Now, Let’s Talk
In this article I’d like to talk about some of the bigger, more pertinent, questions from the Q&A sessions of the recent Letter from the Producers Live from E3 for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. I’ve widdled down the myriad of questions to five of, what I feel, are the most pertinent.
So let’s begin!
DX11 Support
Currently, FFXIV:ARR only offers support for DX9. Not only does this allow for better graphical scaling on PCs, but allows the devs a certain amount of flexibility when developing for the PS3.
As a member of the PC gaming community, I was a tad disappointed when I learned FFXIV:ARR would not support DX11 out of the box. That being said, one of the greatest problems with FFXIV 1.0 was the terribly optimized graphics system, which made even the most advanced of gaming PCs chug like a steam train.
Focusing, initially, on DX9 development allows the devs to better craft the graphics engine for the game. Besides, according to director/producer Naoki Yoshida, DX11 is coming within a year (not to mention the PS4 release). I think I can tough out the wait!
Monsters From Previous Final Fantasy Titles
Being a Final Fantasy game, there are a few monsters that every fan of the series expects to see in FFXIV:ARR. Already, ARR has Chocobos, Cactuars, and Moogles, but what about some of the more infamous creatures of the series? Will we be seeing Marlboro’s in ARR like we did in 1.0? And what about some of the famous bosses from earlier titles like the Magus Sisters from FFIV, or maybe even one of the Weapons from FFVII (a long shot, but why not dream big)?
The three Magus Sisters as they appear in FFX and FFIV respectively.
Well, Yoshida has told us that famous monsters from previous Final Fantasy titles will make appearances in FFXIV:ARR in the form of skirmish battles. No details have been revealed yet on which monsters these will be, or how the skirmishes may play out. We’re probably not going to face off against Sephiroth, or Kefka, but maybe one of the “lesser” bosses will be willing to hop off the retirement couch.
Downtime Between Final Beta Phase and Launch
Sometimes very simple questions have very simple answers; this is one of those cases. According to Yoshida the downtime between Beta Phase 4 and the game’s launch will only be a few days!
While this is all well and good, I do hope the team takes into consideration how prepared the game is before releasing it to the general public. Heaven knows we don’t need another MMO pushed out before it was ready.
Zones Available at Launch
Here’s another question with a simple answer. Yoshida has stated that there will be around 40 zones at launch, and 80 after the first series of major patches.
More zones = more content; more content = more fun! Does it get any simpler?
F.A.T.E. Battles
I saved F.A.T.E. battles for last because they are arguably one of the biggest additions to FFXIV from the original 1.0 release. F.A.T.E.s, Full Active Time Events, are public quests that occur in the open zones of FFXIV:ARR. Think rifts from RIFT, public quests from Warhammer Online (may it rest in peace), or the public events from Guild Wars 2. F.A.T.E.s can be random, triggered by NPCs, or happen at specific times during the day.
All F.A.T.E.s are completely public, there is no need to join a party. Once you step into the area where the F.A.T.E. is occurring you are automatically entered! All who participate in a F.A.T.E. will be awarded personal rewards based on contribution (which can be damage done, or allies healed/supported). Additionally, F.A.T.E.s will automatically adjust in difficulty depending on the number of players present. The majority of F.A.T.E. battles will feature a number of normal level, or medium-hard level enemies. However, there are plans for what the team is calling Primal F.A.T.E. battles.
Primal F.A.T.E. battles will feature, you guessed it, the Primals! Final Fantasy fans will recognize these Primals as summons from previous games. The list includes: Ifrit, Garuda, Ramuh, Titan, Leviathan, Bahamut, and the recently announced Odin. During Primal F.A.T.E. battles, 30 - 40 players will be pitted against one of Eorzea’s most dangerous beings. Such battles will be comparable in difficulty to bosses from dungeons, and instanced Primal battles. Although, one could argue that wrangling 30 - 40 players at a time in a public area COULD present additional logistical difficulties.
Yoshida hinted at Primal F.A.T.E. battles featuring Titan and Odin. My favorite tidbit he dropped was that if players are not careful, and don’t defeat Odin in enough time, he will unleash Zantetsuken and that entire group of 30 - 40 people will be obliterated. Once implemented, Primal F.A.T.E. battles will surely be a blast for PvE junkies!
So, What’s the Final Take Away
Knowing more specifics is always a good thing, but what I find most revealing about these Q&A sessions is how seriously committed Yoshida, and the rest of the development team are about getting FFXIV right this time around. Never before has an MMO released, failed, then brought back from the grave with significant improvements (not to mention and entirely new graphical engine).
While Yoshida and co. work tirelessly to pefrect FFXIV:ARR before launch, I and my fellow fans of the game, will be anxiously waiting it’s release on August 28th!
As always,
Comment below, play hard, and stay safe!
