[Suggestion] Monster Bestiary

[RethDaron]

I support this. Always good to add onto lore.

[Holyomen]

Original discussion

With the UI interface changes proposed by the development team I can't help but myself feel like it's far too much information to be slapping onto the monsters name-tag. A good solution to this conundrum is perhaps allow players to have a personal bestiary they can access and view information they have aquired from monsters.

Such as Level range, agro type, link or not, elemental properties...Hell go a step further and toss some lore into the monsters give em a small snipet of information on the besitary page. I'm sure the dev team has concept sketches of all the monsters they would make perfect artwork for a bestiary page.

Anyone else feel this would be a better way to handle giving us all this monster information without having it clutter up the UI? From here on is the agregate buildup of suggestions.

I think after all this time it might be prime time to move away from the besitary just being a fix to the monster UI icon fixes. We have all grown rather accustomed to them I think, and while I still think it's a drab decision I'll live with it.

For now I beleive that a bestiary is still something that can "Spice up" the drab world we are exploring everyday, give us a goal to strive for. Even without rewards completing a bestiary is just one more thing for people to strive for and complete, one more activity among the new instalments of content. Givin that the developers are interested in spicing up the zones and making them a little more "Deep" I think a perfect addition to this thread is beyond the bestiary give the larger or more important areas a "Bestiary" like page as well.

Give us something nifty to read about the area once we unlock the page "Perhaps through exploration with the new up-coming map system?"

For a good relatable example let's say.... the new Amaal'ja base Zahar'ak

Zahar'ak

A stronghold erected by the Amalj'aa, its name meaning "like a rock" in their native tongue. Its location was said to be chosen by thaumaturges who, through ancient rituals, divined the position to be auspicious for waging war. Beginning life as a humble frontier outpost, over time Zahar'ak grew to become the foremost Amalj'aa base in all of Thanalan, boasting an intimidating array of siege engines and troop conveyances as well as a facility for breeding war drakes. Recent moons have seen a sharp rise in activity at Zahar'ak, which has sparked disquieting rumors among Ul'dahns of a full-scale assault on the sultanate.

Sure this is available on the loadstone but why not have it available in-game as well? I think having tid-bits of information like this before I waltz into the enemies fortress gets me more "Into" the area.

[User interface]
[SIZE=5]Bestiary[/SIZE]

Possible implementation uses.

• Clear away UI clutter
• Collectable card game
• Progressive bestiary "more you fight monster the more it fills out"
• Supplement UI information

Possible Information listed

• Mob familly
• Mob level
• Agressive / Passive
• Linkable
• Elemental affinities
• Lore

Ways to gain Bestiary pages

• Sighting monsters
• Using a skill or item to capture a card "think panktration without needing to weaken the monster
• Killing monsters "once or multiple times"
• using a trading card obtained by other players via "capture" or killing monsters

[SIZE=6]
[SIZE=6]Integration with Materia System[/SIZE][/SIZE]

The Materia system could easilly be combined with the new Materia system to obtain special types of materia. The materia could range from the standard +1 str or even branch of specially for the familly of monster you are fighting to obtain the materia.

Possible system

1: Each familly of monster has a Gauge to fill, as you kill monsters from X-familly "Must gain SP in the process" the gague will fill depending on the ammount of SP you gain. When the gague is full you can extract a materia from your bestiary or continue to stockpile points for better chances at HQ materia.

2: Gaining % completion in the bestiary rewards with a set type of materia befitting the work needed to reach such completion. IE: 10% gives you a +1 base state materia 50% gives +8 base stat. Could be any number of combinations.

3: Finishing a certain monster familly in the besitary rewards with a special materia that adds a damage bonus to ____familly of monsters. IE: 15% damage boost to Forgekin ext.

I think the materia system and bestiary combined would create a much needed time sink into the game.

[SIZE=5]Integration into Lodestone?[/SIZE]
While parusing the Japanese forums it seems they have subjects on this matter as well. here is a mock-up of a Lodestone besitary of sorts. Interesting stuff.

*Clickity clack for Photo*

These are all just suggestions within the thread and not a single cohesive plan, I just wish to give as much suggestions in the top post to get the topic flowing for the developers to read.

Related posts

Monster addition suggestions: Developers are asking what kind of new monster we want to appear in the game. Post your suggestons and Vote up the others you think are awesome. Lets hope someday we can have a massive beastiary full of unique monsters and lore.

[SIZE=5]Mockup Image
[/SIZE]Clickity - Clack
http://oi52.tinypic.com/2hwnywm.jpg

[SIZE=5]Dev and Rep responses[/SIZE]


If you support this idea, please post your thoughts and give this thread a "like" to let them know how you feel.

I'd like to see Bestiary as an achievement category or added into Battle Achievement for killing not just numbers of monsters but family types.

[Kyra]

Would also love to see an ingame bestairy and have it linked with a card game.

[Innes]

Bestiary yesplease, several Final Fantasy games had bestiaries in game, with various info.
Lore is a great addition.
The possibilites for how players can aquire the bestiary info in game are endless.

[Huginn]

it is indeed a good idea. though i might not like all of it. I am sure that SE would do a great job implementing such a feature, though i do kind of like the info being displayed on the mob still, even if it is only after you learn it.

[Jynx]

I'd still love to know if the required changes were made during the battle system revamp or if 2.0 has any bestiary related tid-bits for us.

[ydp002]

Any new info about this ^_^".

[UmJammerSully]

If the devs take any ideas from us little forum people, it should be this one.

[Munba]

also can't talk about the details but also planning to have something like a monster reference book

From 4gamer interview: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...l=1#post726733


Jynx wins.

[Jynx]

Pretty pumped knowing that we will (Hopefully) get a Bestiary in the game, heres hoping that it's chalk full of information lore and data wise.

But who needs confirmation? Let's party!