9-23-2011 Setting the Bar for XIV

As we all know, Yoshi-P's current list of changes and additions is set (by himself) to be complete at the end of Summer. 9-23-11. This will be an important date for FFXIV. Not only is it the deadline of the changes, but it's XIV's 1 year anniversary.

Now, we all know that most other MMOs would be at a very different state for their 1 year. However, we know that XIV is a bit of a "special case". It is what it is, and arguing about what could/would/should have been is a waste of time. SE screwed up, and they're working hard to get back on track.

What's the bar, though? What are we going to hold SE accountable to? Here is a (bit easier to read) summation of Yoshi-P's changes and what we should be holding SE to for the end of Summer.

* Tutorials
* New quests
* Storyline & World quests
* Company System in full force
* Job quests & system
* Summer seasonal event
* Chat log improved (In examination stage)
* Dialogue windows improved (To be examined
* Jump feature added (LOW priority/ to be examined)
* Improvements to camera
* Notification window improvements
* Target cursor improvements ( some features to be examined)
* Emote improvements
* Pop up help messages
* Config Menu improvements
* Improve UI for battle system changes
* Menu for achievement management
* Command Center UI for companies (being examined)
* "Materia" system (UI to be examined)
* improvements & additions to Guildleves
* Changes & improvements to Behest
* Adjustments to item Condition
* Item rank colorization / higher rank visibility
* Rank-requirement gear & ongoing adjustments to gear affinity
* Addition & ongoing adjustments to class specific gear
* Equipment attribute changes
* Optimize synth rank and ingredient requirements / improve history features
* Improvements to the repair system
* "Radical" market ward & retainer improvements.
* Final decision on Auction House
* Head gear toggle
* Addition & improvements to Auto attack system
* Changes & improvements to enmity calclations
* Crowd control adjustments
* changes to enemy group dynamics
* changes to enemy claiming & skill point acquisiton based on these changes
* Abolish anima cost for return
* Abolish Surplus system
* Changes to make classes more unique
* Adjustment of spell recast & MP cost
* AoE / Single target changes
* Unique battle motions
* Reexamination of stats
* Abolishment of Phys. Levels and EXP
* Changes to point allotment based on class rank
* Changes to requirements to setting actions
* Job system
* Repair system improvements
* JSE
* Ongoing Company content
* Frontier hubs
* Mob drop / attribute
* Beast tribe settlements
* Diversification of monster families
* Roaming monster / beast tribes
* Development of beastmen strongholds
* Ongoing environment collision improvements
* Enemy distribution / route changes
* Ongoing enemy size adjustments
* New NMs / NMs tied into quests
* Conversion of roaming mobs to NMs
* Improvements to Lodestone / Forums / Blogs
* Instanced raid dungeons
* Ifrit battle
* New achievement system
* Mount system

Ok typing all that out on my phone sucked. Anyway....

So this is the bar Yoshi-P has set for himself by the end of Summer. This is what we should hold them accountable for, and what we can expect up until 9-23. It will have taken exactly one year to get/recover the game to this point. People can bleat about these things being in game at launch, but it just didn't play out that way and crying over spilled milk isn't going to get us anywhere. It's also not all about 1.18 - but that's going to be an important start to all these changes.

After all this is in though, what should we expect to see next? Personally, I think SE needs a massive Welcome Back to Eorzea campaign with tons of advertising to bring people back to the game. After that? Content, content, content!

Is the jump feature going to be added by then? I thought that idea had gone down the drain but okay.

I strongly agree with the advertising point. I'm not sure if I saw a single advert for FFXIV on TV (In the UK) and only saw a few flash ads on random gaming sites. They need to put a lot more effort in to the marketing side of things. The more people that know about the game once it's ready for the public eye, the better.
My guess is that they'll start doing all this once the PS3 version is ready to be released.

whats funny is quite a few things listed there, arent to be added, but are going to probly be finished being analized by then

OP gets +1 for not understanding the wording on that post about whats going on by end of summer

Pretty sure the Jump feature was said to be pretty much useless in contrast to what the game needs.

(Read: low priority.)

It is a big list, but when the battle overhauls are done they said (even again recently) they can start doing more patches in quicker succession. So it's a good chance by then we'll get at least half of this stuff.

Here to wishful thinking! Salute

+1 for typing it out on your phone.

You're very brave.

Jumping wont be added i'm sure if they do then w/e [Removed by Moderator according to the FINAL FANTASY XIV FORUM Guidelines.]

I really think the playerbase needs to stop setting dates. Every update is important. But SE is redefining a game they aren't pleased with. It will take time (I'm not arguing the game wasnt rushed or anything I just think its silly to keep doing this)

Since when were deadlines relevant to FF XIV? It will all just get delayed and then get delayed again. Half the things from that list wont make it into the game by the end of the summer. It would be a miracle to get most of it this year.

Would be nice to see all that by that date... but things are not quite so simple. I don't mind waiting a little more though so long as the team are able to make the new changes worthwhile and encouraging.

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Originally Posted by Zenaku

Jumping wont be added i'm sure if they do then w/e [Removed by Moderator according to the FINAL FANTASY XIV FORUM Guidelines.]

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Agreed. Of all the things needed in this game Jump is the least of them, unless it's a Lancer battle action.

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Originally Posted by Volsung

I really think the playerbase needs to stop setting dates. Every update is important. But SE is redefining a game they aren't pleased with. It will take time (I'm not arguing the game wasnt rushed or anything I just think its silly to keep doing this)

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The playerbase has not set this date. Yoshida has, and in doing so has made a commitment to a playerbase which is already lacking in trust regarding SE and this game. All I am doing is clarifying his commitment to us.

And Sheesh people, jumping being a low priority -- got it @.@ As I mentioned, did this all via my phone lol. Nitpick moar.

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Originally Posted by DoubleEcho

Agreed. Of all the things needed in this game Jump is the least of them, unless it's a Lancer battle action.

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wasting the time adding jump making sure the area works with jump all the update and man hour no thanks it better if they use that time making the game better. Every time i ask someone why you want jump most of them say so i can jump when am not doing noting ingame you know what i say? log off and do something else if your bored.

+1

Thanks for the list, between this and the new Beyonce coming out my summer is turning out pretty well.

If people want jumping what SE can do is add them into the dungeon style areas, like this new Raid coming our way, you can't jump in regular maps + cities w/e since it may break the game and needs to be checked thoroughly but if its in a instanced dungeon say it has traps and stuff, adding jump might make them more challenging. + if it's in instanced area pretty sure they can manage bug tests and checks a lot better than the whole world. Either way... people still going to cry about jumping I'm sure...

I just want to jump off the highest cliff... or airship... and I'm happy :P

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Originally Posted by Reinheart

If people want jumping what SE can do is add them into the dungeon style areas, like this new Raid coming our way, you can't jump in regular maps + cities w/e since it may break the game and needs to be checked thoroughly but if its in a instanced dungeon say it has traps and stuff, adding jump might make them more challenging. + if it's in instanced area pretty sure they can manage bug tests and checks a lot better than the whole world. Either way... people still going to cry about jumping I'm sure...

I just want to jump off the highest cliff... or airship... and I'm happy :P

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Question is where on the controller would they add Jump? it's not like they can take anything off and switch it over to Jump everything on it we need it.

The head gear toggle already works. :P

/display head on
/display head off

My personal bar is 11.11.11. If FFXIV doesn't leave a good impression until then, I'll probably forget the whole game.

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Originally Posted by Zenaku

Question is where on the controller would they add Jump? it's not like they can take anything off and switch it over to Jump everything on it we need it.

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hmmmmmmmmm.... good question...
pc = add jump action to action bar and press that button or number key
ps3 = sixaxis controller shake it/move the controller up...lol

or make it so when your in a jumpable area/edge to show icon, hit the enter key (button to talk to npc) to jump.

pick up the monitor and throw it outside the window... at least it will look like your char is jumping....lol

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Originally Posted by Zenaku

Question is where on the controller would they add Jump? it's not like they can take anything off and switch it over to Jump everything on it we need it.

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They could take map button out(since it's in main menu too), replace the emote/icon button with jump & replace the map button with emote/icon.

lolololol 9/23 is my bday (hopefully yoshida gives me a good birthday present LOOOOOOOOOOL)

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Originally Posted by Petori

They could take map button out(since it's in main menu too), replace the emote/icon button with jump & replace the map button with emote/icon.

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I like the map button on he controller but I will admit that the controller truly needs some retuning. If it was for the greater good I'd part with it. The control's just don't feel right, its slow and quite often I switch to the mouse for control. Please dont troll on me with any input you may have about mouse+keyboard vs controller. I think to be fair to all gamers PC games should have a good control setup for KB+mouse as well as controller. For anyone that wants to argue that one is better then another I really dont care.

[Removed by Moderator according to the FINAL FANTASY XIV FORUM Guidelines.]

Ah well back on topic, I hope they do something fun for the 1 year anna, maybe as a gift, 100 anima for all! Hopefully tho we'll have airships so that'll happen anyway. Maybe they can add a new area, even if its small like Mordhona. Need a change of scenery.

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Originally Posted by viion

[Removed by Moderator according to the FINAL FANTASY XIV FORUM Guidelines.]
Ah well back on topic, I hope they do something fun for the 1 year anna, maybe as a gift, 100 anima for all! Hopefully tho we'll have airships so that'll happen anyway. Maybe they can add a new area, even if its small like Mordhona. Need a change of scenery.

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How about as a gift they delete anima?

(after implementing chocobos and airships of course)

We're getting only a very small fraction out of all of those. Most of those items you listed were just promised to be in a "looking into"-state by the said date. They've been looking into chocobos for almost a year now. Thinking that suddenly the same phrase means it's going to be in the game is just silly especially with the speed at which they're working.


People still live in denial about the fact that there is no massive content patch that they're sitting on "just because they feel like it."

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Originally Posted by Seif

People still live in denial about the fact that there is no massive content patch that they're sitting on "just because they feel like it."

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Aye. What they should realize is that there is not one but many massive content patches that they're sitting on not because they "feel like it", but because they make the game unplayable until properly balanced and adjusted, or would not make sense to be implemented bit by bit.

Seif is right on the money as always!

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Ah well back on topic, I hope they do something fun for the 1 year anna, maybe as a gift, 100 anima for all!

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Nah. We'll get a chocobo egg.
That takes another year to hatch.

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Originally Posted by Betelgeuzah

Aye. What they should realize is that there is not one but many massive content patches that they're sitting on not because they "feel like it", but because they make the game unplayable until properly balanced and adjusted, or would not make sense to be implemented bit by bit.

Seif is right on the money as always!

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OH god, not the "release-will-have-ten-more-zones-and-airships" BS all over again.

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Originally Posted by giftforce

OH god, not the "release-will-have-ten-more-zones-and-airships" BS all over again.

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Of course not.

Then it was the players spewing the BS with nothing more than false hope to justify it.

Now it's the developers' statements justifying it.

If you think there is no difference between the two, well, that confirms one of my suspicions.

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Originally Posted by Betelgeuzah

Of course not.

Then it was the players spewing the BS with nothing more than false hope to justify it.

Now it's the developers' statements justifying it.

If you think there is no difference between the two, well, that confirms one of my suspicions.

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They have not once said they are sitting on a giant content patch. Not in those words exactly nor in so many.

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Originally Posted by giftforce

They have not once said they are sitting on a giant content patch. Not in those words exactly nor in so many.

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That's because they're not exactly "sitting on" anything except features that are more or less unfinished which would not make sense to be released in their current state.

Features that take different amount of work to be considered ready, even.

When it comes down to it, they are sitting on the raid dungeon art assets because the monsters are not balanced, as well as sitting on the overhauled STR stat calculations because the VIT stat calculations are not finished.

Further, they are sitting on the roaming NM's and monsters because the servers can't handle the extra load caused by them, and the list goes on.

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Originally Posted by Betelgeuzah

That's because they're not exactly "sitting on" anything except features that are more or less unfinished which would not make sense to be released in their current state.

Features that take different amount of work to be considered ready, even.

When it comes down to it, they are sitting on the raid dungeon art assets because the monsters are not balanced, as well as sitting on the overhauled STR stat calculations because the VIT stat calculations are not finished.

Further, they are sitting on the roaming NM's and monsters because the servers can't handle the extra load caused by them, and the list goes on.

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roaming NMs?

Where do you come up with this stuff.

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Originally Posted by giftforce

roaming NMs?

Where do you come up with this stuff.

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We've also completed our examination of the balancing and placement of freely roaming enemies, and are in the midst of holding meetings now to begin implementing the planned changes.

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From letter of the producer, III.

Including the bit from the list of changes, "roaming NM's".

But now it seems to be clear why you think the situation now is the same as it was a year ago. You don't read (or grasp) what the developers say, so obviously you end up thinking there is no basis for my line of thinking.

Let's assume that Yoshi was just lying there, though. He's just the director, after all.

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Originally Posted by Betelgeuzah

From letter of the producer, III.

Including the bit from the list of changes, "roaming NM's".

But now it seems to be clear why you think the situation now is the same as it was a year ago. You don't read (or grasp) what the developers say, so obviously you end up thinking there is no basis for my line of thinking.

Let's assume that Yoshi was just lying there, though. He's just the director, after all.

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dude, that just means non-instanced.

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Originally Posted by giftforce

dude, that just means non-instanced.

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Dude, did I imply otherwise?

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Originally Posted by Volsung

I really think the playerbase needs to stop setting dates. Every update is important. But SE is redefining a game they aren't pleased with. It will take time (I'm not arguing the game wasnt rushed or anything I just think its silly to keep doing this)

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I think you're misunderstanding. SE isn't redefining a game they aren't pleased with. They're redefining a game we aren't pleased with. We're giving them a chance to fix the game.

It was either on the official forums (english or maybe JP) or an interview from devs that I saw something that is not on that list. Now maybe it wasnt in one of the letters from the producer, but I do remember them talking stricter death penalties. However, I don't remember if they came to a conclusion or were just throwing Ideas about. If someone could lend me a hand with a link or a possible answer on what was decided that would be great.

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Originally Posted by Amsai

It was either on the official forums (english or maybe JP) or an interview from devs that I saw something that is not on that list. Now maybe it wasnt in one of the letters from the producer, but I do remember them talking stricter death penalties. However, I don't remember if they came to a conclusion or were just throwing Ideas about. If someone could lend me a hand with a link or a possible answer on what was decided that would be great.

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I remember something like that as well I think. I'm sure the reason why it's not on Yoshida's list - and the reason we get so many "we'll look into it" replies from the Dev team / CMs is that their primary goal is the list we've been given.

They've been very clear that anything else is going to have to come afterwards.