The Mog Log: Those grapes were probably sour anyway

So, guess what beta I didn't get an invitation for. You can go consult with the instant replay if you want, I can wait.

I know that everyone is stunned. I certainly was. Of course, I assuaged my sadness by telling myself that I didn't really want to be in their stupid beta anyway, because I bet it smells bad and it sets my computer on fire. That line of reasoning worked real well. I don't honestly think my column got me kicked from the running for a Final Fantasy XIV beta slot, but it's a bit more reassuring than the idea that I just didn't get picked for some other reason. (I'm putting money on Square-Enix not knowing I exist, for the record.)

All things considered, I can live without the beta, even though I'm chomping at the bit to play the game. But I'm not the only person, place, or thing not currently darting about the world of Eorzea. And as long as I'm on a streak of making long-winded predictions, why break with formula? There are three other things that I suspect aren't in the beta either, and I intend to make a guessing game out of seeing how close I am to the truth.

"Level 34 Dragoon, looking for group..."

Forced grouping to level is not returning in Final Fantasy XIV. That mechanic has been banished to the land of wind and ghosts, and I for one am happy to never again sit in Jeuno with my wyvern perched beside me, slowly nodding off out of boredom. Gameplay that allowed me to read through a good chunk of several books is not good design.

Now, yes, there are some definite advantages to having forced grouping as you level. It forces players to learn the game from a very early point. It keeps large dangerous enemies feeling large and dangerous, as you can't take them out alone. It helps foster a sense of community. But none of that mitigates the central problem with it, which is that it takes the decision to play out of the hands of players. And all of the ways around it -- all of the static parties and multiple jobs and so forth -- don't change the simple aggravation of trying to level one of the more-numerous jobs.

We've seen statements from the designers that they don't like how this aspect of gameplay worked, and we've also seen some eight years of design progress since Final Fantasy XI came out. While the mechanics worked then, we're not going to be getting back into the routine this time around. I can only hope that they've preserved the subtlety of partying in the old game, since a smooth-running party was a glorious thing, but we can expect to be leveling on our own for the most part.

Odds that I'm right: Pretty good, although recent information coming out of Famitsu suggests I might be wrong. Then again, we could just be hearing the "party vs. party" thing in relation to certain areas of the game... and I stand by the idea being suicidal.

"Wait, how much does that increase my accuracy by?"

Transparency is kind of the trend these days. And it makes sense, because most people don't like vague promises of "improves accuracy" compared to "improves accuracy by 7%." We've never had a totally clear picture of much of the math going on beneath the hood of Final Fantasy XI, but it's more than likely that things will be a great deal clearer in its successor. That means a full list of derived statistics -- instead of Strength, Dexterity, and Agility, expect things along the lines of Damage, Critical Chance, Accuracy, et cetera.

That doesn't mean that primary stats won't be there -- just that their effects will be more clearly laid out. If we're truly lucky, they'll even provide a nice way of comparing one piece of equipment to another so you can evaluate upgrades at a glance, something that's been a staple in the main series for quite a while. If there's one thing that World of Warcraft has proven, it's that people like being able to directly quantify how much or how little something is helping them perform their role.

Odds that I'm right: Well, on the one hand, it's the logical thing to do. On the other hand, Square has proven time and again that they hate giving players clear access to information about the workings of the game. So it's the pressure of the industry versus a longstanding set of bad habits on Square's part. I'm leaning toward the latter.

"You wouldn't believe the things I can do now!"
You know what's awesome about the party structure in FFXI? The fact that out of the six spots, there are pretty much six different roles to be fulfilled.

You know what's awful? That half of the classes in the game are gunning for one or two spots in there.

In a game with twenty jobs, you really don't need so many to sit inside the physical damage role. Classes can do multiple things based on context, and that's always been true in the series as a whole, just not so much in FFXI in particular. Allowing several classes the opportunity to tank, heal, pull, et cetera would do wonders in letting the game be more friendly to players of all stripes.

I have little doubt that sharing abilities between leveled disciplines is going to be far more free than the job/subjob system. More than likely, it's also going to be set up in such a fashion as to encourage players to try performing different roles with many different active disciplines, allowing players freedom in what their preferred playstyle is.

Odds that I'm right: Well, we already know that the Monk-alike Pugilist is the one getting the taunt ability, while the shield-wielding Gladiator gets abilities that also seem perfect for tanking. I'd say this one is already nudging the border on confirmation.

So, that's three things I'm putting out and betting on in full view of everyone. I'd tell you right off the bat whether or I'm right, but, well, I'm not in the beta. Which is probably buggy. And dumb. I didn't really want the beta, anyway. Soon enough, though.

That's all for this week, and as always you can send in comments, interesting community threads, and questions to Eliot at Massively dot com. I'd like to thank everyone for the discussion following last week's column -- it wasn't all in agreement with me, but it was good to see a lot of differing opinions and reactions to some big news for the game. It's enough to make a guy proud.