Yesterday morning took place the 28th Live Letter presented by the producer and director Naoki Yoshida and his faithful Morbol. Hiroshi Minagawa, the person in charge of the interface intervened during the second part of the program.
Miscellaneous information
- 7-Eleven stores in Japan will offer a partnership with Final Fantasy XIV in April: drinks will have a special code on their packaging. This code contains a certain number of points and these will be redeemable for in-game items. The team is considering how to make these items available outside of Japan.
- A new payment method will be added in Japan: BitCash. These can be purchased at 7-Eleven stores. Here again a special campaign is taking place offering Crysta and Etherite Tickets.
- The official guide to the Disciples of the Hand and the Earth will be available in Japan.
- Yoshida will visit Elemental Data Center on April 1.
- The theme "Locus" from the Alexander raid will be used as the main theme for a new television program on the NHK channel.
- The date of the next Live Letter has been announced and will take place on 29th April 2016 to Nico Nico Chokaigi 2016. The latter will include:
- Information on Update 3.3 - part one.
- A discussion with the Sound Director.
- A NicoNico Cosplay Contest session.
- Discussion sessions.
- Many other things.
- The presence of Akihiro Hino, President of Level 5.
- Following this event, new items will be on sale in the Square Enix store, first on sale at Nico Nico Chokaigi. It is not specified whether these items will be available in all Square Enix stores.
- The team will also be present at the PAX East 2016 which will take place from April 22 to 24 next, in Boston.
- Event Full Active Time Event will be held on May 22 next to Akita.
Question and answer session
Find below all of the official responses in spanish given on The Lodestone forum annotated with our comments from other translations as well as the usual screenshots.
Questions related to JcE
Healers seem to miss their attacks quite frequently in Patch 3.2 dungeons. Do you plan to adjust the accuracy of the healers?
When it comes to dungeons, we wanted healers to be able to attack targets without worrying about accuracy. We will make adjustments so that you don't need to worry about it.
When it comes to raiding, we didn't want to create situations where healers were forced to deal damage. However, we are aware that some groups use healers in this sense in their strategy and therefore healers use precision materia.
We are currently discussing all of this with the development team. Please wait a little longer.
The dev team addressed the healer accuracy issue in Patch 2.4 and continued to work on it until 3.0.
Since the arrival of Alexander Gordias (sadist) the number of groups present in the team search seems to vary enormously depending on the Worlds. Do you plan to make it possible to recruit players from other worlds?
There have been a lot of players who have transferred their character in order to accomplish the sadistic mode of Alexander Gordias (sadistic). We are aware that there is a difference between Worlds for team research. That said, we are currently developing a Raid Tool. The system is similar to the Mission Tool and would only apply to the most recent raid content. Players will be able to make their adjustments in terms of reasons for the raid, whether it's training or not, etc. We are also planning to add a verification to prove that players have received the achievement of a piece of content. We are planning this for patch 3.3.
We are also working on team research across multiple Worlds and would like to update you on the progress at a later date. We will first implement the Raid Tool.
An unofficial translation reports the arrival of the inter-server team search tool possibly for 3.3.
Was the pace at which Alexander Midas (sadistic) was accomplished what the team had expected? I found that the difficulty increased in the second part.
As for those who are playing to be the world firsts, that's what we had planned.
We have lowered the required DPS compared to Gordias and since many groups participate in these raids with a lower item level, they use materia to increase their DPS. However, at the HP level, Midas is more demanding, crimping V materials is a good choice.
We are aware that many of you have difficulty with Son's Wrist (sadistic) and we have concerns about the difficulty between Son's Wrist (sadistic) and Son's Fist (sadistic)
The Wrist of the Son contains the 4 bosses that you must fight one after the other. It's likely that the difficulty of this is caused by the mechanics of each boss and the high damage they deal. I can't make a promise right now, but we are currently investigating the possibilities of adjusting the damage of the Son's Wrist (Sadistic)
Yoshida specifies that he feels that the difficulties of the A6 and A7 raids have been reversed: the A6 is proving to be more difficult for him than the A7.
To accompany the changes in Patch 3.2, the drop rate of FATEs related to Barbarian Tribe quests has been increased. However, this does not appear to be the case for “Ben mon cochon” and “elite des crocs”. Could you reduce the waiting time for these FATEs?
The development team is aware of this and needs some time to make adjustments. Please wait a little longer.
Unlike the other Primaries, Sephirot is not directly linked to the main storyline. Does this mean that the history of the warrior triad will be developed separately?
We've taken this out of the epic so players can participate in the extreme versions directly. Players will see the emergence of Garlemald's empire, so they aren't completely story-related.
Are there plans to add an "Anima" armor, on the same principle as the weapon?
It's a more popular request in the West, enough for the team to come to discuss it.
This is a possibility but for 4.x, but not for 3.x.
PvP Questions
I can't wait for Feast Season 1 to arrive. However, I am concerned that some jobs are becoming too powerful or too weak, due to the adjustments in Update 3.25. Will the season start in 3.25 as planned?
I've talked about Patch 3.25 tweaks in the forums before, but in this patch we'll be reducing the duration of fights to keep the pace faster. In addition, we will make adjustments to aspects that make matches too long.
We will reduce the number of walls that obstruct the view and increase the frequency with which adrenergic supplies appear, they will also be easier to destroy. We will also adjust other elements to make the game pace faster.
We will also make job adjustments. We are aware that the Machinist can inflict a large amount of damage quickly and we will make adjustments to this.
Regarding the recording, we have already implemented an algorithm that allows this to be faster. However, we will be making other adjustments so that you are grouped with players of ranks more similar to yours.
We had planned to debut Season 1 in Patch 3.25, but we'll start after taking into account the feedback we've received. We expect Season 1 to begin, two weeks after the release of Patch 3.25.
As for Update 3.25, we will be implementing the rest of the anima weapons. This will also be happening in Patch 3.3, but in 3.3 it is possible that the stats will be adjusted.
Adjustments will be required for the Adrenaline system. The duration of the matches will drop under 8 minutes.
The Anima weapon sequel will not use Alexandrites.
Are you planning any adjustments to the Dark Knights in the Feast?
We will make adjustments to the Dark Knight.
Questions related to Jobs / Classes
What is the progress of Familiar Mirages for Summoners?
After taking into account the resources required for this, we realized that they were enormous. Therefore, we will implement it as and when updates occur. We plan to start with Update 3.4. Please wait a little longer.
There are a lot of great machinist weapons in the game, but often times they cannot be taken advantage of when the machinist is using “Gauss Cannon”. Can you implement a feature to hide "Canon Gauss"?
We have made sure that this is uniform so as not to limit the design freedom of machinists' weapons. However, we are planning to implement a setting that will allow you to enable or disable this with a text command. We plan to implement this for the next update.
Teams that contain a Scholar and Astromancer do not have Spirit Bonuses, and this may add some difficulty to healing. Do you plan to adjust this?
This is not difficult to change. However, we are concerned that you see this as a “nerve”. Our point of view is that we should make sure that the bonus is effective, regardless of the composition of the team. However, we would like to hear from players regarding the withdrawal of the piety bonus. Please share your thoughts with us through the forums.
Would it be possible to add an effect to parry on tank armor so that we can enjoy it more?
We are aware that there is a lot of feedback mentioning that parry does not really increase damage reduction received and that it is better to increase resolve. We believe major tweaks are needed and we are investigating this for Update 3.4 when item level increases or for 4.0.
Crafting and Harvesting Questions
In the 20th Letter from the Producer, you explained that the specialist system was implemented in order to balance the situation where artisans were forced to take up multiple classes and you wanted to see players work together. However, there are specialist recipes that require advanced equipment crimping, and skill rotation has become much more complicated with specialist actions. Do you plan to make any adjustments?
The reason I said this is because previously players were almost forced to go up all the crafting classes or it was difficult to craft things. We would like to continue in the sense that high level artisans still have an advantage, but for older recipes they are not really difficult to craft. In Update 3.3, we will be increasing the item level of craftsmen. There might be pros and cons to this, but we are planning to ensure that equipment is shared between classes.
We'll also be updating the gear you can trade with red assignats. In update 3.4 we plan to implement new equipment and this change is to prepare for this. You need the current gear to get the next ones, so they won't be wasted.
Many players believe materia has never been more expensive for craftsmen.
The specialization system was not put in place to reduce the need to crimp your disciple's gear with the hand, but to access unique recipes that only specialists can make.
Do you plan to add materia that followers of the hand can use in barbarian tribal quests?
While this is not intended for the Barbarian Tribe Quest rewards, we will be adding a way to obtain Tier V materia for crafting. This is still under review so I will wait until Special 3.3 to talk about it.
I do not have any hand followers and I always ask my friends to use materia for me. However, they feel responsible when the crimping fails. Are you planning to implement an NPC?
In fact, there is already an NPC for crimping existing slots. However, I think advanced crimping needs to be done by artisans. Having said that, we will study this thoroughly based on the feedback.
According to the English version, there are no NPCs at the moment and the idea does not appeal to Yoshi. The idea remains under study for basic materia locations.
I'm struggling to get the Orchestrion's scores for the Crystal Tower raids. We have to use the lottery between 8 people, and since these items are used in crafting recipes, there is a demand from those who have already obtained them. Could you adjust the amount we can get in the coffers?
We plan to make adjustments so that they automatically appear in loot.
Speaking of raids, the next stage of Void Ark is slated for Patch 3.3.
There is talk of everyone getting a score at the end of the raid.
The next 24 player raid will take place outdoors. It will take place in a city where a large pyramid will stand at its center. More information will be given at the next LL.
It was also requested to make the partitions obtained stackable. Yoshida doesn't think it's doable.
I am very happy that you have implemented a system to turn HQ objects into normal objects. Would it be possible to do this for multiple objects?
The process of doing this on multiple objects at the same time is tricky in MMORPGs. The process has to check the objects one by one and this could cause server problems. We will study this.
In patch 3.2 legendary harvest points were added and grade V carbon dioxide can now be obtained from unspoiled nodes. Due to this, if we collect red assignats at the same time, the amount of PG to collect is too large. I wish I could use more cordial beverage.
There has been an increase in the number of times the Cordial Beverage is used by players. We will consider reducing their reuse time. Additionally, we will be adding new harvester gear for patch 3.3.
Miscellaneous - events, Gold Saucer, tools, etc.
A collaborative event with Phantasy Star Online 2 has been announced in Japan. Is there any information from the FFXIV side?
We haven't decided on this yet. In order to maintain the graphics quality of FFXIV, we need to decide on the general long-term dev schedule. It is for this reason that collaboration plans must be made after this.
The graphics quality of Odin's version in Phantasy Star Online 2 was superb so we want to bring something great from our side as well.
Could you add a way to listen to Orchestrion music in normal background music mode rather than 3D?
We will not be able to do this immediately. Soken will post the details on the forum. The 3D sounds for the sound source are working a bit too well, we plan to make some adjustments. We are also developing a “mixing” function. As for the other titles in the FF series, it is difficult to use the songs as we want.
Are you going to implement the China themed equipment?
Please share your feedback on the forum.
The question was about the equipment for the Mirage available only on Chinese servers. Players would like to find them on our servers.
If the demand is high enough, then these items will be added to everyone's Mog Station.
The amount of rewards at Gold Saucer has increased but there are not enough PGS available. Do you plan to increase the means of obtaining them?
In Update 3.25, we will be increasing the amount of PGS received in Gold Saucer's Logbook rewards. Additionally, we will be making a major update to chocobo racing in 3.25. There will be a mode where you can participate in races against NPCs and you can earn a lot of PGS.
Previously, I read that Yoshida said Fenrir was one of the mounts that could fly. Are there any other existing mounts for which this is also the case?
Fenrir will be able to fly in 3.3. We are currently investigating all three tank mounts. It takes a lot of resources to bring all 3 at the same time, so we need some time. Additionally, we are planning to add new flying mounts for Patch 3.3. This one looks like the Dravanian trees you can see in the areas.
Yoshida asked his team to have Fenrir freeze the ground behind him.
In a previous letter, you mentioned content where we could control our own battalion. What about progress?
This is content that encountered difficulties during the early planning stages. We are planning this for patch 3.4. However, I can't promise that we'll be able to add the dungeons that you can take your battalion to at the same time. However, we will unlock the rank of second lieutenant at that time.
We will be adding new items that you can buy from major companies with patch 3.3.
Free companies:
- New lands will be added in 3.3.
- An apartment system will be added.
Questions à Hiroshi Minagawa
Could you tell us what you are doing?
The role varies wildly from when you start creating a game until you are in the middle of creating.
The first job is to get the general point of view of the producer and then make sure that this is compatible with different platforms as well as in a multitude of languages.
First, I create the images of what the game will look like so that we can share them with the employees.
I also created the logo for FFXIV: To Realm Reborn and the logos for the updates.
Hiroshi Minagawa has worked on Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy XII and Tactics Ogre. On FFXIV he is Lead Designer and Lead Art.
He explains that when creating a UI (the user interface), there are a lot of things to consider such as the type of the game: is it an RPG or an FPS? There is also the support such as PC or Playstation then the language. All of these are decisive.
Is there anything you would like to tell Yoshida?
Pay attention to your health! I see how hard you work!
Yoshida always wanted to work with Hiroshi. The reverse is also true.
Could you tell us which UIs impressed you outside of FFXIV?
Rift and Guild Wars 2. Regarding recent games, The Division has a new UI visual and I would like to use this as a reference.
There are a lot of MMORPGs, is there something in FFXIV where you were particularly sharp or that you had problems to develop?
I think it is very important to create a UI which is a standard for PC MMORPGs. You also have to think about the game with the controller and that was the hardest part. Since this is a title that is part of the FF series, you have to think of players who have never played an MMO and they have to be able to play with the controller. In Update 3.2, we have expanded features to make it easier for beginners to get into the game. We're also developing something to make the equipping process easier for Patch 3.3.
Minagawa explains that a new feature will equip the best equipment available in our inventory automatically. This will be based on the ilvl of the equipment and not on a "best available equipment for this location (BIS)" system.
Last year we went out for a drink with Yoshida and you promised me something. Where are you ? I'm talking about the functionality to change targets. You mentioned that you would speak to Minagawa about it. On the other hand, would it be possible to have a text command that would display the target's HP?
We can't answer this here, but we'll take a look on our way back.
Would you like to research VR? Where are you already working on it?
As a hobby I'm interested in it but whether or not this will be implemented in XIV is a whole different story?
In a previous live letter Yoshida talked about the double cross action bar, I would like to learn more.
I brought a video to show what we are developing.
The "double" is the name that refers to the double click. By double clicking L / R, another action bar will be displayed. For those who are not used to changing sets, this might not change much, but this feature would allow you to access the action bar without having to go through the original set. When testing internally, testers who used this feature and those who did not are split 50/50, therefore we would like to investigate this a bit more.
I think this would be a good place to add actions, or markers and macros that aren't used frequently. This functionality is complex and we plan to implement it in 3.4.
Could you tell us more about the add-ons?
I apologize that this is taking so long.
Since there has been a lot of discussion about displaying DPS, we put it to the side.
We planned to implement this about 6 months after ARR was released. However, we were looking for features that wouldn't create inequalities between PCs and PlayStation and one of the reasons we fell behind is the lack of possibilities to do certain things on PlayStation. Due to this we have prioritized the implementation of other features.
Add-ons may be added to 4.0.
It's tedious to skip PvP and PvE bars every time. Do you plan to make it possible to record PvP and PvE action bars separately?
I am aware of this request. It is difficult to store data for two sets. We are currently looking for a way to do this in another way. I think there are players who use this with text commands in macros, but we're thinking of making this possible with a button.
We are also planning to implement a feature where you can store your PvP action points in sets. We believe this can be implemented faster than the one mentioned above. We are planning this for 3.3.
With the number of actions and jobs increasing, I have filled all of my macro slots. Do you plan to add more? On the other hand, there are a lot of macros that require more than 15 lines, are you planning to increase this?
After studying this, it turns out that it would take a lot of time to change the core structure of the macro system. However, we are aware that if we do not change this, we will not be able to resolve these concerns with the current system. We are therefore working towards an adjustment. We are investigating the possibilities of unifying the data so that it can be shared between several characters and then allow an increase in the amount that can be used.
Would it be possible to implement a feature to save different UIs as favorites?
We are developing this right now and this is planned for 3.3. We think we can save 3 sets.
I play the controller and with all the new actions added with level 60, I'm struggling to find room to place them all.
One of our ideas for solving this problem is the double-click mentioned above. But we would like to keep the next expansion and new actions in mind when developing new features.
There is a display limit in 24 player raids and sometimes I don't see my DoTs on the target. Would it be possible to adjust this?
We are studying this. The reason is that right now we're showing as much information as possible in fights, but we can't see what actions are included. However, we understand this in more detail now and believe we can increase the amount of information displayed. Please wait a little longer.
I would like to be able to use different mirages for the equipment I use for multiple jobs.
This is not currently planned. The reason is that there is only one aspect of the mirage data that can be saved per object. In addition, to make this possible would require an overhaul of the system kernel. This is therefore difficult to accomplish.
But the team is thinking about it anyway!
It might be strange to see my character's name in the English quest dialogs (for the Japanese version). You mentioned earlier that you were thinking of making it possible to save a name that would only be used in quest dialogs.
We have studied this and have decided not to implement it. Character names vary from player to player. We use a temporary name in dialogs to assign character names, but having another name would make this much more complicated.
In addition, it is possible that it is confusing for players to have multiple names.
Similar to Valerian equipment, do you plan to implement “Vagrant Story” equipment?
This was easy for Tactic Ogre since it was just pixels, but for Vagrant Story gear… well, just look at this image.
This is the main character and his rival. The rival is naked above the belt so you can see the main character's behind. We were able to create this for PlayStation, but with the quality of PlayStation 4, we were concerned that it wouldn't be great to have this kind of visual.
My Arsenal and my inventory are always full. Do you plan to adjust this?
We need a little more time, but we are looking at the possibilities of adjusting this.
Coming content
Apart from the questions and answers, Yoshida spoke of the few new things to come.
First of all a system of "dungeon-treasure hunt", based on the same principle of treasure maps but which will give access to a dungeon.
This content will not be too difficult, when you eliminate enemies from one room, you can flip a lever to access the next.
New items can be obtained with high level cards.
A new series of side quests on the scholasticate are planned in 3.4. Our dear Hildibrand will also come back with every major update
Yoshida mentioned the possibility of having a "Companion NPC". Those who have played FFXI may remember this system. There was a somewhat similar NPC in FFXIV V1. It was in these cases an NPC who assists you in your adventures, who had his own quests or who even accompanied you in the epic.
Here it is question that he can accompany you in dungeons. Maybe this will be added in 3.3, when the new Big Company ranks go live.
Addressed during the QRs, the double cross action bar was shown:
Sources
Google Doc. via Reddit
Dualshockers
FFXIV Twitch
What do you remember from this LL? What are your impressions ?
