A Quick Summary of the recent JP Articles

[Holy_Dragoon]

The gambit system basically means they can program monsters with specific behaviours that they will then automatically use. This is better than the current method of scripting each mobs with a specific set of commands that trigger at specific times. This should make things LESS predictable.

Example:
Ifrit could be programmed with the following "gambits"

Enemy weak to fire : Radiant Plume
HP < 30% : Hellfire
HP = 50% : Crimson Cyclone
Nearest target : Sear :
Target with highest Enmity : Attack

Basically (in theory) this could help make fights less based on timing by having sets of moves set to fire at specific triggers, and less on a schedule. Preventing "swipe swipe skills, but forcing players to have to be ready for skills.

Think of combinations like "Enemy status = Protect : dispelga" and you start to get the picture. It worked really well in XII to create powerful characters that could automatically use a variety of skills autonomously.


Edit: it seems a few of us have chimed in =) I was distracted typing.
Oh and Chocobo Gambit system = amazing.
I hope path companions are the same way!

[Croy]

the gambit explanation is basically saying we are getting more dynamic monsters at 2.0? cause that will be awesome i didn't like gambits in ff12 but that is cause you can basically set it up so you don't even need to play almost. lol. but for a mmo that your main isn't effected by it and monsters might be more dynamic and so will our chocobo that is a super plus. and what i was hoping for in our monsters.

If monsters follow a gambit style system then it 1) makes them more dynamic as it means they have a host of AI checks to device the right strategy and become more efficient at killing you over time, it would also be better for group oriented monster battles 2) It can also mean strategy for players form where they try to figure out what exactly are the monsters AI checks so they learn to avoid damage or disrupt actions before they are performed.

That already happens to limited capacity but the AI checks are more cyclical (TP% = use weaponskill) and based on one time percentages. Like Primals where they have a time limit and an HP check for two hour, but the key idea is with gambit style system they can change their 'rhythm' not just based on their condition but the condition of their enemies and allies, maybe even the environment itself if the battlefield becomes more dynamic.

[Zantetsuken]

The Gambit system is one of the best SE has built for a FF game (FFXII).

The only issue with them was they could put the game on auto-pilot - something that would have been easily fixed by disabling them for the main char.. but w/e

Its great to see them in FFXIV though~

Hopefully they are customizable for our Choco and can be upgraded/modified as we see fit.

[rina_inverse]

- Hamlet will undergo a complete revamp. It will no longer be the 'closed' type content it currently is. The reason why it's the way it is the current version is due to 1.0 limitations. In ARR they can finally implement a more open-style content, which is what they originally wanted to do.

about friggin time!

[mbncd]

- They (somewhat) ended up changing the map/layouts of the three cities after all.

I'm pretty sure we've already seen the Grid Aetherits in the middle of buildings and they also said something like they wanted to make it easier to get around or something so not surprised by this at all.

- Depending on how one raises one's chocobo, what they can wear in equipments will also be different. (ex: If you raise it as a mage-type chocobo, then it can wear mage gear; if you raise it as a tank, it can wear tank gear, etc)

It looks like chocobos don't get to benefit from our armoury system o.o

- Hamlet will undergo a complete revamp. It will no longer be the 'closed' type content it currently is. The reason why it's the way it is the current version is due to 1.0 limitations. In ARR they can finally implement a more open-style content, which is what they originally wanted to do.

When they were originally talking about Hamlet, I got the impression it was something you could do on the fly, which to me means with or without a party that does not require a private instance so anyone can join at any time. Hopefully that's what it will be like, where you can just wander in and join whatever is already going on there at the time without having to organise a whole group for it. Maybe have more or less enemies and friendly NPC reinforcements spawn depending on how many are taking part at that moment or something and just base your score on how much you did while you were there (say, how many items you made/found or how many enemies you killed over half an hour or something?). That would also encourage less people to rely on having one person to do all the provisioning work done, if everyone had to do some to improve their ratings.

- Monster AI will operate under a FFXII-style 'gambit'-type system. Likewise, Chocobo AIs will operate under something similar.

This I like ^_^ I don't particularly care about the monsters, always kinda figured they probably worked on something like this already, but my path companion was useless because I couldn't tell him who to attack or anything. He was a tank but running around the other side of the field while I got pummelled like the weak squishy I was... Yay for well trained chocos! I actually asked in the latest live letter questions thread if we could have something like this (even referring to gambits specifically) so really glad that either I gave them the idea or we're thinking on the same page :3 I've kinda felt we've been thinking on the same page since my name was mentioned in the 2.0 advertising ("the crystal dreams") XD I know, I'm an idiot, but I have fun ;P

- Depending on what class you start as, your starting city will be locked to where that class' guild is located. (ex: If you start off as a MRD, you start in Limsa)

I don't like this at all... I'm very attached to my home city of Limsa and to my GC of the Maelstrom. I'm pretty sure I started the game with the conjurer class though so does that mean I'll have my home city change to Gridania? I find that being in a certain GC is very closely linked with supporting that city so if that happened I'd feel a strong need to join the Adders. I don't like Grid or the Adders, I want to stay with the pirates! Also, this kinda goes against the armoury system and I really don't think the two should be connected. Choosing to play level 1 as some class should not restrict your location options. You can change your class by changing weapon/tool (and are often encouraged to do so) but I doubt you can change your starting city so easily. Maybe give us some minor advantage for choosing the same city as our starting city is in (like a weak ring that gives stats beneficial to that class) but don't restrict us to it. If we have to choose a main class when we go to 2.0, I'm choosing ACN so that I can stay in Limsa!

[Kerwin]

I'm just disappointed with the way this info is being distributed. So far the community has done all the work in finding it while our reps and SE havnt made a peep on the official site or lodestone. =/

[NoctisUmbra]

I don't like this at all... I'm very attached to my home city of Limsa and to my GC of the Maelstrom. I'm pretty sure I started the game with the conjurer class though so does that mean I'll have my home city change to Gridania? I find that being in a certain GC is very closely linked with supporting that city so if that happened I'd feel a strong need to join the Adders. I don't like Grid or the Adders, I want to stay with the pirates! Also, this kinda goes against the armoury system and I really don't think the two should be connected. Choosing to play level 1 as some class should not restrict your location options. You can change your class by changing weapon/tool (and are often encouraged to do so) but I doubt you can change your starting city so easily. Maybe give us some minor advantage for choosing the same city as our starting city is in (like a weak ring that gives stats beneficial to that class) but don't restrict us to it. If we have to choose a main class when we go to 2.0, I'm choosing ACN so that I can stay in Limsa!

I'm pretty sure this is in reference to new players. They mentioned how the armoury system was going to be locked until you finished the starting series of quests that would get you to about level 10 on the class you picked to start as. It only makes sense for you to be in the city that the guild is in. I'm willing to bet that the starting quests differ based on the class you start as... at least to a small degree.

Also, they had mentioned that the GC you chose later on would essentially represent your city-state affinity, not where you started. So essentially right now if someone started in Limsa but is part of the Immortal Flames, their character data shows exactly that. In ARR however, they will only be affiliated with Ul'Dah's Immortal Flames. No throwback to Limsa just because that character happened to start there.

[Dhalmel]

Thank you for the summary.

I am surprised with the confirmation of the "lower than 720p" resolution "upscaled" to 720p.

I hope this doesn't hinder PC content in the future due to PS3 limitations. (yes, I'm freakin' serious)

Almost no current console game truly runs at 720p these days.


Anyways, Pet AI is now 100% better than XI. lol

[Zantetsuken]

I'm just disappointed with the way this info is being distributed. So far the community has done all the work in finding it while our reps and SE havnt made a peep on the official site or lodestone. =/

I'm inclined to agree, but its a common marketing tactic to give an exclusive bit of info to each media outlet that you engage (magazines, websites, live interviews, tradeshows, etc.)

It keeps the media people happy and makes them feel special/important, which typically translates into more positive reviews.

You can see how the opposite would be the case if they just spoiled everything on the forums and then rehashed it all in interviews and magazines...

[Warlock]

Very nice info , every change is positive in my book