Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXXI Digest (05/30/2024)

[Voltenyne]

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



* Don't forget to select the 1080p option to watch the video in HD!

DDoS Attacks, Follow-up on the Benchmark Update

(01:08:53)

Before discussing the latest Patch 7.0 news, we shared information regarding the recent DDoS attacks as well as the upcoming benchmark update.

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attacks

(01:09:28)

At the time of the broadcast, our servers were under DDoS attacks—the largest and longest we’d seen since the launch of A Realm Reborn. Our Infrastructure team has been taking turns on a 24-hour shift and working with vendors around the globe to mitigate the effects of the attack as much as possible. Despite our efforts, however, there are times when the attacks manage to slip through our defenses and disconnect as many as 1,000 to 2,000 players at a time, for which we apologize to those affected.

The straightforward nature of overwhelming a server with packets from around the world makes DDoS attacks difficult to defend against, but the Infrastructure team and FFXIV team as a whole will continue doing our best to address the situation.

Latest News on the Benchmark Update

(01:13:53)

After the benchmark was released on April 14, we received a great deal of global feedback regarding the lighting and character models displayed in the character creation menu. The feedback and issues are currently being addressed, with Yoshida and the Character team carefully examining each and every point.

We shared a number of screenshots showcasing some of the updates.

Readjusting Environmental Parameters



(01:17:39)

After the benchmark was released, we reexamined the inner workings of character creation and found inconsistencies with the lighting, light sources, and parameters such as weather, which have since been adjusted. The screenshot above was taken with the environmental changes only, and the character assets are still the same as the original version of the Dawntrail benchmark.

The updated version of the benchmark will feature a closer replication of the in-game environment.

Keepers of the Moon’s Fangs



(01:20:50)

We received comments that the fangs, a cherished trait of Miqo’te Keepers of the Moon, were shorter than before. As such, we are working on making them a similar length to what they were in Patch 6.58, for both male and female Keepers of the Moon. In each of the comparisons above, the image on the far right shows what we are currently working on, and after our players expressed their opinions during the broadcast, those will be the versions we will be moving forward with.



Other feedback pointed out how the fangs were shorter on certain faces, but this was working as intended due to an internal setting which adjusts fang length based on certain combinations of face and mouth types. We are currently adjusting the fang lengths to be what they should be according to this setting.

Lalafell Teeth



(01:26:09)

We adjusted the teeth of Lalafell characters based on the feedback we received.

Other Points

(01:28:53)

We are also working on the “smile lines” on characters’ faces, which were also mentioned in a lot of comments.

The first phase of the graphical update brought about improved lighting, which made these smile lines more prominent. We remade the normal maps (a way of mimicking surface details) for all character races, and also made changes to the actual polygons for certain races.

Schedule for Updated Benchmark

(01:31:07)

Our tentative release dates for the updated benchmark are either Thursday, May 30 or Friday, May 31, but there’s still a chance of a delay, so we’ll inform you when we have a concrete date.

Patch 7.0 News
We went over job-related information for Patch 7.0 and other news in both Japanese and English.

Fantasia

(01:32:11)

In Patch 7.0, we’ll be adding a new quest which will be available in Ul’dah from an early level and will reward a phial of Fantasia upon completion. We decided to distribute the Fantasia through a quest so future players can also redeem it when they start playing after Patch 7.0.

With the changes made in the updated benchmark, as of Patch 7.0, the character creation menu will be almost an exact replica of the in-game environment. However, we understand that many of you would like to review any changes to your character in familiar areas, so the new functionality of Fantasia will allow you to re-edit your character as many times as you like for 60 minutes. The 60 minutes will be counted based on playtime and won’t count down when you’re logged out.

Job Adjustments



(01:39:10)

Job adjustments in 7.0 will focus on improving ease of play for each job and making changes based on the feedback we received during the 6.x series. We avoided making drastic changes in design direction, but certain jobs’ rotations will be changed, most notably with the addition of new actions.

The 7.x series will be our time to focus on organizing the control schemes of each job, as well as concentrate on improving gameplay satisfaction and creating more room for player ingenuity in our content; as such, enhancing each job’s identity is something we might focus on for the expansion after Dawntrail.

Action Change Settings

(01:42:29)

As a way for us to introduce new actions without taking up too much hotbar space, a number of jobs will feature specific actions which will be automatically replaced on the hotbar by a follow-up action when used.

In response to previous feedback about accidentally pressing a follow-up action when repeatedly mashing the buttons, Patch 7.0 will offer an option to disable this auto-replacement for individual actions. We hope you’ll try them out and pick whichever option feels better for you!

From here, we showed a brief overview of updates to each job in 7.0. As a reminder, not all changes and adjustments were showcased during this segment—the full details will be revealed in the 7.0 patch notes.

Tanks



(01:48:50)

We began by introducing the changes to tank jobs. Each tank job will gain different additional effects on their 30% damage reduction abilities.

Paladin



(01:53:00)

The second and third executions of Atonement will be replaced with new actions that have their own animations and graphical effects.

The combo beginning with Blade of Faith will be followed by a new action.

There will also be smaller changes, such as the execution of Fight or Flight granting access to Goring Blade.

Warrior



(01:55:30)

Warrior will receive a direct upgrade with the increased level cap.

Using Fell Cleave or Decimate three times during Inner Release will allow for the execution of a new action, which can be seen in the job action trailer.

Other changes include another new action which will unleash an even bigger burst of damage after Primal Rend, and an upgraded version of Inner Chaos with a new animation and graphical effect.

Similarly, a number of other jobs have received adjustments to the graphical effects of certain actions that you may have grown tired of after many years.

Dark Knight



(01:58:17)

The changes to dark knight will alleviate how busy their inputs can be during burst phases. Additionally, Living Shadow will no longer require Blood Gauge to execute.

Gunbreaker



(02:04:40)

Gunbreaker will also be undergoing a direct upgrade, in the form of new combos and actions. A new three-step combo, Lionheart, will be executable after using Bloodfest. Long action animations are difficult to implement under FFXIV’s global cooldown system, but our Motion and VFX teams worked hard to realize Lionheart as a three-step combo and we hope you’ll look forward to the fruits of their labor!

Additionally, to improve the flow of burst phases, activating No Mercy will be the new prerequisite for executing Sonic Break.

Melee DPS



(02:07:53)

The healing potency of Second Wind will be increased and the duration of Feint will be extended to 15 seconds for all melee DPS jobs. These changes are meant to improve ease of use so our developers can have more freedom in designing boss enemies with all sorts of unique actions.

Monk



(02:09:40)

Up until now, the core mechanic of monk’s basic combo involved maintaining buffs and Demolish’s damage-over-time (DoT). With the new system, using combo actions in a certain order will increase the potency of a subsequent action, much like how using Dragon Kick increases the potency of the next Bootshine. However, we tried to avoid making the combo too straightforward while preserving the feel of monk’s existing gameplay. The new HUD elements may seem complicated at first, but we hope they’ll help you spend less time staring at your buffs and debuffs once you get the hang of them.

Furthermore, Six-sided Star will now consume all accumulated chakra and increases its potency based on the number of chakra consumed. Where it’ll be used during your rotation will likely depend on the encounter.

Dragoon



(02:13:52)

We had originally planned a major overhaul for dragoon, but after deciding that direct upgrades would be our overall focus for 7.0 job adjustments, we focused on making improvements to dragoon as well. These changes include reducing the busyness of positionals and organizing its actions with the Change Action feature.

Vorpal Thrust and Disembowel will be upgraded into new actions with new animations and graphical effects. Spineshatter Dive, which existed to increase dragoon’s damage output, will be removed and replaced with an action used solely for movement.

Ninja



(02:18:55)

As seen in the job action trailer, the pinwheel gauge indicating Huton’s duration has been replaced with a HUD element for a new job mechanic. With this change, actions which previously extended the duration of Huton’s effect will be adjusted.

Samurai



(02:21:05)

Samurai will receive improvements to ease of play and new actions alongside the new level cap. Leveling up will unlock a trait which reduces the recast of Hissatsu: Guren and Hissatsu: Senei.

Reaper



(02:23:54)

Reaper will also primarily receive improvements to ease of play and new actions alongside the new level cap. As one of its smaller changes, using Harpe under the effect of Enhanced Harpe will reduce the recast of Hell’s Ingress and Hell’s Egress.

Viper



(02:45:50)

The fast-paced viper job is a master of fluid attacks, chaining its dual blade combo into combined weapon abilities, and its combined weapon combo into its dual blade abilities.

Viper will have a similar total number of actions compared to other jobs but is designed to have noticeably fewer actions that need to be placed on the hotbar. Our demonstration of the rotation may seem like it’s simply pressing the same buttons over and over, but it’s crucial to know which weaponskills to use based on the current state of your buffs and debuffs, which are shown on viper’s job gauge.

Check out the timestamp above for a sneak peek at viper’s stylish attacks, as well as how they’re automatically replaced on the hotbars!

The basic combo gradually fills a gauge, which is consumed to use Reawaken and enter a powered-up state. The weaponskills used during Reawaken have a quick recast, and your goal is to unleash the full combo and return to the standard rotation before you drop your buffs or debuffs.

We hope players will feel a rush of exhilaration with the rapid pace of viper’s rotation. It may seem complicated and intimidating when you’re starting out, but beginners can simply follow along by pressing whichever button is glowing.

On the other hand, with how few actions viper has on their hotbar, you may be worried that the job will get too easy once you get used to its overall flow. However, you’ll be juggling three major components in combat: a buff that decreases auto-attack delay, another buff that increases damage dealt, and a debuff that increases a target’s damage taken. You’ll need to quickly decide which combo to use based on the remaining duration of these three effects, making viper quite the technical job to master!

Under certain conditions, viper can use a ranged action with its own combo, so you’ll need to decide whether to use the action or forego the combo and return to the main rotation. Another option is a gap closer that allows you to close the distance between you and an enemy.

Additionally, the combined weapon combo branches into two weaponskills which can be used in either order, each followed by two abilities whose order is determined by the preceding weaponskill.

For those looking to dual-wield blades for a speedy and stylish fight, the viper job is for you!

[Voltenyne]

Physical Ranged DPS



(03:17:28)

As with melee DPS, the healing potency of Second Wind will be increased for physical ranged DPS jobs. Each job will receive an upgrade to their unique damage reduction abilities, which could be hinting at more incoming damage in future encounters.

Bard



(03:18:56)

The changes to bard will mostly focus on improving ease of play. Straight Shot Ready and Shadowbite Ready will use the same procs, giving you the freedom to use procs for single-target or AoE depending on the situation.

Machinist



(03:22:11)

The main changes to machinist are improved ease of play and a new action that will be introduced with the new level cap. The change to Barrel Stabilizer will allow you to use it when your Heat Gauge is 51 or more without wasting gauge. There will also be upgrades for Heat Blast, Gauss Round, and Ricochet.

Dancer



(03:24:02)

Dancer will receive new actions with the new level cap. One new action will be a follow-up to an existing action, and you’ll also gain another new action that grants the effect of Standard Step without using step actions.

Magical Ranged DPS



(03:26:09)

The recast of Swiftcast will be reduced for all magical ranged DPS, increasing its availability during rotations.

Black Mage



(03:27:22)

MP will be no longer be recovered based on server ticks and will instead recover upon landing ice-aspected spells. The rotation will be easier to understand, and you may want to keep an eye out for new aspects to optimize compared to before. The job action trailer also revealed a new ability to reposition your ley lines once per cast.

Summoner



(03:31:20)

Some theorize that the current form of Bahamut, based on when it was revered as a primal during the age of Allag, is different from its original appearance; a plot which further thickens with the introduction of a new summonable version of Bahamut.

With the addition of this new summon, the rotation will change to summoning Solar Bahamut → Demi-Bahamut → Solar Bahamut → Demi-Phoenix.

On a different note, our overall focus for this update was a direct upgrade, so after many discussions within the Development team, we decided to keep Resurrection for Patch 7.0. But as we briefly mentioned earlier, the team is already discussing job mechanics for 8.0 onward and how to enhance each job’s identity, so whether Resurrection will remain a part of summoners’ job actions is still being debated.

Red Mage



(03:36:11)

Red mage will be receiving new actions with the new level cap. Manafication will be changed so it can be used when your black or white mana are at 51 or more without wasting mana.

Additionally, the single-target and AoE combos will both cost 50 mana, which may resolve any discrepancy you may have felt between the two combos.

Pictomancer



(03:39:11)

Pictomancer is a vibrant job that paints illustrations, called “motifs,” and magically renders them to life for impressive effects. You can take a sneak peek at its playstyle from the timestamp above!

Using pictomancer’s basic spell combo will accumulate uses of an instant-cast spell called Holy in White. The spell combo also fills pictomancer’s job gauge, and when it reaches 50, you can access a different combo of stronger spells with longer cast times as well as the powerful Comet in Black.

Next, we went over the motifs that pictomancer can paint in their three painting canvases; (from left to right) a creature, weapon, and landscape. The canvases can be painted instantly outside of combat, so you can prepare each motif before the battle begins.
They can be rendered to life to unleash various attacks and effects, which returns the canvases to their blank state.

We demonstrated how the left canvas is used to paint a pom and wings to render a moogle, then claws and fangs to render a Madeen.

A hammer can be painted in the middle canvas to prepare three instant-cast attacks. It’ll be a useful motif to have on hand when you want to keep attacking during periods of frantic movement!

The rightmost canvas is used to paint a landscape, granting a party-wide buff with a long recast time. Standing in the magicked landscape allows the pictomancer to whip out some of its most powerful spells, making it perfect for burst phases.

Healers



(04:18:56)

Swiftcast’s recast time will be lowered to 40 seconds for healers as well, similar to magical ranged DPS.

White Mage



(04:19:49)

In addition to the new movement ability and AoE attack mentioned in the slide, white mage will also gain new healing actions. White mage’s changes are mostly direct upgrades, such as additional charges for Tetragrammaton with the new level cap.

Scholar



(04:21:46)

The new AoE attack that can be used after Chain Stratagem will inflict damage over time. Scholar’s changes are also mostly direct upgrades, such as a new trait that lowers the recast of Recitation.

Astrologian



(04:23:58)

Astrologian’s mechanics will receive major changes.

A total of eight cards (the arcanum + minor arcanum) will be split into two groups of four. Certain cards will grant damage buffs like before, while others will grant defensive buffs and healing effects instead. Every 60 seconds, one group of four cards will be drawn all at once, and it’ll be up to you to decide how the cards are dealt to your party members.

Additionally, a new trait will increase the maximum number of charges for Essential Dignity.

We understand that some players will miss the card system’s randomness elements, but we’ve also received many requests to remove the elements of randomness ever since astrologian was originally introduced. We’re expecting mixed opinions about this change and would appreciate your feedback after trying out the latest version of astrologian.

Sage



(04:31:17)

In addition to the single-target DoT Eukrasian Dosis, sage will now have an AoE DoT called Eukrasian Dyskrasia. The party buff mentioned in the second point of the slide will be like an AoE version of Kardia but with a short duration instead of a persistent effect.

PvP Update



(04:34:58)

In this segment, we gave a brief overview of future PvP-related updates. The new jobs, viper and pictomancer, will be playable in PvP from Patch 7.0. Adjustments to PvP actions and arenas are scheduled for Patch 7.1 and will be covered in detail on a later date.

New Characters



(04:39:46)

With our media tours underway, our media guests are getting their first look at the overworld areas and dungeons. As for the story, which will be quite the ride from the start, we briefly introduced two NPCs who will appear in the main scenario. We previously mentioned how the Warrior of Light will be involved in a contest to determine the new ruler of Tural, and these two characters belong to other factions.

Bakool Ja Ja is a two-headed Mamool Ja like the current ruler of Tural, Gulool Ja Ja. They are unrelated to the royal family and have their own reason for joining the contest as a candidate.

Koana, a candidate from another faction, is a Miqo’te hailing from a region where their race is referred to by a different name.

We hope you’ll look forward to meeting them during the main scenario!

Schedule Until Dawntrail Release



(05:00:48)

We reviewed the schedule leading up to Dawntrail’s release. In addition to what’s listed in the schedule above, our media tours have begun as of this week, so please look forward to hearing about them from the media in early June!