New Interview with FFXI's Developers on 1UP.com

[Murphie]

Yeesh, WoW's got us beat by 12 times.

WoW is also considerably more accessible, is available in several languages, and is very easy to pick up and play without any of that pesky learning getting in the way. Admittedly later on having some skill really does help, but you can still play the game with a modicum of understanding of how the game works and make it to 60 in a relatively short amount of time.

It's not a bad game. A lot of people seem to really like it. But I'll stick with FFXI for now.

[McBride]

It just doesn't feel like regular slowdown, is the thing... My Xbox freezes on me frequently during Besieged, making it a toss of a die to see whether or not I'll still be on by the end. I can't even depend on my PC because it can't take the heat either. Quite a few many people I talk to have the same exact problems-- It's ridiculous. I agree that besieged's charm comes in part from being able to fight alongside so many people, but that may also be its downside in situations like these where I can't even gain rewards unless I'm able to beat the 3/4 chance of disconnection.

[TenchiHawkwing]

Hmmm, guess PS2 is good for something. I participate in beseiged every single time I'm able to(which is most of the time since I'm at home alot).

I've only been booted once so far, though most everyone else I know hasn't been so lucky. Most of the people I know not getting kicked off are on PS2... I'm not saying that has anything to do with it.

It sure as hell seems like it does though.

[Murphie]

The only besieged problem my LS members have had is not being able to get in.

[TenchiHawkwing]

Hmm, my home point is the Al Zhabi home point crystal(or where it used to be before they removed it) so... anytime I see Besiged coming up I just warp and I'm in the mix, even when it's supposed to be full, it lets me in

[Murphie]

The part about Ordelle's Caves, Beaucedine Glacier and Meriphitaud doesn't make any sense to me. Those zones aren't really that hard to get around in. Besides, they've been in the game since the original release. What's the point of bringing them up now?

(I could be wrong about Beaudedine that might have been part of Zilart.)

[TenchiHawkwing]

The part about Ordelle's Caves, Beaucedine Glacier and Meriphitaud doesn't make any sense to me. Those zones aren't really that hard to get around in. Besides, they've been in the game since the original release. What's the point of bringing them up now?

(I could be wrong about Beaudedine that might have been part of Zilart.)

They probably just didn't think to ask until now... that or they didn't have enough questions about new content, so they threw in some random questions.

[Taskmage]

Beaucedine was in the original. You have to go through it for rank 5 and 6 missions. It's just annoying because you have to weave back and forth a lot to travel what would be a very short distance as the crow flies. I think it does a good job communicating the height and breadth of the place though.

[dirtyclown]

That interview made me lol. It's further proof that SE has no idea wtf to do about certain things.

[Murphie]

They probably just didn't think to ask until now... that or they didn't have enough questions about new content, so they threw in some random questions.

Well, I'm willing to believe the latter. It really was a pretty slipshod interview.

Taskmage: I thought as much. Didn't the original release (pre-Zilart) end with the Shadowlord mission?

[Taskmage]

I think so.

[TenchiHawkwing]

Well, I'm willing to believe the latter. It really was a pretty slipshod interview.

Taskmage: I thought as much. Didn't the original release (pre-Zilart) end with the Shadowlord mission?

Yes. It most certainly did, I remember people who imported the game talking about that... and they pretty much knew there was going to be another harder version(Dynamis Lord, anyone?)

[Tirrock]

It's unfortunate how many interviews 1up gets with SE. I can't go to their website. >< It's one of the few random websites that I can't open for no apparent reason.

[Taskmage]

I'll copy paste it. Spoilered to save space.

1up interview part 1

With a few months of wear and tear on Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan's collective belt, we figured it was time to take the development team's temperature the old-fashioned way and see how they were doing. The time was also right to hit them with some pressing questions about some of TOAU's more significant problems (see: Besieged), and of course we couldn't help but ask them some smart-ass questions about why Beaucedine Glacier is such a hassle to get around. Why? Cuz no one else would. One last point is that Square Enix likes to receive a copy of the Q&As in advance when possible, so that they can prepare an adequate defense in the face of such merciless geekiness. So, in the time between original submission and the actual conversation, some information (a.k.a. the chocobo breeding) has already been revealed on the Playonline website. We realize this, but have included the full transcript for the benefit of those interested in reading the interview in its entirety. But enough chatter, on with the show.
1UP: Have you enjoyed the response to Treasures of Aht Urhgan so far? What has the overall feedback and reaction been to the expansion?

Kouichi Ogawa [Treasures of Aht Urhgan,Director]: We are extremely pleased at the overwhelming reaction of the players. While this expansion was designed to cater to higher level players, we are pleased that mid to lower level players are also having fun with the new features. We have also noticed that many people are enjoying the light-hearted quests and missions.

We have also received much positive feedback on the three new jobs and how players are enjoying customizing their characters, as well as learning their roles and maximizing their abilities in battle. When developing the Assault missions, the main concept was providing players with a quick quest they could complete before logging off for the day. And from what we've seen, it looks like a lot of people are doing this. Though, we admit that requiring you to first gain access to the runic portals was probably a lot of work. [Laughs] We plan to continue upgrading Assault, and hope you all look forward to what the future has to offer.

As for Besieged, it is safe to say that we did not expect so many people to participate, and we deeply apologize that the current situation is causing strain on a lot of player's PCs/consoles, thus hampering gameplay. However, we are excited about offering a battle system that allows people of all levels to cooperate and protect their city from the onslaught of the beastmen forces--something that we believe is perfect for the FINAL FANTASY XI world. And so, we are working our hardest to improve Besieged to make it a stress-free experience for all.

1UP: Which of the new jobs people have leveled the most? From the outside it looks like BLU, then COR, then PUP, but I could be wrong.

Akihiko Matsui [Battle Director]: That is what we thought as well. However, after recently taking a look at the data, we have found the following: while in the upper levels the popularity among the three new jobs ranks BLU, COR, PUP, the lower levels show that the ranking is COR, PUP, then BLU. This is probably because many people have finished leveling blue mage, and are now going back to work on the other two. We had expected as much while still in the development phase.

1UP: I've noticed that the new jobs don't have many job traits, at least not as many as the previous 15 jobs have. Most of the new jobs rely on the job abilities of the selected subjob to influence how they play. Do you plan to add any abilities with content updates?

AM: When designing the new jobs, we decided that we wanted to put the focus of character development on the adjustment of the special characteristics of each job rather than trying to balance the jobs by simply adding various abilities or attributes. While we are not denying the benefits of implementing new attributes/abilities, we would first like to continue expanding on features of blue magic, the corsair's roll, and puppet attachments.

1UP: One original concern with some jobs, is that they're too powerful, like BLU and COR in particular. Some Bards and Red Mages were worried that they were out of a job thanks to the various Corsair rolls, but it's become more apparent that Corsair is more effective when those jobs are actually in the same party alongside them, especially since CORs can't enfeeble. Was this part of your grand design for COR? How would you say the other jobs fit in?

AM: During development, the aspect on which the corsair planner worked hardest was how the new job would work with other jobs with similar roles (such as bards and red mages). So far we have been pleased with how things have turned out.

1UP: Do you have any thoughts on Puppetmaster and how that's working out? It seems fine to me, it's a very versatile melee job, but was wondering if you had any particular insights.

AM: Because it is a job with a "pet," we made the decision to slightly limit the master's overall stats. However, in the near future, we hope to expand the variety of puppet attachments to allow more customization and increase the combat styles players have to choose from.

1UP: The new areas are great for leveling, at least from 55 on up. Heraldic Imps are great for leveling on and it's easier than ever to get to 75 since they respawn so often and have such low HP. Chains of over 200 are achieved if you have a Bard or multiple pullers in your party. This brings to mind a couple questions though:

A) Will you guys tweak the respawn times or enemy strength in previously popular leveling areas, like King Ranperre's Tomb, Bibiki Bay, Lufaise Meadows, and Sky? Those areas aren't nearly as popular now since you can't get experience as fast or as easily there.

B) Speaking of chain 200, what we've seen is parties meriting like crazy in Caedara Mires and Bhaflau Thickets, the most popular places for level 73-75s to level. But many parties recruit a Bard, or send out multiple pullers, and hold three or four mobs at a time, to keep their chains going. All etiquette for sticking to a single camp and sharing has gone out the window, with everyone going nuts, claiming anything that moves. These camps are vastly overpopulated and cramped now, especially as more people get to 75 quicker than ever. Do you plan to add more areas for high-level players to go?

C) Will you add incentives to level in CoP or Rise of the Zilart areas, similar to the Walahra Turban "quest" in Al Zahbi? With fast-dying mobs, high chain possibilities, and items to get for your Imperial Sanction points, most people would rather level in TOAU areas exclusively. I've heard many people say "I'm never going back to Bibiki Bay again."

AM: With each expansion disc, the development team becomes more skilled at creating new monsters with a variety of new abilities and behavioral patterns. However, many of these abilities are often detrimental to players simply trying to earn constant EXP, so many areas with these new monsters are left empty after players have completed the missions and quests within them. When designing the Aht Urghan areas and the monsters that were to occupy them, we took the aforementioned problem into consideration, and decided to make sure that while monsters had new abilities, the foes would not be too difficult to defeat, therefore creating a balance. We hope that this practice will become the standard when introducing new monsters in new areas.

As for adjusting the difficulty of the monsters in the Promathia and Zilart areas, this may not be as easy as it sounds; however, once the bulk of the Aht Urghan data has been implemented, we hope to go back and begin tweaking with older areas.

1UP: The Besieged demo you had at Fan Festival was awesome. Lots of people rallying in Al Zahbi fighting back hordes of monsters. But in actual practice, it's almost unplayable. Al Zahbi often has up to 600-700 people there at one time, which combined with the monsters that load into the zone, usually results in a laggy nightmare. I'll see people slowly load in, my chat box will fill with battle text, but I won't see anything happening. And it's over before I know it, and if I'm lucky I won't die from some 3000-damage area-effect attack. What are your plans to help fix Besieged?

KO: We can tell you that the problems most people are facing have nothing to do with server lag. Slowdown, etc. often occurs when large numbers of characters/monsters appear on the screen simultaneously and cannot be processed quickly enough by client-side hardware (PC/PS2). We have also seen that, while not as noticeable, slowdown is present even when using high-end PCs. This tells us that it may be difficult to fix the issue as long as the participation levels remain high. We feel that while many players are experiencing slowdown, it has not yet hampered gameplay to the point of people being unable to participate (if it did, it would not be so crowded all the time!).

1UP: Yeah, but that's like throwing free money when the ball drops in Times Square and saying people love getting stomped on.

KO: It actually seems like the majority of players like Besieged so much that they are willing to trade off a little slowdown just to take part in this event that brings people of all nationalities and all levels together in one epic battle to save Al Zahbi--something that can only be accomplished in an MMO. And we wouldn't want deprive our players of this experience due to a reason such as processing ability. While there is little we can do about individual console processing issues, we are currently considering numerous other means to make Besieged a smoother, stress-free experience for all.

1UP: Do you plan to add other areas that might get Besieged at the same time or independently, which might encourage players to go to other zones and fight?

KO: We are extremely surprised with the popularity of Besieged and are pleased to see so many players take part in it. However, Besieged was originally designed to be held in a single area, and we had not considered having the beastmen assault multiple locations at once. We believe that one of the things that makes Besieged so appealing is the fact that so many players of all different levels can work together in one massive battle. If spreading the battles out over numerous different areas led to a significant reduction in the number of players participating in the same battle, then that would defeat Besieged's original intended purpose.

[Taskmage]

1up interview part 2

1UP: Let's talk about the upcoming Chocobo breeding a bit. Will the chocobos you raise and breed eventually die (I'd make a sad face) or will they live so they can be sold?

Youji Fujito [Planner]: To answer your first question, no, chocobos will not die. During the early stages of development, we had many discussions about this issue in particular. While many thought that introducing a full lifespan--from birth to death--would add to the reality of raising a chocobo, we realized that taking this path would require us to implement numerous items/features to help players extend the life of their steed. If chocobos were only for racing, then possibly a limited lifespan system may work, but we have plans for them to be much more. Losing a chocobo would mean losing everything that was put into to it. One of the main concepts behind FINAL FANTASY XI is that we did not want to have players losing things against their will (i.e. having something stolen by another player = against will / losing an item during synthesis = not against will), and we felt that we had to uphold this concept within the chocobo raising system.

However, we are aware that simply raising a single chocobo forever would simply become boring. Spending time everyday just to maintain something that has no goal simply becomes tedious. That is why we have decided to limit the amount of time that a chocobo can grow. By doing this, it becomes a test against time to see how great a player can make her chocobo in the small period allotted. As for raising multiple chocobos at the same time, we are sad to say that the current system resources could not handle the extra load, so the answer is no. However, this does not mean that you will only be allowed to raise one animal.

To elaborate on this, once the growth period of a chocobo has ended, it will be sent to a "farm" where it can spend the rest of its days. When it is sent, you will be given a "proof of ownership" certificate which will allow you to come and visit your chocobo at any time. And, with your previous chocobo at the farm, you will be able to to begin raising a new chocobo if you wish. Regarding the sale of chocobos, we are still considering all of our options. We are aware that RMT may become an issue and are working hard to build a system where this will not be a problem.

This answer dealt mainly with the end of the chocobo raising cycle. There are still many aspects of cycle (from breeding to retirement) that are to be discovered. Chocobo raising is not a one-time feature, and we hope that players are able to have fun learning and mastering the system by participating multiple times.

1UP: When you breed with another player's chocobo, what determines who gets the egg? I can imagine both players would want it, especially since you can hatch a rare chocobo. Will chocobos be rare, or ra/ex?

YF: The original concept behind chocobo breeding was to create a system where even people with little time to log in to Vana'diel could participate. That is why we have designed the chocobo breeding system so that both owners of the chocobos do not have to be present at the same time to complete the breeding. As long as a player has the appropriate item, all requirements will be fulfilled. According to this system, as long as you fulfill the requirements, you will always receive an egg, and will never have to worry about that egg going to someone else.

Concerning the "rarity" of eggs, this can be said: Just because an egg is rare, does not mean that the chocobo born from it will be. For example, an egg dropped by an NM might not produce a special chocobo. It may turn out to be a normal yellow one. It also may turn out that a chocobo bred from the one born from the rare egg will be the one that is actually "rare."

1UP: The biggest question players want to know is if you'll be able to ride your chocobos eventually. You've said in the past 'If enough players want that, we'll consider it." I'm pretty sure I can speak for everyone when I say that people want that. Even if it's in limited capacity (like using an Empress Band), so it doesn't make the teleport crag chocobo rentals obsolete.

YF: Since we first revealed our plans to introduce chocobo breeding, we've received numerous inquiries about whether or not players would be able to ride their own chocobos. Due to the overwhelming response from our users, we have decided to include that feature in the upcoming version updates. However, please note that raising a chocobo to ride may end up being more expensive than renting one from the stables (though there will be various other merits to offset those costs).

1UP: Can you give us a hint as to some of the factors that go into breeding your chocobo, and what some of the various results might be? To win chocobo races, it's sort of obvious you'll want a fast chocobo with good stamina, but if you don't have either of those, what could your chocobo be useful for?

YF: Currently, one of the "other" things that your chocobo's stats will affect will be chocobo digging. As for attributes that may help a chocobo win a race, it can be safely said that speed and stamina will not always be the deciding factors. These will, of course, be beneficial during a race, but we would like to note that chocobos will have several other attributes as well. Chocobo racing and breeding are still in the developmental stages, so things are still bound to change. We are always listening to our players' opinions; so if you have any ideas, let us know on message boards, etc. Who knows, maybe your idea will be implemented!

1UP: When do you think you'll start to implement the job changes you mentioned at Fan Fest? And will you add them all at once, or will you adjust a couple jobs at a time?

AM: We are currently planning to implement a number of job balance-related changes in the upcoming version update. Rather than going into details here, we ask that you wait and see what the update has to offer.

1UP: On a total side note, I have to ask, are Ordelle's Caves, Meriphataud Mountains and Beaucedine Glacier specifically designed to be as annoying as possible in terms of navigation?

KO: All the areas in Vana'diel were designed based on a variety of different concepts. Ordelle's Caves were meant to be complex and winding, just like a real natural cavern, while the Meriphataud Mountains and the Beaucedine Glacier were designed to represent the grand scale of what nature is capable of creating. As for the Beaucedine Glacier, this area can be compared to the grueling area that the hero must traverse before reaching the last dungeon where the final boss awaits. (Many of the original areas were designed as if they might be used in an offline game)

1UP: Speaking about non-TOAU specific stuff for a bit, getting God triggers in Tu'Lia is often very difficult, because many trigger mobs, like Ullikummi, are so heavily camped by Chinese gilsellers who sell the triggers for 18 million gil or more that it's very discouraging to camp a mob that only pops once every 12 hours or even longer, only to lose it to a gilseller party who may or may not be using 'bots. So, are you guys still going after gilsellers/farmers?

Mozzia [Community Planner]: Whether they are gilsellers or not, we cannot be sure; however, we are fully aware that there are groups of players that continuously camp the same NMs for long periods of time. We also do not believe that waiting like this for a monster to pop is against any of FINAL FANTASY XI's rules. It must be accepted that some people have more time to put into the game, therefore allowing them to reap the benefits of their perseverance.

However, we realize that some NM camping has become quite excessive, and we do not feel that having the same player(s) claim the same NMs over and over again is necessarily beneficial to Vana'diel. In cases that we feel require adjustments, we have implemented changes such as those seen in the April 2006 version update (Mee Deggi the Punisher & Quu Domi the Gallant in Oztroja Castle, Pahh the Gullcaller, Worr the Clawfisted, Novv the Whitehearted, and Zuug the Shoreleaper in the Sea Serpent's Grotto).

Finally, we advise against categorizing every NM camper as a "Chinese gilseller." A large percentage of the campers' accounts are North American, and currently, it is impossible to determine the nationality of a user through their account data. Concerning gilsellers and RMT, we have made it clear that due to the original design of FINAL FANTASY XI not being based on a system supporting RMT, as well as real-world dangers, such as fraud, surrounding these types of actions/transactions, that we will not accept these practices, and have thus prohibited them in the PlayOnline User Agreement.

To stop those who continue to violate this section of the user agreement, we have taken many steps (in-game and out) to prosecute these individuals. As we stated earlier this year, over 250 accounts have been cancelled and over 250 billion gil has been seized. And we have not stopped there. Since that announcement we have continued to cancel the accounts of those we have found in violation of the user agreement and will continue to punish those who do, as well as consider new ways of finding and dealing with any players committing detrimental actions.

1UP: Do you plan to continue to tweak the CoP areas, or add more content to the CoP areas to attract more players who are playing in the new TOAU zones almost exclusively?

Nobuaki Koumoto [Version update Director]: We do not believe that we need even distribution of all player characters over every area in Vana'diel. While we do feel that it is important to continue adjusting older aspects of the game to make them more appealing, doing this often requires serious consideration of balance issues that would occur as a result of a change. Considering the recent release of our newest expansion disc, currently our top priority has to be the development of this new content. Once this has been finished, we will go back and consider other issues.

1UP: Regarding Dynamis, I've asked this before, but with so many people getting to 75 now, finding enough time and people to do Dynamis and actually get in the zone you want at the time you want is very difficult with so many Linkshells competing for the same spot at the same time. Many players have jobs that force them into certain hours, or have school and possibly curfews, etc., that make specific "prime time" slots the best for organizing these large gatherings. Have you guys put any more thought into instancing these zones, so that anyone who wants to do Dynamis and has the Hourglass can go into their own Dynamis area?

NK: We realize that there are some problems that have arisen regarding Dynamis. Some of those being: Community communication problems caused by the influx of Dynamis linkshells. Intentional interception of other parties, preventing entrance into Dynamis. Regarding the first, we realize that it is sometimes difficult to solve these problems within Vana'diel. That is why we are now trying to see if information cannot be shared through the new linkshell community (currently in beta). As for the second, we are currently considering different measures to take that could prevent this type of action without infringing on the enjoyment of rule-abiding players.

1UP: Well, this has been a very informative chat, and thanks so much for all of your participation. We're looking forward to the new content to arrive in the next patch. See you at Tokyo Game Show!