Letter from the Producer, XIX (09/27/2011)

[Grey Jorildyn]

The weapons are all well and good, but are they going to fit into the game's direction in some way is what I want to know.

Are they gonna have fire resistance on them or something? Enfire effect? Anything that sets them a part and makes me use the sword over a temp. falchion? What's the motivation here exactly? Seems to me like the "game's direction" is going the way of XI with a smattering of random places to get gear for X level for awhile but there is still a BiS item that just comes from one place and you've gotta do every event to fit together your best set of gear.

I'm not really a big fan of standalone battlefields as I use to be. I'd like to see some use to these weapons and this battle in terms other than story. I'd like to see it means something in the grand design. SE is moving forward imo, but still kinda shooting in the dark here.

And yeah, WTF with those H2H...

[qpoiuwer]

Well, not all of the weapons look good, but some of them do. At least they don't glow when not wielded, and at least they're not literally on fire.

[Kurokikaze]

In before graphics lag due to glow.

[Hioki]

You shut the fuck up.

The wand is ugly as sin, the bow is ridiculously stupid and the knuckles came from Ifrit's ass.

Oh where is your sense of fantasy?

[Kaiyoko]

I approve of most of those weapons besides the wand. Glowy weapons are a step towards variety, long as they are difficult to obtain : D

Edit: They need to make an effect when they hit something!

[Draylo]

They are turning this into WoW v2?

[Grey Jorildyn]

They are turning this into a modern MMO?

ftfy

[vadre]

They are turning this into WoW v2?

THE WARCRAFTS ARE COMING! THE WARCRAFTS ARE COMING!

In all seriousness, I enjoy these weapons and I think they're suitable providing the challenge of getting them is very high (you'd hope so considering it says 'hard mode'). A few weapons that glow do not equate to the horror that is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq3x0...layer_embedded

[Kaiyoko]

THE WARCRAFTS ARE COMING! THE WARCRAFTS ARE COMING!

In all seriousness, I enjoy these weapons and I think they're suitable providing the challenge of getting them is very high (you'd hope so considering it says 'hard mode'). A few weapons that glow do not equate to the horror that is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq3x0...layer_embedded

I don't see your point with those enchantments. They fit WoW's style.

[Gokulo]

I don't see your point with those enchantments. They fit WoW's style.

Ergo, he's complaining about WoW's style?

[Kaiyoko]

Ergo, he's complaining about WoW's style?

So... On the right we have weapons that don't fit XIV's style and on the left here we have enchantments that fit WoW's style, are you kidding me?

[sceptre]

I heard from a source that the dev team differenciated the ifrit fight as R30 normal and R50 Hard mode for a while i figured we had to do something with ifrit in the rank50 fight to get the New weapons we seen on the video to drop,looks like killing him at r50 will just do it.

ofc this isnt confirmed.

[Gokulo]

So... On the right we have weapons that don't fit XIV's style and on the left here we have enchantments that fit WoW's style, are you kidding me?

Are you kidding me? Don't you get that his post simply said that he doesn't like WoW's style, and he certainly doesn't want stuff like that in XIV, and that Ifrit weapons are still bearable? What does the enchants fitting WoW style have anything to do with that.

[Kurokikaze]

I heard from a source that the dev team differenciated the ifrit fight as R30 normal and R50 Hard mode for a while i figured we had to do something with ifrit in the rank50 fight to get the New weapons we seen on the video to drop,looks like killing him at r50 will just do it.

ofc this isnt confirmed.

Thats what I assumed as well. Would be a nice surprise to find out that there are both normal/hard modes for L50 though. Yes Level. Remember they got rid of "Ranks" only applies to Grand Companies now.

[Kurokikaze]

Are you kidding me? Don't you get that his post simply said that he doesn't like WoW's style, and he certainly doesn't want stuff like that in XIV, and that Ifrit weapons are still bearable? What does the enchants fitting WoW style have anything to do with that.

Hes saying that hes comparing one situation where the weapon/glow looks out of place (FFXIV) to another where the weapons/glow/enchants fit right in (WoW).

[Hyan]

ftfy

Modern MMO's, indeed, have hideous uninspired art directions that ruin them more often than not.

That said, Yoshida is really taking notes, especially from the Koreans.

It's hard to pull off a realistic art direction while keeping it interesting, and environments aside XIV was pulling it off well enough thus far.

[Kaiyoko]

Are you kidding me? Don't you get that his post simply said that he doesn't like WoW's style, and he certainly doesn't want stuff like that in XIV, and that Ifrit weapons are still bearable? What does the enchants fitting WoW style have anything to do with that.

His post is basically saying "I hate Warcraft Style, but it's cool now because SE did it". He isn't saying they are just "bearable", he says he enjoys them and are suitable. SE fanboy-ism and hypocrisy at it's best.

Hes saying that hes comparing one situation where the weapon/glow looks out of place (FFXIV) to another where the weapons/glow/enchants fit right in (WoW).

It's not just the glow, but the style in structure.

I'm open to this change, I'm not hating on the weapons, I like the weapons (expect the wand), but all the hate towards WoW's style is ridicules when SE does the exact same shit now and people praise it.

[Hyan]

Did you know that the original world setting guy is not working on the game anymore?

Looks like they haven't found a replacement for him yet, considering the lore inconsistencies are pretty apparent. He probably left because he was tired of being forced to make up bullshit explanations to justify gameplay additions.

"So, these pants you're wearing. The more you wear them, the more you start liking them, which in turn creates a bond between you and the pants. And when you and pants love each other very, very much, you can use miracles and magnets to turn them into a magical gem. Oh, it's called MATERIA by the way. MATERIA like in FINAL FANTASY SEVEN. CLOUD, SEPHIROTH. BUY OUR GAME PLZ".

But this is besides the point perhaps. Looks like the art direction is affected as well though. Ifrit coming out from the flames is like Sephiroth.

[Gokulo]

Hes saying that hes comparing one situation where the weapon/glow looks out of place (FFXIV) to another where the weapons/glow/enchants fit right in (WoW).

Personally, these weapons and current stuff WoW are still worlds apart for me. Remember that it also started with quite normal looking equipment. I'm not hating on them (besides the creepy h2h), and definitely not hating on WoW's style also. I don't think the glow here is that horrible, and S-E might not go overboard with it with time.

[Kaiyoko]

Personally, these weapons and current stuff WoW are still worlds apart for me. Remember that it also started with quite normal looking equipment. I'm not hating on them (besides the creepy h2h), and definitely not hating on WoW's style also. I don't think the glow here is that horrible, and S-E might not go overboard with it with time.

http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/...pon-Blue-Posts
Granted the weapons from WoW's 4.2 Firelands are not exactly the same, but they have very similar characteristics. The bulkiness of the new XIV weapons even resemble the size of WoWs weapons.