4gamer Interview

[Jeeqbit]

Not sure if this was posted, but I couldn't see it anywhere https://www.4gamer.net/games/199/G019924/20230825055/

For quick reading, I underlined the important words to read.

On the 6.0 "final day" trial: "the battle ends quickly and it's a waste not to be able to see the final scene. We have heard your feedback, so we think it would be better to make adjustments"

On Alliance Raid difficulty: He says it's difficult to balance because there could be a lot of veterans in it who find it too easy or everybody in it could be completely new and find it too hard. He says "I think the ideal difficulty would be to wipe the first time around the 2nd boss, wipe the second time around the 3rd boss, and still manage to clear the game despite being half destroyed at the end... Since this is the third edition, I thought it would be okay if it was a little more difficult."

"if you can get through the 3 bosses, you can finish the 4th boss (the last one) comfortably. There's a reason why we made the 4th boss a little stronger."

On criterion rewards: "we've increased the rewards a little this time as a test case. Overseas, there are many voices saying that they want equipment that increases the item level as a reward, but since it cannot be removed, we have prepared elements that are visually easy to show off." (in other words, the rewards are probably glamour or glamour with decent item level)

On Relics: "In the past, the idea was that it would be okay if you just made one job, and the time calculation for Zodiac Weapon was set at 120 hours, but now that the range and amount of content has expanded, there is less time to devote"

"If you plan to have multiple jobs produce items, it will take a toll on your inventory if you go around collecting special reinforcement items, and it will be difficult to tell how much you have strengthened. Therefore, we made it so that Allagan tomestones"

"young people who play online games these days choose not to play unless it is easily available. However, as I mentioned earlier, if players are enjoying playing multi-jobs these days, I think our game design should be designed to reflect that."

"On the other hand, there are also voices saying that they want enhanced content or exclusive content for weapon production. It's a voice that never existed before... However, in Bozja we created a system where weapons could be strengthened both inside and outside of the content, but in the end it came down to efficiency. For that reason, it is difficult to know what to do with the next series, but the fact is that many players have strengthened the Manderville Weapon this time to the highest level ever."

On DC Travel flocking to a single DC: "I once created a mechanism (to take measures), but a bug appeared, so... even if I were to take countermeasures, it would be after Dawntrail. This is a phenomenon that only occurs in Japan" (??? not true, NA flock to Aether and EU flocking to Light now apparently)

"If I were to listen to everyone's opinions now, the quickest response would be to close data center travel so that it cannot be used."
__________

My opinions:

• We already have weapons you get easily such as the crafted/marketboard or extreme trial weapon.
• Relic weapon grinds are great for people who like to set a goal for themselves. Not so with Manderville Weapons (too quick).
• Of course more people got the Manderville Weapons. Because you made them easier to get. If you made savage clearable in 1 pull, everyone would clear it. That doesn't mean it should be easier.
• It's not just JP going to Mana to raid. NA flocks to Aether and EU flocks to Light. Yoshi-P should be made aware of this.

[Fawkes]

However, in Bozja we created a system where weapons could be strengthened both inside and outside of the content, but in the end it came down to efficiency. For that reason, it is difficult to know what to do with the next series, but the fact is that many players have strengthened the Manderville Weapon this time to the highest level ever.

Perhaps if you made the new content also be efficient, instead of making it like Delubrum Reginae originally dropping one timeworn artifact when you needed 15 for one weapon.

[Vahlnir]

Perhaps if you made the new content also be efficient, instead of making it like Delubrum Reginae originally dropping one timeworn artifact when you needed 15 for one weapon.

Yeah...they are looking at this data and are unfortunately likely using the EW completion rates as justification for their oversimplification of the relic grind. To me, that is learning the wrong lesson. Dawntrail will definitely make or break this game for me at this point. For multiple reasons, this one among them.

[Stormpeaks]

On DC Travel flocking to a single DC: "I once created a mechanism (to take measures), but a bug appeared, so... even if I were to take countermeasures, it would be after Dawntrail. This is a phenomenon that only occurs in Japan

This is great proof that they have no clue what goes on outside of JP.

Primal is the PvP DC, Aether is PvE, crystal is social and dyna is social/housing etc

It's hilarious of them to say that this is only a thing in JP, while the reality is DC travel is MANDATORY on the NA region.

Even on EU, Light is the main DC for content and even venues, while chaos only has a few pfs every day.

[Atelier-Bagur]

Perhaps if you made the new content also be efficient, instead of making it like Delubrum Reginae originally dropping one timeworn artifact when you needed 15 for one weapon.

Gee I wonder why not many relics were completed in Shb with the timeworn artifact step because it was too tedious.

And look! Gee! I WONDER why so many people have completed many EW relics because you based it solely on being tomestone purchases which everyone gets easilu via daily roulettes.

Its like hes looking at the data, and he has the right idea but is not actually understanding the data.

[Anonemoose]

The award winning Final Fantasy Fourteen Online community will never be happy and will never agree on anything. Ultimately, this community needs to be saved from themselves. No longer shall the developers make relic weapons obtainable through gameplay, henceforth, they shall be MogStation exclusive.

[Nizzi]

On DC Travel flocking to a single DC: "I once created a mechanism (to take measures), but a bug appeared, so... even if I were to take countermeasures, it would be after Dawntrail. This is a phenomenon that only occurs in Japan" (??? not true, NA flock to Aether and EU flocking to Light now apparently)

"If I were to listen to everyone's opinions now, the quickest response would be to close data center travel so that it cannot be used."

Man, if the JP community ever acts like the developers listen to us, just point them to this. Beyond peoples personal feelings towards job design, the story, etc whatever; this is just an outright lie. There's no good way you can spin this statement other than what it is, the developers not listening to the NA or EU communities or paying attention to them even when they experience the same issues that the JP community is.

The strangest thing is that there's no reason to even lie about this. I'm on Primal right now for Rival Wings and I'm looking at the Party Finder, there is not a SINGLE party for progging the current tier or any Ultimates, and I am fully confident it is 100% the same back on Crystal and definitely Dynamis. You simply cannot play the high end content in this game on NA without a static anymore unless you go to Aether.

[DiaDeem]

My takeaway is that they are listening to feedback, but it seems they don't know what to do with it...

Glad they're buffing Endsinger and that they're looking into making Criterion rewards better.

The argument for Relic grind on the other hand is just plain awful. I have all jobs maxed to 90, but I don't main all jobs nor do I care about getting all jobs a weapon. I'd rather go on a long adventure for the 6 - 7 jobs I play than be granted free weapons for 19 jobs. The argument about Manderville being the Relic most people have completed... well, of course it is. You don't need a metric to know that. Anytime you have excess tomestones you just go grab whatever other weapon you still don't have. He says people have never complained about easy weapons, because up to Shadowbringres, we didn't have this problem so of course these are new voices.

Not everything has to be made the most efficient it can theoretically be.

[RitsukoSonoda]

Yeah...they are looking at this data and are unfortunately likely using the EW completion rates as justification for their oversimplification of the relic grind. To me, that is learning the wrong lesson. Dawntrail will definitely make or break this game for me at this point. For multiple reasons, this one among them.

Unfortunately this is a typical move of businesses nowadays to toss out pieces of data without proper context in order to justify their actions or decisions.

As for the typical people claiming this proves previous relic quests were too tedious, It doesn't prove that at all. High completion rates of Manderville weapons are a result of people simply spending tomes just because they have too many of them due to the tome type required being an outdated type with no weekly cap that the game hands out like candy on halloween.

[Rein_eon_Osborne]

Onto the relic grind specifically:

It concerns me that I feel like they're losing sight of that not all content has to apply to all types of players. Especially an entirely optional grind like relics.

When you try to make all content applicable to all players and fundamentally change it in the name of that, that's when you start getting lackluster content.

Optional grinds that's really just missing point of what they're there for in the first place: to fill the content drought gap time and keep players engaged with an "at your own pace" goal to work towards.

… But lmao who am I to kid, maybe we’ll start seeing relic weapon giveaway from simply logging in next expac. /s