Game Watch Translation - Yoshida Interview on Heavensward (EU Media Event 5/19)

[Niiro]

Unfortunately we'd need more than 4 secondary stats for gear diversity could mean anything.

[Prothescar]

May as well only have 3 of them for melee/tank with one of them being largely inconsequential after a certain #. Not counting accuracy, that should just be a primary attribute.

[Niiro]

You lost me, what stat, other than accuracy, is inconsequential after a certain point?

[Taim Meich]

More sets of gear = more options to customize your build = more job diversity = more reason to grind = more reason to play the game = more fun... I mean, really, are there any negatives here?

They either have to design more endgame-level content, to drop pieces of gear of max ilv, which is costly, or they have to tack some kind of token/currency/whatever to another task that is not as difficult, and put an artificial cap on it (like the current tomestones). The best solution clearly would be having 3 equally difficult endgame raids, ideally each one very different thematically and mechanically from the others, and then one extra source of relevant ilv gear from tomestones. That, with better/more impactful/more varied secondary stats would make doing endgame a blast. That, however, is an scenario that only a handful of people would really enjoy. The more realistic alternative would be having that variety in the lower ilv tiers, while having the secondaries make them some times surpass the performance of the higher ilv pieces. That would make for more easier to balance content that more people could enjoy, and would still add variety to gear.

However, all of this takes much more work and it's not efficient business wise, so we won't have it.

[Seravi Edalborez]

Make PvP gear go up to the same caps as PvE gear. Add elite wolf marks for this gear if they are that concerned that you have an "uncapped" source of max ilvl. Put a weekly cap on elite wolf marks.

Instantly solves the issue of only having 2 and a half pieces per slot. Now you have 3 and a half for people who are very dedicated. PvP gear also virtually all lacks accuracy so if you have a fuckton, do PvP and get a damage piece. Win/win with our retarded system. If you don't want/need it, don't need to do PvP. Wow.

If they want people to do PvP and don't want to fix the underlying issue (GC bullshit in Frontline, arguably un-fun), make demand overwhelmingly high so queues are PACKED AS FUCK.

[Destinye]

TBH I miss gear design like this in XIV:



Materia aside..actually I also miss 1.0's varied materia..while yeah it woulda made selling an absolute bitch on market board due to varied values..at the same time...it brought much more 'customization'.

[Spider-Dan]

More sets of gear = more options to customize your build = more job diversity = more reason to grind = more reason to play the game = more fun...

There is no "gear diversity" in this game. At any given iLVL, different pieces of gear for the same slot are simply better or worse, and if you have the ability to get the better gear, getting the worse gear is a complete waste of time (save glamz, of course).

When 3.0 comes out, people will run the numbers for SS+DoTs and determine whether it is more effective or less effective than DET, at which point we will slot gear into their fixed hierarchy. The only reason to want "more gearsets" at any iLVL is because the available gear is bad.

There is no demand for a wider variety of bad gear.

[Niiro]

Considering there's been no mention of anything to remedy TP issues aside from MNK's Chakra (which only helps them) I think the debate will be short lived.

SS will probably still be avoided as it is now, it'll just be not as bad when you do have it.

edit: and the AST card I guess if you're lucky*

[Spider-Dan]

Melee jobs didn't get their damage from DoTs anyway, so SS should be unchanged for them. I'm primarily thinking of SMN/BRD, and I'd be surprised if BRD can be TP starved when in caster stance (especially since they can refresh both DoTs in one action).

[Gokulo]

TBH I miss gear design like this in XIV:

Yeah, I think this is one of those rare things that could be argued as worth missing from 1.0 ;(

[Damane]

I'd rather they made more gear for us to actually use, but I suppose I'm just kidding myself at this point.

what would be the difference? its not like there are many stats you can derive different gear for different situations.

[Destinye]

what would be the difference? its not like there are many stats you can derive different gear for different situations.

Yeah..yoshi did say he would bring back the 1.x/xi style gear if there's a demand for it but sadly the targeted adhd playerbase only care for glamor gear.

[Ramset]

Right now, it's looking like they're picking and choosing their battles.

They think they current model of gear progression "works" and rather than looking at overhauling that, they're choosing to make other adjustments. (Example: New Airship Content, updating PvP, Re-balancing the overworld, etc.) All these "changes" are likely calculated risks for them. In practice the gear progress doesn't really look broken, it's just bland as fuck. To Spider-Dan's point, yes itemization is shitty -- part of what I'm really looking for here is expansion of secondary stat performance and spread among gear sets. Set bonuses would flesh this out a little more too... Let's look at the SS vs DET example someone brought up. If we decide Skill Speed is shit still, fine, DET is king; however, it's possible that by mixing and matching pieces we might be able to get a set bonus of +30 Skill Speed. This could be the difference between 9-hit Berserk chain or 8-hit Berserk chain for WAR, or hitting CT + B4B buffed FT's on DRG. Rebalancing secondary stats would be a huge undertaking, likely not to happen soon, but gear set bonuses could give a little extra edge where needed.

Taim Mech's comment about having to design additional content to add more gear sets... yes and no.... They already love grinding (See: Zodiac Quest) -- I'd be totally fine with a new grind for upgraded armor pieces, or some sort of long term grind from Airship content. Let's be real here, SE gives out gear for free anyway, what's it matter where it comes from? The best players are still going to outperform bad ones no matter what gear they're wearing, but more gear options at least gives everyone something to work towards. Even if there aren't set bonuses, and even if one piece will always be better than the other for a certain job... there would still other options. In some cases, BOTH options are utter shit for a job, so you're stuck picking the lesser of two evils.

I see a lot of wasted effort in this game. Hunts -- grind hunts for glamour armor. Odin Primal battle - They literally designed an entire primal fight for GLAMOUR. Ponies - Farming old content for mount glamour/desyth items to make weapons for...guess what? GLAMOUR. Come on. They've put a lot of effort into designing all this content, and the end result is effectively useless rewards.

If they're gonna put so many grinds in the game, at least let us work towards something worth while. They don't even need to add new content. Add a quest for relic armor. Each piece has different requirements..ex, Body Piece: defeat certain primals X number of times to unlock the piece. Boom, new way to get high level armor. Nah, we will design an entire primal battle that will be beaten in an hour but drop glamour armor that's been in the game since day 1. RIP. Well...now that this has just become a rant and I've stopped saying useful things, I'm done. Feel free to disagree with me I probably have lots of holes in this opinion..delirious rant.

[Elcura]

Yeah..yoshi did say he would bring back the 1.x/xi style gear if there's a demand for it but sadly the targeted adhd playerbase only care for glamor gear.

Oh right everyone who doesn't want what you want has ADHD. Nothing to do with sensible or logical reasons.

[Lucavi]

Oh right everyone who doesn't want what you want has ADHD. Nothing to do with sensible or logical reasons.

How are you gonna get your point across if you don't demean your opposition? It works in politics and on grade school playgrounds, so why not everywhere, right?

That goes for too many "debates" lately, but it is what it is. There's no rule against it and its the low-hanging fruit; the next best thing to actually swaying people over to your line of thinking.

Guy who doesn't like 1.0's combat system = Downs.
Girl who doesn't want gear "diversity" equaling Adaberk >> everything else for 5 years ala the main lifespan of XI = Autism.
Person who doesn't want exactly what I want = mentally crippled in some way/shape/form.

Its really a terrible way to try to push a point, but again, low-hanging fruit.

[Niiro]

Right now, it's looking like they're picking and choosing their battles.

They think they current model of gear progression "works" and rather than looking at overhauling that, they're choosing to make other adjustments. (Example: New Airship Content, updating PvP, Re-balancing the overworld, etc.) All these "changes" are likely calculated risks for them. In practice the gear progress doesn't really look broken, it's just bland as fuck. To Spider-Dan's point, yes itemization is shitty -- part of what I'm really looking for here is expansion of secondary stat performance and spread among gear sets. Set bonuses would flesh this out a little more too... Let's look at the SS vs DET example someone brought up. If we decide Skill Speed is shit still, fine, DET is king; however, it's possible that by mixing and matching pieces we might be able to get a set bonus of +30 Skill Speed. This could be the difference between 9-hit Berserk chain or 8-hit Berserk chain for WAR, or hitting CT + B4B buffed FT's on DRG. Rebalancing secondary stats would be a huge undertaking, likely not to happen soon, but gear set bonuses could give a little extra edge where needed.

Taim Mech's comment about having to design additional content to add more gear sets... yes and no.... They already love grinding (See: Zodiac Quest) -- I'd be totally fine with a new grind for upgraded armor pieces, or some sort of long term grind from Airship content. Let's be real here, SE gives out gear for free anyway, what's it matter where it comes from? The best players are still going to outperform bad ones no matter what gear they're wearing, but more gear options at least gives everyone something to work towards. Even if there aren't set bonuses, and even if one piece will always be better than the other for a certain job... there would still other options. In some cases, BOTH options are utter shit for a job, so you're stuck picking the lesser of two evils.

I see a lot of wasted effort in this game. Hunts -- grind hunts for glamour armor. Odin Primal battle - They literally designed an entire primal fight for GLAMOUR. Ponies - Farming old content for mount glamour/desyth items to make weapons for...guess what? GLAMOUR. Come on. They've put a lot of effort into designing all this content, and the end result is effectively useless rewards.

If they're gonna put so many grinds in the game, at least let us work towards something worth while. They don't even need to add new content. Add a quest for relic armor. Each piece has different requirements..ex, Body Piece: defeat certain primals X number of times to unlock the piece. Boom, new way to get high level armor. Nah, we will design an entire primal battle that will be beaten in an hour but drop glamour armor that's been in the game since day 1. RIP. Well...now that this has just become a rant and I've stopped saying useful things, I'm done. Feel free to disagree with me I probably have lots of holes in this opinion..delirious rant.

WHOA

whoa

hey, now buddy...........

Spoiler: show

think of the new players™

[Spider-Dan]

How are you gonna get your point across if you don't demean your opposition?

[...]

Its really a terrible way to try to push a point, but again, low-hanging fruit.

And what of the "nostalgia glasses" dead-enders, who want "obsolete gear systems" from "failed MMOs"? You know, the ones who "just want FFXI HD," or the ones who liked certain features from this game's "unplayable predecessor"?

This newfound sense of respect for people who prefer different solutions is refreshing, if unexpected.

[Destinye]

Oh right everyone who doesn't want what you want has ADHD. Nothing to do with sensible or logical reasons.

I'm honestly waiting to read the logical reasoning for wanting the development team to focus on glamor/useless gear than progression gear. Since as you say, there has to be "logical and sensible reasoning." In all actuality it's a lot more logical to expand on the aspects that affects the actual gameplay.

"But to some people doing raids and trash content for glamor is gameplay!"

i bet the tune would be an entirely different note if they shifted focused purely to 'glamor content'.

[Elcura]

I'm honestly waiting to read the logical reasoning for wanting the development team to focus on glamor/useless gear than progression gear. Since as you say, there has to be "logical and sensible reasoning." In all actuality it's a lot more logical to expand on the aspects that affects the actual gameplay.

"But to some people doing raids and trash content for glamor is gameplay!"

i bet the tune would be an entirely different note if they shifted focused purely to 'glamor content'.

I really do struggle to understand what you mean. Is glamour content stuff like Golden Saucer?

The focus isn't on making glamour gear, the focus is limiting variables so gear is easier to balance for encounters. At this point gear is such a streamlined process they should be trying to add diversity through other methods (remember when we had a materia system?) but they aren't, because it allows them to focus on other content or whatever the hell else isn't gear. You say expanding that is logical but how logical is it to break something you know works? There are far better ways to influence gameplay than gear choices, which is just a narrow view of what you want for this game, not necessarily what it needs.

I get that people feel entitled to get the content they want but after so long maybe expectations should be tailored? The closer you get to diversity the further you get from balance, and I'm not saying which is better but I really don't understand why people don't get what direction XIV is going (at least so far).

[Lucavi]

And what of the "nostalgia glasses" dead-enders, who want "obsolete gear systems" from "failed MMOs"? You know, the ones who "just want FFXI HD," or the ones who liked certain features from this game's "unplayable predecessor"?

This newfound sense of respect for people who prefer different solutions is refreshing, if unexpected.

I'd take your post more seriously if you were able to find any "people who wear nostalgia glasses = retarded" or "people who want obsolete gear systems = mentally crippled" examples to actually compare against my posted point, but hey, good luck trying, because that's not my style. Because, you know, that was the actual point: that weak people demean other's intelligence when disagreeing on a point, not that people simply disagree on a point, which is something you and I do on a fairly regular basis.

The sense of respect shouldn't seem new because its always been there. Calling a system obsolete isn't demeaning a person's intelligence or mental facilities. Claiming that someone who enjoys such is retarded kinda is. I'm sorry you can't see the difference there.

Semi-off-topic: Do you even play XI anymore?

@Elcura: I think they get it, they just don't like it because its not what they want. There's nothing more to it but that based on what's been repeated. It is legitimately the example of "I don't like a thing". Hell, the current system isn't exactly what I want either, but I don't believe that my ideal system would somehow lead to a larger financial success for them (the only success a major company cares about), simply a more enjoyable game for me. In the grand scheme of things, though, I don't matter that much. I'm one person. A single influx of $15-$17 bucks a month. Catering to me and me alone is pointless.

Now, whether the "I don't like a thing" comes from a true love of the game and wanting to see the game succeed, and believing such success could only come from their line of thinking... well, that's up to them, but so it goes, I guess. It'd certainly be a more noble perspective to take on it. I think everyone, though, has a few bulletpoints that they could cite that would instantly turn X game or X franchise into a more successful entity. That's human nature.