ffxiv
Latest
The Daily Grind: Is it lonely in here, or is it just me?
There's nothing like the feeling of going back to an old favorite. You might or might not be enjoying Champions Online, but either way it could inspire you to go back to City of Heroes to see how the old stomping grounds are faring. Final Fantasy XIV might put you in the mood to take a trip into Final Fantasy XI just for nostalgia. Or maybe it's just the time of year that makes you think back to when you first fired up EverQuest and you want a chance to play around a little more. So you reinstall, resubscribe, and... where the heck did everyone go? What games have you headed back to only to find out that the critical mass of players had departed? How do you cope with adventuring again in an empty world? For some older games (EverQuest and Final Fantasy XI spring to mind from the aforementioned) you're more or less up the creek without a paddle if you don't have anyone around to play with, which exacerbates the problem. So how do you deal with being the last one left to turn the lights on or off?
The Daily Grind: What game are you looking forward to next year?
Okay, it's not quite the new year yet. But you've made your Christmas list by now (or your winter-holiday-of-choice list), you've probably gotten your pre-orders in, and you've hopefully narrowed down what you'll be playing next year. And it looks to be pretty packed, with an entry for both the Star Wars and Star Trek IPs, a new offering from Square-Enix, Allods Online in the free-to-play market, expansions for City of Heroes as well as some other fly-by-night game, and many more that would take an entire post just to list. So today, with the next year still a little bit away but not so far, we ask: what game or expansion are you looking forward to? Are there several different new games, several expansions, or a mix of both? Are you planning on moving away from your current game to play one that's launching next year, or are you looking forward to something else as a nice side game? Or are you on the opposite end of the spectrum, preferring to sit pretty with your current game and ignore the inevitable storm of releases next year?
Final Fantasy XIV support page located
Sometimes new information comes from the strangest sources. Apparently, when Square-Enix made their last update to the Final Fantasy XIV with two new jobs revealed, they added a little something unexpected. Not what would have been expected, either -- it was the support site for the game. Since the game is yet to be released or even have a finalized date published, said site contains only a handful of questions, which largely contain no new information... but there are at least two interesting pieces to be gleaned from the site, one minor and one slightly larger. The smaller piece of information is the list of supported platforms for the game: Windows PC and Playstation 3. That isn't exactly new information, but it's confirmed. The slightly larger tidbit is the confirmation that Japanese releases of Final Fantasy XIII will contain a code to obtain an exclusive in-game item for Final Fantasy XIV. The answer specifies that plans to include said code in the North American or European releases have yet to be decided... which could mean anything. Will the item be exclusive to Japanese players to compensate for the game having a global launch instead of one in Japan first a la Final Fantasy XI? Will the item be cosmetic or have some game impact? Will there be different items based on region? No answers are yet forthcoming, but it should be an interesting tidbit for fans looking forward hungrily to the game's release some time in 2010.
Final Fantasy XIV details two new classes and weapons
Those of us looking forward to Final Fantasy XIV have a bit more to look forward to now, with a new update to the official site. Continuing the slow reveal that the recent updates have included, this update contains two classes who have been previously named but not discussed in detail, the Gladiator and Pugilist. In addition, the update offers some details regarding the weaponry used by these classes -- which, as we've reported earlier, are the central element for each class in the multifaceted world of the game. Gladiators are what their pictures would tend to indicate, heavily-armored sword wielders with a penchant for close melee combat. They're also slated to be masters of throwing knives, and will have the option of using a shield or eschewing it for more offensive combat. Among their weapons are a number of swords and shields, including the blade-encrusted Lantern Shield that offers simultaneous offense and defense. Pugilists, by contrast, are lightly-armored melee fighters that use a variety of hand-to-hand attacks -- shades of the classic Monk. Their weapons are a bit less novel, but any player familiar with Final Fantasy XI will feel some nostalgia at the sight of baghnakhs and cesti. Take a look at the official site for more information, including the galleries of weapons and multiple images of the new classes.
More bits on Final Fantasy XIV in Connect! On translation
We have a bit of a linguistic issue when it comes to information about Final Fantasy XIV -- while no one could argue that it's not being heavily anticipated worldwide, there's the simple reality that the slow trickle of information to news magazines are going to be in Japanese. Great if you can read the language, slightly less so if you can't. But luckily, the intrepid fans at FFXIVCore have a number of people who can at least manage it well enough to bring us the latest tidbits from Connect! On magazine, which had the benefit of having some input from someone who at least briefly got to experience the game hands-on. It's already been hinted that Lancers, much like Archers, will be affected by the range of their weapons. The magazine goes into further detail regarding this -- for example, if the Lancer is too close to the enemy they'll have to swing the haft of their spear rather than jabbing with it, but they can also potentially sweep the lance like a staff to hit multiple enemies. There's also talk about the difference in tools that crafters can use and what some of the expanded features of the crafting might involve, possibly including the ability to craft multiple items at once (a welcome expansion for those familiar with crafting in Final Fantasy XI). There's still no word on when exactly we'll be seeing Final Fantasy XIV, but it can't be soon enough. Take a look at the full translation for more details, speculation, and a clearer picture of how the game is different from its predecessor.
Japanese magazines give more Final Fantasy XIV glimpses
It's hard to tell how far along Final Fantasy XIV is in development -- there have been rumors that it's aiming for a beta late this year, and the pictures we've seen already have a metric ton of polish, but there are a lot of questions unanswered. Luckily, the intrepid fans at Final Fantasy XIV Core have been hard at work combing not just the official American information releases, but the plethora of Japanese magazines covering the title. Recent translations of features in both Dengeki Playstation magazine and Famitsu have shed some more light on features and intents regarding the game's overall direction. Although some of the information has been stated elsewhere, such as some of the general attributes of the Discipline system, there are some interesting tidbits. One of the more noteworthy features is the promise that there will be an "optimal distance" for attacks not just for archers (a feature it has in common with its predecessor), but for lancers as well. Lancers are also slated to be gaining the option of using javelins as thrown weapons. We're told nothing regarding having multiple jobs, but rather that leveling one job will also level attributes useful for several different jobs -- possibly indicating a more holistic approach to levelling in multiple fields. If you're even remotely interested in Final Fantasy XIV (and who isn't by this point), take a look at both translations for more nuggets about the game, including some of the game's slated music and several high-quality scans.
Hiromichi Tanaka offers more answers for Final Fantasy XIV
Square-Enix is going to release information about Final Fantasy XIV at its own pace, as the company always has. However, that can be more than a little agonizing for those of us on the ground, who are left running along after scraps in a desperate attempt to get more information. As a result, we can only be happy when there's an interview with Hiromi Tanaka, producer of the game, in which he gives more information about the upcoming game's features. Among the more interesting answers are the fact that there will be no player flight (which ties in with his answers in an earlier interview that there will be no jumping), that players will not be pledging their allegiance to a single city-state a la Final Fantasy XI, and reinforcement of the idea that there's not really a concept of "classes" extant in-game. Rather, it's a matter of several different disciplines based upon what weapon or tool you're using. Equally interesting is the response to the question of whether Roegadyn and Miqo'te will be dual-gendered races, after their predecssors (Galka and Mithra, respectively) are all single-gender. He doesn't say they'll add in the other half, but he also doesn't discount the possibility, implying it might well be in the cards. Along with more reinforcement of the game's focus on allowing players to focus on or skip crafting as they wish, it's an interesting set of questions, so take a look at the full interview.
Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection hits this November
Come this November 10th anyone with 20 bucks will be able to pick up the newly announced Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection. This low-priced packaging lives up to its moniker by coming with every single expansion and add-on released since Square Enix launched the game. So if you've been holding off all this time or just haven't played in a long while and wouldn't mind checking out that new content with an old character, this is definitely the release for you.We're pretty sure this is the final collection for Final Fantasy XI, as Square Enix's next MMO will be launching sometime in 2010. That's not to say there won't be any new add-ons, but we get the feeling those will only be offered through digital distribution. Oh, and the whole 'Ultimate Collection' makes it a little obvious, too.[via Joystiq]
Crafting Final Fantasy XI's global community
A recent piece on Gamasutra discussed one of the more prominent and yet understated issues facing Final Fantasy XI -- the challenge of creating, bolstering, and supporting a global community. It's easy to forget at times that the game is sold and played in four different languages across three continents on the same set of servers, with a Japanese development team and customer service representatives across several countries. Robert Allen Peeler, the assistant community manager for the game, went into details about several of the issues, hurdles, and pitfalls the game has gone through over its near six-year multi-lingual run.Peeler discusses the challenges associated in communicating the wishes of the fans to developers, who speak only Japanese and don't necessarily have a clear grasp of what the rest of the world's players want out of the game. He also mentions the now-infamous Pandemonium Warden boss encounter and explains that the issue was largely focused in North America, but due to the communication issues it began to be seen worldwide before the developers could adequately address the issues.The piece also goes into some detail regarding the plans for how these same issues will be addressed when Final Fantasy XIV is released, which will most likely share the same multi-lingual support and servers. If you're interested in taking a look inside some of the problems of a global game -- or if you're a Final Fantasy XI player looking for more of an answer about why the developers don't respond to issues -- you should take a look at the article.
Major content update on Final Fantasy XIV site
The official Final Fantasy XIV site has been largely quiet, save for the official trailers... but that silence has been broken as of now. In a large content update, the flash-based site has been expanded to include a preview of several of the game's classes, monsters, and even a generous chunk of the upcoming game's flavor.The game breaks its classes down into four "disciplines", roughly grouping by their aims and (presumably) playstyle. Disciples of War and Magic look to make up the game's melee and caster classes, respectively, while Disciples of the Land are the gathering professions and Disciples of the Hand are crafters. It looks as if there will be quite a bit of diversification within each of these fields -- the currently expanded-on disciplines, War and Hand, each feature five listed classes, ranging from the traditional series staples (Lancer) to the far newer (Marauder).In addition to the class descriptions, the update features a number of bestiary entries covering the various denizens of Eorzea, complete with pictures of the creatures in their natural habitats and in-game lore regarding their behavior. These, too, range from series staples such as the cactaur to new creatures such as the aldgoat. For the more pragmatic among the populace, it also includes information regarding what can be harvested from the beasts for the Disciples of the Hand.Everything seems to be ramping up quickly for the new game, and it seems like it might be nearer on the horizon than we would expect. Take a look at the official site to see all of the new content, and keep your ear to the ground regarding what might soon be a watershed of new Final Fantasy XIV information.
Carve a Final Fantasy XI pumpkin for exclusive items
Halloween is just around the corner, and if there's one thing that reminds us about the holiday, it's the cavalcade of in-game events and game-centric contests that come around every year. Players of Final Fantasy XI will likely be unsurprised to learn that the popular gaming site Allakhazam is holding its annual Vana'diel pumpkin-carving contest once again. What they might be slightly more surprised to learn is that this contest features a number of exclusive in-game items from the design and operation team of the game.The first five hundred entrants will receive a small in-game pumpkin to place inside of their in-game Mog House. In addition, the twenty-five top finalists will receive a large pumpkin to further decorate your character's little corner of Vana'diel. You can also win premium site membership, a Shadow Lord statue, and other excellent prizes, but for many players they don't quite match the thrill of having an exclusive item gracing your humble abode.With all of the buzz being generated about Final Fantasy XIV, it's easy to forget that Final Fantasy XI has been running strong for more than five years now, and the designers have taken the time to establish a solid rapport with the playerbase and the fans. Get out your knives and start carving, and find all of the official rules right here.
Final Fantasy XIV beta will be PC-only
For those of you holding fast to the hope that you'll get your hands on Square Enix's next MMO, Final Fantasy XIV, before the game's eventual release, it appears as though you'll need to get your hands on a Windows PC first. In a recent interview with Game Watch, FFXIV director Hiromichi Tanaka said the game's beta release will be on PC only.Starting with a closed population of 10,000 people and eventually opening up to the public, the beta could be running at full capacity by as early as Summer 2010, according to Tanaka. Hopefully, by that point we'll be playing Final Fantasy XIII -- in English -- and no longer cracking jokes about FFXIV releasing before XIII ... Hopefully.%Gallery-64870%[Via RPG Site]
FFXIV casts its second trailer spell
The latest trailer for Final Fantasy XIV is both lengthy and a blend of in-game and CG footage. Honestly, we're not even sure why Square Enix is bothering with any of the CG, because we'd be fine with everything being rendered in-engine. Still, it all looks beautiful and wonderfully imaginative in a way that you'd expect from a Final Fantasy game.So, what information can we glean from the trailer? Well, there's probably going to be a card game to play and, uh, you'll be fighting monsters you're probably familiar with, but in a nice nostalgic way.Beyond that, the video has some intermittent text -- as many Japanese RPG trailers are want to do -- and more of that big ship battle to soak in. Oh yeah and cat girls, there's always cat girls . See the video after the break.
Square Enix: FFXI players may be able to keep their names in FFXIV
Good news for Final Fantasy XI players looking to make the jump into Final Fantasy XIV in 2010 -- you may be able to keep your existing FFXI character names in the upcoming title. At least, you will if Square Enix Producer Hiromichi Tanaka has his way. Tanaka and FFXIV Producer Sage Sundi were interviewed by the PlayStation Blog's Chris Morell at GamesCom 2009, when they were asked if name transfers between the Final Fantasy MMOs will be possible. Tanaka said, "It hasn't been confirmed yet, but we would like to give incentives to the players. First of all, FFXI has 32 worlds, and they may have the same name across different worlds [...]. However, when we have FFXIV, we still don't know how many worlds there's going to be yet, but players might have the same name if they all move to the same world, so there may be conflicts."Square Enix's solution, if implemented, is to have a surname system where players can keep their original name but pair it with something else unique in a surname. While the ability to import character names into FFXIV isn't confirmed, it's still good news that Square Enix is considering offering this to their long-time fans in Final Fantasy XI. [Via Joystiq]
Tanaka on bringing FFXI character names into Final Fantasy XIV
When it was announced at E3, Square Enix mentioned the development team was looking for a way to allow players to bring their existing Final Fantasy XI character names into Final Fantasy XIV. At the recent GamesCom event in Cologne, Final Fantasy XIV producer Hiromichi Tanaka wouldn't confirm the feature would be included, but noted Square Enix would like to give incentives for players of its first MMO outing.Tanaka notes the process of allowing names to carry over into a new Final Fantasy MMO could cause conflicts, but proposes one solution that could work: Force people to add a surname. "Players can keep their main name, but they can add something else to their surname -- that way players with overlapping names can keep their names from FFXI, but they can add something on to it to make it unique," Tanaka told the PlayStation Blog.Tanaka also discussed Final Fantasy XIV's combat system, which -- as already revealed -- will not be based on a job system. FFXIV's armory system will allow players to switch weapons and abilities within the game, to best suit players who prefer to go solo or as part of a team. As players use weapons and equipment more frequently, the statistics of those items grow, building a stronger class of character without grinding for experience points.While Tanaka was asked to name his biggest MMO-based inspiration, he quietly brushed the question aside, noting the community was his biggest influence. But clearly Tanaka's biggest MMO influence is Final Fantasy XI ... what else is out there?%Gallery-64870%
Final Fantasy XIV gameplay and emote footage
Holy giant roosters, Final Fantasy XIV gameplay footage has already made its way online courtesy of Gamescom and Gamevideos! Plus, the footage shows off some -- mildly standard -- combat sequences as well. To be fair, we're sure this video would be a lot more exciting if we understood German. As it stands now, we're going by the tone of the presenter's voice, which sounds slightly enthused but generally falls flat in the convincing department.While Mr. Presenter won't be winning any awards, the visuals for the game certainly seem to be worth of a gold statuette of some kind -- possibly something on a fine oak stand with a silver plaque. Oh who are we kidding, the visuals look flat out amazing. This is Square Enix and the Final Fantasy series we're talking about, after all.Check out both mentioned combat video and a nifty animation video after the break.
The Digital Continuum: Changing tides in FFXIV
New Final Fantasy XIV information has been quite plentiful as of late. We've had new information on races, the general lore, basics of the job system and quest system all in just a single week. If I didn't know any better, I'd think a major games event was taking place.If there's one thing we're now aware of the most, it's that Final Fantasy XIV is looking to stab MMO fundamentals right in the heart. No experience, no levels and a job system that includes crafting as opposed to fencing it off into a separate game mechanic. These are all bold steps that have poised the game as something unlike anything else on the market.So is it good, or is it bad? That's the topic of today's The Digital Continuum series.
Square Enix posts an 83% drop in operating income
The headline may seem like doom and gloom in the land of Final Fantasy, but it's important to note that the Eidos purchase price is included in this latest report. The silver lining here is that the company's game business sales saw a 7.2 percent increase in the last quarter, so even with the operating loss there's a strong chance of quick recovery due to sales.For one thing, Square Enix's mobile sales have seen a record sales increase. Additionally, new titles like Dragon Quest IX are raking in the cash and probably won't stop for a while.Then there's that impending release of Final Fantasy XIII in Japan, so we're really not surprised that Square Enix is predicting a full year net income even now. Next year should be even bigger for the company, as Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIV both release globally. After that? Why, they're going to buy the moon, Clarice -- the moon!
Final Fantasy XIV site updated with new story and game information
We're very happy with all this Final Fantasy XIV news lately, and at the same time are fairly amazed it keeps coming so rapidly. First it was the removal of levels and experience, then info on the new race names and jobs. Now, Square Enix has updated the official website with new information on the Eorzea and its races' history as well as the job system. Plus, there's tons of new screenshots, so let's dig in!For instance, we now know that players may specialize into four differing job branches however they see fit, also known as forging a Discipline. The four are: Disciple of War, Disciple of Magic, Disciple of Land and Disciple of Hand, which correlate to melee combat, magic combat, gathering crafting materials and crafting, respectively.Then there's Guildleves, which is a way for players to tailor a quest to their party makeup, whether that be themselves or a larger group of differing job types. If players attempt a riskier Guildleves, the reward is also improved as well. So it would seem that, interestingly enough, Final Fantasy XIV may be looking to attract people looking for all sorts of difficulty in their MMO.%Gallery-69600%
Final Fantasy XIV's first jobs and race names revealed
New information is dropping rapidly on this game. Now, Final Fantasy XIV's race names and first classes have been revealed. Hmm, maybe those rumors of an earlier than expected beta carried more weight to them than we thought.If you weren't already aware, the races in Final Fantasy XIV are visually alike to the ones found in Final Fantasy XI so that players from that game feel more at home in the new one. Aside from this, names and lore for each race are completely different. Today, we've got the official new names. Here's the rundown with the Final Fantasy XI names in parenthesis for comparison: Hyuran (Hume), Lalafell (Tarutaru), Elzen (Elvaan), Miqo'te (Mithra) and Roegadyn (Galka).There are four jobs, each with two subclasses, revealed so far. They are: Fighter (Archer & Swordsman), Sorcerer (Enchanter & Warlock), Crafter (Blacksmith & Cook) and Gatherer (Gardener, Fishermen). Interestingly, it appears that FFXIV may eschew crafting professions for a system that incorporates the feature into jobs. When you couple this with the news of no levels and no experience points, it becomes even more curious.We think the dev team are really onto something, and 2010 cannot come soon enough. [via Kotaku]%Gallery-69461%
