Map Redesign - Food For Thought

If they are actually planning to scrap the existing maps (please do) then why are they adding things to them?

This seems like another misuse of finite resources.

While I'm now almost 100% sure you're a troll, I'll give you a single legit response.

They had to create these things they are putting on the map at one point are another. The team working on them finished them so they decided to implement them into the current maps so they can see how the community responds, add content surrounding them and make sure everything about them works fine on an active server with players.

Since they are already finished they can simply and easily add them to the new maps when they are making them. It's not so much a misuse of resources as it is implementing them early to see how things go.

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Originally Posted by Arcell

While I'm now almost 100% sure you're a troll, I'll give you a single legit response.

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I am a troll? I guess the definition of troll is "asking legitimate questions"

What's been added that isn't a system of layer easily moved over to the new base maps? I see these changes as preparations, myself.

It's easy to move around objects that they're adding. What I don't get is why they're bothering to improve things like collision detection.

The new maps are probably going to be many months off anyway. I'd not be surprised if they come at the same time as the PS3 release. It would be perfect timing, give the new players something fresh.

I must say, you keep using the line of misuse of resources.

If you have access to the ammount of resources that were given to the Dev Team and know for a fact you would use them better then Yoshida (I'm sure he is the one managing that with counsel and advise) then go ahead and keep saying that line, but otherwise... please, understand you have no control or even get to have a say over how they manage their resources in the least.

I've been mulling over this myself. I imagine these are things they plan to keep in the remapped version. But I also wonder about all these quests they add. They'll have to fit them into the new layout. i.e. where to go, where the necessary NPCs are located, where the quest mobs (if applicable) are. They basically have to design a quest for two different worlds.

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Originally Posted by Sav

I've been mulling over this myself. I imagine these are things they plan to keep in the remapped version. But I also wonder about all these quests they add. They'll have to fit them into the new layout. i.e. where to go, where the necessary NPCs are located, where the quest mobs (if applicable) are. They basically have to design a quest for two different worlds.

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Yeah thats what I see. It just seems like short term content that will ultimately either have to be reworked (taking more time and resources) or scrapped if and when new zones are put in, that is why I don't really understand their impetus to add that now.

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Originally Posted by Holland

I must say, you keep using the line of misuse of resources.

If you have access to the ammount of resources that were given to the Dev Team and know for a fact you would use them better then Yoshida (I'm sure he is the one managing that with counsel and advise) then go ahead and keep saying that line, but otherwise... please, understand you have no control or even get to have a say over how they manage their resources in the least.

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I think even a first year PM could allocate better than this. Think about the things people love the best. Apple products come to mind. I am not particularly a huge fan of Apple, but there is one thing I can say without a doubt. They design easy to use, intuitive interfaces. The iPod is no better at playing MP3 files than any other MP3 player, but what it does better than most, is interface with the user effectively and simply.


Step 1: Fix the fudnamental lag/server issues
Step 2: Redesign the world including optimization and modernization of graphics engine
Step 3: Design intuitive interface
Step 4: Flesh out and finalize the job system completely
Step 5: Remediate Battle mechanics
Step 6: Create intuitive auction system
Step 7: Create mail system, transportation system(s)
Step 8: Remediate guild system
Step 9: Remediate party system searching functionality
Step 10: Remediate crafting system
Step 11: Add Missions
Step 12: Add Quests
Step 13: do some of the things they are doing currently..

This would have been a much more logical approach. I probably would have taken the game offline actually to do this as well. That way it would have put the rhetoric on these forums to bed for a while. It would have allowed us as the developers to meet our goals with core design without trying to satisfy an audience who will never be really satisified with the current rate of change.

You get the picture. Go back in time, this should have been handled differently altogether.

As I posted in another post, if you have any doubt of the problematic management, then you need look no further than the latest Investor Relations Q/A session SE held, where they clearly stated that Project Management was an issue as well as quality control.

I dont know. That specific list you numbered has most if not all issues that need to be fixed, I would personally move up some of them but still...

We dont know how much resources or time they were given before its "pay time". So any sort of list or order we can come up with is irrelevant.

Taking the servers off or not, I am sure to assume is something they contemplated as a viable option. But after selling about 600k copies of the game (I think that was the number) and promising to bring back the game up to FF brand standard and to regain customers trust on the company, shutting down the servers and leaving me with a copy of a game that is useless would have been a bad move.

As you pointed on another post on the latest inverstor relations Q/A, they clearly stated that project management and quality control were an issue and is definitely the sole reason why FFXIV ended where it was at launch, but I believe the new team appointment is part of that correction process they indicated were going do on all of their projects moving forward. Regardless of the date of the Q/A session, this was already a known issue within the company which I believe they started fixing way before that Investors meeting.

Yoshida has already stated not everyone will be happy witht he changes, but they are also intent on regaining trust on their fans, forgetting about everyone who purchased the game already is not a good step on regaining trust, regardless if some can never be satisfied. For me, is clear Yoshida will not yield to changing his ideas and views as long as he feels the implementation is right for the game. We can provide feedback, thankfully, but still they will move forward with what they think is best.

With that said, I think our place is only to provide feedback on implemented ideas, the game will be a success or a flop depending on the Dev team only and how they manage what has been given to them.

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Originally Posted by Holland

I dont know. That specific list you numbered has most if not all issues that need to be fixed, I would personally move up some of them but still...

We dont know how much resources or time they were given before its "pay time". So any sort of list or order we can come up with is irrelevant.

Taking the servers off or not, I am sure to assume is something they contemplated as a viable option. But after selling about 600k copies of the game (I think that was the number) and promising to bring back the game up to FF brand standard and to regain customers trust on the company, shutting down the servers and leaving me with a copy of a game that is useless would have been a bad move.

As you pointed on another post on the latest inverstor relations Q/A, they clearly stated that project management and quality control were an issue and is definitely the sole reason why FFXIV ended where it was at launch, but I believe the new team appointment is part of that correction process they indicated were going do on all of their projects moving forward. Regardless of the date of the Q/A session, this was already a known issue within the company which I believe they started fixing way before that Investors meeting.

Yoshida has already stated not everyone will be happy witht he changes, but they are also intent on regaining trust on their fans, forgetting about everyone who purchased the game already is not a good step on regaining trust, regardless if some can never be satisfied. For me, is clear Yoshida will not yield to changing his ideas and views as long as he feels the implementation is right for the game. We can provide feedback, thankfully, but still they will move forward with what they think is best.

With that said, I think our place is only to provide feedback on implemented ideas, the game will be a success or a flop depending on the Dev team only and how they manage what has been given to them.

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You make some valid points here. They were between a rock and a hard place with the boxed sales issue.

Ultimately, I suspect they look to monetize this shortly after March 2012. If you read their other investor relations docs, regarding network games strategy etc, it would appear thats their goal.