Letter from the Producer LIVE Part XLI Digest (1/30/2018)

[Fazraye]

We are pleased to present the full digest of the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part XLI! If you missed the live stream, or if you just want to watch it again (and again), check it out below!


http://sqex.to/Axa

*Don’t forget to select the 720p option to watch the video in HD!

Patch 4.2 Special Part II
0:09:50
In the second part of the Patch 4.2 special, we went over the new content and features that will be implemented in Patch 4.2 using live gameplay. Be sure to check out the digest while watching along with the video.

Patch 4.2 Trailer

http://sqex.to/CY7

During the 3.x series, the patch trailers showcased upcoming content in a digest format; however, since the 4.1 series, we decided to restructure the trailers so they featured fragments of various scenes, so that they would feel more like movie trailers. We would love for everyone to speculate about the meaning behind certain scenes, or guess which scene is showcasing what new content. Of course, there are always going to be features that aren’t show in the trailer as well.

Patch Release Date

0:11:14
Patch 4.2 – Rise of a New Sun arrives on January 30th!
As mentioned in the previous Letter from the Producer LIVE, additional housing plots are scheduled to be added a week following the release of Patch 4.2.

4.2 Features


0:16:06
We forgot to introduce a new feature known as the Fashion Report in our last show, but this is also coming in Patch 4.2. You can learn about the new feature further down in the digest.

The Jade Stoa

0:17:04
During the live stream, we showcased some gameplay footage of the new battlefield.

The reward for completing the Jade Stoa (Extreme) is a weapon. This weapon should help those who will be challenging the Omega: Sigmascape (Savage), so be sure to make good use of them. The Jade Stoa will be much more difficult than Susano (Extreme) and Lakshmi (Extreme). There were many players that challenged the Omega: Deltascape (Savage) even though it was a high-difficulty raid content, and we felt that everyone’s player skill has become higher, so we took that into consideration when making adjustments to the difficulty of the Jade Stoa (Extreme). The Jade Stoa has a rich story behind it, so we hope players will enjoy that aspect of the battle as well.

New Mount
0:17:40
During the broadcast, we showed off two new mounts: the mount obtained from the Jade Stoa (Extreme), and the Deathclaw mount obtained via achievement points. For the Deathclaw mount, we made fine adjustments, particularly to give that feel that the player is being picked up, and this applies to all races.

Job Adjustment

0:26:28
The overall policy for job adjustments are the same as usual – make adjustments while retaining the job’s identity within their roles. The following jobs will be receiving adjustments in Patch 4.2.

Paladin

Their damage output was high compared to the other tank jobs, so we made adjustments to lower their DPS just a bit.

Warrior/Dark Knight

We made adjustments, so that both jobs can output more damage.

For warrior, there were some aspects that were difficult to manage, such as the buffs and timing the different recast timers, so we simplified it a bit overall. Because the effect of Storm’s Eye was high, we have lowered the effect a little; however, in exchange, we increased the overall potency of other skills. In addition to this, in order to better manage Inner Beast, we have made changes to Inner Release and Berserk. It may be difficult to understand the changes just by reading the patch notes, so we would like you to try it out in-game.

For dark knight, while the list of adjustments is less than a warrior, we have made adjustments that will increase their DPS and usability.

Machinist

We continued to make fine adjustments to machinists up until now, and the last adjustment made them too powerful, so Hypercharge effect increasing target's damage taken will be reduced.

Black Mage

In general, we will increase their usability and DPS.

• Increasing the potency of Fire IV
• Extending the proc duration for thunder-related actions and Fire III
• Decreased the recast time for Aetherial Manipulation
• Decreased the recast time for Transpose

As black mages become more familiar with specific content, they are able to increase their overall DPS, and this is also how black mages are specialized. We made adjustments to further expand on this aspect of black mage.

Summoner

We made adjustments to decrease the potency of their area of effect and single target attacks. Because summoners are able to continuously damage over time, and this being one of the main aspects, we believe they will continue to perform well in content that require a lot of movement.

Monk

• Riddle of Wind will now apply Greased Lightning.
  This will allow monks to be able to quickly earn Greased Lightning stacks when the battle begins, or when they are revived after being KO’d.

• Brotherhood’s effect will apply to the user as well. This will make it much easier to open a Chakra now.

• Decreased the recast time for Mantra and Perfect Balance.

Scholar

The healing effect from Excogitation will now execute when the effect duration ends.

White Mage/Astrologian

We have made adjustments to white mage and astrologian as well to increase their usability.

Role Actions

Diversion will be adjusted to further reduce enmity generation and the duration will be increased.

Please refer to the 4.2 Patch Notes for further details on the job adjustments and the specific values.

Elemental Properties

0:43:50
As we have no plans to introduce content that utilizes a character’s elemental properties in the future, we have decided to remove this attribute. For miners and botanists, the condition that required elemental properties in order to receive the bonuses have been changed so that the bonuses are all earned based on a character’s maximum GP.

You will still be able to sell items with elemental modifiers to shops or exchange it with Mutamix Bubblypots.

Eureka: Anemos
0:48:53
As mentioned in the previous Letter from the Producer LIVE, we would like everyone to enjoy Eureka: Anemos together, so we are planning to implement this in Patch 4.25.

In Eureka, there is a unique leveling system known as an Elemental Level that everyone will be leveling.
*This property is different from the previously mentioned elemental properties.

Furthermore, there is a unique system referred to as the Magia Board. Players will adjust their own offensive and defensive elemental properties to fight against monsters.

The experience points earned inside Eureka will be retained even when you leave, and you can continue the next time you enter. This content can be played solo, or in parties. Furthermore, this content also introduces the death penalty system which may illicit some good old fashioned nostalgia for some, so please look forward to it.

We’ll go over further details in a future Letter from the Producer LIVE.

Housing Updates

0:51:20
Based on the new data we collected from all Worlds, we will be adding a number of plots based on the demand we saw.

We're sure there will be various comments regarding the current restriction on purchasing an estate for personal use; however, we would like to give opportunities to free companies without an estate to purchase first. When new plots are added in the future, we’re planning to apply the same measures. Once enough plots have been distributed to free companies, we will remove the restriction on purchasing an estate for personal use.

The number of active free companies that do not own an estate was taken into consideration when deciding how many plots to add; therefore, we believe there shouldn’t be a situation where there wouldn’t be any plots available for personal use once the restrictions are lifted.

Players will be permitted to own only one private and one free company estate per World per service account. Please note that if you currently own several plots, you will not lose those plots. This restriction will be applied per World, so owning a plot in one World will not affect the purchase on another World. Owning an apartment won’t be considered as owning an estate, so you may purchase without any concerns.


Plots relinquished by owners will be unavailable for purchase for a limited time. The time when the plot becomes available is set at random, and will not be displayed anywhere.

Please refer to the special site for further details on purchasing housing plots.

Omega: Sigmascape

1:19:54
During the broadcast, we showed off the Omega: Sigmascape V1.0 and V2.0, so be sure to check it out!

We received a few requests to delay the implementation of the Savage mode, and we have considered this internally; however, we chose to release them at the same time in Patch 4.2.

The balancing of the Savage mode is based on player’s item level right after Patch 4.2 is implemented. If we were to release the Savage mode two weeks later, we would need to re-adjust the overall balancing based on gear exchanged with the new Allagan tomestone. This would also require adjustments in other areas outside of battle as well. For example, the demand for the new crafted battle gear will be affected due to this change, so we would need to make sure the gear would retain its value two weeks later.

Furthermore, there are players looking forward to the Savage mode, as they consider this as their main end game content. For these reasons, we have decided to implement the Savage mode when the even numbered patches are released, just like before.

We adjusted the difficulty so that many players can once again enjoy the content, so please enjoy it at your own pace. Also, the Cid and Nero duo will also take part in the story, so please look forward to it.

In regard to the Jade Stoa we mentioned earlier, this will be released as part of a new side story quest series: The Four Lords; however, there are parts that are tied in with the main scenario, so if you’re looking forward to challenging this right away, please progress through the main scenario to unlock the side story quests. The new instanced dungeon, Hells’ Lid ties in with the story of the Four Lords as well.

Performance Action Updates

1:35:23
During the show, we showcased gameplay of the new performance UI coming in Patch 4.2. The UI will be available for both keyboard and gamepad controls. The UI has been completely revamped, so be sure to check it out in the video.

Patch 4.2 will also introduce new sounds for the harp, piano, lute, and fiddle instruments.

Additionally, the music volume of performance actions can now be adjusted through the settings. In the future, we’re planning to make further adjustments to this feature, so that the sound for your performance and others can be adjusted separately.

Furthermore, until now the sounds were played to match the animation, so there was a slight lag from when it was executed; however, we made adjustments to resolve this, so you’ll be able to play music notes consecutively.

With this patch, we believe the UI adjustments for the performance actions are complete so we’ll be looking into adding new animations, or systems to be able to perform together with your party members moving forward.

Fashion Report

1:43:36
We showcased gameplay of this new content as well. Fashion Report is a new feature where players coordinate their gear (glamour) based on the theme given by the NPC. This is done on a weekly basis, and the theme will change every Tuesday. During that week, the NPC will check out your outfit up to four times. The theme given by the NPC won’t reveal the exact name of the gear you’ll need to equip, so players will need to exchange information with each other to complete it. When you undergo an evaluation, any items you’re wearing will be bound to your character, so you won’t be able to borrow items from others. However, this may be a good opportunity for our Disciples of the Hand players out there.

By partaking in a Fashion Report, players are rewarded with MPG, with bonus MGP being awarded to those who achieve a higher rating during evaluation. Players who continue to undertake these challenges will gain access to unique prizes via exchange. We’re planning to increase the amount of MGP, as well as prizes available for exchange in the future, so please participate in this weekly content. We would like to further expand on the Fashion Report in the future as well.

As for the content in which you coordinate NPC fashions, that is scheduled to be implemented in the next installment of the custom deliveries, and this is not part of the Fashion Report.

We’ll also be making an update to the Wondrous Tails. When you successfully complete a line, instead of receiving a reward for it, players will now receive points that can be exchanged for a number of unique items. By making this change, players will be able to exchange with the items they would like, not worrying about the week.

New Equipment and Furnishings
1:58:25
We gave a sneak preview of new equipment and furnishings. The furnishings we showed off during the show were actually those submitted by the players through the Furnishing Design Content implemented in-game, so check it out!

The Feast Updates

2:06:42
We showcased gameplay of the new map: Crystal Tower Training Grounds. As mentioned in our previous Letter from the Producer LIVE, we’re planning to hold an official tournament in the future, and so we created this map with a very FINAL FANTASY feel featuring chocobos and moogles in order to showcase what FFXIV is for those who are unfamiliar with the game that may be watching a tournament.

The object placement in the Crystal Tower Training Grounds will appear at random. Additionally, the crest created by the PvP Teams will be reflected on the field map.

The pre-season will begin along with the release of Patch 4.2, so we ask you to partake in PvP Teams and send in your feedback. PvP Teams will need to challenge each other to earn the right to participate in the official tournament. We’re currently working on the official tournament rules, and will announce the details in the future.

Glamour Updates

2:11:49
We showcased gameplay to introduce the new glamour dresser and glamour plates system. For more details, please refer to the video or the patch notes. The dresser can hold a total of 200 gear transformed into glamours, but some may feel this isn’t enough. Aside from the dresser, items from the armoire can be applied to glamour plates without transforming them into glamours. Furthermore, we have added more items which can be stored in the armoire as well. Therefore, along with the items that can be stored in the armoire, you can glamour more than 200 items.

The Calamity Salvager also sells a wide variety of gear, so if you’re short on storage space, we recommend removing items that can be obtained again from the dresser. We believe some players will request to be able to add items from the Calamity Salvager directly onto the glamour plates; however, please note that because the Calamity Salvager checks the player’s achievement status, this would be difficult to do.

The glamour plates can be applied with a macro, so by combining this macro with gear set changes, players will be able to change their appearance upon changing their jobs. In the future, we’re thinking of a system where you can assign glamour plate numbers to gear sets. Dye information is stored separately for each glamour plate, so enjoy mixing up different gear, and dye combinations to use with your different jobs, or for other situations.

The glamour plates cannot be used in all areas, and this was done as a preventative measure against stress loads. We would like to increase the areas in which the plates can be used; however, because we have limited the areas, this allowed us to provide multiple plates. So instead of increasing the areas, we think it would be better to increase the amount of available plates.

With implementation of this system, glamour has become much more convenient and we’ll be expanding this feature moving forward. We’re currently prioritizing the ability to apply the plates to members of your adventurer squadron. For Fashion Report, the equipment you have on at the time will be checked, so it can be checked based on the glamour you have applied.

Other Updates
2:40:42

Chocobo Saddlebags

We used gameplay footage to show the new chocobo saddlebag feature. The saddlebag can be accessed even if you don’t call your companion out. You may also access the saddlebag when you have your retainer out and transfer items between the retainer’s inventory and saddlebag as well.

During the show, we received a question asking if would be possible to see which items can be stored in the armoire, or can be purchased from the Calamity Salvager on the item description. This discussion has been brought up with the dev. team, and we’re looking into this.

Subaquatic Voyages

You can partake in subaquatic voyages even if you haven’t built any airships for use in exploratory voyages. There are items and minions which can only be obtained from the subaquatic voyages as well.

Rival Wings

We’re planning to make adjustments to things like the effects that claiming the center area has, mammets, and range of the steam cannons.

Updates on Disciples of Hand/Land Gear

There won’t be any new gear that will surpass the over-melded Ala Mhigan gear in Patch 4.2. There will be no addition of secondary tools as well. However, we’ll be adding new class-specific gear that will have better stats than those that have not been over-melded.

In-game Bonus Item Codes

Recently, players have noticed that the in-game bonus codes included with FFXIV-related merchandise have been character-specific rather than being account-wide. The reason is because there is a limit to the number of items that can be distributed service account wide, and it is currently difficult to increase this limit. We’ll continue looking into this moving forward, and will provide an update once we have progress.

Heavy status when taking damage from behind while mounted.

At the very end of the show, we mentioned that post Patch 4.2, players will no longer be inflicted with the Heavy status effect when taking damage from behind while mounted.

There are other various quality of life updates that were not shown during the show coming in Patch 4.2, so we hope you’re all looking forward to it!