Dengeki Games Interview

[Cadsuane]

Caves are always perplexingly well lit in video games which is really too bad since 3d rendering doesn't meet with the same issues that low light film exposure does, ie. you actually can render something in 3d that looks alot like what the human eye sees in low light, like the gradual transition to monochrome and the ability to differentiate minute contrasts. Games like silent hill do darkness really well and games like that drip atmosphere so it's disappointing for me whenever my character goes spelunking in some other game and the abandoned caves are filled to the tits with mysteriously lit torches or just unapologetically lit up with no apparent light source at all. FFXI was stupid guilty of this but some allowances need to be made for the PS2 not being able to do that kind of filter and shadow mapping work, though even there some pains were taken to do something funky with light sources. If you guys remember walking around bostaunieux oubliette, the light source is pointed up towards the ceiling to give you that flashlight-under-your-chin spooky ambiance, and other areas do similar things with light direction and colour filters.

I'm with you guys on not making it into some tiresome artifice of gameplay but, some of you are looking at it way too mechanically. MMOs need immersion, and immersion requires atmosphere. That's why FFXI had music and dynamic weather and a bunch of other crap. Caves with invisible flourescent lighting are not immersive, unless you're trying to evoke the imagery of a trip to wal-mart. I'm sure conversely it wouldn't hurt anyone's suspension of disbelief if FFXIV toons just had standard issue magical glowing rocks glued to their lapels since that's the kind of shit you'd expect from a fantasy world pastiche, and neatly sidesteps the whole issue of fiddle fucking about with a torch mechanic.

[Boom]

it's disappointing for me whenever my character goes spelunking in some other game and the abandoned caves are filled to the tits with mysteriously lit torches or just unapologetically lit up with no apparent light source at all. FFXI was stupid guilty of this

I rather enjoyed the blinding green gas while xping in Crawler's Nest secret room.

[Cadsuane]

I don't think you understood. Natural light sources in otherwise dark places create contrasts which are pleasing to the eye. Luminescent moss/gas is a great idea and would look very nice, but CN wasn't lit up by those, it was lit up by the standard unidirectional light source that lights up every FFXI area.

[Kaylia]

Caves are always perplexingly well lit in video games which is really too bad since 3d rendering doesn't meet with the same issues that low light film exposure does, ie. you actually can render something in 3d that looks alot like what the human eye sees in low light, like the gradual transition to monochrome and the ability to differentiate minute contrasts. Games like silent hill do darkness really well and games like that drip atmosphere so it's disappointing for me whenever my character goes spelunking in some other game and the abandoned caves are filled to the tits with mysteriously lit torches or just unapologetically lit up with no apparent light source at all. FFXI was stupid guilty of this but some allowances need to be made for the PS2 not being able to do that kind of filter and shadow mapping work, though even there some pains were taken to do something funky with light sources. If you guys remember walking around bostaunieux oubliette, the light source is pointed up towards the ceiling to give you that flashlight-under-your-chin spooky ambiance, and other areas do similar things with light direction and colour filters.

I'm with you guys on not making it into some tiresome artifice of gameplay but, some of you are looking at it way too mechanically. MMOs need immersion, and immersion requires atmosphere. That's why FFXI had music and dynamic weather and a bunch of other crap. Caves with invisible flourescent lighting are not immersive, unless you're trying to evoke the imagery of a trip to wal-mart. I'm sure conversely it wouldn't hurt anyone's suspension of disbelief if FFXIV toons just had standard issue magical glowing rocks glued to their lapels since that's the kind of shit you'd expect from a fantasy world pastiche, and neatly sidesteps the whole issue of fiddle fucking about with a torch mechanic.

I've see party get lost in unidirectional tunnel in FFXI. Forget dark cave, it would be a pain.


Dynamics lightning are nice, but not every pc would be able to run them properly, so in the end, I'm not sure it's the right time for it in a mmo. Maybe in a couple of year, but it seem too early. It could be fun, but I don't know, I seriously doubt it will happen.


I'm not too worried about the world being immersive. SquareEnix's artist are generally creative, and you know the game will look good in overall.

[Purrrfect]

Long live the Mandragora!

[Spira]

Thank goodness they aren't considering the lantern thing. It was a hassle requiring lights in MUDs i played, and it wasnt even graphic based.. I'd imagine the technical aspect of doing this would be a waste of effort too for something this trivial.

Also hoping they'll stick to FFXIs food system and don't introduce hunger/thirst mechanic.

[Coren]

Thank goodness they aren't considering the lantern thing. It was a hassle requiring lights in MUDs i played, and it wasnt even graphic based.. I'd imagine the technical aspect of doing this would be a waste of effort too for something this trivial.

Also hoping they'll stick to FFXIs food system and don't introduce hunger/thirst mechanic.

I think they're going to take ffxi choco raising to a new level: you now must log in twice a day to feed/water your character or he will lose stats and run slower and for less time. If you accidentally fuck your character up, you have to go start a new one.

/snark

[Navarius]

Ｑ：Are there monsters that will fight each other?
Ａ：In the beginning, we came up with something like a food chain system, and it may end up in the game in some form or another.

This could add an interesting dynamic to mob/world interaction. For example, say a person or group decides on a mob at the top of the food chain, in a certain area, as the target for exp, farming, etc. Respawns would eventually result in a lower population of that specific mob and say, in the next game-day, lead to a higher population of whichever mob is next on the food chain. Targeting mobs in the middle of the food chain could lead to mobs higher up turning to less desirable prey or any plants in the area that would be used for harvesting.

[Xno Kappa]

Information on how the spawn system for mobs work along with the allocation of how drops will be handled or it's bust for me and FFXIV.

[Boom]

For example, say a person or group decides on a mob at the top of the food chain, in a certain area, as the target for exp, farming, etc.

The food chain stuff was in response to whether mobs will attack each other. So I think it'll be a way to get one mob type to aggro another. And now with mobs traveling in PTs, they can preoccupy themselves while you slowly pick them off.

I like speculating.

[Elmer the Pointy]

It may have just been a random question, but the interviewer could have gotten the idea of mobs attacking each other from FFXIII. In that game you can find mobs fighting each other on the field. When you enter battle, you can sometimes choose to attack one side or the other. For instance, you can help weaken down the largest, strongest foe, pick off the little guys, then finish off the big one.

[tsaroth816]

Goobue eating a Mandragora at 1:11

Old idea is old

[Kaluuki]

It may have just been a random question, but the interviewer could have gotten the idea of mobs attacking each other from FFXIII.

also, monster hunter I'm pretty sure.

[Scythiroth]

It may have just been a random question, but the interviewer could have gotten the idea of mobs attacking each other from FFXIII. In that game you can find mobs fighting each other on the field. When you enter battle, you can sometimes choose to attack one side or the other. For instance, you can help weaken down the largest, strongest foe, pick off the little guys, then finish off the big one.

It was in FF12 as well.

[Lucavi]

It was in FF12 as well.

And it was good in FFXII. I wish more games implemented it, and I wish it played a bigger role in FFXII. I also enjoyed the random hunter NPCs out fighting in the wild. Gave a sense of immersion outside of the classic "screen breaks > your party vs. the world fight!"

[Melion]

Always wanted an MMO where mobbies in the environment fought each other and grew stronger as a result :3

...although, then you may end up with level 80 bunnies in West Sarutabaruta (>"<; ...definately would spice things up though!

[Cureslime]

Man those bunnies would be farming their ancient papyrus in about 2 days /played.

[Elmer the Pointy]

I forgot about that being in FFXII. Can't believe it's already 4 years since that game came out.

[Gokulo]

Some mobs in Aion also fight each other. There are a couple of games now that use that idea, but I don't think any of them implemented it on larger scale. And I don't think S-E will do that in XIV.

[Eldelphia]

Always thought it was stupid that anytime players ~aga'd we'd get hate on other mobs in XI but any time the mobs did, it didn't hit anyone but us. I understand why but it doesn't make sense...