Alpha First Look: Video 3 - The Black Shroud

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Originally Posted by Tupster

Is it just me or does it seem like the shading model has been simplified? In version 1.0 it seems like we have a full modern diffuse/specular/bump/gloss map, but I'm only noticing diffuse/bump in these videos (except for water and aetherites). The result is that everything looks a little plain. I'd have to see a character in shiny armor to be sure, but I haven't gotten a good look.

Maybe I should go check out the old limit break trailer and see if I can make out how things are shaded.

However it seems to me that they have simplified the animation and the shading for the PS3. I don't mind as long as it looks good, but the complex shading was one thing that really made FFXIV version 1.0 stand out.

I really liked how, using a gloss map, you can make cloth look soft, leather look leathery, and armor look metallic. It lent a kind of reality to how your gear looked that was really compelling.

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Nah what made 1.0 stand out were the server crashes... you can have those tho i'll be happy in 2.0 :D!!!

Happy Thanksgiving indeed. I love the music throughout the entire video. I just wish that short piano theme that plays at the beginning were longer.

I remember when I started the beta for 1.0 how impressed I was with the graphics but even alpha version of 2.0 all I can say is wow!

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Originally Posted by Warlock

Nah what made 1.0 stand out were the server crashes... you can have those tho i'll be happy in 2.0 :D!!!

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I don't think you are implying that shaders have anything to do with server crashes, but I was just thinking I wouldn't want to lose the look of the equipment and other good things about version 1.0 in the transition to 2.0 unless there is a really good reason (like the high dollar cost of having artists create two versions of each shader because the PC shader was too advanced and instead unifying them to something the PS3 can handle).

Edit: Looking at the limit break trailer again, which has more examples of different gear, it looks the same. There is a "plainness", for lack of a better word, that comes from something that is missing that I can't quite put my finger on.

ARR definitely has better art direction, and I think that is what most people are noticing when they say they like the new look, but if I had to guess right now I'd say that the graphics engine is actually simpler and that isn't surprising really.

That said, it still looks good. It is just different.

Edit 2: Maybe this engine just has better ambient occlusion? I'm gonna stop speculating now since it might just be their video capture equipment or something...

Whatever amount you are paying to Soken.

Double it.

Immediately.

The zone looks great as well I think SE will be able to release this with confidence if they can nail down those character animations and give us good combat and content rich gameplay.

Those map coordinates displayed under the minimap .... DELICIOUS

I like how you can go down to the waterside in that area right outside of town.

To address a few things I've noticed in the thread: for the jumping, I believe the Gamescon video had the character as a dragoon, and they did show them jumping with their weapon out while fighting some stuff.

Someone said in 1.0 you could 'walk through fences'. This is only able to be done in the Limsa Lominsa area, to my knowledge. (I know I've gotten stuck on the fences in Coerthas many times while one handed riding while eating.)

I like the music transitions. I'm kind of looking forward to hearing the combat music, as well as the transitions between normal background music to combat and then back out again. I'm curious if that's the final music choice for the area or not. Since it's a forest, the tranquility makes sense I suppose, but I'm curious if some other areas will have more pep to them.

Definitely see some animation details that could be cleaned up and made to look a little nicer, but I was under the impression that the animations are still a WIP.

oooh..... /suprised
This looks so great... ^^
even with jumping and all...

I can't wait to live here.... =^,^=

This just feels like home to me .. I want to sit by the waterfall with others, and talk about the days events..
I want to /wave to visitors and help them find thier way..
I want to raise my own chocobo's with tender care and <3..
oooooh.. how I wish I where there now...
/cry .. missing u all :(
hope to see u all soon =^,^=

well as long as it doesn't take me more than 4 hours to do my makeup/look..
I really hope I look pretty close to the same in 2.0 as I did before.
Anyways >> I think it looks beautiful...

i really liked it !!

the animations could use a little tweak but overall it looks WAY better then the old map,

the last place the char went to, looks a bit BCNMish , but yes! great video

i want to see the Limsa Lominsa Areas now =P

In these videos can we stop with the jumping every 3 seconds when it serves no purpose, it's making me motion sick

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Originally Posted by Tupster

I completely agree. The number of visible models was simply amazing even if it wasn't absolutely perfect. For years I had a theory that Square Enix only had graphics experts but their Network and User Interface guys were just hacks who wouldn't cut it anywhere and they must have nobody who really understands how to make something for PC.

The work on version 2.0 tells me that they finally got their act together on this because the network, ui, and pc issues all seem to be a thing of the past. If they had done this well when FFXI came out then I honestly believe that WoW and FFXI would be two rival MMORPGs instead of it just being WoW.

Edit: Thinking a little more, they would have also have made FFXI a little less hard core, but I still think technical issues were FFXI's main problem.

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From a JP website interview with yoshida. Has high res images close up of the character model in-game. It's similar to 1.0 polish, shiny and good rendering to me. However, 1.0 character skin is still the same on 2.0 Alpha.
http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201211220009/image/26/

Don't worry too much, it still looks awesome.

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Originally Posted by Totorixiii

From a JP website interview with yoshida. Has high res images close up of the character model in-game. It's similar to 1.0 polish, shiny and good rendering to me. However, 1.0 character skin is still the same on 2.0 Alpha.
http://www.gamer.ne.jp/news/201211220009/image/26/

Don't worry too much, it still looks awesome.

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I saw this screenshot just before you posted and thought the same thing; that it looks pretty much the same. I'm thinking now that it is something else, like a post processing filter, that is causing the difference I see.

(I think you quoted the wrong post of mine?)

I love it!
Can't wait to walk there myself!

Love the music, the open environments, the detail put into it all is fantastic.

And I, for one, love the jumping. Honestly, from playing other games that enable you to jump in order to get over an obsticle, its a great feature to be included.

Cant wait to see Uldah and Limsa's new forms.

Excellent work on The Black Shroud; the new music compliments it well!

Just stopping to say the animation is still godawful. Fix it please.

A lot of the areas look pretty great though. I love the autumn leaves and the architecture.

But yeah. FIX THE DAMN ANIMATION

Game looks great, scenery looks amazing, love the new mapping system. Seen lots of complaints about the 2D grass but personally I don't see the problem. :S
I don't like the window in the upper-left which seems to display the exact same data as the bar at the bottom. Also, the jumping, so much needless jumping, it just looks ridiculous, somebody running along and then just jumping in the air multiple times for no reason. I have nothing against the jumping if it actually had a use, or if it was only usable in certain circumstances, for example, certain points in an instance, but as something people can do as much as they want, wherever they want, I think it's a horrible feature.

I noticed the camp is a rest area. It says she entered a rest area in the log when she goes in.

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Originally Posted by Triairy

The video also showcases the fact that in A Realm Reborn the map will gradually reveal itself as your character reaches new locations.

Enjoy the video and be sure to let us know what you think!

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The music and ambience insects etc are great, it feels more alive than 1.0 for sure. It looks so beautiful.

I LOVED the build up in the music and how it got more sinister the deeper you went in that area at the end!

Things that need adjusting, the map exploration needs to be toned down a lot, like a grid square at a time to add a real sense of danger and seriously remove the marker/names when you haven't been there because that TOTALLY defeats the purpose of it all duh.

Couldn't really tell about the animations as you are clearly using auto run to mask it, which leads me to believe you are working on them?

I think I figured out what it is that is bothering me. If you look at 50 seconds in the video, when we are looking across the water at the water wheel, it looks like there is no global lighting at all in the scene, which causes everything to kind of blend together. In particular, look at the bottom of the big building across the water with the banners hanging from it. The very bottom seems like it should be quite dark, but it is fully lit.

I'm going to chalk this up to unfinished graphics work, since pre-calculating all of that lighting takes a lot of computational power and they probably just haven't done it yet. I hope I'm right because it already looks very nice, but with full lighting put in it should be spectacular.

Edit: Another slight problem is I think the ambient occlusion calculation is causing there to be a dark halo around the characters feet... (people are going to start to think I'm super nit-picky but graphics is part of what I do for a living :) )

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Originally Posted by casker

Just stopping to say the animation is still godawful. Fix it please.

A lot of the areas look pretty great though. I love the autumn leaves and the architecture.

But yeah. FIX THE DAMN ANIMATION

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The animations are still the same as 1.0 based on Hyur and Miqote race. I don't see any difference with how the animation running movement compared to 1.0, besides the instant stop after running and coming to a stop which 1.0 does it better compared to alpha.

Only difference here is the running is on locked mode. The jumping animation combine with the running and stopping and running jump makes it looks like it's choppy because there's few frames added to the animation.

Only thing i notice difference is because this time around there's jumping and so far they haven't added extra frames for that which makes it looks a tiny tad stiffed. But other than that, it's still damn good.

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Originally Posted by Tupster

I think you didn't quite understand what I meant. You said "This is your problem not mine" as if I wanted you to feel the same way I do. I'm not trying to convince players that do not see a problem. If it doesn't bother you I cannot make it bother you and I wouldn't. However, if I can suggest things to make it better you might notice that it is better, even if you didn't think anything was wrong before.

Mainly, I'd like to see the animation improved and possibly I'd like it to not be possible to jump again right away. I'd also like to see an option to turn off the ability to see other players jump.

I'd appreciate it if we could talk about the merits of these kinds of ideas (which I'm not absolutely fixated on) instead of trying to imagine some mental defect I must have because this bothers me enough to ask about it.

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Ermm you realize it would make even more jarring for you then, it would have people either sliding places or up 90 degree angles or even just teleporting. Thats a stupid suggestion. Everything else isn't a bad suggestion. but if you complain about it jarring you, the effect of not seeing the jump will be at least 3x as jarring.

edit: lol still my opinion but realized funny enough someone already did this exact thing and has already been answered >.<!!!

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Originally Posted by Totorixiii

The animations are still the same as 1.0 based on Hyur and Miqote race. I don't see any difference with how the animation running movement compared to 1.0, besides the instant stop after running and coming to a stop which 1.0 does it better compared to alpha.

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I was going to say I disagreed and that there were more changes, but after looking at the live letter again, I'm going to have to say I'm not sure. This latest video is too simple to make any judgement on because all they do is run forward and use mouselook (which skates the characters feet).

I cannot wait to run a character through her paces so I can make proper complaints instead of speculation ;)

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Originally Posted by Xmbei

Ermm you realize it would make even more jarring for you then, it would have people either sliding places or up 90 degree angles or even just teleporting. Thats a stupid suggestion. Everything else isn't a bad suggestion. but if you complain about it jarring you, the effect of not seeing the jump will be at least 3x as jarring.

edit: lol still my opinion but realized funny enough someone already did this exact thing and has already been answered >.<!!!

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No problem. I'm beginning to think I'll just get used to it even if people abuse it. I just love the game that much. But at some point I know I'll want to blacklist somebody's jumping the same way you can blacklist their emotes.

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Originally Posted by Totorixiii

The animations are still the same as 1.0 based on Hyur and Miqote race. I don't see any difference with how the animation running movement compared to 1.0, besides the instant stop after running and coming to a stop which 1.0 does it better compared to alpha.

Only difference here is the running is on locked mode. The jumping animation combine with the running and stopping and running jump makes it looks like it's choppy because there's few frames added to the animation.

Only thing i notice difference is because this time around there's jumping and so far they haven't added extra frames for that which makes it looks a tiny tad stiffed. But other than that, it's still damn good.

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Look again bro. The entire movement system is totally different, that's why they made new animations that don't even work the same way as the old ones. And the new ones suck. For example, instead of turning and running 180 in 1.0, you now just backtrack. All of those turning animations are gone because the movement paradigm is totally different. The only thing that might look similar is the running forward, and it's stiff as hell now. And yes, all of the transitions are choppy as all hell including rebounding after a jump.

The quality level it's at now is not exceptable or anywhere near what it was in 1.0, new movement paradigm or not.

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Originally Posted by Diyne

This is only able to be done in the Limsa Lominsa area, to my knowledge

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Only in certain areas but the majority of fences are solid just like random hills in Thanalan you can just phase up on.

I love the music i can just image me logging or fishing and be like what time is it oh my its late. I think they spaming jump a lot because lot of u people were crying for it, they didnt really wanted to waste there time on a simple thing but they did anyhow to make u guys happy but they rubbing it in ur face for it

OMG! congratulations Yoshi and Team, the game now has that Final fantasy feeling that all other games have! ..and the music...just gorgeous!! now, this IS a Final Fantasy game..

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Originally Posted by MoonKeeperr

I think they spaming jump a lot because lot of u people were crying for it, they didnt really wanted to waste there time on a simple thing but they did anyhow to make u guys happy but they rubbing it in ur face for it

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Nah, I think it is because the jump button is like crack. You can't hit it just once. ;)

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Originally Posted by Xmbei

Ermm you realize it would make even more jarring for you then, it would have people either sliding places or up 90 degree angles or even just teleporting. Thats a stupid suggestion. Everything else isn't a bad suggestion. but if you complain about it jarring you, the effect of not seeing the jump will be at least 3x as jarring.

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The vast majority of the jumping you'll see will not be functional jumping. There are about 35 instances in this video where the character jumps, yet only one appears to have been needed (Miqo'te jumping the fence at 2:17). Also, you already had a lot of fences and solid objects that you could just walk through in 1.0. Given this, I fail to see how it's not an idea worth considering.

Personally, I would trade not seeing 9 out of 10 extraneous jumps for a person walking through a fence that has to be jumped. I imagine the former as easily more "jarring."

I agree that they should not have gotten rid of the momentum of the old animations, but honestly, while I'm watching, I don't notice them too much. I know about them but I feel like while I'm playing they will simply disappear from the foreground of my mind. Everything else is soooo phenomenal! I just feel like the animations of the old game being lost simply isn't a big deal.

As for jumping... I can't help but feel like they are jumping to show it off to anyone who is new to FF14, and may not know about it. Also, I wouldn't mind a running jump animation, but really it's no big deal. I do, however, hope they have little obstacles that you have to jump to and from to continue in a dungeon or, even simpler, a place you found through exploration....must to make the jump feel that much more useful. It would be beyond my wildest dreams if they implemented a good way to use it in a primal fight or something similar, but nothing too too crazy.

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Originally Posted by Coyohma

The vast majority of the jumping you'll see will not be functional jumping. There are about 35 instances in this video where the character jumps, yet only one appears to have been needed (Miqo'te jumping the fence at 2:17). Also, you already had a lot of fences and solid objects that you could just walk through in 1.0. Given this, I fail to see how it's not an idea worth considering.

Personally, I would trade not seeing 9 out of 10 extraneous jumps for a person walking through a fence that has to be jumped. I imagine the former as easily more "jarring."

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Can you see the future? I'm assuming you can from that first sentence, so I want to make sure.


The vast majority of complainers is basically bashing the poor guy that is providing us a demonstration of the alpha version. Of all things to complain about it is either the grass or jump.. c'mon...

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Originally Posted by Triairy

Enjoy the video and be sure to let us know what you think!

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This new video is a a real joy for us True Explorers! Well, at least it is for me. The new Twelveswood looks Great, the light effects make the forest look incredibly alive and the relaxing music fits very nicely.

In this timeless rift (and Miqo'teless rift!) where I am, lately there've been several storms, so it was a real pleasure to have this relaxing and peaceful video surprise in this “stormy morning”.

Keep on releasing them!

/happy Explorer

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Originally Posted by Andrien

Can you see the future? I'm assuming you can from that first sentence, so I want to make sure.

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It's a reasonable assumption based on what we have seen and know. Remember that the developers have told us that there will be little to no function to jumping.

I know one thing is for sure. I'm not telling anybody that jumping annoys me while I'm in game. That would just be asking for it. While they might be showing it off in these videos did the miqo'te really have to jump 3 times in a row right after it cross-fades to her? jeez.

http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/...inity-jump.jpg

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Originally Posted by Andrien

The vast majority of complainers is basically bashing the poor guy that is providing us a demonstration of the alpha version. Of all things to complain about it is either the grass or jump.. c'mon...

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To be honest they did ask us what we thought and it is not super useful to just say everything is perfect at this stage. Constant distracting jumping has been common in all true game play footage of ARR so far.

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Originally Posted by Coyohma

It's a reasonable assumption based on what we have seen and know. Remember that the developers have told us that there will be little to no function to jumping.

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They did let us know we can jump over fences, rocks, and obstacles.

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Originally Posted by Andrien

They did let us know we can jump over fences, rocks, and obstacles.

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That isn't function, that is playing at parkour with 100lb of armor on.

Next they should let us grind fences on skateboards.

(j/k please don't take that too seriously)

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Originally Posted by Andrien

They did let us know we can jump over fences, rocks, and obstacles.

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That would be the little in "little to no." They haven't made illusions about it being much more than an aesthetic decision - one made because it is standard in western MMOs. Is your view that functional jumping opportunities will be prevalent enough to where extraneous jumping will not dominate functional?

There seems to be a strange amount of pushback (given a usual preference for toggle options) to this idea. It's not enough that you can jump as much as you please, but you need 100% of other players seeing it as well?

Aetheryte camps are huge, nicely done. The world is so much more varied than it was in one-point-oh. This looks like a world you can truly explore. Path behind a waterfall... nice touch.

Just let me play the alpha already :P

I don't know about you guys, but I'm extremely happy with finally being able to jump over those tiny rocks that for some reason impeded my forward movement.....