Questions and Feedback on the Future of FINAL FANTASY XIV

[Sorel]

If the price we pay for having "world-less" partying and economies is that all content has to be instanced ... I'll pass, thank you very much.

The whole World-less thing is a bit too ambitious in my opinion. Sure if you get it just right, it would be phenomenal ... but you have to get it perfect. Otherwise it will wreck whatever game mechanics touches it, just like seemless zones, Market Wards, and the new claiming system did. They were all great ideas, in theory. But in practical application with 20 servers and 100,000 players ... not so much. What would happen if FF14:Phoenix is actually a great success, and you now have 1 million players and 100 servers??

Yoshida-san, you are a remarkable development team leader, but don't repeat your mistakes or the mistakes of your predecessors. Good luck, sir.

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

Question: Is Hiromichi Tanaka contributing to the FFXIV project?

Background: This a question of personal interest to me. I want to know what happened to him. If no other details could be spared on his role in the current project or SE on a whole, I wanted to at least know that he still had a job with SE. That is all. ...which reminds me, I haven't read his Twitter in a year, haha!

[Finuve]

Question: Is Hiromichi Tanaka contributing to the FFXIV project?

Background: This a question of personal interest to me. I want to know what happened to him. If no other details could be spared on his role in the current project or SE on a whole, I wanted to at least know that he still had a job with SE. That is all. ...which reminds me, I haven't read his Twitter in a year, haha!

hes producer back on XI again from what I hear, however not producer/directer anymore

[Esk]

1. Is that screen shot a true Picture of the direction of the art and new Graphics Engin?
(with its much much more gothic, dark and textured look)
2. Will we see a Dx11 version for mid/hi end Pcs along side the current/old Dx9 for low end and Ps3?
3. Is group crafting still planned?
4. Is Player Company housing still planned?
5. Is a Barbershop to change hair only being planned?
6. Better Billing options?
7. What improvements will be made to LS's and LS symbols?
8. Will we see any new zones added, what will be the total number of zones/regions after the map update?
9. Will the new Zones sizes be larger then the current ones to make of up the loss of a seamless world?

[Chopin]

Before the release of FFXIV I remember there being an article in Famitsu saying SE plan on releasing new job classes in version updates rather than expansion packs similar to FFXI, is this still one of your aims going forward from 2.0?

Something I always loved in FFXI was the diverse classes released later on, I love how Dancer works in 11. Would you ever consider the Dancer class in XIV? I think a front line healer job that uses TP to heal would work so well in the likes of a 'Light Party'.

Further to those two questions I think what makes an MMO for me is the jobs, I love having a broad and diverse selection and that's probably why I have played XI for 6 years. I appreciate you need to keep some information back but can you confirm how broad you plan to go with new jobs and is their a set number you have in mind for XIV?

These changes seem nothing short of amazing and the new concepts for zones has me very excited. Today was the first time I had a real 'Final Fantasy feeling' about XIV and I want to thank the dev team for sticking by a title that has come under harsh criticism and a lot of blame for the recent criticism of SE.

Keep up the good work I look forward to monthly subscriptions to help contribute

[Holy_Dragoon]

Okay, with the grovelling out of the way, here's my questions:

1) The Umbral Era story line sounds cool, but will this be the only story line to be phased out? Will the old main scenario and quests be modified to remain consistent with the new world situation in the 7th Umbral? While I'm sure you'll be reassigning the places we have to visit for quests due to the map changes, aren't there some that just wont 'fit' in the new scenario? I'm not asking this because I want to see the back of them, I'm just wondering what the plan is.

This is what I would like to know. How are they dealing with the current scenario, the Empire, Echo, The Primals. Will this story all come to a conclusion before the 7th Umbral Era?

[Fensfield]

Back at release, there was a promise of discounts for players with active Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV accounts. It never came to light because nobody has yet paid a subscription fee on XIV, but, since that's coming.. will that discount actually happen, now?

[Jacien]

I would like to know if we will be able to purchase more retainers around the time it becomes no longer FTP?

Some people have secondary accounts in order to hold extra items for them. It would be great to scrap these "mules" to get more Retainers.

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

hes producer back on XI again from what I hear, however not producer/directer anymore

Thank you! That eases this pang I've had. Now it's time to find a new question, mwee hee hee~~~!

[Dimi]

Will we have an options for multiple summons or will we have to pick one and only be able to summon that one summon? Is summoning going to be a group activity or can I do it myself?