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The Mog Log: Pushing back on Final Fantasy XIV
Among the things I'm reluctant to talk about early when it comes to Final Fantasy XIV are the live letters from Naoki Yoshida. There's always a thread rapidly updating players on what is said during those letters, but that thread is filled with quick translations that may or may not be accurate, and I'd prefer not to analyze and speculate on information that may have been misconstrued. The man speaks in dense blocks of information. To my surprise, this week we got the full translation of the latest live letter, and something that struck me was how much of the game we're still being told is just over the horizon. This is not to say that I don't believe in Yoshi-P; Final Fantasy XIV 1.0 showed that if he promises something, it will be delivered. But there are a lot of things being held back for later, and honestly it's a little disconcerting for someone waiting eagerly for the game to come out.
Get a first look at Final Fantasy XIV's magitek armor
As part of a concerted effort to connect Final Fantasy XIV to past entries in the franchise, Square-Enix is introducing magitek armor to A Realm Reborn. The armor hails from Final Fantasy VI and takes the form of large bipedal mechanized mounts in the online game. We've got a brief look at the magitek armor in motion after the break, so suit up and don't forget to bring a can of oil for the journey!
Final Fantasy XIV invites legacy members to get their names in the credits
As part of the legacy campaign for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Square-Enix is inviting legacy members to register so that their names will be included in the upcoming relaunched version's credits. The registration window for this opportunity will be open only from now through April 30th. Legacy members are players who accumulated 90 days of paid subscription time between January 6th, 2012, and the start of A Realm Reborn's closed beta. Other legacy benefits include a discounted subscription rate and an in-game chocobo mount.
Checking out the 44th Final Fantasy XIV producer's letter
Final Fantasy XIV has been ramping up to A Realm Reborn, the massive reboot that has fans excited and nervous at the same time. In the hopes of whetting fan appetites even further, Naoki Yoshida is letting players know just what's cooking via a new producer's letter. It turns out that gamepad users have reason to be excited for phase two beta testing. It might be standing room only, though, as 100,000 testers have joined up so far. It's caused some issues on the servers but a weekend of tweaks to FATE-related performance issues might help loosen things up a bit. That is until phase two kicks in and even more testers are welcomed. After all, how else can you stress test a server? Phase two testing should begin in early April, so grab your controller and jump in if you can. There's also news about phase three testing! Guildhests, which are based on behests from version 1.0, will welcome groups of players even from early levels. They are supposed to be a great way to party with friends before going out and tackling the big stuff.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's five-year gap
Right now, the world of Final Fantasy XIV players is made up of two separate but equally important groups: the Legacy players who are doing secret things in a beta that they cannot talk about, and everyone else sitting on the sidelines and desperately hoping for an NDA breach that unveils huge amounts of information. (The second group also spends some time hating the Legacy players. It's a delicate balance.) As a result, it's even harder than usual to write something interesting about the game. So, as prompted by some discussions over on the RPC, let's talk a little bit about what we do know regarding the state of the world. It isn't great, but at the same time, it's better than it could be. There are three main time period to be concerned with, and when they're taken as a whole, there's a lot of opportunity for interesting conflict and storytelling as well as roleplaying if that's your cup of tea.
The Mog Log: Across the country for Final Fantasy XIV
On Wednesday last week, I got on an airplane to head across the United States, starting a long and grueling trip. I spent half of Wednesday in the air, half of Thursday either on a train or in a car, and more or less all of Friday in the air once again returning home. All of this for about two hours of playing Final Fantasy XIV and a couple of interviews, in case you missed everything going live on Thursday. Would I do it again? In an instant. There's no way that I can repeat the amount of information that was in the roundup in a single column, so I'm not going to try. What I am going to do is talk about some of the other assorted bits and pieces of my Final Fantasy XIV experience and the surrounding events because it was truly something to see. I've been fairly skeptical up until this point, but I'll say that after sitting down and playing the beta version for a little while, I'm now a believer.
Final Fantasy XIV's Yoshida on PvP, chocobos, and mobile apps
The recent Final Fantasy XIV press event in San Francisco didn't just mean a chance to sit down and play the game amidst a lushly decorated room, although that was certainly on the agenda. It also meant a chance to ask director and producer Naoki Yoshida some questions about the game going forward and the plans for development down the line, diving beyond what we see and into more fine details about the game's mechanics. While players will have access to a sizable chunk of the revamped game when the beta goes live on February 25th, there's still a lot that's hidden behind a veil of secrecy. Yoshida's answers help illuminate more details about what's going on in Final Fantasy XIV that might not be playable right now but will be in the near future. And even beyond the foundation that's visible from the beta, the promise of more expansion only adds to the game's overall quality.
Touring La Noscea and Thanalan in Final Fantasy XIV
My time spent at the Final Fantasy XIV tour didn't just include a preview of the areas to be found in the upcoming beta. No, we proud and few got the chance to also explore some of the game's other iconic areas, areas closed off at the start of the beta but slated for opening later on in the testing process. I poked around both of these regions, touring both the streets of Ul'dah in Thanalan and the cliffs and plains of La Noscea. These areas were admittedly still a work in progress. While the maps were mostly finished, the enemies in many of the regions were placeholders, and it was clear that the client we were using had a version with these regions in a state that's not ready for prime time. Still, it was interesting to look at both and see things that had been changed, updated, and in a few cases removed altogether. Before I proceed, a note: All of the areas under discussion are still being optimized and improved, so some elements such as lighting and geometry may change by the time you get to play with them.
Massively Exclusive: A dinner with Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida
Having a conversation with Naoki Yoshida can be a very intimidating exercise. It's not because of his demeanor; he's friendly, genial, and has an obvious sense of humor. No, it's because there's an unmistakable level of energy to him, a huge amount of passion and ambition that drives everything he talks about. He's exactly the sort of person who would try something completely insane like remaking a game from the ground up after burning the first version to the ground, for example. I had the opportunity to sit down for a one-on-one dinner with Yoshida at the Final Fantasy XIV preview event, during which we talked a great deal both about the upcoming relaunch of the game as well as his own experiences in remaking everything. For those of us who play Final Fantasy XIV, it's obviously an exciting time, but for Yoshida, what's happening now is the culmination of work that started only a month after he took over control of a game that he had to revitalize after a horrible flop on launch.
Massively's comprehensive preview of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Final Fantasy XIV is doing something that has never been done before. After launching to poor reception, the MMO appointed a new producer and director, Naoki Yoshida, who has been working tirelessly for two years to rebuild the game from the ground up. The launch version shut its servers down in November of last year, and since then players have been eagerly awaiting the release of the game's revitalized relaunch, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. In preparation for this relaunch, Yoshida spent the last week and a half touring the globe and meeting with the press to show off FFXIV in all its glory. After playing the game since launch and writing about it for three years, I was glad to attend the event and see the full spectrum of what the game has to offer in its relaunch. And there's a lot to be said about the game as a whole. It's the sort of thing that can't be contained in just one article or two. So how about half a dozen? And a trio of videos to accompany the new benchmark program?
The battle is joined: Starting new and fighting through Final Fantasy XIV's relaunch
I know a lot about Final Fantasy XIV. This is surprising to no one; there's a reason Joystiq sent me to the preview event, a reason I write a weekly column about the game, and a reason I still have the Final Fantasy XIV collector's edition box sitting in my office. The net result is that I have spent a lot of time playing the game. As a result, I was more than a little nervous when sitting down to play the revamped version at the Final Fantasy XIV press event in San Francisco last week. Done incorrectly, playing the game could feel subtly wrong, like a stranger pretending to be your old friend. And even if I avoided that pitfall, the gameplay could feel inelegant or forced. I'm happy to report that none of that is the case. Make no mistake -- the game is very different from its original incarnation, but it also sports enough familiar stuff that you aren't left wandering around baffled.
Land and Hand: Crafting and gathering in Final Fantasy XIV's relaunch
When I was playing Final Fantasy XIV's pre-launch beta, it was gathering that made me realize I was in real trouble with this game. Normally I consider gathering to be a necessary evil, a part of the game that exists and only occasionally overlaps with what I like to do. But the first time I started chopping away as a Botanist, I knew that something special was going on here. Of course, gathering and crafting also needed an overhaul. The former was a frequently luck-based minigame that could be intensely frustrating to decipher with few skills that seemed to do much, and the latter was obtuse even if you ignore the fact that you didn't have a recipe book. So the relaunch had the unenviable task of reworking both systems while at the same time retaining what made them such a breath of fresh air. If you liked Final Fantasy XIV's crafting or gathering before, I'm happy to say you still will -- and odds are good you'll like both even more because the new systems in place are solid improvements of what came before.
43rd FFXIV producer's letter announces A Realm Reborn's first beta phase
Final Fantasy XIV fans who have been eagerly awaiting beta for A Realm Reborn only have a little longer to wait. In the 43rd producer's letter Naoki Yoshida announced that phase one of the beta will begin on February 25th -- barring any cataclysmic bugs, of course! Yoshida admitted that the testing is actually one week later than the roadmap originally indicated. He informed fans that the extra time allows for more system features and character options to be included in this test, such as the random public quest-type Full Active Time Events (FATE). He also noted that while phase one focuses on the areas around Gridania, a level 30 dungeon will be ready for testing. Players can also look forward to the new guildhest (previously behest) system. Beta invitations for this phase are already on their way, but folks can still apply on the official site. [Thanks to everyone who tipped us!]
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn announces beta signups
Final Fantaxy XIV: A Realm Reborn is coming. In preparation for joyous occasion, it's about time for beta testing to begin. The time to apply is now! Phases one and two of beta testing will be PC only, while PlayStation 3 testing will begin in phase three. Players will need to begin beta testing with new characters, which will be wiped at the end of phase three. From phase four onward, characters and such will continue on into the official game (barring the need for data wipes for unforeseen reasons). Folks who applied for the alpha test don't have to reapply but aren't necessarily guaranteed access to the beta. Legacy campaign members can participate in the beta from phase one without application but should apply specifically for the PS3 beta tests if they want to go that route. To see the ins and outs of eligibility, take a look at the system requirements, or scratch the itch of general curiosity, check out the game's beta information page.
Naoki Yoshida discusses the upcoming beta for Final Fantasy XIV
It won't be long now until long-time Final Fantasy XIV players and eager test applicants can experience the beta of the game's new version. Producer Naoki Yoshida has understandably been busy with the ramp-up, but he's taken the time to pen a new letter for the game's players that starts off by displaying all of the racial creation screens for the revamped creator. That includes showing off genders that had previously been unavailable, including female Highlanders and Roegadyns. Beyond that, the letter talks about some of the restrictions in place from the beta that are still being developed, acknowledging that some character creation options will be held back until later in testing (the team is working to vastly improve hair color and style selections, for example). Yoshida goes on to talk about the production staff's New Year festivities and a visit from some of the Mythic staff members involved with Ultima Online. There are only a few more weeks until the beta stats, but Yoshida and the rest of the staff seems to believe that it's the first step to a better new year.
Final Fantasy XIV shows off early Shiva renders
The Primals of Final Fantasy XIV are kind of a big deal. In the original game, players had a chance to fight two of them, both of whom made for a rough fight, but the relaunch will include wandering versions of these pseudo-deities for players to hunt down and harness. And while astute fans have known for some time that Shiva will be among the Primals in the new version, she's finally strutting her stuff in the latest development blog post. The post contains several early renders of the completed model as well as the ice queen's concept art, all of which should look familiar to veterans of the Final Fantasy series. While Shiva is known to have worshippers much like her fellow Primals Ifrit and Garuda, it's not yet clear if her appearance means a new beastman tribe will be entering the already crowded Eorzea. The full set of pictures won't answer that question, but it will give players eagerly awaiting the beta something new to gawk at.
The Mog Log: (Over)analyzing the Final Fantasy XIV trailer
Sadly, January 7th did not see the release of the new Final Fantasy XIV benchmark. It did, however, see the release of both the beta tester application and the full trailer for the new version, both of which are relevant to the interests of any Final Fantasy XIV fan. The trailer is likely of greater interest, seeing as how most current fans are likely already flagged as Legacy players and thus don't need to apply for testing, but the point is that both are out there. Of course, the new opening movie is the only piece of information we've had about the game for a little while, but it seems worth analyzing and examining even on its own merits. No, I'm not talking about speculating as to whether or not the guy on the horse who looks exactly like Odin is in fact Odin or not (spoiler, doy). I want to talk about what this means for the lore, what the overall effect is, and whether or not this monster of a trailer succeeds at what it's meant to do.
Square teases full FFXIV Realm Reborn opening cinematic [Updated]
Square has released the full opening cinematic for its Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn reboot. The clip clocks in at well over eight minutes, the last three of which contain never-before-seen footage. The new stuff includes a couple of heart-pounding chocobo calvary charges, glimpses of the game's unique races, and plenty of scenic shots from around the lush fantasy world. Have a look for yourself after the break. [Thanks to William for the tip!] [Update]: Square has also sent out a press release revealing signups for A Realm Reborn's beta test.
The Mog Log: 2013 for Final Fantasy XI and XIV
I'd like to say that 2012 started out with a lot of promise, but it really didn't. Looking back at my predictions for Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV a year ago, I see they weren't perfectly accurate, but they certainly fit well within the margin of error. Very little happened over in Final Fantasy XI's development, and Final Fantasy XIV managed to continue not wowing anyone, albeit partly because of the several delays to version 2.0 that now have it releasing around the middle of this year. If you haven't noticed a theme yet, here it is: I'm worried that by the time it does launch, no one will care any longer. But I'm getting ahead of myself. While I've split things up between recaps and forecasts in the past, in this case it's virtually impossible to do so. A lot of what has been done this year is banking entirely on the strength of what will be happening next, so Square was selling 2013 in the midst of 2012. So let's look at the past year for both games and the year to come, with an extra helping of hope and speculation for 2013.
Yoshi-P says something's happening with FFXIV on January 7
With the exception of some lucky alpha testers, Final Fantasy XIV players didn't have a game to play over the holidays. The title shut down a couple of months ago in preparation for its rebirth as A Realm Reborn. Now, however, it looks like FFXIV fans have something to look forward to come next week. In a New Year's greeting that talks about the release of FFXIV's next incarnation in 2013, producer Naoki Yoshida tells players to mark January 7th on their calendars. Unfortunately, he gives no other information beyond this teaser, so the significance of the date is up in the air. Will it be a beta test, a launch, or something else completely? We just can't say, but we will keep you updated when we find out!
