Filed under: Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV open beta kicks off [Updated]

by Eliot Lefebvre Sep 2nd 2010 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, New titles, Patches, News items, Consoles, Races, Final Fantasy XIV

Players anticipating Final Fantasy XIV got to play an exciting new game starting last night, which is currently being dubbed "hoping that the server connection doesn't reset while applying for open beta." The servers have been wheezing under the load of people trying to log in, but luckily, some players have managed to get in and obtain crucial information. FFXIVCore has put together a compilation of the more interesting tidbits, including the now-known server names and the notes for the latest and greatest patch.

While the closed beta servers were named for the bosses of the Final Fantasy series, the open beta servers (and the assumed launch servers) are named for famous cities from the games. This beta also had changed the previously homogenized stats of the races to differentiate racial choices -- but with the differences only being a few points in any direction, there's no huge impediment to playing any class as any race. Take a look at the full patch notes for a rundown of changes if you were in the prior beta, and keep trying if you find your registration attempts getting disconnected. Apparently there's no shortage of eager Final Fantasy XIV fans.

Update: Square-Enix has posted an official message on the account page advising players that the servers are heavily congested, and that if you're having any technical troubles to please wait and try back later. Codes are currently being limited in an effort to fight server congestion. The full statement is after the break.

FFXIV open beta officially starts tomorrow

by Jef Reahard Sep 1st 2010 at 9:30AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New titles, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

Hold off on the wrist-slitting, Final Fantasy XIV fans, as Square-Enix's forthcoming MMORPG will indeed be going into open beta this week. In a short press release, Square has announced that the final phase of beta will begin tomorrow, September 2nd, at 02:00 GMT.

While the release contains no word as to the nature of the critical bugs that caused the postponement on Monday, Square does confirm that the issues have been dealt with. You can find out more details on the open beta, as well as pick up the required registration code, at the official open beta test application website.

New Making of Eorzea video sits down with Final Fantasy XIV's composer Uematsu

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 31st 2010 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Interviews, New titles, Previews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

For many people, Nobuo Uematsu's name is inextricably linked to the Final Fantasy series. And with good cause -- he's one of the people most closely associated with the feel of the series, with several of his compositions having become ubiquitous even within games he didn't score. Having been the sole composer for Final Fantasy XIV, the newest Making of Eorzea video sits down with Uematsu and discusses the experience of composing the full score for the game.

While Uematsu estimates it's been about ten years since he was in charge of a full score for a game, there's little argument to be had about his suitability for the job. He discusses both the scope of the project and his experiences in composing such memorable tracks as the theme song -- which, in his own words, was sung by Susan Calloway at his own insistence. See more about the music of Final Fantasy XIV in the video, embedded after the cut.

FFXIV open beta postponed until further notice

by Rubi Bayer Aug 31st 2010 at 9:15AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Bugs, News items, Final Fantasy XIV

Most Final Fantasy XIV fans were looking forward to the game's open beta tomorrow, but unfortunately they're going to have to wait a bit longer.

FFXIV's open beta application site went down for a period of time early this morning, and when it came back up, it included an announcement regarding open beta. A "confirmation of critical bugs" is all we've heard so far, but whatever the problem is, it's serious enough to warrant postponing the open beta testing.

There's not a new date yet, but the announcement says that "a new schedule will be released at a later date." No word on what this means for the September 30th launch date, if anything.

[Thanks Justin!]

Open beta brings changes for Final Fantasy XIV

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 30th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Players who have longed for a chance to play Final Fantasy XIV and haven't been selected for the game's beta yet can take heart. The open beta will begin on August 31st, and players are already able to begin downloading the client. (With the latest patch at 1.24 gigabytes, we do mean "begin downloading." It'll be a while.) That means that you can see for yourself whether the outraged reaction to the fatigue system is entirely deserved, along with any other questions you might have about gameplay.

As has been the pattern for the game's testing, the newest build includes several updates to UI functionality and the implementation of further core features, although it's still unclear if this version is the same as the release version due out in a bit less than a month. Chat modes and friend list features have been implemented, as well as a further listing of emotes for various situations. FFXIVCore has put together a decent list of the beta changes, something that should be of interest to the many Final Fantasy XIV hopefuls due to start trying the game soon.

The Mog Log: Each answer is the end of a question

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 28th 2010 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

Welcome to this week's edition of The Mog Log, in which we answer reader questions about Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV while staying as far away from the drama of this past week as possible. Seriously, the sky is not falling here, folks. It seemed like such a nice week overall, too, with lots of great news coming out the whole week long. And for the record, there's also a special announcement at the end of the article, so by all means read through to the end in the unlikely event you normally don't.

Roughly ten million people asked or said: "What the heck is the deal with the fatigue system?"

I'm really hoping that by the time you're reading this, the full translation has mollified people somewhat regarding the system. But I'm going to write on the assumption that it hasn't, and believe me, it's at the top of the list for things to talk about next week. And it certainly does put a strict limit on what players can do in the game, much like guildleves and their infamous two-day turnaround.

Final Fantasy open beta date announced, new trailer released

by Rubi Bayer Aug 27th 2010 at 11:30AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV closed beta keys were a coveted item for a while, as fans sent in beta applications in the hopes of seeing the game's ups and downs firsthand.

Square Enix promised to grant that wish for everyone very soon with open beta, announcing that it would begin in early September. It looks like things are ready a bit earlier than anticipated, as the latest news from FFXIV has an open beta start date of August 31st. For those of you without access to the official beta forums, fansite FFXIVCore has everything summarized nicely.

News of the open beta isn't the only thing coming from Square Enix today. The company released a new pre-release trailer as well, featuring "Answers," the official FFXIV theme song. Follow along after the jump for the trailer, and we'll see you in open beta!

The Daily Grind: No grind?? No pre-order!!

by Jef Reahard Aug 27th 2010 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, New titles, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Final Fantasy XIV

This week's internet furor over Final Fantasy XIV's fatigue mechanic has been fascinating to watch. First off, as I'm a relative outsider to the franchise, it's given me an excuse to read up on the title as well as its predecessor, Final Fantasy XI (one of the few MMORPGs that couldn't hold my attention for the full free month).

More importantly though, the walls of flame incoming from fans all over the internet about what amounts to a grind-limiting mechanic has been, shall we say, perplexing. Regardless of whether the actual mechanics and their effects have been lost in the language translation (which I'm still unclear on, to be perfectly honest), the fact remains that many, many players clearly want to grind when they play MMORPGs.

A quick perusal of the comments on Eliot's article confirms that for many folks, nothing in these games aside from the ability to continually advance your character matters. The question of the day, Massively readers, is this: do you have to grind to enjoy your MMORPGs? Is there nothing aside from character advancement that compels you to play an MMO?

Devil in the details for Final Fantasy XIV's fatigue

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 26th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

When the news broke yesterday regarding the fatigue system in Final Fantasy XIV, it made virtually no one happy. Even the system's defenders generally had an attitude of "it's not all that bad," and most players were up in arms over the very idea. But a day can make a lot of difference, and as it turns out, we didn't quite have the clear picture of the fatigue system that we thought we did. The official translation from Square-Enix covers most of the same ground, but adds several important facts.

The two most salient points are the fact that the limiting factors are not time-based but value-based, and the fact that the "cooldown" on fatigue sets in as soon as a player starts doing something that won't grant skill or experience points. There's no word on whether or not this will be the case during time spent logged off, but it means that the much-loathed figures about how much time would be productive are not altogether correct. Take a look at the official translation, which should provide a much-needed balm for several angry Final Fantasy XIV fans.

[Thanks to John for the tip!]

Final Fantasy XIV fatigue format fully put forward

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 25th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

Ever since the beginning of the third beta phase, "fatigue" has been a hot topic among Final Fantasy XIV fans. In a move familiar to longtime Square-Enix players, the system was put into place without a great deal of description, with players left to speculate as to how the system worked. But a very uncharacteristic move comes from director Nobuaki Komoto with an open statement on what the system is, how it works, and what it's meant to do. Many answers are given, albeit not the answers that all players would want.

The short version is that for each class and character, you will get normal experience for eight hours, followed by a slow drop-off over the next seven hours that ends at no experience gain. This goes for both class levels and physical levels, which means that after 16 hours of play your character's physical level cannot advance further until a week has passed from the start of leveling. Komoto mentions the reasoning behind the system in the full letter, as well as the several ways that the team is working to adjust it. Although it's nice to have the system spelled out in full, "you can only level so much" won't sit well with a large part of Final Fantasy XIV's expected playerbase.

FFXIV open beta set to begin "in early September"

by Rubi Bayer Aug 23rd 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIV

If you're a Final Fantasy XIV fan and didn't score a closed beta key in the past weeks, you've likely been poring over all of the testing news -- both good and bad -- to keep up with the progression of closed beta.

There's nothing quite like seeing and experiencing it all firsthand, however, and soon you'll have the chance to do just that. This morning's tweet from Square Enix announced that closed beta phase three will be ending this Wednesday, the 25th, and open beta is set to begin in early September.

There's not a specific start date yet, but keep an eye on Massively -- we'll let you know as soon as there is!

The Mog Log: Community watch

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 21st 2010 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Expansions, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log

The summer slump is just about over, and those who have enjoyed an entire summer away from school are going to have to get back into the swing of it in the very near future. The rest of us will simply have to acclimate ourselves to the decrease in the temperature, the decrease in big-budget movies, and the increase in game release schedules. But there's one last gasp of summer to be had, and let's spend it watching our favorite ongoing entertainment: community forum discussions.

There's no shortage of topics for discussion lately, what with Final Fantasy XIV stampeding ever closer to launch, Final Fantasy XI's September version update stampeding ever closer, and various other stampedes taking place somewhere. (I kind of started that sentence without a conclusion prepared.) September is going to be a busy month in general, and even with a couple weeks to go there's a lot of talk being flung around. So let's get right into the meat of the community, shall we?

The Daily Grind: What will make you stay?

by Jef Reahard Aug 21st 2010 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Aion, New titles, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Star Wars: The Old Republic, RIFT: Planes of Telara, Final Fantasy XIV, TERA

Wow, there are so many MMORPGs coming out in the near future. Whether it's because of full games like Final Fantasy XIV or expansions like Aion's Assault on Balaurea, September is shaping up to be a busy month. Further on in the fall you have DCUO, rumors of WoW's Cataclysm, and then on into 2011 you've got TERA, Rift: Planes of Telara, and of course SWTOR.

With all the new blood coming soon, some hard choices will need to be made regarding our current games, some of them favorites and some of them mere diversions on the road to something new and shiny.

Today's question is two-fold, Massively readers. One, does any of your current games tickle your fancy enough to remain faithful when the deluge of AAA titles hits in a few months? And two, what is it about your favorite game that's likely to make you stay?

Famitsu interview covers the testing of Final Fantasy XIV

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 20th 2010 at 9:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Game mechanics, Interviews, News items, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

After the recent interview confirming that some of the disliked aspects of the game weren't going away, it's understandable that some Final Fantasy XIV fans might have felt a bit disheartened. After all, it's easy to feel as if the developers weren't trying to listen to the players at all about their issues. The newest interview to come out of Gamescom, however, should help to alleviate some of those fears. Famitsu, frequently a good source for game information, had a chance to chat with some of the team about the game's testing schedule and their interactions with feedback.

Two of the big issues highlighted are the controls and the user interface -- both polished since earlier phases and both continuing to be polished. The team wants control to be smooth with or without a gamepad, whether you don't have a gamepad or simply choose not to use one. There's also a mention of further classes possible, including pet classes, and the acknowledgment that the development team is currently debating the two-day guildleve timer after all. Take a look at the full interview if you're interested in Final Fantasy XIV, as it covers some interesting ground.

The cities and world of Final Fantasy XIV

by Eliot Lefebvre Aug 19th 2010 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Previews, News items, Consoles, Virtual worlds, Final Fantasy XIV

If you're all about living the life of a pirate, then odds are good you don't mind being restricted to Limsa Lominsa in the Final Fantasy XIV beta. But if you've done the sea serpent tango more than once, Ul'dah and Gridania are no doubt sounding pretty good. So it's a good thing that MMOSite is reporting that the next phase of beta will start in September and will include the two heretofore unseen cities as playable areas. Considering the recent hands-on experience with the starter cities, we think it's well within the realm of possibility.

Of course, one of the major components to making each of the starting cities and subsequent areas stand out is the worldbuilding efforts of the development team. The most recent Making of Eorzea documentary covers precisely this, and not coincidentally, it can be viewed past the cut. With a discussion of the scenery and the visual culture of the game's landscape, the video is something every Final Fantasy XIV player can enjoy, and it shows that the vibrancy of the world has been a big priority during development.

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