Dengeki Games Interview

[Chun Liroy]

This game is shaping up to look really pretty, hopefully 13 caliber.

[Cooleko]

The elemental wheel had NOTHING to do with Thunder being the most damaging element. The only reason Thunder was strongest is because they designed it that way Ideally, the elemental spells should work something Elemental Ninjutsu! Where each element has the same base damage, and weakness would matter for resist rates and maybe bonus damage. D:

This^

It seems some forget that we learned elemental spells one at a time, Thunder did more damage than Stone because Thunder came much later than Stone. When we hit 75 and learned Thunder4, it was the most powerful with Blizzard4 being the second most. This is why every blm (barring Kirin BLM) would merit Ice and Thunder potency as well as Burst and Freeze 2 to correspond with the prior merits.

I would really like to see spells all learned at once in 14 (purely for not having the last spell learned being the most powerful), but having all the elements from level one would mean way too much diversity. However SE does it I hope it is balanced.

[Lucavi]

Or they could simply have stagger the levels you gain them, but grant them all the same "power", and instead have their damage dependant on your gear, your strengths in each element, and the resistance/weaknesses of your opponents.

If you look back to older FFs, you gained magic spells at different levels, but each of the levels of the base Fire, Lit (old school, baby!), and Ice had the same magic power. The first tier may have had 15 magic power each; the second tier 35; and the third tier 60. That's way it typically-always was, and no one had a problem. Your strongest spell was the one you felt looked the prettiest (assuming the enemy had no resistances or immunities), or the one the boss was weakest to.

I have no idea why FF decided to implement the strength of each spell on some linear curve. It basically meant that the only time earth elemental spells had a chance to shine in the game was during 40-cap ballista matches with Stonega II, as that was the highest spell a mage could have at the time.

I'm guessing that it was just some new concept that SE, then-rookies at designing balance in an MMO, thought up, but in practice, I hope they've learned that it doesn't work. People will simply use the last spell they've learned if you're going to design it as the most powerful. Even if it is more efficient to use smaller, cheaper spells for less damage, no one wanted to see a mage doing small damage. I remember having to explain many times to idiot DDs that spamming the first tier lightning spell did a lot more damage over the long haul than trying to bombard the enemy with stone II, especially a beetle...

Ugh... bad memories.

[Yeargdribble]

Yeah, I'm happy with the elemental wheel staying the same. I just don't want Thunder IV to be any more powerful than Stone IV but instead they should be used where appropriate... like you said.

[Kaylia]

Make elemental magic and the skill of the player mean something there.

Is it that hard to master the elemental wheel? The only challenge is to remember monster's weakness, but it's not really an issue considering you will be fighting the same monsters for hours.

Personally, I would rather have spell with multiple purpose. thunder spell stun the monster, earth spell slow it...etc. Add the the element wheel on top of it, and every spells will have a purpose.

[Max™]

Ahem, I'm playing an elezen bitch specifically so I can watch my ass bounce through skimpy chainmail while swinging a big ass axe... don't take that from me!

[arus2001]

Ahem, I'm playing an elezen bitch specifically so I can watch my ass bounce through skimpy chainmail while swinging a big ass axe... don't take that from me!

Wanna be twins?

[Ziero]

Too much like Aion. Not every woman needs objectifying short-this and frilly-that. I got sick of Northrend gear for chicks in WoW because everything that was burly for men had short shorts for the chicks

Except we're probably going to be getting the same kind of thing in XIV, similar to how it was in XI. There were clear differences in gear, not just between genders, but between races as well. And looking at the Elf Pugilist and Archer, it's clear that her clothes are designed to have that hint of female sexuality. Though to be honest, I can totally see the Male Elfs having the same type of low cut shirt and mini skirt/thigh high boots as the female elfs...which is kinda creepy.

Yeah and people who play Taru chicks get tired of getting mistaken for male Tarus, and people freak out at the idea of them having different "body" types, so what other option is there? You can't say no taru boobs and then say they can't look different armor wise, cause then there's no way to tell a difference if there's a hat on, which we're trying to avoid happening again.

I know you probably don't want to hear this...and have probably heard it before...but that seems to be kind of the point behind the Taru's looks. They're child-like, meaning they look like little kids. And sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference between kid's genders. Hell, just looking at your sig, if those girls didn't have pony tails, it would be hard to tell if they were boys or girls. The Taru's asexuality adds to their innocence...and their creepiness.

However in XIV, since the facial changing options will be that much more in depth, it might be far easier to make your face look male/female. I mean, looking at that Lalafell Lancer in full armor, it's clear that's a dude. While the mage has a much girly-er face.

Of course now that they're also a bit more defined physically, it's also very possible male and female lalafell will also get male and female gear. But we won't know for sure until more people are playing.

[Odin'sLaw]

Of course now that they're also a bit more defined physically, it's also very possible male and female lalafell will also get male and female gear. But we won't know for sure until more people are playing.

if i'm honest to make there clothes more "girlie" just make there's slightly light in colour or add patterns to it simple things that would possibly work

[Lucavi]

Yeah, SB, as much as we all like (do we?) seeing little bumps on pre-teens chests, you're essentially playing a child's race. They aren't going to make many separations between boys and girl tarus, because boys and girls that are 7 years old don't exactly have many separations outside of hair cuts and clothes colors.

Plus, again, you're dealing with an asian company, and they just LOVE their adults busty and their lolis FLAT.

[SilverBreeze]

Like I said before, having different colored clothes would get the same point across.

[Ziero]

While it's a very simple answer, the issue here is whether or not it's even a question to SE. Again, they probably want Taru Taru and Lalafell to have that asexual, androgynous look to them, where it is difficult to really tell their gender apart. It reinforces the whole "this race looks like kids, but they're not!" concept.

Now in FFXIV, it could be entirely possible that we will seem more variation between male and female Lalafell clothing. But there has been rumors from SE about armor customization, so it's possible that simple color changes might not be as effective.

[Vuitton]

Yeah, I'm happy with the elemental wheel staying the same. I just don't want Thunder IV to be any more powerful than Stone IV but instead they should be used where appropriate... like you said.

Thiswould actually make playing a BLM require some thought and strategy. Would be nice. Maybe introduce all four elements at once instead of over an eight level spread so you could have some elemental monster diversity as you level.

[Eaglestrike]

Yeah, SB, as much as we all like (do we?) seeing little bumps on pre-teens chests, you're essentially playing a child's race. They aren't going to make many separations between boys and girl tarus, because boys and girls that are 7 years old don't exactly have many separations outside of hair cuts and clothes colors.

Plus, again, you're dealing with an asian company, and they just LOVE their adults busty and their lolis FLAT.

Taru/Lalafell being considered a "child race" is purely based on your interpretation of it. Not all short/small races are perceived as a "child race". Hobbits and gnomes have distinguished genders in plenty of fantasy stories. I'm not really sure where the assumption comes in that FF midgets are supposed to be children.

[Neoscrilla]

Whats that show that chronicles the life of midge........i mean little people?

[arus2001]

I don't think taru often sounding like little kids with their text speech helps their cause much. Saying stuff like "cuddly-wuddly" is usually considered baby talk in reality, and while such alliteration may be considered a racial identifier, as I said, it doesn't help the cause.

Otherwise, pretty sure you'll be able to recolor armor as hinted by SE in the past. Might not be able to get hot pink or whatever girly color someone fancies, but you can probably expect most guys to hover to black, red, blue (Or should I say Ultramarine?), or gold.

[Odin'sLaw]

I don't think taru often sounding like little kids with their text speech helps their cause much. Saying stuff like "cuddly-wuddly" is usually considered baby talk in reality, and while such alliteration may be considered a racial identifier, as I said, it doesn't help the cause.

Otherwise, pretty sure you'll be able to recolor armor as hinted by SE in the past. Might not be able to get hot pink or whatever girly color someone fancies, but you can probably expect most guys to hover to black, red, blue (Or should I say Ultramarine?), or gold.

if i can get a nice crimson red for any mail armor hell yeah Fake hydra corps!

na crimsons my fav colour sucks the colour of blood isn't everyone's cup of tea

[Lucavi]

Taru/Lalafell being considered a "child race" is purely based on your interpretation of it. Not all short/small races are perceived as a "child race". Hobbits and gnomes have distinguished genders in plenty of fantasy stories. I'm not really sure where the assumption comes in that FF midgets are supposed to be children.

Hobbits and gnomes aren't also designed with semi-pedo Japanese developers, animators, ect. Show me a few good examples of tiny, diminutive races in Japanese media that aren't child-like.

I can think of 3 other JRPGs off-hand that all feature small races, and all of them are child like. Just read how Taru's talk: everything is sing-song, even if they're talking about morbidity.

Just sayin'.

[Odin'sLaw]

Hobbits and gnomes aren't also designed with semi-pedo Japanese developers, animators, ect. Show me a few good examples of tiny, diminutive races in Japanese media that aren't child-like.

I can think of 3 other JRPGs off-hand that all feature small races, and all of them are child like. Just read how Taru's talk: everything is sing-song, even if they're talking about morbidity.

Just sayin'.

i 100% agree on the whole taru's are child like but i think there "sing-song" nature is ment to be a trap you lure people but yeah...i don't mind then been a child race...i just want them to have more gendered stuff like girls get skirts instead of pants simple things go the longest

[SilverBreeze]

It's just simple things that would make a difference.

Like seriously, when I played Scholar I was pretty disappointed when for my AF I got the Jacket and the Pants on my female taru instead of the jacket and the skirt like all the other females of the other races. That's the kind of stuff I don't want to see again.