New Letter from the Producer, XII

[Mug]

In theory, I think it's awesome that guildleves will now become solo-oriented, but I seriously hope they don't make the changes in 1.18 without giving parties new ways to SP in the same patch. I'm hoping that's what quest hubs will be about, but has it been confirmed when we're getting them?

Also, I hope the fact that he asked us to be patient "just a little bit longer" doesn't mean that it got delayed again. I swear, the day they stop asking us to "wait" and "be patient" will be a day filled with endless joy. We've heard nothing else for 9 months now.

[Delsus]

Glad they are finally turning leves back to the quick casual content they were designed to be. Now let's hope that by doing that they have something more interesting for parties to exp on.

They were actually designed to be party content, which is why there was the link bonus which had been in since alpha.

Tanaka wanted them to be the main form of grinding (the time limit was designed to slow down hardcore players) which was a bad idea knowing how monotonous they are. Now YoshiP wants them to be an addition to the main way of grinding which I suspect will be grind parties

[Wolfie]

They were actually designed to be party content, which is why there was the link bonus which had been in since alpha.

Tanaka wanted them to be the main form of grinding (the time limit was designed to slow down hardcore players) which was a bad idea knowing how monotonous they are. Now YoshiP wants them to be an addition to the main way of grinding which I suspect will be grind parties

Considering he said that he's trying to move the game away from a grind-centric style... I'm thinking that raids, behests, and other large scale PVE is going to be the primary form of group leveling.

[Rowyne]

Tanaka wanted them to be the main form of grinding (the time limit was designed to slow down hardcore players) which was a bad idea knowing how monotonous they are. Now YoshiP wants them to be an addition to the main way of grinding which I suspect will be grind parties

Actually, Yoshi-P said this:

We still have some ways to go, but FINAL FANTASY XIV will gradually shift from being a grind-centric game to one that offers enjoyment for all playing styles and circumstances with its ever-expanding variety of content.

Which means to me that they want to start focusing on other leveling options, such as SP gained in dungeons and quest-based leveling, not just straight up grind parties. IMO, it's a huge step in the right direction.

Edit: DOH, Wolfie beat me to it.

[Abriael]

Now, guildleves becoming solo-oriented content is a curveball I didn't expect.
I would say, though, that this is what guildleves should have been from the very start.

Though I understand why this is going to come just now, as "raids" are being implemented and a group-based alternative is coming. We'll see how it plays out but I'm glad to see this change finally taking place.

[Ceons]

Why doesn't he realize that having to go back to the leve counter is a massive deterrent for casual players?

I always thought you should just be able to get the appropriate leves from their respective crystals (or aetherytes (sp?)).

[nRosenberg]

lol I misunderstood the statement, I thought it was a question because of the "?" haha

[giftforce]

It was a good read, and I actually feel much more optimistic about the game now. March on Dev Team! We believe in you!

As for sidequests, he mentioned that NPC interactions will be required. I hope that they will make it into simple cutscenes when NPCs are talking, it will go a long way in making players feel more involved.

They just mean that, unlike guildleves where you interact with the NPC at the counter, for side quests you actually have to go out and find a sidequest NPC before you can start a quest. Sidequests are more complicated than guildleves.

[normalforce]

I always thought you should just be able to get the appropriate leves from their respective crystals (or aetherytes (sp?)).

Would it be a bad thing to also get leves from the guards stationed around the camps?

[Sonic_the_Hedgehog]

You have to return to the counter to get more leves.

So I assume you are from the PS3 playerbase?

Way to go, you actually didn't read what Ceons wrote. haha