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In version 1.20 of FFXIV, we will see massive changes to the class system. Abilities will be moved around from one class to another and all classes will lose abilities. This might not sound good at first, however it is something that is needed for class identity. A lot of the abilities currently in the game were simply not being used much and Square Enix felt it best to remove them for now. In patch 1.21 we will see the job system which will bring about further class identity and traditional names such as black mage and white mage.
As part of the changes, there will be more restrictions on which actions can be used on other classes, action cost will be abolished and all traits will be made class-exclusive. A new individual combo system will also be introduced to allow players to chain weapon skills for additional effects.
Since there is a lot of information regarding these changes it would be best to check out the Lodestone forums and read for yourself.
FFXIV will see some changes to gear dying and the repair system in patch 1.20. The information from the Lodestone is quoted below.
"Dyeing an item with the new recipes implemented in patch 1.19 would not only change its color; the item’s attributes and equipping requirements would also be affected. This essentially rendered players unable to dye gear to their liking. Patch 1.20 will enable players to dye gear without changing its attributes. New recipes will also be implemented that will allow you to voluntarily add attributes to items independent of color.
* The above change is inspired by player suggestions.
The following revisions will be applied based on changes in gear attributes as a result of dyeing:
• Items with a single variant: item attributes and equipping requirements will be unified.
• Items with multiple variants: items with different attributes will be renamed, and new color variations added. * Exceptions exist."
There is then some tables with examples, however if you wish to see those we recommend you view the forum thread below.
The following changes to repairing will be introduced in patch 1.20.
• Simplification of the Repair Motion
The repair motion will be simplified and the time required for the procedure shortened.
• Removal of the Repair Screen
Since it is now possible to perform repairs using only dark matter, the repair screen will no longer be displayed after selecting the Repair command.
• Repairing Accessories via Repair NPCs
As an alternative to repairing an accessory yourself or requesting it of another PC, NPCs will be able to repair accessories as well.
• Inclusion of Level Requirements in Item Help
To make it clear from what level a Disciple of the Hand will be able to repair an item, item help will be updated to include this information.
We will continue to improve repairing in further patches beyond patch 1.20."
The second live letter from the producer for FFXIV has now been translated and made available for your reading. There are too many questions and answers to post them all here so it is recommended that you follow the link in the source to read it all. However, the full video is below.
Square Enix have posted a conclusion to the halloween event All Saints' Wake. You can read the information below.
"High above the Twelveswood, the raven circles, evermore seeking out truth hidden amongst the shadows of the trees.
In the previous edition, field correspondent Oliver Goodfellow reported on the escape from imprisonment of impudent imps and the subsequent challenge they issued to the Adventurers' Guild. Today, he writes to us with the conclusion to this sensational saga.
In the Wake of All Saints' Wake
It all began with a band of prison wardens who took leave of their senses and stations both in order to return home before sunset in observance of All Saints' Wake. In the absence of watchful eyes, a murder of malevolent imps managed to break free of their confinement en masse. Rather than fading quietly into the night, however, the devilish creatures sought to humiliate their former captors, and thus challenged the Adventurers' Guild to a contest of wits.
The imps would pose riddles, which representatives of the guild must attempt to answer. A correct response would earn the guild pumpkin cookies, of which a specified amount must be amassed by the conclusion of All Saints' Wake. If the quota were met, the imps would swear to return to their prison cells of their own volition. Elsewise, the Adventurers' Guild must promise to pursue them no more.
Word of the challenge ruffled the feathers of many in the guild; indeed, most were of the sentiment that swift and brutal force should be employed to recapture the winged fiends. With the imps at large in the city, however, it was judged that open acts of aggression could lead to casualties among civilians. And so it was decided that the issue must be settled in conformance with the prescribed rules.
All Saints' Wake arrived this year with much nervous biting of knuckles at the Adventurers' Guild. This reporter was present to witness the counting of cookies before the leve counter. A veritable mountain of the baked treats had been painstakingly gathered through the efforts of altruistic adventurers…but would it be enough?
I am pleased, dear readers, to describe the unrestrained jubilation that broke out as the 999,999th cookie was accounted for. The imps conceded defeat, and—to everyone's astonishment—very graciously honored their side of the bargain, returning to their cells with neither bitterness nor a demand for a recount. Pats on the back were exchanged all around, and many could be seen heartily munching pumpkin cookies in a gesture of triumph.
Doing my rounds of interviews of those involved in the operation, my eyes once more fell upon the prodigious pile of cookies that fair reached the ceiling. To be able to bake such a vast amount within a matter of days, I could not help but appreciate that the imps must be as resourceful as they are mischievous.
As I mused upon this, I absently bit into a cookie, one from a generous basketful proffered me earlier. It was at that very moment that I noticed what appeared to be traces of gysahl greens—aye, the selfsame leafy plant favored by chocobos—embedded within the half still in my hand, in a fibrous state that could only be described as digested. Here my chewing grew labored. For the sake of propriety, I forced down what was already inside my mouth, but not before breaking out in cold sweat at the implications of the discovery.
We might have bested the imps in the challenge, but I daresay the odious little devils managed to have the last laugh after all.
In a shock announcement, Square Enix have released what is quite possibly the biggest news since FFXIV's release back in September 2010. The news that the game is being redeveloped and version 2 is in the works, due for release a year from now. With it will see a complete UI overhaul, a new graphics engine and a new game client. The PS3 version will also be released with version 2 and a second free trial period for the PC players.
There is a lot of information regarding this announcement and the company has released four PDF documents full of information on the changes. Not all of the changes will be held off until version 2 however, with content to look forward to for current players until then. A monthly fee will be implemented in December this year shortly after patch 1.20 as Square Enix feel the game is at a point where it is worth paying for. The full details of the announcement are below.
"Allow me to thank you all for your continued interest in FINAL FANTASY XIV.
One year has passed since the game’s release, and despite the disappointment surrounding its launch, we have received a wealth of support from you, the players. Your encouraging words and continued loyalty have been a source of immeasurable inspiration to everyone involved with FINAL FANTASY XIV’s development.
In the ten months since the FINAL FANTASY XIV team’s restructuring, we have put forth the utmost effort into not only improving the game’s existing features, but also creating a concrete plan to outline the game’s new direction. Today, I am pleased to announce we can confidently present that plan to our customers. We fully realize this is but a single step towards our ultimate goal, and that to meet the high standards set in the plan, more time is required. In the meantime, however, we will not waver in our commitment to bringing players exciting and engaging content, even as the game moves through its evolution.
With this, it is my hope that we will continue to receive your support as we will need to bring the unbilled period to a close between late November and early December 2011, and introduce our subscription-based billing system. I appreciate that this decision will not be popular, but it is a necessary step in building upon the foundation our fans and development team have made together and to realize the full potential of FINAL FANTASY XIV.
The team will stop short of nothing as they move towards realizing the new FINAL FANTASY XIV, and as they do so, I humbly ask for both your understanding and support.
President and CEO, Yoichi Wada
An Announcement from the Development and Operations Teams
This is an announcement for all of you playing FINAL FANTASY XIV, for all of you who have stopped playing, and for those of you looking forward to the PlayStation®3 system version. A year has passed since FINAL FANTASY XIV service began, ten months of which came in the wake of major organizational changes to the development team. As promised when those changes were first made, we have been working diligently towards bringing you a new FINAL FANTASY XIV. Today, I would like to tell you more about that, while also laying out details regarding the release of the PlayStation®3 version, explaining fundamental reforms planned over the next several years for the game in general, and sharing with you some of the results yielded by our efforts so far.
Conclusion of the Unbilled Period and Commencement of Subscription Billing
The unbilled period has remained in place for the past year as our development and operation teams of over 250 staff have worked to bring you FINAL FANTASY XIV. I apologize for the belated nature of my next announcement, but as significant updates to the game have been released over the last ten months, a portion of the team has also been simultaneously devoted to working solely on the new FINAL FANTASY XIV. This is an essential part of the process of realizing the ideal we have envisioned. Planning for the new FINAL FANTASY XIV began in January of this year, and April saw the start of large-scale tasks. Since then, however, we have made no compromises in the game’s operation and updates. I believe this is evident if you review the contents of the updates that have been released thus far.
Every resource possible has gone into this year’s patches. The ideal that we have for FINAL FANTASY XIV, however, is extremely high, and we are aware that all of the following changes are still required to achieve the desired quality of service—redesign and restructuring of server layout and operation, overhaul of the user interface, reworking the design and specs of in-game areas, and vast upgrades to the player community systems.
As we move closer towards this ideal, and as the operation of the game, the regular updates, and the development of the new FINAL FANTASY XIV continues, we will introduce our subscription-based billing system.
Following the results of the development and operations teams’ efforts, together with the release of the overall plans for the game’s future, we will bring the unbilled period to a close between late November and early December of 2011, and thereafter introduce our subscription-based billing system. Further details will be sent to the email address players submitted at the time of their FINAL FANTASY XIV account registration, and will also be posted on the Lodestone at a future date.
Needless to say, with the onset of the subscription-based billing system, operation and development of the game will proceed, and updates will continue to be released regularly as they have been. Between now and release of the new FINAL FANTASY XIV, we will do as much as possible by way of fine-tuning the game and adding new content. Our focus will be on the theme of a story that can only be experienced in the here and now, and the dramatic changes to Eorzea will be incorporated into that storyline. Each update will deliver an unprecedented and unrepeatable game experience. For those of you continuing to play, I promise that the release of these updates and the eventual transition to the new FINAL FANTASY XIV will both come smoothly and seamlessly.
In order to enable us to provide you with an ever-improved FINAL FANTASY XIV that meets all of our high ideals, I ask for both your patient understanding and cooperation.
Temporary Suspension of Automatic Renewals for the Subscription-based Billing System
Anyone who has played FINAL FANTASY XIV at any time since its release is already in possession of a FINAL FANTASY XIV service account. These accounts are set to renew their subscriptions automatically, barring deactivation by the account holder. Therefore, if we were to begin regular subscription billings for all existing contracts, players who will not see this announcement or who may not currently wish to pay subscription fees would automatically begin to be charged for their accounts. To avoid this, we have decided to first suspend all automated renewals for service accounts. Only account holders who have agreed to reactivate the automated renewal system will be billed.
Many of you have enjoyed FINAL FANTASY XIV over the past year, growing accustomed to the service we have in place. I realize that this is a terrible inconvenience, but we very much hope that you will continue to enjoy the game. I can only ask for your understanding that we are determined to allow all users an equal opportunity to reach their own decision regarding subscription-based billing. Details regarding precise scheduling will be announced at a later date, as will the official start of the subscription fees.
The New FINAL FANTASY XIV and the PlayStation®3 System Version
Between October and December of 2012, we plan to integrate the current service and the coming PlayStation®3 version into the all-new FINAL FANTASY XIV. At this time, a second free trial period will also be offered.
Among our new plans is the fundamental reworking of in-game maps. As part of this process, there will be a period required for switching over to a new client and new servers, after which there will be a large transfer of data when service is brought back online. After the new client is completed, new software for the PC version will be distributed online, and can be acquired free of charge. Character data and progress for players already playing the PC version will also be preserved, allowing those players to continue using their in-game avatars. Another announcement will be made in the future as the day on which the new FINAL FANTASY XIV software will become available for download draws near, and the PlayStation®3 system version officially released.
A New Decision from the Development Team
As previously stated, it has been over ten months since the development team underwent significant changes. I apologize that we have been so long in announcing to all of you the overall future plans for FINAL FANTASY XIV. But I assure you that all of us here on the operations and development teams have been putting all our energy into FINAL FANTASY XIV. We have tackled unprecedented challenges maintaining the unbilled period, the frequency and scale of patches, and an open line of communication with the player community—all while completely remaking the game at the same time.
Again, I have included several files detailing the plans and progress we have made, as well as our future schedule. I hope those of you with interest will take the time to look over them.
We will no longer be referring to the “new organization” of the team. It is now simply the FINAL FANTASY XIV team. We are prepared to advance to the next stage of FINAL FANTASY XIV’s life, confident that we can provide a service worthy of the FINAL FANTASY name─a service that includes both content-rich updates and the renovation of existing features─and take full responsibility for all that entails.
I promise that we will continue to give all FINAL FANTASY XIV players our full attention as we do everything in our power to provide a high-quality service, and as such, would like ask for your continued encouragement and support.
As always, everything we do will be for our players and customers."
The 20th letter from the producer has arrived. This one talks about Yoshi-P's views on MMOs and the direction he wishes to take FFXIV. It's quite a long read and for that reason I will just post a link for you to read there. Today also saw some much more important news regarding the future of the game, which will be posted shortly.
Patch 1.19a has now gone live and includes the stronghold of Natalan which was delayed from 1.19. For an "A" patch, 1.19a is fairly large, much bigger than previous smaller patches such as 1.18a and 1.17a. Since there's a lot of information it will be best to just click the link below and read it all.
It seems the FFXIV halloween event is about to begin in Eorzea and Square Enix have released some information about the event. You can find the details below.
"High above the Twelveswood, the raven circles, evermore seeking out truth hidden amongst the shadows of the trees.
In today’s edition, field correspondent Oliver Goodfellow lifts the veil of mystery surrounding the suspicious characters who have appeared with the coming of All Saints’ Wake.
Ware Winged Fiends!
Daniffen. Randolfe. Llafymae. These names may or may not ring a bell. If ever you have had occasion to visit the Adventurers’ Guild, however, I daresay you already know the personages to whom they belong. Aye, I speak of the saints of old who grace guildleves—the individuals revered as paragons of virtue and raised high by the Twelve themselves. Their legacy remains with us to this day, most visibly in the form of splendid stained crystals upon said guildleves. And then there is the ancient custom called All Saints’ Wake.
Legend tells that, at the same time each year, the Twelve honor the saints by inviting them to the celestial realm for a feast of deific proportions. While this show of favor from the gods is no less than the saints deserve, in ascending to the heavens, they leave the mortal realm bereft of their divine protection. During this time, it is said that creatures of darkness come out from hiding to wreak havoc upon mortalkind, and with such gusto as if to make up for the rest of the year when their devilry is kept in check. Fearing for their safety, folk took to returning home before sunset and barricading themselves indoors with kith and kin until dawn arrived to banish the night. Over time, this practice took root and flourished into the annual tradition we know today.
All Saints’ Wake draws nigh once again, and folk can already be seen scrambling for the supposed security of their abodes before the sun kisses the horizon. As common sense dictates, there are those of certain professions who have not the luxury to observe the custom. However, it appears this fact was not made known to a rather superstitious crew of prison wardens, who decided to retire for the day well ahead of the scheduled change of shift. And as ill fate would have it, these wardens had charge over the surveillance of none other than a malevolent band of imps. Left utterly unguarded, the winged fiends managed to win free of their cells, and are now at large in the city-state. The imps have since assumed the form of citizens, the better to afflict hapless townsfolk with such vile deeds as only their vile minds can conceive.
When the incident came to light, the Adventurers’ Guild was promptly tasked with returning every last one of the creatures to imprisonment. Runners have now been dispatched to each of the three city-states, garbed in the likeness of a demon said to plague the mortal realm during All Saints’ Wake. All attempts to seek an explanation for the peculiar choice of costume have yet to yield a satisfactory answer, but some suggest that it is intended to draw the attention of adventurers.
One cannot find fault with the Adventurers’ Guild for keeping in the spirit of tradition in the face of an imminent outbreak of chaos. However, only the gods and the saints above know how their bid to recapture the imps will unfold.
Oliver Goodfellow"
All Saints’ Wake
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 1:00 a.m. – Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 7:59 a.m. (PDT).
Alchemist
