Important Announcement from the Devs!!

[Junpei]

What I'm worried about is if Square-Enix will be working "backwards" by using a PS3 optimized engine and backporting it to PC. I would HATE to be playing a console port MMO. I've already dealt with that playing Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst and Phantasy Star Universe. FFXI also was designed with the consoles in mind with some afterthought for the PC. I hope with the use of their new engine the graphics won't be downscaled/lowered to accommodate for the PS3 and not keep PCs in mind. They need to properly optimize for PC and keep the graphics looking good while also downscaling for the PS3 and keep that end of the population happy.

As much as I love FFXIV's graphics detail, there is an issue with it.

Everything is clean, everything is perfect. Hopefully the new system will introduce some DIRT.

[neorei]

bump for initial reaction thread lol

[Molly_Millions]

I just had to send an email to all my friends who've ever showed any interest in this game jut to show them all the epic changes!

The changes have been good so far, but the stuff in those PDFs is simply epic!

[Bayohne]

It's a little tough to find the most appropriate place to put this comment from Yoshida, so I'll take the easy way out and put it here. Yoshida made this post fairly soon after the announcement first hit and I want to make sure everyone sees it here, too.

Looking over the concept art and what not, I get the feeling the new FINAL FANTASY XIV will be completely different compared to the game now. Should we continue to provide feedback?

The new FFXIV is an extension of the current FFXIV.
We will continue to work hard and update the game, so it would be great if you would continue to provide feedback!

The feedback that the community provides will help build the new FFXIV!

Another thing I wanted to remind everyone, we created a sticky thread to gather all of your questions regarding the announcement, that we will use in the next Letter from the Producer LIVE! So if you want to make sure your question is seen (amongst the sea of new threads being created...) make sure you ask it there!

[Jennestia]

It's a little tough to find the most appropriate place to put this comment from Yoshida, so I'll take the easy way out

See this is why we got mad at you in the FFXI forum over the Scholar misspelling and leaving it there :P

J/k Bayo :3

I was wondering about this comment when I seen it since I figured it would be like the whole "Alpha > Beta Metamorphosis" that happened before.

[LlenCoram]

Thank you Bayohne. As one of the very few who are super excited about the changes coming up, but also super worried at what will be lost (character looks, possible fishing changes, etc.) this puts my heart at ease. You have no idea how much I needed that.

Bayohne for PM (of Canada) .

[Bayohne]

Another major post from Yoshida popped up over the weekend (and we apologize for the time it took to get translated for all of you, but accuracy is important!). Take a look!

Hi everyone, Producer/Director Yoshida here.

The document I created for version 2.0 was huge and parts of it may have seemed vague and caused some confusion. I would like to provide some further details on FFXIV version 2.0, such as the transfer of character data and the decision to start billing before the next Letter from the Producer LIVE. I also intend to further explain things to you directly on the day of the LIVE broadcast as well.
(I’ll try to keep my answers on each topic as brief as possible)

FFXIV Version 2.0
The general outline for FFXIV version 2.0 is as follows:

Rebuild: Level/Map Design
Rebuild: Graphics Engine
Reboot: Server System Re-design (including layout)
Rebuild: UI System Reboot + 'Add-on' support
Reboot: Expanding the Player Community

These five points provide the driving force behind the next stage of FFXIV.
As I’ve been insisting, we’re “in the middle of overhauling the game” and I’ve been working to provide clear explanations and updates about what we have achieved so far, I’d like you to take this as an official announcement that FFXIV 2.0 is on the way.

Due to way that our servers currently operate, it has been difficult to implement and adjust these things.

Opening new servers
Setting up dedicated language-specific servers (to have language specific/global parallel worlds)
World transfer service (Limited window to move to a new server)

However, here is what the development team has managed to implement and adjust based on your feedback:

The introduction of new recipes
The Dzemael Darkhold and other new content
The introduction of personal and rental chocobos
UI Overhaul
The rebuilding of the battle system
The introduction of the Grand Company system
Quest continuation implementation
Adjusting and enhancing the beginning of the game
Continuous server adjustments

Which also define what "version 2.0" will be and will be incorporated as they are when the game relaunches.
(Working from the feedback you have given us, we’ll be switching to the brand new server and UI in the final stage).

However, after version 2.0 launches, some content will be removed or changed for quests related to "The Seventh Umbral Era" as well as new Primal content. Expect this new content to introduce items and achievements that otherwise can’t be obtained in version 2.0 (or after).

Furthermore, we’ll be implementing the following in patch 1.20 and beyond:

Improving markets
⇒Purchase directly from the item search feature
⇒Transaction history of the 20 most recent items (to gauge the current market rate)
⇒Custom searches for specific item details


Implementation of a Player Search function
⇒Search for class, job, level, language, PT request, etc.

• Overhaul of class actions
• Primal Dark Moogle battle
• Implementation of achievement system
• Implementation of job system
• Addition of various instanced raids
• Primal Garuda battle
• Empire battle content
• Continuing to tweak the UI
• Crafting and gathering system adjustments
• New recipes and materials

We have many other tasks planned but please remember that everything here, every feature will become part of making version 2.0 what it is.

This essentially means that FFXIV in its current state and future versions will continue to evolve, and the Eorzea we have now and the Eorzea in version 2.0 will continue to grow and expand.

Between now and until version 2.0 arrives will be the only period when The Seventh Umbral Era-related stories and battle content will be available to play. I hope you enjoy experiencing firsthand the drastic changes to the world of Eorzea.

Character Data Transfer
When we port a player’s character data over, you can rest assured that NOTHING WILL BE WIPED, which means you can continue playing as normal, just as we promised.

Experience points, levels, gil, items in your inventory, completed quests - these will all be dealt with by the development team and will be converted automatically to the version 2.0 data plan.
You don’t have to worry about anything - all you have to do is continue playing as normal.
(However, when data is being transferred, there is a possibility that quests that are in-progress may be reset back to the acceptance stage. This will not happen for already completed quests, only for ones that are not yet finished).

As long as you have an FFXIV account and have created a character, your character will be transferred.

When the batches of data are converted, there is a possibility that the dev. team will utilize specialized NPCs to look after your items, in which case you will be able to retrieve them after the move. Note this will only apply to those users that have an extensive collection of items. As we won’t be deleting anything, we will be sure to make further announcements as we get closer to the transfer period.
(If we don’t convert them then we won’t be able to carry out the input inscriptions)

We are working on producing many systems that utilize gil (i.e. housing, systems to change gear color, salons, etc. Gil will be also be ported over as is.)

Our new world will also start with the economy slate wiped clean.

The start of FFXIV Billing
I answered a question from our recent Letter from the Producer LIVE session from the community saying that for current generation MMOs and the FINAL FANTASY name, we’re at about 50% of being where we want to be. This was a direct response to how I felt at the time before the release of patch 1.19. I realize that patch 1.20 and onwards have yet to be implemented but how I feel now won’t change…

As I said when I answered this question during the live show, if the game is in a state where there isn’t a player search or market search feature available, say, in comparison to other MMORPGS, then this is a huge problem (there is no point being able to search just for the sake of it).

At the same time, I also said there are FINAL FANTASY-like things that can only be experienced in FINAL FANTASY XIV – being absorbed in the world, characters, stories, content, sound, and the exchanges between the players and the development team on the forums. I feel that the game starts to feel like a FINAL FANTASY in 1.19 and in the future this will continue to become even more apparent.

On this basis, we would like billing to start after patch 1.20 has been released, around the beginning of December.

One of the big talking points in 1.20 is the implementation of “Player Character Search” and “Market Search” functions. For markets in particular, it will be a tough challenge to implement the auction house system as this will be done before the server revamp is completed. (I plan to change the appearance of the market again in version 2.0) In regards to having a minimum expectation for an MMORPG, I think there is a significant difference between having these two functions or not.

So without changing our plans we will continue to forge ahead and implement the Primal battles, instanced raids, job systems, Imperial battle content and other large scale content from version 2.0 onward. Furthermore, we are offering a play experience unlike any other MMORPG by providing content that is only available to enjoy now.

For all of our players who play our game and who have purchased FFXIV, bringing the best possible service to everyone involves numerous expenses no matter what (whether it’s ongoing server maintenance, 24-hour GM support, etc.) and that’s even if we were to leave out our development costs!

Therefore, please don’t limit yourself to the latest 1.20 version; try out 1.21 and 1.22, and by all means make up your own mind about the billing based on whether you like the game by then.

The dev. team and I have developed FFXIV from the minimum building blocks and we have set our goal to keep on raising the game to new heights to become the number one MMORPG.

So that is the direction version 2.0 is steering towards. In order to realize 2.0, we have a number of fundamental elements to redesign and rebuild.

Why make the billing announcement now?
This is an issue that we spent a lot of time discussing. If we had made the announcement any later, the announcement would have been made close to the release of patch 1.20. We wanted to give customers enough time in between the announcement and the start of billing, and by making the announcement now we were able to provide an additional 2-month free to play period.

As you all know, you will not be able to play FFXIV if you don’t agree to the automatic renewal for billing, even during the free to play period. There is a possibility that players who have stopped playing will not be aware of the billing announcement. As such, there may be players worried that they will be billed without their consent, even though they no longer play the game.

With that in mind, as we stated in our announcement, we decided to stop automatic renewals before we begin billing, and players will have to agree to the terms of automatic renewal again in order to begin billing. However, this does not mean that we thought it would be OK to not make an effort to publicize our announcement because we are stopping automatic renewals.

We knew we would make a big impact with the announcement of the game’s rebirth, so we thought it was a good time to announce the beginning of billing as well. We wanted the players to be able to experience patches 1.19 and 1.20 while the game was still free to play.

We will continue to do everything we can to keep the content interesting.

Improving Service and Game Quality

• Content Finder
• Language Servers (language servers and global servers)
• Housing
• PvP/Large Scale PvP
• Free Company
• Primal Summoning
• Crystal Tower

Including the above, there are many things we would like to add to the game. This includes things that are a part of other MMOs and other unique ideas.

The MMORPG is a genre that will continue to evolve without limits. Once an idea is implemented, it will lead to additional demands and avenues to explore. This is what makes developing an MMORPG so interesting.

In order for players to continue to enjoy playing, we will continue operations and development with our best efforts. I believe it is my responsibility to elevate the game to a higher level for the players to enjoy.

I’m sorry that I have rambled on for so long…

[Fensfield]

Setting up dedicated language-specific servers (to have language specific/global parallel worlds)

Sorry Bayohne.. thanks for the official version, but could you please clarify this part?

Being segregated away with people speaking only my native language feels.. uncomfortable. Is that really how it will be?

Or does that in fact mean that servers will be opened both for those who want only to play with people who speak their own language, and there will be servers for those of us would much rather be exposed to people who from all over the world, as it is now?

[Grudgebringer]

Thank you for all this information

So my question if i read this correctly is that the new job system will be introduced in the next patch 1.20? or was part of this referring to 1.21 and 1.22?

[Munba]

Or does that in fact mean that servers will be opened both for those who want only to play with people who speak their own language, and there will be servers for those of us would much rather be exposed to people who from all over the world, as it is now?

I think we'll have both. In any case i don't like the language-specific servers idea.. :/