Naoki Yoshida "Yoshi-P" Part VI

I am happy. No, I am really happy. Three factors play a role into this happiness:

-I don't feel like I've blown $75.

-I don't feel like I've wasted the last 8 months.

-We have changes coming! Lots of changes!

Anyway, I promised in my last blog entry that I would talk about my opinion on what's coming to the world of Eorzea in the near future. And I am really liking what I'm seeing. Enough to get me playing fairly often again. And leveling like crazy with the Viva Eorzea Linkshell.

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See also: Letter from the Producer X
See also: Letter from the Producer IX

See also: Upcoming battle system overhauls. (By Akihiko Matsui)

See also: The Grand Companies of Eorzea

See also: All Previous Naoki Yoshida Posts / FFXIV Notes.

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Letter from the Producer X:

Link

Yoshi-P posted the newest installment of the Letter from the Producer last Friday, it mainly contains what is to come before the end of this Summer.

While you can see the full list in the links I provided above, some of the noteworthy things I'm going to touch on and give my input.

-Grand Companies:

The upcoming patch is going to introduce the grand companies. Should be noted that one of the leaders is a female roegadyn. And all of the leaders of the companies hold mythic weapons. (Nod to FFXI?)

It's hinted that a lot of the new dungeon content will be tied to these new companies as well.

Personally, I'm going to be joining "The Order of the Twin Adder" situated in Gridania! ^_^


-Job System



As evidenced by this photo posted in a long ago previous Letter from the Producer strongly that old classic FF-jobs were making a comeback. In this letter (as well as the battle system post), it's been confirmed and it is coming. Current classes won't simply be replaced by jobs though (as many people seemed to fear.) It seems that jobs will be specializations of current classes. Like a Conjurer can rank up and take the quests to become a Black or White Mage. Or at least that how it seems to be. I could be wrong, but these jobs are going to have quests associated with them to unlock. While classes will be for more solo and small-group oriented play, it has been said that jobs will be more niche and rigidly defined.

I'm hoping to be a Paladin and Black Mage for my character. A nod to the two FF jobs I associated with the most in Final Fantasy XI! (My two personal favorite jobs.)

Ifrit Battle and Mounts:

We were teased left and right over Ifrit in the main storyline, and I don't know what the original team was thinking when we couldn't fight him in the story. But now it's going to be added before the end of the summer. I'm looking forward to it because the linkshell and I are going to get right on it!


And chocobos. Finally! It's about time a Final Fantasy game has rideable chocobo mounts. -_-

Letter from the Producer IX:

Link

This was posted earlier this month. But Yoshi shows off some of the new quest hubs and beastmen strongholds that are going to be released in June's upcoming patch.

The link contains the pictures of the upcoming hubs.

Upcoming battle system overhauls:

Link

Personally, my linkshell is torn on the opinion of Auto-Attack. People don't want to go back to the 'slow' system of FFXI. But something tells me it won't be like that. But then again I was a tank in both XI and now in XIV. I'm always working my ass off to keep hate rather than be a damage dealer. So I can't accurately judge a system until I play it.

I am peeved at the loss of Physical Levels though. I hate crafting, and my only motivation to do so was do raise my physical level. And now they're going away with it, I have a feeling crafts are going back to the back burner. But I am trying to get to level 50 before then just for the sake of saying "boo-yah" as all my progress away. :(

_

All in all, I guess it's for the best. I'm in it to see the game get much better no matter what it takes. I'm certainly having fun and enjoying watching actively all the changes happening while I'm playing the game. And more importantly, I certainly wouldn't be playing if I didn't think it was going to be a great adventure someday. Either I'm a really patient person, or I'm just cuckoo for cocoa puffs.

...Maybe both?