ZNM Developer Interview (Vana'diel Tsuushin)

[Gwynplaine]

Is there a reason that you had tier-4 battlefields set on floating islands?

Itou: One main reason is so the drops from these battles could not be sold to people outside the party, like people commonly do with the 4 gods in Tu’Lia.

...

Sometimes there just aren't enough ellipses to respond to Square's reasoning. ZNM came out very polished and well made I think, expect for the drop rate of t4 items and PW. It was a nice change of pace from the underwhelming features that require constant adjustments just to become passable (Einherjer). Recommended fauna is useless and inferior but it doesn't really matter anyway. Glad they have something planned for Wings.

[ronin sparthos]

WOTG ZNM system would be nice.

[jimbobsonofgod]

what a contradiction "We made it so not all items were rare/ex so "in case accidents happen" and then turn around and say we made it rare/ex and out on an island so people cant sell drops".

[nekura]

I'm not really familiar with tier 4 ZNMs but I don't understand how that stops the selling of rare/ex items anyway, aside from requiring some zeni to transport there. I know you can't go to the floating island if there's a fight in progress, but that doesn't really prevent anything.

[Thistle]

Thanks again for translating stuff for us!

[Xno Kappa]

The masochistic tone in the interview when they started to talk about PW just proves to me they do that kind of shit on purpose and the 2hour-Depop patch was just to . Other then that, pretty interesting interview.

[MillionDollarMan]

what a contradiction "We made it so not all items were rare/ex so "in case accidents happen" and then turn around and say we made it rare/ex and out on an island so people cant sell drops".

I think he was comparing it to sky + kirin. Not really a contradiction.

[Grandphoenix]

I'm not really familiar with tier 4 ZNMs but I don't understand how that stops the selling of rare/ex items anyway, aside from requiring some zeni to transport there. I know you can't go to the floating island if there's a fight in progress, but that doesn't really prevent anything.

Yeah you can still just zone inside the area and cast lots can't you?

[Furionstormrage]

Yeah you can still just zone inside the area and cast lots can't you?

Yeah before or after the fight anyone can zone up on the island.

[Mojo]

The more I hear about this Mizuki Itou guy, the less respect I have for him. It seems like he's the man behind the curtain for almost all of the awful aspects of FFXI (ground king timers, AV, T4 ZNM cockblockage, etc.)

[BRP]

Elmer what is 花鳥風月 in english?

Cosmic Elucidation?

[Grandphoenix]

Yeah before or after the fight anyone can zone up on the island.

I never noticed you can't lot if you're not on the island since it's technically in the same area isn't it?

[Arximiro]

Thanks for the translation Elmer, great interview.

[Kaylia]

Also, to set these monsters apart, it was designed so that you couldn’t just try to fight again after a wipe.

Orly? Don't let them know about the wonder of bio and rr.

[jimbobsonofgod]

You can lot if you are not on the island, last time we did cerb some guy was waiting at the runic portal and lotted an oracles hat+aurum head.
So yeah they can be not on the island and lot.

[Starr]

WOTG ZNM system would be nice.

Using Campaign Points.

[Silenka]

Elmer what is 花鳥風月 in english?

Cosmic Elucidation?

It says so on the site in italics but anyway, it is the name for cosmic elucidation but it actually means something like 'artistry of nature' - like taking pictures of wildlife

[Septimus]

You can lot if you are not on the island, last time we did cerb some guy was waiting at the runic portal and lotted an oracles hat+aurum head.
So yeah they can be not on the island and lot.

Even if you couldn't, you could just zone onto the island after the mob was dead to lot. Or before. So yeah, the islands, they do nothing.

And Elmer, you are correct. The Japanese definition of "frank" is wildly different from the American definition. What they said about PW would have caused nearly any NA who has done end-game activities to dive across the table to strangle them.

[Judai]

Those guys are idiots imo and obviously don't realize the reality of their game, like most of SE.

They made it on Islands so you can't wipe and try again.. Really? We did it plenty of times when first doing T4s and figuring them out.

They also did it so you can't sell drops.. Seriously? You can lot from anywhere in the zone and even port over to the island as soon as the NM dies.

PW is retardedly stupid and a horrible design. It's a neat idea, just badly implemented.

T4 drop rates on PW drops is retarded and even worse since they confirm it's needed for Mythics as well.

ZNMs started off cool but are pretty horrid now after learning about T4 drop rates, PW and needing to spam stupid pictures of retarded mobs for hours on end. They really should up the amount of zeni you get per picture. It was fine at the start when everyone spammed these and they were still new but now it's a chore.

/rant off about a cool system that was poorly implemented and ruined by it's final tiers, imo.

[Elmer the Pointy]

Elmer what is

花鳥風月

in english?

Cosmic Elucidation?

It literally comes up as "the beauties of nature." Sort of like the aesthetic counterpart to Fire, Wind, Water and Earth. Ka-chou-fuu-getsu is flower-bird-wind-moon.

Cosmic Elucidation is a way to evoke similar feelings and deep meaning while being an unrelated term to the original Japanese. When you saw "Tenzen readies Cosmic Elucidation," you knew he was preparing something huge.

Samurai Weapon Skills follow a theme of drawing from the elements and nature. Some are obvious, like Kagero with fire. Other skills make up the beauties of nature: Enpi, Swallow; Jinpu/Yukikaze, Wind; Gekko, Moon; Kasha, flowers. Even the new Mythic WS, Rana refers to crows.

So in a way, Cosmic Elucidation is the ultimate Samurai WS as a combination of the elements that make up all previous ones.

This term comes back into play with Sanraku, because he is an artist looking to depict the beauties of nature. He asks for:

画題にふさわしい花鳥風月 - Aspects of nature that would be suitable for painting.

最高の花鳥風月 - Aspects of nature that would be ideal for painting.

Basically, his Regular set and Recommended set. This is where the term appears in his dialogue, and from where Japanese players took the term and ran with it. English-speakers, on the other hand, abbreviated Zeni Notorious Monsters and use "ZNM."