First try at translating so I apologize beforehand for any possible mistakes. I nowadays mostly lurk so some of the terms etc may be a bit off.
Source: http://www.famitsu.com/news/201602/15099357.html
What are your thoughts on today's event?
Yoshida: We certainly had some top plays... and a few not so (laughs), but nevertheless it was a fun event packed with excitement. Team Square Enix, a mixed team of beginners and veterans showed surprising performance. Although the event was not held at Square Enix, I am glad that we were able to hold our very first PvP tournament.
As you were watching the tournament yourself, didn't that make you want to participate?
Yoshida: I play during my free time, but as a producer I could not possibly take somebody else's seat (laughs). There is also the aspect of seeing so many devoted players attending, so I try to refrain myself.
What about playing as a backup?
Yoshida: As Wolves' Den is fast paced, some viewers might not understand what is happening or why it is fun. In that sense, it makes sense that an experienced player would commentate the tournament. That way many different types of players would enjoy watching the tournament. However, it was the first time for me as well and it was not easy so... (laughs)
A new PvP called "The Feast" will be released in the upcoming 3.2 patch. What kind of advice would you give to those tournament viewer's who want to become good at PvP?
Yoshida: First of all, I think one should think more about techniques and skills that one can utilize instead of focusing on who the opponent is. In PvE you can perhaps use some of the skills casually and for example many areas can be cleared without using Black Mage's "Aetherial Manipulation". The point in PvP is to understand how and when to use certain skills in a calm manner.
So the next step would be to work as a team and have a grasp on what is going on in the battlefield?
Yoshida: I think you can focus on that later because it is more important to focus on the opponent you are currently facing. If you cannot do that first, focusing on the action around you is meaningless.
Does that apply to "The Feast" as well?
Yoshida: Yes. Since it will be 8vs8 I can guarantee that things will get hectic. That being said, it might be a better idea to focus on your own game.
After watching today's tournament, it would be great to have a spectator function...
Yoshida: We are already working on it and it will be released within 3.X series at latest.
Can everyone spectate and what is the function going to be like?
Yoshida: We are making 2 spectator modes. The first one will be similar to what you saw today. There will be several cameras around the battlefield and spectators are able to switch between these cameras. The second mode will be one where you can choose a player you want to follow.
So in other words you will be able to learn from other players by following how they move and perform actions.
Yoshida: That's right. By following skilled players you can learn a lot yourself.
Lack of healers might become a problem after the release of "The Gears of Change". Are there any plans to counter this possibility?
Yoshida: Targeting the healers first in "The Feast" might not always be the best option. In fact, our test team targets opponent's DPS most of the time. This is not to say that you cannot do so, but if something goes wrong (Ie you are not able to kill the healers quickly) the consequences are rather high.
Can you get revived in "The Feast"?
Yoshida: Similar to "Frontline", you can both get revived and/or choose to restart and return to the battlefield. It will not be pure deathmatch so I hope many healers will also have the courage to participate.
Will there be similar Wolves' Den tournament events after the release of "The Gears of Change"?
Yoshida: We are going to focus on "The Feast" for the time being.
Today's event was official tournament, right?
Yoshida: Actually no. As it is "e-sports MaX" tournament, the organizer is "e-sports MaX". We do recognize the tournament, but as we did not organize the event I would not call it an "official event".
Are there any plans on hosting such official events in the future?
Yoshida: Of course. However as mentioned earlier, implementing two camera modes is essential. We are also making a test mode called "duel mode" (1vs1) and a similar test mode for teams. You can also practice PvP with your friends by using these modes, so it is a good opportunity for those who are hesitant to use content finder. After both features are done, we can hold an official tournament of our own. I feel that if we rush things and organize a tournament now, it would be a premature move from our part.
If PvP becomes popular, would you consider developing more PvP areas?
Yoshida: That is a good question. We will have to see how many players are going to enjoy "The Feast". I am hoping it to be content that motivates players to keep on playing FF14. This is why it is currently one of my top priorities. Other than that, a simple test server where players could try PvP in all areas is something that I would like to implement. That is something that requires support from the playerbase, but I would definitely want to implement it some day. Switching PvP on and off however itself is a little... (laughs). If we do that, we might run into problems where people camp around Aetherytes and try to kill spawning players. To counter this, we would have to set some form of system to prevent such activity.
I am looking forward to that day. For the time being, I am waiting for 23rd of February and the tournament video!