Hiromichi Tanaka offers more answers for Final Fantasy XIV
by Eliot Lefebvre 
Oct 18th 2009 at 4:00PM
Filed under: Fantasy, Classes, Interviews, New titles, Crafting, Final Fantasy XIV
Square-Enix is going to release information about Final Fantasy XIV at its own pace, as the company always has. However, that can be more than a little agonizing for those of us on the ground, who are left running along after scraps in a desperate attempt to get more information. As a result, we can only be happy when there's an interview with Hiromi Tanaka, producer of the game, in which he gives more information about the upcoming game's features.
Among the more interesting answers are the fact that there will be no player flight (which ties in with his answers in an earlier interview that there will be no jumping), that players will not be pledging their allegiance to a single city-state a la Final Fantasy XI, and reinforcement of the idea that there's not really a concept of "classes" extant in-game. Rather, it's a matter of several different disciplines based upon what weapon or tool you're using. Equally interesting is the response to the question of whether Roegadyn and Miqo'te will be dual-gendered races, after their predecssors (Galka and Mithra, respectively) are all single-gender. He doesn't say they'll add in the other half, but he also doesn't discount the possibility, implying it might well be in the cards. Along with more reinforcement of the game's focus on allowing players to focus on or skip crafting as they wish, it's an interesting set of questions, so take a look at the full interview.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dblade said on 6:49PM 10-18-2009
Good old SE, refuse to answer half the questions even when it could be simple. Is it really so hard to say "No, we don't plan to include male Miqote or female Roegadyn? Or whether or not you plan to include something like mog houses? There's too much "this has been undecided" and it was what was annoying about dev communication in FFXI.
I can see for actual features they are still developing, but for gendered races you think they would be more definite.
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Clockwork said on 7:33PM 10-18-2009
Really? No jumping? Ugh. Maybe I'm just picky, but that's immersion-breaking and therefore game-breaking for me.
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Sejarki said on 10:46PM 10-18-2009
Yeah, how am I going to jump onto fountains, tables, and mailboxes to dance? All while wearing plate mail.
Leonffs said on 9:22AM 10-19-2009
I have been following this games development and this information just killed it for me. No flying is one thing, but no jumping is just unacceptable these days. I hated it in FF11 and I would hate it in this.
Fusionx said on 9:04PM 10-18-2009
lol Hiromi? Really?
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GryphonStalker said on 10:18PM 10-18-2009
I have to admit that I am a little disappointed. FFXI was the first MMO I really fell in love with but after 4 and half years I had to move on. I didn't have the same kind of free time anymore.
I was super excited about FFXIV but the more I hear the more it just sounds like FFXI-2. SE are masters of remaking the Final Fantasy Series so I do not understand why they are not branching out more. Same 5 races with the same 2 that are single-gender? Still unable to make use of what should be basic MMO mechanics (jumping, swimming)? Same three city archetypes?
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Focant said on 11:43PM 10-18-2009
There are many similarities between FFXI and FFXIV, there's no doubt. However, while some of the aesthetics of the game are similar, much of the basic aspects of gameplay and the world itself (what we know as of now anyways) are quite different. To call the game FFXI-2 just because of the same 5 races is like calling TOR and SWG the same because they're both Star Wars games.
The level of similarity, as a whole, is yet to be seen, but I'm fairly confident that it will be quite different without alienating everyone who's come to love FFXI.
Karnom said on 12:28AM 10-19-2009
How can you say that!?
It's true. The more they talk about it the least exciting it's getting.
No jumping? Are you serious? That's a huge criticism of the first game, and as unimportant as it sounds it is an oddly important thing...
They're changing the group vs one thing I'll give it that, and they may have improved the job system (or butchered it) can't tell yet but the world and the races are so damn similar, I understand the whole making the transition thing easier, and the all FF's have similar elements, but the same exact races? Ok fine, BUT THE SAME ONES have one gender available?
I mean how the hell do you tie that in with the lore? The Roegadyn pirates reincarnate as well? Spiritual Pirates. Lovely. What about the Miqote, their males are lazy? again? It makes no sense as to why those don't have counterparts.
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Sejarki said on 3:42AM 10-19-2009
Exactly how is jumping important? I'm curious as to what you think? 90% of the games that have jumping don't use it, and the few times they may use it it's in no way interesting.
Jumping leads to people getting places they're not supposed to go and, well, messing people up when they miss an arbitrary jump. (Oh Thaddeus and you're tactically placed ledge).
Leonffs said on 9:29AM 10-19-2009
@Sejarki
I played ff11 for 1.5 years and afterwards have played WoW, Warhammer, Aion, and some other mmos. I can tell you hands down that the inability to jump in FF11 is something I consider a fatal flaw. Of course there are bugs and exploiting here and there with jumping but in any serious mmo this gets fixed rather fast. I don't think anyone could make the argument that jumping in WoW is a bad thing.
mark said on 11:05AM 10-19-2009
Jumping in WoW is a bad thing. People jumping up and down over your fishing bobber. Jumping on their mount in front of summoning stones. Faceplant-named RMT drones jumping all the way from the starting city to Org.
Karnom said on 9:25PM 10-19-2009
I'll admit it's an odd thing.
I can honestly tell you, from extensive mmo experience, that it makes the game feel so stiff. It robs you of a little freedom that is important to immersion because it's not just not jumping but the fact that the whole game is designed for non-jumping so the game feels boxed and rocks can turn into invisible walls which makes the world feel boxed in and unnatural. Haha It's hard to explain, and as you can see it's not just a personal thing, plenty of people I'm sure feel the same about being denied such a simple thing.
I am a Blood Elf Paladin, I have withstood the breaths of dragons, the poundings of Demon Princes, and bested ghosts at chess. I can't jump though.
Sorcefire said on 10:05AM 10-19-2009
Beyond the fact that some percent of the game is lifted eight from XI, the lack of jumping makes me feel that the game is on rails.
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Tim said on 10:22PM 10-20-2009
FFXI wasn't as bad as GW at feeling like it's on rails. But I still hate it. People would intentionally die and get tractored (spell to move corpses to the caster) to get over ledges you should have been able to jump over.
Circiter said on 11:31PM 10-19-2009
I really wonder what types of games you play, that your notion of enjoyment pivots around the question of whether or not you can jump in them. Let it be known that Square Enix has announced that there will be a mechanism to allow you to go over low obstacles, like hedges and fences... just in case your decision hinges around that.
It gives me strange pleasure to state that I actually count the following as a bonus: The fact that this game's exclusion of free-for-all jumping will turn off the crowd that's looking for the type of freedom brats long for.
I will definitely try it out!
C
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