It's difficult...

[BreathlessTao]

Is it just me or did this seem like the Live Letter that was difficult? Just leaving these here...

Q4: Currently, there seems to be some lag involved with the casting of the mudras. Are there any plans to address this in the future?

A4: This is something that is difficult for us to adjust because it’s hard to confirm as there are aspects that are related to the filter for how OS packets are being sent.

Q6: You previously mentioned each job will have their own limit break. Could you provide more information on this?

A6: It may be difficult to prepare three different limit breaks per job so we have decided to adjust the level 3 limit break used by each job. As an additional note, we are currently working on creating a new limit break for dragoon!

Q12: Currently, all of the high-level crafting recipes require materials obtained via desynthesis and items obtained by trading tomestones, and the gatherer classes do not have much involvement. Are there any plans to adddress the balance so that the gatherers can be involved more?

A12: While the Armoury system is one of the main features of FINAL FANTASY XIV, this system makes it difficult for certain classes to take an active role in the development of the economy.

Q19: Are there any plans to implement an inventory specifically for fishing lures/bait?

A19: Unfortunately, it is very difficult to add inventory. In order to add inventory, we will need to increase the character data and if the character data is increased, more data must be transmitted to the servers. This may cause increased loading times when you move to a different area as well as lag.

Q20: Can you add a lot more hairstyles, facial hair, and other types of face paints?

A20: When it comes to hairstyles, we have to make very fine adjustments to the graphics for portions that stick out of equipment and those that do not, and we do our best to release 1-3 hairstyles in each patch. We previously added new face paint in the past, but we didn’t really receive much feedback as to whether they were good or bad, so we’ve been allocating our resources to adding hairstyles. Finally, facial hair is connected to the amount of character date transmitted, so it’s difficult at the moment.

Q21: A new playable race will be introduced in the expansion, but are there any plans to introduce additional character creation options for the existing races?

A21: Unfortunately, it is very difficult to add more character creation options. We will try to increase the amount of character options via glamour (i.e. using hair extensions introduced in the upcoming Starlight Celebration event, etc.).

I know certain parts are actually just so, alright and justified. But...well.

[Gwaeron]

Remember in beta and when ARR was new? "This is impossible to do as the system was not implemented that way" was the excuse used for everything they did not want to bother implementing, said for example about looping background music. I think this is just "it's impossible" 2.0.

[Barboron]

Q4 - As they said, not much they can do about it. As these can be combined with either doing anywhere between 1 and 3 mudras to perform a ninjutsu, each one has to be confirmed and so there is the time on waiting for packets as stated.

Q6 - might just be something in terms of creativity. Each grade of LB will have to conform to a specified time lapse and doing

Q12 - Understandable, they implemented a new system. They want to make the most of it rather than rinse and repeat previous crafting/gathering methods. As for expanding the armour system, Q20.

Q19 - Pretty much answered in the last part of my response to Q20, data stacking.

Q20 - was address on the forums previously about having to adjust the hairstyles to fit skulls of different races although they have done it for several hairstyles already, don't see why it's a big deal.
Facepaint is understandable and again, they are checking their limits when it comes to facial hair. Yes, you can say "It's just facial hair." But couple it with the fishing, expanding inventory, housing, and everything else people want implemented and it starts to stack up. Yes, I refereed to this response in quite a number of these responses but again, the more small things people want from individual pieces of content, the more little pieces of data there will be. SE has to break down these pieces and find out which takes priority. For example, are there enough fishers to warrant the tackle box? Or do more people want hairstyles or facial hair?

Q21 - Pretty much the same for the last past of Q20, data just stacking up.

I'm not saying SE is doing a stand up job but not saying they aren't, they are doing what they can. Just have to be realistic about these things.

[Alexander_Dragonfang]

This has been what SE has been saying during all the project, not just now, wonder why now people has noticed. There is always a trend of "is difficult", "server hardware" and "team is prioritizing X". Is how all of this has been for a long time... I don`t see the surprise here lol.

[BreathlessTao]

This has been what SE has been saying during all the project, not just now, wonder why now people has noticed. There is always a trend of "is difficult", "server hardware" and "team is prioritizing X". Is how all of this has been for a long time... I don`t see the surprise here lol.

Definitely not surprised, personally, nor did I only notice now. It was just blatantly apparent this time when I read the Q&A translation, which is why I thought I'd make a post.



And for the record: I don't think anybody is demanding any of these things in a "DOTHISRIGHTNOWORELSE"-way. I don't think anyone would even suggest a timeframe. But yeah, we (as in the players) would like more features, more content, more...stuff, really. And with most of it, we just crash into such walls, time and time again, while at the same time seeing others (in many cases smaller companies with F2P games) pulling at least one (or more or even all) of them off, either faster or in a better way (or even both). And we're talking about SE here, and a rather premium (sub-based) game. Add this all together and it is simply frustrating and gets us worried. (At least, that's the case with me.) That is all.

[Limecat]

This has been what SE has been saying during all the project, not just now, wonder why now people has noticed. There is always a trend of "is difficult", "server hardware" and "team is prioritizing X". Is how all of this has been for a long time... I don`t see the surprise here lol.

It's always been the same way for XI, too. The Grand Poobahs seem to put the games on a shoestring budget after startup and hope for the best.

[JeniLinsky]

William Bradford, speaking in 1630 of the founding of the Plymouth Bay Colony, said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage.

[Gilthas]

Obviously, the solution here is to only answer questions when they have something positive to say! But then players would complain that they don't communicate with us.

Regardless of it we like it or not, there will always be stuff that they don't want to implement in the game for "reasons".

And for the record: I don't think anybody is demanding any of these things in a "DOTHISRIGHTNOWORELSE"-way. I don't think anyone would even suggest a timeframe. But yeah, we (as in the players) would like more features, more content, more...stuff, really. And with most of it, we just crash into such walls, time and time again, while at the same time seeing others (in many cases smaller companies with F2P games) pulling at least one (or more or even all) of them off, either faster or in a better way (or even both). And we're talking about SE here, and a rather premium (sub-based) game. Add this all together and it is simply frustrating and gets us worried. (At least, that's the case with me.) That is all.

I'm not sure if it's fair to make these comparisons with other games when we have no idea if implementing feature X in game Y requires the same time and investment that it would require to implement in FFXIV

[Xhominid]

Q21: A new playable race will be introduced in the expansion, but are there any plans to introduce additional character creation options for the existing races?

A21: Unfortunately, it is very difficult to add more character creation options. We will try to increase the amount of character options via glamour (i.e. using hair extensions introduced in the upcoming Starlight Celebration event, etc.).

I want my character's asses back! Hell even as a damn glamour...well that and give some long hair, REAL long hair almost at the ass long.

[BreathlessTao]

Obviously, the solution here is to only answer questions when they have something positive to say! But then players would complain that they don't communicate with us.

Regardless of it we like it or not, there will always be stuff that they don't want to implement in the game for "reasons".

I'm not sure if it's fair to make these comparisons with other games when we have no idea if implementing feature X in game Y requires the same time and investment that it would require to implement in FFXIV

No, the solution isn't to only say things when there's something positive to say. But it would come off as a little less of an excuse if they did just what you yourself hint at - actually explain how things are done in FFXIV and why feature X would be difficult to implement (like in some of these answers). Not asking for corporate secrets obviously, but I'm fairly sure it could be communicated in layman's terms so that it would be understandable for at least many of us, in a way that wouldn't make it sound as bad as it is in this particular list for example. Hell I'm sure there are people in this community who might even be able to come up with ideas on how to change things to make feature X a viable plan for implementation - not necessarily outright providing the solution, but an overlooked detail maybe, or a different approach, whatever. They do keep saying that their team is small, right? And if the wall preventing something really is hard (eg. actual hardware), then for the Twelve's sake at least make some plans to spend some more money on it in the future!