Letter from the Producer LIVE Part II (10/25/2011)

[Takiwaki]

That would be great if the order of combos mattered and did something different. Would be nice of every job had some unique mechanic to it. I just doubt it greatly. I love my Final Fantasy but it just seems like they have not been able to evolve much. Next year is just such a huge time for MMOs also.

[Kurokikaze]

That would be great if the order of combos mattered and did something different. Would be nice of every job had some unique mechanic to it. I just doubt it greatly. I love my Final Fantasy but it just seems like they have not been able to evolve much. Next year is just such a huge time for MMOs also.

Thats what people said going into this year...

[Takiwaki]

Thats what people said going into this year...

Yea I know but delays and stuff lol. I mean we have, TERA for sure, GW2, TOR, Secret world, expansion for already ongoing ones also.

[solracht]

Thats what people said going into this year...

To be fair, most of the titles people were waiting for last year still haven't come out.

Unless that's the point.

[Sephiroth]

lol my prediction of a level cap increase at 1.21 turned out to be right. They kinda gave it away in the 1.19 patch notes.

Most people aren't going to care about the WHM/BLM thing now as to be an effective CON or THM in the current game you need both levelled up, thus most people do have them both at 50 or will do by the time 1.21 comes along.

[Cichy]

I was hoping for more 1.20 info, guess we have to wait till next week =(

[Croy]

That would be great if the order of combos mattered and did something different. Would be nice of every job had some unique mechanic to it. I just doubt it greatly. I love my Final Fantasy but it just seems like they have not been able to evolve much. Next year is just such a huge time for MMOs also.

I know they specifically referenced Lancer/Dragoon but the combos system isn't unique to Lancer. EVERY class is going to get the ability to solo combo. Its the replacement for the regimen system. They mentioned Puglist being able to do it in a previous interview about how more then just streaming abilities is going to be part of it. Some effects can only occur when a specific positional order happens too. Like an attack from the front followed by an attack from the side. This way you can get some more utility even while solo combos in a party. Furthermore they are planning some kind of grand combo system in party play where multiple party members come together for one devastating combo, but it can only happen once in a fight.

They are planning this new combo system around the new server structure and they know it won't be optimal till then (Movement lag, movement locks etc in the current version).

[Jamison]

Not liking the Dragoon + Wyvern suggestion.

Yeah, I have serious reservations about the idea. If anything, perhaps they could implement a way to temporarily channel the power of a dragon (not saying a full transform or anything) to introduce something cool that is a little bit along the same lines.

[TacoTaru]

On a side note, have they addressed ARC having no auto-atack/being animation locked (if so can someone link me please!) and if not, why has no one asked this yet?

[Takiwaki]

I know they specifically referenced Lancer/Dragoon but the combos system isn't unique to Lancer. EVERY class is going to get the ability to solo combo. Its the replacement for the regimen system. They mentioned Puglist being able to do it in a previous interview about how more then just streaming abilities is going to be part of it. Some effects can only occur when a specific positional order happens too. Like an attack from the front followed by an attack from the side. This way you can get some more utility even while solo combos in a party. Furthermore they are planning some kind of grand combo system in party play where multiple party members come together for one devastating combo, but it can only happen once in a fight.

They are planning this new combo system around the new server structure and they know it won't be optimal till then (Movement lag, movement locks etc in the current version).

very cool, It would be nice if abilities actually moved you and change your positioning, some giving you 90 degree position change and some moving you directly behind or back to the front. This way they can create some really nice animations instead of having you run to the side or to the back every single time.

[Kaiyoko]

On a side note, have they addressed ARC having no auto-atack/being animation locked (if so can someone link me please!) and if not, why has no one asked this yet?

I thought they said something along the lines of it not being possible to fix with the current engine in a dev response.

Also did anyone else take the moggle thing as there will be multiple moogles you have to fight?

[miokomioko]

With current lore, and the style of the Dragoon armor, it's very likely that the job is based on siding with and/or being given powers by the Coerthan dragons. The Ishgardians warn heavily about ever speaking with, touching, or even looking into the eyes of a dragon... and say they deem those who are swayed by the dragons and their power as heretics, worthy of being excommunicated and usually hunted down. Their options for a dragon pet/transformation/mount/etc. are completely open at this point. In XI, it made little sense to hang out with a wyvern (which isn't actually a dragon, but the pet model was a dragon).

[Elcura]

I always liked the wyvern and dragoon combo, though it may make the dragoon weaker, this isn't XI 5 years ago, it wouldn't (or shouldn't) take too long for Yoshi to realise Dragoon is too weak and improve it.

Of course, I'd love to see a wyvern fight Ifrit. Would die so quickly lol

[Croy]

I always liked the wyvern and dragoon combo, though it may make the dragoon weaker, this isn't XI 5 years ago, it wouldn't (or shouldn't) take too long for Yoshi to realise Dragoon is too weak and improve it.

Of course, I'd love to see a wyvern fight Ifrit. Would die so quickly lol

Yeah this is my main worry about wyvern/pet classes. Characters die way too quickly when not properly healed in tough battles or not in the right position, a tool that can die (even if you can revive it in battle) and greatly effect your utility output or DPS is going to be VERY hard to balance properly. Not to mention pathing issues that could arise, like you avoiding a column of flame and your damn pet walks right into it and dies while you are escaping. In order for a pet class to work in such a scenario we better get commands that allow us to position the pet as we please at a moments notice. It will be harder for a player to play the class properly but at least we can say we had the tools to change such problems if we are skilled enough.

[Hyan]

I think he meant that at least up until 1.21 no level cap increase is planned.

If he implied that, it's no confirmation of anything. However there are some hints that it's a possibility.

Wyvern mount would be a good middleground imo. Utility but nothing to do with combat balance. Then they can always create attacks that have the wyvern come to the dragoon's aid temporarily, being just an aesthetic but a cool one at that.

And goddamn I hope these other MMO's get their shit together as soon as possible. There's no better MMO than an unreleased MMO, so lets get that shit over with.

[Lucavi]

I always liked the wyvern and dragoon combo, though it may make the dragoon weaker, this isn't XI 5 years ago, it wouldn't (or shouldn't) take too long for Yoshi to realise Dragoon is too weak and improve it.

Of course, I'd love to see a wyvern fight Ifrit. Would die so quickly lol

I wish I had your faith. I've seen nothing from SE in the last 5 years to show or demonstrate that they understand how to balance a pet class. It didn't take WoW long at all to make Hunters somewhat decent. They were always good for leveling, and eventually they became very powerful for end-game. Warlocks are the same. I haven't seen anything of the sort for either Dragoon, Summoner or Beastmaster, outside of being relegated for a single use on certain fights, such as spinning dive/pred claws spam back in the day against Kirin, ect.

Without hard evidence, your words are simply that: words. I'm not criticizing you at all, as I respect your opinions and insight, but I'd have to request that you show whatever evidence you may have that would serve to reinforce your position that SE somehow "gets it" now as opposed to before. Try as I might, I still see the same old classes in XI dominating, and I still don't see the ability for a Dragoon or Summoner to effectively solo at a good speed and gain good exp.

Edit: I'm pretty sure the best thing Dragoons ever received that had any sort of tangible benefits towards end-game was Angon, and that had nothing to do with Wyverns themselves. They attack too slow, their abilities are too limited, they die too easily and they've bottlenecked the class for far too long.

[blindSharingan]

I was really enjoying the idea of the non-bright purple classic FF dragoon that was an effective DD. I'd really hate to see them ruin that by imitating XI's horrible take on DRG. Dragoon is a job that you really only get to see in Final Fantasy. The pet class take on dragoon already exists in XI. It'd be nice to see it played out in a more traditional FF style using jumps and high dmg for XIV.

[Hyan]

DRG was incredibly hot post toau, wtf are you guys smoking really

[Elcura]

I wish I had your faith. I've seen nothing from SE in the last 5 years to show or demonstrate that they understand how to balance a pet class. It didn't take WoW long at all to make Hunters somewhat decent. They were always good for leveling, and eventually they became very powerful for end-game. Warlocks are the same. I haven't seen anything of the sort for either Dragoon, Summoner or Beastmaster, outside of being relegated for a single use on certain fights, such as spinning dive/pred claws spam back in the day against Kirin, ect.

Without hard evidence, your words are simply that: words. I'm not criticizing you at all, as I respect your opinions and insight, but I'd have to request that you show whatever evidence you may have that would serve to reinforce your position that SE somehow "gets it" now as opposed to before. Try as I might, I still see the same old classes in XI dominating, and I still don't see the ability for a Dragoon or Summoner to effectively solo at a good speed and gain good exp.

Edit: I'm pretty sure the best thing Dragoons ever received that had any sort of tangible benefits towards end-game was Angon, and that had nothing to do with Wyverns themselves. They attack too slow, their abilities are too limited, they die too easily and they've bottlenecked the class for far too long.

Jesus, where the hell did this come from? You're totally over thinking just about everything I said.

Hard evidence? Are you serious right now? I'm not sure how I should respond to this.

[Lucavi]

Jesus, where the hell did this come from? You're totally over thinking just about everything I said.

Hard evidence? Are you serious right now? I'm not sure how I should respond to this.

So you just have some gut feeling that everything's gonna be groovy great this time around? That's worked out well in the past, especially concerning pet classes.