Comprehensive Content of Upcoming Large-Scale Version Updates (11/11/2010)

Comprehensive Content of Upcoming Large-Scale Version Updates (11/11/2010)



This Topics post will be detailing the content included in the large-scale version updates scheduled for release in the months of November and December. In addition, content slated for release in future version updates will also be introduced

	November & December Version Updates	First 2011 Version Update
Quests	The addition of new guildleves Adjustments to existing guildleves The implementation of a feature allowing players to lower levequest difficulty after activating the leve Adjustments to local levequest rewards The Addition of a feature allowing players to abandon local levequests The implementation of main map markers to indicate the locations of local levequest clients Adjustments to existing behests	The addition of new guildleves Adjustments to existing guildleves The addition of new main scenario quests The addition of new class quests The addition of new tutorial quests Adjustments to existing tutorials
Combat	Adjustments to classes Adjustments to combat balance Adjustments to enmity rates Adjustments to physical and magical accuracy rates Adjustments to how skill points are awarded Adjustments to monster population and territory The implementation of notorious monsters Improvements to the targeting feature	Further adjustments to classes Further adjustments to combat balance The further differentiation of actions to enhance class identities Adjustments to the effect of various parameters Adjustments to enemy population and territory The addition of notorious monsters (NMs) The addition of new battle content The addition of notorious monster-related battle content The addition of hamlet defense battles The addition of item exchange quests The addition of graphic displays to better clarify the effective ranges of actions The addition of countdown timers on status icons The addition of an "/assist" text command
Items Synthesis Gathering	Adjustments to existing synthesis recipes The addition of new synthesis recipes Improvements to synthesis controls The addition of a list that contains a player's eight most recently used recipes A reduction in the amount of commands necessary to begin synthesis Adjustments to gathering balance Adjustments to stack totals on select items The addition of a repair icon The addition of an auto item sort function Adjustments to item durability An increase in player inventory capacity	Further adjustments to existing synthesis recipes The addition of new synthesis recipes Further improvements to synthesis controls The addition of a reference list that contains all previously used recipes Improvements to repair controls A reduction of the number of commands necessary to begin repairs The addition of a manual sort function for items The addition of a gameplay feature that determines the quality of materials obtained from battle and gathering
Markets Retainers	Changes to how players access the market wards Adjustments to retainers A feature allowing players to change their retainers' equipment Changes to the retainer interface The addition of a default display of prices next to each item in a retainer's bazaar The implementation of icons for bazaar statuses (buying, selling, looking for repairs, etc.) An increase in the number of employable retainers The addition of an item search feature	Further adjustments to retainers An increase in retainer inventory capacity An increase in the number of items that can be placed in a retainer's bazaar A fix assuring that retainers do not leave their bazaar locations after server maintenance The addition of a sale/purchase history Functionality changes to the "buying" feature The addition of a delivery service
User Interface	Improvements to the Main Menu The splitting of Attributes & Gear into two separate menu options The addition of a Loot option for easy access to the loot list Changes to how statuses are displayed Improvements to the Map The addition of mouse scrolling functionality The addition of a zoom feature The addition of party member location markers The addition of new customizable keyboard commands Improvements to the action bar, allowing players to freely position the widget Adjustments to macro functionality	Changes to main menu display format Changes to inventory list display format Improvements to various user-interface layouts Improvements to the Interactions menu The addition of a help text window The reorganization of on-screen information The reformatting of existing widgets, allowing for access of multiple windows at the same time Improvements to Actions & Traits menu response time Improvements to mouse and keyboard controls Improvements to character controls The addition of drag and drop functionality The addition of mouseover popup help text The addition of right-click menus The addition of a feature that will allow the cutting and pasting of macro buttons from the macro palette
Communication	The addition of a party invite feature to the friend list Changes to linkshell display Improvements to chat functionality The addition of a chat mode toggle feature The addition of multiple log window tabs and a feature allowing for multiple log windows The addition of chat filters for synthesis and harvesting The addition of a feature allowing the customization of chat mode font color	The addition of "companies" (player-run guilds) The addition of company-owned ships The addition of company-owned buildings Improvements to existing linkshell features The addition of an in-game/Lodestone mail feature The addition of new search features
Others	The further alleviation of server-load issues The reduction of various anima costs and the introduction of a feature that allows players to set "favorite" teleportation destinations	The addition of player titles
The Lodestone	The addition of a linkshell page	The addition of new linkshell page features The addition of a company page The addition of a linkshell and company search feature An expansion of viewable character information

The development team will be focusing their efforts on the three points elaborated below.


Gameplay Improvements

As part of the version update scheduled for November, areas within the game will be partitioned across several servers to mitigate load-balancing issues and increase response times. In addition, a general restructuring of user interface (UI) operations will lessen lag and sluggish response times.
The UI will also be undergoing several additions and adjustments aimed at creating more intuitive and user-friendly controls. Furthermore, a new UI geared towards users playing with a mouse and keyboard is currently being designed, and will hopefully be ready for implementation in a coming version update. The current in-game UI will remain available for those users who prefer to play via controller, while the newly designed UI will be available as an option for those who wish to use a mouse and keyboard.
User feedback will continue to play a major role as we further address issues and make ongoing improvements in these and future version updates
Goal-Oriented Content & Comprehensive Tutorials

Together with the aforementioned improvements to gameplay, the availability of "goal-oriented" content and items, and the need for comprehensive and clear tutorials are issues that will be immediately addressed.
In the hopes of providing players with opportunities to engage in such content as soon as possible, the November version update will see a reduction in the amount of skill points required to reach rank 20. By effectively reducing the amount of time necessary to reach rank 20, players will sooner be able to gain access to class quests and high-rank guildleves.
Further content scheduled to be released in the Decemeber version update:Notorious monsters

Item search feature


We believe that these additions will go a long way towards fulfilling the need for goal-oriented content and improving general usability of in-game features.
Notorious monsters (NMs) are a special category of enemy that can be found throughout the various areas of Eorzea. Sometimes associated with levequest objectives, several of these formidable opponents, and a vast array of equippable items associated with them, will be coming with the December version update. This will be the first of many installments bringing NMs to Eorzea, with future updates promising to introduce even more NM-related content.
Implementation of a item search feature will serve to stimulate the in-game economy by helping prospective buyers and sellers to find one another. This will be accomplished by making it easier for users to discern what items are currently available, as well as simplifying the process of finding a specific item.
In addition to the above, the version updates will also feature adjustments to class balance, changes to enemy population and distribution, and the addition of all-new quests, items, and recipes. It is our hope that this will allow users to enjoy their time in Eorzea by providing them with a more concrete sense of purpose, no matter which class they choose. Additional tutorials are also slated for introduction in November and December, and will greatly simplify the learning process when using the game's various systems and engaging myriad content.
Establishment of In-Game Communities

The forthcoming November and December version updates will introduce what are known as "companies," a special type of linkshell with more group-oriented progression and goals.
Once estbalished, companies will be able to work towards acquiring their own communal assets, such as buildings that can serve as headquarters, or ships that can be used to access multiplayer content. The system will provide concrete benefits to players who align themselves with a company, as well as motivate already established companies to seek out new recruits. In essence, the focus will be on providing new, innovative content for all players to enjoy. The FINAL FANTASY XIV Lodestone will also offer a number of online services covering both companies and linkshells.

All of the additions and changes mentioned above are currently in the final stages of development, and we are optimistic that they will be implemented in the version updates of November, December, and early 2011. Beyond those listed here, there are still numerous other features being planned. More information on these will be released in the future as details become available.
While there is nothing we would like more than to address every individual issue raised by the community, the upcoming version updates will be centered on resolving the problems and shortcomings within the three categories outlined above. We apologize if there is an aspect of the game not mentioned here, and assure you that we will be working to make as many refinements and improvements as possible.
We hope that you continue to enjoy your time in Eorzea, and promise that things will only be getting better!
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FINAL FANTASY XIV Development Team

Sounds like they are remaking the game from scratch. Cant wait to see it improved I just hope its not to little to late.

For some reason, my instinct told me they should compensate those players (aka us) that stick with them since retail and believing them. After all, we're the one that suffer the most, not those that left the game.

More news from FFXIV Core

Our Biggest Concerns Savalithos - 11-13-10 10:09 - 32 comments 4Gamer brings us an e-mail interview about the fast-approaching version updates.
Translated by Savalithos.


Recovering from the Shipwreck: An e-Mail Interview
Despite all the hype and anticipation built up over FFXIV, many players were left disappointed to say the least. This is not news by any means, but feedback has been harsh. Sure, some haven't played the game and/or are basing their opinions solely on online reviews, etc., and forum trolls have seized the opportunity to wreak their devilry. Regardless of the delivery method, there is definitely validity in the complaints being raised.

The User Interface (UI) is, among the myriad issues, probably the most pronounced and frustrating. Simple tasks become annoying, almost like an itch you can't scratch. One might be able to somewhat accustom themselves to the process, but it's quite a leap to make.

This next issue goes hand-in-hand with MMORPGs, but after a certain point, lag can make it difficult to even play a game at all. In particular, things really bottleneck when trying to transfer items, whether between players or to an NPC. Lag during battle is a given, but primetime brings those infamous closed Ul'dah doors into the spotlight.

There have been many questions raised about the direction development has been headed in general. Most, if not all, of the issues at hand had already been raised in Beta. Nonetheless, the problems remained once the game released. Since then, things have either had time to fester or attempts to fix said issues have come off as being "too little, too late."

On October 15th, Square-Enix hoped to qualm some of the discontent by providing sneak peak at what they plan to address in upcoming version updates. However, the overriding sentiment was that these were exactly the problems that should have been cleared up in Beta.

...all of which is why we remain rather skeptical. How aware are SE of the problems, and what do they intend to do from here on out? With this in mind, 4Gamer rounded up the big questions and tossed 'em in SE's direction on October 22nd. It is by no means a comprehensive list, and many questions remain unanswerable. However, we've done our best to select some of the more high-priority items.

(some questions may not apply to non-Japanese players (such as billing), so I'll exclude those)
Before the start of official service (Collectors' Edition), the provided list of servers was kind of taken as a list of unofficial Japanese servers. This seemed to result in everyone flocking to those, which resulted in overcrowding.
A: Our servers aren't designed to handle tens of thousands of characters but are more in line with actual expectations. Even if we originally designated servers with numbers, it would have been pointless. The best possible option would be for random server selection (a la FFXI originally), but that is less than convenient for players.
Currently we've noticed that the issue lies not with overcrowding on specific servers. It is overcrowding of specific in-game areas that is causing congestion. If players were more evenly distributed among different areas, the servers could handle capacities many times greater. We are beefing up and fine-tuning the servers which regulate this, and this has been resulting in less lag overall.

Aren't fixes for problems that persisted through closed and open Beta tests a little too late to the game?
This is mostly due to prioritization. We had a strict timeline to work with, so unfortunately we focused on certain bugs while being unable to address others. Beyond that, some problems we have only become aware of since early release. Thankfully, our players have given us plenty of feedback to work with regarding these.

I'm sure the bulk of the problems are slated to be fixed in the upcoming updates, but are there any plans to instate a public test server (a la EverQuest or World of Warcraft)?
A: We already have a few private ones which the development and Q&A teams work with for debugging, but none are public. There is definitely much to gain from player insight via test servers, but it has little to do with the debugging process. It would also require two versions of the game to be installed which would be troubling for most players and nigh impossible for those on PS3.
Another thing to consider is the impact it could have on the economy. RMT (I imagine everyone is familiar with the term) would know which new items would be most profitable to farm and could in turn control the market on those. Trying to keep such information under wraps would severely slow down the development process. It's a delicate balance that would be difficult to achieve. That being said, we are testing our options via focus groups and the like.

Most MMOs these days conform to a WoW-style UI, but FFXIV seems to have taken the road less travelled. That's a rather bold step to take with a worldwide release. Why did you decide on that?
A: It has been said before, but it is really to allow for comparable playability via either mouse/keyboard or controller. It was originally intended to allow for either setup to work independently of the other, but that is not how things panned out. There is a fundamental flaw with the system itself, one which the developers haven't been able to get to just yet. Unlike FFXI, which initially released on a console, FFXIV's distinctly un-PC (no pun intended) control scheme really stood out. It lacks in comparison to other PC MMOs, which is where we have received a lot of criticism from overseas players.
It comes down to menus. With a controller, it's generally accepted that menu navigation is the standard. Click a few times and you'll get where you're going. With a mouse, however, the same process could take just one click. We are aware that this discrepancy is the big problem. On top of that, targetting and menu navigation only add to the frustration. In order to alleviate this issue as quickly as possible, we are working on a separate UI to support the use of a mouse and keyboard.

Whether because of the UI or the animations involved, things just take too much time to do. Selling items, changing gear, attacking, synthing, gathering, etc. all result in valuable time lost, whose end product is only more frustration.
A: UI lag causes a lot of problems, part of which is due to the UI design itself. A fix is slated for the next version update and should vastly improve functionality. Server lag is also a cause. During slow times players may find the UI reacting much more quickly than usually, while primetime in concentrated areas can grind things to a halt. The aforementioned strengthening of servers responsible for such congestion in overpopulated areas will be implemented in the next version update. Lastly, every action performed must be communicated with the server, from which the player awaits a response. Design flaws cause greater delay in regards to this. Certainly some things depend on individual client settings, but adjusting those won't solve everything.

When choosing a companion for the main scenario, you aren't given the option to confirm or rethink your choice. If you accidentally choose "Yes" while skimming through the dialogue, you might end up with a less than desirable outcome. Are there any plans to allow for reselction of path companions?
A: The issue is the lack of a final confirmation of your selection, which is something we'll be adding. We're currently looking into what can be done for those of you who have mistakenly chosen an unwanted companion.
Though a bit wordy, writers no doubt wanted players to read dialogue during exchanges, such as when hiring a retainer or choosing your path companion.

Will you be adding an /assist target command?
A: That is something that should appear in the next few months. The next update will definitely see the implementation of easier battle targetting. You'll see things from FFXI, such as moving to the next target if the current one becomes unconscious or automatically selecting the opponent if attacked when no target is selected. There will also be some /targetnpc functionality as well (via hotkey?).

I want some way to confirm beforehand what I'm throwing away when my inventory is full. Also, do you plan to provide some kind of notification via the UI when i reach that dreaded 80/80?
A: The real issue is how easy it is to reach capacity in the first place. It is also hard to keep track of when that happens, so we plan to add something to help with that. We will increase inventory size, but that still does not address the problem that the variety of drops is needlessy large. We are considering color-coding items based on region, making searching for particular items a little bit easier. Another issue is with high quality versions such as +1-3. Combined with the regular version, that's a potential four slots taken up by one item. We are considering phasing out +1 and +2 via drop rates, leaving only the standard and +3 versions.

An auto-sort feature is planned, but will there be anyway to sort things as I see fit?
A: We would like to include options such as displaying items on top, gear underneath, and vice versa. Manual sorting features should be implemented in the November or December updates.

Under special circumstances in party situations, players don't gain Skill Points. Is the development team aware of the issue?
A: The SP bug is being worked on. Beyond that, parties will not get SP for killing monsters that are not claimed by them. We are currently working out the kinks in the claiming mechanics as well as tinkering with the system itself.

Everyone loves it when the monster their fighting continuously runs away and regains a large chunk of it's health (I personally love it to death!). Is this intentional?
A: This has to do with the pathing of said monsters; they aren't designed to follow players outside of their "comfort zone." We will continue to work on these pathing issues, particularly deciding how or when a monster has left its particular "zone."

I have to rely on third-party sites for recipe lists, since recipes themselves are so complex. Would it be possible to select an item which I've learned via completing a Local Leve, which would then automatically pick the ingredients from my inventory? Also, isn't the process of starting each synthesis a bit too circuitous?
A: We have our sights set on such a feature. The mid-December update will incorporate things such as a synthesis history and recipe memo, which will list your eight most recent synthesis items. Choosing something from the list will select the ingredients automatically. We also intend to streamline the steps needed to start synthesizing. For the next update, we're looking into allowing players to browse their entire (entire??) synthesis history.
Main Menu > Synthesis > Requested Items or select your ingredients one by one. Then choose Main Hand or Off Hand followed by which item you want to make. Then confirm the item along with the necessary skills and crystals. A bit much, eh?

It's hard to tell which items are used or worn out. Will there be a way for us to tell, whether via color-codes or tool-tips, which items are in what condition?
A: We are hard at work on that right now so that such items will be distinguishable at a glance.

Can you make a special inventory tab for gear? My retainer is overloaded with various equipment and ingredients from me leveling so many different classes.
A: Inventory space will mostly be addressed as mentioned before, via reduction of needless drops and the increase of inventory capacity. Also, like shards and crystals, other items' stack sizes will probably be adjusted.

It gets crowded around Retainer Bells, and lag makes exchanging items gruelling. Why not let us summon our retainers from anywhere within a city?
A: We are currently working to resolve lag in cities. Also, UI lag has a variety of causes, which we are gradually fixing. Item exchange, however, is both a client-side and server issue. We think splitting the server load between two servers would definitely help. The Adventurers' Guilds are of course the busiest areas. If, for example, we were to move those areas to a separate server, those inside would not experience lag caused by the mass of people outside (and vice versa).

When looking through bazaars, sometimes I can only find people seeking repairs. Why not have some sort of marking system next to players' names to denote whether they're selling or wanting gear repaired?
A: We are working to have this ready for the December update.

I get the feeling players don't really know what to do with themselves right now. From my experience, it seems like ranks 1-20 are just a tutorial.
A: Indeed it is intended to be a tutorial of sorts. However, the trek to 20 takes longer than we would have liked, so people aren't getting to the class quests as quickly as desired. Therefore, we'll be speeding up the trip to rank 20. Also, we will be adding more content for various levels in order to flesh things out. We also want to tweak guildleves and faction leves and have a few things planned for that, keeping crafters and gatherers in mind, as well.
A big problem is the market, which hasn't fully matured. Not only that, but crafters rely mostly on melee/magic classes to buy gear from them. Slow leveling for combatants means that a lot of that high rank gear is not in high demand, and gear that requires drops from high rank monsters is in drastically short supply. A market/retainer search function is vital not just to the game economy but to the game itself.
I meant to go straight for rank 20, but it became rather tedious. I ended up trying out other jobs instead, but then my gear repairs were catching up with me. Since so much work is involved with getting my gear repaired, I'd rather do it myself. Oh, but to do that I need such-and-such class...and thus I still haven't reached my initial goal.

I have trouble telling who is participating in a Behest. This makes it hard to tell who has claimed what.
A: The problem is not knowing when players have joined. The first step is to address this in some identifiable way. Also, we intended for behests to award SP comparable to guildleves, but it seems larger parties are not as suitable. Because of this, we are considering adjusting SP returns. As for the claiming issue, we are working to resolve it as quickly as possible.

I want to try something on to see how it looks before I buy it from a bazaar.
A: You will be able to have your retainer wear the things you are entrusting to them, allowing for players to get a quick glance at what they're buying.

A Local Leve requires me to make a rather dangerous journey for my rank/level (ie. Crimson Bark near Gridania). Since I have completed the requested items, the leve is just taking up space in my Journal. I wish I could just cancel it.
A: We should have this addressed by the end of the year.

God Send abilities (skills used during synthesis) can be set via /equipaction macros, but there are currently no macro commands to unequip them.
A: This, too, should be fixed by year's end.

What else do you have planned?
A: We've received a lot of complaints about being unable to repair undergarments. Therefore, we want to make it so undergarments will not be affected by durability. We also plan to adjust things such as enmity, melee/magic accuracy, and rules regarding Skill Point gain. We have much planned beyond this, so please take a look at our list on the Lodestone.

A comment to our readers, if you would be so kind.
A: (Director Komoto) I want to let everyone out there know that we are listening. We highly value your opinions and wishes and are constantly in touch with management about how to best address them. We are working on getting fixes for those big problems out as quickly as possible.
The development team is hard at work addressing as much as possible in the late-November version update, in particular the areas that need fine-tuning. Before the end of the year, we will see the introduction of Notorious Monsters as well as addition of new market features. I hope these will give players some clear goals to aim for. We also have some things we're working on behind-the-scenes as well much more I haven't mentioned. I'll let you all know more as soon as I can.
The mountain capital of Ishgard. It is currently inaccessible, but I can't help but wonder what awaits me there.

hope everything will goes well ^^