• Necklaces, belts, and rings, unlike XI, will be reflected graphically when equipped
  
• It
  seems as though westerners translated my comments as “everything would
  be seamless” but in actuality not everything from towns and the worlds
  will be seamless
  
• Seamless movement in an area equivalent to the size of a region in XI will be possible.
  
• You will be able to draw weapons in towns.
  
• Battles with enemies will take into account front/back/left/right positioning. Haven’t thought about elevation effects
  
• Characters will not age, however, you will be able to change your hairstyle
  
• Deterioration of weapons may be reflected graphically as well
  
• Translated in the west as fully voiced, but not all NPCs will have voice
  
• Etherlite (sp?) is not just a warp device, but can also be a place for people to gather
  
• Character movement utilizes motion capture. Was not used at all in XI
  
• Character’s visual expressions will also change during the game
  
• Basic play will be in windowed mode, rather than full screen mode for PC version
  
• Miquottes
  only have ears above (positioning?). Some Miquotte will have glasses
  like Humans (forget what they’re actually called) but please don’t ask
  why they can wear glasses (probably due to ear stem positioning vs. ear
  position)
  
• Tanaka: Even with this, graphics are at around 50%. Please look forward to the graphical aspect
  

source : http://nintendrone.blog.com/2009/09/09/new-final-fantasy-xiv-details/

Today’s interview with the creators is about the guildleves and armory
system that Square Enix has been releasing information for bit by bit.
Today’s interview is with Kawamoto, the center of FFXIV’s development.

More powerful graphics made possible by the strength of PS3 and PC

Dengeki (below: DG): Thanks for your work in Germany. We were
pleasantly surprised that there was a playable version available there;
we didn’t think there would be one.
Hiromichi Tanaka (below:HT): Thanks to Kawamoto’s hard work, we were just barely able to make it out in time.
DG: First, can you tell us what the biggest difference between FFXI and FFXIV will be?
Nobuaki Kawamoto (below:NK): It’s got to be “guildleves.” There’s a
goal, and you gather people to achieve it. That would be the greatest
difference at this time: the possibility of enjoying a different way to
play. The next would be the changing of abilities by simply switching
weapons through the “armory system.” You could say it’s like we took
the idea of the FFXI system and developed it even further.
HT: In the same way, though the characters shown up to this point were
made to resemble those in FFXI, an even greater degree of variation is
possible this time around.

DG: Will neck and waist equipment be reflected in the graphics?
NK: We’re still deciding on what things will be represented graphically
that we didn’t show in FFXI, but there may even be things shown that
weren’t in FFXI.
HT: There was even talk about making ring graphics! (He laughs)
NK: We’re still discussing which areas will appear.

DG: Is it true that movement between areas will be seamless?
NK: This information has often been mistranslated, saying things that
no matter how far in the world you go, there will be no fade effect.
This isn’t the case. The areas are now wider (about the size of regions
in FFXI), but there is a bit of loading between those areas. Even so,
just because the areas are wider doesn’t mean the monsters will chase
you as far as you can go.

DG: But there’s no difference between the residential areas and the battlefields?
NK: I guess the only real difference between those areas are whether
there are enemies present or not. There are cities, of course, but just
like the way Aetherite is placed everywhere, there will also be areas
set up to gather and talk to other players outside of the cities.

DG: Can you unsheathe your weapons in cities?
NK: Yes. In FFXI, it was not possible to auto-attack in cities, so you
couldn’t draw weapons. In FFXIV, though, if you want to draw, you can.

DG: Will weather’s effects on your character be portrayed realistically?
NK: We’ve aimed for realism with the weather, so even if you’re excited
to be in an area at first, after a while you may feel that you don’t
want to go there anymore. Consequently, weather will have an effect on
your character, but it will be more of a game-related aspect. However,
there will not be elemental weather like the kind seen in FFXI.

DG: The message “attack from the right” appeared on the battle screen, but will elevation have any effect on battle?
NK: We thought this time we’d like to try and have a battle system
where positioning was important, but because the areas in which using
elevation in battle are limited, we decided not to get that specific.
HT: Getting into the best position to fight an opponent (camping,
perhaps) is very important in this game. If we added elevation into it,
it would probably most likely be abused.

DG: If camping comes into play, won’t there be lag issues?
NK: Thanks to my experience with FFXI, I think I’ve been able to learn
the games limits in areas like that, so I think it will be all right.

All adventures start from Aetherite.

DG: Aetherite seems to be a very important structure in this game, but
would it be best to think of this as a method of transportation?
NK: Its primary function is a gathering spot. It is where adventures
begin and adventurers gather. Transportation is its secondary function.
Since it’s a warp point, people will naturally gather there. That’s the
image we’re going for.

DG: So will players be able to use it for transportation between
cities, transportation to battles, to guildleve starting points, and so
on?
NK: That’s right.

DG: I’m sure chocobos will also be a form of transportation, but then how would you separate when to use each of the two?
NK: We’re still considering whether or not to use chocobos as
transportation. Chocobos are, after all, a symbol of the franchise;
we’re trying to bring them into the game in a way the players will
accept and enjoy.

DG: Weapons will deteriorate, but will characters age?
NK: We hadn’t thought of that! (He laughs) They won’t age, but you may be able to change their hairstyle.

DG: This is something you’ve been thinking about putting in the game?
NK: Changing hairstyle, yes. We haven’t put any thought about changing
faces, however. If we went that far, players wouldn’t know what to
focus on to identify a character. We’re taking players’ ideas into
account and carefully considering them during the creation process.

DG: About the NPCs having English voices during cut scenes: will most of the game have voice acting?
NK: No, and not even all the cut scenes will be voiced. We’ve limited
the voice work to scenes that have a certain level of importance to the
plot or where we want you to focus on the video. Basically, when we
want you to focus on the video instead of reading, we thought it’d be
better to add voice, even if it’s in English.

DG: Will all the voices be in English?
NK: I think people have the impression that there’s a lot more voice
used in the game than we actually have planned. We’re continually
adding to the story, so translating and recording all these additions
would take a lot of time. We’d like to keep a steady pace for the
version-ups. With the current proposal and what we’d be able to do with
our time constraints, we came to the decision not to voice the entire
game.

DG: Now that weapons have durability, will it be represented graphically?
NK: It’s under consideration. We’ll decide after we’ve tried a few different things.

DG: Having to learn how to take care of your weapon is a really interesting idea.
NK: Though I said that “Aetherite” existed as a meeting point, it is
also a place where blacksmith and adventures can meet up. It would be a
burden to go back to the city to fix, but maybe there is somebody who
can fix it at “Aetherite”. I’d like to offer users places to encounter.

DG:Are you going to introduce something like “Search Comment” in FFXI as means of communication?
NK:Yeah. I’d like to keep things established in FFXI. There are other things in mind too.

DG:Do you think you’d introduce systems like signs of craftsman seen in other games?
NK: I’d think about introducing after seeing how people like them after they played for a while.

DG:Can we fix in shops? I have image that fix is done by blacksmith players.
NK: If there is nobody, then maybe. It would be horrible if there were nobody to fix it (he laughs).

DG:Not only weapons but do shields also break?
NK: Both of weapons and shields are consumption articles.
HT:It’d be difficult to exchange items which are broken or exhausted
between users. The price of new and consumed ones will be of course
different.
NK:Items may not be fixed depending on the skill of blacksmith. But it never happens that item will be broken because of that.

DG:Customizing colors of armament would be possible by craftsman?
NK:Yeah, craftsman can design colors to sell more. There will be more
items which have same ability but are different colors. A lot of color
variations already exist.

DG:Can you put emblem on?
NK: I’d like to make it happen someday.

DG:Because of “Armory System,” we can’t attack if we become craftsman? Like, attack with sewing materials?
NK: Not sure about sewing materials,lol But, we are planning to make
minimum abilities for battles at least. Of course it is not much
compared to their own professional ability.

DG:So then it is not that we can’t do anything other than our profession, though we are quite specialized with each class?
NK:No. It’d be important what kind of ability should be added.

DG: Is there no places like moghouse due to the introduction of “Armor System”?
NK:In FFXI, Moghouse functioned as a place for job change. However,
since you have to go back to town for it, there are too many people in
town. That’s why we introduced “Aetherite”.

DG: Then,　“Aetherite” will replace Moghouse?
NK: yeah, right.

DG: Are there normal houses?
NK:I think so.

Close to Adventurers: Guildleve
DG: Is there places like pub where adventurers gather?
NK: Adventurer’s Guild, where you can get Guildleve, would function
like that. You can get many Guilleaves and go to Aetherite to play for
days, or you can play at Guildleve with other uses.

DG: Guildleve is shown as a card. Is it like item that you can possess?
NK:There is a frame only for Guildleve. It is more like a plate than a
card. You can regard it as a pass which shows what you can do on that
field.

DG: If someone has Guildleve, others can play with him?
NK:yes. You can join even if you don’t have it. There are some special
Guildleve that is only accessible when you cleared certain conditions.

DG: Is it possible to play the game without using Guildleve?
NK:Guildleve is like hunting in FFXI. So it would be very everyday
thing like hunting monsters to level up. It is not, of course,
mandatory though.

DG: Are there Guildleves to skill up like hunting MN in FFXI?
NK:Yes. You can brush your skill up by just playing Guildleves. Just
heightening level has no end. That’s why there are time limits and uses
have to change with other users from Aetherite.

DG: How long does Guildleve for one player take?
NK:30 minutes for one Guildleve.

DG: Can you get Guildleve in many places or only at a certain place?
NK:Only in Adventurer’s Guild. But as I said, you can play Guildleve
even if you don’t have it, so you can just log in an off the Aetherite
too.

DG: Will there be official events in public?
NK:That’d be fun, though we are not sure about it at this second yet.

DG: Is Security Token necessary?
HT: You need Square Unix ID, but not security token.

DG: At the event in Germany, mouse and keyboard were used. What would it be like to play with controllers?
NK:It would be similar to FFXI.

DG: Can we change the font size like window’s sizes?
NK:Eventually.

DG: Window mode would be added in Window’s version?
NK:Window mode would be basic rather than full screen.

DG: What are Mikotte’s ears parts( places hidden in hairs) like?
NK:Only upper ears, same as Misla.
HT:But the edge of eyeglasses are not on upper ears,lol oops, please don’t ask me about it anymore.

DG: Does Rugadin have a tail?
NK:Rugadin was created as a new creature in this world.

DG: The action scene looks so smooth!
NK:Yeah, I thought the smoothness of action scene was very characteristic of this game. Expression changed a lot by the shift of Misla to Mikotte.

DG: The emotion scene in the movie is from event scene? Or from during usual play?
NK:The movie with all the creatures are from Emote.(えもーと)
HT: FFXIV is all made with emotion capture.

DG: Can you change facial expression during game?
NK:Facial expression accompanies action.

DG: Can we ride on Rugadin with Emote?
HT: Leader has been saying that,lol
NK:It’s difficult how to express it,lol

DG: Is motion with combination of characters possible?
NK: It’s very challenging, but it’d be fun as a means of communication.

DG: Seems like there is no auto-attack, isn’t it difficult to chat?
NK: I can’t deny it. As for the auto-attack, you can think that there are more weapon skills.

DG: Can we move like auto-attack by using Macro?
NK: We are still considering about it. Might be difficult to play Macro.

DG: Any another interesting news about FFXIV?
NK:We have shown what Guildleve is like and how expressive the species
are. I’d like to show “armory system” next. There are also another
secrets coming out.
HT:The graphic part is not completed yet, even 50 percent. So please check out the graphic side from now on too!

Q1: Will we be able to fly somehow either by ourselves free roaming or scheduled transport airships like in FFXI?

A:
At present, we have no plans for free-form aerial movement for players.
We are, however, looking into a number of different types of flying
transportation.


Q2:
How will player run guild/linkshells work? What features can we expect
and what benefits can a guild/linkshell get through progression if any?

A:
For the time being, we are still keeping this information secret. But,
we are very adamant about creating an entirely novel system.


Q3: Will the races hold the same benefits as they
did previously in FFXI, or will the stat bonuses be different and play
a larger role? In addition, will faction choice play a bigger role? In
FFXI we had separate mission lines and friendly competitions such as
ballista. Will we see something similar or something dramatically different than FFXI system for different factions?

A:
The bonuses among races will be of a different variety than those seen
in FFXI. But players need not be concerned with this when choosing a
race based on aesthetics.

There
is also an element of freedom in that players will not pledge their
allegiance to a single city-state. This means that the guildleves or
skills available will differ region to region, which all being
accessible. Of course, this applies quests as well.


Q4:
Will the artifact story line quests return for each class from FFXI? If
not, will similar quest lines carry on a system of “right of passage”
such as limit break quests?

A:
Character development along the lines of the Armoury system and skill
levels will incorporate familiar concepts from FFXI as well as entirely
new elements.


Q5: What do you expect the cap level to be in FFXIV at the start and/or at the end?

A:
This has yet to be decided. We will be setting the level cap after
looking at the Beta phase results and other considerations.


Q6: Will there be a cooldown timer or anything that limits how often we can change class?

A:
There is no real concept of static "classes" in the traditional sense.
Rather, there may be somewhat of a restriction placed on the changing
of weapons or tools mid-combat.


Q7: Will there be something like a Mog House? Maybe this time around we will have an actual HOUSE, and not a little tiny room!

A: Nothing is set in stone yet. There are a number of possibilities that we are still looking into.


Q8:
Limit Breaks were powerful combat moves featured in several Final
Fantasy titles. In FFXI we saw Weapon Skills and Magic Burst. Do you
have any plans to include a similar system in FFXIV?

A:
This has not been decided at this time. But it's safe to say that
players can expect to see a completely new and revolutionary system.


Q9: Are there any plans to add female Roegadyn and male Miqo'te?

A: Well, the character model designs are finished... But further details regarding their implementation have yet to be decided.


Q10:
Will this FFXIV be more "new person friendly" than FFXI was? (Once
everyone had been playing for years, it was hard for new people who
started to be able to play, even with the "level sync" system that was
added in later. Not to mention, finding armors/weapons in the Auction
House was nearly impossible for new players. Barely anyone used the "mentor" system in FFXI either, or rather, there were barely any hosts.)

A:
We are developing in-depth introductory tutorials for new players. We
are also designing the game while keeping in mind those users who enjoy
playing solo, as well as those who can only log in for short periods of
time. There will also be plenty of content for newcomers.

But,
on the other hand, there will also be complex battles requiring large
numbers of people for players more interested in content of that nature.

Our main goal is really to create a variety of ways in which to enjoy the game.


Q11:
Will mobs actually drop armors/weapons like most MMOs or is FFXIV going
to be like FFXI where you can only obtain these in Auction House or
Crafting, or Raids?

A: The complete details of this are still undecided.

As
in FFXI and other MMORPGS, some monsters will drop armor and weapons.
However, items that drop in this manner are always a target for RMT
exploitation. So to avoid any kind of player exclusion, most instances
of these drops will yield items which cannot be passed between players.

To put it broadly, there will be a number of ways available to obtain a number of different items.


Q12:
Is crafting still going to be an integral and value added portion of
the game and somewhat prohibitive so that a selected dedicated few will
feel like they are part of the economy and adventuring aspects?
(Crafting and not adventuring usually keeps me hooked)

A: Players who wish to do so will be able to fully enjoy the game using only their crafting skills.

The
same can be said not only for those wishing to specialize solely in
synthesis of items, but those who prefer combat or the gathering of
materials as well. All of these types of players will be important to
the game world.

The official Final Fantasy XIV website
has been updated with brand new information. There's information about
the crafting activities and monsters in the game, also more details
about the vast realm of Eorzea.

We have the latest
information and images for you here at FFXIVCore.com. Also the point of
view from the Japanese magazine Famitsu has been translated and posted
below. Translation is done by SteveManly and Aya. Images and formatting
by Zyuu and SteveManly.

Download / Listen to the new FFXIV Song.


Blacksmith



Archer & Lancer



Alchemist, Blacksmith, Culinarian, Culinarian (with knife), Tanner and Weaver



Culinarian Story




Monsters



Icons



TGS 2009 Trailer






We hope you enjoy this look at the new information from Famitsu's point of view:

P. 27

We [at Famitsu] are bringing you information from the Tokyo Game Show
trailer and other new pictures faster than anyone else! We’ve also got
new information about classes and crafting and some Q and A with the
developers! Please enjoy the read!

P. 28

Q and A! About the World

• Q. Will adventurers start their adventuring in Eorzea?
  
• A. They’ll start in one of the cities in Eorzea.
  
• Q. Will there be a place like a [guild] tavern in game where adventurers can find work?
  
• A. There’s a place like that in every large city, and it will play a very important role.
  
• Q.
  There’s a battle scene on a boat in the trailer, where there are quite
  a large number of enemies. Will there be battles like this in the
  actual game?
  
• A. If battles were always this large, your
  character would probably fall apart! (He laughs) Battles with multiple
  enemies is just one of the concepts of Final Fantasy XIV, so please
  look forward to it.
  
• Q. Is the music that plays during the trailer the same music that will be used for battle scenes?
  
• A. Yes, and we have a lot of other music, as well!
  

KEYWORD: Class

It appears that the classes each have their own defined characteristics
in some way or another. The class system is similar to jobs in other
RPGs, but the defining characteristic of this system is the ability to
change on the fly with the switch of a weapon. By gaining experience in
each different class, a character can become more well-rounded by
leveling attributes related to many different jobs.

Lancer: Transformation Fighter

This two-handed lance fighter has great reach and specializes in
stabbing from long range. It is also special in that is can change to
slicing and bludgeoning attacks just by changing their weapons. Pikes
used to be very popular in this world, thanks to the influence of the
strength of the pikemen of Ala Mhigo, but now there are many different
types in use. For example, throwing javelins have also come into use
for long-range combat.

Archer: Strong Wind Attacker

This fighter focuses on using bow and arrows for attacking, and using
this, they aim well and strike from afar. A strategic class, they must
always choose the most advantageous positioning and the right type of
arrow to aid them in battle. In Eorzea, the Elezen archer guards and
Miqo’te traditional longbow hunters tend to belong to this job. There
are also many that are good with stone throwing.

Q. and A.! About weapons

• Q. It was said that spears attack from a farther range, so does this mean that attack range will change according to weapon?
  
• A. Yes, each weapon will have a range it is most effective in.
  
• Q. Will lancers be able to switch between their regular spears and throwing weapons?
  
• A.
  That’s what we’re planning, but it won’t be like switching. It would be
  more like in FFXI, where you would have a main weapon and a ranged
  weapon. Throwing weapon variation will differ by class.
  

Page 29

Fighters aren’t always just putting their lives on the line for
justice; in order to get new weapons or to put food on their table,
they will need to hunt. However, their prey will be the monsters born
from the fierce wild of Eorzea. Even though they’re not cruel at heart,
the heavens have given them weapons to defend themselves. If
adventurers are not careful, they may be the ones getting hurt, so it
will be important for hunting to know the lifestyle of one’s prey.

Keyword: Monsters

We already know that many monsters, such as cactuars and malboros, will
be making reappearances from earlier Final Fantasy titles. In this
installation of the series, monsters not only exist to give adventurers
experience, but also provide a source of resources, such as horns,
claws, and hide, to make weapons and armor. They will also provide meat
for cooking.

Antelope

Materials: stag horn and doe’s rough hide

The antelope are the swift-footed herbivores of the grasslands. The
antelop have one stag who boasts long, slim horns and striped pelt, and
is surrounded by a harem of females. They’re very careful, and
adventurers will need to be cautious when hunting them alone. According
to the Raimdelle Codex, there is a pattern to their tail movements, and
it acts as communication between others in the herd.

Aldgoat

Materials: Aldgoat shoulder meat, aldgoat pelt

Aldgoat are an ancient breed of goat that live in mountainous regions.
Their excessive fat protects their vitals from predators. Both male and
female aldgoats grow horns, but the males’ horns grow particularly
large and can fetch a high price. They even appear in the Ishgardian
myth, “Tales of Bridges,” as big eaters. It is said that if the top of
a tall mountain is barren of grass and other plants, the other animals
blame the aldgoat.

Raptor

Materials: Velociraptor’s claw, velociraptor’s leather

The two-legged sprinter of the forests, raptors hunt in pairs to hunt
and surround their prey. They mainly hunt smaller animals, but have
been known to attack humans when hungry. As such, requests for their
extermination often appear in guildleves. Since their skin feels like
silk, their scaly hides can be sold for high prices, and their
poisonous claws can bring nice coin to any willing to take the risk to
retrieve them.

The hunt was a success! Let’s go to a market to sell items you got by
hunting. Many adventurers visit markets to get materials for crafting.
Things like meat, skin, horns, you sell today may be something
different tomorrow!

P.30

Life as Crafters

What is producing?

You can produce weapons, tools, shields, or even meals and medicine by
having tools such as hammers or skillets instead of weapons. There are
classes for crafters, too, for instance, Culinarians and Blacksmiths.
You’ll raise your character through experience. Probably, you can have
adventures as a lancer then you can change your weapon into a hammer
then you can fix your own items.

• -Culinarian
  
• Crafter
  of food. You can make people happy with your hearty food that has
  elements of fire or water. Their main tool is Skillets.
  
• -Blacksmith
  
• Crafter
  of Metal. You process iron to make tools and weapons. You also can
  start business anywhere, anytime by forging weapons. Their main tool is
  Cross-pain hammer.
  
• -Weaver
  
• Crafter of Fabric. A
  professional of clothes, who can do all the things from making thread,
  fabric and clothes. Their main tool used is needles.
  
• -Tanner
  
• Crafter
  of leather. You can make boots and belts by sewing up tanned leather.
  You also buy materials like skins, furs, and scaled hide from
  adventurers. The main item is head knives.
  
• -Alchemist
  
• Crafter
  of rocks, spirits and sacred materials. You can change materials, and
  create medicine to cure people and poisons at the same time. Their main
  tool is alembic.
  

p.31

A Day in the Life of a Chef

Crafters buy, make, and sell things and enrich the markets of Eorzea.
Here is a day in the life of a chef. The point in FFXIV is what, when,
and how many you produce items.

1. Buy materials
First, go to a “market” for shopping. You can buy pretty much anything,
but if you go to side streets, you may meet adventurers like gatherers
or fighters. You can communicate with them by negotiating discounts or
making orders for things you want to get from them. You might find
something totally unexpected.

2. Place for work
Then you have to think about where you want to produce things. If you
use the facilities of the guild, you may cook constantly. However, it’d
cost you a lot. On the other hand, if you cook in a camp, you may not
be able to cook things with as high quality, but there’d be less food
to waste. So you have to think about where and what you cook. Research
a lot! Get info from your friends.

3. Select tools
It’s also important which tools you use when cooking. Even if you use
the same materials, the tools you use will totally change the result.
You should research this, too.

Material and fire, element choice

4. Materials and its elements
Once you decide which meal you want to cook, you need to consume some
crystals which have certain kinds of elements. If it’s your first time,
you have to guess the amounts. From then on, the amount of materials
will be written in recipes.

5. Selling items
You have to choose price depending on materials, worth, and its demand.
The price shouldn’t be too expensive since it may not be sold.

Q& A on Producing

• Q: What does eating mean for adventurers?
  
• A: Eating something influences adventurers’ stats.
  
• Q: What do crafters need to produce?
  
• A:
  Tools are musts. It’s important to collect good tools and crystals, and
  in most cases, you need facilities, or in some cases, you’d need
  special conditions, like help and natural phenomena.
  
• Q: How do adventures sell and buy things?
  
• A: It will mainly happen around markets.
  
• Q: What happens if weapons get worn out?
  
• A: You need to fix them, since weapons get worse and worn out as you use them.
  
• Q: Will tools need fixing too?
  
• A: Yes, they will.
  
• Q: In producing, are there materials and tools that only certain races can use?
  
• A: Maybe, but it won’t make the differences in races too dramatic.
  

That's all from Famitsu.