Dear Yoshi P: What is your vision?

[Azurymber]

Great leaders are often great visionaries, working towards an idealistic goal.

Right now many people have taken a break, or are playing less, waiting to see if the game becomes something that appeals to them. Currently, the future of this game is somewhat unknown.

Thus, I think it is appropriate to ask you to answer a simple question:
What is your vision for this games future, be it 1 year or 2 years, or even further down the road?
If you could magically re-design the game the way you want overnight, how would it look and feel? Would there be lots of dungeons? lots of giant roaming monsters? what would the average journey be like? etc.

Please just tell us what direction you would like to see the game go in, so that some of us can decide whether to start playing again and prepare, or wait a bit longer and see what changes come.

You don't have to commit to anything. It would just be nice to see how you envision the game in the future, even if it ends up being nothing like that. Just so we can have -some- idea as to what to expect.

Thank you.

[Rhomagus]

I can already tell you with words straight from his mouth:

Yoshida: So if you ask what makes FFXIV special, it’s that you can be by yourself, play in a small party, play in a big party, play any class, play differently on the weekends or weekdays, the community size, and the way parties are going that day…. It doesn’t matter because there is so much you can choose from. The job system will be added which just means you could also team up with your friends and enjoy playing as certain jobs. I think all of that is what will make FFXIV different.

Yoshida: I think so. Down the line we’ll be releasing a PS3 version of FFXIV and that means a new generation of players including some who have never touched an MMORPG before. We’ve been working on UI improvements for the last six months but when the PS3 version is released, there are going to be a lot of things that are needed for those players as a matter of course. So even if there are current players who might object to it, I’ve always felt that we need to release whatever information we can. We want players to understand that we’ll continue to add new things, and given that, we’d like for them to make their own decisions on how to play the game, develop battle strategies, etc.

Yoshida: That’s the way things are going. So we think about what kind of content we can make that doesn’t require strict role division and makes it easier to form parties while at the same time, creating content that makes a player think “hey, this weekend, let’s make a plan and take on the hardest thing we can with the group we have”. There are a lot of entertainment choices out there and given the busy lives of the current generation of players, it’s only natural that people would have different ways of playing whether it’s a weekend or a weekday.

Yoshida: I love FFVII. It’s got this powerful feeling much like an MMO. You have your main story, mini games, character development, all in this amazingly powerful package. When I talk with people in North America or Europe, many of them say they’ll never forget the impact of that game. If we can create that type of powerful experience within Eorzea, I think FFXIV will have a firm place among MMORPGs.

Yoshida: Of course the annual greeting will be part of it, but it’s also going to be about the keywords that embody what we’ll be working on, the policies of the new team that play into that, and our aspirations for the next year. I just don’t feel it’s right to make promises on top of the promises we’ve already made but haven’t fulfilled yet. That’s why we’ll do what we can right up until the end of the year and then talk about where we’ll be going from there starting with the new year.

The most important:

Yoshida: I really can’t answer that right now. This is just my personality but I try to avoid making hard and fast promises on things I can’t be 100% on. For example, the timing of things or what content we will be offering. So for this interview, there will probably be times where I won’t be able to answer your questions and I hope you understand that. Once we have a work environment where we can release ample updates, I think we can begin to discuss a bigger timeline.

Yoshida: Most likely, I think the players are wondering how we are going to fix all of the problems. First, we need to narrow down our list of things to focus on. There are players at all different levels. We need to pinpoint what their needs are, listen to them, root out the source of the problem, and then start to make our promises to them one by one. That’s what our focus is on, especially for the rest of 2010.

We’ve also continued to work on the update promised to players before the year is over. During that time, the new team members are busy surveying the situation. Come the new year, I think you’ll see us taking the steps to communicate more than ever with players. We’ll make things clear one by one with concrete explanations. Of course, if we make a promise, we’ll keep that promise. Until we are in a position to keep promises, we’ll continue to honestly say, “We don’t know yet.” While it’s important to inspire anticipation and expectations in people, I don’t think that is what we should be doing at this time.

Yoshida: I’m not really big on policies. Like, oh, it was done this way before, so let’s change it like this, and because I’m thinking X, go do it, etc. I’m more for watching how things go. If plan A is good for how things are now, you do that. Once you’ve met your goals, you switch to plan B. You have to be flexible enough to change your tactics in accordance with the situation. That’s why rather than comparing what we are doing differently, I think we should just look at what we should be working on right now at this point in time.

4Gamer: So basically, you don’t want to say “FFXIV = THIS!”. Instead, you change how you will respond based on how things are at that time.

Yoshida: That’s how it will be. That’s why, like I mentioned before, our big “policy” right now is just regaining the trust of our players and customers.

Yoshida: I can’t say. First, we have to control costs and work on our budget. Once that is settled, I think we’ll be able to talk more about the future. We’ve only just put this new team into place but I think there are high expectations for us. However, as we look at the community, it feels like there is a “wait and see” type attitude. If I keep talking just about the future, players will feel even more despondent as the things they get promised don’t show up in the game for a long time. They feel we are all talk and no action. We can’t have that. However, once we are in a position where we are ready to, we can think about making long term plans and announcing our goals for even 2 years down the road.

First, we have to get our ducks in a row. Then, once we have confidence, we can work things out from there, creating a timeline for things that will happen in each quarter of the year, and then beyond. However, we have to get ourselves into a position where we can make good on our promises first.

[Azurymber]

I can already tell you with words straight from his mouth:

that isn't a vision so much as saying "you can do everything any way you want". And further the game said that @ release even when it wasn't true. I'm hoping for an actual description of Eorzea. Not just a vague statement. Vague statements will not get people interested in the game. A description of a besieged-type constant-war between Ishgard + Dravania might. Or even saying "A year from now I see Ishgard open, and a new mission-line being implemented to go with it" might make people interested.

Put in simple terms, if people will look at this game, SW KOR, GW, etc, what about this games future will make them think "that sounds awesome". As opposed to the way people think now which is "hmm.. i hope they fix that"

What makes a game special isn't the same as a vision.

[weeble]

i'd agree, i'd love some form of statement to this, but we been asking for this for long time in many threads and to no veil. i would really love to know what we really have in store for us in like a year or 2 down the road. do we have any ideas of what full linkshell events can look like, will it be possible even? will game just be dungeons that replace newer dungeons? heck maybe give us a thought on if an expansions is already being mapped out?

[User201109011315]

Please just tell us what direction you would like to see the game go in, so that some of us can decide whether to start playing again and prepare, or wait a bit longer and see what changes come.

Or leave now before we invest even more time in a game that doesn't resemble what we wanted.

[Rhomagus]

that isn't a vision so much as saying "you can do everything any way you want".Did you not read the last part where he specifically mentions that they need to get to a point where they are confident to make predictions down the road. And further the game said that @ release even when it wasn't true.Said what? I'm hoping for an actual description of Eorzea. Not just a vague statement. Vague statements will not get people interested in the game.You expect him to give concrete statements about a game that's in development that they aren't even charging for yet. C'mon. A description of a besieged-type constant-war between Ishgard + Dravania might. Or even saying "A year from now I see Ishgard open, and a new mission-line being implemented to go with it" might make people interested.The fallout to him making that promise and it not happening is more devastating than not telling you now.

Put in simple terms, if people will look at this game, SW KOR, GW, etc, what about this games future will make them think "that sounds awesome". As opposed to the way people think now which is "hmm.. i hope they fix that"

What makes a game special isn't the same as a vision.

Don't expect anything out of his mouth long term until they start charging. Read the last quote. And it's what he thinks will make the game special. I don't see how that is not descriptive of his vision. Visions are vague statements. Do you want him to tell you the color of the dragon in the cave underneath Ishgard?

Visions are often characterized by their vagueness. A general point of view on how the game experience will go. That's a vision.

They could pull an XI dev team on us and say that new avatars will be introduced for Summoner and then not release them for a full 2 years later. I don't think that really went over well last I recall. In fact, I remember it being brought up in the subsequent Vanafest the very next year.

[Azurymber]

Don't expect anything out of his mouth long term until they start charging. Read the last quote. And it's what he thinks will make the game special. I don't see how that is not descriptive of his vision.

One, i responded to you before you bothered to add in all the other quotes.

Two, this game was always supposed to be a "you can do what you want at your pace game" from the start. yet in the original release it was nearly impossible to solo past 20ish since they gimped solo sp at that point.

Three, the new team has been around for nearly 9 months now. If they aren't organized yet that seems like a serious issue. I'm not asking for him to talk about the future -every- patch. Just give a general idea about what it will be so that some people might say "well that sounds cool, maybe I won't move on to another MMO" which is what a lot of people seem to be doing lately.

[Rhomagus]

Azurymber:

One, i responded to you before you bothered to add in all the other quotes.Understandable. I tend to do that and I won't hold you against if for not knowing.

Two, this game was always supposed to be a "you can do what you want at your pace game" from the start. yet in the original release it was nearly impossible to solo past 20ish since they gimped solo sp at that point.Depends on which system you're talking about, but I don't see how you can expect them to give you an answer with a game that they still aren't confident to charge for. I think this request is reasonable after they start charging, as they will be "confident" enough in the game to be charging, they should also be "confident" enough to be able to reach their development milestones.

Three, the new team has been around for nearly 9 months now.With a game they are still not charging for. If they aren't organized yet that seems like a serious issuePatch 1.18 was the first layer of the foundation. Patch 1.19 will be the second layer of that foundation. It's abundantly clear how much they are able to achieve now that one layer has been already been added. Patch 1.18 was big, patch 1.19 dwarfs it. Patch 1.20 will probably be the third layer of the foundation and they'll be more capable of churning out content at a more steady pace. There's a lot of underlying things that need to be taken care of that they are addressing in 1.19. That's why Battle Regimens will be temporarily unavailable for a time.. I'm not asking for him to talk about the future -every- patch. Just give a general ideaA general idea is also a vague description aka a vision. about what it will be so that some people might say "well that sounds cool, maybe I won't move on to another MMO" which is what a lot of people seem to be doing lately.Again, the risks to his credibility at this juncture are far more important than borderline fans who are thinking of leaving anyways. If he makes those promises and they're not met, not only does he risk losing the borderline fans, but also the mainstay fans. Look at how the community reacted when Patch 1.18 went from late June to mid July (which was actually late July).

It's all there. Otherwise wait for Letters from the Producer to be released. That's exactly what they're for.

[User201109011315]

What Azuryamber is asking for is direction as much as vision. If you think they aren't confident enough for either of those yet, then what the hell is driving their decisions up until this point for the past 9 months? You need vision and direction, at least partially. There is only so much that pandering to every little complaint will do for the game. If decisions are not made with some grand overaching scheme in place then you will just get an incompatible mess of incohesive features.

[Rhomagus]

What Azuryamber is asking for is direction as much as vision. If you think they aren't confident enough for either of those yet, then what the hell is driving their decisions up until this point for the past 9 months? You need vision and direction, at least partially. There is only so much pandering to every little complaint will do for the game. If decisions are not made with some grand overaching scheme in place then you will just get an incompatible mess of incohesive features.

And the vision is right there in the quotes. Read them.