Letter from the Producer LIVE XLIII Digest (4/20/2018)

[Fazraye]

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


http://sqex.to/fNe

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

Patch 4.3 Special Part I


0:04:06
Patch 4.3—Under the Moonlight will debut in late May. As the development has been progressing smoothly, it may be released closer to mid-May than late-May.

Main Scenario


0:07:07
The 4.3 main scenario will bring the Doma storyline to a close and kick off a new story which we don’t think anyone will be expecting. We hope you’re looking forward to it!

New Sidequests


0:08:13
The Four Lords and Hildibrand sidequest series will continue in the Patch 4.3 series.

As we mentioned previously, the next part of the Hildibrand series will be released in a subsequent patch after the release of Patch 4.3. During the broadcast we showed off some screenshots from the new Four Lords quest and eagle-eyed adventurers will notice that Tataru is wearing a new outfit!

Beast Tribe Quests - Namazu


0:09:42
The Namazu beast tribe quests will make their debut in Patch 4.3 and will focus on Disciples of the Hand and Land. The mount reward is pretty interesting, so please look forward to it!

New Sidequest – Doman Reconstruction

0:12:24
A new sidequest feature, known as Doman reconstruction, will begin in Patch 4.3. The second installment of this will introduce a new system, so we recommend you start working on this once you have completed the main scenario quest.

New Instanced Dungeon – The Swallow’s Compass


0:12:58
Since this is an odd numbered patch, we’ll be introducing one new instanced dungeon. The other day we tested the dungeon for balancing purposes and I can say that the design and the music are very well done. You may be familiar with the entrance of this dungeon just by looking at the following screenshots.

New Trial (Hard/Extreme)

0:14:41
We’ll be keeping it a secret as to who you will be fighting until the patch is released. It’s so secret that it won’t be mentioned in the patch trailer, or the patch notes, so you’ll have to experience it yourself once it’s released! I will say that it’s not one of the Four Lords.

Return to Ivalice – The Ridorana Lighthouse


0:16:28
We received some special requests from Matsuno, who is in charge of the scenario, and so the volume of the story is quite large this time around. Aside from the main story, we also have a side story available, so be on the lookout for that. We’re planning to showcase further details in our next show covering the second part of the 4.3 special. We also hope to show off the boss designs created by Keita Amemiya at that time.

We’re planning to set the loot rule for all alliance raids to “Greed Only” starting in Patch 4.3. We originally intended the alliance raid rewards to be a means for players to obtain gear for their secondary jobs; however, it is difficult for players to participate on these other jobs while wearing lower item level gear. This leads to many simply having to go as their main jobs which makes them unable to hit Need on the items they really wanted, resulting in needing to run the content multiple times. To resolve this issue, we have decided to limit the loot rule to “Greed Only,” making it possible for players to join as their main jobs, while being able to obtain gear for their secondary jobs.

With that said, we will be reading over community feedback when deciding if we will continue this approach or not in the future.

New Deep Dungeon – Heaven-on-High



0:21:34
We’re finally able to reveal that the next Deep Dungeon is on its way! Palace of the Dead was extremely useful for players aiming to level their Disciple of War/Magic from level 1 to 60. In Heaven-on-High, players will be able to run the content to level up from 61 to 70.

*During the broadcast we mentioned Heaven-on-High can be accessed from level 60 and above; however, the correct level is 61 and above.

Unlike Palace of the Dead, players will encounter high-end challenges a lot quicker, which begin from floor 31. It will introduce some new features and rewards, so please give it a try. There’s a new system that have a unique “greater summon” effect.

*During the broadcast we mentioned pomanders, but this is going to be a new system.

Since there is a large assortment of content being implemented in Patch 4.3, and we believe players will be busy with things like the main scenario, we may push back the implementation of Heaven-on-High just a bit.

The Forbidden Land, Eureka - Pagos Expedition


0:27:00
The next installment of the Forbidden Land, Eureka is planned for Patch 4.35 and will take place in a snow-covered area. We have made updates to the system and introduced new features and support elements for players that need to catch up.

The Minstrel’s Ballad: The Weapon’s Refrain (Ultimate)


0:29:23
We are releasing The Minstrel’s Ballad: The Weapon’s Refrain (Ultimate) as part the next installment of extreme-difficulty content and we’ll introduce screenshots and such in the next Letter from the Producer LIVE. This content is scheduled to be released two weeks after Patch 4.3 goes live.

It took quite a while for the Unending Coil of Bahamut (Ultimate) to be conquered, so we’re currently making adjustments to shorten that just a bit. However, don’t worry, as the difficulty level will still proudly wear the title of “Ultimate.” Victorious adventurers will once again be rewarded with weapons with glowing effects.

Job Adjustments

0:32:39
We’ll go over some of the details in the next LIVE show, with the full details available in the patch notes. For now, I will mention that we’re planning to make adjustments towards dark knight, samurai, and astrologian. Samurai is planned to receive adjustments which will increase their damage output.

PvP Update


0:34:07
As we are aiming to host an official tournament, we made adjustments to the HUD so players can see buffs applied to all allies and opponents in the match and we’ll go over more details in the next show. Furthermore, we will be making changes to the Crystal Tower Training Grounds map, such as the lighting, based on the feedback we received globally.

Also, in order to speed up the matching process, we will be changing Frontline in Patch 4.3 where the featured campaign will be changed on a daily basis. Furthermore, Frontline campaign the Borderland Ruins (Secure) will receive map improvements and rule adjustments.

Glamour System Update

0:36:28
In order to resolve the inventory issue we made it so that items converted to glamour are destroyed; however, based on the feedback we received globally, we have added a system that will allow players to reclaim items converted into glamours. This will apply to items which were converted to glamours before 4.3 as well. However, please note that we aren’t able to retain the data showing the name of the person who crafted the item.

Additionally, the appearance of the adventurer squadron units can be changed via the glamour dresser as well.

Performance Action Updates

0:38:06
This time we’ll be adding sounds for five types of wind instruments, and an animation for playing a wind instrument. In Patch 4.1, the sounds were set at a high quality, but due to the amount of data being processed, we made adjustments to the overall quality when new sounds were added. However, we have received feedback regarding the quality of the sounds, so the sound team is currently making further adjustments to increase the quality. We are also planning to expand the keyboard UI, and also add features such as being able to sustain the sound while key is held down and fading afterwards.

Housing Updates - Guestbooks

0:40:24
We will implement a new “Guestbook” furnishing, where the estate owner, or visitors, can leave messages. There’s also a feature where players can simply leave a “like” as well.

It’ll be much later than Patch 4.3, but the development of mannequins where you can equip them with your favorite gear is also moving forward. We’re also looking into linking the mannequin and the market board, so players can purchase gears equipped on the mannequins directly from there. By doing this, players can suggest interesting and unique outfits to other players, and you can also purchase outfits you like all at once. We hope this can lead to various types of play styles.

Additional Updates


0:42:54
We will be introducing a new Duty Roulette category: Raids. This roulette will include normal versions of the raids up through Omega: Deltascape.

A third custom deliveries client will be introduced. Players have already met this person before and should be familiar with them. Once you build enough relations with this NPC, you’ll be able to freely change the NPC’s outfit as well.

Cross-World Linkshells will be introduced and players will be able to chat with those in other Worlds under the same data center. Please note that unlike normal linkshells, the linkshell will be destroyed once the number of players in it drops down to one. This feature adds a fair amount of stress on the server, so in Patch 4.3 we’re limiting each player to one cross-world linkshell. We’re planning to ease up on this restriction once we’re able to see a stable performance. One cross-world linkshell can have up to 64 players in it.

[Fazraye]

Mobile App - FINAL FANTASY XIV COMPANION


0:47:43
Please check the following images for features available in the mobile app. We showed the actual app running during the show as well, so be sure to check out the video as well.






By registering the app, players will be able to register an additional favored destination aetheryte, so we recommend all players with a smart phone download the app.

The premium plan is based on a monthly subscription. While it’s not finalized yet, we are currently assuming around 500 yen for the monthly fee. We would like you to first try it out free, then consider subscribing. The premium plan adds various additional features such as inventory management between retainers, the ability to purchase an additional retainer on the Mog Station, and also doubles the capacity of the saddlebag.

Implementation of the base features have been completed, and we’re currently undergoing the debug phase, so please wait a just bit more until we can announce the release timing.

[Fazraye]

Special Guest Section
Guest: Global Community Producer Toshio Murouchi

1:20:35
Yoshida decided to take over the hosting duties from this point onward, since the usual host, Toshio Murouchi, was now “joining the show” as the special guest!

1:22:20
Q: What exactly does the Global Community Producer do?

A: As the Global Community Producer, I supervise the Community Teams, Customer Support Teams (Support Center and Game Masters), and the Special Task Force (the team responsible for taking action against illicit activities). The reason why it’s referred to as “Global” is because we have similar teams in Los Angeles and London in addition to Tokyo. I am in charge of supervising those teams as well.

1:23:53
Q: Have you ever worked as a Game Master (GM)? If so, could you tell us any specific stories from back then?

A: Yes, actually. When I first joined Square Enix, I was working as a GM for FFXI. Before joining Square Enix, I worked for Electronic Arts Square (Now Electronic Arts) on Ultima Online’s operations, and have worked as a GM there as well. Speaking about the GM role in FFXIV, the GMs cover the full 24 hour day in three shifts. While I haven’t worked on any of these shifts, some players may recall a time before A Realm Reborn where strong monsters suddenly appeared in large groups around Ul’dah. I was actually the one that took the lead of that. I still remember the Warriors of Light courageously standing up against the unending number of monsters we threw at them.

1:26:33
Q: You look like a nice person, but I’ve heard that you can be very scary at times. What happens when you get angry?

A: I won’t do anything drastic like hit things. Even during heated discussions when I’m responding to someone, I don’t think I come off as angry. I think I tend to get quiet when I’m really angry. (Laugh)

Yoshida: Even when he’s angry, he’ll continue smiling. I’m sure he thinks no one notices, but I’m pretty sure everyone around him knows he’s upset.

1:28:06
Q: Do you have any memorable moments to share from a real life event you attended?

A: It’s really difficult to decide on just one because there are always new experiences and great memories every time, but if I had to pick one, it’s the time when we went to an A Realm Reborn event in Shibuya Hikarie. I still remember when Yoshida was talking on stage while holding back tears, and everyone attending the event was cheering him on. I was touched by that as well.

1:30:19
Q: Could you please explain the current actions taken against bots inside PvP content, or bots used for crafting and gathering in NA and EU data centers?

AA: The Special Task Force (STF) team is mainly the one responsible for handling this, and they are being handled with a high priority. For RMT that utilizes several characters at once, it’s fairly easy to take mass disciplinary action against them. However, when it comes to individuals, or a small groups of players, there’s a chance that these players are using special tools that can take more effort to detect. We also need to work with our Legal departments and other related parties to investigate and ensure that the punishments are valid. Even after the punishments are made, there are many times where these players will return with a different tool that is harder to detect which continues the cat-and-mouse game, and ends up making it feel like nothing is being done about the issue. Rest assured, we’re continuing to take actions against these players.

Yoshida: There are also times where we leave the suspicious character alone to act as bait, so we can take action against them and affiliated characters all at once.

1:33:16
Q: The EU data centers have been experiencing freezing issues and lag since around Patch 4.1. It was mentioned that it’s currently under investigation, but could you please give us any update?

A: We’re aware of the feedback we’ve been receiving from EU players, and we’re working together with the dev. team. I’m not directly in charge of this, so it may be better for Yoshida to answer regarding this matter.

Yoshida: From the investigation, we have confirmed that under a specific network route there’s a delay occurring on the EU data center post Patch 4.1. However, when it comes to general network delay occurring to those under specific environments, we didn’t detect any issue with the FFXIV server. That means there is a high chance that the issue is occurring before reaching our servers.

For this reason, if you encounter such an issue, we would like you to please contact your ISP in addition to us. We are also requesting specific ISPs to investigate, but it would be much more effective for those who have direct contracts as customers with those ISPs. We have been seeing reports that the previous issue has been resolved. However, if you do encounter an issue in the future, we ask you to please contact both your ISP and Square Enix.

1:36:21
Q: The Lodestone periodically posts news regarding actions taken against in-game RMT and other illicit activities. Could you please explain the difference between accounts terminated and accounts temporarily suspended?

A: Since this seemed like a good chance to present something, I prepared documents in regard to penalties.



As mentioned in the above images, please note that these penalties are specific to FFXIV and may not apply to other Square Enix titles.





When a player is summoned into the Mordion Gaol area, all user interface functions and actions will become unavailable, aside from being able to type into the chat window. The chat mode will be restricted to Say and commands such as Teleport and Return will become unavailable.

Mordion Gaol was created by request from the Operations team in FFXI as an area to speak one on one with the player without external interference. This same system was passed down to FFXIV. Originally we didn’t have any plans to name the area in FFXI, but for system purposes we needed to include one. And so the person in charge of the lore back then named it.



While the GMs have the power to perform suspensions, the Account Admin will follow up and review to see if the action taken was appropriate or not. As an example, think of GMs as the police officers and the Account Admins as the judges. Only the Account Admin can initiate a permanent termination, and the final decision is made by Yoshida. For this reason, Yoshida will always review as well.



A permanent termination applies to all accounts the individual is in possession of and characters tied to those accounts. They will not be able to re-register new accounts. Therefore they are permanently expelled from the game. Those who have received permanent termination, could request an appeal for re-investigation.



Grief Tactics involve actions such as win-trading in PvP, and actions that are possible to do as part of the game system but are abused to give a disadvantage to other players. Inappropriate conduct are actions such as uploading inappropriate content to the Lodestone blog, or reselling housing plots. Since this is an online game, there are times where you may end up arguing with other players, but if it gets out of hand, these will be punished as harassment. When we receive a report, we will not only look at what was said and done by the reported individual, but the situation that lead to that point will be investigated thoroughly.

Although I went over the penalties, and it was quite a lot to cover, I want to explain that we’re taking these actions behind the scenes so that players can enjoy playing without worry. Please follow the rules and enjoy a wonderful time in Hydaelyn.

2:02:45
Q: Do you have plans to host another gear design contest?

A: We do have plans to reveal something soon, so please look forward to it.

*During the broadcast, we showed off the winning entry for the ranged magic DPS gear design which is being implemented in Patch 4.3, and a new glamour outfit. Be sure to check out the video!

2:06:58
Q: How do you determine how many players to invite to the live FATE events? I have a friend who did not get picked, so I would appreciate if you could increase the number some more…

A: We decide on the number of invitations based on data from previous events, such as the number of participants that attended. We also base it on two key aspects: how many people the venue can accommodate, and we try to ensure there would be enough time so that each participant can speak with Yoshida.

Yoshida: I would like to talk to as many of our Warriors of Light as possible, and we want to go to as many regions as we can, so we have based the events on around 200 people.

2:11:17
Q: Were there any previous updates that you knew the community would get very heated about beforehand, but that you knew had to be done?

A: This is probably a fate of an MMORPG, but it’s definitely job-related adjustments. I’m sure everyone would be happy to see their main jobs being perceived well, but from a development standpoint, we are required to make balancing adjustments comparing to all the jobs. So there may never be adjustments where everyone will be happy. There are adjustments that will be good for your jobs, and there are adjustments that may be bad as well.

2:13:05
Q: If you were able to take the position of Producer and Director for one day, what would you do?

A: I would do my best to find a successor.