similar to Final Fantasy XI, and they seem to shy away from allowing players to simply fight and kill each other anywhere, worrying it could lead to monopolization of content.
===

In response to praise regarding the quality of the trailer, the developers admit there was a lot of work put in to making an epic presentation, and are unable to comment on how exactly everything will be utilized in the game world itself (such as those flying totem poles). As the trailer implied, the atmosphere of the game will mix high-tech and fantasy elements. Unfortunately, speculation about the giant sea serpent's identity (Leviathan, perhaps?) was met with no comment.

Sure to please Chocobo fans, players can expect those speedy, yellow birds to appear in Eorzea. The developers relate how the audience erupted in excitement the second they appeared during SCEA's presentation. Apparently, everyone had been a little confused up until then, but once a Chocobo graced the screen, everyone knew they were in for another Final Fantasy title. In this way, Chocobos are practically inseparable from the series and need to be included. However, just like the races, they will be looking to develop a new incarnation of Chocobos unique to this title. Unfortunately, it is causing them a bit of worry regarding how exactly to do this.

Originally, thought to be a PS3 exclusive, Final Fantasy XIV will in fact be making an appearance on the PC. The developers delve into this a bit, mentioning Crystal Tools, a development platform that will also be used for Final Fantasy XIII and is designed to allow them to port more smoothly to multiple systems. In regards to the PC version, the game will utilize the most current version of Direct X that is out when beta testing begins. This goes for Operating System as well. Similarly, they do not specify Vista or Windows 7 as an operating system, saying again that it will depend on what is out at the time. For those of you looking to prep a new PC, Tanaka claims they are really looking to get on the cutting edge of technology with this installment. Like Final Fantasy XI, the game specs will be extremely high for the time, but in about 5 years, an average machine can run it on max settings with little to no issues. Tanaka also expressed interest in making a benchmark program available.
====

To compose the musical side of Eorzea, Uematsu was tapped for his extensive work in the Final Fantasy series. Tanaka was a little nervous that Uematsu's busy schedule would not allow for him to bless the world of Final Fantasy XIV with his compositions, but luckily he was happy to oblige. Although there were a few snags, being as this is an online game, they are researching the most effective way to deliver Uematsu's work in full 5.1 channel surround sound.

Final Fantasy XIV will have a number of Worlds/Servers, and they are aiming for a capacity of 5,000-6,000 simultaneous connections. The exact amount of Worlds has not yet been decided, but they have plans to add more Worlds as user demand increases. The most they can say is that they will work hard to exceed the amount of Worlds contained within Final Fantasy XI! When asked whether they plan to have as many as 30 Worlds upon launch, Tanaka states that he does not believe that many will be required so soon. Final Fantasy XI started with 16, but it grew gradually with a Windows release, NA release and EU release, so it will at least be more than that it is assumed.

If you were diligent in acquiring your Mog Satchel, those Square Enix IDs and Security Tokens we set up are going to come in handy. As Square Enix revealed yesterday in a response to a series of questions from ZAM, the Security Tokens will be used to secure Final Fantasy XIV accounts and PlayOnline will not be used as a portal for accessing the game. Tanaka further explains that exclusively using the Square Enix ID also allows them to be more flexible with the payment plan. He expresses interest in switching from a monthly plan to one that charges in 30-day increments. As for being able to purchase in-game items with real money, the developers indicate they are not considering the option at this time.
====

Some may find it ironic that Rapture was first announced four years ago at an E3 Microsoft press conference, yet is now touted as a PS3 console-exclusive title. However, the interest appears to be there for an Xbox360 port, but Tanaka laments that they just have not been able to reach a full compromise with Microsoft yet. Talks will continue, but there is no more comment on whatever progress may have taken place.

One concern certainly being voiced across many forums is the fate of Final Fantasy XI in the face of this new release. Well, rest assured that Vana'diel will persist well after the release of Final Fantasy XIV. Tanaka admits that while players can play both games simultaneously, it could be quite taxing on one's free time. However, he reiterates that the focus for XIV is having a variety of content that allows you to spend your time how you want and still progress. In the end, it is up to the player if they want to remain in XI, try out XIV, or maintain a presence in both games. Users are encouraged to explore the full freedom both games offer.

Besides the visual similarities between the characters you create, there will be no solid connection between Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. There will also be no character transfers, but they are investigating a way in which you can carry your preferred name over from XI. The developers stress that they want to maximize the comfort for community members transferring from one game to the other. Character transfers would take people out of XI, when the goal is to encourage freedom of play, rather than bunch everyone into one game or the other. The ideal would be enabling you to play with your friends in either XI or XIV as you so choose. Tanaka even states there was an initial plan to add a new door to the Mog House that would exit into Eorzea, much like a portal to a new dimension. However, the technical hurdles involved in accomplishing such a feat were too much to overcome. Some things they can do, however, include transferring over Linkshells or Friend Lists to Final Fantasy XIV. Still, none of this is set in stone yet.

===

Jumping back to Final Fantasy XI for a bit, we are able to shed a little light of hope for the devout denizens of Vana'diel. We know updates are planned out for the next year, but will development cease after that? When pressed on this issue, Tanaka gives a reassuring "no" to the idea the development would cease, and says that updates will continue as long as there are users to support. The Final Fantasy XI team has already been multi-tasking on Final Fantasy XIV for several years now, so there is no reason to think they will suddenly drop the game now. Players are encouraged to look forward to more updates, including the next add-on scenario, A Moogle Kupo d'Etat.

Final Fantasy XIV will also have a strong story backing up the gameplay. Like Final Fantasy XI, the story will be epic in scale, having the feel of a single-player title. Rich, full cut scenes will also become a staple of this title. When asked whether the game will feature voice acting for NPCs, the developers simply gave a nod and a wink and asked that we all "wait and see." Crystals will also be back with a role in the story, but again, players should expect to see them take a unique form this time around.

In the end, Final Fantasy XIV is all about taking the latest hardware and cutting-edge technology and developing a unique experience that really delivers for all types of players. Long time fans of the series can look forward to a truly amazing world in which they can immerse themselves, while faithful players of Final Fantasy XI have unexplored lands to tame alongside those whom with they have forged lasting friendships throughout their time in Vana'diel. However, Final Fantasy XI will be here to stay, and Square Enix made sure to convey the idea that the users who brought them this far will not be abandoned.
===

[Kent]

Something about a job system, and weapons being important for character development?

That sounds familiar. Perhaps we'll see something along the lines of how Final Fantasy IX and the Tactics Advance series allowed skills to be learned? Or perhaps it works inversely, where your loadout of learned abilities is more organic (such as in SaGa Frontier) and stat growth dependant on your fighting style (equipped weapon).

If that's the case, I wonder when I can get my hands on a Blue Saber... I want blue magic!

[Kylie]

Looks neato, and I'm suddenly glad I own a PS3. Bring it, but make it less grindy.

[Saner]

Something about a job system, and weapons being important for character development?

That sounds familiar. Perhaps we'll see something along the lines of how Final Fantasy IX and the Tactics Advance series allowed skills to be learned? Or perhaps it works inversely, where your loadout of learned abilities is more organic (such as in SaGa Frontier) and stat growth dependant on your fighting style (equipped weapon).

If that's the case, I wonder when I can get my hands on a Blue Saber... I want blue magic!

it sounds like Final Fantasy II growth system also. even boosting max HP and MP is totally unique from the other FF games. but mastering knuckles was so overpowered (which is a good thing. the most powerful monk job is in FFII. have Firion, Guy and Maria master knuckles and you can destroy any boss in 1-4 turns. )

the job unlocking system might even branch out like the original Final Fantasy Tactics, except it's based on your skill level with certain weapon(s) instead of what level you leveled up certain jobs to. ^^

[Zorafim]

This is definitely a point of interest for me. I really enjoyed my time in FFXI, though it did somewhat destroy my life. With the emphasis on casual play, and with a group of friends that may venture into this world, that may not be as much of a problem as it was. They really got to me when they said that, your character would grow based on what s/he does. Will this mean that soloing and partying, you'll basically have two different characters? It'd be pretty neat if they can somehow pull off several different end-games, based on your preference.

At any rate, I'm glad to see that they have as much of a problem with pull and kill as I do. I can't wait to see what the game will be like.

[Saner]

well it's one character, but there will be things for soloers to do to progress. and things for parties to do to progress.

I'm sure the "main story" can be soloed this time, but it's still an mmorpg, which should
encourage grouping and tons of stuff to do together. So I'm sure soloers can't do "everything" in this, cause then there would be less reasons to group, and there would be nothing to really test player teamwork and stuff.

also it seems there won't be experience levels, but the first FF to try something like that was FFII, which worked differently, but still effectively:

There wouldn't be experience levels it seems, but each weapon/skill will have it's own levels most likely.

just like Final Fantasy II. (that was one awesome game I played back then in FFOrigins on PSX.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_PrTAKpu8w

2:01 shows the menu screen to show it doesn't have xp levels.

another example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhvTdUNj4a0

[Zorafim]

Here's hoping it isn't like FFII! The way that game was set up just didn't make sense. I mean, intuitively, I suppose you would think that using a stat would make it better for you... But in practicality, this system just didn't work out well. If you melee'd enemies, but nuked bosses, then you'd be highly hindered in one or the other.

That being said, at its core, I like the system. It was just pretty poorly implemented. I just hope they're more careful with how they implement it.

[zandra117]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgtZvn5c4e4
Heres some early gameplay of FFXIV from e3 2005 back when it was called "project rapture".

Also from a Q&A session with SquareEnix at e3, FFXIV does not take place in Vana'diel. It takes place in another world with some similar and some new characters.

[Kent]

I don't think it's been brought up here, but there was one interview where they confirmed that part of the E3 trailer is in-engine footage - specifically the part where characters are fighting on the boat.

You can see a lot of detail on the characters when you watch the 1080p trailer that's on the official website (you have to download it - not the Flash one), but you can tell that it's real-time graphics by looking at the character models. They sure have come a long way with the project's graphics since the original Rapture tech demo.

[zandra117]

Anyways I might pick up Final Fantasy 11 now after 14 releases. I like to jump on mainstream MMOs near the end of their life cycles because then I dont have to wait for content updates and by then the MMOs are usually correctly balanced. I can just hop on and do everything and enjoy it in its completeness.

Other times I just play interesting niche MMOs with small communities like PSU and Mabinogi. I like the friendly neighborhood atmosphere of small communities. Also since I have always been a huge fan of the whole Phantasy Star series from classic to online PSU really is a treat.

[Saner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgtZvn5c4e4
Heres some early gameplay of FFXIV from e3 2005 back when it was called "project rapture".

Also from a Q&A session with SquareEnix at e3, FFXIV does not take place in Vana'diel. It takes place in another world with some similar and some new characters.

THANK YOU! that should be archived and kept in the records! ^^


here is the funny reaction when it was revealed to be FFXIV


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puOiYZE7B1w

but the reaction would have been 2 times bigger if the dumb guy didn't spoil it for the crowd before seeing the entire trailer.

[Mewnie]

Yeah, they seem to be hinting at a more skills-based approached to character development. I don't know how it'll fit in with a class system, as if it were 100% skills, classes would be redundant, as the skills determine your 'role'.

I'm thinking it'll be a mix of level/skills.. I get a sort of Mabinogi vibe from it.

A FF2 style would be grindy as fuck, but I wouldn't put it past SE to do something as retarded as that.

[Split]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgtZvn5c4e4
Heres some early gameplay of FFXIV from e3 2005 back when it was called "project rapture".

Also from a Q&A session with SquareEnix at e3, FFXIV does not take place in Vana'diel. It takes place in another world with some similar and some new characters.Isn't that music from FFX? It plays during a cutscene between the blitzball games...

[unicorn]

Goodbye PSU, I enjoyed you.

[ChronoTrigga]

Goodbye PSU, I enjoyed you.

Hopefully this FF will be better than XI. I just couldn't get into XI even though it was good from what i hear.

[Rasputin]

PSU... enjoyed? I think I enjoyed playing with friends more than the actual game itself.

[unicorn]

Well FFXI was boring as watching paint dry. The character creation SUUUUCKED hard (not something I want to play for an extended amount of time). It took sooo long to get anything started and you just had to invest a 1/4 of your life to play it.

I really hope FFXIV is much quicker and closer to PSU in terms of fighting but with the MMO aspects of FFXI. If not, well I guess I'll stick to PSU until it dies.

Speaking of dying. They mention that FFXIV is not going to replace XI, but eventually, all good things come to an end. They say that they won't shut down XI, but thats really just a business gimmick. Sega did that with PSO, "Play forever, do anything you want, anytime you want" BS they pulled for a loong time, and look how PSO ended. Its really just to make money until XI wears out (which shouldnt take long... its been around since 2002). We all know Squaresoft has become money hungry since they became SquareEnix.

Well I'm not gonna completely decide to play this just yet. I'll just have to see more as more info is SLOOOOWLY released.

[D~ONE]

Well FFXI was boring as watching paint dry. The character creation SUUUUCKED hard (not something I want to play for an extended amount of time). It took sooo long to get anything started and you just had to invest a 1/4 of your life to play it.

I really hope FFXIV is much quicker and closer to PSU in terms of fighting but with the MMO aspects of FFXI. If not, well I guess I'll stick to PSU until it dies.

Speaking of dying. They mention that FFXIV is not going to replace XI, but eventually, all good things come to an end. They say that they won't shut down XI, but thats really just a business gimmick. Sega did that with PSO, "Play forever, do anything you want, anytime you want" BS they pulled for a loong time, and look how PSO ended. Its really just to make money until XI wears out (which shouldnt take long... its been around since 2002). We all know Squaresoft has become money hungry since they became SquareEnix.

Well I'm not gonna completely decide to play this just yet. I'll just have to see more as more info is SLOOOOWLY released.

it really was not that boring or bad just the partying aspect sucked.

[Volcompat321]

Well FFXI was boring as watching paint dry. The character creation SUUUUCKED hard (not something I want to play for an extended amount of time). It took sooo long to get anything started and you just had to invest a 1/4 of your life to play it.

I really hope FFXIV is much quicker and closer to PSU in terms of fighting but with the MMO aspects of FFXI. If not, well I guess I'll stick to PSU until it dies.

Speaking of dying. They mention that FFXIV is not going to replace XI, but eventually, all good things come to an end. They say that they won't shut down XI, but thats really just a business gimmick. Sega did that with PSO, "Play forever, do anything you want, anytime you want" BS they pulled for a loong time, and look how PSO ended. Its really just to make money until XI wears out (which shouldnt take long... its been around since 2002). We all know Squaresoft has become money hungry since they became SquareEnix.

Well I'm not gonna completely decide to play this just yet. I'll just have to see more as more info is SLOOOOWLY released.

it really was not that boring or bad just the partying aspect sucked.

Fixed.
Use the "quote" selection.

I think XI makes more money than PSO does, or ever did. Therefore they will keep it around til the new one takes over, which it will eventually. Why stop something bringing in tons of money, just because there's a new game? They wont! When XI stops making then money, they will cut the cord. I don't think the new one will take off right away, I give it a years time, then maybe they will cut off XI. After that it's the new ones turn.

[Zyrusticae]

The character creation SUUUUCKED hard (not something I want to play for an extended amount of time).
So damn true. How anyone can enjoy having half a thousand clones running around is simply beyond me. It's not even a cultural thing, either - after all, PSU and FFXI come from the same country. They were just so damn lazy about it. I can only hope they change it up for this one.

(But even that alone won't be enough to convince me to get the game...)

[Kent]

They were just so damn lazy about it.
So many things in games are falsely attributed to laziness when that's obviously not the case.

The case with Final Fantasy XI was a decision made by the development team due to technological restraints.

That is, the team decided to limit character customization as it was because of several factors, including the original development platform's RAM limitations, character loading bandwidth restrictions, and current time it takes to load a character over the network. This, bundled with the fact that a lot of characters are going to wear things like helmets (which you can't simply make not appear, like in World of Warcraft), made extraneous character customization not the best thing in the world to invest resources in, especially when you consider that not everyone is going to be wearing the exact same equipment, save for people who stick to their Artifact sets (which, realistically, can last you until the level cap - but it makes you look very, very iconic as someone of your class).

[Zyrusticae]

So, then, the only reason PSU got away with it is because of its instanced nature?

...I can buy that, actually. I can only hope that, with the newer consoles, this does not become a repeat of the past.

[Kent]

So, then, the only reason PSU got away with it is because of its instanced nature?

...I can buy that, actually. I can only hope that, with the newer consoles, this does not become a repeat of the past.
More or less, yeah.

Being that it's not an MMO, the only times where it'll have to load the data for more than six characters at a time, would be when you're in a city - and then, it doesn't have to load the data for any weapons, special line shields (ones with some sort of fancy, non-standard graphic that is), or any photon arts - not to mention, it doesn't have to load anything related to any enemies. For the type of game PSU is, cities are merely lobby areas, which aren't stressed for bandwidth - which is why it's okay to load this many characters and accept transmissions between significantly more players at any given time. Inside the instance of a mission however, the number of simultaneous players is kept to a minimum, because an action-oriented game is more susceptible to the dangers of latency than something with a far slower pace, such as Final Fantasy XI.

[Saner]

I liked FFXI's character creation, the preset faces were much better than most peoples faces that uses sliders.

and the whole clones is not as noticable as people claim. but ya due to the tech limits, it was too bad
the in-game faces/hair/models didn't look as good as the models displayed during character creation (and those were real-time too!)

anyways as mentioned due to ps2 technological limits and stuff for FFXI, this can only mean FFXIV's character creation selection will be much better.

[Kylie]

I'm hoping the customization is expanded because I've been told it wasn't too impressive on XI. It'd be nice to see something like what's on PSU, but we'll see... I also hope there's not a lot of cash shop shit. >_> Grinding? I don't want it to take hours before I can get to the battlefield, but a little grinding is okay as long as there are many options for it. I mean, I don't want to see any "White Beast" type missions or areas.

[D~ONE]

So damn true. How anyone can enjoy having half a thousand clones running around is simply beyond me. It's not even a cultural thing, either - after all, PSU and FFXI come from the same country. They were just so damn lazy about it. I can only hope they change it up for this one.

(But even that alone won't be enough to convince me to get the game...)

Did you play PSO on Dreamcast? because if you did then the clones of FFXI were a godsend, because I swear that it seemed like everyone had atleast one character with purple hair named trunks now that was annoying.

[Puppet_Papaya]

I swear that it seemed like everyone had atleast one character with purple hair named trunks now that was annoying.

Only becuase they already had a SSJ9SephirothXTREME.

[Saner]

a new mmorpg!

http://kotaku.com/5291173/the-king-of-fighters-online-flouts-its-mai

will this rival it?

[Puppet_Papaya]

a new mmorpg!

will this rival it?

I can't understand how you can think that. This is a horrible idea. It just looks like a tacky online, arcade-style brawler. It could be cool, but fighting-games-reworked-for-different-genre games have a history of not working out so well.

[Kent]

a new mmorpg!

http://kotaku.com/5291173/the-king-of-fighters-online-flouts-its-mai

will this rival it?
The short answer is "probably not."

The idea of an online brawler does sound fun (Castle Crashers, anyone?), but it looks like it's not an MMORPG - at the very least, not massively-multiplayer.

...And before you say it, it probably won't be putting WoW out of business, either.

[Dark Emerald EXE]

Question
I cant say im a Final Fantasy since the only FF game i've played it FFXI (MMORPOG version)
And i really like it.

I'm just curious
will be FFXIV be like FFXI an MMORPG?
Or will it be like The orginal FFs like a RPG?

[Dark Emerald EXE]

a new mmorpg!

http://kotaku.com/5291173/the-king-of-fighters-online-flouts-its-mai

will this rival it?

I did not see that coming........... also..............rugal is buff'd in that o.o

[Kent]

Question
I cant say im a Final Fantasy since the only FF game i've played it FFXI (MMORPOG version)
And i really like it.

I'm just curious
will be FFXIV be like FFXI an MMORPG?
Or will it be like The orginal FFs like a RPG?
Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG, as was hinted at in the trailer, and confirmed on the official website (http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com).

[Dark Emerald EXE]

Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG, as was hinted at in the trailer, and confirmed on the official website (http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com).

Hmmm ok thanks

I just had a thought
idk anything about but how come they skip with the MMORPGs of FF
FFXI > FFXIV

but i guess with them being MMORPGs kind of hard to have them back to back

shrugs


But yea i really like FFXI alot of things to do. The only thing i dislike (which is minor) is when i get those tells about rmt'n



Hmmmm Playstation 3, and Windows huh unless they add it later it means 360 wont have it >< awww that would be sad :(

[Kent]

It hasn't been confirmed as coming to the Xbox 360 yet, but it has been confirmed that Square Enix and Microsoft are in talks with each other about putting the game on the Xbox 360.

So it's not an impossibility - Sony just wanted to say it was PlayStation 3 exclusive, regardless of being accurate, at their E3 press conference.

[Dark Emerald EXE]

It hasn't been confirmed as coming to the Xbox 360 yet, but it has been confirmed that Square Enix and Microsoft are in talks with each other about putting the game on the Xbox 360.

So it's not an impossibility - Sony just wanted to say it was PlayStation 3 exclusive, regardless of being accurate, at their E3 press conference.

Well atleast its being considered.
Bsides the game wont come out for awhile so all is good

[Ranmo]

As much as I love PSU I was playin xi for a while as my "main" mmo. I still plan to keep PSU to the end but oh man. FFXIV is gona rock everyones sox off! I don't think I will rok Taru fighters no more...unless they arent as squishy ><

[Saner]

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HERE ARE THE YOUTUBE VERSIONS. I couldnt get gametrailers to load (HD trailers only sigh... SD would be easier to run. save the HD when people actually play the game! thats why I prefer youtube for streaming lol.)

battle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W__Gf8CWz_s

Lalafell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96n8mNbG9sw

Teleportation (good thing it looks optional)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T13UDaFFDJk

FFXIV logo flying around! xD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKD1MUJE9zM

Magic targeting reticule seems blue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKXiIOhUO0

Character animations and close ups! even their mouths are detailed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4up9Yb092g

Job demonstration. it seems to list 4 Jobs per class now, unless that's just a description of class

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjeF9FWLjQM

[Volcompat321]

Is this coming to PS3?
It looks like I can actually have fun with this one.
Do they say how much will be charged to play online yet?

[amtalx]

Looks pretty, but I still want to know how grindy its going to be. Also, there is no way in hell I'm playing that on a console. That needs a mouse.

[Randomness]

Looks pretty, but I still want to know how grindy its going to be. Also, there is no way in hell I'm playing that on a console. That needs a mouse.

MMOs and FPS just work better with mice. One for interfaces, buttons, etc, and the other for aiming.

[Kent]

Very pretty. Now lets get someone in here that knows German...

[CupOfCoffee]

Even though it looks like it could be another nightmare grind fiesta like FFXI was, and even though Randomness is definitely 100% right about consoles and MMOs not being friends... this is still a little bit interesting to me. Although I wish they'd have ditched the old FFXI races and gone with some new stuff, even if this game is a direct sequel (which seems at first glance to be the case).

Neato, until some type of disappointing news about the gameplay surfaces.

[Waki Miko Syamemaru!]

Unless the camera is going to be handled via SIXAXIS motion sensor I have no idea how this will work out on a console. I just hope it has voice chat option. I can't be runnin around and stop to type out "F*** off racist c*nt!" to some snobby Japanese douche bag. Yea, I just encountered my first a-hole Japanese player. Maybe I should re-introduce him to "Fat Man".

[amtalx]

*head spins and vomits at the thought of a motion controlled camera*

It will probably be like FFXI controls...awkward and slow to use.

[Volcompat321]

The only MMORPG I've played was PSU, so I'm not sure how it's "MMO's and consoles not being friends". I mean, this game looks great, I've watched my friend play Final Fantasy...uh, whichever one is online before 14...on a PS2, and another friend play on a 360. Both games didn't look like it worked out bad or anything.
I like the fact that a PS2, PC(is it for PC?), and 360 can play on the same server.
A friend of mine(the PS2 FF user) said this game was going to be free(I asked him after I posted the above post asking about price) so I'm excited if that's true.
I'll buy it for PS3(if it's for PS3) and try it out. The worst thing that could happen is I don't like it.
I would like more info from the people that know, is this game going to be free to play online, and is it going to be for 360 or PS3?
(I have both so either one is good enough)
If no info about what I asked is out yet, just ignore me lol.

[amtalx]

Well, technically PSU isn't an MMO. MMO's are defined as a persistent world whereas, PSU is 100% instanced except for towns. Its also not very complex. Its basically a 3rd person dungeon crawler/loot grinder. The typical "real" PC MMO has hotkeys out the wazoo, skill trees, inventory management, stat windows, etc. Basically, there is way more information on screen. Players usually have multiple panels open and use more keys than a controller will give you.

I played FFXI for a while on 360. Controlling it was manageable, but the entire time I was thinking how much faster everything would have gone with a mouse.

[Volcompat321]

Wow, so I've never played an MMO then....lol
I find that stuff to be so confusing. I watched a friend play something called Atlantica, and there were like 40 buttons on screen, and had hotkeys for everything.
Seemed my friend knew what he was doing, but I couldn't keep up.
I guess I will give it a try though, if so many people can do it, I'm sure I can figure it out.

[Randomness]

Very pretty. Now lets get someone in here that knows German...

Too bad those clips aren't japanese text. Plenty of people who could translate it then.

[Volcompat321]

Fourth video from the bottom is talking about "Guild Clear Letters"(grades probably)
The last video is talking about "The equipment system"
I'm still learning German, so I could be wrong, SabZero knows good German, I think.

[Freshellent]

Oh, that's some pretty stuff right there. Combat appears kinda slow again, which prolly means I'll overpull as a tank again out of boredom. I'm excited though, can't wait to see more info on the game.

[McLaughlin]

I guess I'm the only person who doesn't have trouble with the console controls for FFXI. Honestly, trying to play that with just a keyboard and mouse now would be a nightmare.

Looking forward to more information about the combat though. Certainly looks pretty.

[Neith]

Well, let's hope the combat will be quicker than those videos...it reminded me way too much of FFXI.

[RuneLateralus]

So after looking at all those videos, it pretty much looks like this game will pretty much be a prettier version of FFXI.

With that said, I think I will just stick to WoW and see how that new Cataclysm expansion will effect that game. Or maybe wait for Star Wars: The Old Republic. No offense FFXI fans, but I did not care for the game what so ever. Bad UI, slow paced, and not much if are not in a group (though I don't know if they changed that aspect, and yes, I know it is a multiplayer game, but waiting to get a group in a town for an hour is bad and boring, but if you can do some quests without one, that helps pass the time while waiting).

[Kylie]

I don't care if it's a grind. I don't think they'll make it exactly like FFXI, but I suppose it doesn't matter much in the end anyway because I never got to play XI. I've never played it for other reasons. Now that I have a new PC and 360, I could play it easily, but I had trouble tracking down a hard drive for my PS2 before that. I didn't keep from getting it because it was a grind though because I honestly don't mind stuff like that. I don't know though. That doesn't bother me much, but I also think it's way too early to tell. Either way, I can't wait, and there better be no delays!

[Kent]

Well, let's hope the combat will be quicker than those videos...it reminded me way too much of FFXI.
It's interesting seeing the reactions to the videos from people who seem to have not read anything about how the combat system looks. I agree that the videos make it look a tad on the slow side... But that's because the people playing weren't really sure what to do.

I think part of it has to do with the fact that people were expecting an auto-attack function to be present - such a thing has been removed from the design. After all, people think "MMO," and they think "automatic attacks, manual special abilities" - but that's not the case here, which I guess is why people seemed so slow at playing it.

In the demo version that was set up, it was shown that the sword skill Roter Lotos consumed 500 TP (out of a max of 3000), and had an icon of a book, rather than a sword icon such as the one that Schwertstoß had... Which may just have been a measure of what the nature of the ability's damage is.

I'd really like to see more of it, but it's likely that the next information dump will come around the time of the Tokyo Game Show. I do like the notion that the beta will be happening "sooner rather than later."

[Outrider]

The game looks gorgeous.

It's also set in the incredibly boring FFXI world (or a reasonable facsimile of it) instead of the much more interesting Ivalice. Also, those videos aren't making the gameplay look great (though I think Kent is probably right in saying it's due to players being unfamiliar with what they're doing).

Unless there's some revolutionary design breakthrough, I don't see myself going out of the way to play this game.

[Kent]

So far, judging from what we've seen in-game and through the artwork, only the demo area shown at Gamescom seems to be similar to an area in FFXI, which had a topology roughly similar to Super La Theine Plateau II Turbo HD Remix.

[Outrider]

So far, judging from what we've seen in-game and through the artwork, only the demo area shown at Gamescom seems to be similar to an area in FFXI, which had a topology roughly similar to Super La Theine Plateau II Turbo HD Remix.

I actually find the general character designs of FFXI to be as dull as the environment design. I used to think I really liked it, accepting the fact that everybody was wearing dull muted colors in exchange for the fact that it wasn't set in a steampunk or glossy future world, but FFXII really made me wish they had set the MMO in that world instead. It's just so colorful and full of life, and the different races all seem so unique.

I'm just a big fan of Ivalice, is what I'm trying to say.

[Palle]

So after looking at all those videos, it pretty much looks like this game will pretty much be a prettier version of FFXI.
This, except I'd like to add that to me this smacks of such laziness on SE's part as to make Sega look like a diligent overachiever.

[Waki Miko Syamemaru!]

Jezus H Christ I freakin hope not Owsla. I swear to god, people on FF11 are some of THE single most elitist fucks I've ever met. Drown in a lake of fire godamn! I just killed off my Elvaan Warrior and am thinking of canceling my subscription TO FF11. What a waste of my freakin time. There is no damn customization, I look like all the other elitist people on there, and heaven help you if you want decent armor and weapons because you gotta make that crap from scratch. And most of the time that shit fails on you. Damn why did I bother with FF11 to begin with? I heard through the grapevine 14 is supposed to be a bit more casual friendly because trying to get a party is like trying to find the cure for cancer apparently.

[McLaughlin]

I-

Not gonna bother.

[Randomness]

I actually find the general character designs of FFXI to be as dull as the environment design. I used to think I really liked it, accepting the fact that everybody was wearing dull muted colors in exchange for the fact that it wasn't set in a steampunk or glossy future world, but FFXII really made me wish they had set the MMO in that world instead. It's just so colorful and full of life, and the different races all seem so unique.

I'm just a big fan of Ivalice, is what I'm trying to say.

Ivalice is made of win. There's a reason they have like 3 or 4 games set there, after all.

[Kent]

Ivalice is made of win. There's a reason they have like 3 or 4 games set there, after all.
Six, unless you start counting things like Crystal Defenders - which would be three more... If you can really call them individual games, as opposed to one game with two expansions. Not counting re-releases and the like, such as PSP War of the Lions and the FFXII International Zodiac Job System.

I really like the world of Ivalice, and I was really hoping that it would be the setting for the next Final Fantasy MMO. I'm actually comfortable with Ivalice being a more "definitive" Final Fantasy world, though I do think it's important to have other worlds involved in the series, for the sake of variety.

Viera are overpowered.