Long list of big questions

[Sephrick]

I realize it takes time to develop content. That much is a fact. But in order to drive somewhere, you have to know where you're going.

At this point, only six weeks away from the intended date of delivery for what Yoshi-P has said would be the biggest patch yet, it's time for the devs to deliver what this game needs most: information.

As we the players know it, this game may be completely different two months from now. Do we not deserve the opportunity to prepare for any drastic changes that might be coming?

There's a lot we don't know about what is to become of this game, and I don't feel it's too much to expect to be told where this game is heading. I know the devs currently are wrapping up their Golden Week festivities, and I hope they had an enjoyable, much deserved, holiday. But come this week, it's time for business, and what better way to kick things off than by letting us know just where they're driving this car we're all in.

My suggestion, and it'd be super nifty if it happens, would be that the devs take one of the four sections below and tackle them each week and finally give us some solid info. that way it'd give us something to debate for a full month. Then mid-June won't seem so far away.

Without further preaching, here is my long list of big questions

1) Battle and skill points.

A - Will we get an auto-attack in June?

I - If so, what happens to our various forms of attack?

II - How will Marauder choose between single-target and AOE?

III - How will Lancer choose between single-target and line AOE?

IV - How will you automate a ranged attacker like Archer in a way that allows it to maintain power without ruining the hate threshold?

B - In the new battle system, will we still be allowed to use cross-class abilities, or will abilities become bound to the class they're obtained on?

I - If still allowed to make use of abilities from other classes, will they become more or less powerful in any way?

C - What is in store for stamina?

D - Has a decision been made about physical levels and bonus points?

E - The original concept of XIV was that anyone could experience anything in the game. Even, say, a blacksmith, can complete the storyline without assistance. Will DoH and DoL classes ever see a role in events like instanced dungeons or other content where the could potentially comingle with Battlecraft classes?

F - Will DoH and DoL get the opportunity to attain Skill Points at the same rate as Battlecraft can?

I - If not, is there any consideration in lowering the overall skill points necessary to attain max rank in DoH and DoL classes?

G - How will attaining skill points change for Battlecraft classes under the new battle system?

I - Will leves and Behest still be the intended way to go, or will there be viable camps at which a party may grind?

2) Job system.

A - Only briefly mentioned in a Letter from the Producer, with info coming "soon," it's a large bit of speculation as to what exactly the Job System is. So, what is the Job System?

I - It has been stated that there is an intention to bring traditional Final Fantasy roles into XIV. Will this be the way they are ushered into the game?

II - How will the job system affect the class system?

III - How will the job system affect current content and equipment?

IV - Will we ever see rumored classes like Musketeer, Archanist, Fencer, Enforcer, Samurai, Stavesman, Assassin, Flayer, Mystic, Bard and Shepherd in spite of a completely new system?

V - Which jobs are being considered?

3) Equipment and crafting.

A - What is Materia?

I - How will it's addition affect the stats of current equipment?

II - Will all DoH classes have a role in the materia system?

III - Will materia be discovered in the game world by classes like DoL and from loot taken from defeated foes, or will it be created by DoH classes or be an ability of the respective DoH classes?

B - Generally, by how many ingredients are you intending to reduce crafting recipes?

I - Many crafters use components of complete items to grind out skill points. What measures are being considered to ensure that crafters have a path to cap via reasonable SP gains from grinding recipes should those components become obsolete and thus removed?

C - Most players seem content with the current rate of equipment durability deterioration. Are there any plans to adjust durability further?

4) Miscellaneous.

A - Since June 2010, Companies have been described as player-run guilds featuring player-owned assets such as ships and real estate. The current Company-related content, though, seems to point at these now being NPC-led dungeon crawls. Just what are the Grand Companies and how has the vision changed since E3 2010?

I - If the Grand Companies have become an NPC-led feature. Are there any plans to develop some sort of housing for linkshells, or some form of linkshell bank in addition to other linkshell management features?

B - What is the purpose of the quest hubs?

I - Are they intended for specific types of classes over others? Say, places for DoH/DoL classes rather than Battlecraft?

II - Are the quests they offer intended to be for one-time or daily quests? Solo or group?

III - Are the rewards for these intended to be gil, skill points, equipment? All the above? Something else? Nothing but a good story?

IV - Will player interaction have an effect on the size or condition of these hubs?

V - Are these hubs in any way related to the Hamlet Defense concept?

I think it could help Square-Enix in the long run to just give us a more in-depth but still broad idea of what's in store for the many changes that they've to this point only mentioned in as general a way as possible.

[Razzle]

Well see, while I would like to get all these answer as well as the next person.

If I were SE, I would NOT answer this for the main reason: If I don't answer, players wait and keep playing, or will stand by until update and will log in, when all of this is release.
If I do answer, and players don't like my answer, they will quit from now without giving anything a chance.
If players like my answer, they will do the same thing they'd do if I didn't answer.

SE keeping the information hidden is making the players keep playing. You will log in to check the patch if you want it or not. Why would I risk losing players beforehand if I were a buisness?

While I know I do not contribute to this thread and that my post is kind of off topic, I felt the urge to say it, seeing so many request-for-information threads popping up... Sorry XO;

[Sephrick]

I see your point. And that would make sense from a business stand point if we were paying for this service.

I guess my point of view in posting this was that they likely aren't going to start charging with the release of 1.18. At this point they know what changes will be in 1.18, so I don't see the harm in starting to talk about it a little.

Whether they release the info over the next six week or all at once on patch day, those that want to give it a chance will. And those that don't will be frustrated they had to wait six weeks for what was given.

[yukikaze_yanagi]

yoshi mention another producer's letter where he'll start discussing of changes to battle sistem. I suppose we'll have to wait that, hopefully soon, or june beginning

[Kilta_Firelotus]

They can't give ya what they do not have. Also yoshida said he will try not to make a promise he can't keep. Which is why we get info the day of the patch vs hyping. I rather it keep like that because what tends to happen is ppl over speculate or misread the info and when it isn't what they speculated it failed.

[Picoman]

We are getting info soon. They are on holiday and its the weekend.

"I’ll continue to drop more details on future patch content on the Lodestone forums, and in these letters as well. Akihiko Matsui, our lead battle planner, will also be posting on the forums in the near future regarding some of the new battle concepts we have planned."

This was said only 5 days ago.

[Jinko]

If I were SE, I would NOT answer this for the main reason: If I don't answer, players wait and keep playing, or will stand by until update and will log in, when all of this is release.
If I do answer, and players don't like my answer, they will quit from now without giving anything a chance.
If players like my answer, they will do the same thing they'd do if I didn't answer.

Well I know since the last letter from yoshi-p there has been a massive fall in players loggin on and many who I know who said they aren't going to play as much til June.

So I think the damage you suggest in your post is already done and its getting worse by the day.

Many people are losing faith in this game and if they start to hold information back it can only make it worse IMO.