Gamerescape Interview: Summons, Chocobos, Train Tracks and Rocks

[Nakiamiie]

I would probably jump all the time.

I think it depends on what the developers want to do. If it's just going to be used to traverse terrain it could be done automatically or through the menu when reaching certain locations. But if you want platformer boss battles then perhaps assigning it to a button would be best. There are only so many buttons on the standard controller, but the inputs to target the micro menu and status effects on your character could be combined. (Micro Menu → Status → Micro Menu → ...) Then maybe stick jump to the trigger by default so people are less likely to be jumping all over the place.

That trigger button, man... It's effort! wwww

We definitely need a jumping button, it's worth it! And with button re-mapping, jump-haters will be able to simply change it to something else and assign the jump button something more "useful" in their eyes.

[Estellios]

Definitely jumping for exploration. Combat-wise, it would need to be worth it mechanics-wise. Like some people were saying, avoiding stuff like earthquakes would be sweet if there are no latency issues. Otherwise, the only real combat use I'd like to see would be for moving around/positioning around an arena in order to avoid certain attacks. For example, a boss could be fought in an arena that fills/drains with poisonous water, so you have to jump to higher levels to stay out of it.

Regarding what button to use on the gamepad, looking at the 2.0 screenshots we are getting an active mode toggle on the action bar so they could just get rid of that button on the gamepad.

[Nabiri]

Just a quick note, I like it when I see your purple posts. Keep it up!
Maybe I should start using colour too.... hmm. xD

Haha, you're sweet. :3
There's some dude who uses this bright orange colour, it's so cheerful. XD Makes me smile every time I see it. (Have to highlight it to read it, but I do that anyways sometimes to avoid losing my place lol :x )

But on topic, you have some cool ideas about knock-back. Would be more exciting if we had to worry about being knocked off the edge of a cliff. (Also for some reason I pictured a boss battle on an island-like platform where we could be knocked off any side. ) And if they can fix lag/delay issues perhaps we could jump to avoid earthquake-like attacks that might knock us back. I wouldn't be to bothered by that I guess.

[Mihana]

Have to agree, with FFXIV's current combat system jumping mixed into combat wouldn't work out too well. Now jumping should also be kept within a strong sense of realism there too. Because if people can leap to extreme heights then it almost makes the whole point of Dragoon moot if everyone can do their massive leap trademark moves even as say a BLM. So yes, implemented for small things sounds good, but keep it out of combat period.

[Antanias]

Keep Jump out of combat, but have it come in handy when crossing terrain or moving through puzzle-like portions of dungeons, etc.

[Chasorin]

Greetings,

We would like to gather your thoughts about jump and how you would like it to be used (In combat? Getting around obstacles?) so we can pass them along to development team. Please let us know what you think. Thanks!

I normally don't post in the forums, but since the Devs are asking, I figured I would comment.

I don't think jump is necessary. However, since we are going to get it, or likely will get it, make it tasteful and useful. I have bad memories of playing WoW and the characters who just hopped around everyone. It was quite distracting. It is my experience that FF draws a different crowd than WoW, so the annoying (to me) jumpers may not be much of an issue in this game.

Jump should be useful, as many other ppl have said. I should have a reason or a need to jump.

Maybe the Devs could consider making Jump an unlockable ability. Something you don't get right off the bat at lvl 1. Need to do a quest, or be a certain level or GC rank to get it.

[Aarkz]

Getting around obstacles, cliffs, etc. That's it. I'd like it to be similar to XIII's jump feature where it could only be performed when it was needed by certain obstacles.

[Lavinia]

You know how i would love jump to be used,..... lets think about hidden areas, for example you can see a big bush where you can leap on a rock and leap and reach a plateau that leads to an hidden area where you can gather HQ materials or maybe even fight some NMs i mean all RPG have hidden areas why not add them to this but yea i think make them really well hidden would rock. Similar to how XI had areas where you would slide down and fall to some areas, i think making it just for aesthetics its kinda... but if it can has it uses I totally approve, now thinking bout fight~wise if the game where more action based i would see jump being useful in fight, maybe on instanced boss fights where the boss leaps to another area and you need to follow him avoiding traps or something that would be cool not in actual combat unless some1 comes with a superb idea for it but till them am not sure

[Rane]

I would like jump to be used for the following:

• Jump around obstacles. [An obstacle course mini-game could even be implemented!]
• Reach previously inaccessible places (climbing: jump on a railing, then on crates, then on a tree branch and finally on the roof of a house.) [use these places to hide chests, NPCs, beautiful scenery and other fun things]
• Definitely make jumping mandatory for thorough exploration! [Players should have to use jump more as they move away from the main path. At even have to jump to reach new places to explore, otherwise inaccessible.]
  
• Evade some attacks (attacks on the ground, attacks coming out of the ground, performed around the legs, etc.) [FF6 had a "float" spell to avoid ground-abilities, why not jumping?]
• Monsters should jump to try to reach players above or below them.

I think jumping should be used for more than just avoid random obstacles on the ground. It has to be used to explore otherwise inaccessible parts of the world, town and dungeons. Jumping is an exploration feature and could be used for some special mini-games.

I agree with everything Nakiamiie is saying here. This is exactly how I hope jump gets utilized.

I'd also like to add that I hope that 2.0 implements falling damage when descending from a great height. It's fine if I can fall a long ways without getting hurt, but I know the dev team will want to draw the line somewhere. Yoshida spoke in one E3 interview about adding fences or walls of some sort when a cliff is too high. That might be fine in towns, but it would look artificial if out in the mountains every cliff above a certain height had some kind of "wall" preventing you from falling. (It would also ruin the view. )

Fall damage is a good way to set limits: no damage for falls from medium-high places, some fall damage from high places, and a lot of damage (to the point of death) from really high places.

[prymortal]

Traversing the environment is the only thing I'd like to see jump used for other than aesthetics (which I think is a dumb aesthetic but whatever).

Enough said, full agree