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The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's latest Live Letter
As of this writing, the Letter from the Producer LIVE took place yesterday, and that means we have a whole bunch of Final Fantasy XIV news to discuss! It's a happy time for people like me, because it's at least a couple weeks of very chewable information to discuss. And at just the right time, too, we were in the middle of a serious drought there. Not that all of the information is good, mind you. Every time I think about Atma my hands instinctively ball into fists. Still, there's stuff to chat about, there's good stuff in with the bad, and perhaps most importantly there's enough to fuel some speculation and some off-the-cuff reaction before we dive into the meat of E3 and we learn even more about the future of the game. So let's get right into it, starting with the bit of news that I already foreshadowed in the intro.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's Crystal Tower
Let me be up front with you, dear readers: The Crystal Tower in Final Fantasy XIV is one of the most well-designed dungeons I have had the pleasure of playing through, ever. Not just "in Final Fantasy XIV" but anywhere, ever. It's fun, it's clever, it's clean, it's engaging, it's freaking spectacular. If not for one minor wrinkle, it'd be a nearly unambiguously perfect bit of bliss. But I'll cover that part later; the important point is that right off the bat, this dungeons is something that I consider absolutely stellar. Longtime readers will also know that large group content is generally not my thing. I dislike a big raiding endgame, and I'm not a fan of the style of play, so the idea that my current favorite dungeon in the game is a 24-man rush through the tower probably seems a bit odd. So let's talk about boss strategies, progress through the tower, and the one blemish on what is otherwise unambiguously great.
Final Fantasy XIV livestream details upcoming changes and the Crystal Tower
Final Fantasy XIV recently hosted its tenth Letter from the Producer livestream, in which producer Naoki Yoshida (or as the fans call him, Yoshi-P) tackles a number of questions regarding the game's upcoming changes and new content. The livestream itself is available for viewing in all of its two-and-a-half hour glory, but if you're just interested in the juicy questions and answers (or if you don't happen to speak Japanese), they're all transcribed in the official post. The questions run the gamut from planned changes for some classes such as Dragoon and Bard to details on the upcoming aesthetician, which will allow players to change their character's hairstyle for 2,000 gil. The majority of the questions, however, are on the topic of the upcoming 24-player Crystal Tower dungeon. Yoshida provides details on the dungeon's planned difficulty (it will have an average item level requirement of 55), how loot will be distributed (each boss will drop one loot chest for each party participating), the quality of gear players will receive (item level 80, slightly weaker than gear from Binding Coil of Bahamut), and much more. For the full Q&A transcript, head on over to the game's official forums, or click past the cut to watch the livestream in its entirety.
Final Fantasy XIV sums up its Tokyo Game Show letters
Final Fantasy XIV has been playable for just about a month. Gamers being what we are, a lot of us are already asking about what comes next for the game, because there's slightly less unexplored content than there was before. But fear not; the official live letters from producer and director Naoki Yoshida have been translated and the highlights recapped on the official site, giving everyone a closer look at what's coming from housing, PvP, and the new Crystal Tower. Yoshida explains that Crystal Tower is meant to be easier than the Binding Coil of Bahamut currently accessible, although it is still inteded to be high-end content (he mentions the possibility of requiring relic weapons). Housing will be launched for Free Companies first, with the team closely examining the strain caused by these before putting in individual houses. Players can also expect every craft to be involved in providing decorations for housing rather than just a few, helping to make everyone's contributions relevant. Take a look at the full roundup for all the details, although the team remains mum on the price of houses.
