Letter from the Producer, XLIV (03/19/2013)

[xerodok]

Take as much time as you need, Yoshi. If the game doesn't launch until Quarter 4 of 2013, and is a better product because of it, I'd be happy. Not that it will, but I wouldn't mind.

The feature we have all been waiting for, gamepad. FFXIV:ABR 2014

[Gulkeeva]

You know "just playing the game" is also testing right >.>
it tests things that I'm sure they monitor such as...
how fast you are lvling (like how long you are logged in, how long you do stuff).
possibly track how you progress in quests (such as how easily are you finding them, are they easy? did you group for them)
crafting, how fast your lvling, what you do to lvl that crafting, etc etc
What may be "just playing" view from player to another player, is a whole massive list of details to a developer that needs to watch/study what you do, and improve on what a person liked, disliked, did did not do, avoided, went after etc etc

although, I think the way blizzard does its "feedback" was much better (as it was ingame, and you like right click an object to "report" something about it/send feedback) I think ffxiv is doing fine so far, like so many have said, we can all hope, on the miracle phase 3 changes...!

randomly, I zerged a bit of everything in the beta (to a decently high lvl), I found it a lot of fun to do although.... (can't say more because of nda!)

[Kipling]

Take as much time as you need, Yoshi. If the game doesn't launch until Quarter 4 of 2013, and is a better product because of it, I'd be happy. Not that it will, but I wouldn't mind.

There is a fine line between supporting someone's decisions and starting a fanclub for their dick and then proceeding to suck it. Please contain yourself.

[Gokulo]

There is a fine line between supporting someone's decisions and starting a fanclub for their dick and then proceeding to suck it. Please contain yourself.

And how do you know Lucavi wouldn't actually want to do that if he could?

[Sephiroth]

You know "just playing the game" is also testing right >.>
it tests things that I'm sure they monitor such as...
how fast you are lvling (like how long you are logged in, how long you do stuff).
possibly track how you progress in quests (such as how easily are you finding them, are they easy? did you group for them)
crafting, how fast your lvling, what you do to lvl that crafting, etc etc
What may be "just playing" view from player to another player, is a whole massive list of details to a developer that needs to watch/study what you do, and improve on what a person liked, disliked, did did not do, avoided, went after etc etc

although, I think the way blizzard does its "feedback" was much better (as it was ingame, and you like right click an object to "report" something about it/send feedback) I think ffxiv is doing fine so far, like so many have said, we can all hope, on the miracle phase 3 changes...!

randomly, I zerged a bit of everything in the beta (to a decently high lvl), I found it a lot of fun to do although.... (can't say more because of nda!)

I guess you're right, but people still shouldn't be avoiding testing times or getting disappointed because their data is going to be wiped.

[Lucavi]

There is a fine line between supporting someone's decisions and starting a fanclub for their dick and then proceeding to suck it. Please contain yourself.

How many games have flopped or released as a buggy mess due to "sticking to the scheduled release date", regardless of the state of polish or completion? Not enough games launch, and not enough companies promote a "when its finished" philosopy.

If you call it dick sucking to want a guy who has real clout within the company to take his time so as to not repeat 1.0., so be it.

[xerodok]

How many games have flopped or released as a buggy mess due to "sticking to the scheduled release date", regardless of the state of polish or completion? Not enough games launch, and not enough companies promote a "when its finished" philosopy.

If you call it dick sucking to want a guy who has real clout within the company to take his time so as to not repeat 1.0., so be it.

Let us know if you find FFXIII Versus high up there in Square Enix's ass.

[Lucavi]

I don't follow XIII, so sorry. :/

[Don Katsu]

Yesterday marks week 4 since beta started.

Here are the days they started testing on:

February 25th
March 2nd
March 8th
March 15th

So in SE terms 2-4 weeks really means 4 weeks and 6 days

[Spider-Dan]

"2-4 weeks" really means "5-7 weeks," just like "mid-April" means "May 8."

Act like you've been here before!

[Kelenae]

So which is it guys. Release it early as a buggy mess but on schedule. Or off schedule, polished, and ready to go. Cant have both.

[Sigmakan]

Yesterday marks week 4 since beta started.

Here are the days they started testing on:

February 25th
March 2nd
March 8th
March 15th

So in SE terms 2-4 weeks really means 4 weeks and 6 days

Yesterday marks exactly 3 weeks from the first beta test. Next weekends beta will conclude Monday morning which will be exactly 4 weeks. Where are these additional 6 days coming from?

[Xanthe]

Yesterday marks exactly 3 weeks from the first beta test. Next weekends beta will conclude Monday morning which will be exactly 4 weeks. Where are these additional 6 days coming from?

5 weekends of testing, but it's only 30 days from the first day of testing to the last. People are just being picky about pointless things.

[Spider-Dan]

So which is it guys. Release it early as a buggy mess but on schedule. Or off schedule, polished, and ready to go. Cant have both.

Hey, I'm not hating on the actual time it takes to finish the game. It Ships When It's Done.

I'm just saying, it would be nice if Yoshi underpromised and overdelivered for a change. If he thinks phase 2 will start in mid-April, he should promise late May. Then when it's ready on May 8, everyone is Amazed That They Are Ahead Of Schedule, instead of 3 weeks of disappointing delays (well, disappointing for those who don't know any better).

[Sephiroth]

5 weekends of testing, but it's only 30 days from the first day of testing to the last. People are just being picky about pointless things.

It's not even that, the first test was Monday only if you remember, so the next test will end at exactly 4 weeks since testing began.

The roadmap is subject to change anyway so they can take 4 months if they want and I'll be surpried if phase 3 doesn't get extended beyond the roadmap estimate.

[Takiwaki]

I predict a pretty short phase 2 and an extended phase 3 for sure.

[Buffy]

I predict an endless supply of bitching, regardless of the schedule, lack of schedule, or things being kept to schedule. Also, Yoshi could have the game release with a free blow job and people would complain it wasn't a real mi'quote, but a JP model dressed up as one.

edit: or Justin Timberlake dressed as a mancat, whatever strokes your boat.

[arus2001]

Fuck the furries, give me a female highlander.

[Xanthe]

It's not even that, the first test was Monday only if you remember, so the next test will end at exactly 4 weeks since testing began.

The roadmap is subject to change anyway so they can take 4 months if they want and I'll be surpried if phase 3 doesn't get extended beyond the roadmap estimate.

Ahh, I forgot about that first Monday anomaly. Point sill stands (like you also said) that people are being silly holding them to exact dates when the roadmap was stated as nothing more than a provisional estimate.

[Don Katsu]

I predict

Phase 2 will be 3 weeks
Phase 3 will be 5 weeks, and they will move all our characters to Gridania to only test in that area.
Phase 4 will add Uldah and Limsa areas.
Launch: They will claim Coerthas and Mor Dhona were destroyed and are being rebuilt.

Look at the brightside though, we are likely to get a better product this way.