A new Famitsu came out with a nice spread on Final Fantasy XIV.  While working on it, Square Enix posted all the new info on their official FFXIV site.  Check it out for new information on some classes and monsters as well as a look into the life of a crafter in Eorzea.  What I'm going to do now, is pick out information from some of the Q&A sessions sprinkled throughout the article, which didn't make the cut.

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The first Q&A was about the trailer from Tokyo Game Show 2009.  As the trailer depicts early on, the story for every adventurer will begin in Eorzea and all players will start wihtin one of the city-states.  The bar scenes you see will also have a place in the game.  Each city-state will have its own establishments, such as pubs and guilds.  These places will serve an important purpose, one being a place to obtain Guildleves.  The battle scene on the boat has been a subject of interest, and the developers confirm that battles against multiple enemies will be an aspect of FFXIV that players can look forward too.  Another thing players can get excited about is hearing the fast-paced battle music from the trailer in-game as well.  The track, as well as several others, are ready to be used as music during fights.

The next mini-interview spoke of weapons.  Just as the description of Lancer implies, the reach and attack range for a character will change depending on the weapon they use.  Polearms will allow players to attack from "out range," which most likely refers to a distance just outside melee range.  Lancers will also have access to throwing Javelins.  The developers state that they are considering characters being able to wield two weapons at once.  However, in this particular case, the Javelin will most likely take the form of a throwing weapon, as see in FFXI.  Each class will be given more variety by virtue of what throwing weapons they have available to them, one example being the claim that Archers have skill at "rock throwing."

The third and final set of questions focused on crafting.  As in FFXI, food in Eorzea will have an effect on the stats of adventurers.  The plan is to have a wide variety of foods that can benefit individuals in a myriad of ways.  In order to craft, a player will first and foremost need the proper tool.  Then, depending on the recipe, they need the ingredients and the corresponding crystal.  There will also be many instances where certain equipment is required.  And finally, requirements such as crafting support in FFXI will also be needed in some cases.  Once a crafter produces their goods and is ready to sell, there will be a market, but no details were given at this time.

Another aspect of crafting will be repairing weapons.  As a weapon is used, it will deteriorate, and the abilities of that weapon will gradually decrease as well.  Certain crafters will be called upon to repair these items.  However, crafters themselves must be careful, because even their tools are subject to wear and tear.  As a final note, the developers note that there may be tools specific to different races.  However, they do not wish to separate the races too much, so any differences will not have a prohibitive affect on game play.