E3 is now behind us.  FFXIV Producer Tanaka Hiromichi is back in Japan, working on the latest version update for FFXI and the FFXIV beta.  However, that doesn’t mean we are through looking at all the exciting information to come out of the event!

Expect a number of articles to pop up on Eorzeapedia this week and next as we go through the Japanese media interviews and some of the interesting reporting they’ve been doing after the event.

For starters, we have a very lengthy interview from Dengeki.  I have to wonder how many times Tanaka answered variants of the “where are the male Miqo’tes?” question.  Who knows.  Maybe it’s not too late for them to go back and add them for us?  We can hope right?  Most of the interview covers things we’ve already seen in other interviews so it makes a nice review for people who haven’t been following every little piece of news to hit the site.  However, there are a couple things that might be interesting for even the most up-to-date fans out there.

As always, you can read our translated version below or check out the original interview with pictures on Dengeki’s website.

At E3 2010, Square Enix showed the world for the first time a new build of their highly anticipated MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV.  The build is almost identical to the beta build that will be released later to testers.  We were able to play the game for ourselves and follow it up with an interview with FFXIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka.  We asked for more details regarding the beta and also future development.

–First, would it be alright to consider the demonstration build at this year’s E3 as the beta version?

Tanaka: I think it would be more accurate to call it a build that is very close to the beta.

–Please tell us what the biggest changes are between the alpha and beta builds.

Tanaka: The biggest changes are in the way graphics are displayed and the battle system, which was completely changed.  For the graphics, the biggest difference is in the shadows.  We’ve also changed the character creation system to something that is very close to how it will be in the final release.

–Do you plan on having the available races and clans nearly identical to what we are seeing now?

Tanaka: What will be in the beta is what we expect to include for the starting races when the game is released.

–Is there a particular reason for having only male Highlanders within the game setting?

Tanaka: In the beginning planning stages, female Highlanders were also on the table to be included but for a number of various reasons, we ended up not including them as a possible choice for character creation.  Male Miqo’tes will probably make an appearance as NPCs but sadly, they have also been excluded from the choices people will have at character creation.

–Is there any chance of additional races being added to the game in the future?

Tanaka: I can’t make any promises but it’d be nice if we could.

–Let’s talk about the new trailer.  There are a lot of NPCs that appear in the trailer.  What kind of creature is the white avatar-esque being?

Tanaka: That’s not an avatar.  It’s an elemental.  This time elements are a factor in a lot of things and are very important to the game.  Those elements are related to the elementals.  Unlike FFXI, the cycles of the moon and weather won’t have an effect on things.  Instead, the 6 elements will affect a number of things.

–Next, can you tell us more about the brand new battle system?

Tanaka: The tempo has changed the most.  With the prior system, your action gauge would fill up, and then after that, you would wait for your effect gauge to fill up in order to increase the strength or accuracy of your attack.  However, that time spent filling up would translate into just empty waiting time for the players.  So the first thing we decided to do was get rid of the effect gauge.  Then we made the action gauge longer and made it fill naturally over time.  Players could carry out any of the various actions available to them by using up a portion of that gauge.  If you fill the gauge completely before attacking, you can pull off around 3 or 4 actions in a row.  Even as you carry out those actions, your gauge will start filling again.  In the end, we have a battle system that makes for a much quicker battle tempo.

–So the 2 gauges that accumulate are the TP bar and the new action gauge?

Tanaka: In total you have 3 things that you use to carry out commands: the action gauge, the TP bar, and for some moves, MP.

–So we can expect that the reuse/recast time for a command will be different depending on the action you used?

Tanaka: Yes.  That is particularly true of moves that use up TP.  The recast timer on them is long enough that even if your bar has completely filled again, you still might not be able to use it.

–I imagine you had a lot of requests made regarding the user interface.  Have there been any major changes there?

Tanaka: The main menu has changed quite a bit.  We’ve also added in chat filters and made changes to the log.  We are also looking into making it possible for players to create multiple windows.  (Translation note: This is probably referring to multiple log windows so that you could separate your battle log and your general chat logs.)

–Will there be other communication systems put in place besides just chat?

Tanaka: We are planning on including a macro pallet system.  It could be used to trigger a command and a message at the same time to make it easier to communicate what you are doing to your party members.  Also, we are working on a system where when you are in a party, it is easy to tell which enemy your party leader is attacking.

–Will that be a visual cue?  For example, maybe the monster’s name would blink or there would be a number above the head of the monster.

Tanaka: You’ll have to look forward to how it works. (smiles)  Right now we are trying a number of different things.  The goal is for players to have some kind of communication tool so people don’t go off attacking different enemies.

–Let’s get back to the battle system.  Is there anything you plan on adding to it even after the beta version is released?

Tanaka: A basic version of it is included in the alpha version already but there is a system we are working on called “Battle Regiments”.  We are planning on making various situations in the game where you’ll have to use battle regiments when in a party along with the communication tools we already talked about.

–Will there often be “many versus many” battles in FFXIV?

Tanaka: Right now most of the monsters that are roaming around are just solo mobs.  However, we also plan on including monster groups, like maybe where there is one male and his harem of females.  In particular, the majority of the monsters you’ll fight while doing a guildleve will be in parties.

–Are there any systems that will be new to the beta version?

Tanaka: We’ve said before that items, weapons, etc, would degenerate.  That system will go live in the beta.  It doesn’t mean that your weapons will disappear.   However, they will get worn down to the point of being useless and require repair.  That should lead to an increase in the number of people who choose a class from Disciples of the Land or Disciples of the Hand.

We also plan on adding “Retainers” which are NPCs for hire.  In FFXI, you couldn’t run a bazaar if you were logged out.  However, for FFXIV, it will be possible to leave your items with a retainer and have them stay in the marketplace and sell your stuff for you.

I’m not sure what the timing will be but at some point linkshells will also be introduced to the game.  I think it will have a big effect on the community.

–Are the linkshells going to work the same as FFXI’s linkshells?

Tanaka: Yes.  However, there is going to be a broader level of community building as well and a lot of different things will be built into that system.

–Do you mean something like a power struggle between city-states? (Translation note: He is getting at the Conquest system in FFXI.)

Tanaka: Rather than having to do with the city-states, it’s like a company and the linkshells would fit in below it.

–So it’s more of a group that the players put together themselves versus something set  system-side.

Tanaka: Yes.  It is going to be reminiscent of guilds or clans.

–Will more areas be added to the game when the beta test starts?

Tanaka: We don’t know exactly how big the download will be for the beta version yet.  When you think about adding new areas… well, we’ll be looking into it but it might not be possible.

–So players can expect to be in the same areas around Limsa Lominsa that the alpha testers have been playing in?

Tanaka: It will probably be necessary to test other areas as well.  However, for the time being, we plan on limiting the beta to the area around Limsa Lominsa.

–How big will the final release be?

Tanaka: We are still making a lot of adjustments so it’s not set yet.

–Can you give us an idea of what kind of specs will be required for the PC version?

Tanaka: Once the beta test begins, we will release the required specs for the beta version.  Right now, graphic cards are probably a bigger bottleneck than CPUs so we want to work on optimizing that.

–Speaking of the Windows version, I was really surprised to see a 3D version on display here at E3.

Tanaka: Right now Nvidia is putting a lot of energy into their 3D Surround Technology that allows you to use 3 monitors so we agreed to cooperate with them to make the display.

–Any plans to include this technology in the final release?

Tanaka: We haven’t made any decisions about that yet.  Right now it’s just a demo of the technology.

–What can you tell us about the beta version for PS3?

Tanaka: We are still hard at work on it.  Director Komoto couldn’t come to E3 actually because this is crunch time for development on the beta and PS3 versions.  Right now back in Japan the entire staff is working hard.

–The PS3 can handle 3D images.  Any chance FFXIV might support 3D?

Tanaka: That is another thing we are considering, however, I think it would be very difficult to implement.

–Can you tell us when the beta test will start?

Tanaka: We want to start in July at the latest.  We’ll also announce the PS3 beta at some point in the future as well.

–We’ve also heard before that you are planning on moving to cross-regional service at some point during the beta.  Do you have any idea as to when that will take place?

Tanaka: Right now everyone is actually on the same servers.  They are just divided up into different login windows.  Once things are stable enough, we’d like to switch to something close to 24/7 testing so it might even be soon after beta testing begins.

–Do you plan on adding more testers?

Tanaka: Currently there are 10 servers for the alpha test and the number of testers is already in the 10s of thousands.  First, we’ll start with those testers for the beta.  After watching how things go and making sure everything is running smoothly, we plan on adding more testers.  I’d like to let the alpha testers know that we’ve listened to their feedback and made improvements for the beta version.  So please check out the beta and we’ll work on making it even better.  Of course we’ll continue to make adjustments even after the game is officially released.  Please keep sending in feedback!

Surprise!  While Weekly Famitsu and Dengeki PlayStation are the two biggest sources of information we have for FFXIV when it comes to magazines, there are a few other publications out there that cover FFXIV as well.  It is rare to see additional articles so close to some major announcements, but Dengeki Games decided to give everybody a little treat.

Dengeki Games is a relatively new monthly publication that started up last fall.  It runs gaming information for all platforms whether its handheld, console, arcade, or even your cell phone.  The 7th volume just came out with a 4-page summary of the information we’ve recently seen.  However, there are a few extra tidbits to enjoy that weren’t part of the other write-ups.  In this article, we’ll look at what Dengeki Games found out about the current user interface, different classes, and some interesting plans for transitioning from the beta to the official release.

What do all those little icons mean?

The latest screenshot of the alpha build is filled with different icons.  Let’s take a closer look at some of them.

In this closeup, we can see the selected command “Seismic Shock”, one of the Pugilist’s weapon skills.  Under that is the target information.  Destiny was attacking a rather large Peiste.  You can see the enemy’s HP gauge underneath the name.  Next to the name though is a small red icon.  What does it mean?

Question: What does that red mark next to the target name mean?

Answer: It tells you the strength of the enemy party.  In FFXI, you would “Check” an enemy to learn its relative strength and the results would appear in your log.  However, in FFXIV, party versus party battles are more frequent, so the icon tells you the relative strength of the entire party.

That’s a handy feature!  In FFXI, the results of a “Check” would vary from person to person depending on their armor, weapon, the food they had eaten, etc.  This time, we see once again how the game design is focused on party versus party battles looking at the strength of your party as a whole when you go out into battle.

The new battle log has received a bunch of attention since we first saw it at Gamescom.  We’ve heard it would be customizable and that you would be able to move it around.  While FFXI had tabs for different chat modes, the FFXIV version divides logs into different customizable types.  In the screenshot we see General and Battle, but there will be more options for players who want more control over what they see.

Question: What is the difference between the General and Battle tabs above the log box?

Answer: The General log shows everything.  The Battle log is just for things related to battle.  So the tabs are like a filtering system.  For the official release, you’ll be able to add additional tabs and filter the log to your liking.  We are also thinking about making it where you can have 2 different log windows on your screen at the same time.

Question: How much of the layout will you be able to change?

Answer: The things that are a necessary part of the UI, like the HP and MP gauges, the mini map, and the log, can be moved around freely.

While having multiple windows might cut down on how much of the action you could see, there are definitely people out there that would like to be able to keep chat and battle logs separate but still be able to follow both.

The bottom icon bar layout might be old news to some people but let’s take a look at it anyways.  There are a lot of icons that weren’t a part of FFXI so it will be interesting to see how they are used in real practice.

In the middle are your various commands and your TP gauge bar.  Notice the little 1 to the side?  It isn’t mentioned in the article but perhaps this will be used to change command sets much like macro book pages in FFXI.  What we do know is the following.  The first icon on the left, the little sword, is the mode selection icon.  You click this to switch between Active and Passive Mode.  Next to that is the battle regiment button.  It describes this mode as the one you use if you want to pull off a move that requires multiple people.  They compare it to skillchains in FFXI.  Skip over to the right-hand side.  The dark brown bag icon is used to pull up your item menu.  Next to that is the icon that pulls up a list of different motions your character can do like wave goodbye or cheer.  Finally, the last icon pulls up your main menu.

Class Q&A Recap

Most of the following questions and answers were already published in Dengeki PlayStation.

Question: So far in the classes and weapon information, we haven’t seen anything about dual wielding weapons like you see in FFXI.  Will we eventually see dual wielding in FFXIV too?  Also, if that is the case, what classes will they match up with?

Answer: I can’t answer your question as to when but I think it is safe to say we will see it at some point.  As for which classes will be able to dual wield, all I can say is, please look forward to future announcements.

Question: We know you will be able to change your class at any time but will there be any restrictions as to the classes you can change into?

Answer: There aren’t any restrictions right now but that isn’t to say there won’t be in the future.

Question: Can you change your class in the midst of battle?

Answer: In FFXIV, there are two modes: Passive and Active.  In Passive Mode, your HP restores while you move around.  Active Mode is when you have drawn your weapon and are ready for battle.  You can only change your class when you are in Passive Mode.

Question: Can you freely change between these modes?

Answer: Yes, you can change modes anywhere.

Beta Testers Can Keep Their Names?!

One of the most stunning pieces of information to come out of this article is about the beta test.  It is common practice that everyone starts from scratch with the official release of a game regardless of their progress during the beta.  However, it looks like the FFXIV team is thinking about doing things a little bit differently.

Question: Do you plan on letting beta testers carry over their character names or anything else into the final release?

Answer: Yes, that’s the plan.  However, since the number of servers (Worlds) will be different from the beta, there might be a chance that somebody creates a character with the same name as you on the World you want to play on before you do your character transfer.  We’ll need to come up with some rules on how to handle those situations.

Question: Will PS3 beta testers and PC beta testers play on the same Worlds during the beta?

Answer: We have no particular plans to separate by version.  However, as the testing periods will be different, some Worlds might have more people playing on one particular platform than another.  We do plan on making things like FFXI where you can log in with the same account from any platform.

Question: Will the beta servers be separated by language?  Also, will some sort of auto-translator feature be present in the beta?

Answer: We haven’t decided anything yet about when to add the auto-translator function or if there will be language-separated servers during the beta.  However, for alpha testing, the testing time windows are separated for Japan, North America, and Europe.

So that’s the information we have at this time.  How do you feel about the answers?  In particular, how do you feel about the possibility of beta testers being able to keep their names into the final release?  We might be talking about this in the next episode of Aetheryte Radio so please leave your comments in the forums or send a message to the hosts at podcast@eorzeapedia.com.

Did you enjoy all the new information this weekend?  We had an official NA and JP site update and people on the forums have been sifting through the information and finding all sorts of interesting things.  I know some people have been busy updating the wiki as well.  Starting it all off though was a lot of translated information from magazines like Weekly Famitsu and Dengeki PlayStation.

But wait!

We haven’t talked about the interesting stuff that was in Dengeki PlayStation yet.  This time we’ll be covering the long Q&A portion of their FFXIV coverage.  It covers general questions related to the upcoming alpha/beta test, character creation, and the various classes overall.  In another article, we’ll cover the shorter class-specific questions.

First, let’s talk beta.

[About the Beta Test]
Q: About how long do you expect the beta test to run?
A: It isn’t set in stone at this point.  We’ll have to see after we start making adjustments.

Q: How much of the game can people expect to be able to play around with in the beta?
A: It won’t even be half of what we think will go into the final release.  After all, the goal of the beta test is to refine  game balance and double check some of the very basic technical things.  For the alpha test, you could almost say there is next to nothing there.  However, we feel this makes it easier to take in people’s feedback and requests as we build up the game.

Q: Could you tell us the PC specs required for playing the alpha and beta test builds?
A: Well, we are in the process of optimization right now but it isn’t finished yet.  That means for the alpha build, you are most likely going to need a powerful CPU.  Your video card will need to be able to handle DirectX9 but if you’ve bought a card within the past few years you should be good to go.  Memory-wise you’ll want 512MB of VRAM or more.  We’ll be posting more specific details at some point on the official beta test site.

Q: Will the PC and PlayStation 3 beta tests begin at the same time?
A: The alpha test will be PC only.  No decisions have been made yet about the beta test, including the timing.

Q: You’ve said before that you want the FFXI community (in the form of friend lists and so on) to continue to be together in FFXIV as well.  Can you tell us specifically how you plan on making that happen?
A: The details haven’t be worked out yet but we’d like to make it where you can transfer to the same server as your friends so you can play together.

Q: Will the 9 classes you’ve released information for this time around also be playable in the beta?  Also, will players in the beta be able to pick a starting class from them?
A: They will be playable in the beta.  Perhaps not everything there is to each class will be included, but you will be able to play them.

Q: Will other classes be available in the beta test as well?
A: We’re not sure at this time.

Q: Say I’m a player that wants to play out a particular role.  Can you give us some advice on the role of each class?
A: In a very broad sense, this is the image I have for each class-
Gladiator– The hero who crushes the strong and defends the weak.  They are the guardian of the party.  An almighty fighter good for anyone.

Pugilist– You’re right on the front lines.  There is a thrill in the split second decision making you’ll have to do.  Do you change your stance or not?  This person is definitely a damage dealer.  I’d say it is also for people who don’t want to have to pay a lot of attention to detail.

Lancer– You’ll need the ability to make judgment calls and make the most of your weapon range.  The lancer is the party’s last defense.  Play lancer if you like tactical fighting.

Marauder– This is a macho and massively powerful attacker.  The trump card of the party.  The marauder is a good class for people who like getting in those last blows and stuff.

Archer– A cool sniper who scans the battlefield, looking for their chance to strike, rather than staring off into the distance.  If you were talking baseball, this is your team’s shortstop.  It is also a good class for people who want to play solo or are kind of a loner.

Conjurer– This is a support member who changes roles depending on how the battle is going.  They could attack, add to the party’s defense, or cure.  This is a good class for somebody who wants to put their hands in everything.

Thaumaturge– The Thaumaturge is your party’s strategist, using their enfeebling magic to control the battlefield.  Good for someone that has the capacity for forethought.

Miner– Metal is an indispensable part of making almost any piece of armor and the miner is the person that goes out, finds it, and brings it to the marketplace.  This is a class that knows how to make money fast.  It is also for people who are persistent.

Blacksmith– The blacksmith is a crafter who makes and repairs weapons, tools, and other things that have some metal component to them.  You’ll always have customers so this job is suited for people who like doing business with other people.

[Character Creation]
Q: Previously we were introduced to the idea of clans within different races, like the Seekers of the Sun and Keepers of the Moon for the Miqo’te.   Will people be able to choose their clan during character creation?
A: For the beta test, you’ll be able to choose from a subset of the races and clans.

Q: I get the feeling that rather than being able to choose freely, you’ll have to choose things that fit with a particular clan’s special characteristics.  Like, you could choose from different shades of brown if you were a Seeker of the Sun but because Keepers of the Moon are nocturnal, they have to be fair-skinned.  Am I right?
A: Kind of.  Except rather than just the lightness of your skin, there are different themes and you’ll be able to choose from a wide variety of skins that follow those themes.

Q: How much of the character creation system will be present in the beta?
A: There will be a small subset of faces and hairstyles to choose from.  After that, you can select the color of your hair, skin, and eyes.  You won’t be able to change your facial features or anything at this time.

Q: Are there any special bonuses for matching the right city-state with the right race?  And if so, will there be differences depending on clan as well?
A: Right now we aren’t planning on doing anything like that.  However, if we get a lot of feedback from people who want that sort of thing, we’ll take it under consideration.

[About the Classes]
Q: So far in the classes and weapon information, we haven’t seen anything about dual wielding weapons like you see in FFXI.  Will we eventually see dual wielding in FFXIV too?  Also, if that is the case, what classes will they match up with?  For example, is it something a Gladiator would be able to do with a dual wield-use sword?  Or would it be for an entirely different class?
A: I can’t answer your question as to when but I think it is safe to say we will see it at some point.  As for which classes will be able to dual wield, all I can say is, please look forward to future announcements.

Q: We know you will be able to change your class at any time but will there be any restrictions as to the classes you can change into?  For example, is there going to be a restriction where you can only carry 3 different weapon types as one time?
A: There aren’t any restrictions right now but that isn’t to say there won’t be in the future.

Q: Can you change your class in the midst of battle?  And if it is limited to only when you aren’t in a battle ready mode, would it be possible to change weapons if you put your other weapon away first?
A: In FFXIV, there are two modes: Passive and Active.  In Passive Mode, your HP restores while you move around.  Active Mode is when you have drawn your weapon and are ready for battle.  You can only change your class when you are in Passive Mode.

Q: In general, how many people do you think will be in a party?  Also, will we see alliances?
A:  We think that 6 to 8 people will be the norm for parties.  However, we want to make the system flexible.  Even if 6 to 8 is the norm, there will be times where you have more people or times when you have less.  You might just want to play solo or play with a small group of friends.  There will also be challenges adventurers will face that will require an alliance.

Another thing to consider is that when it comes to battle, we are thinking of “party versus party” dynamics.  You’ll be fighting for the best position and there will be a lot of planning and strategic thinking required to win beyond just who is doing the most straight damage.  First, you have to think of the best fighting range for your weapon.  You have to think about damage and accuracy, but also what position is best to get in some of those extra effects.  For example, there is a lancer move where you can keep the enemies from moving for a short period of time.  The magic users especially have to think about things because they have so many AoE spells.  The area is also different depending on the class.  You see donut-shaped spells for the Conjurer and fan/cone shaped ones for the Thaumaturge.  Also, sometimes you are the center of an ability or weapon skill, sometimes it is your target.  There are many different types.

Direction will also have an affect on things.  You might try to slip into an enemy’s blind spot or make them face in a different direction.  If you want to be a better fighter in FFXIV, you’ll need to master distance, area of effect, and direction and use these to the best of your advantage.

Q: In some of the abilities it says “get the enemy’s attention”.  Does this mean to increase enmity?
A: In FFXIV, we call it the Hostility Ratio.  That is what will increase.  [Translation note: We don't know if the terminology will change for the English version as well.]

Q: Are there differences between the Gladiator’s Rousing Provoke and the Pugilist’s Mocking Provoke?
A: They are the same type of ability but they are a bit different from each other as well.  The way you get that attention changes.  And even if it is the exact same ability, there might be other things that factor into how well you get the enemy’s attention.  Controlling the Hostility Ratio will be a very important part of the game.  You have to look at the situation and decide what is the best ability to use.  We hope people will have fun doing trial-and-error and finding out what works best for them.

Q: Is guarding a defensive command?  Or is it something that occurs at random?
A: Both.  There is a command you can use to guard with a shield.  However, the more proficient a character is with using a shield, they might just deflect an attack with their shield without you having to use any commands.

Q: How is the Pugilist’s range different from a very close fighting range?
A: The range is nearly identical.  However, the difference is enough to show off the different characteristics of those classes.  For example, let’s look at defense.  A very close ranged fighter has a shield or other protective gear for physical defense.  A pugilist is more focused on evading attacks.  The way they attack is different as well.

Q: Do enemies have TP as well?
A: They do.  Enemies can earn TP in a variety of ways.  There might even be some enemies that could put your life at risk if you don’t defeat them quickly.

Q: For the most part, do you have to be still in order to cast a spell?
A: We plan on including a number of spells that can be cast while moving as well.

One Siphon is for MP, One for TP

It’s time for a Lost in Translation check!  We have new official information in English but it doesn’t match up with everything that is out in Japanese.  Let’s do a quick comparison of abilities and weapon skills and see what’s changed.

Archer Ability Replenish:
[J] Use up all of your arrows to be able to fire off multiple arrows at once. 
[E] Consume MP to replenish your projectiles to capacity.

Marauder Ability Murderous Intent:
[J] Increases critical hit rate.
[E] Increases critical hit rate, reducing TP generation.

Marauder Ability Defender:
[J] Increases defense.
[E] Increases defense.  Increases enmity generation while in steadfast stance.

Marauder Ability Disorient:
[J] Reduce the target’s evasion.
[E] Reduce the target’s evasion.  Effect may stack up to three times.

Marauder Ability Enduring March:
[J] Able to move at slow speed while bound.
[E] Enables movement at reduced speed while bound.  While active, also maintains steadfast stance while moving.

Pugilist Ability Blindside:
[J] Attack the enemy for a large amount of damage when you attack from behind.
[E] Strike from an enemy’s rear, increasing attack power by half of your dexterity.

Pugilist Ability Steal:
[J] Steal from the enemy.
[E] Steal a random item.  Chance of success increases with stealth.

Pugilist Weapon Skill Victimize:
[J] Critical hit rate increases with successive attacks.
[E] Increases your critical hit rate for each enfeebling effect on the target.

Conjurer Ability Profundity:
[J] Increase magic potency but increase casting time. 
[E] Lengthens cast and recast times and increases the magic potency of your next cast.

Conjurer Ability Spiritbind:
[J] Bind yourself and reduce MP costs.
[E] Bind yourself and reduce MP consumption by half.

Thaumaturge Spell Sacrifice:
[J] Sacrifice your own HP to give HP to an ally.
[E] Consumes HP to restore a portion of the target’s HP.

Thaumaturge Spell Siphon TP:
[J] This spell is not mentioned yet.
[E] Transfers TP from the target to you

Thaumaturge Spell Siphon Magi (official English name unknown):
[J] Transfer MP from an enemy you have defeated to yourself.
[E] This spell is not mentioned on the official site.
(The developer interview in Dengeki PlayStation includes a comment about draining MP and what happens with enemies that have no MP so we know this isn’t just a misprint from MP to TP.)

Blacksmith Craftable Item Halberd:
[J] Not mentioned.
[E] Requires Halberd Head, Spear Shaft, Halberd Butt, Spear Clasp, Grip Wrapping

These are some of the things I’ve found.  Is there anything else that’s different?

Another day, another article.  Today’s information is also courtesy of Famitsu.  Along with the developer comments they had for the various classes, they also had a short one page interview with the three developers.  Once again, let’s take a look at what Battle Director Atsushi Okada, Planner Sei Sato, and Planner Kenichi Iwao had to say about their game.

Famitsu: For starters, could you give us a basic idea of how combat works?

Okada: While you can play solo as well, the general idea behind combat in FFXIV is “Many versus Many” where the enemies are also in parties.  We’re also building it under the assumption that people will be moving around while fighting rather than staying at one particular camp and having somebody bring the enemies in.

F: So basically people will move to where the enemies spawn and heal between battles?

Okada: That’s right.  However, one of the things that makes FFXIV special is that, in general, your MP will not recover.  This isn’t to say that there are absolutely no ways to get MP back.  For example, once a player has grown in their class they’ll learn abilities to help them recover MP.  Also, if you stop by an Aetheryte location, you can recover both HP and MP.

Iwao: Classes with MP have to think of MP as something to use carefully and learn how to make it last over a number of battles versus using it all during just one battle.  That’s a part of how FFXIV works.

Sato: When you start on a particular objective, everybody is going to go out to the location together.  At that time, it’ll be important for you to start thinking about how you will manage your MP.  There is even a class built around the idea of managing a party’s MP usage.

Each class has a different range.

F: Looking at the image you’ve provided, I suppose it’s safe to say that each class has their own best attack range.

Sato: Yes.  For battles in FFXIV, where you are standing and which way the enemy is looking is going to have a big impact on things.  So the natural extension of that is an appropriate attack range for each class.

Iwao: The enemies themselves also have different classes assigned to them so you’ll see enemies playing out different battle tactics as well.  You’ll need to fight over the best positions and sometimes you might need to change locations when you fight.  That’s one thing that makes the “Many versus Many” battles so exciting.  You aren’t just fighting in the same location all the time.  You really have to think about where the enemy is in relation to you at all times.

Sato: It’s not an action game but it does have some of the elements of one.

F: With the need to move around, it sounds like the classes with very short attack ranges will have an easier time of things.

Iwao: Well, the classes that are right up close have to really worry about their position and direction while those fighting from farther away will be more concerned about distance.

Sato: For close range fighters, the effectiveness of your attacks will vary depending on the direction you are facing, so it isn’t particularly easier than the classes that fight from farther away.

Iwao: There is one other element to take into consideration: range.  This is really obvious for magic users but other classes have abilities with different ranges as well.

Sato: Think of where you are fighting as a space you share with all of your party members.  We’ll continue to refine and develop more of these ranged attacks.

Iwao: There are different types of these moves as well.  For example, there are ones that radiate from you and other ones that spread out around your target.  These will be very tactical battles where you are thinking about range, distance, and direction as you fight.  I hope people enjoy this style of play.

F: It looks like we’ll see different “elements” in FFXIV.  Can you tell us more about them?

Okada: There are 6 elements for FFXIV: fire, ice, wind, earth, thunder, and water.  They are interrelated to each other as well.  Water is strong to fire but weak to thunder, etc.  Each element has something they are strong to and weak against.

Iwao: There are many components in the game, both involving the player and the enemy, where elements will have an influence.  There are also other properties beyond the 6 elements.  For example, on Earth we have magnetism.  In FFXIV, we will have two properties “Star Pole” and “Spirit Pole”.  (Translator’s Note: It’s hard to say what the English equivalents will be.)

F: How will these different elements and properties affect the player when they play?

Okada: We are working on making it so that each player is strong to and weak against a different element.  For example, maybe one particular player would find themselves strong against fire.

F: Is this something the player can decide during character creation?

Sato: No.  Just like HP or other things, it is something that a player grows into over time.  Depending on how you grow, you might become a specialist of sorts in one particular element.

Okada: As an example, if you are strong against water and you are attacked by an enemy with water magic, it won’t hurt as much.

Iwao: Let’s say there are two Conjurers.  Even still, they could have two different roles where one is better at things involving ice and the other fire.  There will be a natural division of labor.

F: It sounds like a player can really show off their individuality.

Iwao: You could level all things equally and be able to deal with a variety of situations.  But that would come at the cost of not being able to specialize in any particular element.

F: I think it would be interesting if mini communities formed around specializing in a particular element.

Sato: Like a Fire Lover’s Club.  (laughs)  That kind of thing might be possible.

The day of the FFXIV Beta Test Site opening is upon us.  Many people are anxiously awaiting a chance to play the alpha build and test out game play.  What better time than today for Square Enix to give us more detailed information about some of the classes people will be playing around with!  Both Weekly Famitsu and Dengeki PlayStation have big spreads on FFXIV this week.  Jumping the gun though was Famitsu posting the information on their website just after Japanese midnight last night.  People on the forums and in our IRC chat room were excitedly trying to decipher the text while I…. I went to sleep.  But I’m awake now and as we don’t have an official NA update yet, it’s time to dig into the article!  Keep in mind that all of this is translated from the Japanese and does not contain official English terms for certain abilities and so forth.  Also, the class descriptions are mostly ones we’ve seen before so I’ll leave those out for now.   This article will cover the abilities, weapon skills, and comments from the developers on the fighting classes plus a little information about a couple other classes as well.  Detailed weapon information can will come later if we don’t need an official update soon.

On to the info!

Gladiator

Gladiator Abilities:
Roaring Sword- Waving the tip of your blade to get the enemy’s attention
Cover – Protect the party members behind you by taking damage instead of them
Rampart – Using your sword to increase your defense (raises physical and magical defenses)
Precision – Lowers evasion and increases accuracy
Aegis Boon – When guarding with your shield, any damage taken heals your HP instead

Weapon Skills:
Phalanx – Anger the enemy by attacking after guarding with a shield
Red Lotus – A swinging fire elemental attack on the enemy
Shield Bash – Hit the enemy with a shield and prevent them from casting a spell
Spinning Stroke – Attack the enemy.  Damage increases if the enemy is not attacking you.
Circle Slash – AoE weapon skill

Comments from the Developers:

Planner Iwao – They can wear many different kinds of armor, use large shields, and are blessed defensively.  I think lots of people will use them to draw the enemies attention and serve to protect the other members of their party.

Battle Director Okuda – As this class is very good at using shields, people might think of them as a defender but they can do a lot of damage as well.

Planner Sato – Both an attacker and a defender, they can do just about anything perfectly so I think this will become a very popular class.

Okuda – When it comes to attacking, you can choose between two styles:  swinging attacks and thrusting attacks.  Each has their advantages and disadvantages so you will have to take that into consideration when fighting.

Iwao- I think it’s safe to say that this class is a very versatile fighter.

Lancer

Lancer Abilities:
Inspire: Party members receive TP for attacking their target
Ferocity: You lose HP but your next attack will give greater damage
Fighting Spirit: You lose HP but you gain TP
Collusion: Attack the enemy from behind another party member while the enemy is focused on that party member
Spirit Surge: Decrease enemy evasion while sucking away their HP

Weapon Skills:
Overrun: If you attack while the enemy isn’t aware of you, you can land a series of high speed successive attacks and increase your TP.
Feint: If you use right after an enemy has evaded your attack, your next attack will surely hit.
Leg Sweeper: AoE attack where you target the legs of your enemies and prevent them from moving.  Cannot be used on aerial targets.
Moonrise: Attack the enemy and suppress their ability to gain TP
Skewer: Attack all enemies between you and your target.  Movement for land-based enemies will become slower.

Developer Comments:

Iwao – This class uses the long range of their polearms to attack from a relatively safe distance.  They also have a number of special attacks that can confuse an enemy or bind them.

Sato – Since they are back farther than other front line party members, they have a wider view of what’s going on around them.  If the back line is in a jam, they are probably the class that is best able to quickly get over to help them.

Iwao – Lancers are really affected by the distance between them and their target.  They will have to make adjustments to where they stand and constantly think about the location of their target, their party members, and themselves.  This class requires somebody who moves tactically.

Sato – This person has to think about many things, not just about what they know about the enemy.

Pugilist

Pugilist Abilities:
Whistle: Gain the attention of the enemy
Blind Side: Increased damage when you attack from behind the enemy
Chakra: Use TP to regain HP
Steal: Steal things from the enemy
Feather Step: Increase evasion by a large amount for one shot

Weapon Skills:
Jarring Strike: If used after a missed enemy attack, your next attack will hit and bind the enemy but also anger them
Piercing Fists: Piercing attack.  If done in succession, the chances of a critical hit increases.
Haymaker: If used after a missed enemy attack, you can do heavy damage to the enemy
Tackle: A rapid succession of attacks
Earth Render: An earth elemental based distance attack.  Doesn’t work on enemies in the air.

Developer Comments:

Iwao – They have a very short attack range and their defense isn’t very high.  However, they are tricky fighters who can tease the enemy with their wide range of abilities.  They also can change between different stances which means they can change their fighting style in accordance to the enemy or party makeup.

Sato – Stance will make a huge difference.  Players will have to think on their feet, taking the flow of the battle into account when choosing whether to go offensive or defensive.

Iwao – If you continue to use the same stance, the number of things you can do while in that stance will increase.  While you can change your stance at any time, changing the stance means you go back to a previous level of ability.  Your split time decisions on whether it is best to make adjustments or stick with the same stance to get the extra benefits could decide whether you are the victor or the vanquished.

Marauder

Marauder Abilities:
Blood Bath: The damage you give the enemy turns into HP for you
Power Attack: Increases the chance of critical hits
Defender: Use your Axe to increase your physical defense in exchange for not being able to attack
Disorient: Lower the enemy’s evasion
Unyielding March: Can move,  albeit slowly, even when hit with binding magic

Weapon Skills:
Skull Thunder: Lasting damage on the enemy or gather your power to create a wider AoE attack.
Log Splitter: Very affective attack against plant-type enemies.
Fracture: If used after parrying an enemy attack, you can seal the enemy’s ability to use weapon skills while damaging them.
Brandish: AoE attack
Iron Tempest: A donut-shaped AoE wind elemental attack

Developer Comments:
Iwao – This class can do a lot of damage with their axe, enough to change the outcome of a battle with one swing.  However, depending on the number of enemies and how they are scattered about, they might not be able to gather all of their strength and have trouble during battle.

Sato – They have more attack power than other classes but their accuracy is a bit lower.

Okuda – In order to use some of the Marauder’s special abilities, you’ll have to be standing still.  So it takes foresight to play this class effectively.

Archer

Archer Abilities
Replenish: Fire off multiple arrows at one time (the description says all of your arrows)
Chameleon: Erase your presence to avoid detection
Stride: Be able to move quickly for a short period of time
Retrieval: Gather up arrows in exchange for some HP
Hawkeye: Increase the accuracy of your next attack

Weapon Skills
Shadow Stitch: Bind the enemy
Wide Volley: Attack your target and other enemies around it
Quick Knock: Use multiple arrows in rapid succession to attack enemies in a fan like AoE attack
Snakebite Arrow: Attack and remove enhancing magic from the enemy
Shrieker: Attack the enemy and cause it to retreat

Developer Comments

Iwao – More than anything, their role is to attack enemies from a distance.  After that, it all depends on the technical abilities of the archer.  If they attract too much attention from the enemy, they could get in trouble as they don’t have a high defense.  So you have to think about where you are going to stand and the best way to attack the enemy without capturing their interest.  This class has to look at the big picture.

Sato – Archers also have a lot of abilities they can use to put some distance between them and their enemies.  I hope people use those in their battle strategies.

Iwao – The type of arrow you pick is also important.  There are arrows for doing direct damage but you can also use arrows to affect the status of your enemy and thereby help out your party members.

Conjurer

Conjurer Abilities
Profound: Casting time increases but so does the spell power
Trance Chant: No matter what, your spell casting will not be interrupted
Spirit Bind: You bind yourself in exchange for decreasing MP costs per spell
Roaming Soul: You can cast while walking
Purge: You can balance off the elemental status of you and the enemy (translation note: I really don’t know what they mean by that)

Weapon Skills
Fire: an AoE fire attack
Cure: an AoE cure spell
Protect: an AoE spell that increases the physical defense of your party members
Shock Spikes: A thunder elemental spell that surrounds you and will attack and paralyze the enemy if you are attacked
Frost: a DoT AoE ice spell

Developer Comments

Iwao – This is a sorcerer with elemental magic.

Okuda – This class has to look at the situation a party is in and adapt to a changing environment.  They also have to have a good understanding of the elements in play.

Iwao – They have attack magic, defensive magic, recovery magic, etc.  They can cast a wide range of spells so they can be an attacker for a party or in a support role.  I think we can call them an active almighty class you can look forward to.  I think one special feature of this class is the AoE magic they can cast.  The area is a circle of effect drawn around the player.

Okuda – By the way, all of the actions you do in battle go towards building your TP. That includes spell casting.

Sato – That means we have power TP moves for Conjurers as well.

Thaumaturge

Thaumaturge Abilities
Blood Pact: You lose HP but your spells become more powerful
Thorn: Damages the enemy that gave you damage
Dark Seal: Increase magical accuracy
Initiation: Spread a magical status you have to your party members
Paradigm Shift: Decreased attacking distance in exchange for a wider area of effect

Weapon Skills
Drain: AoE HP sucking attack
Gravity: AoE attack that slows the movement speed of enemies
Sacrifice: Give up your HP in exchange for the HP recovery of one of your party members
Siphon: Suck MP from enemies you have defeated
Absorb-Acc: Suck an enemy’s accuracy and increase your own

Developer Comments

Iwao- The Thaumaturge has a lot of status changing spells at their disposal.  Their AoE is also fan shaped and they have many strong attacks.  Compared to the Conjurer, they are more effective when they get closer to the enemy.

Sato – Basically, the Thaumaturge has been given strong damaging attack spells.  However, there is also a risk to using them so you have to look for the right balance.  We’ll listen to players’ feedback about this class and make adjustments in the future.

Iwao- The Thaumaturge can take and absorb different things from the enemy.  They can also stack many spells.  They will have to read the flow of battle and decide when is the best time to cast things.

For the Blacksmith and Miner, we don’t have abilities or weapon skills but you can get an idea of what they do.

Blacksmith

Blacksmith Handiworks
Iron Ingot (made from Iron Ore)
Sword Guard (made from Iron Ingot)
Spatha (made from Spatha blade, sword grip, sword guard, and a Pommel)
Pick (made from Pick head, Pick ball, and a grip strap)
Spiked Labrys (made from a Labrys and Bronze Ingot)

Miner

Things Miners Collect
Bronze ore
Gold ore
Saltpeter
Silica Sand
Little Worms

Developer Comments

Iwao – The Blacksmith is a crafting class that makes weapons, tools, or metal products.  It can also repair these things.  The Miner is a gathering class that mines up minerals.  You can’t expect much fighting power out of either of these classes.  However, we plan on adding abilities to make them useful in battle.  For example, we are thinking of giving the Blacksmith an ability to discover the weaknesses of metalic enemies as well as find battle spoils afterwards.  Depending on how you customize your abilities,  a fighting Blacksmith might not just be dream.

There will be more information to come over the next few days!  Keep checking back so you don’t miss a thing.

Going between two languages, it is easy for things to get lost in translation.  Not only that, but for Final Fantasy XIV, the sites for each region are also presented in entirely different ways.  That means sometimes there can be pictures or text in one that doesn’t show up in the either.

At the moment, we have extensive text on the NA site about some of the monster families like Aldgoats and Antelopes.  However, the Japanese site does not contain any additional text, just the pictures that were released to the Japanese media.  For those in Japan, they have to get their information from the magazines released this weekend or one of the several gaming news websites like GAME Watch or 4Gamer.

Let’s check out what was in the magazines that isn’t on the NA site as well as what things may have been lost along the way.

WEEKLY FAMITSU
FFXIV is down in the Weekly Famitsu ratings, from 12 to 21.  It seems to follow a pattern though.  The week or two after new info it rises, but after a lull it falls back down.  That’s to be expected at this stage in the game.

In this issue, there are seven pages dedicated to the new information released by SE as well as some short Q&As as well.  Let’s start with the Q&As first.  For the most part, I will only cover things that haven’t already been discussed in other articles.

World Overview
There will be a tavern-like places in the game similar to what we saw in the Tokyo Game Show trailer.  These places will be an important part of the game.  Also in previous trailers as well as the TGS trailer, there have been scenes of a group of adventurers taking on a large number of enemies.  SE says that this kind of giant battle will not be the norm but this will happen on occasion and is one of the new game play features for FFXIV.  The GAME Watch interview also confirmed this but the music in the second half of the trailer is one of the many battle themes as well.

Weapons and Tools
Each weapon will vary in what the best attacking range for it will be.  Some may be closer than others, or farther than others.  One example is the polearm mentioned in the official text for Lancer.  Confirmed in the Q&A as well, polearms allow you to attack outside of the melee attacking range of your opponent.  They also confirm that Lancers will be able to use both the two-handed polearms and the throwing javelins.  The javelins will be treated as throwing weapons rather than as the main weapon you walk around with.  This was how throwing weapons worked in FFXI as well.  They would like to add other throwing weapons to other classes as well.

The Q&A talks about the weapon degradation as well.  As your weapon wears down, its functional ability will decrease, requiring you to get it repaired.  Tools will also need to be repaired from time to time too.

There are some interesting responses to the Q&A about crafting.  The interviewer asks if the ability to use a particular tool or use particular materials could be limited to a set race.  The nameless respondent from SE replies this could happen.  However, they will strive for balance so that no race is dominant over the others.  They also ask what will be needed to craft things.  You will need the proper tool or tools.  Preparing good tools and proper armor will be key.  You will also need the proper materials and a crystal.  Many times you will need to choose the right equipment as well.  We can see one example of that in the Lifestyle report on the Culinarian talking about how she could use the equipment at the Culinarian’s Guild.  To craft some things, you might also need to meet certain additional requirements as well.  They mention the possibility of needing assistance or having to wait for a particular type of weather or other natural phenomena.

Finally, eating food will have an effect on player’s stats.  They don’t want your party to be affected too much by what you eat.  Instead, they want to make it so that people are free to eat what they want and have the ability to eat lots of different things.  It sounds like they are still in the planning stages for how food will work in game.

After you have crafted a lot of things, it’s only natural to sell them.  In previous interviews, they said they were working on a new system different from the Auction House used in FFXI.  SE has now given us a name for this new system, the Market.  However, I’ll talk more about what we know about the Market later.

Famitsu Ideas
As part of the Japanese media kit, sites were given a story to go with the pictures that describe the crafting process from the point of view of a Culinarian.  You can see examples on GAME Watch or Gpara.  Weekly Famitsu decided to write their own speculation based on the story instead of running the original text.  Here’s what they came away with:

• The tool you use will have a large effect on your results.  For example, the same ingredients prepared with the skillet or with the kitchen knife could result in different dishes.  The amount could change as well.
• Guilds will have equipment available to assist your crafting efforts.  Sometimes it will be necessary to use them.
• You need a crystal to craft.
• After making a recipe once, it will appear in a personal recipe book.
• There is a chance that the amount will increase.  (This is similar to HQ’ing in FFXI for some recipes.)
• There will be a way for crafters to set prices for something they want to sell.

DENGEKI PLAYSTATION
This week FFXIV comes in at 5th in Dengeki PlayStation’s Anticipated Titles poll.  Last issue it made it all the way up to 3rd.

Dengeki PlayStation also ran the newly released information and pictures, however, they kept it to a short 4 pages.  1/3 of one of those pages was dedicated to their own speculations:

• There will be multiple markets.  Each market will have a different name.
• They feel the stands will be player-run as well as named by players.
• Food will spoil over time.  Because of this, you will be able to check on the status of an item when you look at it.  Another option would be to have a skill or ability that lets you check the status of items/armor/food/etc.
• It will be fairly costly to use equipment at the various guilds.
• The various aetheryte points will be named Camp ________.  This is actually the second time we’ve seen “Camp _______” used at the aetheryte points.
• The Miqo’te Kabobs will increase attack power.
• Gil is the currency of Eorzea.

DIFFERENCES
The speculations we make are completely based on what we can read.  In general, the Japanese versions are very straight-forward.  The English versions are much more colorful.  It makes for great reading in English but harder to tell what is important.

For starters, the picture of the kabobs.  In the English version of the site, they are only referred to as “crispy kabobs”.  However, they have an actual name in the Japanese version.  ミコッテ風山の幸串焼　Literally translates as “Miqo’te style Mountain Foods Grilled on Sticks”.  This is nearly identical to what is used in FFXI for Meat Mithkabobs, swapping Mithra for Miqo’te.

How about the names of places?  In the English version, the market is named Glutton’s Alley and the stand is called The Scratching Post.  In Japanese, they have がつがつ横丁 which can easily turn into Glutton’s Alley.  However, the name of the stand is completely different.  The Japanese “Totoya” doesn’t turn into anything specifically outside of “Fish Store”.  In fact, there are some seafood restaurants named Totoya.  However, the people at Dengeki PlayStation took it to mean that maybe the stand was run by a person named Toto (with the ya part meaning store).  Thus, from their point of view, the stands could be named after the player or perhaps even freely named.  In the English version, with “The Scratching Post”, it is clearly not a player’s name.  However, it fits the player, a Miqo’te, that was selling their goods.  The speculations we can make are very dependent on the version we are reading.  The words “Market” and “Stand” are also highlighted in the Japanese version to make it clear these are important keywords to be remembered.  The English version is much more casual about how they are used and requires people to read into things a bit more.

Finally, there are a few pictures not used on the NA site.  These food items don’t have names yet but their shapes are very familiar to foods used in FFXI.  Perhaps we will be seeing a lot of old favorites?  Only time will tell.

That’s it for this week.  See ya later!

The official NA website was updated today with new information.  There are also new screenshots as well.  Most of them are from the trailer we saw at Tokyo Game Show.  However, the first image of a Blacksmith and Lancer is very curious.

There is a space in the middle of Azagba X’s name.  Is this the first hint we have about how surnames will show up in game?  If so, there is a chance they could be optional when comparing the Miqo’te’s name with Destiny.

By the way, Destiny runs the FFXI Creator’s Voice blog and Azagba is the name of one of the characters Hiromichi Tanaka uses in FFXI.  Guess today was switching genders day.

Once again, we see very positive movement by Square Enix to keep players updated around the world at the same time.  Today, as many of you already know, Weekly Famitsu magazine in Japan will be releasing an article talking about classes, tools crafters use, and new monsters.  They have also updated the official Final Fantasy XIV website for North America with similar information!

They have added new information in three categories which can be easily accessed at the bottom of the official site.  We learn a little bit more about cooking and crafting in the form of another “Day in the Life” story.  New monsters with information taken from the Raimdelle Codex is up for your viewing pleasure.  Some of the items these monsters drop is also listed.  Finally, a wide variety of classes are now up on the site confirming English names for many like Alchemist, Culinarian, Tanner, Lancer, Archer, Botanist, and more.

It’s really encouraging to see that the timing of the updates matches when new information is released in Japan.  Hopefully we see updates to the EU sites as well in the near future.

Gamescom is over but the information and interviews are still coming out. We’ve seen interviews from sites like Famitsu and 4Gamer. Dengeki has not published their interview but chances are they are leaving it for Dengeki PlayStation magazine. Now we have a joint interview done by Thayos from ZAM and Chris Morell from PlayStation Blog.   There are some interesting tidbits in there that confirm some theories and blow others out of the water.

Quick Overview:

• Current status for the Miqo’te and Roegadyn is what has been released, with only female Miqo’te and male Roegadyn
• Possibility of surnames as a way to help people preserve their character names from FFXI
• Requirement to change classes to use the skills from that class hinted at strongly
• They are trying to appeal to FFXI players by making things similar in the two games
• FFXI Linkshells = communication tool.   FFXIV organizations = group working on common goals

Check out the whole interview on ZAM.