Comments from the Devs

[miokomioko]

Well, it's possible we won't be getting a ranged auto-attack...

What?! You guys don't like punching monsters in the face when they are too close? That is preposterous! Currently, there aren't any plans to change this animation, but I'll be sure to keep them in the know of your feedback on the animation. In the meantime, keep on training.

blah blah underwear

As stated on topics, smallclothes will be changed from race-specific to gender specific, but the designs for each race will not be affected. Only the names will become unified.

Also, we are looking into implementing smallclothes items that have different designs, but we aren't currently planning to increase the number of models available. Although, we are preparing plans to increase swimsuits and other things.

[Kurokikaze]

Actually there is a ranged auto attack.. the thing in question here is whether or not it should stay ranged when the mob gets close.

[miokomioko]

I've actually never seen any official mention of adding the ranged auto-attack. Everything I've seen talking about such a thing was pure assumption based on the fact that they are removing ammunition.

If there really will be ranged auto-attack, this is pretty much saying you can't shoot arrows (besides weaponskills) if you're too close. Sounds dumb.

[Kurokikaze]

Thats exactly what they're saying. In the LIVE Letter Yoshi right clicks the mob and as long as they're far away you AA. It did not look like he was pressing anything to shoot normal shots.

Remember, they're removing arrows which was part of the reason for lack of ranged-AA in the first place. Ranged-AA should be the default and only shot imo. They also need to get rid of those stupid distance requirements.

[miokomioko]

Yeah, I know all that stuff, but eh... It was harsh enough that they required Archer to get 10 yards away from a mob in order to combo... and now they'll deal complete shit damage when too close? They must really hate the idea of Archers playing solo at all.

[Kurokikaze]

I hate solo BRD. For that very same reason.

Yo but thinking back to the LIVE Letter... Didn't Yoshi-P deal as much damage with his fist as he did with bow shots? Could be that the damage was normalized and just the animation changes for aesthetic purposes? ;o

[Waraji]

...and now they'll deal complete shit damage when too close?

Spoiler: show

In terms of soloing, I expect it to be a lot easier to combo on Archer because skills are based on TP you already have accumulated outside of battle. So all you would need to do is set up a rotation of skills that will enable you to combo right at the start of a fight, possibly single combo kills at range.

At the moment, the only detriment to Archer soloing, is the fact that it takes time to accumulate TP in order to do a combo, but by that time, the mob is in your face. The system is going to be entirely different in 2.0. Which is why they mention over and over that you will essentially have to learn to play the game again.

[Spider-Dan]

Being able to switch back and forth if needed (like gear), only the choice persists throughout the fight until you feel you need to change or the situation/fight requires a change. Gear swapping accomplishes this too in a messy, clumsy and limiting way.

...unless it isn't "messy, clumsy and limiting" because the game has been designed around easily facilitating it (unlike XI), which is the point.

The inventory space it takes is negligible if you consume it to activate it.

So wait... are you talking about consumable bonuses that you have to re-earn over and over? This is 100x worse than macros.

Your worry is making things useless, but how much gear did XI have (side grades and all) that was useful? It was like 10% of all the gear created was good, the rest was trash.

I don't think I understand the question.

If you are asking, "what was the percentage of useful gear relative to the total number of items in the game?" then, sure, the overwhelming majority of gear (even sidegrade gear) either had no useful bonuses or was obsoleted by another piece of gear with better bonuses. But there were a lot of items in the game, so a percentage doesn't really mean that much.

If you are asking, "was sidegrade gear really even useful?", it seems that given the complaints about gearswapping unreasonably raising the standards of acceptable gear, sidegrade gear had a significant impact.

Now, if you take gear sets and use them to focus roles you can cater to play styles and give more variety within job roles. You don't need 15 gear sets (because naturally a person like you has to have a gear set for eeeeeeeverything) you just need 2-3.

Again, I don't see how limiting my gearswap options increases variety. As a THF, I had many different gearsets that I switched between on the fly, and optimized so that I would have the best stats for each tactic I was employing within a battle, instead of trying to stay generalized for the entire battle. With that, I was able to play the role of damage dealer, evasion subtank, ranged debuffer, and hate setter, all fluidly within the course of one battle or multiple battles... and this was all enabled by gearswapping. Now, could I have done a half-assed job at all of those roles in one set of gear? Sure, but I prefer the experience of doing all of them well because of the thought and effort I invested into my gearsets.

There's a difference to leveling a job for sub-abilities and switching in equipment for casting spells for minimal increases. The difference is leveling an entirely new roll to access abilities. This gives you variety in game play, gives your job new and different options, opens you up to a new discipline that perhaps you'll love or hate.

Those are excellent reasons to have a cross-class game, but do nothing to address the objection that if I want to be able to perform my role in one class (at a level that is acceptable to the community), I am forced to level some other different class just to obtain an ability that I (arguably) should have been given on my original class to begin with.

The argument for unfair community expectations applies to every MMO, whether it's main gear, sidegrade gear, or cross-class abilities.

A player who doesn't want to level a job doesn't really equal a player who doesn't want to macro in AF body and switch back again every time they cast Ballad. It's slow and cumbersome, but if you want the game to be like that then I wouldn't see why you wouldn't want it.

I'm not limiting options to prevent elitism, and rofl if you think that XI style gear swaps are a viable option. I'm 'limiting' this option because -- and I'm going to bold this -- it just isn't fun. If you can't see that there is no hope for you.

Again, a great number of your objections seem to be from an implementation standpoint; you keep talking about "macroing gear in and out" when I've repeatedly stated that (if widescale gearswapping is implemented) I think you should be able to directly assign gearsets to abilities. So in other words, you wouldn't "macro in and out" AF body for Ballad; you would create a casting gearset with song bonuses, HMP, MND, VIT, evasion, defense, etc. and then simply assign Ballad to your casting gearset.

[Gokulo]

Yo but thinking back to the LIVE Letter... Didn't Yoshi-P deal as much damage with his fist as he did with bow shots? Could be that the damage was normalized and just the animation changes for aesthetic purposes? ;o

This p. much.

[miokomioko]

I suuuure hoooope sooooo...

[Waraji]

I generally agree with what Spider-dan is saying, for once. Although I wouldn't want to go the route of having to make specific gear sets for specific abilities. I would much prefer a simpler, hassle free, "system" that would instead provide access to different gear sets for different roles for each job/class. Of course such a system would, in essence, be designed by the player base, and would only be given the means to do so by the Devs (this is what the Alpha system is like).

Alternately to what the Devs have done at the moment, and has been mentioned as a point of eminent change by Yoshida, is the ability to have the same pieces of gear on different gear sets. This would, not only eliminate the need to have multiple pieces of the same gear, but it would usher in the ability to have multiple Gear Sets as per Job/Class. If I ultimately have to use my DoH/DoL Gear Set "slots" to have alternate Gear Sets for my battle classes, so be it. But I would really like for there to be a wider range of Gear Set slots to be able to use and designate.

I think an easy way to do it would be to take a page from the Macro Books system eventually implemented in XI. Except to a lesser degree. All I'd have to do is flip to my Warrior book, and poomf activate gear set 1. Don't really have to have that many, just "enough". 3-5? :shrug:

[Ratatapa]

I just wanna make sure i understand that International server thing (i really didnt put time into reading it clearly)

1) So all the current servers Stays but some will be NA and some EU Exemple Durandal NA Ridill EU
2) Current players when they will log into 2.0 will be able to choose 1 of those servers (aka the first time they log they will get a prompt for a server)
3) New Servers will be made for new players
4)New players will be allowed to choose Old servers or new servers

Ok so yay for me then

[Kurokikaze]

I just wanna make sure i understand that International server thing (i really didnt put time into reading it clearly)

1) So all the current servers Stays but some will be NA and some EU Exemple Durandal NA Ridill EU
2) Current players when they will log into 2.0 will be able to choose 1 of those servers (aka the first time they log they will get a prompt for a server)
3) New Servers will be made for new players
4)New players will be allowed to choose Old servers or new servers

Ok so yay for me then

While most of that hasn't been ironed out with specifics...

1. More or less yea.
2. This is the idea but not confirmed.
3. This is confirmed, yes.
4. Yes.

I'd add

5. Current players not able to transfer to some (all?) new servers.

[Ratatapa]

my worries was mostly for point 2 aka a free server transfer kinda

[Jamison]

my worries was mostly for point 2 aka a free server transfer kinda

They haven't addressed it specifically, but it's pretty unimaginable they'd start designating current servers without giving folks a chance to move.

[Raldo]

New dev posts. Somewhat relevant.

link

We will be setting up fresh new Worlds for the new players so that they build the economy from the ground up and if an existing player wanted to play on a new World, they would have to create a new character on that World.

New players wanting to play with existing players will be able to create a new character on their World as long as the population limit has not been reached. We currently have no plans of setting up a new World where existing players can transfer to right at launch.

link

As we stated before, existing players will receive a one-time chance to change the appearance, race, and gender of their characters.

As far as the name change goes, we are currently doing everything in our powers to make sure we are able to meet your expectation.

Please let us know if you have any other feedback.

[ArchDizzle]

Will be nice to leave Balmung, so the
male mithra/female galka thing is really gonna happen? Lol

[miokomioko]

Will be nice to leave Balmung, so the
male mithra/female galka thing is really gonna happen? Lol

It's been happening

Spoiler: show

http://andriasang.com/con1xn/ffxiv_c..._art/243j4.jpg

http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery...4-roegadyn.jpg

[Fondue]

there's not been any specifics on this "materia nerf" right? just the initial announcement?

[Fievel]

there's not been any specifics on this "materia nerf" right? just the initial announcement?

Right