FINAL FANTASY XIV - New MMORPG

[Whiskey Tango]

Exclusive interview with FFXIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka

First, thanks to everyone at Square Enix who met up with us at their business area at Gamescom. They were very nice and I have a great first impression of every single SE employee that I spoke with.

We entered a room with a big table (sort of a meeting room) and behind us there were a big LCD screen with the Final Fantasy XIV alpha on it. In the room there were a total of 5 SE employees. I visited together with the CEO from the Curse Network. Right now I don't have all the names, but they were all really cool to speak with and I have a whole new view of SE (not that it was bad previously) after this meeting, they all seem very passionate about their games and FFXIV is a game that a lot of effort, energy and time has been invested into. That's for sure! I feel even more anxious to play the game now. Well for longer than 15 minutes that is.

Below we have the results of player asked questions from FFXIVCore.com that was asked to Hiromichi Tanaka about FFXIV. Grab a cup of coffee or something nice, such as orange juice and please enjoy reading our exclusive interview with the producer of FFXIV himself.


In the alpha I wasn't able to jump, will there be jumping in FFXIV? And swimming? Maybe even climbing?

Its going to be the same as in FFXI. So currently there will be no jumping. If its necessary we might add swimming and climbing in the future.


What measures will be taken to combat RMT and botting?

We're going work hard on it, same as in FFXI with the task force. Also for example, at the moment we're trying to add a filter in FFXI to combat it on the spot, instead of waiting for a patch in order to combat the issues. It will be more flexible.


How will the story be told? Powerful story is an essential part of the FF-series, and as far as the producers have said it will be important in XIV as well.

Yes the story is defiantly very important for FF14. We will have high quality cutscenes with voiceovers and fx, please look forward to it.

There will also be voiceovers on mostly every character/npc in the game.


What will endgame be like? Special areas, NMs, etc.

Maybe not from the beginning, but when it comes to a good time we will be implementing some very challenging encounters, among other things. We will have a level cap at the beginning, when it will be unlocked in due time we will release great raid content. We've learned a lot from FFXI and realized what is too easy and too hard.


Exactly how much more casual will FF XIV be than FF XI? Is FF XIV designed to try to appeal to a new casual crowd and leave the hardcore group players in FF XI? Is FF XIV trying to attract both at the same time and try to become the first historical game that successfully combines hardcore and casual aspects?

The first question about the casual aspect. We will have a casual aspect, but we're not going to only target the casual players. Its really a users choice. We will be able to provide a variety of aspects to the game that casual players will enjoy but the hardcore players will enjoy it as well. And also for FFXI and FFXIV we aim to support both players, although FFXIV is using a new graphics engine, so we're providing current FFXI players with an option if they want to play FFXI of course that is fine, but they're also very welcome to play FFXIV.

Hiromichi Tanaka also says that it would be very nice if the players of other Final Fantasy games who never played FFXI would play FFXIV. So that is one of the goals.

So basically they're aiming at the Final Fantasy fans who haven't played MMO's due to having a casual aspect of FFXIV, but also at the same time giving the hardcore MMO players something to enjoy as well.


What about PVP?

We have the same stance on PVP as we had in FFXI, we're having a focus on PVE, but we may introduce some sort of sports-type that might be tied to PVP in the future. What we're worrying about is that we dont want to have any PK'ing or harassment types of activities in the game. So in order to provide a safe environment to everyone and a game to enjoy. So we're not focusing on PVP.


Pay to play or free to play?

The game will cost to play. There's a fee for 30 days each. Currently there are no other plans to offer other options.


No PlayOnline, can you elaborate on the new account features?

We will be using the SquareEnix ID, and also have a system that will be linked to that system.


Is there going to be instanced content?

Guild leaves itself is like instances. Other people will not be able to interfer with you. There will also be instanced raid content, its a type of guild leaves as well. But we cannot tell you how many players it will be yet however. There's also going to be many different types of guild leaves, if you want to play as a casual player it will be fine for instance.


Can you give more specific details about what things can we customize in character creation? I mean things like body size, how many faces will there be available?

Unfortunately we cannot show you the character creation screen yet, but you will be able to change things such as your ears, eyes, hair color, shape of your face. There will be lots of variety.


I'm curious about how advancing in your jobs works. Like will it be a FF Tactics style? Once you've mastered certain skills in a certain job, you unlock another?

It will be slightly different from Final Fantasy Tactics system. You will be gaining abilities by leveling up your skills, but, its not the same as Final Fantasy Tactics. So if you're having a high skill in something it doesnt mean the other one is going to be lower. if you grow in one skill and it gets high, you can still level up your other skills high.


And how will the 'levels' of the mobs work? Does the game have some kinda system in place to adjust mob difficulty based on character stats and current status of party?

Its not going to be changing depending on the players skills. Its fixed. So you get to chose yourself who or what you want to fight.


Auto-run/Auto-follow and Macros saved A LOT of time in FFXI. Could we expect these things (or improved/altered versions) in FFXIV?

Yes it will be in the game.


In FFXI, if you weren't fighting or crafting, there was definitely a lack of things to do. Could we expect more types of things to do in FFXIV? More mini-games, casino, card games like in FFVIII or FFIX, more in-depth gardening/fishing/etc. ?

Yes, we're planning several things so you can enjoy the game, for example the fishing you mention will be a class. But outside of the class system there will be other things to do. For example during FFXI players figured out a way to invent a new game by using the existing system. So that's going to be interesting, we'd like to do that for FFXIV as well. So we're looking forward to what the players will do with our system there.


There were many Summons in FFXI, but for an online world, I never felt there were enough. What Summons can we expect to see in FFXIV and will there be more variety than in FFXI?

We can't really mention which summons will be in. But what we can say is that some is going to be really important in the storyline. It's not going to be included in the game like FFXI. At the moment we don't really have a class, a pet class / summoner. Not at the moment at least. So it will be implemented in the game in a different way. Please check back with us in the future.


Will there be Samuari's in the game, what about the free roaming? What about the freedom in the world, exploration?

We won't have the samuari as a job, because we don't have a job system. And we don't have a class like the Samuari. But it depends on how you're going to select your skills and developing your character. So when you reach a certain skill and/or gain certain skills, you will have a title for yourself. It may be Samuari or may not be - we cannot tell you that yet. So please look for an announacement in the future.


How large will the in-game world of Eorzea be in comparison to the in-game world of Vana'Diel? As in actual space the characters may move around in.

We can't really compare to the current world of Vana'Diel since it's been expanding a lot. But if we compare to the original Vana'Diel, this time it may be the same or slightly smaller, however as you can see there will be a much more detailed world, in terms of graphics and content. So it's unlikely you will notice that it might be slightly smaller than the original Vana'Diel world.

One thing to note is that FFXI used its own system, this time Final Fantasy XIV is going to be seamless. No zoning! Just like in World of Warcraft.

You'll be able to walk from the city to the battlefield without any zoning.


Is the Economic situation of FFXIV going to be mainly player based with Auction Houses or non-player based with NPC ran stores?

We can't go into details about this just yet. We're very sorry about that. This question is better suited to be asked in a couple of months time. However, it's going to be not the same as with auctionhouses, but something very interesting.

Also, this time the weapons are going to be worn out, a durability system. So you will have to repair them and it will cost money.


When is the beta? Any more info?

We dont have any specific time at the moment. But this current version here at Gamescom is an alpha version. And before we start the beta we're going to have another version, a developer version, this time we're concentrating on guild leaves, next time we're going to be concentrating on something else. When it's ready we'll start the beta version. And of course since we're going to launch the game in 2010 it should before that... so. The beta is not going to be in the far future *laughs* We want to do it as soon as possible.


In World of Warcraft, you can now pay a very small fee of in game currency at a Barber Shop and change the face, hairstyle, facial hair, and hair color. Will we see this in FFXIV?

At the moment we're not thinking about it. If we have a lot of requests from the players it might get added at a later time. Not at the launch time at least. In the future perhaps. Also we don't think changing the skin color or face shape is going to be added at all. But maybe hair color.


Can we expect exp loss?

We're still adjusting and discussing this. It may or may not be an exp-loss when you die in FFXIV. But it will be a lot less than it's in FFXI. However, as said we might not include an exp loss at all in FFXIV. In the alpha version we have exp loss currently, but this is still being adjusted, since it's an alpha version. So it's not decided on.


Is the characters we played in the alpha version yesterday buffed?

[They all start out and laugh then proceeds to say]: yes, they're very buffed.


Will the class/job system go into more depth and branch out into different combinations. Or is a wider variety of jobs not yet released and still currently in development?

It's not a job system anymore. We call it classes now. It depends on what weapon you use. And again, we're calling it a class system in FFXIV this time, so it's not a job system. This new system will allow for a lot flexibility, and also because you can switch weapons between the battles (not during battles) this is giving you much more variety. Although this is not something super new in the history of MMO's, we've seen it before in games like Ultima Online and Meridian 59 (editors note).


[We're now at the end of our 45 minutes time with Hiromichi Tanaka and we get told there's only space to ask one more question, I show them all the questions I have left and we all laugh, because there's lots left to still ask, however we're offered to ask them through email, so expect more information to go up in awhile from now]


Will the Linkshell system still be called "Linkshell"?

We can't go into details on that just yet, but it's not going to be called Linkshell anymore. However, it's going to be something very interesting. You'll be able to join a kind of organization, but we can't say more on that right now, you'll be able to have different aims and focuses. It'll be very interesting.


System Requirements?

We're not done with analyzing this just yet, but it's going to be fairly high since FFXIV is going to be on HD on Playstation 3.

 

[Avangarde]

Subscribed

 

[Nathan]

GC 09: Weather Effects Demonstration (Cam) - SD | HD

GC 09: MP Gameplay Part I (Cam) - SD | HD

GC 09: MP Gameplay Part II (Cam) - SD | HD

 

[Fading]

FFXIV kinda confused me on my gaming plans lol. So many good PS3 games are coming out this, and next year. However I finally got the bad taste of WoW out of my mouth (I played, and liked it for a long time, but just got tired of the WoW crowd and raid hungry time consuming environment), so I'm in an MMO mood again. I was planning on playing DC Online, but this appeals to me more.

So basically it's all in the timing. I plan on playing this, but whether I pick up DC Online or not depends on when it, and FFXIV come out. If DC Online comes out a month before this then I will skip DC Online. If this comes out first, again I'll skip DC Online. If DC Online comes out early in the year tho, and FFXIV late in the year, I'll pick up DC Online and play it til XIV comes out.

1 MMO is too time consuming as it is, couldn't image trying to play 2 lol.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Beta Test Applications -

North America

Europe

 

[Soapy]

If I thought my PC could handle it I would sign up.

 

[Nathan]

A couple new screens.

 

[Nathan]

OK guys, now you have the chance to apply for either the PC or PS3 version of the beta.

Also, for all those that purchased a copy of Final fantasy XIII, you can register your game at the official Square-Enix homepage, don't forget to register as a member, and you'll get a Promo code that you can use with your beta application and you'll get a Secret In-game Item when Final Fantasy XIV launches.

*UPDATE*

Blah... darn. You can only apply for the PS3 beta if you've purchased a copy of FFXIII. Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up.

Now that role-playing game Final Fantasy XIII has been released in the West, gamers are looking forwarding to the next Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIV. Those who want to get into the beta, read on.

Know that you must be willing to part with money and purchase the PS3 version Final Fantasy XIII. Players can register the serial number on their copy of FFXIII to receive a crack at the beta for upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV as well as in-game item.

To get a chance at entering the beta, players must fill out a lengthy application, which lists things like internet speed and provide, router info, previously played MMOs and whether or not players have ever been guild leaders. Players are chosen for the beta based on their answers and not how quick they reply — meaning that it is not guaranteed every player will get a FFXIV beta invite. However, every PS3 customer does get the FFXIV in-game item.

Easy enough! Well, if you don't minding putting up cashola for FFXIII.

A similar promotion was rolled out in Japan when Final Fantasy XIII was released there late last year.

Since Final Fantasy XIV has not yet been officially announced for the Xbox 360, the Xbox 360 version of FFXIII comes with promo codes for Xbox LIVE avatar items.

Kotaku

 

[Nathan]

Here Is Some Info About Final Fantasy XIV

Upcoming online role-playing Final Fantasy XIV will take place in a sci-fi meets fantasy universe. That we know. But that's not all.

According to recent Japanese game magazine articles, there's more. Much, much more. Website FFXIVCore.com has a long laundry list of all the nitty gritty, but here are some selected highlights:

• The PC version will be able to run on PCs from a few years ago, but the alpha version will only run on high-end PCs
• Can be run on 512MB of VRAM and above
• Alpha test starts soon
• Square wants to make it possible to play with your friends from FFXI
• Character customization won't be fully available in beta (can't change facial features)
• There's a mode for restoring HP while moving
• The plan is the make the maximum number of members in a party between 6 and 8, and there will also be alliances
• The important things in battle are distance, range, and direction
• There will be magic you can use while moving

Apparently, FFXIV will have players fight on the move, and in battle, position is key.

Square Enix has included information about registering for the FFXIV beta in copies of Final Fantasy XIII's PS3 version. You register?

Famitsu and Dengeki leak rumors [FFXIVCore]

Kotaku

And here's the rest of the information.

Battle

* Gladiators and pugilists have aggro raising abilities
* Monsters also form parties
* Not as much camping, you fight on the move
* MP does not refresh normally, but there are ways to restore it
* It will be important to control MP use
* Position will be important in battle
* There is something called "battle maneuvers" (the word "maneuver" here is the same word used in the beginning of the Japanese Gundam title, and starts with the symbol for “machine.” I’ll let you guys have fun thinking about that.)



Job specifics
Gladiator

* Moves like phalanx and shield bash from FFXI are useable, but they are different from XI. In 14, phalanx is an ability where you guard with your shield and attack at the same time


Pugilist

* whistle (FF11's taunt) and steal abilities
* Pugilist is made for people who don't sweat the small stuff


Marauder

* Axe accuracy is low
* "Boost" ability
* Marauder is for people who want the most glorious parts of the battle


Lancer

* Can pull sneak attacks on enemies not in battle stance


Archer

* Has a back-up plan when they run out of arrows
* Has an ability to make enemies flee
* Made for players who like to be alone
* Archers use bows, not crossbows, but other classes might
* Arrows are not labeled by materials like XI, but by enemy types, numbers, and landscapes


Miner

* a miner’s mining can bring in extra income for the party
* The more miners in a party, the more this effect increases
* Mining places will be made visible to miners only


Blacksmith

* can repair weapons and armor another player is holding


Thaumaturge

* can take MP from defeated enemies (defeated enemies my not immediately disappear)



More game info

* Everything done in battle in FFXIV increases TP, including casting
* Defense can happen both automatically and at the will of the user
* The PC version will be able to run on PCs from a few years ago, but the alpha version will only run on high-end PCs
* Can be run on 512MB of VRAM and above
* Alpha test starts soon
* Square wants to make it possible to play with your friends from FFXI
* Character customization won’t be fully available in beta (can’t change facial features)
* There’s a mode for restoring HP while moving
* The plan is the make the maximum number of members in a party between 6 and 8, and there will also be alliances
* The important things in battle are distance, range, and direction
* There will be magic you can use while moving
* There are screenshots in the magazine of the alpha version, and it looks like there have been a lot of small changes
* “Aggro/hate” has a different name in 14 (Translates to something like how much the enemy views you as a threat)
* Enemies will not be set in one area in order for people to pull them to camps; places that enemies will appear will be scattered around

 

[Raiden]

I played FFXI for a year, and looking back I just didn't really enjoy the game because there was no solo quests after lvl 10, and being forced to party in a very slow and tedious leveling system felt more like a job than play for me. They may try to make it more fun and less work in XIV, but since Japanese gamers love long grind to the top I'm not sure if the devs will be able to get rid of the bored aspect of XI.

 

[Nathan]

It could be that they maybe changed that aspect. I'm currently playing FFXIII and that games is very, very streamlined compared to past games in the franchise. So this game doesn't have to necessarily follow into the footsteps of FFXI.

 

[Nathan]

Famitsu - Classes, Battle System & an Interview

 

[Soapy]

Hmm...interesting. It looks as if I'll be a Conjurer if I end up playing this game.

 

[Nathan]

Life in Eorzea #1
[YT]n-vjy97RuoA[/YT]​

The 10 Tribes Of Final Fantasy XIV - Oh Look, Dark Elves!

Sure, Final Fantasy XIV only has five races that are renamed versions of the races from Final Fantasy XI, but with two tribes each, that's like ten races total! Let's take a look at them, shall we?

The Japanese Final Fantasy IV site now formally splits each of the game's five races into two separate tribes, depicted in the pictures below, while a translation from of a Famitsu article at FFXIVCore.com covering the update provides us information about the differences between each tribe.

The human-looking Hyuran are split between the intelligent Midlanders and the burly Highlanders.

The catlike Miqo'te are made up of the nocturnal Keepers of the Moon and the day active Seekers of the Sun.

The elvish Elezen are divided as the more traditional Foresters and the dark-dwelling Shaders - that's right, Final Fantasy XIV has dark elves.

The hulking Roegadyn are represented by the Seewolf clan of sailors and the volcano-guarding Lohengarde.

Finally, fans of those cute little things can either play Plainsfolk or Dunefolk, both equally adorable.

I'm not even going to say what race I plan to play, as you'll all just call me a furry.

Kotaku

 

[Nathan]

Heavy Update on FFXIV.

Here's The Final Fantasy XIV Alpha Tester Guide



Upset that you aren't in the alpha test for the second Final Fantasy MMO? We've got what looks to be a chunk of the Final Fantasy XIV alpha tester handbook and some videos to help you pretend you're in it.

A player posting on the FFXIV Journey blog over at Blogspot is documenting his entire journey through the lands of Eorzea, documenting it through screens, some videos, and this huge instructional post, which he claims to be the alpha tester's guide sent out to all alpha test participants.

Not being alpha test participants ourselves, we contacted Square Enix to confirm that this is the genuine article, and are eagerly awaiting their response.

Keep in mind that anything you see in the pictures and videos below are subject to change and don't reflect the final state of Final Fantasy XIV.

FINAL FANTASY XIV Alpha Test Manual

FINAL FANTASY XIV is a cross-nation, cross-platform massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) that brings together people from all across the world to compete, cooperate, and communicate within the virtual fantasy realm known as Eorzea. While solo adventuring is always an option, most will agree that joining forces with their fellow gamers not only makes the game that much easier, but that much more fun as well!

* The Alpha/Beta versions contain only a fraction of what is planned in the full version. This includes playable races and clans, character customization options, selectable classes, and available areas, to name a few.

1. After logging in, select "New" from the Character Selection screen.
2. Select your character's race, clan, and gender.
3. Choose a preset appearance for your character.
4. Customize various aspects of your character's appearance via the available menus.
5. Select your character's starting class*.
6. Select your character's nameday (birthday) and guardian (patron deity).
7. Input your character's first and last name.
8. Select the city-state in which you wish to begin your adventure.
9. Finally, select "Enter" to create your character and begin the game.

* Classes

In FINAL FANTASY XIV, a player's class is determined by the arm or tool in his/her hand. The class chosen during character creation simply determines the items a player begins the game with. Players can change their class at any time by simply equipping different items they purchase, find, or create.

- Note

In the Alpha Version, a character's race, clan, gender, nameday, and guardian do not affect his/her attributes.
At the onset of the game, you will find yourself on a boat, though at this point your character is already within what is called an instanced area, meaning it will not be occupied by any other players.

* Instanced areas, or instances, are areas in which only players directly related to or involved in what happens within may enter. The initial stages of gameplay in the Alpha Test will take place in instanced areas which only single players may occupy.
Instances will only be used for special events, such as the game's opening sequence. For the most part, gameplay will take place within public areas occupied by any of a number of players.

As you progress through the opening event, the ship will eventually make port. After arriving, speak to the NPC Hob, who will be located directly ahead of you. At certain points in the game, Hob will present you with a list of options in accordance with your progress. For now, select the option presented to continue through the current event.

After speaking with NPC Hob and proceeding to the location to which you have been directed, there will be another NPC named Baderon who will present you with another set of options. After speaking to Baderon, you will automatically be transported from to a public area.

In public areas you will come across many other players. As fellow adventurers, it is up to you to make the most of your time in Eorzea together!



1. Display Name

The color of a display name reveals important information.

White – Other PCs
Blue – Party members
Green – NPCs
Yellow – Enemies
Red – Engaged enemies

* Semi-Transparent Display Names
When the display name of a PC is semi-transparent, it indicates that player is currently in a different area than you. These PCs are still displayed on-screen to help contribute to the seamless transitioning between areas. However, players should note that party invites cannot be extended across areas.

2. Minimap
The minimap displays the immediate vicinity around you, the direction you are facing, the direction the camera is facing, and the position of various NPCs.

3. Log
This display contains all of the various logs used to display text within the game, such as the system log, combat log, and chat log. Players may input text by selecting the chat prompt area.

4. Unit Frame
The unit frame displays various aspects of your character's status, such as HP, MP, and TP.

5. Connection Status



1. Action Bar

This bar displays the various commands available for use in relation to the PC or NPC you are currently targeting.

2. Action Gauge

This gauge tells how much time is left before the next action may be executed. Though there are a few exceptions, for the most part all attacks, abilities, weapon skills, and spells require that the action gauge be full.

For certain classes, a secondary action gauge will appear when a shield is equipped in the off hand. All shield-related commands will make use of this gauge.

The action gauges of the main hand and off hand are entirely independent of one another. Should a character have a shield equipped in their off hand, two action gauges will be displayed simultaneously.

3. Effect Gauge

The effect gauge comes to life once the action gauge has completely filled. When a command is executed, the state of the effect gauge will determine certain bonuses to factors such as accuracy, power, or potency. These bonuses apply to all actions, both physical and magical.

- Other
- Passive Mode and Active Mode

"Passive Mode" is the designation given to the state in which a player's arm or tool is not drawn. In this mode, hit points regenerate automatically.

"Active Mode" refers to the state in which a player's arm or tool is drawn. In this mode, various battle commands are available, but movement speed is reduced in comparison to passive mode.

- Arms and Tools

There are a vast array of arms and tools in FINAL FANTASY XIV which allow players to assume the role of any of a number of classes. However, the following conditions should be kept in mind when changing equipment.

Equipping Arms – Players must be in passive mode and not engaged with an enemy.
Equipping Tools – Players must be in passive mode.

During the Alpha Test phase, there will be a total of nine types of arms and tools available (swords, hand-to-hand weapons, axes, polearms, bows, conjurer arms, thaumaturge arms, hammers, and pickaxes). Players can change their class simply by virtue of changing the arm or tool they have equipped in their hand.

The Flow of Battle

1. Ready an arm or tool, changing from passive mode to active mode.
2. Target an enemy.
3. Select a command from the action bar, and make use of the action and effect gauges to execute it effectively.
4. Strategize with other party members, deciding upon an appropriate Battle Regimen*.
5. Gain victory in battle to be rewarded with experience and skill points.
6. Obtain and distribute any loot dropped by the enemy.

* Battle Regimen

Battle Regimens are combat tactics which party members may employ against a single enemy. By coordinating and executing battle commands in a precise order, players may cause certain additional beneficial effects to occur.

A Battle Regimen begins with the stacking of battle commands. All party members who wish to take part in the Battle Regimen must stack their actions in the correct order against the desired target. One of the members then initiates the Battle Regimen, and the stacked actions will be executed automatically.

Step 1: Consult with other party members to determine the best Battle Regimen to use against a specific target. The battle commands and the order in which they are to be executed should all be decided.

Step 2: Wait until your position in the queue comes around to switch to Battle Regimen mode and select the battle command you wish to stack.

Step 3: After all participating party members have stacked their battle commands, one of the party members selects to initiate the Battle Regimen.

Step 4: Once the Battle Regimen is initiated, the stacked battle commands will all be executed automatically, chaining together to create additional effects.

Please note that factors such as distance from the enemy may prevent stacked battle commands from being executed once the Battle Regimen is initiated. In these cases, the Battle Regimen will not end, but will instead proceed on to the next command in the queue.

Enemy Toughness

An enemy's degree of difficulty is represented by the color of the circle located in the extreme left portion of the unit frame. This display takes into account whether the player is solo or a member of a party.

Red – Incredibly Tough
Orange – Very Tough
Yellow – Tough
Green – Decent Challenge
Blue – Easy Prey

Physical Levels and Skill Ranks

In FINAL FANTASY XIV, a character's progress is measured in two ways. Physical levels represent one's actual physical development, while skill ranks measure how adept one is with various arms and tools.

- Physical Levels

Characters gain physical levels by accumulating a certain amount of experience points.

(During the Alpha Test phase, experience points will be obtainable only by achieving victory in battle.)

- Skill Ranks

Skill ranks are gained by accumulating skill points from various endeavors, such as combat or crafting. As a character's skill rank increases, they will learn new actions, such as abilities and weapon skills.

* Physical level and skill rank caps will be set at 20 for the Alpha Test Phase.

Setting Actions for Use

Actions that have been acquired by a character can be set to the action bar for use. During the Alpha Test phase, the maximum number of actions available at any given time will be limited to 20.

Barring a few class-specific exceptions, actions will be available for use even when using a class different from the one on which the action learned. However, the power and efficacy of each action is determined by its affinity with the character's active skill.

The Spoils of War

Any items received after a battle will be placed in a player's loot list. During party play, items are distributed randomly to the lists of each member.

After a certain period of time, items on a loot list will be automatically moved to a player's inventory. Should the player's inventory be full, the items will be lost.

Items on a loot list are not considered in a player's possession until they are added to his/her inventory. Until then, any items, including those which are rare (untradeable) and unique (players can possess no more than one), can be transferred to another party member's list.

* Items received while mining/quarrying will also be added to the loot list before being moved to a player's inventory.

If a character's HP is reduced to 0, he/she will be "knocked out" and no longer able to move or act. A character can be revived by selecting "Return" from the main menu and choosing a destination from the listed aetheryte camps or aetherial gates.

* If a character is KO'd while participating in a levequest, he/she will be teleported back to the corresponding aetheryte.
* For the duration of the Alpha Test, characters KO'd will receive a weakness penalty which will not only lower total HP, but also reduce the speed with which their action gauge fills, as well as increase the length of casting times. This penalty will last five minutes before wearing off.

Rifts along the surface of Hydaelyn can cause "leaks" from which the planet's lifeblood, aether, can escape. By harnessing the power from concentrated deposits known as "aetheryte," the residents of Eorzea have seen a marked improvement in everyday life. Below is a list of the three most common types of aetheryte, and their benefits.

Aetheryte Crystals

Located in towns and camps, these giant crystalline objects are most often used as the starting places of levequests, due to their accessibility.

Upon approaching an aetheryte crystal, an Aetheryte option will appear. Selecting this will automatically do four things:

1. Restore all HP and MP.
2. Set the aetheryte as your home point (to where you will return when warping).
3. Register the location to your teleport list (first visit only), thereby allowing you to teleport to that aetheryte whenever you choose.
4. Give you the option to begin any levequests in your possession originating from that location.


Aetherial Gates

Aetherial gates are permanent discharges of aether located in various places around Eorzea. While not as concentrated as aetheryte crystals, the gates can still be used to instantly restore HP and MP, and set your home point.



Aetherial Nodes

Aetherial nodes are temporary phenomena which usually appear only after completing a levequest. They can be used to teleport instantly back to the aetheryte crystal at which a player began that quest. Only players who took part in the levequest can access the nodes, which will fade if not used promptly.



Players can return to their previously set home points at any time by selecting the Return option from the main menu. However, if a player is participating in a levequest, selecting this option at that time will result in teleportation back to the aetheryte crystal or aetherial gate used to activate the quest. The Return command can also be used while KO'd to revive your character.

By selecting Teleport from the main menu, a player can teleport their entire party to any aetheryte crystal location they have already visited. When one party member uses the Teleport option, a confirmation button will be sent to all other members, allowing them to decide whether or not they also wish to be teleported.

*Please note, both the Return and Teleport options can only be used when in passive mode.

To log out of FINAL FANTASY XIV and exit the game, select Logout from the main menu. The logout process requires 30 seconds to complete and can be cancelled at any time by inputting another command.

*Please note, players cannot log out while in active mode.


1. Region: The name of the region currently being displayed.

2. Area: The name of the area currently being displayed within the above-mentioned region.

3. Camp: The name of the aetheryte camp presiding over the current area.

4. Aetheryte camp location.

5. Player's current position and directional bearing.

6. Aetherial gate location.

7. Map Menu Button: Select Change Map to view other acquired maps. Players can keep track of the quests they have accepted by viewing the Journal found in the main menu. Clicking on the header will bring up the following options: Levequests (Regional and Local) and Quests (Class Quests). Select the corresponding category to view all related journal entries.

* Please observe general online manners and etiquette when communicating with others.

Chat Modes

[Say]

Any message input in the say chat mode can be seen by any and all players in the immediate vicinity. It is the default chat mode, and messages displayed in this manner will appear in white. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with either /say or simply /s. In addition, the active chat mode may be set to say mode by entering the command /say without a message following.

[Party]

Any message input in the party chat mode can be seen by any and all party members. Messages displayed in this manner appear in blue. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with /party or simply /p. In addition, the active chat mode may be set to party mode by entering the command /party without a following message.

[Tell]

Any message input in the tell chat mode can be seen only by a single designated player. Messages displayed in this manner appear in pink. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with /tell or simply /t . The active chat mode cannot be set to tell mode. During the Alpha Test phase, PC names must be entered in their entirety (first and last names).

[Shout]

Shout chat mode is much like say chat mode, with the sole difference being that messages can be seen by players in a much wider area. Messages displayed in this manner appear in light pink. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with either /shout or simply /sh. The active chat mode cannot be set to shout mode.

Examples of Chat Commands



* All commands must begin with a / (forward slash) and contain only half-width characters.

Emotes

Emotes are a collection of expressions and gestures that can be used to convey the emotional state of your character. The emote menu is bound to the E key in the default keyboard setup, and can also be accessed by selecting the second icon from the right on the action bar. By forming a party with others, players will be able to defeat monsters and complete guildleves of a difficulty unthinkable to the solo adventurer. A single party may contain up to 15 characters.

 

[Nathan]

Forming a Party

To form a party, simply target and select the player that you wish to invite, and then select the Invite option that appears. If your invitation is accepted, the party will be formed automatically, with the person who sent the initial invitation becoming the party leader. The leader is the only member of the party who can invite additional members.

* Players who are already in a party cannot be invited.

Accepting a Party Invite

If another player invites you to a party, a Join party? button will appear on your screen. Select this to bring up a prompt displaying the options of Yes, No, and Cancel. Choose Yes to accept the invitation.

Party Commands

- Promote

The Promote command allows players to change the party leader. It may only be carried out by the current party leader.

- Oust

The Oust command allows players to remove members from a party. It may only be carried out by the current party leader.

- Leave

The Leave command allows players to disband from a party.

Once a Party is Formed

Following the formation of a party, the unit frames of all party members will be displayed together in the lower right portion of the screen. The party leader will be designated by the presence of a yellow diamond to the immediate left of the leader's name.



The Trade command allows you to exchange items and gil with other players.

1. To initiate a trade, simply target and select a player, and then select the Trade option that appears.

* The recipient of a trade request will be see an Accept Trade? button. Selecting this will present the player with the options of Yes, No, and Cancel. Choose Yes to accept the request.

2. Accepting a trade request will automatically open the trade window.
3. Both players set the items and/or gil they wish to exchange in the trade slots provided.
4. Select Accept to complete the trade process.

* Selecting Cancel will abort the trade entirely.





Bazaars afford players the ability to sell and purchase items to and from one another. A player who has a bazaar set up will have the bazaar icon displayed next to that player's name.

Operating Your Bazaar

A player's bazaar can be set up to contain the items that player wishes to sell to others.

1. From the main menu, open the Item List and then select the Bazaar option. Highlight the item that you wish to sell, and then press Bazaar again.
2. In the window that follows, set the unit price at which you wish to sell your item(s).

* Note that 5% of the designated unit price will be taken as tax when the item sells. For example, an item being sold in a bazaar for 100 gil will require the purchasing player to pay 100 gil, but the player selling the item will receive only 95 gil from the transaction.

3. Having items in your bazaar purchased by other players will result in the gil being automatically added to your inventory.

Browsing Bazaars

By browsing the bazaars of others, players can purchase items.

1. Target and select a player with a bazaar and press the Browse button that appears. Then select the Selling option to view the items that player has up for sale.
2. Select the item you wish to purchase to complete the transaction.UI

Q: Can I undo attribute points already allocated?

A: With great power comes great responsibility. The Twelve have deemed you unworthy of that responsibility (at this time).

Battle

Q: I've arrived in Limsa Lominsa and watched the event scene with Baderon, the potty-mouthed proprietor of the Drowning Wench. What do I do next?

A: Access your Journal from the main menu. Select Class Quests to view a log of all that has transpired, as well as what lies immediately ahead on your path to adventure.

Q: My weapon is drawn, why isn't that plague rat DEAD!?

A: Just as Van Ghoh could have never painted a single sunflower without clicking the Paint button in his action menu, an adventurer cannot thrust, swing, or throw her weapon until the corresponding button is clicked.

Q: Do blacksmiths and miners have any battle options other than throwing stones?

A: Not during the Alpha/Beta tests. Though perhaps through prayer will the Twelve one day grant the Disciples of the Land and the Hand with new ways to fell Eorzea's nasty beasties.

Items

Q: Why can't I fight barehanded?

A: Because the Twelve do not wish it. Eorzean adventurers must have a weapon or tool equipped at all times.

Q: Where can I learn synthesis recipes? I tried copying the recipes introduced in certain levequests, but was told I do not have the crystal required for starting the synthesis.

A: Synthesis recipes are as elusive as the answers to questions such as the meaning of life and our purpose here on Hydaelyn. They must be sought for, and only the diligent shall be rewarded.

While normal synthesis requires the correct combination of crystal type and amount, levequest synthesis is often simplified, with the quest clients providing adventurers with crystals, thus their absence from the levequest recipes.

Q: How do I obtain crystals?

A: Crystalline manifestations of the planet's aether are rare, but under special circumstances will form within the bodies of certain creatures. It is up to you to get those crystals out...

Other

Q: Where can I synthesize items?

A: If your current class is one of the Disciples of the Hand, you can perform synthesis anywhere your heart desires.

Q: Where can I mine/quarry?

A: All miners have the ability to uncover the rough locations of mining and quarry points via their Prospect and Lithoscan abilities.

Q: I've found a Quarry Point, but I can't quarry!

A: Ah, but do you have a knapping hammer equipped as a secondary arm?

Q: I cannot synthesize with my secondary tool!

A: Ah, but do you have a file equipped as a secondary arm?

Q: I've fallen into a rift in the planet's surface and cannot escape! Whatever should I do?

A: The Land is a treacherous place, littered hither and yon with crevices, chasms, and bottomless pits, all waiting to consume the unsuspecting passerby. If you find yourself stuck in one of these not-so-proverbial ruts, simply open up your main menu and select Return to warp back to your home point.

Final Fantasy XIV Alpha Test Manual

Kotaku

Make sure to check the link, there are also 3 gameplay videos.

 

[Nathan]

*double*

 

[Havok83]

Check your emails bc details for the beta have been released. Right now, its only for the PC version.I'm downloading it now but its pretty slow

 

[Nathan]

Meh.. got the Mail. But my PC wouldn't be able to handle it.

And a bit of news. Got really lazy updating this Thread.

Final Fantasy XIV's Play-Limiting Fatigue System Explained - Update



A game mechanic that drops the amount of experience points earned after a set amount of play time has Final Fantasy XIV fans in an uproar. Game director Nobuaki Komoto explains the eight hour a week limit.

Fans have been railing against the Final Fantasy XIV experience limiting system for a while now, but Komoto was too busy getting interviewed at Gamescom in Germany last week to respond. Now he's back in Japan and has issued a statement regarding the system on the Japanese beta test website, translated by FFXIVcore's Savalithos.

Massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft have systems in place to reward players for taking a little time away from the game, but few if any have directly penalized players for playing too long. That seems to be exactly what the Final Fantasy XIV game mechanic is doing. Komoto's message begins with an explanation of why this system is in place.

First off, the main concept behind FFXIV is allowing those players with little time on their hands to play effectively, and game balance is based off of that. Furthermore, it is being designed to not give those with more time on their hands to play an unfair advantage. Because of that, systems such as Guardian's Favor (a bonus to Guildleves) have been implemented to make leveling in the short-term easier than leveling in the long-term.

He says to think of the experience limiting system as a counterpart to real-world fatigue. "No one could train ad nauseam in the real world with no ill effects." That's true, of course, but we don't play MMO games to be burdened with real-world limitations, now do we?

Here's how the whole thing works. Once you begin training in a class, you have eight hours in which you can earn full experience. Once those eight hours is up, the amount of experience you earn will lower over the course of seven hours. At the end of those seven hours you will no longer be earning experience.

Final Fantasy XIV's job system allows players to switch classes on the fly, however, so if you begin to approach the threshold on one class, you can switch to another class and play that instead. The system is on a weekly timer, so seven days from the time you begin training your skills, you'll be able to start again with full experience.

OF course this is all still being tweaked and tested. Komoto says they are still looking into tweaking the rate at which experience points begin to drop off to make the system a little bit friendlier.

I can understand how players could be outraged over such a system. It effectively limits one class to an hour and change per day of full experience in any given week. That seems awfully low, and won't sit well with players hoping to focus on a single class.

Asking folks to pay you a monthly fee to play your game and then dictating how long they can play their favorite class without penalties seems like a very bad idea indeed.

It works out for me, though. I'm going to have to review this beast, and get a taste of every class while doing it, so chances are I'll be switching up so much the system will never touch me.

But for your average MMO player? This could be a deal breaker.

We've contacted Square Enix for comment on the mechanic, and will update should we receive further information.

Update: The North American beta test site has been updated with a better translation of Komoto's message, which should clear up any misconceptions. Here's an excerpt:

Now I would like to take a moment to respond to the many questions and opinions regarding the manner in and rates at which experience and skill points are obtained in Beta 3.

Firstly, the concept for FINAL FANTASY XIV was to design a system of character progression that offers meaningful advancement for those with limited time to dedicate to playing. We did not want to create a game that forced people to play for hours on end to see their efforts rewarded. To that end, in addition to the Guardian's Aspect and guildleve systems, we introduced a means of apportioning swifter advancement to shorter periods of play.

In order to achieve this balance, we calculated a value for the amount of skill or experience points that could be earned in a one-hour period. This theoretical value represents an hour spent engaged solely in combat, levequests, or any other activities that earn skill or experience points, and sets a threshold delimiting how many of these points can be earned in a period of play.

Based on this, we have implemented a "threshold value" concept. These thresholds are regulated by a one-week timer that begins counting down the instant you earn skill/experience points. After a week has passed, the thresholds will reset, and the moment skill/experience points are earned again, the timer begins counting down anew.

For the first eight thresholds during this week-long period, players will receive skill/experience points at the maximum rate possible. The actual amount of time spent reaching these thresholds is not significant. That is to say, a player who exceeds eight hours of gameplay will still be rewarded the maximum amount of skill/experience points, so long as the total amount earned is below the eighth threshold value. For the subsequent seven thresholds, players will earn skill/experience points at a gradually decreasing rate, eventually reaching a rate of zero.

It is worth noting, however, that the reduced rate will also gradually recover while players are engaged in activities that do not yield skill/experience points. In this manner, it is possible for the threshold value to reset completely, even before the completion of the one-week timer.

Any skill points earned in excess of the threshold maximum-that is, at a rate of zero-will be stored as "bonus skill points." These are specific to each class, so players limited to earning bonus skill points still have the freedom to change classes and begin earning skill points again at the maximum rate, allowing their reduced skill rates to recover in the meantime.

The experience point threshold, however, is unrelated to class, and switching classes will have no effect on the decreasing rate of earnable experience.

That makes a bit more sense, though it still seems rather convoluted. Can't we just play?

 

[Why Are You Crouching Spock?]

[YT]oV10I_OUuE8[/YT]

http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/media/benchmark/na/index.html

 

[Fading]

Honestly, I'm not a fan, at all, of the leveling threshold thing. I've always thought it was kinda a lousy thing for developers to bend in to the demands of ppl with little play time. Why should ppl genuinely into an MMO, who have 4 or so hours to put in daily, and maybe want to kick in for a massive 8 hour session on the weekend be punished because another player only wants to play 1 hour every other day. To me MMO's shouldn't have limiters like that, and you should be able to advance at the speed you feel like putting in the effort to do. I think the problem lies in the entitlment issue so many gamers have that they should always be on a level playing field with every other player even if they're not putting in the effort.

I mean don't get me wrong, it annoyed me too when I couldn't advance farther in WoW because I couldn't put in the time at a certain point, and I'd jump in PVP and get owned because someone one upped me on gear and not skill. However I realized that was on me, because I wasn't willing or able to put in the time to raid in the big dungeons and get that gear someone else was willing to (plus I'm just not a huge fan on raiding all the time anymore).

So to me, the thought that I only get 8 hours a week to level normally, then 7 decling hours that eventually reach no experience points, and having to wait for a reset...meh. I mean, what if I really like playing on my rogue or whatever, and I just don't want to switch to another class and mess with it, do I just have to stop playing until the timer resets? The only silver lining is that it mentions the 7 hours resetting while you do other things. Since I do like hanging out in towns sometimes, visiting the where players can sell to one another, or just messing with trade skills in general rather than grinding constantly, this might work out fine for me. It just depends on how fast or slow that 7 hours resets, and how little xp the game gives near the end of those 7 hours.


It's not a deal breaker tho, I still think the game looks great. Plus, this might actually get me to want to be more than a pure damage dealing class like I usually go for, with having to experiment with other classes if I can't gain anymore xp on another that week. I'm just not a big fan on game developers blanket covering an entire game and limiting how fast you can advance because others might not want to/can't put in the time you want to/can put in.

 

[RyanJ]

I really can't wrap my head around the logic of this fatigue system. If any of you played FFXI you know how hard it was to get people to try anything new or do any type of exploring where you had a chance to die. With this fatigue system in place nobody is going to want to do anything unless they're absolutely certain they're going to win or gain experience. Why waste the 8 hours you're allotted on something if you're not going win? I played FFXI for quite a while and I think I have a pretty good handle on the player base. This system will breed elitism and classism like crazy. If you don't have the best gear or a certain ability forget being able to participate in events or raids. People aren't going to want to waste their time with you.

What happens if you're winding down on your 8 hours on your favorite class and your linkshell decides it wants to do a big event or have a linkshell guildleve party (or whatever)? You're going to be upset that if you participate you won't have any experience or skill points to show for it. I think a lot of people would just skip it altogether. That's a pretty sad thing in an MMO.

Who knows maybe it won't be nearly as limiting as I'm thinking but I'm of the opinion you should always have a choice in what you do in a game like this. The developers shouldn't step in and tell you that you've advanced to fast for their liking or you're having too much fun on this or that class, time to play another. You should always be able to log on and advance your character should you choose. You shouldn't be limited by needless timers put in by the developers to mask the fact that there is very little content.

 

[Fading]

I'm hoping it's not as bad as it sounds, or enough PC users voice disatifaction with it that by the time I pick it up for PS3 they will have removed it. I mean, I'm a rogue type, and Warlock type to a lesser extent. If it gets to a point where I really want to play my damage dealer, but doing so means I gain nothing from it, and my only choice is playing a class I don't want to play....Or if my X class is falling behind in levels and I need to level him to catch up...I'm just puzzled why they'd put on a limiter like that.

Then what you said is right on the money as well. Why waste what little xp gaining you have left with a PUG? Why go to a dungeon if you have nothing to gain. I understand the want to even the playing field for casual gamers. However do it like WoW where xp gain is accelerated if your character has been logged out and resting, don't cut everyone else from leveling. Also if this is about the kid dying rumor, or the 30 hour boss fight stuff...isn't that on the player. If one person locks themselves in their basement for 2 days playing FFXIV, that's their fault, don't punish the responsible players to boot.

 

[Havok83]

The Gamespot review for Final Fantasy XIV is up. Game got a 4.0: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/finalfantasy14/review.html

FYI, they gave FF XI an 8.2 when it was released. WTF happened to this series?

 

[zenith16]

Video Review

Igns

and here's GT's http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-final-fantasy/705893

out of the three Ign's was higher and more positive about it still running.