FFXIV Windows 8 Surface and other W8 Tablets

[Defmetal]

I understand that just about all old games, like FFXI, will not work on the new Surface tablet which is running the ARM Windows 8, but the game should be able to easily be ported over to it because it is still windows and programming should still be very similar from what I've seen in the dev kits.

I'm currently a Microsoft Gold partner and we've been playing around with some of the prototype tablets and Windows 8 RTM and I very much like the OS -now-. It took a long time for me to get used to it but now I'm a fan of it.

I know FFXIV will never be on iOS but it would be nice to see a reworked touchscreen UI for Windows 8 for this reason:

I would love to be on a 4G or better Tablet, pull out my bose headset, and play FFXIV on the go. (On the go for me means I'll be at the local humidor having a cigar in AIR CONDITIONING!!!).

The game already works with touchscreen because its de facto mouse support, so we'd be able to tap the menus and open them just fine - but Walking is still near impossible. We can use the on-screen windows keyboard, but thats not practical.

So what I'm asking for, for 2.0, and obviously not at launch but to have this in mind for future development, especially as people move away from laptops and into tablets, is:

• On-Screen D-Pads similar to the kind we use in FF3 iOS
• Swipe camera controls to go with the Dpad for camera
• Potential on-screen build-in keyboard (same UI as ps3?)
• Official Windows 8 App so it works on W8 Tablets
• Windows 8 "Games for Windows" achievements

One or two of those changes could be complicated, namely the achievements, but the others are just a control scheme that could be added directly to the FFXIV Config similar to the Gamepad controls. It shouldn't require a whole new FFXIV version, and should be able to be integrated into the normal 2.0 PC client if performed correctly and would be backwards compatible with all versions of windows.

[Doki]

Not sure if serious. This is SE you know?

[Valmonte]

under no circumstances should any game be built around an OS, although i will agree id love to see FFXIV on ARM and MIPS. i don't think it will happen just because of the nature of the architecture in general and the shaky future of ARM/MIPS devices.

[Vassteel1]

w8 is garbage just saying

[Zyph]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztVMib1T4T4

[Chinook]

They should definitely have future tablet support in mind if they want this game to be future proof and highly accessible.

[Colino]

No way it's ever happening on the ARM surface or any ARM tablet for that matter.

Now the pro version we could start talking about...

[KiriA500]

• On-Screen D-Pads similar to the kind we use in FF3 iOS

[cloverkitty]

I am not sure you are fully understanding what you are asking. An ARM processor is what is used to power a smartphone or a low cost tablet (Ipad, Galaxy Note, Surface RT, etc).
None of these systems have the processing, memory or graphics power in order to play this game unless it is scaled WAY back. It would also have to be written to support the ARM chipset calls. Windows RT will not run everything that Windows will run (hence the RT). In addition to that you cannot simply install a program on an RT program as it currently would have to go through the marketplace with its restrictions.

As far as a Surface Pro. Yes it will run FFXIV although I would recommend it be in lower settings to prevent overheating. Since 2.0 uses less resources then 2.0 should run just fine on a Surface Pro.

Here are the specs between the 2 (These are night and day differences)
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/18/m...rt-and-window/

The Surface RT is an ARM tablet (similar to Android, Ipad and others) It is not a gaming machine unless the game is written to run on ARM (not nearly as powerful as a laptop or desktop. This is why it is so cheap).

The Surface pro is basically an Ultra Book type setup with an I5 and an Intel HD 4000 (which is capable of running FFXIV).
Basically a small laptop with the keyboard detached and a full touch screen with a special pen design.

Due to lack of space inside the case I would not put the setting too high due to cooling worries.

I hope this helps.

[Valmonte]

I am not sure you are fully understanding what you are asking. An ARM processor is what is used to power a smartphone or a low cost tablet (Ipad, Galaxy Note, Surface RT, etc).
None of these systems have the processing, memory or graphics power in order to play this game unless it is scaled WAY back. It would also have to be written to support the ARM chipset calls. Windows RT will not run everything that Windows will run (hence the RT). In addition to that you cannot simply install a program on an RT program as it currently would have to go through the marketplace with its restrictions.

As far as a Surface Pro. Yes it will run FFXIV although I would recommend it be in lower settings to prevent overheating. Since 2.0 uses less resources then 2.0 should run just fine on a Surface Pro.

Here are the specs between the 2 (These are night and day differences)
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/18/m...rt-and-window/

The Surface RT is an ARM tablet (similar to Android, Ipad and others) It is not a gaming machine unless the game is written to run on ARM (not nearly as powerful as a laptop or desktop. This is why it is so cheap).

The Surface pro is basically an Ultra Book type setup with an I5 and an Intel HD 4000 (which is capable of running FFXIV).
Basically a small laptop with the keyboard detached and a full touch screen with a special pen design.

Due to lack of space inside the case I would not put the setting too high due to cooling worries.

I hope this helps.

ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore, Tegra 3 and TI-OMAP 5 can easily run this game, if coupled with a decent GPU.