To all adventurers and pioneers!

[Okipuit]

Producer Matsui was able to escape from his busy development schedule to deliver you a briefing before you step out into the uncharted lands of Ulbuka!

Hello,

Matsui here.

We are just a couple days away from the release of Seekers of Adoulin and the development team is putting on the finishing touches. (The main tasks being the testing and fixing of any bugs that were discovered by the dev or QA teams.)

However, there are a couple of things that I wanted to let you know ahead of time, so I broke free from the development tasks for a bit to write up this post.

First I would like to talk about missions and quests.

• Missions and Quests
  One of the biggest requests we have received for the past couple years was to add quests that have a deep story and allow you to feel more of the world and lore, so for Seekers of Adoulin the entire event staff has been using all their power to respond to these requests. (The amount of materials for the new continent's lore is seriously huge.)
  
  Due to the fact that the translation work volume is extremely large, there are some quests that had to be pushed back from the upcoming version update; however, I believe that there is still quite a large volume of quests to be implemented.
  
  Also, with the version updates to take place after launch, we will be adding quests and putting material on topics to go along with the main story missions as they are added, and we are striving to make it so everyone can directly feel the world being pioneered and all the changes that take place.

Next, I would like to discuss the level design in Seekers of Adoulin. Equipment, content, and jobs are not something that we can separate from this, so I would like to explain our thoughts on this by including them all.

• Level Design of Seekers of Adoulin
  For those players who have reached level 99, the main focus of growth is equipment. We envision a play cycle where players take on content with their current gear in order to collect equipment with better stats, and then take on more difficult content to procure even better equipment.
  
  We are currently working to make it so there is a common gauge for equipment and content (let's call it content levels for the time being), and to create index data that will allow those who are implementing equipment and content to have a more objective understanding of the equipment stats and monster strength. Ultimately I would like to be able to release information indicating the content level to all of you adventurers. While this is still in a phase where work needs to be done, I'm getting the feeling that things are coming together bit by bit.
  
  The parameters for monsters that await adventurers and pioneers have been decided by the above content levels and index data.
  
  We've eased up on the AoE damage of monster's special attacks, and we've also eased up the status ailments from added effects so that they last for a maximum of 60 seconds. Also, we've made Amnesia and other difficult to cure status ailments have an even shorter effect duration.
  
  In regards to the addition of two new jobs and the increasingly difficult job adjustments, I believe that making adjustments so that regardless of the enemy all jobs are able to deal the same damage or making adjustments so that regardless of the content all jobs can clear it using the same strategy are not fitting adjustments for a game with 22 jobs. Job adjustment is fundamentally content adjustment. For any content, if there are only enemies that are strong against magic, magic based jobs will no doubt take a hit. We will pay even more attention to whether the content that is implemented is open to all jobs and be more thorough in sharing information between the people who are implementing the content. We're aware that there are still some uneven aspects to strengths and weaknesses of certain jobs, but the job lead and those making content adjustments are aware that only modifying the job parameters will not accomplish this task, and will be continuing to make adjustments.

Once I start writing it often times gets quite long. If you are feeling tired while reading this, go ahead and take a break and come back later.

Moving on, I would like to talk about Seekers of Adoulin related content.

• Seekers of Adoulin Related Content
  In regards to battle content, we will first be implementing Reives and Skirmish.
  
  • Reives
    Reives are essentially a means to pioneer. Battling with monsters who are in the way of pioneering and clearing out other natural obstructions to increase the colonization rate is a world-wide endeavor.
    
    By increasing the colonization rate it will be possible to gain various boons such as making it easier to progress through areas and making it easier to gather materials.
    
    Also, as an individual reward, you will gain points known as Bayld, which you can then use to exchange them for equipment and other things.
    
  • Skirmish
    Skirmish was shown the other day on YouTube Live and it is a type of end-game content. For the upcoming version update we have prepared two types of Skirmish. The difficulty is by no means low, and we've prepared fitting rewards, so if you have the confidence please try and take on the challenge.
  
  We plan on expanding both of these contents as areas open up.
  
  Also, we are working on developing content that a tier higher from Skirmish as well. This battle content is planned to expand with each version update.
  
  • Mog Gardens
    During VanaFest we showed off all of the content we felt we were going to be able to introduce, and many of you were hoping to be able to experience it when the expansion launches, but we plan on releasing the Mog Gardens content as Adoulin is colonized.
    
    Content-wise there are a lot of aspects which require a lot of time for testing, but Fujito is working hard to deliver this content around summer time as planned. (Fujito plans on making a comment separately on this, so stay tuned.)

Finally, I would like to talk about some other content. While content listed below is not everything, I wanted to discuss some of the more noteworthy aspects.

• Play as a Monster
  While Play as a Monster was originally being developed on a separate time schedule from Seekers of Adoulin, due to the fact that adjustments will be made to follow player growth post-Seekers of Adoulin, the speed of work on this has slowed down for the moment.
  
  We are overcoming the technical hurdles one by one and are continuing to work on adjustments to fit Adoulin, so we would like to show it off on the Test Server or with a live stream when the time is right.
  
• Storage
  We are working towards making it possible to use storage from all rental houses. While we are still performing testing, we are hoping to make it possible around the spring to summer time frame.
  
• Expansion of the range for party invites
  Similar for this, we expect it to be around the spring to summer time frame. At the same time we are planning to expand party invites and the /yell feature to the Chocobo Circuit.
  
• Fishing
  We expect fishing revamps to take place around the summer to fall time frame. We also plan on implementing this to the Test Server for you all to try out, and your cooperation would be most helpful.
  
• Synergy and Evolith
  This is somewhat off in the future, but I feel revamps to this are necessary and have value. Once we are at the stage where we can let you know the specific plan we will inform you.

[Demon6324236]

Storage
We are working towards making it possible to use storage from all rental houses. While we are still performing testing, we are hoping to make it possible around the spring to summer time frame.

It has been a year already has it not? Why is it taking so long for this!? >:O

That and the fact the expansion is coming in 'stages' are the only problems that I have, but they are big ones. My RDM is projected to take up over 140 inventory spaces upon be finishing it. I do not have nearly the inventory to actually fit all of that, we get little to no boosts in actual inventory anymore, and storage which sounded like at least some help, is still far off it seems.

[hideka]

the lack of any plans to bolster SMN and RDM is depressing. poor summoner was promised new avatars two years ago >_>

[NDSI]

Expansion of the range for party invites
Similar for this, we expect it to be around the spring to summer time frame. At the same time we are planning to expand party invites and the /yell feature to the Chocobo Circuit.

Personally I don't see how this adds anything to the game, are people actually spending time in the Chocobo Circuit at all?

[Demon6324236]

Personally I don't see how this adds anything to the game, are people actually spending time in the Chocobo Circuit at all?

No, but thats the point, players came up with the idea of making it the new bazaar spot since no one actually uses that area anyways. If it were made into a new bazaar location it would take the people out of Port Jeuno and put them there. One would argue that could never work, you would not see yells and would miss groups, but this actually solves that problem. Basically, they are turning it into a party hub for players to gather, bazaar, and afk, rather than cluttering up cities of which are actually being used and navigated through on a constant basis.

[Sargent]

the lack of any plans to bolster SMN and RDM is depressing. poor summoner was promised new avatars two years ago >_>

As much as new avatars are overdue and nice, it won't fix SMN. If SE really want to balance out jobs, they would do something about that rancid 45 second timer, especially after acknowledging the increase in battle speed.

[Karbuncle]

I'm rather surprised Evolith was mentioned. Hopefull they looked over some of the threads that were created on Evolith in this forum a while back... for ideas on how to improve the idea.

[Glamdring]

In regards to the addition of two new jobs and the increasingly difficult job adjustments, I believe that making adjustments so that regardless of the enemy all jobs are able to deal the same damage or making adjustments so that regardless of the content all jobs can clear it using the same strategy are not fitting adjustments for a game with 22 jobs. Job adjustment is fundamentally content adjustment. For any content, if there are only enemies that are strong against magic, magic based jobs will no doubt take a hit. We will pay even more attention to whether the content that is implemented is open to all jobs and be more thorough in sharing information between the people who are implementing the content. We're aware that there are still some uneven aspects to strengths and weaknesses of certain jobs, but the job lead and those making content adjustments are aware that only modifying the job parameters will not accomplish this task, and will be continuing to make adjustments.

I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am with this. I'm fine with different strategies, I honestly don't expect a party with 2 mages, 1 tank, 2 dd and a puller/support to fight the same way as 3 DD, thf, brd and whm, what I do expect is that they both should be able to beat the content, just with different moves. See THAT is what is called "job relevance". But the above quote leads me to believe you have just given up.

don't get me wrong, I blame the playerbase for much of this. We devise one strat to beat X, then refuse to even consider anything else. The devs can clearly take that as an impression that we are all ok with that. The problem is that impression is wrong! We go along with it because if we have any hope of being allowed to do the content we will not deviate from the official strategy, otherwise we will not be invited. The little fact that a player LOVES to play rdm and only plays war (despite absolutely HATING it) because the only way they can get an invite is to play war doesn't show up in the devs data mining-unless you are tracking conversations that is.

I'm sorry, but this is simply unacceptable. I understand your belief that players all believe their job's DPS needs to be increased because so many of the full time lurkers here on the forums continually harp on how "if your DPS is less than a Relic sam your job is gimp". Unfortunately, they don't speak for all of us. Rng, yeah, they want their DPS fixed, a couple others as well. But DPS isn't the issue for every job. Rdm it's that other jobs do what they can so much better so what's the point? Brd it's i've sung my 2 marches, now what? Cor it's, ok, I've done my job but wait a tic, why am I out 85k and you are out 30, not k, but 30 gil? Dnc it's jobs with higher DPS can do all the dnc can so why bother with a dnc main?

Other jobs have similar issues, just read the threads. Disregarding the DPS whines and possible fixes that only increase DPS there are still a TON of viable solutions in most of the longer threads, from a regain spell for rdms or brds to a store TP- on enemy flourish, all kinds of things like this. but not only does none of it get implemented, there isn't even any response as to why it is not even being considerred-or an indication that it is. Now, I appreciate that you are a bit more communicative than your predecessor but I think what we players need is a bit more direct response to these smaller suggestions rather than massive blanket responses like this. And they do NOT have to be from you, we all like Cam, Bayonne, and the rest of the reps, we really do, ESPECIALLY when they write us back via a post. And I'm fine with it not being the Devs at all, by all means, have them keep pounding out content, we all want more as the dollars we keep coughing up every 30 days should indicate to you.

So, back to the above quote, please, say it ain't so...

[Merton9999]

So we've been hearing about new job abilities, new spells, new avatars, more storage, new UI, new merit systems for years now. I've officially renamed this collective set of features as "Final Fantasy Versus XIII-2." It's at the point now where literally none of this is ever going to happen. So funny.

Consequently, I had given up on FFXI for a while, but was actually excited about trying GEO. Then I watched the live footage where the GEO waved a super scary, intimidating bell around and subsequently transformed into Pig-Pen from the Peanuts cartoons. Yuck. Now that excitement is officially dead.

Anyway, yeah, some of the new stuff might be fun, but at this point I'm not willing to try it out for $32+. I expect the worst now, so I just skimmed the OP like I was watching a horror movie with my hands over my eyes. But all I got from it is the notion that I would be doing events on jobs I don't like to get gear for jobs I do, but still wouldn't have any space to actually store that gear anyway.

[FrankReynolds]

I cannot adequately describe my feelings of distaste for that entire post. Seriously??? I mean at this point you're basically telling us that you ceased work on all the problems in the game and instead spent that time / money on packaging and promoting an expansion that won't actually be ready for a couple more years but you want the money for it now... I just ...