Final Fantasy XIV

[Shamdeo]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

Nomura doesn't have any role in deciding when Final Fantasy will end.

Oh, and sup Steve. <3

 

[Shadow_]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

Oh alright, I just thought I remember hearing about FF13 being the last FF game, but w/e thanks for the clearing it up for me.

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

Some old bur also some new info
Eorzea
After the first lines of text rolled in the E3 trailer, the movie panned across an expansive land filled with trees and waterfalls. This was introduced to us as "Eorzea," but it seems there will be more meaning to the name than simply labeling a single region of land. In addition, we have discovered that the name of the entire world will be バイデリン (ha-i-de-ri-n). Koumoto has stressed that this world will have a new feel compared to Vana'diel and bring a different kind of fantasy environment, one that is a little more "hi-tech" perhaps. The peculiar flying pods battling monsters in the sky are said to be an example of the new direction they are looking to take.

Also, it seems that the admittedly strange pronunciation of Eorzea, エオルゼア (e-o-ru-ze-a), has evoked some reactions amongst the Japanese media as well. Game reviewer "Hamamura Tsuushin" came up with his own theory, commenting that it sounds like something that would come out of 高知県 (Kou-chi ken) the Kouchi Prefecture of Japan, where people speak in 土佐弁 (to-sa ben) Tosa dialect. This is because words in Tosa dialect often contain "ze" and "ya" and the speech pattern is also influenced by 関西弁 (kan-sai ben) Kansai dialect, which is well-known for being amusingly jumbled and rowdy.

The E3 Presentation
Tanaka stated that he wished to unveil FFXIV at E3 in particular to highlight their intention to release the game simultaneously across all supported regions. E3 was the perfect place to find foreign media from around the world gathered together. This certainly would indicate Square Enix is ready to fully support all players right from the start, and could give some hope to players in North America or Europe who may have felt snubbed in the past.

As an funny side note, it is reported that the announcement of FFXIV caught some people really off-guard. Apparently, the instant Jack Tretton, President of SCEA, uttered the words "Final Fantasy Fourteen," some people took it as a joke and could not believe their ears. However, that feeling was quickly dispelled once the trailer started running, and the room soon erupted in applause and shouts of joy.

Races

In order to entice FFXI players over to the new game, Tanaka said they designed avatars to be similar in style. This way, there would be a connection that could make people feel comfortable transferring over, and let them know they could continue with their preferred "virtual self." However, while the races are the same on the surface, they will be given new names and some other cosmetic changes. Furthermore, eagle-eyed forum-goers have spotted what Connect!On refers to as a "horned elf" behind the counter on the far left, that could hint at the addition of new races. Unfortunately, there is no official confirmation of this as of yet. When pressed on the number of races planned, Koumoto has been hesitant to say if anything is decided.

System

According to Koumoto, battles in FFXIV will involve more thinking and strategy than FFXI. While FFXI was about timing and quick action, FFXIV is going to take a new approach that will provide a comfortable learning curve for new players, yet allow for the challenge that hardcore players also crave.

The keyword is "growth" and FFXIV will be sold as a game that allows improvement without unnecessary hardship. Koumoto references FFXI, saying it is a game that relies too exclusively on defeating enemies over and over to advance, and that FFXIV will bring new avenues of facilitating character growth, such as quests.

In addition to partying, solo play will also be possible, but instead of focusing on boosting one or the other, Koumoto has said FFXIV will be a game that, above all else, aims to meet the needs of the users, no matter what style they choose to play. One day you might want to adventure with a friend, and another day you might want to go it alone. FFXIV will allow you to choose your path as you please and find enjoyment in your unique play style.

Jobs

For the Job System, Koumoto has expressed interest in taking aspects of FFXI's flexible style but expanding greatly upon it in new ways. In the end, it will be completely different from what we are familiar with in Vana'diel. The keyword here is "weapon," which we have heard was also the theme of the FFXIV logo. Somewhere in that wheel of adventurers lies a hint as to how jobs and leveling may change. Speaking of which, we have also heard from Tanaka that the traditional experience points and level system will not be used this time around. While he was more than eager to divulge that bit of info, there has sadly been no clarification as to what system will replace it.

Movie Speculation
Probably the first thing everyone noticed was that the trailer was exceptionally beautiful. It is said that there was actual in-game footage mixed in as well, which is quite impressive. According to reports, the scenes with a Mithra-looking mage casting a magical barrier and the tail-less Galka wielding a great axe could very possibly reflect the level of quality we can expect during actual gameplay. A giant sea serpent leaping over the ship has been speculated to be Leviathan, but there is no such confirmation from official sources. Another part of the trailer that viewers focused on was the Chocobo at the end. Koumoto has mentioned that the Chocobo caused more of an uproar than he had anticipated. This is attributed to the fact that the Chocobo was a symbol that let everyone know: "This is a true Final Fantasy game."

Analyzing the boat scene again, questions were asked regarding whether it was hinting at a party vs. party style battle system. Koumoto admits that limiting the game to parties simply bludgeoning a single enemy to death would lack variety, and the team is looking into large-scale battles as well. Also, it may not always be against an enemy. PvP content is also being considered, but it seems they are stopping shy of allowing unrestrained dueling and player killing. Tanaka adds that they are maintaining the same stance against griefing through PKing and kill stealing as they have in FFXI.

To FFXI Players:
In closing, Connect!On reprints some of the final thoughts that Tanaka and Koumoto had for existing FFXI players.

Those of us who continue to enjoy FFXI have heard Tanaka tell us time and again that Vana'diel will live on for years to come. There is a team of people who continue to work solely on FFXI, so they should not been disrupted or slowed down even after the release of FFXIV. Not only that, but FFXIV will be designed so that one can balance their play time between the two games without having to upset their daily lives. FFXIV will be a game that is kind to the casual player, and not demand copious amounts of time to make progress.

With great care being paid to the existing FFXI community and the media attention MMO addiction has been receiving throughout Japan recently, it seems we can really expect a game that will deliver without being demanding. Personally, I think this is an excellent concept, and hopefully Square Enix will find that a more relaxed atmosphere will encourage people to keep active accounts for longer.

Final Fantasy XIV will go live around the globe in 2010, and a beta is still guaranteed to precede the start of public service.

Connect!On August - FFXIV News in Review :: Final Fantasy XIV (FF14) at ZAM

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

Final Fantasy XIV Online Video Game | Reviews, Trailers & Interviews | GameTrailers.com

GT did a pop up blocker on it.

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

quote]Nobuo Uematsu's music was heard around the world long before he became famous.

The 26-year-old musician -- who grew up in Japan listening to Elton John, Led Zeppelin and King Crimson -- was hosting friends at his home when one of them mentioned a part-time job opening at a small video game company. Uematsu applied for the job and got it.

Soon after, he was scoring the soundtrack for what would be the company‘s breakout title -- a role-playing game called Final Fantasy.

The rest is history.

“I certainly didn’t write any of these pieces with the ambition they’d be performed in concert halls,” said Uematsu, now 50. “I never imagined I’d be doing this, and that every time people would be asking, ‘encore, encore.’”

The “Distant Worlds: Music of FINAL FANTASY” concert tour, which is swinging through Seattle, Wash. this weekend, is a compilation of Uematsu’s work throughout the Final Fantasy series. Under the direction of Uematsu and Grammy award-winning conductor Arnie Roth, the iconic music of the Final Fantasy series is brought to life by a full symphony orchestra.

Uematsu, in Seattle for this weekend’s concerts, took some time after Wednesday’s rehearsal to reflect on his career and the success of Distant Worlds.[/quote]

"It's just the ability to see the reaction from the fans overseas, how happy they are to hear the music," he said. “That's a really big lift for me."

As a young boy, Uematsu discovered his passion for music while playing around on his older sister’s piano. Although he fantasized about becoming a pro wrestler, he always knew he wanted a career in music.

He landed his first paid gig when he composed a radio jingle for an amusement park in north-central Japan. After that, Uematsu mainly focused on his small rock band -- he played the keyboard -- before landing his job with Square.

Now he’s a member of The Black Mages, a rock-style band that performs electrifying versions of hit Final Fantasy tracks. He’s constantly touring with Distant Worlds, which recently wrapped up overseas performances in Singapore and Taipei.

On top of that, Uematsu is halfway finished with composing the music for Final Fantasy XIV, the second massively multiplayer online game of the franchise. Final Fantasy IX was the last installment of the series to be scored entirely by Uematsu.

“It’s tough, it can be tough; there’s a lot of material to get through,” Uematsu said of his ongoing work with FFXIV. “You’ve really got to make a wide variety of patterns in the music to try to open up the score. One of the things that is an issue is obviously one person working by themselves can be limited in what they can do, so what I’m trying to do is produce a good range of music.”

Roth, the Distant Worlds conductor, has become close friends with Uematsu during the Distant Worlds series. The two work together on a daily basis to convert Uematsu’s pieces into various symphonic arrangements. Roth has written so many arrangements of Uematsu’s work that the concert series may begin returning to cities with entirely different music lineups.

Although Roth isn’t a gamer, he’s largely responsible for the birth of Distant Worlds.

The idea for the concert series was planted in Roth’s head by a colleague who had performed a Final Fantasy music concert at the 2002 E3 convention in Los Angeles. The show sold out quickly. However, the show’s venue was rather small, and skeptics wondered the show would have sold out had E3 not been happening. Roth’s friend talked to several conductors; none of them took his idea seriously.

“There’s a great prejudging, or assumptions made, with the old school presenters,” Roth said. “They all look at that and say, ‘what do you mean a concert of all video game music? That’s the knee jerk reaction. Many times, it’s that knee-jerk reaction that immediately halts a project.”

Roth took a chance on the idea. He planned an all-Final Fantasy concert called “Dear Friends” in Chicago, where he is the musical director and principal conductor of the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra. Just to be safe, he stipulated that the show would only be held if a certain number of tickets could be sold.

The show sold out.

Roth was floored by the audience’s reverent enthusiasm. In rock concerts, people are usually dancing, stomping and singing along. Classical music fans are usually silent, but it’s oddly common for people to shuffle their programs at the wrong moments or head for the restrooms at breaks in the music. During that first show, everyone was quiet and still.

“These fans are maybe some of the best fans, better than classical fans,” Roth said. “They know the music so well, and they come here to listen to the live music. You can hear a pin drop during the performances, which is just a beautiful thing.”

An unnoticed exception, Roth later learned, was a man who proposed to his girlfriend while his orchestra played “Aerith’s Theme” from Final Fantasy VII. “I understand how important it is for people,” Roth said. “Significant moments of their lives took place in the context of this playing in the background.”

Uematsu wrote most of those tunes in his home office. His many inspirations include 1970s-era rockers, the Renaissance period of central Europe, movies such as “The Godfather” and classical music composers. He said he tries to craft his melodies in a way that anyone can relate to them. He is grateful to Roth for helping him improve his music.

“He kind of tends to see music as just one entity rather than pigeonholing it into things like classical, or game music, or rock music,” Uematsu said. “He tends to just have a much more holistic approach to music, which has been really great.”

In some ways, Uematsu never stopped playing on his older sister’s piano. He is incredibly passionate about his work, yet he rarely feels as if he’s had to study to improve.

He’s got the Black Mages and Distant Worlds. A single song can take a few days to write -- “One-Winged Angel” took nearly two weeks -- and a game can take up to eight months to score. That means he’ll have his hands full with Final Fantasy XIV.

Uematsu still has lots of music to be made. Only now, people know who he is.

“Through this series, I’ve really had a lot of personal freedom to what I wanted to do with my life,” he said. “You don’t get that much in life, to do what you want and to pursue your goals like that. That has definitely been the most rewarding thing about working with the series.”


Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy will be playing three shows in Seattle from July 9-11 and one more in San Francisco on July 18. Visit Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY for show information.

I'd like to thank Nobuo Uematsu, Arnie Roth and the folks with AWR Music and the Seattle Symphony for making this story possible. I would also like to thank John Charlton for volunteering his time as our interpreter. It was a pleasure to meet these people who bring the music of Final Fantasy to life.

For news, updates, editorials, and interviews like this one, follow the ZAM FFXI team on Twitter!

Distant Worlds: The Men Behind the Music :: Final Fantasy XIV (FF14) at ZAM

 

[Vossler]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

What is a reccomended internet speed to play this game?

 

[Shamdeo]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

be a man

play it on dial-up

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

Will FFXIV Have the Right Stuff?
A good read.

Will FFXIV Have the Right Stuff? :: Final Fantasy XIV (FF14) at ZAM

Not going to post because that would be a wall of text lol

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

"Komoto hinted at the way character advancement might work when he discussed the game's job system. Considered a strength of Square Enix's last MMO, FFXI - which allows players to combine character classes, and expand them with sub-jobs - it will return, but in a new form based around the weapons and equipment players choose to use.

"We believe the main factor behind Final Fantasy XI's lasting appeal is the job system," said Komoto. "However, the system will become something completely different. The focus here will be on weapons. Your weapon will determine how you play. Your weapon will determine how you fight."

Source: Eurogamer

From 1up, for a more in depth read check this out...

Why is this peppy young swordsman looking so smug? Probably because he's found himself in the land of Eorzea, a wild place filled with squabbling city-states, plundering barbarians, and all kinds of other enemies, natural and unnatural. He's made it, in other words.

Eorzea's nations used to be constantly at war with each other, but the advent of airborne battleships and other shockingly powerful weapons has created a state of détente throughout the land. The resulting peace has led to a wide swath of soldiers and mercenaries suddenly without a job, and so they're now forming guilds and calling themselves under a new name: adventurers.

That's the very basic plot behind Final Fantasy XIV, the PS3/PC online RPG that Square Enix revealed at this year's E3. Now Square Enix is ready to reveal more of the goods, and in this week's issue of Famitsu magazine, game director Nobuaki Komoto offered some of the first really concrete details behind the MMORPG's gameplay. Here are the details:

- Eorzea, the continent where players begin their game, is a small continent with several surrounding islands. Time passes, and weather changes, on a regular basis in this world, with one in-game day currently set to be about an hour of realtime. This exact figure may change, but as Komoto puts it, "it won't be like Eorzea will be night for hours because it's nighttime in reality... I want FFXIV to be enjoyed even by those who can play only a short time out of the day, so I'd like the sort of time schedule such that it's always a different experience timewise when you login to Eorzea."

- Eorzea is home to five races which, although they have different names, look quite a bit like the races in Final Fantasy XI. You have the Hyuran (Hume in FFXI), Miqo'te (Mithra), Lalafell (Tarutaru), Elezen (Elvaan) and Roegadyn (Galka), and as you'd expect, you can fully customize the look your character no matter what race he or she's a member of. Hyuran are further divided into "midlanders" and "highlanders," and Miqo'te are divided into the diurnal Sunseekers and the nocturnal Moonkeepers, though how this affects gameplay is still under wraps.

- FFXIV's "armory system" is what defines your character's growth. The game has four broadly defined "job skills" -- Fighter, Sorcerer, Gatherer and Crafter -- each of which has a variety of more specific classes (Swordsman, Blacksmith, Caster, etc) attached to it. You can change your class instantly simply by changing your weapon and armor, and as you fight and complete quests with that equipment, your character will advance in that class. You're free to concentrate entirely on one class, or try to balance yourself out among all the job skills.

This armory system isn't exactly like the "job" concept that most Final Fantasy games work under. "The way I see it, the player can define how his own job works," says Komoto. "For example, if you have the Swordsman skill, that's enough to let you play by yourself, but if you've also raised your Sorcerer skill enough to unlock that skill's healing magic, that'll make solo play a lot easier for you. You can carry enough equipment around at any given time to change your style freely, and the system makes this easy by letting you change sets of equipment all at once."

- This skill and class system largely replaces the traditional RPG concepts of levels and experience points in FFXIV. Instead of worrying about EXP, "I think the main thrust will be raising the skills you have at hand," as Komoto puts it. You'll probably still have to engage in good old-fashioned MMORPG grinding to improve your character, though.

- FFXIV's quest system involves visiting Eorzea's guild and receiving work passes from the guildmaster. Other players can cooperate with you, and everyone can put their passes together to involve the entire gang in a sort of mini-campaign. The available passes change at regular intervals, and completing a single quest from one of these passes will be a relatively short process -- Komoto estimates it at around half an hour or so. "You don't need a set number of people for each quest," he said. "That you can work out by yourself with the other players in the guild, since they're all there for the same goal."

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

FINAL FANTASY XIV
^Site been updated looks better.

Board Message
for info

 

[Nintandy]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

I'm surprised this topic isn't flourishing! I for one am certainly pumped for this title. I tried to get back into FFXI this month, but to be honest I'll probably just cancel my subscription and wait it out for another year until XIV. It's a shame the official website only has information on one of the three city states (and there's probably a fourth to be revealed).

Nonetheless, where would you want to start out? I'm thinking Gridania myself, being a lover of all things woodland, but I guess a lot will depend on race and storyline.

 

[Shamdeo]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

I like the prospect of having a unique questing system with Guildleves.

 

[Shamdeo]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

crystal citadel ◆: Gamescom gameplay of Final Fantasy XIV

crystal citadel ◆: And new FFXIV scans to boot...

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

gameplay looks good

some more info
FFXIVCore.com - Final Fantasy XIV Fansite

 

[Sir Jecht]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

It looks like heaven, I want this but at the same time I don't wanna pay a fee D:

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

FFXIVCore.com - Final Fantasy XIV Fansite

Exclusive interview with FFXIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka

 

[SuperEclipse]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

The words “launch timing” were “cut out” of SCEA boss Jack Tretton’s FFXIV exclusivity announcement FFXIV at E3, producer Hiromichi Tanaka told VG247 at GamesCom today.

“During the press conference, the ‘launch timing’ words were cut out of the comments, so the launch timing is going to be exclusive to PlayStation 3 as a console,” said the developer.

“Of course, we have a Windows version as well in that launch timing,” he said, adding: “PS3 and Windows are going to be at the same time.”

Own an Xbox 360? Want to play FFXIV? Don’t despair.

“That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to have a 360 [version] in the future, but at the launch timing, yes, it’s going to be Windows and PS3 only,” said Tanaka.
VG247 Blog Archive FFXIV: Tretton didn’t say “launch timing” exclusive at E3, says Tanaka

Ongoing discussions with Microsoft about how Final Fantasy XIV is to work with Xbox Live are partly to blame for the lack of announced 360 version, producer Hiromichi Tanaka told VG247 at GamesCom today.

“FFXI for 360; at that point PS2 didn’t have a hard disc [and] that was really difficult for us, but Xbox 360 had that from the beginning, so that really helped us. We managed to smoothly move onto 360 from the Windows version, so that was very good to us,” said the developer.

“However, for FFXIV, because 360 has its own policy with Xbox Live that is different from [the] internet, that’s something we’re in discussions with Microsoft [about], to come to an agreement. That’s one of the reasons it’s not going to be launched at that point.”

The “point” being the simultaneous release of the PS3 and Windows versions next year.

Tanaka told us in the same conversation that the words “launch timing” were “cut out” of SCEA boss Jack Tretton’s FFXIV exclusivity announcement FFXIV at E3, and that it “doesn’t mean that we’re not going to have a 360 [version] in the future”.

We saw the MMO in Cologne today. Looks neat. More soon

VG247 Blog Archive FFXIV: “Discussions” with Microsoft holding up 360 version

 

[afrobutt]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

Final Fantasy XIV Online Video Game, GC 09: Online Competition Interview | Game Trailers & Videos | GameTrailers.com

Final Fantasy XIV Online Video Game, GC 09: Game Mechanics Interview | Game Trailers & Videos | GameTrailers.com

interviews relating to the online play and game mechanics

 

[KingdomQueenHeart]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

I'm just excited because I couldn't get FFXI

But now I can be apart of the whole MMORPG! Excitement for me!

And I agree with Sir Jecht on this one (btw I love your avatar and sig! Did u make it yourself?)

 

[Shamdeo]

re: Final Fantasy XIV - "

crystal citadel ◆: FFXIV's Tanaka and Komoto chat with Dengeki