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    by Published on 12-04-2012 12:05 AM
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    Naoki Yoshida has announced a new developer’s blog for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The first and as of now only post teases some future behind the scenes info as well as other rare inside scoops of FFXIV’s development. Future updates of the blog, according to Yoshi-P, will be done primarily by the project managers, meaning we should see more detailed, technical information, along with all the pretty screenshots.

    In closing, the inaugural blog entry posted some artwork of a baby chocobo and what Yoshi-P referred to as a “super-deformed bomb.”




    Also: as mentioned in our last update, the last stage of Alpha has begun today, with another round of alpha tester invites being sent out internationally. Good luck to all of those who applied! ...
    by Published on 11-27-2012 04:02 AM
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    Last time, we were taken on a tour of Gridania. This time, the development team for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has given us a look at the forested area that surrounds the city-state: the Black Shroud.


    The environment looks great, as usual, and you can tell they’ve been really working on immersion. You see the characters jumping over fences, climbing on top of rocks, standing next to a waterfall, and exploring every aspect of the environment. We also get to see an aetheryte camp, which looks pretty cool, and it also has a moogle hot air balloon. At the end, one of the characters explores an underground dungeon area, where the lighting really helps set the atmosphere.

    An important feature in this video is that for the first time we see a previously discussed change in action: the world map will only reveal itself by your character actually exploring it. This is to encourage player exploration and discovery of little known parts of the world. Currently this revealing of the map seems ...
    by Published on 11-21-2012 12:26 AM
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    Yoshi-P announced a while ago that the 1.x servers will come back online after the finale, with all data simply unsaved for A Realm Reborn. And it has just been disclosed that this will happen… tomorrow! Well, at midnight PST on November 21, to be exact (8 AM GMT).

    The game content will revert to patch 1.23b (released on September 13, 2012) but some bonus content from the finale mini-patches will remain in effect, including an increase in the anima recovery rate, the gear repair cost reduction to 1 gil, the chance of obtaining a special weapon on login from an inn room, and certain relaxed quest requirements.

    As was previously reported, if the login numbers for 1.x drop down below 30% of active subscribers, the servers will be shut down again, and the numbers will be recalculated every month. So if you’re interested, you should make sure to login every month.

    Source: FINAL FANTASY XIV, The Lodestone ...
    by Published on 11-11-2012 11:58 PM
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    After last night’s finale, Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida sat down on a live Youtube video feed to answer some player questions about A Realm Reborn. The official video is not up yet, but it was all in Japanese anyway; instead, you can find a full list of the questions and answers here. Here are some highlights:

    With regards to the ongoing development, the first stage of the alpha test has been completed, and if all things go according to plan, the global alpha test will start on November 26, 2012. According to Yoshi-P, this development is behind schedule, but quality is the first concern above rushing to get things done, which I would certainly hope so after the original debacle. Currently, the hope is that the beta test will start in late January/early February. A new development roadmap will be released in late November/early December.

    Yoshi-P also detailed more information about two new dungeons: the Crystal Tower and the Great Labyrinth of Bahamut (the latter of whom was a highlight of the 1.x finale!). The Crystal Tower will be a raid encompassing an alliance, which ...
    by Published on 11-09-2012 11:06 PM
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    The finale event for the current version of Final Fantasy XIV will officially commence this weekend: from Saturday, November 10 at 10:00 PM to midnight (PST) / Sunday, November 11 at 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM (GMT). The in-game location is Brittlebark, Mor Dhona. As part of the buildup, it has been announced that the game is now open to all Final Fantasy XIV account holders, regardless of subscription status.

    The Lodestone has issued the following “clarion call” to all ready and available warriors to join in at Mor Dhona:

    Adventurers of all races, origins, and creeds. Let it be known that the forces of the Eorzean Alliance, formed of the combined might of Limsa Lominsa, Ul’dah, and Gridania, have presently left the wilds of Thanalan en route to the Carteneau Flats, there to engage in a decisive confrontation with the VIIth Imperial Legion of the Garlean Empire.

    Yet this battle is but the means to an end, for the preservation of the realm from Dalamud is our true objective. Joining our host in the capacity of military tactician
    ...
    by Published on 11-09-2012 10:51 PM
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    Square Enix just released a new video featuring the city-state of Gridania in the alpha version of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Check it out!



    The video features characters in the alpha version of ARR running through Gridania. According to a community rep on the official forums:

    The city-state has taken on an all-new look that features everything from a refurbished aetheryte plaza to cuddly delivery moogles! We really wanted to liven up the mood of the entire metropolis, so we focused on bringing the surrounding environment to life by adding babbling brooks, lush foliage, and a dynamic populace. You'll also notice that the names of unique landmarks appear on screen as you explore.
    Were they were successful? Gridania was my starting city, so I have a soft spot for it, and I think it looks great. The revamped look really captures the atmosphere of a wooded town. And a moogle even had a cameo! ...
    by Published on 11-06-2012 04:15 AM
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    Despite none of this being saved and carried over to A Realm Reborn, Final Fantasy XIV 1.x, with less than a week left to its final days, underwent a quick maintenance today to tweak the current festivities. The following changes were made:

    - The prayers of the adventurers have been heard by the twelve deities.
    * Adventurers will now have a chance to receive a gift from the twelve deities upon resting at the inn.
    * Adventurers will now receive a boon from the twelve deities when they pray for the safety of themselves or a fellow adventurer. Please be advised that the adventurers will experience the wrath of the twelve if they pray for the safety of an enemy.
    - The strength of certain monsters that have unleashed their true potential has been toned down.
    - As relief for adventurers facing enormous odds stacked against them, all items can now be repaired for 1 gil by the repair NPC.
    - To assist the adventurers that are fatigued from the recent battles, adventurers will now be able to ride their mounts within the cities. ...
    by Published on 11-02-2012 01:23 AM
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    I know what you’re thinking: didn’t we just have one of these? Yes, we did, but Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida just loves us too much to stay away for long. But actually this is a special occasion: FFXIV has undergone its final save maintenance, and nothing new from 1.x will now carry over into A Realm Reborn. He also included a couple of new alpha screenshots!


    A new alpha test screenshot courtesy of Yoshi-P

    His words are brief and heartfelt , so I’ll just copy them here:

    More than two years have come and gone since service for FFXIV commenced on September 30, 2010. With the final character save maintenance on November 1, 2012, a chapter in the realm of Eorzea has come to a close.

    With all the changes that have come to pass, I realize that it must have been difficult for you, the players. It’s been a very turbulent two years for me as well, and the game has come to hold a very special place in my heart. Work to transfer data over to A Realm Reborn will soon commence. Rest assured that your character will be carried over to a new beginning, bearing all your cherished memories of friendships and adventure.

    Thanks to your
    ...
    by Published on 10-27-2012 01:28 AM
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    Naoki Yoshida, producer for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, just released a short Letter from the Producer with some quick updates. Most significantly, he announced that the alpha testing of A Realm Reborn will officially begin on October 29, 2012!

    Yoshi-P also snuck in some nifty screenshots from the developer’s stress testing of ARR. Here they are, with Yoshi-P’s commentary:


    ”Adventurers turned up in droves to put one of the new instanced dungeons, Tam-Tara Deepcroft, through its paces.”


    ”As you can see, the new engine can handle a lot of characters at once, and I even had the settings set to high. (In case you’re wondering, everyone is sporting exclusive alpha gear for the dungeon.) “


    ”In preparation for the beta and official release versions, we’ve also been testing new content that pits large groups against enormous foes. There’s some chatting going on in the log, but the content name is wrong. (lol)”


    ”One of our staff members took a widescreen snap while we were trading blows with the mighty
    ...
    by Published on 10-24-2012 11:15 PM
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    Square-Enix has just released screenshots from the new character creation interface that has been built for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Check them out below!




    Chicks dig scars. It’s really the only reason Rinoa liked Squall.


    You can apparently see your character in different environments.

    The first thing that leaps out at me from the screenshots is the much greater degree of customization that is allowed from the new interface. Lip color? Highlights? You could spend all day just going through the options if you wanted.

    And of course, female characters have a “Bust Size” option.


    That’s “very large”? But she can still stand up straight!


    It looks like the development team has done a lot of work to revamp the character creator. The options for “facial features” still seem fairly limited, though they vary substantially between the sexes/races, and I’m sure more options will be added as the game develops.

    What do you think about the new interface? Are you eager to ...
    by Published on 10-24-2012 01:12 AM
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    Some assorted updates for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn:


    The Lodestone has announced that notification emails have been sent out to accepted alpha testers in Japan, where the alpha testing will begin. It looks like the alpha is on track to commence at the end of this month, as promised, but only in Japan. For those players outside of Japan, there is no word yet on precisely when the alpha testing will start in your regions, but you can still apply to be an alpha tester by visiting the application site.

    In response to player questions, a developer announced on the official forums that faction credits and guild leve allowance will be reset for A Realm Reborn (the link goes to an unofficial translation). If you currently have any faction credits, you should be sure to use them before the service shutdown next week! (I know, thanks for the heads up, SE, right?)

    Speaking of the big shutdown, we’re just over one week away. It has been previously reported that the date of the full shutdown ...
    by Published on 10-20-2012 12:35 AM
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    2. Final Fantasy XIV,
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    Do you play Final Fantasy XIV? Do you like scary stories? Then you should check out the FFXIV official forums for a special Halloween event. Five winners will each be awarded a special in-game item: a Scarf of Wondrous Wit.

    To participate, write a spine-chilling original story set in Eorzea, and post it on the forums along with a screenshot of your character telling the tale to friends at a campfire. The Community Team will select the five best entries and award the winners with the Scarf of Wondrous Wit in-game item. Draw inspiration from the lore-rich realm of Eorzea, and pen a tale that will strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest adventurers!
    The entry period is open now, and only lasts until October 25th, so get your entries in quickly. Or just enjoy the spooky stories of your fellow players!

    Unfortunately, this contest is limited to NA players, because we’re the only ones who truly appreciate Halloween. Sorry, EU and Japan players, but it’s not our fault that your culture is inferior. ...
    by Published on 10-13-2012 03:32 PM
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    Recently we reported that Final Fantasy XIV’s development team just released some screenshots for the PS3 version. Now, producer Naoki Yoshida and UI developer Hiroshi Minagawa released more details about the PS3 version and its development to a Japanese news site, as well as information on new content for A Realm Reborn. An intrepid translator from the FFXIV forums provided an unofficial translation of the lengthy interview here and here. It is long and often quite technical, so here’s the significant points that I saw:

    According to Yoshida, the PS3 version is about 80% done, with mostly technical tweaks to go. The PS3 graphics settings are planned to be comparable to medium settings on the PC version, which is as high as they can go on a PS3 MMORPG as big as FFXIV. It will likely not ever be possible to have a full HD display on the PS3 version.

    Minagawa and Yoshi-P both commented on changes to the UI and further development of the PS3 version. A lot of the changes to the UI are based on applying a global standard for MMO controls, at least to the keyboard and mouse. There will ...
    by Published on 10-06-2012 06:35 PM
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    2. Final Fantasy XIV,
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    Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida released another Letter from the Producer regarding the development progress of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

    According to Yoshida, the development team is in the “final stages” of preparing the alpha test version of FFXIV 2.0. The alpha test is currently on track to start sometime around the end of October, just a few weeks away.

    The rest of the Letter is devoted to detailing the results of the Player’s Poll from last month, where Yoshi asked if anyone would want to play on FFXIV 1.0 after November, even if that data did not carry over into A Realm Reborn. Yoshi said he was planning on reopening the 1.0 servers if 30% said “yes,” and so a few days after the servers are taken down on November 11, 2012, they will be coming back up! However, Yoshida cautioned that if the login numbers drop below 30% of the current players, then the servers can be taken back down.

    But it seems like good news for people who are not alpha testers: you can continue ...
    by Published on 10-03-2012 01:28 AM
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    Today, Square-Enix published an announcement on The Lodestone detailing some changes to items and money in A Realm Reborn. Here are some highlights:

    As we covered previously, FFXIV 2.0 will reduce all players’ gil and all NPC item costs to 1/10 of its current value. This is being done because some cheap consumable items, such as arrows, will be removed. The new announcement clarifies that this is only a general guideline, and rebalancing issues may result in some deviations in this formula for specific items and services. Additionally, we reported in the last Letter from the Producer III, total inventory slots will be reduced to the original 100. However, any items a player has in excess of the new 100 slot limit will not be lost. Instead, the items will be given to a special NPC, and the player can speak to it in order to regain the items at his convenience.

    Player-operated bazaars will also be closing, and all items and gil will be put in the player’s inventory. Because the current cap for crystals in the inventory, 9,999, will not be changed, any crystals a player ...
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