Summary
Final Fantasy 14director and producer Naoki Yoshida still has some big ideas in mind for the hit MMORPG, including progression. Even after the recent release of the massiveDawntrailexpansion on July 2, Yoshi-P, as he’s best known among fans, would like to seeFinal Fantasy 14continue to grow in new ways.
A departure from the series' usual single-player format, the modern version ofFinal Fantasy 14was released worldwide in August 2013 following a failed original version in 2010, allowing players to interact with each other online while retaining a lot of the series' familiar fantasy elements. Though it broke the norms of one ofthe best Japanese RPGseries in history, the MMORPG launched to generally positive reviews and has seen a recent spike in popularity with the launch ofDawntrail.
In aninterview with French-language website JeuxOnlineheld at Paris' Japan Expo, Yoshida seemed pleased with the receptionDawntrailhas been receiving from fans. Still, he is also looking to the future to see what other ways he can improve characters' progression, and the development team is considering ways to overhaul the system. One of theearliest reveals aboutDawntrailwas that it increased players' level cap to 100, and while Yoshida and his team feel it is important that players can feel their characters becoming stronger, increasing the level cap isn’t the only way to achieve that result. While another bump up in the level cap doesn’t seem to be off the table, Yoshida instead steered the conversation in the direction of redefining jobs.
Jobs Are Becoming More Complex in Final Fantasy 14
Dawntrailhas alreadymade big changes to jobs, introducing the DPS-heavy Viper and Pictomancer and overhauling some of the previously introduced jobs with new features, like shorter cooldown times and additional combo finishers. But Yoshida showed concern that jobs may be nearing a “critical threshold,” noting that there are so many skills and actions associated with each job that controllers and keyboards don’t have enough buttons or keys for players to use them all. One question on his mind is whether the development team can manage to make jobs more complex by adding even more skills, or if they should introduce an entirely new system that provides players with a different way to use their acquired skills.
Moving forward withjobs inFinal Fantasy 14, Yoshida and his team want to be mindful that their game should cater to both everyday players and those who only log in occasionally, and that change can be hard for players. “But at the same time, our goal is also to create excitement, to create motivation to discover something new, to always refresh the formula,” he noted. “Because staying on the same basis forever is not very healthy for the game and for the future of the game either.”
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm RebornCreate your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: HeavenswardTake your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: StormbloodJourney to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: ShadowbringersTravel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: EndwalkerA great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope’s last bastion.Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: DawntrailBlue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope’s light dawns once more.
