Development Team Q&A - May 2008

[Grieverao]

Hmm

Question is asked
SE anticipates the attack

To be fair I wouldn't care much about the hidden effects on items or the OP nation change. Although it may be a litle bonus for ppl wanting 10,10,10 ranks.

Lowering the cost of hourglasses?

FUCK SE seriously.

"Oh hey guys, i got like 500k spare and wanna get me a RDM hat as it's better droprate now!, I know you all a social shell but cmon lets have fun!"

... player increases amount of currency into the market
... players booking random zones for fun with peeps as Dynamis still isn't instanced
... player thus may piss off a lot of perma Dyna shells

New HNMs YES
New powerful items YES
Hourglass prices drop NO
Increased northlands AF droprates YES

Although great effort to the OP for the interview, thanks man.

[Deband]

Northlands droprates done it for me :D

[Linliel]

I personally am pleased that they're reconsidering dynamis entry costs & drop rates. Make the NMs more than a 2%* drop rate in Xarc! >_>



*Note: number pulled entirely out of arse.

[Tekki]

Very disappointed in the answers, thanks never the less Bercus. I honestly feel bad for you Bercus. Some of those answers just make it seem like they wasted your time.

As for dynamis zones. The most successful aspect of my shell is dynamis. We pay and are still willing to pay 1m for the glass. (Even with 2-4 cop zone visits a month, we still keep dynamis completely self funded separate from our bank with currency alone) I am totally against lowering the price. I'm happy with the northern zone drop rate increase, but not happy to hear that any happy go lucky shell with "Xk" amount of gil can start filling up spots if SE still wont instance the zones...

[Ashira]

I just hope that the outpost thing is retroactive; if it wasn't in place before and outpost data was just erased when I swapped nations because it wasn't going to be needed, it could be a disappointment if I decide to go back to Windurst or Bastok after this update to the system. ._.

[rath]

Much better then I expected from them actually. It is too bad this wasn't a face-to-face interview, then at least you could see facial expressions when they glossed over a question. I am glad to see them adjusting Einherjar (but I fear it is because they are adding new relic weapon upgrade items to it) and Dynamis.

[Grieverao]

I'm up there with ya Tekki ;;

[Auspice]

Here's hoping I can get access to my full OP warps that I lost two years ago when I first moved away from Sandy to do the other two nations. Knowing SE I'm probably screwed since I moved so long ago. lol

Also, why the hell won't they fix the issue with losing drops that are obtained in the last few minutes of a raid?

Awesome interview though, got some really good responses. :D

[Octavious]

Although a little frustrating, there were some pretty nice things that came from this update. I'm interested in their Einherjar adjustment, depending on what they do. When they first released Nyzul Relic pictures, I figured Einherjar would be one way to implement the item upgrade/restore process, I just hope they don't do that. Thanks Bercus, your hard work is much appreciated. ^o^

[Maxxthepenguin]

Thanks a lot Bercus. Despite the naysayers, I find that this did help with some major issues in the game.

I really hope instead giving up this makes people give the AV testing a few more goes though :/

[Elipse]

I'm with Tekki here. My LS does the same thing, completely self funded dynamis and the last thing we'd want is any group of 6 ass hats that feel like farming a xarc NM to scoop up the zone while its still not instanced.

Raising the drop rate, if significant enough, should lower the overall demand for dynamis over time and reducing the congestion problem. Lower the cost will only cause more problems.

They should have a different glass for CoP zones and that glass should cost half as much. That might help spread some people out (though probably not much)

[Octavious]

They should have a different glass for CoP zones and that glass should cost half as much. That might help spread some people out (though probably not much)

I threw this same idea out to my LS and some peoplem thought it would be a good idea too. I mean it would make loads of sense (which is probably why SE won't do it), but half the total people allowed in = half the cost. I think you have a great idea Elipse. I'm thinking it might be a Limbus-Style lowering, 50k->30k, 1000k->750k would maybe be what they do. (Oh God I hope it's not half >_> 500k would make everyone & their mother do dynamis D: )

[Maxxthepenguin]

They should have a different glass for CoP zones and that glass should cost half as much. That might help spread some people out (though probably not much)

I threw this same idea out to my LS and some peoplem thought it would be a good idea too. I mean it would make loads of sense (which is probably why SE won't do it), but half the total people allowed in = half the cost. I think you have a great idea Elipse. I'm thinking it might be a Limbus-Style lowering, 50k->30k, 1000k->750k would maybe be what they do. (Oh God I hope it's not half >_> 500k would make everyone & their mother do dynamis D: )

Dynamis is still a 3h30 marathon of boring.

And regarding the bolded part SE DOES have some method to their madness. The fact is that they have a very different perspective on the game as designers, it is up to us to advocate for what we think the game needs. SE, in general, is a rather secretive company that prefers to work behind a wall that keeps the fans out until completion. That's always been their policy. At this point FFXI needs a different perspective, but it's just hard for them to manage. There also is the language barrier, of course.

My biggest suggestion is to make a more visible english speaking community outreach guy, somebody we can converse with about the game. He doesn't need to be an expert on everything in this behemoth of a game, but does need to have access. That would really make great strides in this game.

[terraflarex]

Very disappointed in the answers, thanks never the less Bercus. I honestly feel bad for you Bercus. Some of those answers just make it seem like they wasted your time.

As for dynamis zones. The most successful aspect of my shell is dynamis. We pay and are still willing to pay 1m for the glass. (Even with 2-4 cop zone visits a month, we still keep dynamis completely self funded separate from our bank with currency alone) I am totally against lowering the price. I'm happy with the northern zone drop rate increase, but not happy to hear that any happy go lucky shell with "Xk" amount of gil can start filling up spots if SE still wont instance the zones...

My LS also self funds dynamis just by selling coins, so I suppose most other shells can do the same. So I guess you have a point there tekki, didn't really look at it from that perspective. Regardless, I don't think they'll wind up dropping the cost all that much.

[Johyo]

I am not 100% confidant but I think that Koga Tekko have some sort of hidden parrying + on them.

I have no testing to confirm it is just a hunch b/c at night when using I parry a lot more.

Could be just luck though.

[Grieverao]

Atm with min 2 CoP runs and plenty of Ice/City chucked in, we are a sole-funded LS which pays for it's own glasses. Heck we even fork out for pots and meds etc for things like DL. All this and we are still upgrading relics in the LS.

It sucks that every man and his dog will now be farming a damn angelskin or some shit and cock-blocking a zone coz they wanna low-man the PLD NM in Xarc >,>

Einherjar needed a vamp, and a boost, leave Dynamis alone, we all know of its problems, but it's something we are used to. How emo is you RDM in your LS gonna be if (as it's still gonna be a %age) after 20 runs still no Hat drop? Even more than he is now, as they "supposedly" upped rates, is what they'd say.

Regarding pop NM and changes to Kings?

Merge the two!

"you find a clump of wyvern scales on the Darter"

trade to ???

Nidhogg >> I am Nidhogg, guardian of this ere tree, come on av a go if you think your ard enuff!

Commence spamming Faf/Nid till every mule in your LS has an Ebody!! XD

Got a little carried away there lol.

[Khalil]

I'm with Tekki here. My LS does the same thing, completely self funded dynamis and the last thing we'd want is any group of 6 ass hats that feel like farming a xarc NM to scoop up the zone while its still not instanced.

Raising the drop rate, if significant enough, should lower the overall demand for dynamis over time and reducing the congestion problem. Lower the cost will only cause more problems.

They should have a different glass for CoP zones and that glass should cost half as much. That might help spread some people out (though probably not much)

Let me get this straight; Because SE fails at making certan zones instances, you would like to keep the amount of the hourglass @ 1mil when pratically everything has decreased in price, even the cosmo-cleanse. How about asking SE to make zones instances rather than Q_Q about a group "taking" your zone?

On the specific interview, thanks Bercus but after SE dodging soo many questions, I'm just not surprised anymore. The only real good thing about this is the nation change and hourglass being reduced.

[ronin sparthos]

"you find a clump of wyvern scales on the Darter"

Darter Botting '08 D:

[Seigfried Of Pandy]

"you find a clump of wyvern scales on the Darter"

Darter Botting '08 D:

this would be epic

[Octavious]

I understand SE Devs look at the game from a different perspective, it's just semi irritating to feel like they don't even play their own game. I wonder if anyone would be able to get a Japanese players perspective on the interview, i'm curious if it's just NA frustration, or frustration in general on these topics. I mean that would clear up some of the ambiguity that SE only does this because we're lolgaijin.