Final Fantasy XIV

[Otani-kun]

Originally Posted by Kytherno

Looked amazing, till i saw the word "Online".

Oh god, people like these are everywhere.

Anyway, I might use a Roegadyn (Galka) this time around. Always liked the fact that there arent many of them even though they're awesome. Too bad there arent any gameplay vids of them yet. =/

[Knight Hawk]

LaLa's for me, see how fast they run? Just a reminder that FFXIV shown at the con is an early Alpha build and the game is 40% to 50% done. You can see several videos here and two more at the bottom of this post.

EDIT: Closer look at the UI: Here and here

Originally Posted by Zam.com; Famitsu

As Hiromichi Tanaka, producer of Final Fantasy XIV, hacked his way through a demonstration of a "Puk Extermination" Guildleve quest, Famitsu flanked him with some questions about their presentation and what it says about the state of the upcoming MMO.

Read on to see the full story and discuss it in the ZAM forums.

In the gameplay videos, we saw some people fighting dodos and others fighting puks. It turns out that the full scope of the quest requires one to defeat dodos until puks appear. Tanaka states that this is just one of the many ways they will incorporate puzzle-solving elements into Guildleve quests. Also, while there may be an expansive area to explore, later builds of the game will display your targets on the map, so finding those puks that need exterminating will be much easier. As an alpha version, the demo at Gamescom did not include this feature yet.

When the interviewer remarked on how beautiful the graphics were, Tanaka took the opportunity to give some hints about how powerful they will become. It turns out the background scenery was heavily compressed for the demo, and will be greatly improved to the point where individual trees will be rendered far into the distance.

At this point, Tanaka begins attacking some dodos and moves on to discuss the battle system. In Final Fantasy XI, the player would select the attack command and enter an Auto-Attack mode. To spice up the flow of battle, Final Fantasy XIV will require players to select commands each time they attack, and the combination of commands they choose will determine the technique they use. This will put all new emphasis on strategy and keep players engaged in battle.

Action Commands, as Tanaka calls them, are lined up along the bottom of the screen as icons. Those who are grumbling about a passing resemblance to World of Warcraft will be happy to know the layout is tentative and certainly subject to change. The current setup has players selecting an ability from the from the bottom which then appears as a command in your gauge. There are two gauges - one for the left hand and one for the right hand. For example, the character that Tanaka was controlling had a shield in his left hand, so the left-handed gauge had shield commands registered to it.

To activate an ability, the player needs to store up their "Action Gauge." The strength and accuracy of a technique can be further increased by storing up the "Power Gauge." The "TP Gauge" also makes a return, which when full will alter the effects of your technique in a variety of ways. The TP gauge will increase when the player attacks or is attacked by an enemy. During this explanation, Tanaka unleashes Red Lotus Blade with a grin, much to the delight of the interviewer, who immediately recognizes the sword technique.

Magic will be used the same way - through Action Commands - but will only be available if you are equipped with a weapon that allows their use. Swords give sword-based abilities and staves will give magic-based abilities. Also, there are skills that cannot be used until you have acquired enough skill in a particular weapon. In total, you can line up 10 commands in the bar of icons along the bottom. However, in future versions Tanaka states they intend to include a macro system, so players can customize and combine their favorite abilities to their liking.

Another bit of customization, to which players are responding positively, is the ability to drag-and-drop the various info boxes around the screen. There are default positions for each piece of the UI, such as Action Commands, player status, chat box and party status. These will all be movable, and the chat log will be fully adjustable as well. The camera position will have options as well, although the main position will be an over-the-should third person perspective. Tanaka expects there to be three different camera angle to choose from in the final version.

When asked why they decided to go with this battle system, Tanaka explained that first and foremost they wanted to get players more active in battle, which the auto-attack system discouraged. Final Fantasy XI focused on each job having a clear role, with players designing parties around combining those roles. However, in Final Fantasy XIV, they wanted to develop a system where players could easily enjoy the game alone, with a friend, with three people or more. The system is built around the concept of meeting each player's own playstyle.

Tucked in next to the Action Commands, the interviewer noticed a smiley face, which Tanaka revealed was a set of emoticons. In Final Fantasy XI, players were limited to creating emotes through text, but Final Fantasy XIV will provide a set of graphical smileys for users to express themselves. In addition, there are the motions that we all saw displayed in the video at Gamescom. According to Tanaka, these were created through the use of motion-capture technology. However, capturing facial expressions proved too difficult, so the developers ended up designing those manually. Unfortunately, players cannot use full-body emotes during battle at this stage.

At this point, Tanaka finishes up his quest and warps back to the starting point of the Guildleve and moves towards the Aetheryte. Although prevalent in the demo, transportation via Aetheryte will not be so common in the actual game. The majority of their use will be involved with the Guildleve system, as players need to travel to the site of the quest and back again. However, like the user interface, a lot can change before the final game is complete. Tanaka says the game is likely only 40-50% complete at this stage, and the demo cut out basically any elements that were not essential to displaying the Guildleve system. The main focus of the presentation at Gamescom was to show players how Guildleve worked, and how it delivered quests that were enjoyable and light on time. However, this is not to say things will be all fun and games. While the quests shown to players took only 15 minutes of their time, there will many more quests with varying levels of difficulty and time requirements. In addition, there will be hordes of other monsters roaming the countryside that will be sure to make completing your intended task a little trickier.

Tanaka admits that showing off an incomplete game can draw criticism from disappointed players, but he hopes that others may show praise for how far Final Fantasy XIV has come. Currently, the most advanced portion of the game is the graphics, so there are many areas that many completely change before the release date. The idea is that Square Enix will showcase new portions of the game as they continue development, allowing players to experience individual content before a complete beta is put together. While in Germany this meant a playable demo at Gamescom, there may be a playable version that users sign up to try out in Japan, more like, as Tanaka put it, a giant focus group. Players will be added gradually, and once the game is polished enough, and there is a solid base of users, they will initiate an open beta.

Whatever the shape it will take, Tanaka uses his closing words to assure fans everywhere that everyone will get a chance to play a demo of the game, saying, "The fruits of our labor are finally coming to bear, and the development team is working hard to get the game ready. We're planning to let everyone get a shot at a playable version like we have done here in Germany, so please look forward to it." Source

Originally Posted by Zam.com; Famitsu

After chatting with Hiromichi Tanaka over a lively round of puk extermination, Famitsu sat down with Sage Sundi, who returns to Final Fantasy XIV to once again offer global user support.

Read on for the interview and discuss this in the ZAM forums.

Sage Sundi begins by explaining that he will be returning to his role as Global Online Producer for Final Fantasy XIV. They are looking at the development team, management team and user base as the three key factions supporting their MMO. Sundi's job will be to build the bridges between these three areas and get them working as one. For example, when there is an interview with the foreign media, Sundi will be there with Hiromichi Tanaka.

When asked how GM policies might change, Sundi doubts there will be any significant changes from Final Fantasy XI. More than establishing "public order," they wish to maintain a peaceful and safe playing environment for their users. Most of the policies from Final Fantasy XI will simply carry over and even the team is an expansion from the previous generation's MMO. However, they are going through the details of the system in order to make improvements to certain areas. One adjustment Sundi wishes to implement is making it easier for players to call upon a GM. Also, beyond simply improving the GM system, there will be active collaboration between the Special Task Force, management team and community team in order to create a better experience for all players.

Speaking of community, there is the issue of how Square Enix will maintain a solid flow of information between all the different regions they support. Although developers have expressed interest in an official forum for some time now, they are reluctant to limit it to one language. "If we make the forum in Japanese," Sundi says, "then it would become the Japanese player forum." Instead, they feel the best way to support all languages is to establish premiere sites and allow them to act as "community managers" for their respective user bases. Square Enix can then pull feedback and questions from these sites, allowing every user to voice their opinion in their own language. Sundi continues to say they wish to utilize the web even more than before and trade information directly with the users, tapping into the ingenuity they show when constructing item databases and wikis.

As for in-game communication, Sundi stated there will, of course, be a chat function included. There will also be something akin to the Final Fantasy XI linkshell, and a "Linkshell Community" of some sort on the official site. Sundi is unable to elaborate on any specific plans, but says they intend to use the site to communicate with players and perhaps work with fansites and blogs.

For the final question, the interviewer hints that a number of players may be looking for language-specific servers and looks for Sundi's reaction to such a request. However, Sundi believes that seeing as Final Fantasy XI made it this far without segregated servers, adding such a feature in Final Fantasy XIV would feel like a step backwards. They would rather work at making mixed servers a success instead of abandoning them altogether.

Sundi then closes with some words for players in Japan. He decides to speak directly to Final Fantasy XI players, and assuage some of the fears they have about moving to Final Fantasy XIV. "Making Final Fantasy XIV enjoyable for all users, including Final Fantasy XI players, is our number one priority," Sundi said, "We cannot build a community without considering that. First we address how to satisfy Final Fantasy fans. From there, we will attract other MMO players and develop a community like never before. I believe Final Fantasy Xi players will find their time in Eorzea to be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, and I hope you look forward to it." Source

Originally Posted by Zam.com; Famitsu

At Gamescom, Hiromichi Tanaka held and interview with staff from Famitsu. We posted translations of his and Sage Sundi's interviews earlier today, but now footage of the discussion is available on Famitsu.com.

While the information is the same, we now can see everything Tanaka was doing while explaining the battle and Guildleve systems, plus get a demonstration of how adjustable the interface will be. Read on to see the key points revealed in each video!

Episode 1

Tanaka ventures out into the plains of Eorzea in search of Puks to exterminate, but runs a-fowl of an infamous clan of Dodos wreaking havoc. Revealed in this episode:

* There is no auto-battle, commands must be selected every time the character attacks.
* Depending on the combination of commands chosen, the player can activate a variety of techniques.
* You can draw and sheathe your weapon freely, even outside of battle.
* The monsters you must defeat for a particular quest will appear on your map during Guildleve.
* There are two command gauges, one for your right hand and one for your left hand.
* The player chooses which commands they wish to register to the command gauge from the action icons lined along the bottom of the screen.
* There will be and Action gauge and Power gauge that increase over time. You must build these up in order to unleash special techniques.
* A TP gauge is also present, which increases by attacking or being attacked. A full TP gauge will alter your techniques in a variety of ways.
* Red Lotus Blade is hilarious. (レッドロータス can be truncated to レタス, which became an amusing way to refer to the Weaponskill in FFXI due to it's dual meaning of lettuce, the vegetable.)

Episode 2

Having toppled the mighty Dodos of the eastern plains and bringing peace once more to the land, Tanaka bravely charges forth to wipe out an infestation of Puks. Revealed in this episode:

* The action icons you have at your disposal will change based on your equipped weapon. If Tanaka chose to wield a Staff, he would have access to magic.
* As the player increases their skill in a particular weapon, their character will acquire more abilities. However, the action menu at the bottom is limited to 10 icons at a time.
* The action menu can be customized to match a player's individual style.
* The status of party members will appear in the center of the right edge of the screen. Tanaka waves his hand to indicate their rough position around 0:55 seconds.
* The interface can be freely adjusted by the player. Window placement, chat box size and more will be customizable.
* There will be three different camera views: over-the-shoulder, overhead, and first person.
* The aim of the battle system is to deliver a more aggressive, engaging experience. The player will constantly be selecting commands, evolving their strategy and adapting to the flow of battle.
* The focus has been taken off the strict roles jobs had in Final Fantasy XI to allow players to easily play alone, with a friend or with a group of people.
* Warp points will mainly be provided for travelling back after completing a Guildleve quest.

The mini-series then closes with some words from Hiromichi Tanaka and Sage Sundi. Here is a rough translation:

Tanaka: "The fruits of our labor are finally coming to bear, and the development team is working hard to get the game ready. We're planning to let everyone get a shot at a playable version like we have done here in Germany, so please look forward to it."

Sundi: "I know many Final Fantasy XI users are quite worried about what kind of experience they can have in our upcoming MMO. Making Final Fantasy XIV enjoyable for all users, including Final Fantasy XI players, is our number one priority. We cannot build a community without considering that. First we address how to satisfy Final Fantasy fans. From there, we will attract other MMO players and develop a community like never before. I believe Final Fantasy Xi players will find their time in Eorzea to be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, and I hope you look forward to it." Source

[-Sho-]

News for the "10 races" :

http://kotaku.com/5505529/the-10-tri...elves/gallery/
http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/108/1080656p1.html

I lol for Dark Elves
The little one are so cute ^^

[Kentleton]

Im VERY excited for this. I signed up for the Beta. I hope I get in.

[-Sho-]

New video but they just show Eorzea and the environment with 3 players/3 races . Also , you can hear player talking lol

http://kotaku.com/5506468/three-minu...apanese-voices

Xiv Julia was cute .
Want more info for the gameplay .

[Knight Hawk]

Originally Posted by ZAM;Elmer

In the latest Famitsu, magazine writers were able to get a up close and personal look at the Final Fantasy XIV Alpha Test! They wrote all about what players can expect, and provided some very juicy information and pictures for us to enjoy.

Discuss this in the ZAM Forums!

Character Creation

Famitsu boasts that the character creation system is so deep, you'll be nitpicking your avatar setting all day long trying to get it just right. Even the alpha, while not complete, has a considerable amount of variations available such as face type, skin color, hair style and body size. There are even smaller details, like putting highlights or streaks in your hair, that are customizable. There will be brand new aspects of your character to select as well -- there will even be a number of different voice types.

The character creation process begins with selecting one's race and customizing the avatar. Once your character is complete, you begin the game and set up your Class, birthday and Guardian Diety. What effects one's Guardian Diety will have in game are unknown at this time. Once all those steps are complete, you choose your name, which as we know consists of both a first and last name.

Seamless Fields and Instanced Areas

Leaving a town brings you into the Field Area where you have your adventures. FFXIV will have a seamless transition between areas that requires no loading time. From their experience with the game, Famitsu says this really gives Eorzea the feeling of a wide, expansive world. In addition, the background music transitions naturally between the areas you traverse.

A new addition, familiar to many MMO players, is the Instanced Area. This is where a private copy of an area is created, into which only you and your party can enter. These will be used in FFXIV for special events, an example being when cut scenes take place in order to eliminate outside effects and noise, allowing the player to enjoy their cut scene in peace.

The Menu System

Status & Equip: Opens up the Status & Equip screen (pictured below)

Action: Unknown... may contain commands like Trade, Craft etc?

Physical Bonus: Unknown... a place to allocate points to stats?

Item: Displays your inventory

Journal: Opens up your Guildleve menus

Party: Opens up party-related lists/functions

Map: Displays the full area map

Teleport: Instantly move to any Aetheryte you have visited at least once

Warp: Instantly return to the last Aetheryte you visited

Logout: Leave Eorzea and return to the harsh banality of Earth

Guildleve and the Battle System

Guildleves are like "quests" that you can undertake by visiting an adventurer's guild in a city. The contents of a Guildleve can vary player to player, and you can attempt them alone or with a group. To begin your selected Guildleve, first you must seek out Aetheryte in a Field Area. Players can move instantly to Aetheryte they have visited once before by selecting the "Teleport" command.

The difficulty of a Guildleve changes based on your selected party size. However, the party sizes are not selected directly, but rather through 5 different categories.

Now, as a big kanji nut, something that I found interesting that I'm going to bore you with here is: Judging from what is revealed in Famitsu, the party sizes are described through 四字熟語 (yo-ji-juku-go) or four-character idioms. These are terms constructed of four kanji that together hold a profound meaning. Many of these terms cannot be translated directly, or take entire sentences just to explain -- they are tough for even native Japanese to remember! Often times, you will see them translated as clever puns or a play on words that keeps it snappy while attempting to capture the original meaning.

Here are the party sizes and difficulty levels from ☆(easy) to ☆☆☆☆☆(hard) Party sizes are approximated based on what we know, i.e. recommended parties are 6-8 members, and the max is 15 members.

☆ - 孤軍奮闘 (ko-gun-fun-tou) - A Lone Fighting Force , (solo)

☆☆ - 少数精鋭 (shou-suu-sei-ei) - An Elite Few , (below 6 members)

☆☆☆ - 推奨人数 (sui-shou-nin-zuu) - Recommened Party Size, (6-8 party)

☆☆☆☆ - 千軍万馬 (sen-gun-ban-ba) - A Great Army *lit. 1,000 Units & 10,000 Horses* , (9+ members)

☆☆☆☆☆ - 人海戦術 (jin-kai-sen-jutsu) - A Vertiable Ocean of People *similar in meaning to swarm/zerg* , (~ 15 members)



Many Guildleves involved combat, and the Famitsu team was kind enough to explain the flow of combat below:

1) Target your enemy - Find the enemy you wish to attack and select it. Once selected, the L3 button will initiate Target Lock, keeping you facing the enemy's direction.

2) Ready your weapon - Move your cursor over your weapon of choice and press Circle. Once selected, R1 will take out your weapon and ready your stance. Now you are in "Active Mode" and able to engage the enemy.

3) Select your commands - A list of your commands is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Underneath each icon is a gauge showing how much time remains until they are ready for use.

4) Store up your Action Gauge - Once your Action Gauge is full, you can activate commands. To boost their effect, store up the Effect Gauge.

5) Using the Effect Gauge - You can activate commands immediately, or you can enhance their effects by storing up your Effect Gauge. This gauge is constantly building, so timing is important. Below you can see there are three levels to the Effect Gauge.

Convenience and Travel Time

Aetheryte provides the foundation for adventure for all players. It exists out in Field Areas as well as inside cities. Aetheryte serves as a the launching point for a Guildleve and the destination for Teleport. All players are able to use Teleport right from the start. In addition, once a quest is complete, an Aethereal Node will appear, allowing players to easily warp back to the original Aetheryte they came from. Everything is designed to allow players to move around and enjoy the game with ease.

Freedom of Growth

In FFXIV, what most MMO players know as "levels" will be the character's "Physical Level." Points you accumulate in battle can be freely spent on HP/MP, physical strength, intelligence or a variety of other parameters. In other words, you can focus on one aspect of your character, or aim for balance between all stats. The ultimate decision regarding the direction of the character is completely up to the player.

Alpha Test Hands-On Report

The team from Famitsu were able to create characters and try out the Alpha Version of FFXIV. They put their experiences into two write-ups -- one for Disciples of War and one for Disciples of Magic. Here are the key points of what they had to say.

Kikuo Saji: Roegadyn, Disciple of War, Pugilist

- The Character Creation system is so deep, you'll spend all day tweaking your avatar

- Don't fret too much over Class, you can change at anytime by changing your weapon

- The size difference between Roegadyn and Lalafell is quite massive

- You'll love the variety of new emotes -- Lalefell are especially adorable

- Aetheryte warps you right to where you need to go for Guildleves

- Guildleve difficulty is split into 5 levels, 1 star (easy) 5 stars (hard)

- The locations of target monsters for Guildleve are clearly displayed on your map

- There is a "weakened state" after dying -- HP/MP are lowered and it lasts for 5 minutes

- The game feels incredibly expansive, and it feels like you could walk on forever

- Crabs are back! Apparently Kikuo Saji found a giant one outside town that killed him in one strike!

Opone Kikuchi: Lalafell, Disciple of Magic, Thaumaturge

- There is so much more to do in the alpha compared with the Gamescom version 7 months ago

- Again, feels character creation is like a day's work in and of itself

- Once your MP is spent, you cannot recover it through resting

- Disciples of Magic have a basic magical ranged attack that does not consume MP

- It is possible to move while casting magic, but still important to be aware of the area of effect your spell will cover when cast

- Sheathing your weapon puts you into Passive Mode, which begins to recover HP, making it possible for even magic users to solo effectively
Source with pictures.

FYI no more equipment swap macros, since you can't change gear in active stance (when your fighting).

Alpha client and other goodies. (you can't play if you didn't get picked, but you can dig around for goodies)

Live stream: http://www.justin.tv/nekomina#r=q0Fn3II~
http://www.justin.tv/calvyno#r=q0Fn3II~
(Alpha test lasts for 4hours.)
EDIT:
fixed

[Knight Hawk]

Dengeki - Devs Talk Future Beta Plans

Originally Posted by Elmer

Dengeki magazine was lucky enough to get a shot at the alpha build for Final Fantasy XIV. They printed most of the information we saw yesterday in Famitsu, but also got some time to sit down with Producer Hiromichi Tanaka and Director Nobuaki Komoto! Together, they discussed details of the alpha and plans for the progression of beta testing.

- When Final Fantasy XI first started, it began with a beta test. Why did you decide to go back even further this time and start with an alpha?

Komoto: At the beta stage, a game is relatively complete. In order to better take in user opinions and make more adjustments, we wanted users to see an earlier version and let their feedback affect the direction of the game itself.

- So, does that mean there could be some dramatic changes after the alpha version?

Komoto: Yes, there could. We're already wondering ourselves what shape the game will take after the alpha testing is complete. There are issues we have seen arise, and we want to think of how to best fix these and add in user suggestions at the same time.

Tanaka: For the alpha test, we only have one World. The idea is we first test that World for stability and then in phase 1 of the beta test, we begin to add more Worlds and collect as much data as we can.

- Will the amount of playable cities increase in the beta phase?

Tanaka: More than simply increasing the play area, we want to test and adjust the core mechanics of the game. For example, we want to see if leveling up works properly or if attaining a new skill rank works properly. Our number one priority is to monitor these things closely.

Komoto: Just like how we set a limit to the levels, we want to place benchmarks and see if they can be reached without major issues. We expand the system a bit, and then sample data from within those constraints.

Tanaka: We want to examine the speed at which people grow, as well as the core game mechanics, and see if we need to make any adjustments.

- So, then it sounds like we won't really get the full game until the official release version.

Komoto: We think the full scope of the game will come together sometime during the beta phase.

Tanaka: The game system will be completed during the beta phase, but I would say you probably won't see the entirety of what the game world has to offer until the official release.

- I got to try out the Guildleve system, and it feels like a great way to manage your play time. You can complete a quest within 30 minutes and then start a new one right away. It feels like Assault in FFXI, where you can enjoy some casual challenges divided into easy to manage chunks. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it feels like a system really designed around light, casual play.

Komoto: That's true, but I wouldn't say it's just a system for light play. What we wanted to do is design something that casual players could enjoy. That entails making it simple and easy at first. However, while the rules are simple early on, future quests add more rules and more variations to Guildleve while at the same time putting players up against tougher monsters. That's the kind of system we're considering.

- As for character growth, it appears there are Skill Ranks for each Class and Physical Levels for the avatar itself. Physical Levels are where you can freely spend points on different parameters, right?

Komoto: In the alpha, there is a cap on Physical Levels, and you can't redistribute points already spent on parameters just yet. Later on, we want to allow players to reallocate points in case they focus too heavily on a certain attribute and want to adjust that. We also plan to make it so you cannot simply max out every attribute, so players will have to work to find a good balance. For example, you may raise a certain skill in order to play a Warrior-type class. If you later want to go as a Disciple of Magic, you can then reallocate those points into something more beneficial for a magic-user.

- Regarding character customization, will there be any limitations on attaching skills from one Class onto another?

Komoto: If we can, we want to allow players to use skills from other Classes on their current one. However, there are many things to test out regarding this, such as how the effects of skills will be weakened when used with other Classes. For example, maybe a certain combination of skills doesn't work well together, or perhaps another combination is too powerful -- we want to maintain game balance as we go forward. There will, of course, also be some skills that we simply won't allow to be attached to other Classes. At this stage, we are still looking to see how things work, so feel free to try out any combinations you wish.

- With FFXI and Support Jobs, there was a limitation, and in general you wanted users to play Jobs a certain way, which made it easy for other players to pick up on what that Job's role was. If you can freely set abilities on different Classes and freely boost your parameters, will that make it difficult for players to define roles for Classes?

Komoto: That's why we feel it is most important to have Classes defined by their main skills. Although there is wiggle room for adding other abilities, a Class that excels at tanking will usually be considered a tank first and foremost. From that starting point, you can begin to fine-tune your role based on the situation and see how your Class works with other Classes.

- How are crafting skills coming along at this point in the alpha?

Komoto: We've touched on them so far and let players get the basics of cultivating materials, but we're still seeing how the system will take shape. We plan to have players able to gather materials in field areas and are preparing Guildleves that involve cultivation and harvesting. However, we're still in the testing phase for these aspects of crafting. Also, we're going to make skills for harvesting and crafting and want to make the whole experience fun for players. Fighting battles is fun, but we hope to create a game where players can have just as much as crafters -- raising skills, going on adventures, and even completing storylines. Guildleves should be very useful for making this happen.

- How many different types of Guildleves are there in the alpha version?

Komoto: Not so many. A little less than 20.

- Will players be able to solo even some high-level Guildleves?

Komoto: We hope to allow that by use of the selectable difficulty levels. That isn't to say there won't be any party-related Guildleves, but we want to allow solo players to enjoy Guildleve as much as possible.

- Speaking of which, is 6 members the average party size?

Komoto: This time, we've set the maximum for parties at 15 members -- almost the size of an alliance. However, they aren't divided into units. A party of 3 is fine, a party of 8 is fine, and we don't want to impose any standards from our end. Instead of forcing minimum party sizes on players, we want to allow them to freedom to put together any group they wish.

- I was surprised to see that Teleport and Warp were available to every Class right from the start!

Komoto: There will be costs attached to those abilities, but that hasn't been implemented yet in the alpha. We hope to make it so players with limited time can travel quickly, but also add elements that players with time to spare can enjoy if they decide to travel back on foot. We are looking to provide enough warp points to make these abilities a real help for players short on time. As for costs involved, we don't plan anything really restricting, and hope to keep it down to almost nothing.

- The range of motion for avatars was astounding. Lalafell are especially cute.

Komoto: They're sickeningly cute, aren't they? (laughs) This time around, the amount of motions and equipment and everything has been expanded extensively. Then there's the facial improvements.

- The facial expressions are amazing. Characters in cut scenes are so expressive and have voices, too. Compared with current MMOs, especially FFXI, the world of FFXIV just draws you in completely.

Komoto: I had that same feeling when viewing the cut scenes myself.

- The alpha only supports Windows, but will the beta phase add support for PS3?

Tanaka: We may not make it in time for phase 1 of the beta, but around phase 2 of the beta we believe we will be able to support PS3.

- How long do you plan to run the alpha and stage 1 and 2 of the beta? Are you just seeing how things go and playing it by ear?

Tanaka: Things may change as the product we are making changes through testing. The alpha and phase 1 of the beta will be pretty similar. Phase 2 of the beta is where the game will begin to change based on the feedback collected from the alpha.

- Will phase 1 of the beta add more Worlds than the alpha? Will any of the feedback from the alpha influence the initial beta stage?

Tanaka: Between the alpha and phase 1 of the beta, we don't expect much to change at all. Phase 2 of the beta and onward will see the game get updated and become vastly different.

Komoto: More than a set length for each phase, I would say it's how many stages we need.

Soo~ exciting these past days, especially playing alpha last night. This will definitely replace WoW and FFXI for me. Lalafell Dunesfolk will be the race i'll be playing.

[kuroishinigami]

Hmm, so, have the hardware requirement for this game put up yet? I:m looking forward to playing this game, but have to adjust my PC accordingly beforehand XD

[Knight Hawk]

Just for the current build atm, so not final.

Originally Posted by kuroishinigami

I see XD. Well, I:m guessing it won't be that different from the final version anyway so can you post here the minimum and recommended hardware spec? Thanks in advance ^^

There is no official hardware spec yet; however take the above spec has the minimum. (was able to run on a Pentium 4 - GeForce 7600GT system)

[kuroishinigami]

I see XD. Well, I:m guessing it won't be that different from the final version anyway so can you post here the minimum and recommended hardware spec? Thanks in advance ^^

[-Sho-]

If you want to read and watch an Alpha Tester Guide :

http://kotaku.com/5516194/heres-the-...a-tester-guide

I didn't read it all . I can't give an opinion yet but the fight looks slow and meh . Well it's the alpha test .

[kyosak]

Haha ...

The video footage that Kotaku has posted is from an Alpha tester who was banned for putting up an online stream as he played the game ... Of course the person was banned right away and everyone was making a big fuss about it apparently ...

It won't be long before that stuff is taken down I would imagine.

[Knight Hawk]

Originally Posted by kyosak

Haha ...

The video footage that Kotaku has posted is from an Alpha tester who was banned for putting up an online stream as he played the game ... Of course the person was banned right away and everyone was making a big fuss about it apparently ...

It won't be long before that stuff is taken down I would imagine.

Pookypoo hahaha~ such a terrible player. (not putting/using new skills, not distributing skill points, taking forever to kill mobs - which leads me to: dieing to several mobs that she shouldn't have been fighting ) At least she was filling out bug reports.

[-Sho-]

E3 Trailer :

Introduced 3D on the game -.- :

"Subarashi" huh .

[Mirrinus]

I hate 3D glasses. They never fit over my normal ones.

Looking forward to the game, though. Hoping it's better than FFXI. And I actually did play FFXI and enjoyed it, but the time commitment was just too hardcore. I hear this one will be more casual friendly. Can't wait to see how that pans out.

[Kyero Fox]

3D for too long will hurt eyes =\ So 3D + MMO + 5hours easy = bad

Im in the beta btw.

[Rajura]

I was honestly hoping they changed their mind about making this play online... I know that is just my idiot opinion, but... (difficult to make that kind of time commitment).

However, it does look pretty awesome... I just hope it does not have quite as many expansions as XI.

[Mirrinus]

Hmm...should probably also point out that the FFXIV Benchmark was released on SE's site yesterday.

http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/media.../na/index.html

[kuroishinigami]

strange, I can't run the benchmark program at all. It shows a windows error message as soon as I run the program. I run it in 2 different computer with same result. Anybody has an idea how to fix this error?

[Kyero Fox]

/shrug I just unzipped the file and ran the thing from there. worked perfectly. my Score was 100+ somethin. ran pretty smooth.