Ask the Devs! （01/24/2011）

[Seiji Okita]

http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com...86f5473aef84f6

Markets and Me
Q.The Market areas seem to be quite unstable. Is anything being done to fix the problem?

A.We are fully aware of the inconvenience caused by frequent crashes occurring in these areas, and offer our sincerest apologies. We have made alleviating this issue our top priority, and currently have a team working on a solution.

Q.What type of changes/adjustments can we expect for the Markets in the near future?

A.Our immediate focus is to ensure players can easily and efficiently locate the items they seek, and have therefore been working on further improving the recently introduced item search feature. From there, we will proceed in revamping the Markets system, addressing issues such as stand functionality and the possible opening of auction houses.

Q.Many players have chosen to sell their wares in the Middle Tailors Ward/Row/Den, causing these areas to fill up quickly with retainers. Will this issue be addressed?

A.While only temporary measures until the market system is revamped, we currently have several fixes planned to address these issues, including area reformatting and an increase in the number of retainers that can be stationed in any single location.

Q.When will players be able to hire more than two retainers?

A.Currently, we intend to allow the hiring of additional retainers once all planned system changes have been executed. The ultimate date of implementation, however, may change depending on player response to the changes.

[Hyan]

What I don't get is some people's comments "pls no more retainers". What the hell?

Retainers are already moogle +1's and I don't understand why they are a synonym for the Marketplace and can not coexist with an AH. Was Mog House useless when there was an AH in XI? Right now what they can do is combine the two, add some extra features to retainers that have to do with AH perhaps and implement the mail box. All three things can be stationed in the same place, while retainers can also be called elsewhere if needed. Instead of having an AH -1 we can have an AH +1 in a few months. Which is just reasonable.

The last question also hints at when the payments start imo. No additional retainers without a sub fee is my uneducated guess. I also predict that combat system and UI revisions have been finished by then, but the PS3 release will be sometime off still.

This is fucking awesome to follow regardless of how it ends up though.

[Seiji Okita]

I agree with keeping retainers, and mixing the looming AH with the existing market wards. I think everything Yoshi-P has said to this point has indicated hes going to keep both. Some people just seem to have become so hurt by the market wards that anything that even reminds them of the system and they want to log off... which i find rather funny, hehe.

Interesting though, what if they were to do something along the lines of adding an AH system, but only useing it to sell raw items, then compiled with a much improved search system for market wards, leaving them to hawk finished goods like weapons and armor.

[Patriarch]

I'm so tired of hearing about nothing but Market Wards, and retainers.

Fix the rest of the fucking game

[Elrina]

Sounds like, if/when they implement an AH they plan on adding it to what's there, for sure. Market wards could easily be the new Rolanberry, with a full scale AH in it's own ward that doesn't allow retainers. Which would be a good way of making use of what's there, although I can't really imagine the need to have more than two retainers at that point other than for inventory.

And if that's the case, I'd rather they focused at that point on some kind of new mog house/personal housing, rather than just using retainers and additional retainers to serve the function. Our retainers could always serve the purpose the moogle used to, and their levels raised to provide additional inventory per-retainer rather than needing more. It would be really nice (imo) to have some personal space again to retreat into, whether to craft, log in/out, relax while socializing and not actually doing anything, etc. Not immediately necessary or anything, obviously, but it would be nice to get in the future, eventually.

Also, they're continuing to not make a declarative statement as to whether or not there will even definitely be an AH. Which may mean that they're still hoping the current tweaking might be enough once completed, or just that there are other things taking priority right now and it will be a while till they can implement it, so don't want to get hopes up that it'll arrive soon (which I think is more likely).

[Hyan]

I'm so tired of hearing about nothing but Market Wards, and retainers.

At the very least they should fucking post the poll results, wtf is this shit?

[The Q]

I would like a Mog House or facsimile thereof. I would also like it to not be tied to LS/Company/Guild/whatever.

[Lazytowner]

Lodestone needs more talk of yellow birds and/or flying ships.

[Senji]

Someones just gonna make thread titled "FFXIV: now with AH, content, and non suckage!" right? Up until then, even reading all these ask devs and letters seems like a waste.

[Cichy]

No one will play the this game but there atleast will be AH. Lets take SS's of us buying copper nuggets from AH, sounds like content.

[Lazytowner]

No one will play the this game but there atleast will be AH. Lets take SS's of us buying copper nuggets from AH, sounds like content.

Hopefully us DoL's will move our inventory out the door faster by waiting in line instead of this Rolanberry Fields shit.

[Xanthe]

At the very least they should fucking post the poll results, wtf is this shit?

They did. Four days ago.

[Rivian]

Interesting though, what if they were to do something along the lines of adding an AH system, but only useing it to sell raw items, then compiled with a much improved search system for market wards, leaving them to hawk finished goods like weapons and armor.

I don't see them doing this. It creates a disparity between gatherers, crafters and fighters. They already said they don't want DoH & DoL time in Eorzea to amount to listing stuff on an AH.

[Selamis]

I don't see them doing this. It creates a disparity between gatherers, crafters and fighters. They already said they don't want DoH & DoL time in Eorzea to amount to listing stuff on an AH.

They said that with the old team. The new guys aren't so sure that is the correct path anymore. Plus if anything I'd rather get materials from the wards and armor from the AH, not the other way. Then again I'd prefer everything from the AH lol.