9-23-2011 Setting the Bar for XIV

[Balbanes]

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!

[Adol]

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.

[TheVedis]

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

[Elexia]

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.

[Spitfire]

Here to wishful thinking! Salute

[viion]

+1 for typing it out on your phone.

You're very brave.

[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.]

[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)

[Akira_Tenshi]

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.

[Raizen_Reyne]

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.