FINAL FANTASY XIV Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VI

[Toshio “Foxclon” Murouchi] Good evening, everyone. [Yoichi Wada] Good evening. [Foxclon] Thanks for tuning in to Letter from the Producer Live VI. That was a cool opening with the magitek armor, wasn’t it? [Wada] That was amazing. FF6, right? That takes me back. [Foxclon] Yeah, it’s really cool to see them in action. [Foxclon] Today we have President Wada with us, but it doesn’t look like Yoshida is anywhere to be found… [Wada] Why isn’t he here? [Foxclon] I’m not sure. [Wada] Well, it should be okay to start, right? [Foxclon] You sure? Well, as always we have plenty to show you today, so let’s get started. [Wada] Sure. [Foxclon] However, I don’t really have any hot topics to start off with, so... how are things lately? [Wada] Well, everyone, as I'm sure some of you have heard, I will be stepping down as President. Thank you for your support all these years. To be quite frank, as a businessman I haven't been performing as well as I should. In order to address our current situation, we've had to make many difficult decisions. We felt this change of leadership was a necessary part of the process. Although I will no longer be president, I'm confident the company will press on and thrive in my absence. Support for FFXIV will continue without interruption, as it remains a core title for Square Enix. The development and operations teams are working extremely hard... so I urge everyone to continue giving them your support. In short, just because I’m changing classes doesn’t mean you have to worry about FFXIV. [Foxclon] It’s tough to make a joke after that. [Wada] If you did, I'd probably have to fire you. [Foxclon] Now then, why do you think Yoshida isn’t here today? [Wada] Who knows... [Foxclon] Well, if he doesn't show up, there’s not much we can do about it. [Wada] I'm sure he's busy working on something. [Foxclon] You're probably right. Now that we’re done with the serious talk--Mr. Wada, as one of our most beloved residents of Eorzea, it’d be a shame if you made an appearance today and... ...left without sharing anything. So, do you have any surprises for us? [Wada] As a matter of fact, I do. [Foxclon] Really? [Wada] Yes. I grabbed some things from the development floor and brought them for the broadcast. I think I’ll switch from president to a crafting class to help out with housing. This should give you all an idea of what I’d like to help build. [Foxclon] Oh wow, it's the housing area. [Wada] Breathtaking, isn’t it? This is actually the first time I’ve seen it. [Foxclon] This is the first time for you? [Wada] Yeah, it’s really amazing, and so big! [Foxclon] It certainly is. There's a view of the ocean, so this is must be the Limsa Lominsa housing area. It’s bigger than I remember. [Wada] Look at that. It’s big enough to be an entire area. [Foxclon] That one must be expensive. [Wada] Definitely. [Foxclon] At least, that's what I heard. [Wada] Yeah, there can't be any houses that big… [Foxclon] No way. [Wada] It’s a really exciting thought. [Foxclon] Definitely. [Naoki Yoshida] Alright then, it’s about time to get the real show started. [Foxclon] Okay! Good evening, everyone. [Yoshida] Good evening. [Foxclon] Thanks for tuning into the Letter from the Producer Live VI. [Yoshida] Thank you. [Foxclon] That's two times now that I've had to do the opening. [Yoshida] Sorry about that. [Foxclon] So, do you want to tell everyone what's going on? [Yoshida] Shall we? Okay, well, Mr. Wada actually planned to be here today, but he had other matters to attend to with a person whose name I can’t mention right now. His schedule was booked solid, but since there were a lot of people asking to see their favorite honorary Eorzean, we had him drop by so we could prepare a short recording. Did you think it was live? Now then, let’s get on with the broadcast. [Foxclon] This time it’s the real thing. [Yoshida] No tricks, I promise. [Foxclon] Thank you all for watching. [Yoshida] Yes, thank you all very much. [Foxclon] I'm here for real with Producer/Director Yoshida. So, let’s get started. [Yoshida] Yes, let’s! [Foxclon] With that said, we’ll be covering a lot today. To start, we'll be answering any questions you have while we show you Beta Test gameplay, as well as... more of the housing area from earlier, so submit your questions on Twitter with the XIVLive hash tag. [Yoshida] Please. [Foxclon] Also, I believe it’ll come up during the latter half of our show, but we'll give you details about the Japanese Nico Nico Super Convention that was announced recently. And, starting tomorrow… [Yoshida] That’s right! Starting tomorrow! [Foxclon] Beta Test phase 2 will begin. [Yoshida] Yes, it's finally here. We’ve already sent out more notification mails to 50-60,000 new testers worldwide, so... people that were not able to participate in the Alpha Test will finally be able to play. We hope you have a great time. Since phase 2 is starting tomorrow, showing off too much phase 2 game play might ruin the fun. [Foxclon] That's true. [Yoshida] Instead we’ll be showing off new content we've been working on, so sit back and enjoy. [Foxclon] Now then, Mr. Wada was in the middle of showing us his neighborhood, which he so kindly brought for us. [Yoshida] Right. [Foxclon] Can we start from there? [Yoshida] Well, that was a pre-recorded video, but I’ve set up the demo here as well, so let’s go ahead. Switch the screen please. [Foxclon] Nice sunset. [Yoshida] Yeah, it’s pretty. [Foxclon] Can you show us around? [Yoshida] We’ve shown this off in the past with artwork, but this is indeed the Limsa Lominsa housing area, set alongside the ocean. Taking a look around, you have waves crashing onto the shore, a beautiful sunset, and plenty of houses along the hillside. [Foxclon] There are definitely a lot of houses set up here, but does that mean… [Yoshida] Yes, yes that’s right. These are the houses that players can build. I’ve mentioned before that players will need to buy the land first, and then they can start building their own houses. [Foxclon] Right. While we’re checking out the housing area, I’d like to start on some questions. By the way… Ah, nevermind, let’s go to the questions. First question. What kind of bonuses will players receive by utilizing housing? [Yoshida] I’ve mentioned a couple of things here and there in the past, like placing items such as towers on your property. By placing various items around the house, players can receive a variety of different enhancing effects. As an example, you and your friends or free company members can receive a two-week-long EXP bonus or a bonus to gil received. Of course, we won’t create anything that pressures players into buying a house, but they will still have benefits. [Foxclon] I see. So, the bonuses won't be too big. [Yoshida] That’s right. [Foxclon] Thanks for clearing that up. [Yoshida] By the way, this area is still in development, so there are portions where the collision is not fully implemented, so if I fall through something, don’t worry about it. [Foxclon] I'm sure they understand. Okay, next question. If you buy a small house and piece of land, when it starts to get too cramped will it be possible to upgrade to a larger house? [Yoshida] We're working on a system for moving that will be introduced in a patch. Also, depending on lag and stress on the servers, we may allow players to own a second house. But yes, you can be sure that when we're finished, you'll be able to upgrade to a bigger house. [Foxclon] Thanks. Next question. Land deeds for housing... [Yoshida] Ack! Ah, it’s nothing, it’s nothing. [Foxclon] Your character screamed so I thought… [Yoshida] Man, that was close. Anyway, go on to the next question. [Foxclon] Will it be possible to sell the deeds in the market ward or other places? [Yoshida] Yes, it will be possible. They can also be traded. Just as an example, you could give a house to that special someone in your free company as a present. [Foxclon] That’s an awfully big present. [Yoshida] Well, it’d be more like you were making a proposal to "live together." [Foxclon] For those of you with the money, by all means. [Yoshida] Sure. [Foxclon] Next question. Another housing-related one. Is it possible to have multiple houses? For example, to have a primary residence in Limsa Lominsa and a villa in Gridania or Ul’dah? You kind of mentioned this earlier, but... [Yoshida] Right, it’s just like what I was talking about before. Having a main house with another house located in a different country. Once we have a better understanding of the burden this will place on the servers, we might be able to implement this. [Foxclon] So, at the start you can only have one house, right? [Yoshida] Right. However, please remember that you’ll be part of a community, so if you have a main residence and a villa out on the countryside, it might make other players jealous. So be considerate. [Foxclon] Let's all try to be good neighbors. [Foxclon] Alright, next question. We can stay in the housing area a while longer, right? Okay, here's the question. “Even a little bit would be great, but…” I like how they lead into this. Even a little bit would be great, but could you show a video of arcanist or summoner using their skills? [Yoshida] It’d be pretty hard to show just a little! Well, we're actually doing some final work on this pet class. Most of you playing Beta, and of course the players of 1.0 are pretty familiar with the various classes of XIV... however, there will be a lot of PS3 first-timers who will be participating from phase 3. So before phase 3... we’re going to start putting together videos showing off each of the classes and jobs to give an idea of what they entail. You'll know everything you need to know by release, but for now, you'll have to wait for arcanist and summoner. I’m sure if we don’t say anything, someone will ask to see something again, but that’s okay. That's why we love you guys. [Foxclon] Alright then…let's see... [Yoshida] Oh, you can just keep the game up on the main screen. I'm the one controlling it anyway. [Foxclon] Alright then, while Yoshida keeps playing, let’s move on to the next question. In the previous Letter Live, you mentioned that summoner would be ready for launch. Will it be possible to play as arcanist in Open Beta? [Yoshida] We've been trying hard to push it out, but it probably won't be ready. We'll show it off in a video, so please wait until then. I apologize for that. [Foxclon] Let’s go to our next question then. Do you plan on implementing great swords? I feel like this is asked quite often. [Yoshida] Well, the development team was saying before that they’d have to do this at some point, and I’m thinking it will be when they add the appropriate class or job. Well, the development team was saying before that they’d have to do this at some point, and I’m thinking it will be when they add the appropriate class or job. It could be samurai, or perhaps dark knight, but only the battle team knows for sure. Still, it’s definitely something we’d like to do. [Foxclon] Thanks. [Foxclon] Next question. Compared to primal weapons and relic weapons, how strong are you planning to make the weapons from Crystal Tower and the Great Labyrinth of Bahamut? It sounds like you've got something to show... So, how strong will they be? [Yoshida] Weapons? [Foxclon] Weapons. [Yoshida] Weapons? [Foxclon] Weapons. [Yoshida] Weapons, right. Okay, one second. I’m going to steal the camera here. Weapons. Armor? Ah, this is armor. Since there were so many weapon drops from primals in 1.0 we tried hard to make some armor as well. That’s not to say that they will come from primals, but we've worked hard to make full sets of gear for various fights . Now then, weapons, right? Man, I've got a lot of post-it notes in here. [Foxclon] Is there something specific you want to show? [Yoshida] Yes. I said before that we couldn’t show a video of arcanist, so to make up for it, I'll show off the arcanist weapons. [Foxclon] Back to arcanist I see. [Yoshida] I feel bad showing the artist’s name, but it should be okay if I do this. [Foxclon] Oh, I see. [Yoshida] The strongest items will be those dropped from the Great Labyrinth of Bahamut, and we have a created a clear path for progression through content and gear. When you're level 50 you can clear a scenario and go after a good primal weapon. Once you have that, you can challenge the Crystal Tower, and get items from there. After that, challenge the Great Labyrinth of Bahamut. The difficulty of content and the strength of items will follow this order, going up and up. [Foxclon] I see, so both primal weapons and relics will have their own place in this hierarchy. [Yoshida] That’s right. Primal weapons are not at the top anymore. [Foxclon] Alright, thanks. Let’s move on to the next question. Will you be eliminating open dungeons like Castrum Novum and Shposhae from 1.0, where you could enter without having to make a party? [Yoshida] Well, the areas we are defining as dungeons will be instanced. Of course there will also be dungeons where alliances can enter, so it won't always be 4 or 8 person dungeons. At the same time, not all of the areas from 1.0 will become instanced dungeons. Instead, some of these will be used as open field areas where things like large scale FATEs will take place. We’ll be taking a look at these areas in the second and third parts of the Tour of Eorzea series. Also, in the second half of today's broadcast I’m thinking about showing you some things you can expect to see after Beta 2, so I hope you're excited. [Foxclon] It should be pretty good. What do you say we step out of the housing area? [Yoshida] Alright. I guess that's it for Mr. Wada's Neighborhood. Well you know, he's a busy man, it can't be helped if he couldn't make it. But I'm sure we can expect visits from our "anonymous" Eorzean neighbor in the future. [Foxclon] Yeah, but it's weird to joke about him when he's not in the room... [Yoshida] Also, the new president seems to be a gamer as well. [Foxclon] I wonder what he'll be like… [Yoshida] Well he really likes pulling off headshots... But, if we have the opportunity, I'd like to introduce him to you all, so please look forward to it. [Foxclon] With that said, could you show off a different area? [Yoshida] Alright. Let’s take another question while I set things up. [Foxclon] Thanks. Okay then, next question. Are there any plans to open up areas from version 1.0 that we couldn't access like "Paglth'an?" [Yoshida] Yes, we'll be opening some of these areas, but not all of them. We’ll try to open up as many areas as possible at for release, but you can expect to see more added with patches and expansions. [Foxclon] I see. So players can expect plenty of areas in the future. [Yoshida] Yes. [Yoshida] Ah, wait a second. The keyboard is acting up. Okay, let's see...I'll be showing this off for the first time so… [Foxclon] Oh…a first look!. [Yoshida] Give me one second. The time… [Foxclon] I think everyone is trying really hard to see what’s going on in the reflection behind us, but it's mostly your back so I think we’re okay. [Yoshida] What time should I make it… [Foxclon] Unfortunately, we can’t show this off, but these developer tools are pretty neat. [Yoshida] Yeah, there are a lot of debug commands for MMOs. Alright, I think this should be good. [Foxclon] I think everyone knows where we are, right? [Yoshida] At long last, we're in Limsa. [Foxclon] Alright, could you show us around the town? [Yoshida] Let’s continue with questions as we stroll around. By the way, this is actually a Beta phase 3 build, or rather, a development branch, so there is a lot of work being done on this. As we’ve told the Beta testers already, we've revamped the user interface and now we're making final adjustments. However, because the UI is in a pre-debug state, it’s extremely unstable right now, so we've turned it off for today. That’s why NPC names aren’t visible. Still, I hope you can at least get a feel for the arrangement of NPCs. [Foxclon] Let’s move on to the next question while everyone enjoys a look at Limsa. In A Realm Reborn, what kind of weather will there be? Also, could you give us any details on how the weather will affect the game? [Yoshida] The weather right now is clear, but there will also be sunny, cloudy, rainy, and region-specific weather. For example, since it obviously doesn't rain in the desert regions like Ul’dah, there will be sand storms instead. Also, as you saw in the magitek intro, there are snowy regions which will have blizzards. There will be quite a lot of variation. Effect-wise, the biggest influence will more than likely be on fishing. [Foxclon] Fishing? [Yoshida] During the previous Letter from the Producer Live I talked a bit about fishing, but you’ll essentially pick a fishing pole, pick your bait, and drop your line. Weather will have the biggest impact on fishing through its effects on water temperature. Other than that there won’t really be any other effects from weather. [Foxclon] Alright then. Next question. Could you please tell us the difference between jobs and classes in A Realm Reborn? [Yoshida] Sure. We've rebalanced classes and jobs so that jobs are more clearly a step above classes compared to 1.0. However, because classes can use a wider variety of abilities from other classes, I think they're much better suited to soloing and questing. Also, as I'm sure beta testers can tell you, dungeons designed for leveling will usually be made for groups of four, and I think classes may be better suited for these as well. So as you level, there will be many opportunities for you to use classes. Once you get to the end game, however, it’s at that point when jobs really start to shine. [Foxclon] Thanks. [Foxclon] This one is from Twitter. Starting with an easier one. Could you show us a little more of the sky above please? [Yoshida] More of the sky? [Foxclon] I believe they're asking you to look up a bit. [Yoshida] Like this? [Foxclon] Yeah, just like that. [Foxclon] Okay, here’s one more from Twitter. Are there any points of interest we should look out for in Limsa Lominsa? [Yoshida] Points of interest, hmmm...well, I've only shown a little bit of Limsa so far, but as you can see, there are a lot of terraces. Also, the open atmosphere gives Limsa a different feel compared to the other main cities. There are towers built on each of these islands, and their interiors are quite complex! I'd say these features are what give Limsa its unique flavor. Oh, and over there you can see the aetheryte. [Foxclon] That's quite a view! You can see for miles. [Yoshida] Yeah, but it eats up a lot of memory… [Foxclon] Your computer’s working hard, huh. [Yoshida] Well, we've made adjustments to how the city is divided, and with the new and improved Aethernet, anyone can quickly and easily move from one part of the city to another. [Foxclon] Ok. [Yoshida] I think I mentioned these changes during the last live letter. Oh, and here's the grand company office. [Foxclon] Okay then. Here’s another question from Twitter. How many instanced dungeons will there be at launch? [Yoshida] Hmmm...including the larger ones? About 16, 17, or 18? It’s been a lot of work! [Foxclon] What do you mean exactly? [Yoshida] It’s a lot of work for the level design team, battle team, and the programmers. [Foxclon] Ah. [Yoshida] Oh, and the QA team. Balancing these dungeons can be quite difficult. There’s one dungeon in particular I'd like to show eventually. The sky is visible, and there’s this dense jungle portion— I really wanted to show it, but I'll have to save it for another time. We have some incredible new dungeons filled with beautiful, natural elements, as well as elements that give a sense of how the creatures and people within dungeons are using these spaces. [Foxclon] Thank you for the response. [Foxclon] Next question. It’s actually more of a request, but can you show us the aetheryte in Limsa? [Yoshida] Hm? The one in the lower level? [Foxclon] I believe so. [Yoshida] Okay let me take a shortcut to the lower level. Could you switch over to the other screen please? [Foxclon] Switch over please. [Yoshida] Let's take the next question while I'm doing this. [Foxclon] Okay then. [Foxclon] Will there be a system that will forecast the weather? [Yoshida] Interesting question. [Foxclon] Sounds like it would be a helpful feature for the fishers! [Yoshida] Ah, good point! I’ll make sure to let the lead know about the idea. [Foxclon] And there’s your answer. [Yoshida] I really like that idea. I'd approve it right now if I could, but the lead might freak out so let me talk to him first. [Foxclon] If his team is watching, they're probably freaking out already. [Yoshida] Okay, we're here. [Foxclon] Okay, please switch the screen over. And here’s the aetheryte. [Yoshida] Here it is. This place used to be called “The Octant” plaza. [Yoshida] And that’s—ah, that’s used to adjust lighting… [Foxclon] Neat! This is something you only get to see in the development environment. [Yoshida] And that's the market. Man, look at the lighting, it really brings out the beauty of Limsa. [Foxclon] It sure does. Okay then, on to the next question. In the previous broadcast, you mentioned that the materia system would be changing significantly... ...but could you tell us specifically how it will change? [Yoshida] While we are definitely planning to make an announcement explaining the changes, I’m sure the 1.0 players, expecially those who played to the end, would like to know how it will be changed. [Foxclon] I think so too. [Yoshida] Let me just go over the major points for now. First off, gear in A Realm Reborn will have sockets, and any item that has a socket on it can be fitted with materia. Some items may have multiple sockets, and for every socket, you will be able to attach materia without risk of failure. The process of adding materia beyond the set number of sockets is referred to as multiple melding. However, in ARR, the only thing you will lose from an unsuccessful attempt will be the materia. You won't lose the item like in 1.0. Second, we've changed the system so that materia are no longer restricted to certain types of gear. In ARR, you will be able to meld any given materia to any given item, but each item will have a stat cap. For example, some items will have a STR cap of 5. These stat caps will differ depending on the equipment's item level. Players will have more options when deciding what materia to meld to what gear in order to round out their stats and strengthen their characters. I think it will also give crafters an opportunity to be more involved, taking on the role of materia experts, giving advice on how best to enhance their wares. We made sure the system was easy to get into, yet very complex. Other than that, because the whole battle system has changed, we had to rebalance all existing materia from 1.0. I understand some 1.0 players spent a lot of money double and even triple melding equipment, so we'll make sure those players haven't lost out on anything. I’ll make a more detailed post about this in the future, so while I can already see a lot of tweets about this coming in... rest assured that we'll do our best to satisfy everyone's needs with the new and improved materia system. [Foxclon] As Yoshida stated, we'll announce the changes to the materia system at a later date, so sit tight until then. Okay, on to the next question. You mentioned that there would be tank, caster, and other types of personal chocobos, but could you tell us a bit more about this system? Also, will it be available at release? [Yoshida] Hmmm... Hold on a second, are we talking about classes or roles? [Foxclon] They asked about tanks and casters, so I assume they mean roles. [Yoshida] Ah, okay. With the Armoury, players have the ability to freely change their classes. Because of this, the character’s level will rarely remain constant. One minute your chocobo might be too strong, the next minute it could be too weak. To remedy this, we decided to sync the chocobo’s level to the player’s level. [Foxclon] Interesting. [Yoshida] Of course, there will still be ways to enhance your chocobo. Your chocobo can also, in a sense, gain experience and level up by obtaining skills. [Foxclon] What kind of skills? [Yoshida] Weaponskills, for example. If you decide to teach your chocobo offensive abilities... it can take on an offensive role, and eventually learn more specialized attacks. It's a lot like a skill tree. On the other hand, if you decide to focus more on supporting skills, your chocobo can take on a supporting role. You can also create a balanced type by taking various types of skills. Oh, and you'll be able to change their roles at any time. For example, If you decide to play as a warrior, you can switch your chocobo to a healer role to support you in combat. [Foxclon] Thank you for the response. [Yoshida] Ultimately, I believe this system fits the Armoury quite well. One more thing. Up until now we’ve shown various chocobo bardings that will be implemented in the future... but we’ve decided that we’d like players to choose bardings based only on how they want their chocobo to look. By adding stats to chocobo armor, we feared everyone would choose the same gear, so we decided to remove attributes from barding completely. We’d like you to pick what you think looks best. [Foxclon] One more question related to personal chocobos. Will we be able to enter instanced dungeons with them? [Yoshida] This won't be possible, at least at launch. First and foremost, we'd like players to interact with one another using the duty finder. But don’t worry—we don't plan to keep it that way. When the opportunity presents itself, changes will be made so that players can enter dungeons directly without using the dungeon finder. At that time, we think it would be okay to let players take their chocobos in. So to answer the question: not at first, but definitely in the future. [Foxclon] Thanks for the response. [Yoshida] Could you please switch over the screen again? Unless the PR team doesn’t want me to show this. [Foxclon] PR? It should be okay. [Foxclon] Well, there you go. [Yoshida] While we cannot show the arcanist yet, I thought it would be okay to show the guild. [Foxclon] Here’s another question from Twitter while we’re talking about the arcanist. What happened to the arcanist guild? [Yoshida] Why are you saying it like that? [Foxclon] Look. [Yoshida] Oh, that’s how it’s written. [Foxclon] Yeah. [Yoshida] I see. [Foxclon] So, what happened to the arcanist guild? [Yoshida] Well…this is what happened to it. [Foxclon] I think they’re asking because it existed in 1.0. [Yoshida] Oh yeah, that's right. [Foxclon] Well, for those who were wondering, here it is. [Yoshida] There’s also a section downstairs. [Foxclon] PR looks like they're okay with what we’re showing so far. [Yoshida] They’re certainly nice today. Yesterday is a whole other story. [Foxclon] If you watched the test broadcast, you probably saw it. [Yoshida] That was a scary experience. [Foxclon] It sure looked like it. [Yoshida] What a nightmare... Anyway, maybe it’s a good idea to stop here? [Foxclon] Okay then. PR is starting to smile so maybe it’s a good time to stop. [Yoshida] Understood. [Foxclon] We've covered quite a few questions so far, but we're going to stop here for now. [Yoshida] Oh, okay. [Foxclon] We will be taking our usual 5 minute break. [Yoshida] Hey look, it’s cloudy. [Foxclon] Oh wow, it is. [Yoshida] We've got weather change on camera. [Foxclon] There’s still plenty to cover during the second half, but first, let’s take a break. Honestly, I’m not even sure we can afford a break, but we're going to try. What are we going to show over the break? [Yoshida] Well, uh...in honor of Mr. Wada's Neighborhood, and this closing of a chapter in his life, let’s reflect on the time we spent together…with some images from his past appearances. Who knows, there might be something new you haven't seen yet, so look closely! [Foxclon] Alright then. We’ll see you in about 5 minutes! [Foxclon] Okay. Let’s start the second half. Was everyone able to take a break? [Yoshida] It felt like a memorial more than anything. He might be moving on, but it doesn’t mean there won't be any more fun housing commentary. [Foxclon] Mr. Wada's Neighborhood…Reborn. [Yoshida] Exactly. I’m sure you’ll see him again. [Yoshida] It was just the end of a chapter. [Foxclon] Yeah. [Yoshida] Maybe that’s enough for now. I have a feeling PR is going to yell at me if I keep going. Don't worry though. I’m willing to take responsibility and get yelled at. [Foxclon] Okay then. Let’s get rolling with the second half. [Yoshida] Sounds good! [Foxclon] The first question is more of a request. I missed the Magitek video at the beginning. Could you show it again? [Yoshida] Sure thing. [Foxclon] Alright. We'll keep our mics on this time, but let’s replay the video. [Yoshida] Enjoy! [Foxclon] There goes the music. [Yoshida] The music is so awesome. I really love this video! It’s great how the wipe effect teases the viewer. [Foxclon] After speaking with the PR team, we decided to use that to draw out the video. [Yoshida] Probably because the music is so good. [Foxclon] I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do. [Yoshida] The development team also wanted to note that even though the footsteps... sound clanky and metallic in this snow area, they're going to fix the sound effects. While we made the video look like the start of FFVI, there's going to be a snowy area like this in the game, so players will be able to recreate this scene themselves eventually. [Foxclon] Did you all enjoy the replay? [Yoshida] Did it turn out okay? [Foxclon] I hope no one missed it this time. Next question. A lot of people are asking about the Nico Nico Super Convention 2. [Yoshida] Okay. [Foxclon] We’ll go into details about the Nico Nico Super Convention 2 at the end so please stay tuned. [Yoshida] We’ve got a lot of stuff planned, so please wait until the end for more information. [Foxclon] Oh, and about yesterday. [Yoshida] What about yesterday? [Foxclon] Some things happened during the test broadcast. [Yoshida] Oh yeah. [Foxclon] Some players r—ahem… [Yoshida] Hm? [Foxclon] Some players are requesting more information about the Collector’s Edition you talked about yesterday. [Yoshida] You remember what happened yesterday when I talked about that right? PR got mad and had me on my knees apologizing... But yeah, I brought this box here, which opens up like this… [Foxclon] It looks familiar. [Yoshida] So this—I can talk about it, right? I already got yelled at yesterday, but… [Foxclon] Now that it’s out... [Yoshida] There’s no turning back now, right? [Foxclon] So much has changed since yesterday. [Yoshida] Okay, so here's what the box looks like. [Foxclon] I wonder what will be inside. [Yoshida] So I was about to mention yesterday that Amano’s box art will go here. Also, I wasn't going to see him for a request yesterday. I was going to see Amano to return his artwork, since we have the data ready for the printers. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] There was rain storm in Tokyo yesterday. So I was trudging through the rain with my umbrella, carrying artwork that’s probably worth a fortune... trying to get it back to him. I've been a huge fan of Amano for a long time so I’m always excited when I get a chance to see him. It’s one of the perks of being a producer. [Foxclon] True, I suppose you don’t have many—what? [Yoshida] Perks. I really don’t have many! [Foxclon] I suppose that’s one of your rare perks. [Yoshida] Rare indeed. I’m sure there’s going to be players breaking down what goes where in this box, but I shouldn’t say too much. The Japanese PR team might forgive me, but the North American and European PR teams might hold a grudge and stop talking to me... [Foxclon] Yeah, they’d probably stop talking to you. [Yoshida] Yeah… [Foxclon] Well they won’t chew you out. [Yoshida] Anyway, I’m sure it’ll come with an in-game item of some kind. [Foxclon] I would think so too. [Yoshida] Speaking of the Collector’s Edition, I haven’t forgotten about the players who purchased the Collector’s Edition for 1.0. I’m sure some of you are wondering if you have to re-purchase the Collector’s Edition. Don’t worry, we’ll be sure to have something prepared for those who already purchased it. Players are bound to request something even if it's just an in-game item, but we're taking everything into consideration. Don’t worry. [Foxclon] We’ll be sure to make an announcement in due time. [Yoshida] There'll be a lot of bonuses, so we’ll go into details. [Foxclon] It's coming, so hang in there. [Yoshida] Yes, please do! [Foxclon] Let’s move on. It’s another one about the housing system we spoke about earlier. Will we be able to craft furniture for housing? [Yoshida] Let's see... [Foxclon] Hm? [Yoshida] During end of the Mr. Wada's memorial—wait, no. [Foxclon] When we reflected— [Yoshida] When we reflected on the time we spent together, we showed you this artwork. In the previous broadcast, I talked about defeating enemies like Ifrit and getting trophy mounts for your walls. This is artwork of what they'll look like. [Foxclon] Is this a silhouette of a person? [Yoshida] It is. [Foxclon] So this trophy must be huge. [Yoshida] Yes, it’s pretty huge. We mentioned it earlier, but If you have a large sized house for example, it might be nice to hang this at the top of the stairs on the wall or something. [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] So let’s say you start a free company. You have a group of guys within the free company dedicated to battle content. You might also have a group of guys who only do crafting or gathering. One day the battle team defeats Ifrit and obtains material needed to build something. The high-level crafters can then use that material as a base, the gatherers can go collect other rare materials that are needed, and together they can finish building the trophy. You’ll be able to create all kinds of stuff, and we're sure you're going to love it! [Foxclon] Stay tuned! On to the next question. By the way... [Yoshida] Yes? [Foxclon] We haven't been showing the in-game footage. [Yoshida] Oh, right. [Foxclon] What do you want to show next? [Yoshida] You can see Ul’dah in the background now. [Foxclon] Ah, it is Ul’dah. [Yoshida] Look at the clear blue sky. [Foxclon] Beautiful. [Yoshida] I think it’s the first time we’ve shown this area. [Foxclon] Oh, another first look! [Yoshida] You’ll notice all sorts of things in the area. [Foxclon] Interesting. Okay then. Let’s move on to the next question while Yoshida gives us a tour of the area. In the previous broadcasts… We have shown artwork for rewards you can obtain through questing and content. [Yoshida] Right. [Foxclon] But how will crafted gear impact the game? [Yoshida] I touched on this when talking about materia and crafting earlier. We put a lot of work into balancing item levels and content. For example, the stats of the primal weapons are fixed, and you can't enhance them any further. You can attempt to move on to the next level of content with those levels, but it's going to require a certain level of skill to be successful. [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] It's not simply a matter of maximizing DPS either. Mistakes could lead to a total party wipe depending on the situation. So a crafter’s role in this will be to create and enhance items to give players an advantage. [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] So crafting serves an important purpose. Like, if I quit my job, I could see myself dedicating my life to FFXIV. [Foxclon] Uh, you’re not allowed to quit. [Yoshida] Right, right. But either way, I’m planning to spend all my time playing XIV when it's released. I’m going to literally live in Eorzea. [Foxclon] Right… [Yoshida] Anyway, back to the topic. You could say that crafting and materia exist to help players reach the next tier of content and rewards. Once you beat the next level content, you’ll unlock new recipes to assist you with the next level content. You’ll also be able to craft new equipments with the new materials that you have obtained. Once you clear that content, you’ll discover new recipes and materials that will allow you to craft stronger gear. So, whether you prefer fighting or crafting, you can work together with other players to make progress. However, crafted items won’t be drastically overpowered compared to dropped items. [Foxclon] Right, a crafted item in one tier won’t be more powerful than a drop from a higher tier. [Yoshida] It’s there to fill in any gaps. [Foxclon] Thanks for the response. Next question. It’s about the quest “A Relic Reborn.” [Yoshida] Okay. [Foxclon] Will there be changes to this quest in ARR? Also, if there are changes and we were in the middle of the quest in 1.0… [Yoshida] Mmm. [Foxclon] Will players be able to continue from where they left off? [Yoshida] As stated in a previous announcement, we’ve saved quest progress for all characters. Even if you're in the middle of collecting seals, we’ve made sure that you won’t have to start all over again in ARR, so please don’t worry. But content wise... [Foxclon] What about it? [Yoshida] It’s going to change. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] It’s going to be a little bit easier. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] Most likely, but I'm sure some 1.0 players won’t be too happy about that. Players who were frustrated about collecting the seals. But the changes we're making should make things more enjoyable. The storyline will be more straightforward as you collect items and revive the legendary weapons. You could say the quest has been reborn as well. [Foxclon] Sounds fun. [Yoshida] As I said earlier, players that were in the middle of the quest won't have to start over from scratch so please don't worry about that. I hope everyone looks forward to the changes. Thanks. Next question. During the previous Producer Letter Live, you showed us artwork for the upcoming PvP gear. You also mentioned how the visors for PvP helmets can flip open. [Yoshida] Right. [Foxclon] Will we be able to lift the visor for the warrior artifact helmet or put on the hood for the white mage artifact armor? [Yoshida] Yes, you will. Well, at least for the warrior helm. [Foxclon] What about the hood? [Yoshida] It's simply not possible. The hood and robe are a single piece, and we can't manipulate that part of the model. For the warrior‘s artifact helmet, we’ll probably give players a way to switch between an open and closed version, rather than animating the change. It’ll be like taking the helmet on or off. [Foxclon] So players will have the choice of keeping it open or closed. [Yoshida] Right. I remember recently having a conversation about wanting the visor to close when you enter a dungeon, like, “alright, let’s do this!” [Foxclon] Makes sense. Another question from Twitter. You previously showed us a video of the magitek armor. [Yoshida] Right. [Foxclon] Will we hear the music from the video in ARR? [Yoshida] So, you know we have the Developer’s blog from Project Manager M right? [Foxclon] Yeah. [Yoshida] When we first released images of the Magitek armor… In the middle of the night, the Sound Director sends me an email saying... “I couldn’t help myself. I had to make it. I have no regrets!” So we had to decide what to do with this music. [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] I did remind him that while inspiration is important, we need to first think about how it could be used and discuss it before we make it. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] I’m actually pretty strict about that. [Foxclon] I won't argue with you there. [Yoshida] Yeah. [Foxclon] So we can’t just make stuff on a whim. [Yoshida] I don’t want to tell our players, “Yeah, we put that music there just because we felt like it.” I want to tell them that we chose a particular piece of music for a scene to create atmosphere, to express something. So that’s why I had to put my foot down. [Foxclon] Understood. So your answer to this question is that players will be able to hear this music if you can find the right place to use it. [Yoshida] That’s right. Or if the community response is something like “No! We don’t care what you think!” “Just use the music already!” “Why so serious?” or something like “Poor Kneesocks...” [Foxclon] Ah… [Yoshida] If that’s the response I get, then I’ll consider using it no matter what. Don’t get me wrong though. I really like this music too. [Foxclon] I have a feeling this is gonna take off on Twitter. Okay, we have one more question regarding the magitek armor. This also comes from Twitter. The question is “Can we customize our magitek armor such as changing parts or the color scheme?” [Yoshida] Hmm, I think we were asked this before, but yes customization will be possible. You'll see something eventually as the character and modeling teams are pumping out lots of ideas. I think our players are looking forward to the chocobo and magitek armor more than any other mounts... so in the future we will be discussing where these mounts will play an active role in the game. Actually, we're already working on something with the chocobos... but want to make sure it's engaging, and really shows off what makes this game a FINAL FANTASY title. [Foxclon] We're sure you're all going to love it. Let’s move on to the next question. This one is PvP-related. Can I just be a spectator in a PvP match? Hmm, spectating... [Yoshida] So they just want to watch a match, right? That’s actually in our plans. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] The feature we are thinking of will allow you view the camera of players participating in the match. I mean, we’re all pretty curious about what it looks like from an opponent's point of view right? [Foxclon] That's true. [Yoshida] However, this will take a lot to implement, so we’d like to have this feature refined first. But more importantly… this might be kind of big and I did mention it briefly in the past… but as far as copyrights go, it’s actually illegal to record and upload gameplay footage without going through the proper channels. [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] So, normally something like this will require the approval of the copyright owner. However, the fact is that video content has become a part of our daily lives. I personally love to create my own gameplay videos. So the real roadblock was going to be the in-game music and voices. Voices include dialogue and battle voices, which naturally belong to the voice actors, but FFXIV: ARR has overcome this hurdle with the cooperation of kind folks in the industry. So the issues regarding these rights is no longer a problem. This is one of the main reasons why we re-recorded all of the voices. So after ARR launches, we can have our players create and share their videos, which will certainly include PvP matches. We also expect players to show off their free companies and enjoy the videos in many other ways. That will be our very first goal. Coincidentally, a similar feature was shown during the PS4 announcement and we thought “This is really good!” So we hope to see our players enjoy creating their own videos. Please remember though that adding music from an outside source is prohibited, so please only use FFXIV as your source. We’d like to add more options for this eventually. [Foxclon] And folks…beta videos are a no-no. [Yoshida] Oh! That’s right! Please don't upload beta videos. [Foxclon] The beta falls under the NDA. [Yoshida] We don't want to see you guys getting banned. [Foxclon] Please be very careful. [Yoshida] You’ll end up making an early exit, so no videos during the beta test. [Foxclon] After the full version launches, you can upload your own videos so hang tight. Can you pull up the screen for our next question? Everyone's really curious about that building in the distance. [Yoshida] Ah, that one! I wonder what it could be… Can you change screens real quick? There’s actually a better spot we can go to. [Foxclon] I see. A vantage point. [Yoshida] Let’s take another question while I set this up. [Foxclon] Sure, although I feel like you might get distracted if I start on another question. [Yoshida] Don't worry. [Foxclon] One more regarding PvP. [Yoshida] Okay. [Foxclon] This is… hmm. “Please give us more details on PvP.” [Yoshida] Oh. [Foxclon] As direct as you can get. [Yoshida] More details… By the way, you can go ahead and switch the screen. We're actually still in the same area, I've just moved to a different location. So, details on PvP… [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] I'm not sure how knowledgeable most people are about PvP, especially in the JP community... but the coliseum that we're planning to implement at launch is something like...a gathering place for the world’s strongest warriors. When a PvP battle starts, you'll see four players from the opposing team on the other side. Once the signal is given, the battle starts. Now, if I was a black mage, I'd obviously focus on casting magic from a far while trying to keep my distance, since I'd be slaughtered in close combat. I might also hide behind pillars or other obstructions while attacking to prevent others from targeting me. Of course, I'm sure opposing warriors and paladins would attack me first because of my low defense, so I would probably try to cast sleep or repose to take them out of the fight for a short while. Depending on your role and the situation, you'll want to fight with a different style. And, as I mentioned in the previous live letter, you can use the environment to your advantage. These matches will be balanced around 4 vs. 4. Hopefully everyone can try it out and go from there. [Foxclon] Interesting. [Yoshida] That’s the general idea behind PvP. Of course, there will be situations where melee characters try to ensnare casters, or think of ways to prevent the opposing player from running away with sprint. Oh, and you’ll be able to restore TP by using potions. I could go on and on about it. Anyway, you’ll receive points when you win a match. [Foxclon] Points? [Yoshida] And when you gain a certain amount of points, your PvP rank will go up. As you gain ranks in PVP, you’ll receive a different type of points. These particular points can be used to obtain weapon skills, for example. [Foxclon] Cool. [Yoshida] You can also purchase passive abilities, like a STR +5 bonus, that only works within the coliseum. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] So PvP players can create certain builds by using these points. Oh, and also… [Foxclon] Hm? [Yoshida] From the other day… [Foxclon] Looks like he’s looking for something. [Yoshida] This is something I showed the other day… [Foxclon] Oh. [Yoshida] Ah, here it is. Here’s some PvP gear for pugilists. [Foxclon] Nice. Anything else? [Yoshida] And here’s the swan robe. [Foxclon] Looks cool. [Yoshida] PvP job gear, you could say. [Foxclon] Interesting. What's next? [Yoshida] Uhhh... [Foxclon] Haha, I know you've got something. [Yoshida] Hmmm... [Foxclon] There's a lot of stuff spread all over the desk. [Yoshida] Hmmm...this one is pretty interesting. [Foxclon] Yeah. Very unique. [Yoshida] So essentially, your goal would be to gain points through matches to obtain PVP skills, passive abilities, and gear to grow stronger. You can even buy—well, I might get yelled at by the Battle team for saying this but... For example, you'll be able to purchase this one paladin PVP ability, and its effect changes depending on what grand company you’ve joined. [Foxclon] Really? [Yoshida] So skills and obtainable items will also differ. [Foxclon] Neat. [Yoshida] Knowing this, I'm sure players will worry about the grand company they picked. [Foxclon] Good point. [Yoshida] We'll provide a way for players to change to a different grand company at launch, so it’s okay if you’re indecisive. [Foxclon] Interesting. [Yoshida] And that’s about it as far into details I can go. [Foxclon] That was a lot of information! [Yoshida] It’s probably best for you to experience it in-game, but you can expect us to release video of what it looks like in the future, along with an announcement, so stay tuned! [Foxclon] It should be pretty cool. [Yoshida] Yeah. [Foxclon] Thank you for the response. [Yoshida] No problem. [Foxclon] I have another question related to PvP. [Yoshida] Sure. [Foxclon] Will we be able to use the duty finder for the PvP coliseum? [Yoshida] Well, there’s going to be a matching system… [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] That about sums it up. [Foxclon] Okay, there's your answer. [Yoshida] Yeah. [Foxclon] Yeah. [Yoshida] Yeah. [Foxclon] Okay, thank you for the response. [Foxclon] Another question related to the duty finder. [Yoshida] Sure. [Foxclon] In ARR, we know the duty finder is going to be implemented for dungeons. [Yoshida] Right. [Foxclon] Will there be any other party search system implemented as well? [Yoshida] Hmm...well, I understand that, at this point, it’s hard to imagine just how the duty finder will work and what you can use it for. We do have plans to implement a party search system similar to what we had for 1.0, but I would really like everyone to try out the duty finder first. [Foxclon] Okay. [Yoshida] You’ll also receive certain bonuses for using the duty finder! [Foxclon] Oh? [Yoshida] Of course, some high-level content will probably be too difficult for parties that were gathered via duty finder, so we're thinking of other ways to create parties without it. [Foxclon] Thank you. Next question. [Yoshida] Okay. [Foxclon] How will the primal fights change in ARR? [Yoshida] Generally, they will be similar to the battles in 1.0. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] However, the primal fights are closely tied to the main scenario, so they’re pretty different because of that. The cutscenes are completely different, and their abilities have been reworked to fit the new battle system. Oh, and Titan will be making his first appearance. We're planning to implement a lot of environmental elements, such as the floor collapsing or launching into the air. Battles won't just be about defeating your enemies, and you’ll have to pay attention to your surroundings. Also, as we continue to update the game, there will probably be fewer players running through these early battles. At that time, we'll probably move some primals into open world areas. Like you saw in the benchmark video, some primals will appear in FATE and you can earn the ability to summon them by defeating them. [Foxclon] Interesting. [Yoshida] That’s currently what we have in mind. We thought it'd be too boring to leave the primals as is. [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] After all, primals are a big part of the FINAL FANTASY series so we'd like to feature them as much as possible. [Foxclon] Thank you for the response. Next question. The dungeon… [Yoshida] Can you switch over to the in-game footage please? [Foxclon] Okay, let's switch over. Do you plan on adding any random elements to dungeons, such as where monsters and treasure chests spawn, paths, and puzzles? Not at the moment. The level design actually plays a big part in being able to play casually. Since we would like players to use the duty finder as much as possible, if the dungeon elements are randomized, it's going to be that much harder for players to develop a strategy and complete the dungeon. However, randomization isn't completely out of the question. For release, though, we’ve designed and balanced these dungeons in a particular way, and we want to see how players handle them. [Foxclon] Right. [Yoshida] So we’re not ruling it out entirely. [Foxclon] I see. In a weird sort of way, having randomized dungeons would benefit us too since players would be able to enjoy them for some time, so it’s not like we haven't thought about it. In any case, it won’t be implemented at release. [Foxclon] Understood. Thank you for that. Well, let’s move on then. You’ve stated before that crests for linkshells and free companies can be freely designed by combining various parts. [Yoshida] Yes. [Foxclon] Can you show those parts now? Can we show them? [Yoshida] Hm, I knew we would talk about free companies. [Foxclon] Oh! Well, since it’s a crest we can’t avoid making it black and white. After all, it’s a crest. Sorry for the small size, but here it is. [Foxclon] That’s totally fine. [Yoshida] Is it? There’s also an illustration of the behemoth somewhere, like the artwork behind us. Oh, here it is. [Foxclon] That’s it. Ohhh. [Yoshida] A crest may look something like this. Or even this. [Foxclon] I see. You can use these crests, pick a color, and also... [Foxclon] Ohhh, I see. [Yoshida] You can use a plate like these as the base. Or even a more interesting plate like one of these. [Foxclon] That's neat. [Yoshida] It’ll be nice to see players get creative and come up with original designs. [Foxclon] Great. Thank you. Let’s move on! [Yoshida] And back to the game footage! [Foxclon] Oh, this is a pretty cool looking area. [Yoshida] Isn't it? I checked this map over and over and was surprised at how well it was made. I'm still wondering who this guy is. [Foxclon] Inquiring minds want to know. [Yoshida] I bet. Actually, I wanted to mention something. [Foxclon] What might that be? [Yoshida] You know, the beta client is packed with lots of data. [Foxclon] I'm sure it is. [Yoshida] There are a lot of talented people out there who've been trying to mine this data. With skills like that, I’d rather have them work for us than mining data. The real problem is that the info they find ends up being leaked over the internet. Although the content is very limited in scope, they’re giving people the impression that nothing has really changed. [Foxclon] I've been hearing the same thing. [Yoshida] I hear those concerns and I think “Er, what? Huh? The game is totally different.” Even here you can see the great job the designers have done. [Foxclon] It really has changed. [Yoshida] All areas have been revamped with the same fervor as this one, so the game is going to be filled with places you've never seen before. Oh, and as we promised earlier… [Foxclon] We’ve gotten closer to the structure that was in the distance. [Yoshida] This is an imperial base, built in the wake of the chaos that followed the Calamity. [Foxclon] An imperial outpost? [Yoshida] Correct. And here's something else that's pretty suspicious. [Foxclon] What could it be? [Yoshida] So if we take this route over here… we can see sentries from the Immortal Flames on duty. If we keep going deeper we’ll enter territory currently held by imperial... forces, and there you can do…stuff, and, uh…there are some buildings with…things…in them. [Foxclon] I see, so things will get heated. [Yoshida] Yes. Players will have to go through the main scenario to find out. [Foxclon] Alright. That’s it for the imperial outpost! [Yoshida] That’s it! Oh, one last thing. New imperial enemies will appear. [Foxclon] Gotcha, but let’s stop there for now. [Yoshida] Agreed. [Foxclon] Moving along. When characters are carried over to ARR from Version 1.0, will we only be able to change our character's appearance one time at launch? Can we use our one time change during phase 4 of the Beta as well? Or will it be possible to do it twice, during phase 4 and at launch? [Yoshida] Please keep in mind the Beta is a testing period meant to check data. All character data has been examined thoroughly, and there are no bugs. However, I would like our players to understand that they will not be able to change their character’s appearance until ARR is officially released. The problem with allowing this before then is that if something goes wrong when changing a character’s appearance... it'll be difficult to determine whether if it was the result of a bug, an error with the data transfer, or some other process that occurred between beta and release. So please remember that character changes will only be possible at launch. Of course, it’s totally fine to keep your current appearance... or maybe take the opportunity to become a devilishly handsome male Miqo’te to go adventuring in Eorzea. Also, players using female characters are more than welcome to agonize over deciding on their proportions. [Foxclon] Thank you. Moving on now. When will the Lodestone change over to the ARR version? [Yoshida] Development on it has progressed pretty far actually. We plan on doing a Beta test for the new Lodestone somewhere between phase 3 and 4 of the Beta... so you can expect to see the switch at that time. I have to say it looks pretty impressive. [Foxclon] Something to look forward to for sure. Speaking of websites, has there been any update on Legacy players from 1.0 being included in the credits? [Yoshida] I realize we’ve kept you all waiting without any updates for a long time, but we should be able to open the registration website for Legacy members next week. The website will allow you to enter the name you want displayed in the credits and you’re certainly welcome to use your character’s name or your real name. [Foxclon] Players may want to start thinking about that now. [Yoshida] It won't be long, so be sure to pick something good. [Foxclon] The next question is… Please tell us about the types of items that can be transferred between characters on the same account and how they can be transferred. [Yoshida] Okay, so let’s start off with whether or not items can be transferred within the same account. [Foxclon] Alright then. [Yoshida] Although it's technically possible, this option won’t be available at launch. This is because I want to be a bit cautious. We’ve considered various scenarios, and while there don't seem to be any serious issues with this, there's still the possibility of RMT abuse. We’d like to see how the game progresses and consider allowing this feature once we are totally confident that it's safe to do so. Again, there are no technical issues with its implementation, but I would kindly ask players to wait for now. Oh, and there’s that imperial area again. [Foxclon] Now I’m really curious about what’s over there. [Yoshida] But I think we’ll get in deep trouble if we go any further. [Foxclon] Alright, then let's stop here. [Yoshida] Let’s move on to the next question while I prep a different area. [Foxclon] Sure thing. Will the affects of choosing a patron deity be minimal like choosing a race in version 1.0? [Yoshida] Hm? Ah, yes it will be minimal. Very minimal. As a gamer, I'm quite fond of the word “Identity” and I think that’s players should have something to set themselves apart. At the same time, we didn’t want to go overboard with this in FFXIV, so that players are able to create a character and do what they want to do without having to over think every little thing. So these patron deities are going to serve just as a hint of flavoring. Oh, you can stop it there. [Foxclon] Where might this be? [Yoshida] This is La Noscea, near Limsa. [Foxclon] Let’s go to the next question while Yoshida shows us around. Will trains, boat, and airships arrive and depart on a set timetable? [Yoshida] I touched on this earlier, but transportation will be as it was in 1.0, so players won't have to—ah, he ditched me—players won’t have to wait. However, there's a specific reason for why we're doing it this way. We'd like to make these rides more exciting. For example, a FATE might occur after players board an airship. If players have to wait just for the chance to participate, it might be a big letdown. Realistically speaking, we can only create this sort of content after we've implemented boat and airship rides. Another reason, and I’m very sorry for this, is that because the game was rebuilt so quickly, and with such high quality that... to create something that lets players view all these areas from above—something that would only be used for these transports—would be difficult at this time. [Foxclon] Okay, let’s move on to the next question. This is a totally different topic, but are there plans to implement a feature to try on equipment and accessories? [Yoshida] Oh… We couldn’t prepare this in time for ARR’s launch. I’m terribly sorry. As Minagawa has mentioned before, this will be implemented in the future. [Foxclon] So it’ll come in due time. [Yoshida] Yes. [Foxclon] Okay, let’s take some questions from our Twitter feed now. Ah, it’s such a nice view. [Yoshida] I hope I don't fall off though. [Foxclon] Alright. Next question. If your character's gender can be changed at the time of the transfer, what will happen to our gender-specific gear such as swimsuits? Can we trade them in? [Yoshida] What? [Foxclon] This is related to an earlier question about changing your character’s appearance when ARR launches. They’re asking if gender-specific gear like swimsuits can be exchanged if a player chooses to change their character’s gender. [Yoshida] Hmm, that’s a tough question. We'll be setting up special NPCs to handle data transfers, so I’ll see if we can get those NPCs to do it. But by swimsuits they mean heat-resistant gear right? We know that this gear was popular in 1.0, so we’ll have new events for obtaining them. That way folks who couldn’t get them in 1.0 will have a fair shot to get them too. I don’t think players should be too worried about not having the right gear if they switch genders. [Foxclon] I see. Thank you. [Yoshida] I like that gear too. [Foxclon] Yeah, it was nice. Let’s get to the next question. Hm? “Jump!” I knew someone would ask y--Oh no!!! [Yoshida] Whoops. [Foxclon] You can't help but wince after a fall like that. [Yoshida] Normally, I think you'd do more than wince. [Foxclon] There's so much to see here. [Yoshida] It's coming along nicely. We haven’t had the chance to really show any of this, so it must be a shock to see some of this stuff. [Foxclon] I can only imagine. [Yoshida] Based on the scope of the Beta, it's hard to believe there was ever any great calamity, looking at this place, but we've made quite a few areas like this. [Foxclon] Okay, let’s move on. Can you share any updates regarding the Armoury, such as how it might work? [Yoshida] I discussed this with Minagawa and we really tried to squeeze some information out of him to share with you all... but it's difficult to explain without actually seeing it yourself. I think my mannequin analogy is easy to understand though. So basically, you have one mannequin here and all the equipment you had on him switches to different sets. That’s why I suggested calling it the mannequin system at first… Ah, sorry can you bring the game back up? I thought it would be easier that way. But anyway, the system will undoubtedly be used frequently and preparing every item individually can be extremely difficult. We are implementing it with that risk in mind, but this is something that we received a large amount of feedback on. And so, we've tried our best to make it more useful, even if it’s become more difficult to explain. There will be one really big board called the Armoury, which has open slots in various parts where you can assign gear to it. For example, there may only be one actual helmet, but you can register it to slots 1, 3, 8, or 7--think of it like assigning macros. Players will be able to test this out during phase 3 of the Beta. Minagawa and I believe that will be the best way to understand the Armoury, but I hope my simple overview helped a bit. [Foxclon] Thank you for that. Um, are we good to go on? Are there any plans to implement a search function allowing players to search for a particular linkshell in-game that matches their interests? [Yoshida] That will be handled quite well by the Lodestone, which will serve as a player community site, so we'd like players to start from there. It should have everything players need, so there's no need to add this in-game. We have to keep in mind that there will be PS3 players as well, so it wouldn’t be ideal to clutter the UI with all these features. Free companies and linkshells will want to share detailed information, such as who they are and what times they're active. People will want to create pages full of screenshots to attract new members. That’s why I want to concentrate on the Lodestone. [Foxclon] I see. Thank you. [Yoshida] Oh by the way, I think it'll be in phase 3, but there will be more NPCs here. We currently have them disabled so you can’t see any, but there will be a ton. [Foxclon] Well, let’s continue with the next question as we keep looking around. Are there any plans to implement a Wiki feature in-game that will allow players to look up details on monsters and items? [Yoshida] In-game? [Foxclon] Yes. [Yoshida] No. It wouldn't be possible to fit a database that large onto the PS3 version. Instead, we plan on creating an official database on the Lodestone and also create an app. This way, players can quickly look up information with their smart phones. [Foxclon] Thank you. Next question. In 1.0, the battle music changed based on what area you were in. Are there any plans to do something similar in ARR? [Yoshida] Some time ago…well, not some time ago, yesterday, Soken was talking about music in an interview. He doesn’t just talk about knee socks, you know. He mentioned that for each city—region, actually—the instrumentation will change. So the instant there's a significant change in the music, you’ll begin to associate certain instruments with that region. He's arranging the music for battles in the same way. While the base will be the same, the instrumentation will be different for each region. [Foxclon] Okay then, next question. For Beta Test phase 3… [Yoshida] Yes. [Foxclon] You'll be introducing PS3, as well as Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa, but are there other elements that will be added? [Yoshida] Yes. We will be adding Free Companies, and although it will be later than was planned, guildhests, and also larger-scale FATEs will be added. Naturally the number of available areas will also increase. You can think of it as everything being tripled. We'll also be revealing more of the main scenario, and about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, dungeons…there’s a lot. [Foxclon] That’s a lot. [Yoshida] Yeah, it’s really crazy. [Foxclon] I think that sums it up. “Really crazy.” [Yoshida] Yeah, it’s going to be a lot of fun. [Foxclon] Alright. [Yoshida] Seriously, it’s really crazy. [Foxclon] A lot of stuff will be added. [Yoshida] Yeah, the development teams are really working *** this right now. [Foxclon] Keep it up guys! [Yoshida] Yeah! [Foxclon] Thanks. Okay, next. Other than FATE… Are there any plans to implement open-world content? [Yoshida] Hmm, in ARR, we're planning to implement open world content through the Full Active Time Event system. For example, those who have been playing the Beta Test can help NPCs conquer a stronghold being held by bandit NPCs, and once you seize it... those bandits will return and try to retake it, so players have to defend against their assault. Additionally, town NPCs might be carried away by monsters in FATE... and you’ll have to stop it in real time since these NPCs will not return if taken. Then you’d have to go to the monster stronghold to rescue these captured NPCs, where you might encounter a boss. There are a lot of different events planned... like trying to rebuild an abandoned village, but getting attacked by a nearby pack of coeurls, and so on and so on. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] With that said, all open-world content will be implemented through the FATE system, and we plan to keep creating exciting things to do. In phase 3... we'll be implementing hamlet defense from Version 1.0, which will also function within the FATE system. So when it comes to open-world content, it’s all going to be called FATE. [Foxclon] Okay, next. Could you show us how Coerthas and Mor Dhona look in ARR? [Yoshida] Really!? [Foxclon] Yes. [Yoshida] Hmm… This is really beautiful. [Foxclon] It is. [Yoshida] They actually told me not to show the water. [Foxclon] Why? [Yoshida] I'm not really sure. [Foxclon] Maybe they're trying to hide something? [Yoshida] Well, right here there'll be…uh, I guess I can say since I know about it, but there'll be a really stuck-up... Lalafell in his bathing suit lounging in the chair with a Miqo’te standing there fanning him. And the sunset here is really beautiful too. [Yoshida] But, the staff told me not to show this since it’s really not done yet. I was like, “What? Really?” [Foxclon] It’s still early, I guess. [Yoshida] I think they’ll be angry later. [Foxclon] They'll say “We told you not to show that!” [Yoshida] It’s all good. [Foxclon] Well, we’ve already seen it now. [Yoshida] Since we're almost done here I want to switch to sunset, so could you change the screen please. [Foxclon] Alright then. [Yoshida] Okay. [Foxclon] Time for our last question. [Yoshida] Okay. [Foxclon] Aside from Meteor… [Yoshida] Go on... [Foxclon] Could you show us any other limit breaks? [Yoshida] I knew someone was going to ask. [Foxclon] Can you blame them? [Yoshida] They are pretty cool. [Foxclon] Yeah. [Yoshida] Let's see... Sorry, give me a second. I’m trying to fix this… [Foxclon] No problem. [Yoshida] Come on sunset…One second. [Foxclon] Oh? [Yoshida] Okay, so from phase 3… or was it 4? You’ll be able to use them. Right now, though, we're working on a new trailer. [Foxclon] Oh! [Yoshida] It's taken a lot of work, but in this trailer we'll be showing off the other classes' level 3 limit breaks, like Final Heaven—oops, there goes one spoiler. When you see the names you'll think to yourself, “this is FINAL FANTASY!” [Foxclon] Nice! [Yoshida] Yeah, we're in the midst of making it. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] And we’re really looking forward to showing you all. [Foxclon] Is it a really amazing video? [Yoshida] Huh? Why am I getting attacked by this monster? [Foxclon] Hm? [Yoshida] I think it’s okay to show this now. [Foxclon] Yeah? I changed the screen. [Yoshida] Take a look. [Foxclon] Would you look at that? It’s beautiful. I can imagine the character just taking it all in. [Yoshida] Indeed. Okay, so, there are 3 levels of limit breaks. Light parties can use level 1... so you’ll be able to use it with 4 people, and constantly nag your friends not to trigger it. [Foxclon] I see. [Yoshida] But we’d like everyone to have a good time, even while debating who gets to do it. We’re making a really amazing trailer, so we hope you enjoy it once it's finished. [Foxclon] Gotcha. Ah, people are pointing out that we never responded to the Coerthas and Mor Dhona request. [Yoshida] Ah, right. [Foxclon] I completely forgot as well. [Yoshida] Well, in regards to Coerthas and Mor Dhona, the scene with the magitek armor walking that you all saw just before was it. [Foxclon] Oh… [Yoshida] Huh? Not supposed to say that? [Foxclon] They're starting to look a bit agitated. [Yoshida] No? Wasn’t supposed to say that? Stop messing around? They’re laughing, so I can't tell if they mean it. In 1.0, you didn’t get to experience them in the main scenario, but for A Realm Reborn, we’ve made them into areas for extremely high levels. It’s really cool. Looking around this beach, it's a pretty peaceful and calm area, but there you'll find traces of the Calamity, remnants of the battlefield, the presence of the empire. It has a pretty dark atmosphere you'd expect on the front lines of battle, and the closer you get to Ishgard, the climate will drastically change to snowy areas. Dragons also have a major connection to Ishgard, and they’ll show up in various places, and you’ll be able to find them in dungeons as well. I'm thinking of introducing this in the third part of the Tour of Eorzea series. Also in a future Letter from the Producer Live... I’d like to show off as much art of this stuff as possible, so you know I'm not making it all up. We’ll show you what we have when it’s ready, and we’ll also release more trailers as well. [Foxclon] Sounds like fun! [Yoshida] Yes. [Foxclon] Alright, hang on for a moment. Okay, that concludes our Q&A. [Note: As this content is Japan-specific, subtitles will resume at 1:56:33] [Foxclon] This letter was pretty long. [Yoshida] Yeah, it was. [Foxclon] And tomorrow, Beta Test phase 2 will finally begin. [Yoshida] That’s right. We’re finally introducing gamepad controls for everyone to test out. Originally, we planned to wipe character data, but since there are a lot of higher level players already, it would be a bit tedious to start over and level up again to test higher level... content, so we checked and confirmed that it wouldn’t cause problems to retain phase 1 data. For phase 3 we will be carrying over data from 1.0 and deleting characters from the previous phases anyway... so we decided to preserve phase 1 character data so players can test higher-level content with the gamepad. This will be the first time that everyone gets to try out the new gamepad controls, which are completely different from 1.0 and FFXI. I’m sure that there will be players who have been playing FFXI with the gamepad for a long time, and there are... some aspects of those controls we tried to match. However, we needed to implement the cross hotbar and a few other features so that it wouldn’t require a mouse and keyboard. For players that really want to give feedback on gamepad controls, we really think it would be best to... make a new character, because there are different active help windows for gamepad controls, and it would be better to relearn the basics. Just jumping into level 30 content... without knowing the controls would be pretty tough. It wouldn’t give you a good perspective, and you’d probably end up giving us some harsh feedback. If possible, we recommend starting from the early stages and giving us feedback as you progress through content. [Foxclon] Thank you for understanding. [Yoshida] Thank you. [Foxclon] Well that about wraps it up for today, don't you think? [Yoshida] Yeah… [Foxclon] What’s the matter? [Yoshida] Ah, just...thinking about yesterday, getting down on my knees apologizing to PR... I couldn’t believe it. I was thinking... "Why do I have to sit like this?" And my knees started creaking too, it was pretty embarrassing. Not good at all, especially on a live stream. So embarrassing...It was really loud, like I tore a ligament or something, and I think the mic picked up the sound during the live stream. It was awful… Anyway… [Foxclon] Soken has some high-quality mics. [Yoshida] Yeah…Sorry there weren’t many big spoilers today, but we're getting closer to the real deal, and I’ll have more to show later. [Foxclon] Alright, well, tomorrow is the Beta Test, and next time we'll be up to our seventh Letter from the Producer Live. We’ll have more information about that when the time comes. [Yoshida] Right, number seven. [Foxclon] Make sure to tune in next time. Thank you for watching! [Yoshida] Thank you very much!