Gamewatch Interview (full translation linked in first post)

[Rowe]

This isn't a derail, since it's about a portion of the topic: Player-made Dungeons.

What IS a derail is talking about fight club.

sorry not you but all the hang over crap about the male mithra should really stop. No need for it. It is not clearly a male looking at the pic. If someone watched the CS then they would know it's a male mithra. It is verified it is a Male mithra anyone who mistook it as a female is not an idiot for doing so. It is androgynous plain and simple.

Get back on topic, mini-game discussion is full expectable.

[Elmer the Pointy]

Must see Final Fantasy XI Development Team Interview! Packing with Info, From Campaign Mechanics to New Game Elements!

As a special treat, we give to you our interview inside Square Enix Headquarters with the FFXI Development Team. In attendance were Wings of the Goddess Director, Ogawa Hiroichi; Planner, Saito; Planner, Ito Mizuki; Planner Gondai Mitsutoshi. It was a long interview, lasting two hours. Producer Tanaka Hiromichi was also in attendance, for what little time he was able to spare.

The interview focused on Wings of the Goddess content and story with Ogawa and Saito. Campaign elements were discussed with Ito. Job and Battle related questions were posed to Gondai. “Things you didn’t know about Campaign,” new job and battle elements, the future of Balarhn’s secret weapons and other must-see content is packed within, so please enjoy.

Wings of the Goddess 6 Months Old, Constructing Massive Background Material, Mission/Quest Relationship

What are your impressions now that Wings of the Goddess has been out for over six months?
Ogawa: We added so many new elements at the beginning, I think players had a hard time figuring out where to begin. We’ve reached the point where they have settled into the content. Now I think we have to focus on achieving balance. At the same time, we are looking towards expansion. We are going to add a lot more in line with the current content.

Certainly, jumping into Wings of the Goddess you face many bewildering new things.
Ogawa: Yes, it is quite jarring at first. (laugh)

Looking at the story as a whole, it’s not only Missions, but continuous Quests as well. This is a new technique, isn’t it?
Ogawa:Wings of the Goddess is set in the world of the past. There are already various Missions for the established 3 nations in the present, and now we’re talking about the state of the world during the Crystal War. To start, we drew up some Missions. These served as the ‘bookends’ to the expansion. In between, there is a collection of events that can be experienced, regardless of affiliation with a particular nation. Players can enjoy the quests of any nation they choose. Missions are the core story of Wings of the Goddess, while Quests make up the personal experiences of the characters.

In actuality, would you say the Missions and the Quests for each nation make up four separate stories?
Ogawa: I guess that’s right. (laughs) We wanted to keep the amount of content in check, but in the end, it ended up being vast. It’s tough to keep control of that stuff.

As the story progresses, will the focus be on completing series of Quests to in turn complete Missions?
Ogawa: Yes, I believe so. Basically, in between each Mission, there are a series of Quests related to each nation, and that’s how it’s being developed.

I want to ask about the story throughout the Quests, but the story of the Crystal War Era seems to be fraught with hardship. There’s an immense amount of background material to deal with, isn’t there?
Saito: Yes, there is. I think everyone’s been suffering a bit putting this one together.

The Vana’diel Tribune on the Official Site chronicles the deeds of some famous NPCs, but was a lot of the detail made in the beginning?
Saito: Some of it was, like the Windurst Missions in the present time explored the history of the Crystal War. However, Sand’Oria and Bastok barely touched on the Crystal War at all. Looking at the chronological timelines that lay out the setting and history of the world, we’ve really had to dig deep and imagine what exactly happened at what point in time, paying careful attention not to cause contradictions. That’s how we’re doing it now.

So if you are working to avoid contradictions, that means we already know the outcome of the events in the past.
Saito: That’s right. (laughs) The overall setting, or backbone, is already well known, but the specifics of “this happened this way” and such are unknown to the player community. There are especially knowledgeable people who point out some mistakes, but we continue to strive to eliminate any plot-holes we can. In rare cases, we just have to use what fits bests, and perhaps slightly ret-con a situation.

Is there anything told to us one way that we will find out actually happened differently?
Saito: That will all be told within Wings of the Goddess. It isn’t recorded on the timelines, but the results of the intervention of adventurers will be revealed.

Tell us about the story concepts behind the three nations/
Saito: Each nation has different people in charge, and received various different stories. First, Sand’Oria has the pure-hearted children concept. During the Crystal War, the children band together to oppose the adults. It’s a coming-of-age story. However, they are still reckless children with that common frustration with the status-quo. (laugh)

Excenmille and Rahal of the Young Griffons must have had many other experiences afterwards to get where they are now.
Saito: Well, yes, they are two of Sand’Oria’s finest. (laughs)

Rahal especially had many events happen to him afterwards, such as being awarded the current title of “Dragon Slayer.” Will that be explored as well?
Saito: That is discussed in the Dragoon Artifact Quests, so Wings of the Goddess will not delve into it. It’s difficult to decide how much to tell without encroaching on the Dragoon quests.

It feels like Wings of the Goddess was very difficult to make. Were there a lot of difficult considerations to make?
Saito: We did not just have to weave a story, but take into consideration the complex history. We had to make sure every step was checked and double-checked. All those little checks really added up.

Comparing it to the other expansions, would you say this was the most difficult?
Saito: Original content likeTreasures of Aht Urghan is different, because here we had to avoid contradictions with existing content as well as allow new players to jump in and enjoy the game. New players who start with Wings of the Goddess can then play the original stories and think, “Ah, so that’s what happened.” We had to keep it consistent. As a result, we felt we could not violate already established stories, but show you things you had never seen before. For example, you can look forward to learning more about what happens between Excenmille and Rahal of the Young Griffons.

Let’s move on to Bastok.
Saito: The Missions in the present era tell of the rift that exists between the Galka and Hume races. That problem also exists in the past, firmly engraved upon the Mythril Musketeers in the form of rivalry between Volker and Zeid. It’s a serious theme and the person in charge of Quests agrees. Bastok is a serious story with heavier subject matter. It’s also a time of war, and Bastok’s storyline will move into the battle. Now, the story has revolved around politics and such, but will continue like Windurst into the war itself.

Bastok certainly has a heavy theme, rife with politics and corrupt maneuvering behind the scenes.
Saito: It’s a time of war, but there is a lot of other trouble brewing. We’re looking to develop a lot of startling revelations to surprise players.

The Scholar Adelheid seems to enter to picture a lot. Will there be more story devoted to her in the future?
Saito: I wonder? (laughs) She participates in Campaign battles, and therefore will not become a key player in scenarios and such. For example, there’s no way we could bump her off as part of the storyline. She is standing around town and in Campaign battles, after all. It’s tough to say how far we’ll take the character, but we can only do it a little at a time. We wonder if maybe we overdid the appearance of this character a bit. (laughs)

Next up, is Windurst. We’ve seen the full effects of war, and the resulting state of the city as it progresses.
Saito: That’s right, “it’s war!.” The capital had been invaded from the start, so it’s in a state of poverty and disrepair. The person in charge wanted to create a scene of constant action and upheaval; a daily sense of drama and chaos. We want adventurers to become key players and affect history in ways that could not be imagined previously.

It’s the opposite of Bastok, in that they have made those opening moves and developed into a full-scale battle. Or at least that’s how I see it.
Saito: There is still much to tell regarding Windurst. There are more surprises in store, as well as some events that have been foreshadowing in both the past and present.

A lot of material for this has been there since the beginning, right?
Saito: The fascinating cast of characters has been established, and we can now detail their actions in the past. It’s a chance to explore what these people, with whom you are already familiar, had happen to them. Windurst has many characters with a strong sense of justice, so new faces like Warlock Warlord Robel-Akbel and Lehko Habhoka will appear.

Robel-Akbel looks like a villain at first glance. He’s quite mysterious.
Saito: He’s motivated by his own sense of justice. You will see more of that in the future.

Finally, a male Mithra, Lehko Habhoka has made his appearance. What was the concept behind this character?
Saito: Mithra females are generally active and energetic, and we wanted males to be a contrast to that. Mithra males are more aloof and easygoing. In fact, we had the image of a male escort in mind, at first. (laughs) It’s nothing big, but that’s how we got to the form they took. He will play more significance in the future.

Will he be limited to Windurst Quests and not appear in Missions?
Saito: I wonder… (laughs) We cannot say for sure at this point. He appears with Robel-Akbel, but there are some things that will happen with him.

[Dein]

It still amazes me how much info gets lost when using stuff like babelfish to try to translate things. Nice job on the first part Elmer!

[Halon50]

Need to know if my COR AF2 is going to be in Dynamis-Arrapago Reef or what. f5f5f5f5f5f5f5

[Rokimus]

ありがとうごうざいますえるめるさ

[Elmer the Pointy]

”Two Panels” of Wings of the Goddess Missions Complete?

Elmer Point: 4-Koma or a 4-panel manga is like our equivalent of a newspaper comic strip. It’s a condensed little comic with a quick joke; first half sets it up, and second half finishes it off. I’m sure you’re all quite familiar with them thanks to memes.

Moving along to Wings of the Goddess Missions, it feels like they are only in their opening stages. What can we expect regarding the full scope of the Missions?
Ogawa: Looking at it like a 4-panel manga, we’ve completed the first 2 panels. (laughs) (Here, all the writers shout “Wha?!” in disbelief)
Ito: Is it that bad?! (laughs)
Saito: Like 4-Koma, huh. (laughs) It may be 5 or 6 panels, but we’ve done the first two. (laughs)
Ogawa: What I mean is, the third panel is in development, so… (laughs) We’ve opened up with the first two.

Missions in Treasures of Aht Urghan spanned almost two years. Can we anticipate that volume of content here?
Saito: Yes, you can. Think of it this way: the Missions and Quests will form a menu from which you can select content. The story moves as one entity, but stretches out amongst Quests. Together, they form the full volume of content. If the players feel the same, we may continue with this format.

Lilisette appears in the new Missions. Will she become central to the story?
Saito: They call her the “Mission Girl.” (laughs) Zilart has Lion, Promathia had Prishe, and Aht Urghan has Aphmau. Lilsette is an unabashedly active character. The Scenario Designer wanted very much to show her dancing scene and the motion team worked hard to make it. Please view it many times on replay. (laughs)

The battle difficulty of Missions and Quests is relatively modest recently.
Ogawa: We’re still in the opening stages, so things aren’t so difficult as of yet. We think it’ll get progressively difficult from here on. Still, the final stages will not require more than one party.

There are battle zones in Wings of the Goddess called “Lair Areas.” What are these places?
Ogawa: The guy in charge of battle planning originally wanted areas “similar to Assault, but more freely usable.” Rather than go through setting up an area for use, they can be entered outside the scope of Quests and Campaign.

There’s a lot of uses for an area like that. Now that you mention it, I heard of a rumor regarding some trick with the Sandworm NM… Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it yet.
Ito: Only a few people may have seen it so far… Probably because they aren’t looking for it. We want people to experience the trick for themselves. It will suck you up. (laughs) We actually wanted it to do this from the very beginning, but there was still some experimenting required. We’ve now finished that and were able to implement it.

New NM triggers are always interesting. Are there any other little tricks planned?
Ito: Yes, there are a number of things we would like to try. These things take time but… we’re actually experimenting on something right now.

When will we be able to ride Chocobos in the Crystal War Era? I think it would be a nice way to get around when the city is under attack and warps are unavailable.
Ogawa: We’re actually thinking of adjusting the warp situation. We apologize for the wait, but we are planning to lift the ban on Chocobos in the past.

Can we expect battles with mounted knights as well?
Ogawa: For the moment, we’re only introducing Chocobos available for riding. As for new uses… I cannot say anything right now. (laughs)

Can we at least ride armored Chocobos?
Ogawa: Yes, that is what we are considering.

[Spira]

i skimmed thru the japanese article with my somewhat shoddy JP understanding..
i found the Mission Girl thing somewhat amusing..
a little shocked that the story might seem somewhat short..
a little peeved about the Nyzul weapons not actually being fully implemented
a lttle curious about Galadar

[Minions]

Interesting stuff about the new nm triggers/finally adding chocobos. Also nice to see they are probably going to adjust the damn warp npcs.

[skygt]

OMG armor choco!

[Tankjr]

Thanks Elmer^^

Ogawa: We’re actually thinking of adjusting the warp situation.

I don't like the sound of that.

[Rowe]

Thank you very much Elmer! Your Time and Effort is much appreciated.

[Elmer the Pointy]

Putting It All Together: Campaign, NPCs, Point Systems, and Medals

What can you tell me about Campaign and the way it was structured?
Ito: If you look at the last Gamewatch Article (Vol. 14) it’s about the direction we wanted to take with Campaign.
Elmer Point: He’s basically referring to the current state of Campaign as reported in the article. Armies on both sides have been expanded with new units and abilities, and beastmen are able to invade cities. Also, considering the constant back-and-forth difficulty adjustments of Campaign, it must be hard to precisely balance the event.
In the last Version Update, we were planning more NPCs to explain the workings of Campaign. However, there is just so much information to explain. Putting it all into nice, flowery text would just take an immense amount of time to compose and subsequently translate. We eventually had to abandon the idea for the previous update. We’re discussing what we can provide regarding this for the next Version Update.

If you introduce such NPCs, we’ll get a solid idea of the background of Campaign?
Ito: Even after putting in these NPCs, we feel there will still be a few mysteries left. If possible, we want to give players their own unit commander to control: someone through who they can see results from their chosen actions.

The ability of FFXI users is incredible. They figure out new content quickly, too.
Ito: From the beginning, we just wanted users to explore Campaign without us really explaining anything. It was a way to let them play without restrictions. We wanted to avoid forcing them into playing a certain way.

There’s still a chance they will conform to a single style.
Ito: We put in as much mystery as possible. To invite players to “do whatever you like,” we sort of thrust them into this new world at first. From there, their personal experiences could guide their playing style. Still, we may be overdoing it with the lack of information. The aforementioned “commander” NPC still hasn’t appeared. (smile)

People who want to play that way might not have the confidence. It’s possible some experimented is curbed because of the risks it poses, and dissention from other players. It may be best after all to add a little more direct control and clear explanation.
Ito: You are right.

With the Campaign adjustments, where do you feel the difficulty falls between “light-hearted fun” and “intense battle?”
Ito: We feel there are an equal amount of people looking for intensity as there are looking for a simpler fun experience. Therefore, we have to take both sides into consideration. It’s difficult to satisfy both ends in any single update. The last update focused more on the serious player, and we will soon add more adjustments.

Are you looking to achieve that balance with the constant strength adjustments of allies and enemies?
Ito: Yes. The size and scope of Campaign will constantly change in accordance with the actions of the players. The Tactical Assessment has a large impact on this. It acts like a vote that shows us what players are clamoring for.

Tactical Assessment is easily overlooked, isn’t it? There may not be that many votes submitted.
Ito: One may think that the effect it has is small, but in reality, it has quite an impact. The explanation given by the Tactical Assessment officer is somewhat vague. We didn’t want to simply write, “choose this, and this will happen.”

[Elmer the Pointy]

OK, I'm very sorry, but I'm completely out of time. I have to do a lesson, and that will end at 17:30JST. After that I have nothing, so plenty of time to relax and finish up the interview.

[Dein]

Thanks again Elmer for translating this stuff. Perhaps we can get someone to organize the completed translation into a single post (preferably the first post) so that it'll be easier to read when it's finished.

[Gwynplaine]

Thanks a lot Elmer

In the last Version Update, we were planning more NPCs to explain the workings of Campaign. However, there is just so much information to explain. Putting it all into nice, flowery text would just take an immense amount of time to compose and subsequently translate. We eventually had to abandon the idea for the previous update. We’re discussing what we can provide regarding this for the next Version Update.

Yes please god do this SE or just post info on the official webpage.

The ability of FFXI users is incredible. They figure out new content quickly, too.
Ito: From the beginning, we just wanted users to explore Campaign without us really explaining anything. It was a way to let them play without restrictions. We wanted to avoid forcing them into playing a certain way.

Players are incredibly tenacious and clever... but it's very hard to figure things out when they are on the scale of many zones, and when the other 2000+ players could be affecting it at the same time doing who knows what.

There’s still a chance they will conform to a single style.
Ito: We put in as much mystery as possible. To invite players to “do whatever you like,” we sort of thrust them into this new world at first. From there, their personal experiences could guide their playing style. Still, we may be overdoing it with the lack of information. The aforementioned “commander” NPC still hasn’t appeared. (smile)

Zazarg or bust chumps.

Tactical Assessment is easily overlooked, isn’t it? There may not be that many votes submitted.
Ito: One may think that the effect it has is small, but in reality, it has quite an impact. The explanation given by the Tactical Assessment officer is somewhat vague. We didn’t want to simply write, “choose this, and this will happen.”

I wouldn't say it's "overlooked" as much as it is uhh, unknowable... again with the lack of info issue. In this particular case I don't see what is wrong with saying "choose this, and this will happen.” How the fuck do they expect thousands of players to know otherwise.

[Kkel]

Saito: I wonder? (laughs) She participates in Campaign battles, and therefore will not become a key player in scenarios and such. For example, there’s no way we could bump her off as part of the storyline.

Well, in that case, it will be interesting to see them deal with the plot holes they dug with Mieuseloir B Enchelles and Noillurie.

[Spira]

do explain whats wrong with those 2 NPCs..

i think they mean it in a similar sense to how that 1 master caster taru (forgot his nam)will never appear in campaign because in the events of WotG quests, something happens to him...

[Almalexia]

a little peeved about the Nyzul weapons not actually being fully implemented

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...0871235015.jpg

[LD]

Ogawa: We’re actually thinking of adjusting the warp situation.

I don't like the sound of that.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...0871235015.jpg

Indeed.


I'm glad they realize there's fuck-all for information about a lot of the specifics of Campaign, but even if it turns out Training Ops will suddenly make us all bad-asses, people will still shy away from them. At least they're considering a new round of adjustments, maybe they'll add a new Training Op that's single player or just unfuck the recent unilateral down turn.

[Elmer the Pointy]

How Do We Repel Beastmen Invading Cities?

Could we possibly get a hint as to how we can effectively repel invading Beastmen during these tough battles?
Ito: Think “Tactical Assessment.” Rather than simply defending your own city, if you dare to go on the offensive, you may be able to turn the tide of battle. Cities are getting attacked frequently I believe, because the circumstances to trigger an attack, i.e. beastmen controlling the surrounding areas, is always fulfilled. If you manage to take back control of one of those areas, than this will not happen.
When a city is attacked, it directly hurts their war funds and technological power. That country will then find itself in a downward spiral, and they have to break that chain of decline. By taking back an area into their control, they can once again store up war funds and make a recovery.

So, taking back a single area will make a huge difference?
Ito: Another loss will continue the downward spiral, but troops that win get stronger, and troops that lose get weaker. This refers to just that one set of troops. If a unit that loses continuously, say a Sand’Orian unit, those soldiers will progressively get weaker. If no players arrive, they will continue to fight, but they will be defeated soon after appearing. This creates a spiral of enemy wins and ally losses.

Are you saying enemies and allies work on an experience points-like system? So, supporting NPCs is a good way to build national strength?
Ito: That’s right. To make a comeback, there are also Campaign Ops. Depending on the type you perform, you will improve different aspects. For example, repeatedly doing soldier training in Campaign Ops will raise the average strength of your soldiers. Similarly, if you perform Ops related to fund-raising and procurement of goods, those things will be improved.
However, you cannot achieve a full comeback on Campaign Ops alone. To do so, you must also change the military strategies of your nation. If you get things flowing in the right direction, good things will happen…

The system really is complicated. (laughs) I don’t think players knew that ally and enemy NPC strength changed with the status of the nation.
Ito: We heard a lot about enemies being too weak at first, and after that, they became too strong. Here we have a base level from which things can deviate, but the range is not that wide. More importantly, when soldiers return home victorious and level up, training them vigorously is a big part of strengthening them.