FFXIV Developers Open up Regarding Synthesis

With players having polarizing opinions on whether Square Enix learned some lessons from it's long experience with Final Fantasy XI, one thing to support the notion that they have opened the doorway into their game to their global community has been their ongoing Developer FAQ.

With Market Ward changes announced just a few days ago, the Lodestone has now revealed some of the mysteries of synthesis, which has the potential to drastically change the way some Disciple of the Hand players approach their craft.

Read on for the full details and discuss this on the ZAM forums!

From the Lodestone:

Q. I haven't been having much success crafting items. What am I doing wrong?
A. The colored, glowing graphics provides players with a large hint toward a successful synthesis. When the glow is white, the synthesis is at its most stable, and the chances of success are high. When the glow takes on a color, however, the chances of success are low. Players seeking simple completion of their synthesis rather than high-quality results should attempt to use the Wait command when the indicator is colored to restore the stability of the synthesis before finishing it.

Q. Is there a trick to synthesizing high-quality items?
A. Though synthesis actions carried out while the colored circle graphic is red suffer a reduced rate of success, they often serve to increase the quality of the synthesis. In addition, the successful execution of consecutive actions also serves to increase quality. Ultimately, the higher the quality of the synthesis process, the more likely it is to yield a high-quality result.

Q. What do the values attached to synthesis materials, such as +1, signify?
A. These values represent bonuses applied to the durability and quality of a synthesis when it is first begun. Unlike increases to quality made during the crafting process, this initial bonus has no bearing on the degree of difficulty of the synthesis. Such bonus materials therefore increase a player's chances at synthesizing high-quality items, without increasing the difficulty of the synthesis.

Q. I am able to choose between using my main hand or off hand tool when beginning a synthesis. What is the difference?
A. Main hand and off hand tools have varying characteristics which manifest themselves in different ways when a high-quality result is achieved while synthesizing. There are many possible outcomes. For instance, a successful synthesis with a main hand tool may result in a +1 or +2 item, while the result obtained with an off hand tool may be a higher yield of regular quality items.

Q. I don't have enough of the crystals I need for synthesis. Is there a way to get more of the certain crystal type I need?
A. Other than looting fresh corpses, crystals can also be obtained through gathering. Further, for Disciples of the Land, allotting elemental bonus points to a certain element will result in a greater likelihood of procuring crystals of that type. Location is another factor to consider, as some places will yield more of certain crystal types than others.

Comments

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broke back moutain
# Oct 28 2010 at 2:54 PM Rating: Decent
This thing is broke. white light does not = higher success. in fact this whole crafting system is basically random as heck. I can fail on a level 10 crafting item but then somehow miraculously suceeed on a level 20 item? give me a break. i can spend hours grinding for cyrstal and then all my work is for naught in the blink of 10 seconds..even though im crafting only on white to maximize just trying to complete the item? oo and guess what im not even crafting an item im just trying to make a simple freakin iron igot.
Unsolved Crafting System
# Oct 05 2010 at 1:14 PM Rating: Decent
(to clarify, i love FFXIV, but i think they need to work on this issue)

I also think it’s a bit too early to call it failed. but it has some serious floors with it. like the Random element? I always figured white light = higher success rate. but when I try and make things I should be able to make, I don’t notice any higher success rate, and inspire of using abilities and highest level synth support, +1 tools and Equip, I STILL fail on things below my level at 50% completion.
(E.g. Hempen cloth, Sheep leather,)
it seems inspire of my best efforts to insure success, whether or not I will fail/succeed is decided buy a "random" Decision from the game.
that how it feels.

and the "Recommended Training" that as far as I can tell is unavailable/unobtainable.
costs 5000 Guild points, that you can only start getting when your Craft Rank is over 20.
but to get over 20 you have to waist thousands of crystals and matts making things that you cannot make a profit on, because if you try to make anything ells, you will fail 80% without the training.

so to try and create an player run economy won’t happen till enough people are over 20 and able to make what they want, and then sell it for reasonable amounts.
NPC's sell matt's and equipment for Silly-amounts of gill. 30K for a level 8 bow??
the only way I know of anyone (aside the few who HAVE made it over 20 craft and had some luck crafting) is to do Guild leaves and find Chests with gear in.
so once again, how I gear my character is determined randomly buy what chests I find.
???
# Oct 04 2010 at 7:59 AM Rating: Default
That really didn't answer alt. I just left me with more questions.
Failed crafting system
# Oct 04 2010 at 12:14 AM Rating: Default
whoever implemented this crafting system is a ******. you waste 5 hrs trying to get mats and you end up failing after 30 min of frustration because you can't make jack. you try color pattern one day but when you use it the next day it failed like no tomorrow
Failed crafting system
# Oct 05 2010 at 9:19 AM Rating: Decent
35 posts
I get your frustration, but its WAY too early to call this particular system failed... the number of synths you need to do to notice a small % difference is more than you'd think... it would be like flipping a quarter 4 times getting all tails and saying the quarter is broken...

Let some crazies do the same synth at the same level 1000s of times on different colors, different days and all that junk and take a look at the results, dont jump to conclusions just because yesterday 10 attempts at "bold" on red failed for you.

In the end, provided the player skill required for any minigames is minimal, all this system does is give you the ability to set the amount of risk you want to accept for enhanced results better than waiting for a new moon or a certain day or whatever did in ffxi...

I like the crafting process change, I dont like that it seems FAR cheaper and easier to skill up though...
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