Letter From The Producer, XL (12/27/2012)

[Warlock]

Its confirmed! Fernehalwes has been taken hostage! D:
http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/blog

[SkyeWindbinder]

I mean what news were you expecting? They gave us the beta road map with all the news intact. "This is what we are doing and when we are doing it." The road map is part of the letter from the producer in a way. You people are seriously dense.

Dude, calm down. It was a joke. Seriously. lol

[Zehira]

[SkyeWindbinder]

lol

That gif is a thing of beauty! XD

[Elexia]

+ Roadmap= XL :P

Roadmap wasn't part of the letter.

[Starlord]

Roadmap wasn't part of the letter.

I never said it was, but they both came around the same time, so I personally feel it's "Apart" of it.

[Rizon]

Don't know what more people want. We pretty much know what will be included in the game at launch. We have a fairly good idea of how the game will work. We now have a basic timeline for testing and launch. How much more do we need? The only things left are when we can expect a benchmark and what steps SE are going to take to promote ARR. Those 2 items can go a long ways in attracting new subscribers to the game.

Betting we see the benchmark after the completion of Phase 1, to include adjustments. (Should be good for about 20 nay saying posts)

[lynex]

I don't get all the posts saying the letter didn't have enough information. Maybe he should come out with the letter then the road-map that would make more sense but he always seems to do it this way with the video then the letter or the road-map then the letter. Get over it people its just the way he conveys his information. His letter it just a "hey this is how things are going". The information is just in a different format not in the letter. I think he went this way so the info can be posted on facebook and we get the personal letter.

[SodRansom]

You see these letters come out and I'm always like "what juicy gossip will be in this letter??" So I understand people's disappointment. But when you step back and think rationally, I don't know what we can expect, they're already giving us lots of news.

But I actually find it kind of refreshing to hear the reminders that the team is devoted to producing a quality game. It's hard to wait..I know I'm definitely chomping at the bit here, but those reminders help to keep my patience up. Also, he used one word that gave me lots of encouragement in his letter. He said this:

"It is our desire to deliver quality and quantity that surpasses all expectations, and we won’t spare any effort as we move closer towards release."

He could have just said quality and no one would have blinked an eye. But the fact that he paired quality with quantity gives me hope that ARR will deliver something that 1.0 really lacked. Content. Stuff to do. They're not just building a game that has good mechanics, great graphics and fun game play, but they're building a game that has quantity, which hopefully means lots of stuff to do. Very encouraging!

[KiriA500]

Roadmap wasn't part of the letter.

Now, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, but the Beta Test Roadmap has finally been released. Even as I pen this letter, we’re making revisions and adjustments to the game based on the feedback we received from our alpha testers.

You may have noticed that the new schedule deviates somewhat from our original plan. This is because we—the development team and myself alike—hold ourselves to certain standards. It is our desire to deliver quality and quantity that surpasses all expectations, and we won’t spare any effort as we move closer towards release. Please keep bearing with us in the coming year.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/59298

Yeah, this letter had nothing to do with the roadmap! Aside from his "OMG THX U SO HARD" stuff, that's kind of the entire subject of the letter...it just didn't repeat information you'd find in...the roadmap itself.