A Recent Yoshi-P Post that probably needs to be read (Translation)

[OMEGA_HACK]

■キャラクタデータの引き継ぎについて■
Concerning the carry-over of character datas

プレイヤーキャラクタデーターは、開発体制移行時にもお約束している通り、
このままプレイを続けて頂いて、基本的に何らワイプされません。
Like I had promised when we changed into our current development team, current player character data will continue to be saved and will, in principle, not be wiped.

EXPもLvもギルも所持アイテムも、達成済みのクエストフラグも、
開発側で新生データ設計へ、自動的にコンバートさせて頂きます。
どうぞご安心して、プレイを継続してください。
（一部、データ引き継ぎ時点で、途中だったクエストなどの個別フラグなどは、
クエスト受諾初期状態になるかもしれません。
クリア済みのクエストではなく、あくまで途中だったもの）
Exp, Lv, Gil, Items and the list of completed quests will automatically be converted and carried over to the new FFXIV without loss.
Therefore, please continue to play normally without worry to this issue.
(The exception might be to quests that have already been accepted and currently in-progress. They may be reset to to a status where you didn't receive the quest at all)

これはFFXIVのアカウントをお持ちで、キャラクタデータが作成されていれば、
どなたのキャラクタでもデータ移行させて頂きます。
The above holds true to whoever has a FFXIV account and is in possession of Character Data.

In possession of Character data meaning currently paying? I'm surprised no one has mentioned this part yet. It could be taken two ways (the bolded)

Possession as in "I have created it therefore I am in the possession of Character Data" or possession as in "I am paying for it therefore I am in possession of the Character Data". Either way can make sense, scary thing is he mentions something about taking a select bit of items to be converted to the new servers (since they are different apparently) so it wouldn't be too far fetch to make the claim that they won't be converting characters that have been inactive for over a select amount of months to save on the time needed to convert all characters to the new servers.

Either way, I will be playing/paying so it doesn't matter to me much, but to others, you might need some clarification and possibly might have to pay for 1 month before the ver2.0 is released to ensure you character's safety! D:>

[Coldbrand]

Here's my question with the rehauls: WHY THE HELL AREN'T THEY REHAULING THE GODDAMN CRAFTING? HOW ABOUT INTO SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A PULSE AND ISN'T RANDOM CRAP/STANDARD SPAM?

[Rokien]

language-specific servers, finally.

Thats soo stupid, why would anyone want that........ god. Make the player base community smaller GREAT IDEA.... not! Thats why I loved FFXI meet new people all over the world. If youw ant that go play WoW, they better keep their hands off my community!

[OMEGA_HACK]

They are having both Rokien you can still play with people anywhere if you so choose.

[Rokien]

That will make the community even smaller........ right now were at 100%, after this we could be sitting at less then 50%.

[Grendel]

Unless the US/JP only servers have better latency for their respective regions, I dont see the point of separating them. I love JPs :/

[Stanislaw]

In possession of Character data meaning currently paying? I'm surprised no one has mentioned this part yet. It could be taken two ways (the bolded)

Possession as in "I have created it therefore I am in the possession of Character Data" or possession as in "I am paying for it therefore I am in possession of the Character Data". Either way can make sense, scary thing is he mentions something about taking a select bit of items to be converted to the new servers (since they are different apparently) so it wouldn't be too far fetch to make the claim that they won't be converting characters that have been inactive for over a select amount of months to save on the time needed to convert all characters to the new servers.

Either way, I will be playing/paying so it doesn't matter to me much, but to others, you might need some clarification and possibly might have to pay for 1 month before the ver2.0 is released to ensure you character's safety! D:>

Sorry, I probably worded the translation it in a bit misleading way, but from what I can gather he's implying the "Possession as in 'I have created it therefore I am in the possession of Character Data'" - hence, if you have a suspended SE account because you didn't want to pay and you didn't delete your character, you can reactivate the SE account at a later date and convert it over to the new FFXIV with no problems.

He also doesn't say that if he decides to go with the "convert NPC" thing, the NPC you go to to pick up your items after the conversion will only be there temporarily. It would be a stupid move otherwise, so it's only logical it'll stay there permanently.

[TheVedis]

That will make the community even smaller........ right now were at 100%, after this we could be sitting at less then 50%.

it will, but it wont

people who DO NOT want to do anything ever with people in japan or wherever can have their servers
but MOST people, and i do meen most, will want to be on servers where its cross culture i bet


i can almost guarentee with 100% certainty that the language based servers will end up being the smallest

[Stanislaw]

Here's my question with the rehauls: WHY THE HELL AREN'T THEY REHAULING THE GODDAMN CRAFTING? HOW ABOUT INTO SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A PULSE AND ISN'T RANDOM CRAP/STANDARD SPAM?

He doesn't say rehauls specifically, but:

・これまで同様継続されるUIの調整
・クラフトシステム、ギャザリングシステムの調整
・レシピの追加や新たな素材採集
Continued improvements to the UI
Adjustments to the Crafting System and Gathering System
New Recipies and New Harvestable Items

It's there. We don't know what he's going to do with it, but we can hope.

[Anapingofness]

Holy crap...
er...well...

Thanks for the translation man!

However, as much as I don't want to jump on the "omfg it's a WoW Clone!" bandwagon... err... well it is...

"Content Finder
Language-specific servers (both language-specific and global servers will be in operation)
PvP/Massive PvP"

Reading those three things in a row and taking them into account with what has already been said.... I just can't help but feel that this game is really going to become another WoW clone.

I am so disappointed right now... Disappointed and insulted... I feel downright cheated!
I was looking forward to 2.0 but now I'm at least 90% certain that I won't be playing this game even when 2.0 comes out.

If I wanted to play WoW I'd go and play it again, better yet, if I wanted to play a WoW clone I'd go and find a free to play one.

I just don't understand why they couldn't take things from FFXI and make them even better.

Why do they have to for the WoW version of PvP and not use better version of Ballista?

Why do they have to have language specific servers at all? One of the greatest things in FFXI was the fact that you could play with people from other countries. Yeah, sometimes it sucked but I liked it better than the alternative.

Why does the so called "Content Finder" (aka Dungeon Finder) have to be cross server? Why can't we use it only for that server so that it doesn't destroy the community?

What's worse is this entire plan to move forward to charge the full price for FFXIV the way it is now. I understand that they need money to implement these changes but to not even offer a discount considering that the game is far from even ready for launch?

"As a global title that holds the Final Fantasy name, I feel that we're at a 50% mark before we can compete against other, newer MMOs in the market." <--- Hardly Yoshida-san.

If FFXIV came out last year the way it is now I can guarantee it wouldn't have received much praise, if any. It wouldn't have recieved above a 5/10 mark and the 5 is being generous. After all, how can you expect it to receive a higher score when the game still has -
-no search feature
-no AH
-inability to jump/swim (a standard by now)
-a very uncreative character creation system (look at Aion Online character creation system)
-very little content
-issues with UI and lag

The game the way it is now is at a very bare minimum of anything, including playing...

If any of the reps read this, please, please, please tell Yoshida-san to look at what made FFXI so amazing and unique and to work off of that while looking at other games for inspiration or certain things to take and apply to FFXIV. Turning it into another WoW clone will only kill what chance it has left of standing against such a monolith.

Edit:

For those of you who fail to see the connection.

WoW Gameplay:
-Level via solo play (mostly quests)
-PvP
-Dungeon Finder + PvP

FFXIV Gameplay:
-Level via solo play (The game the way it is now is geared more toward solo play anyway)
-enter PVP
-Dungeon Finder + PvP

The only things that are missing is Horde vs Alliance (although I'm expecting it now) and completely segregated servers. In WoW not only are the servers language specific but they're also grouped into three other categories; PVP, PVE, and RP.