2nd Live Producer Letter 11/03/11 - Unofficial Translation
Just remember my translations are not 100% I understand what it means in Japanese but having hard time putting it into better words in English due to lack of vocabulary... (Wife complains about this about me too...) If you want you can try auto-translators but those are harder to use for JP to English. Or you can wait for the official translation when the reps to respond.
Y = YoshiP / F = Foxclon / W = Wada
*cough* lol ...chocobo music.... *cough*
00:00:22 -
Y & F: Hello Everyone
F: producer letter live time is here
Y: yes
F: first off just like last time please please start off with greeting
Y: yes, FF14 producer/directer Yoshida here, for people in japan good evening, and people overseas good morning. Will deliver again globally. Today Japan is holiday and dev team is off today,
F: its quiet
Y: only person stopping me is Molbol so I can show some stuff here and there
00:01:11
F: This time just like last time, myself Molbol from the community team rep will be leading the talk.
Y: Yoroshiku (something you say in JP... hard to explain this one...)
F: from last time it’s been exactly about 1 month now, in that month lots have changed happened in FF14 could you start from there?
Y: Last time was day before the patch release, we were able to deliver the 1.19 patch and while we were able to received feedbacks from players we announced the 2.0.
I just came back from overseas just the other day; went over North America, Germany, England, and France; and was able to go talk to different community members and many members.
Now that I’m back want to talk continuation from last time.
F: This time for the 2nd part we will have 5 minute break in the middle and at same time we will answer questions we received up until now from the forums and from those being sent via twitter, so lets start with the questions
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Rm...8fw_8dNXn2nIxQ
00:02:49
F: Q: please explain the reason behind why the subscription is starting at this timing.
Y: I have answered in other interviews, last time at the first part of the live interview I said it was about 50% and that was day before the patch, the stance hasn’t basically changed from then. I hope everyone enjoyed the volume of 1.19; the programmers has been working hard and was able to prepare Chocobo - mount system, air ship, and Final Fantasy like content such as ifrit. But still missing player search system, market search system where you can search the auction and buy directly. auction system where you can see at least 20 history to estimate the market price. In FFXI the auction system when looking at MMO’s service point of view this is a major minus to me and we are not able to release this yet so the situation it’s still the same but for subscription fee the reason why we’re making it after 1.20 because we can finally add the PC search and the market system update So would like for you to try first then if you can see that you can continue playing. Also in a MMORPG world being first we are adding 1 year live event; which we’re calling “7th Umbral Era” which is coming to Eorzea which has quests and battle contents coming up and to be able to enjoy that would like to start subscription. With this much scale development involved and as much service as a producer’s point of view looking over entire project, like 24 hour GM support, or Molbol here from the community rep team’s support; to keep the good quality we have to start talking about subscription.
I understand some feel you didn’t have to bring this payment info up along with 2.0 information; If thinking from business it was possible to bring up the 2.0 information first and then release the subscription information later but I expected this 2.0 announcement will be taken greatly and globally and I know there are a lot of people who bought the FF14 package and played a little but stopped, for those players seeing this 2.0 news they can understand that subscription is also starting and wanted to make sure they understand the subscription fee doesn’t start automatically so it was better to put that information along with big information so players can understand; from their it’s up to the players to decide. And we did no’t want to sneak the subscription information later on; so thats the reason behind this.
not saying 1.20 but there will job is coming in 1.21 and more contents in 1.22 and we will listen to the players voice and for individuals to decide up from that, for us we just have to move forward with this.
00:07:28
F: Q: For the 2.0 how much character data will be transferred from previous? For example Quest, company related, or achievement or other points will be transferred? and if I don’t pay up till 2.0 will the character data still stay?
Y: Yes, first off regarding character data, Level and EXP, achievement flag, quest flags, history will basically be all carried over so don’t worry about that, however there are two parts to watch out for the data can be kept where you start the quest or completed but for those with multiple steps in the quest say a 5 step quest and you were on 3rd part of it there may be possibility where it gets rolled back to the beginning; can’t confirm this one yet;
also for the other part, we increased the players inventory greatly in 1.18 but for 2.0 with manequin system all teh equipment will be saved in a different system so wanted to lessen the inventory amount to 100 but it will be where we move the remaining player items to the NPC and need players help to move the items from the NPC to your inventory. Once the timing is close we will announce the details so until then please don’t worry, so please enjoy playing.
F: Thank you
Y: Also one more; if data will be transferred depending on if you’re paying the subscription or not if you bought the package, and played FFXIV once and have your character data we would like to transfer over to 2.0; I think that’s my responsibility so not going to decide if you’re paying or not paying subscription. so please don’t worry.
00:10:09
F: OK next question
F: Q: This one is also from the forums but from 2.0 will is it possible that the Gatherer or Crafter will be considered as main class and not sub-class, where we are able to fight?
Y: Hm?
F: Gatherer and Crafter being main class and be able to fight.
Y: In other words can say can fighter do gatherer or crafter - I have been watching this closely in the forums for this one reading every ones debate and thought I should answer this one, after I have taken over the FFXIV it’s been 11 month. Right after I took over with different interviews I have explained there isn’t much trouble going on in the world of FF14. For the ideal Final Fantasy is where the players as one try to save the world. If this is more dramatic it will be more Final Fantasy like and want to push it to this direction. For Final Fantasy numbering title I have never been involved with the development and suddenly becoming Producer/Director to able to make my ideal Final Fantasy XIV and to experience that it has to be where I am in charge. As for adventures for this being MMORPG I will continue making it so the crafters can shine just like now however for the main story having new danger/enemy which gets updated with patches I believe to save the world is main for battle class. We are currently stopped developing on the main story and it should be fine to play until 2.0 but once it’s in 2.0 for reason to add content finder; going to bring up WoW here but if you if you play WoW you would know but with content finder using it makes it feel like you’re playing solo play; if you can do one battle class to the end you should be able to enjoy crafter, gatherer, or battle, so if you can try them out and then choosing what you want to do as main.
Also I wrote this in the road map, we have a category called live surrounding housing system in there we are planning many features that involves crafters and gatherers greatly. We wont make a choice where we pick one specifically but if you want to keep up/follow with the main story it will require battle so for my ideal Final Fantasy it will be like that. But from there it will be the players decision.