Naoki Yoshida "Yoshi-P" Part III

Now the changes are coming in...

Blog Notes/Relevant Links:

See also: Letter from the Producer, III
See also: Final Fantasy XIV Battle System Poll
See also: Unofficial FFXIV Battle System Poll (if you don't play and still want to see it)

See also: Naoki Yoshida Part I
See also: Naoki Yoshida Part II



^ Naoki Yoshida (FFXIV's Producer/Director) at a 4Gamer Interview.


So on Thursday, Naoki Yoshida released a new letter informing us of the changes that are coming to FFXIV. Some of it, most of us were expecting, but some of us were kind of blindsided by other changes that are coming to the game.

Here are my opinions on the coming changes:

Really Like:

–NEW– Storylines and world quests
–NEW– Quest-related system changes
–NEW– Development and release of supplemental storylines and world quests
–NEW– Introduction of additional quests
–NEW– Rank/Level up fanfare

–NEW– Instanced PvE Content (Dungeons/Raids)		–NEW– Examination of dungeon content for full parties (8) of high-rank members   Ongoing examination together with battle system adjustments (8-member content)
		–NEW– Examination of dungeon content for small parties (4) of mid- to high-rank members   Ongoing examination together with battle system adjustments (4-member content)

Good:

–NEW– Addition of confirmation windows for accepting/refusing quests

–NEW– Re-examination of class-based requirements for gear

–NEW– Addition of class-specific gear to enhance class uniqueness and goal-oriented play

–NEW– Re-examination of recommended class system for gear

–NEW– Re-examination of stats

–NEW– Addition of an auto-MP regeneration feature

–NEW– Ongoing reeaxmination of attributes and stats

Seems Un-necessary:

–NEW– Addition of icons to make quest NPCs easily recognizable

Character jump feature



Don't Want:

–NEW– Auto-attack system

–NEW– Examination of an auto-attack feature

–NEW– Examination of risks of and scale of changes for an auto-attack system

Possible introduction of traditional names such as paladin, monk, white mage, etc.


_

I (as well as many others) are excited about the majority of things that is coming to the game, but I can't help but feel that they're trying to appeal to the mass exodus of players that left and are most likely not coming back.

I'm mostly happy with the game at this state, and I am hoping they introduce new content, but some stuff they really are intent on transforming the game as a whole.

For example, one aspect I don't like is that they're considering scrapping physical levels. It's not mentioned in the Letter from the Producer, but it's in the Battle System Poll. I'm hoping they don't, since I'm almost level 40 (as opposed to being rank 34 Gladiator and rank 35 Sentinel), and it's much easier to level up new classes with a high physical level. Basically, scrapping physical levels would make it seem too much like FFXI which, while a good game, I spent eight years on. I'm done with it and want to move on to a new system, and I was hoping for that, but it really is going to come down to what the players want.

All in all, I'm still in it for the long haul, and now I'm trying to get Physical level 50 before the time ends just so I can laugh as all my work goes to waste. Or am I just that foolish?

Regardless of my feelings on the issue, what matters most is that there's finally a good timeline and direction of the game, it's interesting watching the development and transformation of this whole thing (even more so that I'm not paying for it), I'm looking forward to the results of the poll and what Yoshi-P has to say about it in a week or so.



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