Finalmente la GamesCom abre hoy al público, seguramente habrá mucha información sobre nuevos juegos. Pero probablemente el stand con mayores sorpresas será el de Square Enix. Los asistentes tendrán la posibilidad de jugar una Alpha Version de Final Fantasy XIV mediante algunos eventos que se llevaran a cabo en el stand de Square Enix. Habrá 6 eventos de Final Fantasy XIV, también habrá una presentación y después de eso los asistentes podrán jugar Final Fantasy XIV durante 15 minutos. Así mismo, Hiromichi Tanaka (Final Fantasy I-III,XI,XIV) estará presente en el stand de Square Enix en una sesión de autógrafos.
Información día 1
Primeras Imágenes
Las imágenes son gracias a Zyuu , Administrador del sitio http://www.ffxivcore.com/ quien estará mandando imágenes desde la GamesCom,las cuales iremos posteando .
Stand Square Enix
Spoiler: show
Imágenes del juego
Spoiler: show
Primeros Video In-game
Información día 2
Entrevista exclusiva del sitio http://www.ffxivcore.com con Hiromichi Tanaka
Español
Spoiler: show
En el Alpha versión noté que no se puede saltar,¿ se podrá saltar en FFXIV?¿Y nadar? O ¿tal vez escalar?
Será igual como en FFXI. No habrá posibilidad de saltar. Si es necesario añadiremos el nadar o escalar en el futuro.
¿Qué medidas se tomaran para combatir los RMT o el uso de bots?
Trabajaremos duro en ese aspecto al igual que FFXI , con “the special task force”.
Las historias tan intensas de la saga de FF son una parte esencial, y por lo que hemos escuchado de los productores, será igual en FFXIV. Como será contada la historia en FFXIV?
Si, definitivamente la historia es muy importante en FFXIV. Tenemos preparadas grandes Cutscenes con efectos y voces, así que esperen y lo verán.
Habrá diálogos con voz para la mayoría de los personajes y NPC´s del juego.
¿Como será el contenido End-game ? ¿Áreas especiales, NM´s etc. ?
Tal vez no desde el inicio, pero implementaremos grandes retos, además de otras cosas. Hemos aprendido mucho de FFXI , y nos hemos dado cuenta que es lo más fácil y difícil del juego. Habrá ciertos límites al principio, y cuando lo consideremos necesario , liberaremos gran contenido end-game.
Exactamente, ¿qué tan casual será FFXIV en comparación con FFXI? ¿ el objetivo de final Fantasy XIV es tratar de atraer público más casual y dejar de lado al grupo hardcore de FFXI? ¿o será acaso que trataran de atraer ambos públicos al mismo tiempo , y ser el primer juego exitoso que combine tanto a los jugadores casuales como a los más apasionados(hardcore)?
Tendremos contenido casual, pero nuestro objetivo no será tan solo para jugadores casuales. El juego dispondrá de una variedad de aspectos que tanto los jugadores casuales y los hardcore podrán disfrutar.
¿Qué hay del PvP?
Tenemos la misma postura respecto al PVP que con FFXI. Ahora mismo estamos concentrándonos en el PVE, puede que implementemos algún tipo de deporte que tenga relación con el pvp en el futuro. Buscamos proveer a los jugadores de un entorno que todos disfruten, y que no haya situaciones como PK'ing o cualquier tipo de estas actividades en el juego.
¿Algo que agregar respecto a la cuota?
El juego tendrá un costo. Seguiremos manejando una cuota por 30 días de juego. Actualmente no tenemos planeado ofrecer otras opciones.
No habrá playonline ¿puedes decirnos algo sobre las nuevas características del sistema?
Seguiremos usando las ID de Square Enix.
¿Habrá instancias?
Las Guildleves funcionan como tal. Ninguna persona podrá interferir contigo. Igualmente habrá contenido como “raids”, un tipo parecido a las Guildleves también. Aunque todavía no podemos decir la cantidad de jugadores que podrán participar en un raid.
¿Puedes contarnos un poco más sobre el nivel de personalización del que dispondremos al crear un personaje? , me refiero a cosas como el tamaño del cuerpo, o tipos de cara.
Desafortunadamente no podemos mostrar aun nada sobre la pantalla de creación de personajes. Sin embargo podemos decir que habrá opciones como; tipo de orejas, color de cabello, marcas en el rostro etc. Habrá mucha variedad.
Tengo curiosidad sobre la forma en que desarrollaremos nuestro personaje y su avance en el juego. ¿Será acaso como Final Fantasy Tactics? , En donde una vez que has dominado ciertas skill con cierto job, puedes desbloquear otras más?
Será ligeramente diferente a Final Fnatasy Tactics. Progresivamente ganaras ciertas habilidades conforme tu nivel de skill vaya subiendo, pero eso no significa que si progresas significativamente en cierta skill , las otras seguirán teniendo un nivel bajo y no podrás subir su nivel. Podrás continuar subiendo el nivel de otras skills.
¿Qué Summons podemos esperar encontrar en FFXIV?¿ Habrá más variedad en comparación con FFXI?
No podemos mencionar cuales summons estarán allí. Lo que si podemos decir es que algunos tendrán un rol muy importante en la historial del juego. Sin embargo no serán incluidos en el juego como en FFXI.Por el momento no contamos con una clase como el summoner.Los summons serán implementados en el juego de una manera diferente.
¿Habrá Samuráis en el juego?¿ qué hay acerca de la libertad de movimiento y la exploración del mundo?
No habrá samurái job ,ya que no contamos con un sistema de jobs. Tampoco tenemos una clase como el samurái. Todo depende de cómo subas tus skills y la dirección del desarrollo de tu personaje. Cuando obtengas ciertas habilidades podrás tener un titulo específico. Esté titulo podría ser samurái- o podría no serlo. No podemos decirte mucho sobre esto un. Estén atentos en nuestros anuncios.
¿Qué tan grande será el mundo de Hydaelyn en comparación del mundo de Vana'Diel?
No podemos realmente hacer una comparación del mundo de Vana'Diel con Hydaelyn, esto debido a que Vana'Diel ha sido expandido mucho .Sin embargo podemos compararlo con el Vana'Diel original.Hydaelyn será igual o ligeramente más pequeño, como podrán ver ,será un mundo más detallado en términos de gráficos ,pero además rico en contenido. Así es que será poco probable que se den cuenta que el mundo será ligeramente más pequeño que Vana'Diel.
Podrás ir de una ciudad al campo de batalla sin necesidad de zonear.
¿La situación económica de FFXIV será basada en el uso de Auction Houses?
Sentimos mucho no poder entrar en detalles sobre esto. Será mejor que esperen unos meses. Te podemos decir que no será igual que las actuales Auction houses de FFXI, será algo mucho más interesante.
Por otro lado,las armas tendrán un sistema basado en su durabilidad, esto quiere decir que tendrán que repararse y tendrá cierto costo.
¿Alguna información acerca de la beta?
No tenemos una fecha específica aun. La actual versión de la GamesCom es una versión Alpha. Antes de empezar con versión beta, tendremos una llamada “Developer Version”, en donde nos concentraremos en el sistema de Guildleves. Debido a que tenemos previsto el lanzamiento para el 2010 , será antes que eso, asi que entonces…..La versión Beta no estará en un futuro tan lejano “Riza”, queremos tenerla lista lo antes posible.
En World of Warcraft podemos acudir a cierto NPC en cual por una pequeña cuota, nos permite cambiar el tipo de cara, cabello, y su color.¿ Habrá algo parecido en FFXIV?
Actualmente no tenemos planeado nada de eso. Si tenemos las suficientes peticiones de parte de los jugadores , será algo que tomaremos en cuenta. Sin embargo no se verá en la fecha de lanzamiento, si no en un futuro.
Habrá perdida de “experiencia”?
Estamos en proceso de ajuste. Tal vez, haya o no, perdida de “experiencia” al morir en FFXIV.Pero si es que la hay, será mucho menor que en FFXI.En la versión Alpha tenemos implementado perdida de experiencia, actualmente está en proceso de ajuste como ya lo dijimos, así que aun no está decidido aun.
¿Los personajes que pudimos manejar en el alpha versión ayer, estaban de alguna forma “buffeados”?
(Riza)Si, estaban bastante Buffeados.
¿Será el Class/job system mucho más completo y ramificado, permitiéndonos múltiples combinaciones?¿ o una variedad de jobs mucho más amplia que no ha sido revelada y sigue en desarrollo?
No es un “sistema de Jobs”. Ahora los llamamos Clases. Todo depende en que arma uses. De nuevo, estamos llamándolo sistema de clases está vez en FFXIV, así que no es un sistema de jobs. Esté nuevo sistema será mucho más flexible, ya que al cambiar de armas entre cada batalla (no durante la batalla), nos dará mucha más variedad. Sabemos que esto no es algo nuevo en la historia de los MMO´s, vimos esto antes en juegos como Ultima Online y Meridian 59.
¿Será el sistema de Linkshell ´s llamado igual?
No será llamado Linkshells.no podemos entrar en detalles, pero será algo muy interesante.
¿Requerimientos del sistema?
Serán bastantes altos debido a que FFXIV será en HD en playstation 3.
Para ver la versión en ingles Ingles clickear este link
Gamescom - Famitsu │ Entrevista Hiromichi Tanaka.
Otra entrevista por parte de la revista Famitsu que también estuvo presente en el evento, traducción del japones-ingles gracias a http://www.ffxivcore.com.
Spoiler: show
Mr. Tanaka caught busy in the middle of the game!
At Gamescome, having a hectic day of covering the FFXIV booth, producer Mr. Tanaka Hiromoichi and global online producer Mr. Sage Sundi have agreed for an interview! Below is our interview with Mr. Tanaka Hiromichi. Later on we’ll add in Sage Sundi’s interview for everyone to enjoy!
First, we asked for an explanation of the game play.
Mr. Tanaka Hiromoichi pictured here at the computer
What is Guildleave?
In the land of Eorzea’s adventurous visitors can get jobs known as Guildleave. Finishing Guildleaves grants rewards for the adventurers. This is often called “questing” in other MMORPG games, and typically works the same. The major difference is that you can cooperate and help other players or get other players to help you with your mission. Whether it be solo or with a group, this MMORPG is sure to be enjoyable.
Tanaka: In the Leave’s title, you only need to take down the pu~ku. But there is a trick to take down both the dodo and the puku.
- The field is so large, though! How are you supposed to find the monster?
Tanaka: The Guildleave will show you the position of the enemy on the map. You can use it to locate the mob with ease.
- This is pretty over talked about now, but FFXIV has great graphics.
Tanaka: It’s still undergoing development. This is only a rough version of it so far. Right now in game things are quite simplified in the distance, but in reality even the farthest trees would be completely visible and detailed, unlike how they are right now.
(He starts to kill a dodo here)
Tanaka: The auto attack system was adapted from FFXI to FFXIV, but also now you need to select each skill that you want to attack with. This will give way for a more customized selection of techniques and attacks for a more personalized combination of attacks for players.
- What are the command icons in the bottom bar here?
Tanaka: They are called “Action Commands”. This interface is still temporary though and will likely change. In FFXIV you can take out your sword anywhere you would like just like in In FFXI; you could take out your sword even if there were no monsters and run around like that.
(He kills more dodo one by one)
- Please tell us a bit more about the Action Commands.
Tanaka: You see below that slide(?) abilities are set by default. You can set up abilities for commands and they will be registered on the gauge at the bottom.(sorry this part is confusing) The gauge represents both the right and the left hand. For example, if you want your shield to be on your left hand, you would have to put it in the left part of the gauge.(I think he is saying that you can equip weapons/shields on the bottom bar and choose if they will be on the left side of the right side. From there you can then choose commands to be down there according to where the weapons are)
- Is the command quickly carried out?
Tanaka: The commands registered on the "Action Gauge”, or gauge, are simple to engage and work at the tap of a button. In addition, the “Power Gauge” will affect the power and accuracy of the attack you choose. On the right of the screen is the “TP”. The TP gauge’s level will also affect the skill's. That’s why you have to make sure that your TP is full before battle.
- So the TP accumulates based on the attacks of the character and the attacks the character receives?
Tanaka: Exactly, just like FFXI.
(Tanaka uses a special sword skill called “Red Lotus”)
- That attack looks familiar! *laughs*
Tanaka: Lettuce *laughs*
The Red Lotus is a FFXI special skill. Players call it “lettuce” in Japan.
- Is magic also going to be down in the command bar?
Tanaka: Whatever weapon you equip will change the commands you have. For example, I have a sword equipped now, once I equip a staff the commands automatically changes to magic ones.
- How about acquired skills? Are they also going to be with the action commands?
Tanaka: No, you can’t learn techniques and skills without a weapon.
- Can this action command contain large numbers of commands?
Tanaka: Only 10 ability action commands can be set up right now. The abilities on the action command are fully customizable, however.
- So this is what you meant by a different kind of play style?
Tanaka: Yes!
- What is the reason behind this kind of battle system?
Tanaka: Firstly, compared to auto battle, this battle system has more room for customization and strategy. Commands are personally chosen by the player. In FFXI, because of the jobs, partying was a necessity. Depending on the circumstance in FFXIV, I can either go solo or join a small party.
- How about action commands like emotes?
Tanaka: Emotes (emotional command), right? The emotes on FFXI were brought about by text commands. In FFXIV, it’s also available in the graphical user interface. Beside the item bag there’s a mark for them.
- I saw in that presentation how awesome the emotes are. Can I also use them in battle?
Tanaka: No. *laughs*
- Going back to the interface topic, the resolution will be raised in the next release obviously, and would it be easier to see the information on the screen like status and chat? For example, the status of party members will be shown?
Tanaka: It will be displayed in the center right part of the screen. As a matter of fact, the layout is also freely customizable by the user using the mouse. You can also specify the size and number of lines in the chat window. You can play with your favorite layout.
- Player perspective?
Tanaka: It’s not really new, it will be based on the third person perspective, shoulder to shoulder camera. It is also changeable.
Thats it for now guys! I think we have a whole bunch of new amazing info!
Enjoy!
Credits:
Exia` - Initial Translations (GIVE HIM LOVE AND THANKS FOR THIS BECAUSE he was crying over a disaster and a vacation ruined but he translated this anyway despite being overly tired and with a bad lack of sleep, lol)
MakaiTenshi - Images and Final Translation
Otra traduccion de la misma entrevista por parte de ffxiv.zam.com
Spoiler: show
As Hiromichi Tanaka, producer of Final Fantasy XIV, hacked his way through a demonstration of a "Puk Extermination" Guildleve quest, Famitsu flanked him with some questions about their presentation and what it says about the state of the upcoming MMO.
Read on to see the full story and discuss it in the ZAM forums.
In the gameplay videos, we saw some people fighting dodos and others fighting puks. It turns out that the full scope of the quest requires one to defeat dodos until puks appear. Tanaka states that this is just one of the many ways they will incorporate puzzle-solving elements into Guildleve quests. Also, while there may be an expansive area to explore, later builds of the game will display your targets on the map, so finding those puks that need exterminating will be much easier. As an alpha version, the demo at Gamescom did not include this feature yet.
When the interviewer remarked on how beautiful the graphics were, Tanaka took the opportunity to give some hints about how powerful they will become. It turns out the background scenery was heavily compressed for the demo, and will be greatly improved to the point where individual trees will be rendered far into the distance.
At this point, Tanaka begins attacking some dodos and moves on to discuss the battle system. In Final Fantasy XI, the player would select the attack command and enter an Auto-Attack mode. To spice up the flow of battle, Final Fantasy XIV will require players to select commands each time they attack, and the combination of commands they choose will determine the technique they use. This will put all new emphasis on strategy and keep players engaged in battle.
Action Commands, as Tanaka calls them, are lined up along the bottom of the screen as icons. Those who are grumbling about a passing resemblance to World of Warcraft will be happy to know the layout is tentative and certainly subject to change. The current setup has players selecting an ability from the from the bottom which then appears as a command in your gauge. There are two gauges - one for the left hand and one for the right hand. For example, the character that Tanaka was controlling had a shield in his left hand, so the left-handed gauge had shield commands registered to it.
To activate an ability, the player needs to store up their "Action Gauge." The strength and accuracy of a technique can be further increased by storing up the "Power Gauge." The "TP Gauge" also makes a return, which when full will alter the effects of your technique in a variety of ways. The gauges will increase when the player attacks or is attacked by an enemy. During this explanation, Tanaka unleashes Red Lotus Blade with a grin, much to the delight of the interviewer, who immediately recognizes the sword technique.
Magic will be used the same way - through Action Commands - but will only be available if you are equipped with a weapon that allows their use. Swords give sword-based abilities and staves will give magic-based abilities. Also, there are skills that cannot be used until you have acquired enough skill in a particular weapon. In total, you can line up 10 commands in the bar of icons along the bottom. However, in future versions Tanaka states they intend to include a macro system, so players can customize and combine their favorite abilities to their liking.
Another bit of customization, to which players are responding positively, is the ability to drag-and-drop the various info boxes around the screen. There are default positions for each piece of the UI, such as Action Commands, player status, chat box and party status. These will all be movable, and the chat log will be fully adjustable as well. The camera position will have options as well, although the main position will be an over-the-should third person perspective. Tanaka expects there to be three different camera angle to choose from in the final version.
When asked why they decided to go with this battle system, Tanaka explained that first and foremost they wanted to get players more active in battle, which the auto-attack system discouraged. Final Fantasy XI focused on each job having a clear role, with players designing parties around combining those roles. However, in Final Fantasy XIV, they wanted to develop a system where players could easily enjoy the game alone, with a friend, with three people or more. The system is built around the concept of meeting each player's own playstyle.
Tucked in next to the Action Commands, the interviewer noticed a smiley face, which Tanaka revealed was a set of emoticons. In Final Fantasy XI, players were limited to creating emotes through text, but Final Fantasy XIV will provide a set of graphical smileys for users to express themselves. In addition, there are the motions that we all saw displayed in the video at Gamescom. According to Tanaka, these were created through the use of motion-capture technology. However, capturing facial expressions proved too difficult, so the developers ended up designing those manually. Unfortunately, players cannot use full-body emotes during battle at this stage.
At this point, Tanaka finishes up his quest and warps back to the starting point of the Guildleve and moves towards the Aetheryte. Although prevalent in the demo, transportation via Aetheryte will not be so common in the actual game. The majority of their use will be involved with the Guildleve system, as players need to travel to the site of the quest and back again. However, like the user interface, a lot can change before the final game is complete. Tanaka says the game is likely only 40-50% complete at this stage, and the demo cut out basically any elements that were not essential to displaying the Guildleve system. The main focus of the presentation at Gamescom was to show players how Guildleve worked, and how it delivered quests that were enjoyable and light on time. However, this is not to say things will be all fun and games. While the quests shown to players took only 15 minutes of their time, there will many more quests with varying levels of difficulty and time requirements. In addition, there will be hordes of other monsters roaming the countryside that will be sure to make completing your intended task a little trickier.
Tanaka admits that showing off an incomplete game can draw criticism from disappointed players, but he hopes that others may show praise for how far Final Fantasy XIV has come. Currently, the most advanced portion of the game is the graphics, so there are many areas that many completely change before the release date. The idea is that Square Enix will showcase new portions of the game as they continue development, allowing players to experience individual content before a complete beta is put together. While in Germany this meant a playable demo at Gamescom, there may be a playable version that users sign up to try out in Japan, more like, as Tanaka put it, a giant focus group. Players will be added gradually, and once the game is polished enough, and there is a solid base of users, they will initiate an open beta.
Whatever the shape it will take, Tanaka uses his closing words to assure fans everywhere that everyone will get a chance to play a demo of the game, saying, "The fruits of our labor are finally coming to bear, and the development team is working hard to get the game ready. We're planning to let everyone get a shot at a playable version like we have done here in Germany, so please look forward to it."
Gamescom - Famitsu │ Entrevista Sage Sundi
traducción del japones-ingles gracias a http://www.ffxivcore.com.
Spoiler: show
After talking with Mr. Hiromichi Tanaka, Famitsu sat down withe Sage Sundi who is a return vet from FFXI for all those who don't know.
- What is your role here with FFXIV?
Sundi: I will be returning as the Global Online Producer for Final Fantasy XIV. We are looking at the development team, a mangement team and the user base as the key factors in supporting FFXIV. My job will be to build the communication between these areas and get them working as one. For example, if there is an interview with Hiromichi Tanaka I am there.
- How will GM (game master) policies exist in FFXIV?
Sundi: I doubt that there will be any large changes from FFXI in the area. Other than maintaining order, GM's are there to also help maintain a peaceful and safe playing environment for everyone. Policies from FFXI will be carried over and even the team will more than likely be carried over. We are, however, going over the system to make improvements to the system in certain areas. One thing I would like to make it easier for players to contact GM's. Besides these improvements there are going to be efforts to create a better experience for all players.
- Speaking of the community, how will you approach a global community?
Sundi: If we were to make a forum in Japanese then it would become the Japense player forum. We feel that the best way to approach this issue is to have premier sites and have them act as community managers for their language/community. We can then get feedback from these sites and that way we get the voice of every player in their own way. I plan to be able to use the web more than ever to get information directly from the users because it is valuable which we can see from item databases and wikis.
- How will communities be introduced into the game?
Sundi: There will of course be chat within the game but there is also going to be a system similar to the "Linkshell" found in FFXI as well as a "Linkshell community" on the official site. Unfortunately I am unable to elaborate any further on this area, though. We do plan to work with fan sites and blogs in some way.
- Some players would prefer segregated, language specific server. Can we expect to see this in FFXIV?
Sundi: No we wont have this in FFXIV just like FFXI. I feel that this would be a step backwards from FFXI and it has made it this far without segregated servers. I would rather work at making mixed servers a success instead of abandoning them.
(closing statement)
Sundi: Making FFXIV enjoyable for all users, including FFXI players, is our number one priority. We cannot build a community without considering that. First we address how to satisfy Final Fantasy fans. From there, we will attract other MMO players and develop a community like never before. I believe FFXI players will find their time in Eorzea to be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, and I hope you look forward to it.
There you have it guys! Enjoy! Makai is now exhausted. No more for him. lol
Credits:
MakaiTenshi- Translation and Images
Una traducción mas de la entrevista de famitsu a Sage Sundi ,versión del sitio fxiv.zam.com.
Spoiler: show
After chatting with Hiromichi Tanaka over a lively round of puk extermination, Famitsu sat down with Sage Sundi, who returns to Final Fantasy XIV to once again offer global user support.
Read on for the interview and discuss this in the ZAM forums.
Sage Sundi begins by explaining that he will be returning to his role as Global Online Producer for Final Fantasy XIV. They are looking at the development team, management team and user base as the three key factions supporting their MMO. Sundi's job will be to build the bridges between these three areas and get them working as one. For example, when there is an interview with the foreign media, Sundi will be there with Hiromichi Tanaka.
When asked how GM policies might change, Sundi doubts there will be any significant changes from Final Fantasy XI. More than establishing "public order," they wish to maintain a peaceful and safe playing environment for their users. Most of the policies from Final Fantasy XI will simply carry over and even the team is an expansion from the previous generation's MMO. However, they are going through the details of the system in order to make improvements to certain areas. One adjustment Sundi wishes to implement is making it easier for players to call upon a GM. Also, beyond simply improving the GM system, there will be active collaboration between the Special Task Force, management team and community team in order to create a better experience for all players.
peaking of community, there is the issue of how Square Enix will maintain a solid flow of information between all the different regions they support. Although developers have expressed interest in an official forum for some time now, they are reluctant to limit it to one language. "If we make the forum in Japanese," Sundi says, "then it would become the Japanese player forum." Instead, they feel the best way to support all languages is to establish premiere sites and allow them to act as "community managers" for their respective user bases. Square Enix can then pull feedback and questions from these sites, allowing every user to voice their opinion in their own language. Sundi continues to say they wish to utilize the web even more than before and trade information directly with the users, tapping into the ingenuity they show when constructing item databases and wikis.
As for in-game communication, Sundi stated there will, of course, be a chat function included. There will also be something akin to the Final Fantasy XI linkshell, and a "Linkshell Community" of some sort on the official site. Sundi is unable to elaborate on any specific plans, but says they intend to use the site to communicate with players and perhaps work with fansites and blogs.
For the final question, the interviewer hints that a number of players may be looking for language-specific servers and looks for Sundi's reaction to such a request. However, Sundi believes that seeing as Final Fantasy XI made it this far without segregated servers, adding such a feature in Final Fantasy XIV would feel like a step backwards. They would rather work at making mixed servers a success instead of abandoning them altogether.
Sundi then closes with some words for players in Japan. He decides to speak directly to Final Fantasy XI players, and assuage some of the fears they have about moving to Final Fantasy XIV. "Making Final Fantasy XIV enjoyable for all users, including Final Fantasy XI players, is our number one priority," Sundi said, "We cannot build a community without considering that. First we address how to satisfy Final Fantasy fans. From there, we will attract other MMO players and develop a community like never before. I believe Final Fantasy Xi players will find their time in Eorzea to be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, and I hope you look forward to it."
Entrevista de famitsu a Sage Sundi ,versión de http://www.eorzeapedia.com.
Spoiler: show
Don’t expect anything from the magazines this week. Dengeki PlayStation won’t go on sale until next week and there is nothing in Weekly Famitsu either. That’s ok though because everything we need is already on the net, free for anybody to read.
First off, interviews with FFXIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka and FFXIV Global Producer Sage Sundi from Famitsu. Gamescom is the first time we’ve seen Sundi give an interview with the press concerning FFXIV, establishing that he has the same role in FFXIV as he does in FFXI. As his interview is the shorter of the two, let’s start there.
Sundi’s Job
He begins by saying an MMORPG is made up of three parts (Development, Operations, and Players) and describes his job as being the bridge between users and the development team on the global scale. Those familiar with FFXI know Sundi as the person in charge of the Special Task Force and GM services in game. He will continue this role in FFXIV as well keeping the GM policies nearly identical to those of FFXI. The GM team will also just be an expanded version of the team used for FFXI as well. In fact, he says he believes that other teams as well, like Community Relations and Special Task Force, will really just be expanded versions of the ones currently in place for FFXI.
Just because the teams will be the same doesn’t mean nothing will change though. Sundi gives one example of a possible change as being how easy or not it is to call a GM. Specific details of how things will change are not given so those things will need to be asked in future interviews as we get closer to an official release.
Global Communication
The bulk of the short interview is about global communication between SE and players worldwide.
We start off with how Square Enix will communicate with players from various countries who speak different languages. One thing often asked for by players is an official forum to express opinions and concerns. In fact, there was an official forum for Japanese players back at the beginning of FFXI. However, it was eventually shut down. This has been a sore spot for some in the Japanese community because they feel like SE first opened the door for communication and then firmly shut it on their faces when they tried to express their honest opinions. There are no Premier Sites for FFXI in Japan either, further limiting the ability of players to communicate with SE. In that sense, many Japanese players rely on the efforts made by Premier Sites in North America and Europe to fill the gap.
Sundi’s comments in regards to an official forum are directed not just at Japanese players, but Western players as well. He says that unlike games that are entirely in English, there are times for them where they cannot communicate in English. However, if they created something that was only in Japanese, it is likely that only Japanese people would gather in that forum. Instead, they would like to create a system for Premier Sites like we have now in FFXI. There would be sites for each language and a community manager assigned to the various sites. From there, they can gather questions and such from users.
With no Premier Sites at the moment for FFXI in Japan, it will be interesting to see how SE encourages community sites to develop. Sundi states that he wants to look into how they can use the web to encourage not just asking questions but also getting users exchange information. Whether it’s an item database or a wiki, he says they need to work on tying official data with the efforts made by players. Everything is still in the works, but he wants to aim for a new way of communicating and a new shape to the community compared to what we have for FFXI.
Next, the interviewer asks what will be available in-game to form communities. Sundi responds there will of course be the ability to chat with other players. He also expects something for players that has developed out of the linkshell system used in FFXI. There will also be an official site, growing out of their efforts made with the Linkshell Community site for FFXI. Out of game, people will make their own websites and blogs that can be tied in as well. Perhaps this is a reference to the new system for FFXI Community Sites introduced recently.
The Quest for Separate Servers
The last question for the interview isn’t so much a question as it was relaying a message. It is a touchy one as well for some players. The interviewer mentions that there are players who want servers that are divided based on language. This topic had been previously mentioned soon after the announcement at E3. At the event, Tanaka said in general they planned on doing cross-regional servers which contain a mix of players from different countries but that they would look into the issue during the beta. This statement gave hope to some Japanese players who would rather only play with other Japanese players like FFXI was in the beginning.
Sundi responded by saying the direction they are taking with FFXIV comes from not having language-separated servers in FFXI and that to implement something like that now would be almost like taking a step backwards. They will continue to think about how to make this system a success and that it makes it easier to show off how FFXI and FFXIV are special.
Reaction to this interview by Japanese players was swift and merciless. Many people replied that with his statements, Sundi had killed FFXIV by not listening to the voices of those that want language-separated servers. They say SE is only pandering to foreign audiences and they don’t care about Japanese players. One thing they point out is that Sundi basically states they want to keep online communities separated by language because of language difficulties but they expect players in-game to communicate just fine. Other people said that it doesn’t matter because they can use the web to organize themselves and focus on creating characters on agreed-upon servers and try to tell western players to stay off of them. This is one of the problems already plaguing FFXI so SE will need to find ways to counteract server population issues stemming from movements like this in FFXIV.
How much cross-regional servers will affect sales of FFXIV is unknown. There are of course plenty of players in FFXI and people interested in FFXIV who don’t care either way. There are also players laughing at those who wanted language-separated servers in the first place.
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Información día 3
Gamescom - 4Gamers │ Entrevista a Tanaka & Sundi por parte de 4Gamers
Fuente en Ingles: ffxiv.zam.com
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As Gamescom comes to a close, 4Gamer was able to secure a block of time with Final Fantasy XIV producers Hiromichi Tanaka and Sage Sundi. Previously, Tanaka took staff from Famitsu through a tour of the demo provided to attendees at the convention. 4Gamer, however, spent their time prying out details regarding the game itself.
Learning from Final Fantasy XI
Surf to any Final Fantasy XI forum, and you will see players making comparisons between XI and XIV. How will Final Fantasy XIV be different? Will Square Enix address common concerns from XI? Have the developers learned from any mistakes they may have made?
Tanaka admits that one thing they learned was how technology advances over the life of an MMO. When they first began development, single-processor CPUs were the norm, but soon after release, multi-core processors grew to become the standard. With Final Fantasy XIV, they are thinking five years ahead and plan to include support for multi-core and mutl-threading technology from the start.
Beyond PC technology however, the most crucial point for the developers is the server. Since they are creating an MMO, the client's machine is irrelevant if the server cannot deliver the information. A station can broadcast to a black and white TV or a color TV, but if the signal does not get out, then everyone loses. This is why Tanaka is adamant about creating a stable game server, which he says is the most difficult part of the process.
Another issue that plagues fan forums is whether Final Fantasy XI is going to continue or die. Even if it continues, will it be actively supported with Tanaka and co. focused elsewhere? As it turns out, there are separate areas within the offices of Square Enix for the respective development teams. The work will not be combined, but rather each will be developed as a separate entity.
Tanaka also gives an amusing look into the part he played creating Final Fantasy XI. "When making FFXI," Tanaka admits, "I felt it was faster to do things myself rather than take the time to explain what I wanted." This led to him designing some of the fonts and user interface himself. In Final Fantasy XIV, however, he will be taking a much more hands-off approach, allowing the team to do the bulk of the work. "Sometimes you have to stand back and let the younger guys take control," Tanaka jokes. "If I don't allow them that much, they can't become the next generation of great developers."
Billing Systems and Item Selling
There was a brief mention of billing practices at E3, and the interviewer tries to press Tanaka for more information. He states they wish to use an "Anniversary Billing" system, which means players will pay a certain amount of money to play for a period of time. In other words, X dollars a month, like in Final Fantasy XI; or X dollars for 30 days, which Tanaka expressed interest in at E3. As always, the developers oppose the use of micro-transactions to make items sellable. They feel by allowing players to purchase everything they want, they would rack up larger bills, but quit the game faster for lack of anything to strive for. The developers would rather players find lasting enjoyment in the game itself, instead of make a mad dash for treasure and quit soon after.
However, Sundi interjects saying not to rule out optional services altogether. For example, they may want to add server transfers or other options for players to purchase. There is no elaboration on what else they have in mind, but they will be considering what to offer.
How Everything Works
Thankfully, the interviewer begins to delve into the details of what Tanaka displayed earlier during his Puk hunting and find out exactly how one manipulates their character. According to Sundi, you perform an action by selecting from the "Action Menu" along the bottom of the screen that appears once you target an enemy. The more you use a weapon, the greater your prowess grows, and thus, the more skills you learn to utilize with that weapon. You then set these abilities in the Action Menu and activate them during battle. Changing your weapon will also change what is displayed in your Action Menu. For example, equipping a staff will present your magic-based Action Menu. Also, multiple abilities you wish to perform in sequence can also be registered as macros.
In order for the character to perform commands specified by the player, one must first store up the Action Gauge. If you select a command before the gauge is ready, it will activate once the gauge fills up. There is also a Power Gauge, which can increase the strength and accuracy of one's techniques. The interviewer notes that even with the absence of Auto-Attack, the player could simply use the most powerful skill over and over again. However, Tanaka reveals that repetitive usage of one skill will cause the monster to start seeing through your actions, and it will become harder to land your attack. In other words, employing a variety of tactics is the best way to defeat a monster.
The main goal behind the battle system was to allow freedom of playstyle. Players can easily go solo, as demonstrated by the demo, or they can join up with a number of friends. In Final Fantasy XI, one had to return to their Mog House in order to switch jobs, but players in Eorzea can do it anywhere they please. However, Tanaka warns that swapping weapons during battle is not allowed, so there are some minor limitations.
Another reason they are focusing on solo play is to encourage players to explore all the variety put into the game. If players were forced into parties all the time, they would most likely stick with one weapon and master that. However, when adventuring solo or with small groups, players need to acquire a number of different skills and abilities to be able to survive. The developers hope this will create a rich variety of players and really make each character unique. However, Tanaka admits that growth can come slowly if one focuses solely on adventuring alone. Grabbing a party and working together will help your character improve faster. So, there are positives and negatives to both, which is exactly how they like it.
Content That Keeps on Giving
Guildleve, which was demonstrated at Gamescom, will become the core activity of Final Fantasy XIV, according to Tanaka. It's greatest merit is that you can enjoy it over and over again. Up until now, players would progress through a series of quests or missions, effectively "consuming" these activities until there was nothing left to do. However, Guildleve will allow players to repeat similar quests to their heart's content.
The developers will also be looking at how players use the system, Tanaka says. In Final Fantasy XI, the users would sometimes inject their playstyle into the game and the system would bend and shape into something new and unexpected. Tanaka hopes to see this kind of ingenuity once again, and says the developers may be able to improve the game based on how the players enjoy it.
As the heart of Final Fantasy XIV, Guildleve will come in many different shapes and forms. The type of Guildleve one can accept will change based on the character. Also, new types of Guildleve will continuously be added through version updates. Tanaka promises that the development team is working hard to create a wealth of content in this area. There will be quests that take less than 30 minutes to complete, all the way up to epic missions that span a couple days. Guildleve is all about customizing the game to one's own style.
When asked for more specific information on the actual quests, Tanaka is unable to divulge too much more. However, he explains more about the system, saying that there is an upper limit to the number of Guildleve one player can acquire at a time. If you want to play beyond that, you may have to help other people with their Guildleves. Sundi explains that players can freely aid each other on quests, even if one player does not possess the particular Guildleve being fulfilled.
Races and Faces
While rumored Gria sightings have been squashed, fans are still wondering if new playable races are going to pop up anytime soon. Unfortunately, Tanaka's response to this is to sidestep and instead boast the merits of the character creation system. Players will be able to craft their avatars in more detail than ever before, with skin, eyes, hair-style and face being adjustable. There will also be factions within each race from which to choose, possibly the ones mentioned in descriptions on the official site. For example, a Miqo'te could belong to the Seekers of the Sun or Keepers of the Moon. While this change does not have an impact on the story, Tanaka indicates they may add more aspects to the game that further differentiate the factions.
When creating a new character, players will be able to freely select their starting location as well. While Final Fantasy XI offered special rings depending on your hometown, Tanaka expresses interest in giving everyone a completely level playing field this time around. The point is to allow everyone to start fresh and not influence their choice of race, hometown, or what path they may wish to take with the growth of their character. To this end, there will also be no significant differences between the races. All races can learn the same skills and abilities, but there may be other slight nuances to make them unique.
Hearing that the developers are striving for equality, the interviewer wonders if this will make PvP a reality in the world of Eorzea. However, Tanaka quickly states that PvE will be the focus of the game. If PvP elements are ever added, they will be in the form of sports and games, like Final Fantasy XI. It was decided very early on that PvP would not be added, and it does not appear the developers are going to waver from this.
Final Thoughts
As 4Gamer starts running out of time, they briefly touch on the camera perspective. Players at Gamescom got to try the demo in the 3rd-person perspective from behind the character, and Tanaka indicates they are looking at having a "third-person shooter" style shoulder camera and a first-person camera. The interviewer appears surprised to see the shoulder-cam make it into an MMO, but Tanaka explains that they have heard complaints about the camera positioned behind the character making it difficult to see what is in front of you.
Finally, Tanaka closes the interview by expressing how pleased he was to be able to meet so many fans and gather so many opinions on their work already and hopes to have more chances to do so in the future.
Source: 4Gamer
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What we learned:
* The monsters you have to defeat for a quest will appear on your map during Guildleve.
* You can draw and sheathe your weapon freely like FFXI.
* There is no auto-battle; commands must be selected every time the character attacks with.
* There are two command gauges, one for your right hand and one for your left hand.
* The player chooses which commands they want on the command gauge from the action icons lined along the bottom of the screen.
* Depending on your commands chosen, the player can activate a variety of techniques.
* There is an Action gauge and a Power gauge that increase over time. In order to unleash special techniques you much build these up.
* There will also be a TP gauge, which increases by attacking or being attacked. A full TP gauge can alter your techniques in different ways.What we learned:
* The action menu can be customized however the player wants.
* The action icons you have on your gauge will change based on your equipped weapon. A sword gives access to melee commands while a staff gives access to magic.
* The action icons you have on your gauge will change based on your equipped weapon. A sword gives access to melee commands while a staff gives access to magic.
* The status of party members will appear in the center of the right edge of the screen.
* There are three different camera views: over-the-shoulder, overhead, and first person.
* The interface can be freely moved by the player. The windows, chat box size and others will be customizable in the game.
* The aim of the battle system is to present a more engaging experience. Players will have to constantly be selecting new commands and evolving their tactics to the situation in the battle at hand.
* Strict roles like Jobs that we had in Final Fantasy XI were removed to allow players to easily play alone, with a friend or with a group of people.
* Warp points will mostly be provided for teleporting back after completing a Guildleve mission.
Información día 4
ZAM and PlayStation Blog: Interview with Tanaka
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By now you've seen dozens of interviews out of GamesCom that ask questions about how Final Fantasy XIV differs from XI. We had our fair share of those questions, but ultimately we wanted to know, "why was the decision made to make FFXIV so similar to FFXI?". During the interview we asked Hiromichi Tanaka that very question and the answer was intriguing. "FFXI has been out for about eight years now; the graphical engine we used is very old. In that sense, we wanted to have something that the FFXI players can smoothly move on to" said Tanaka.
PlayStation Blog: You guys recently talked at E3 about how the game kind of closely relates to Final Fantasy XI. I was kind of wondering how the monsters and races have changed from XI to XIV.
Hiromichi Tanaka: Because we're using a new graphic engine, the graphics are really different from FFXI and you can see more details on both monsters and races. Regarding the races, to encourage people to shift smoothly from FFXI, you will see very similar types of classes. But if you actually make your own character, you'll be able to select your own colour of hair, skin, eye color, shape of your face, etc. There will be a wide range of variety to customize.
ZAM: Why would you stick so rigidly to the class / race balance in FFXI, and are there more races we haven't seen in XI?
Tanaka: Regarding other races, we can't really make any comments at the moment, so please look forward to future announcements. About the balance of each race - it's different from FFXI. This time it's not going to be so much different from the beginning, as in unique racial skills per race, it really depends on which skills you select by yourself and how you're going to grow your character - then that is really going to affect your lifestyle. The abilities and stuff aren't really going to be affected by the race you select. You can just select by the appearance.
ZAM: Will the genders of the races continue to be limited like with the Galka and Mithra in FFXI?
Tanaka: Yes, at the moment, for Miqo'Te there's only a female version, and Roegadyn only has a male version - that's their current status.
PlayStation Blog: I remember reading around after E3 that you mentioned there might be a way to transfer your name over from FFXI. Is that still planned - are you still working on that? Is there a plan on how you're going to do it?
Tanaka: 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, as I'm sure you know. Each name in each world has to be a unique; there can't be conflicts with other players. 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. So, to avoid that, what we're trying to do is add a surname to their name, so 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.
ZAM: How large will the overall world of FFXIV be in comparison to FFXI at the games launch?
Tanaka: Compared to FFXI's Vana'diel launch point, FFXIV may be slightly smaller. However, because the graphic is more detailed and there is more content, we don't think you will feel that the world is small or anything like that. Also, one thing to mention is that FFXI was zone based, but FFXIV is going to be seamless, so from the city to the battlefield, you won't notice any sort of zone change.
PlayStation Blog: You mentioned that the combat system will have less of a team play aspect. I know it's been a few months since the game was announced - can you elaborate on that, and how it's different, and how much progress you've made in the past few months since it was announced?
Tanaka: For FFXI, the system was job based, so that's why they had a party to make the most out of each job. This time it's not going to be a job based system, it's going to be an Armoury system, so it depends on which weapon you use and you can switch your class. That allows the player to use a different ability or skills. You can also join a party, that doesn't mean you have to play solo, but it will allow you to play solo as well, because you can fight against monsters and you can change to a healer to heal yourself. So there will be more variety and it depends on what you plan on doing for that day.
ZAM: Do you feel confident that FFXIV on the PS3 won't suffer from the same limitations that FFXI eventually experienced on the PS2?
Tanaka: With FFXI, there were many PS2 limitations, but this time, we can work with hi-def and the network for PS3s and PCs are almost the same, so there shouldn't be any problem. The one difference between PCs and PS3s could be around the memory management system, so that's something we're really taking care of. Even when we say PC, there are different specs, so the system itself is going to be scalable. One of the settings we have should be the "best" for PS3, so there shouldn't be as many limits as we experienced with FFXI.
PlayStation Blog: You talked about the levelling system not being experienced based, I was just wondering if you were able to tell us exactly what kind of system you're working on, and has it been completely defined?
Tanaka: This time it really depends on the Armoury system. It's going to depend on how much you use your own equipment and weapons. The more you use it, the more the skill will go up of your class, so that's the way you will get to higher levels for the class - the skills. You'll also get abilities. It's not going to be like if you fight more monsters, you'll get more level ups, like similar to the experience system. Of course, if you fight against monsters, you will get some skill points, but it will help more if you attend to Guildleves. So that will be a more efficient way to hone your skills and 'level up' your character.
ZAM: One of the first things that we noticed about FFXIV was how similar it looked to FFXI in graphics, game play style - really in every sense of the word. Why is that, and is that a concern that you might be dragging over FFXI players by primarily targeting that already established consumer audience?
Tanaka: (Laughs) I think it's simply because the same people are making the game.
ZAM: Well, we can agree companies make games that are different from one another. I was just curious as to why FFXIV is so very, very similar. Most companies, when they make additional MMOs, they try to change their focus so that they don't take their existing consumer base away from a game that's already established. I guess the question is, aside from the obvious "the same talent behind the game," aspect, why was the decision made to make FFXIV so similar to FFXI?
Tanaka: FFXI has been out for about eight years now; the graphical engine we used is very old. In that sense, we wanted to have something that the FFXI players can smoothly move on to. So yes, in that sense, it could be very similar to Final Fantasy XI, so it's easier to switch for them. Also, for the race, that's something that we did on purpose to make it very similar to FFXI so that it's easier for people to go from FFXI to come to FFXIV, so that's why I feel it's very similar. As you mentioned earlier, maybe other companies make totally different MMOs to not get users from their original MMOs, but in this, I think we have a different policy or something in that sense. We are providing FFXIV for the FFXI community - as another game they can enjoy, so that's the primary target. Also, we want Final Fantasy players to enjoy the game who haven't played MMOs before, and we also want MMO players who haven't played the Final Fantasy series. We are trying to reach several different targets, but the first one will be FFXI players.
*The follow-up question and answer wasn't captured correctly due to a voice recorder malfunction. We're attempting to recover the audio for a future amendment.*
ZAM: [...]
Tanaka: [...]
ZAM: What were some of the biggest lessons you learned in FFXI, and how did those lessons help you make decisions when developing FFXIV?
Tanaka: The main thing we learned from FFXI was that once we launched the game, we communicated with our players to receive feedback and improve the game and improve the game experience. So we really believe that communication with our players is the most important thing, and that is something we would like to continue for FFXIV as well. Also, we think FFXI was very different from other online games because we have a cross-platform system and a cross-region system, which is different from other MMOs. This is something we believe is a good decision and we believed it helped us create a successful game. This is something we'd really like to continue for FFXIV as well.
ZAM: The guild linkshell system in FFXIV was very unique, and some players loved it and some players didn't like it - obviously because it was so unfamiliar. What kind of plans do you have for FFXIV in terms of guilds?
Tanaka: We are currently working on it, so we can't really go into details, but what we're trying to do is, while linkshells were more like communication tools, this time we are trying to let the players aim for something by joining these kinds of organizations. In this way, players will have a purpose to achieve by working together in the same organizations, so please look forward to further announcements. Also, we will provide a website and people will be able to communicate with each other via these websites as well. We do have a linkshell community site already, but this new version is going to be totally different, and will have more interesting tools.
ZAM: Will it be more like a traditional Facebook or other social networking applications that have become popular over the years?
Tanaka: Because there's already Facebook in a lot of popular social net services already, what we're trying to provide is more like the actual information that people can use to use those social networks, because we don't want to force players to use our social network. We're sure they have their own favorite. What we're trying to do is give them the information by which they share through their social network services.
ZAM: With the two mini content updates for FFXI already out and the third one set to come out at some point in the future, are there any plans for at least one more large scale expansion for the game before FFXIV comes out?
Tanaka: We're still working on the third of the new scenarios, so we're not sure what we have after that. We might start working on something new for FFXI; we might not, so we can't really comment on that.
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