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FFXIV Surplus System

26 Aug 2010 by Nightmare
In the next update of Final Fantasy XIV Beta, Square Enix is planning to introduce a surplus system (similar to World of Warcraft's rest bonus but quite more advanced) which will reward casual gamers. Below you may find Nobuaki Komoto's explanation of the system in detail.

Balancing Character Growth in Beta 3

Once again, we would like to thank you all for your participation and support during the Closed Beta. We will continue to take your valuable feedback into consideration as we develop the game during Open Beta and even beyond the official release.

Now I would like to take a moment to respond to the many questions and opinions regarding the manner in and rates at which experience and skill points are obtained in Beta 3.

Firstly, the concept for FINAL FANTASY XIV was to design a system of character progression that offers meaningful advancement for those with limited time to dedicate to playing. We did not want to create a game that forced people to play for hours on end to see their efforts rewarded. To that end, in addition to the Guardian's Aspect and guildleve systems, we introduced a means of apportioning swifter advancement to shorter periods of play.

In order to achieve this balance, we calculated a value for the amount of skill or experience points that could be earned in a one-hour period. This theoretical value represents an hour spent engaged solely in combat, levequests, or any other activities that earn skill or experience points, and sets a threshold delimiting how many of these points can be earned in a period of play.

Based on this, we have implemented a "threshold value" concept. These thresholds are regulated by a one-week timer that begins counting down the instant you earn skill/experience points. After a week has passed, the thresholds will reset, and the moment skill/experience points are earned again, the timer begins counting down anew.

For the first eight thresholds during this week-long period, players will receive skill/experience points at the maximum rate possible. The actual amount of time spent reaching these thresholds is not significant. That is to say, a player who exceeds eight hours of gameplay will still be rewarded the maximum amount of skill/experience points, so long as the total amount earned is below the eighth threshold value. For the subsequent seven thresholds, players will earn skill/experience points at a gradually decreasing rate, eventually reaching a rate of zero.

It is worth noting, however, that the reduced rate will also gradually recover while players are engaged in activities that do not yield skill/experience points. In this manner, it is possible for the threshold value to reset completely, even before the completion of the one-week timer.

Any skill points earned in excess of the threshold maximum--that is, at a rate of zero--will be stored as "bonus skill points." These are specific to each class, so players limited to earning bonus skill points still have the freedom to change classes and begin earning skill points again at the maximum rate, allowing their reduced skill rates to recover in the meantime.

The experience point threshold, however, is unrelated to class, and switching classes will have no effect on the decreasing rate of earnable experience.

This is how the progression system currently works.

This system was not introduced in Beta 3, but has been in place since the beginning of beta testing. There are several reasons why many people believe that these features were only recently implemented:

- Leading into Beta 3, operation hours were extended, making it possible to play more often during the span of a week.
- To encourage players to form guidleve parties in Beta 3, skill and experience point rewards for guildleves were significantly increased.
- The process that reduced the amount of skill/experience points awarded for weak enemies attacking in groups was unintentionally removed at the start of Beta 3. (This issue has been addressed.)

That last reason in particular was the biggest cause for players running up against the threshold penalty, with characters earning far more skill/experience points than we anticipated. We also faced an issue where we were simultaneously unable to adjust the amount earned for guildleves as well as the effects of crossing each threshold.

We sincerely apologize for the lack of explanation and our failure to make the necessary adjustments in the game.

The threshold values are being reexamined, and we plan to further adjust the different rates of earnable points based on feedback from our testers. One of the top issues we are looking at right now is fixing the excessively rapid drop after crossing the eighth threshold. We also plan to improve experience point reduction rates, even more so than for skill points, considering the threshold is unaffected when changing class.

At the very least, we can promise that players won't be running into the threshold penalty in the same short time span as they did in the beginning of Beta 3.

We would like to take this opportunity to also explain the following issues.

The diminishing results experienced during gathering are a function related to that class alone, and have no connection to this progression system. We are in the process of adjusting this system, and plan to make changes based on tester feedback.

We are currently in the process of considering the means in which bonus skill points can be used. There have been suggestions for various types of incentives, but as encouraging people to play with that in mind defeats the purpose of this threshold system, we will be examining this issue very carefully.

These are not the only adjustments we have planned for Open Beta. As mentioned previously, we are looking into increasing the amount of skill points earned when fighting in a party, and we look forward to seeing your input on these changes.

Last of all, I would like to apologize for the delay in releasing a developer's comment due to my recent attendance to Gamescom. The article based on my interview during that trip, coupled with conjecture, outdated information, and some misunderstandings on overseas websites, only added to the confusion. In the future, I hope to avoid similar problems by responding directly through official developer's comments as often as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

See you in the Open Beta Testing!

FINAL FANTASY XIV Director
Nobuaki Komoto

Final Fantasy XIV Release Date

30 Jun 2010 by Nightmare
Final Fantasy XIV (PC version) will be released on the 30th of September 2010, in two different forms: the standard edition and the collectors edition. Players buying the collectors edition will be able to start playing the game from the 22nd of September which is approximately a week earlier than the standard release date. The collectors edition will include artwork from Yoshitaka Amano and Akihiko Yoshida, a DVD titled "Eorzea: The Making of a Realm", a hard cover picture case illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, an official tumbler and an original design security token.

With every game purchased, there will be a code for an exclusive ingame item. People buying the collectors edition will receive a free helmet which will reduce the penalty when knocked out. Those buying the standard edition will receive free goggles which will make your skill grow faster. Anyone who has the code of the first print of Final Fantasy XIII will be able to obtain the Ashura Arm Guard item.

Just like Final Fantasy XI, players will have to pay a monthly fee to be able to play the game. The fee is 1344yen per month, but the first one is free of charge.

The Playstation 3 version will be released at a later date, somewhere around March 2011.

Final Fantasy XIV World Map

26 May 2010 by Nightmare
In the May 2010 newsletter, Square Enix attached a picture of the Final Fantasy XIV world map.



Underneath the map, there's the following text:
Come and explore beautiful Limsa Lominsa! You'll find newly-released details and images for this marine metropolis on the official site. Also, get a sneek peak at the entire Eorzean realm by checking out the world map — created for adventurers far and wide by renowned mapmaker, Roddard Ironheart!

Final Fantasy XIII Play Arts Kai Vol 2

25 May 2010 by Nightmare
The second series of the Final Fantasy XIII Play Arts is finally available. The set consists of Sazh, Fang and Hope who are the protagonsists of Final Fantasy XIII alongside Lightning, Vanille and Snow.

These are collectable action figures for fans of Final Fantasy XIII, and can be purchased from the official Square Enix Store website (http://ssl.square-enix-shop.com/usa/).

Below are some photos of the collection.





These are photos of the previous series ie the Final Fantasy XIII Play Arts Kai Vol 1.