New Grand Company Gear (04/23/2012)

[Croy]

I'm not a huge fan at these over-the-top designs they're coming up with, but if 2.0 miraculously turns out to be a good game I really won't care.

Possibly the only thing I'll miss from Tanaka's reign is a bit of artistic consistency, I enjoyed the art direction of 1.0 even if it was executed terribly. Suddenly the garlean empire isn't so threatening with they have little gunblades, and we have giant winged-bows and meteor fists.

Its the double-edged sword of development change, one director might have very different outlook on what "Final Fantasy" means to them for an MMO environment and unfortunately we are getting a crossover between the two similar yet very different styles. Tanaka and his direction had a more reserved industrialized feel with more focus on practicality rather then aesthetics and that each piece of equipment was similar yet had just enough changed where it could feel unique (Thus the focus on color and textures rather then making one particular weapon inherently unique over another weapon/armor). Yoshida has more in common with modern day Final Fantasy's where the weapon becomes a personality unto itself and shows an accomplishment rather then practicality. Honestly other then the brick-fists I have felt that Yoshida's 'style' has been fairly consistent. Mog related elements and items have always had a whimsical flare in past Final Fantasy's so I had no qualms that some of the items matched that flavor. Meanwhile Ifrit had a more brute force, power embodiment feel, and the new Garuda weapons give off a more winged elegance, both which show a consistent motif to "God" weapons and look like no other item in the game. The new Company items look like maybe they are supposed to embody some new technology from Garlean with the focus on the transformation. They all have the same dark/mechanical sleekness to them which likely comes from the material they are made from.

Honestly I think the only area where I wished Yoshida would tone it down is in the size of the weapons themselves, I don't have a problem with the look of them at all.

[Odin'sLaw]

Thought you were getting a spear? BAM! IT'S A TRIDENT! Come one, come all, there is more to these weapons than meets the eye! Retractable, mighty morphin' grand company weapons! BAM!!

A STAFF? NO SIR. IT'S A MODEL OF THE PLANET AND IT'S SATELLITES! FIST WEAPONS? MORE LIKE DEATHWING STYLE BRICKS. BAM. BOW? MINI NUKE LAUNCHER IS MOAR LIKE.

Big banged sucka

Edit cuz 2 posts would be silly

i'm pretty happy with all the Garuda weapons (not sure about the flower staff tho) they all remind me of Monster hunter style weapons (like they have actually been crafted from her)
them "lava style brick fists" would have been fine if they didn't grow to the size of the taru weilding them its pretty easy to craft a volcanic style H2H in goldsmithing but i agree there very over the top

i look at the new crafted weapons coming from the Empire (would keep in touch with there Steampunk mecha world)

[Spider-Dan]

Possibly the only thing I'll miss from Tanaka's reign is a bit of artistic consistency, I enjoyed the art direction of 1.0 even if it was executed terribly.

It's easy to "maintain consistency" when you are fired 3 months after your product ships.

Here's something to put this in perspective: Yoshida has helmed XIV for almost exactly the same amount of time (17 months, 12/2010-4/2012) as passed between the release of JP RoZ and CoP (4/2003-9/2004).

[Meko]

My bow is a bird, your argument is invalid.

Holy crap I laughed at that far too much. Also, I think the weapons look pretty neat sans the monk blocks. Even Blizzard thinks those monk "fists" look ridiculous.

[miokomioko]

I like the idea that they are segmented and expand upon brandishing, but they could have made them any (more intimidating) shape besides big stupid blocks. PGL/MNK has been getting hosed pretty consistently apart from those sweet ass Garuda claws.

[rezn0r]

MNK usually got hosed throughout FFXI's life too, which is a shame

[Corrderio]

Instead of something that looks like a pair of glowing bricks, they should have made them a pair of claws where the blades come out when in active mode, Wolverine style.

[Cichy]

I'm not a huge fan at these over-the-top designs they're coming up with, but if 2.0 miraculously turns out to be a good game I really won't care.

Possibly the only thing I'll miss from Tanaka's reign is a bit of artistic consistency, I enjoyed the art direction of 1.0 even if it was executed terribly. Suddenly the garlean empire isn't so threatening with they have little gunblades, and we have giant winged-bows and meteor fists.

Yo, gtfo with this shit. Looks like we're finally getting to the point where the new designs are coming out consistently and they not using up same old shit previous team left. If you remember correct everything looked same. Even worse everything looked like shit because it was grey, brown, dark colors. I dont think we need another 50 cowls or recolored bronze armor.

[Spider-Dan]

Instead of something that looks like a pair of glowing bricks, they should have made them a pair of claws where the blades come out when in active mode, Wolverine style.

relic knuckles = snikt

[blindSharingan]

I think all the crying plus the idea of punching someone in the face with a brick has made me fall in love with brickfists. I hope the stats are good on them.

[Celeste]

Even worse everything looked like shit because it was grey, brown, dark colors. I dont think we need another 50 cowls or recolored bronze armor.

Here, here... I agree. If the Hempen gear I'm using right now is any indication of gear to come, then any changes that Yoshida makes are very much so welcome.

[Elcura]

I like the idea that they are segmented and expand upon brandishing, but they could have made them any (more intimidating) shape besides big stupid blocks.

Certainly had potential to be badass, but the blocks just got blockier lol

[Carraway]

I agree on the notes about aesthetic design and consistency, but I like all of these weapons -- except for the brickfists, which I love.

[Celeste]

Certainly had potential to be badass, but the blocks just got blockier lol

Yoshida will beat you to death with his brick fists if you keep it up.

[Ansems]

Wow, I've never seen a bunch of 12 yr old girls menstruate at the same mother fucking time. The weapons look great, even the fucking brick, fucking trolled, fuck.

[Spira]

uh huh. hopefully they'll have released haus of gaga abjuration in FFXIV when i start playing again

[vadre]

Yo, gtfo with this shit. Looks like we're finally getting to the point where the new designs are coming out consistently and they not using up same old shit previous team left. If you remember correct everything looked same. Even worse everything looked like shit because it was grey, brown, dark colors. I dont think we need another 50 cowls or recolored bronze armor.

I like the implication that me not liking something is going to make them stop doing it, it won't, don't worry. For one thing I'm not resubbing till 2.0 and I certainly wouldn't care enough to make a thread about it on the official forums in any case.

It's a point of opinion, I have a different one. I said I missed consistency, I didn't say I missed the methods of the previous dev team, nor the colour pallet and constant reuse of items either. I'm all for new designs, I just kinda wish they'd stuck a bit closer to the feel of the world but again that's just personal opinion. As I said in my other post, I really don't care as long as 2.0 turns out to be a fun game, it certainly wouldn't hold me back from playing.

As for my reference of Tanaka, it was more considering FFXI's art style for the first few expansions which maintained consistent themes generally for each area and the gear earned, but was more subtle in its approach.

If the game world is all fantastical and magical come 2.0 ala FFIX etc then sure, it'll suit it. Right now to me it kinda feels like characters are running round a world like Ivalice in terms of setting and tone (probably thanks to them sharing the same awesome art director) with Aion's weapons.

[Celeste]

Wow, I've never seen a bunch of 12 yr old girls menstruate at the same mother fucking time. The weapons look great, even the fucking brick, fucking trolled, fuck.

My only wish is that the bow used bricks as ammo.

[Cichy]

Garudas bow will use a swarm of birds which will pluck out enemies eyes as ammo

[Hellfury]

new recipes have started popping up on lodestone

sample items:

Darksteel (nugget) 2x Darksteel ore, 1x Iron Ore
Darksteel Ingot 2x Darksteel nugget, 1x Coke
Rose Gold (nugget) 2x Gold Ore, Copper Ore
Rose Gold Ingot: 2x Rose Gold nugget, 1x Peacock Ore
Spruce Lumber
Some of these leads to new armors, weapons jewelry etc. (like the monk brick fists (Avengers)
http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com...assId=&rankId=
Flawless Avenger Grips
Darksteel Nugget
Rose Gold Nugget
Spruce Lumber
(oh and fire+earth cluster! glad I never got around to breaking any of them down!)

(edit: they're in the synthesis lists, not any official posts about the particulars yet)