E3 News Compilation

E3 has wrapped up, and it was a huge event for Final Fantasy XIV fans.  A ton of new information was spread across multiple interviews and special insider videos, and the promised beta is set to arrive in just a few weeks!  While you rev up your computers for the jump to Eorzea, here is a compilation of what we know about the direction of Square Enix's newest MMO. 

These facts and tidbits were collected from a variety of gaming sites, which are linked below.

ZAM - ZAM Interviews Hiromichi Tanaka

  • Jumping will not be included as it is not considered to be an important or necessary function.
  • The Action Gauge does not need to be full to use skills.  However, the amount in the Action Gauge will determine what skills can be used.  (Think Final Fantasy XIII, where higher level skills and spells required more of your gauge)
  • There will be Guildleves geared towards high-level and low-level players, both in groups and for solo.
  • There may be official support for certain plug-ins created by users.

Core - FFXIV Core's E3 News

  • Expect class-specific equipment sets.
  • Most classes in the release version will be available by beta.  More classes will continue to be added, even after release.
  • The "Company" will be the Linkshell of FFXIV, with more support from Square Enix for things like a community site and tracking group statistics.
  • The beta will introduce a "Retainer" system, which allows a character to be active in the game world while the player is offline.

Eorzeapedia - E3 Interview with Hiromichi Tanaka and Yasu Kurosawa

  • A community site provided by Square Enix will allow players to track their Company and individual character stats.
  • Surnames are required when creating a character.  However, players can designate a player to whom they can send /tells using only the first name.  (e.g. /tell Saori → List of players with the first name "Saori" appears → select "Saori Hill" → Now "Saori Hill" can be contacted as "Saori" for your player.)
  • There will be "tens of classes" in the game, but not all available at launch.  Some will be added through version updates.

Famitsu - Interview with Final Fantasy XIV Producer Hiromichi Tanaka

  • The final version of the character creator will allow for details such as Miqo'te tail and ear shape.
  • Developers initially knew that battle speed was too slow, but decided to let players give their ideas on how to improve it.
  • Some stats have been adjusted for the beta.  The Action Bar has been increased to 30 slots, HP/MP scale with character growth and Elemental Resistance has been given its own category, separate from Physical Resistance.
  • A "community tool" is planned for release during the beta, which provides players with a site just for them where they can a message board and such.
  • There will be an Auto-Translate Function similar to FFXI with simple words and phrases.
  • There are no plans for supporting voice chat at this time due to the difficulties of having a single system work between PC and PS3.

Dengeki - Hiromichi Tanaka Interview

  • The character creation system has been overhauled for the beta, as well as the game's rendering of light and shadow.
  • Female Highlanders were scrapped for various unknown reasons.  Male Miqo'te may appears as NPCs, but will not be selectable by players.
  • The battle system was changed a lot to remove unnecessary waiting time.  The Action Gauge now determines what actions you can perform based on how full it is. (Again, similar to Final Fantasy XIII.  The fuller the bar, the more powerful action you can perform.  Or, you can do several less powerful actions in quick succession.)
  • There are various communication tools planned to help aid in managing a party during battle.  For instance, there will be a way to easily show which monster the leader is attacking.
  • The equipment decay system will be implemented for the beta.  Weapons will not break and disappear, but will become essentially useless and in need of repair.  This should start to boost the popularity of crafting classes.
  • The beta is expected to begin sometime in July.

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