Final Fantasy XIV 2.0 plans announced (PS3 in Q1 2013, Sub Fees Return This November)

T

Thoraxes

Member


http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/teaser/

Read all at the link.

Yoichi Wada said:
Allow me to thank you all for your continued interest in FINAL FANTASY XIV.

One year has passed since the game’s release, and despite the disappointment surrounding its launch, we have received a wealth of support from you, the players. Your encouraging words and continued loyalty have been a source of immeasurable inspiration to everyone involved with FINAL FANTASY XIV’s development.

In the ten months since the FINAL FANTASY XIV team’s restructuring, we have put forth the utmost effort into not only improving the game’s existing features, but also creating a concrete plan to outline the game’s new direction. Today, I am pleased to announce we can confidently present that plan to our customers. We fully realize this is but a single step towards our ultimate goal, and that to meet the high standards set in the plan, more time is required. In the meantime, however, we will not waver in our commitment to bringing players exciting and engaging content, even as the game moves through its evolution.

With this, it is my hope that we will continue to receive your support as we will need to bring the unbilled period to a close between late November and early December 2011, and introduce our subscription-based billing system. I appreciate that this decision will not be popular, but it is a necessary step in building upon the foundation our fans and development team have made together and to realize the full potential of FINAL FANTASY XIV.

The team will stop short of nothing as they move towards realizing the new FINAL FANTASY XIV, and as they do so, I humbly ask for both your understanding and support.

President and CEO, Yoichi Wada
Click to expand...

Also, the letter from YoshiP XX (Producer) describing his feelings and philosophy on the game changes beyond the current 1.19 patch: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/27142?p=390333#post390333

Tons of new artwork/concept art for the new content:
http://wdl.square-enix.com/ffxiv/download/en/FFXIV_2.0_Specs_EN.pdf

Comprehensive update log:
http://wdl.square-enix.com/ffxiv/download/en/FFXIV_2.0_Systems_and_Content_EN.pdf

Outline of future plans:
http://wdl.square-enix.com/ffxiv/download/en/FFXIV_2.0_Outline_EN.pdf

Development timeline/roadmap:
http://wdl.square-enix.com/ffxiv/download/en/FFXIV_2.0_Roadmap_EN.pdf

General Summary of Content:

-PS3 version release coming Q1 2013, with the closed beta beginning in Q4 2012.

-Subscriptions are back between late November to Early December.

-Worldwide launch of a new promotional trailer at E3 2012.

-They've been hard at work basically recreating the entire game since April 2011.

-Planning of that recreation took place from January 2011 - March 2011.

-The new revised version of the game includes a complete design of current repetitive maps, implementation of a new graphics engine, a new server system designed for increased speed and performance, a fully renewed user interface, and an expansion of in-game community content.

-The world reshaping will take place via an event only available to current players/those who are playing before the world is forever changed.
-Areas will implement more than one theme to give all areas more variety​
-Areas will contain unique themes to each area.​
-Complete overhaul of enemy and object placement.​

-New server system is being built to support a worldless model. Essentially cross-realm play for party/content matching. Also will bring significant speed increases all around and to improve the overall performance and stability of the game's servers.

-A new graphics engine will be in place to help further the detail of the game on PC and will help the devlopers optimize the PS3 version beyond what they've been able to do with the old engine. They also plan to include a much larger breadth of graphical settings.

-Because of the new engine, different objects and other things will change, thus all current players will be offered re-customization of their current characters (including race, gender, and appearance).

-Fully re-designed user interface. Besides just the regular aesthetics of a new, more responsive, and easier to use interface, they also plan to open the door for the creation and use of user-made-addons (PC only for this last part). Also included are full support for KB/M users as well as gamepad users. (This will be much better than the non-standard gamepad mapping system they currently have)

-Implementation of PvP content. Concept art (Frontlines) looks like a green version of Helm's Deep.

- Additional in-game community options. (Free company establishment, growth, and competition)

-In-game delivery and mail systems.

-Player housing.

-Revamp of retainer system and markets (the pseudo auction-house/bank-storage type systems currently in place).

-Implementation of an Achievement System.

-Implementation of in-game cutscene replays.

47LcZ.jpg


egXjG.jpg


An image of what appears to be a group of people (named after FF characters) fighting an NM in Coerthas. New UI is present with a full party. There are a TON of changes in there.

ryKCR.jpg
 
W

Wazzim

Banned
Finally, the game is really good now guys. Nothing like the one we got at release.

Toki767 said:
It's been free all this time?
Click to expand...
Yup, no subscription. You only had to pay for the game itself.
 
U

Undubbed

Member
Well, I really do hope they significantly fixed the game, but I just don't know anymore. I think I'd rather just wait for Dragon Quest X, honestly.

Though I am interested in exactly what they changed and what the people still playing think of them in comparison to the state of the game at launch.
 
Yoshichan

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
The damage has been done. Thou can not heal thy wounds.
 
N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Yoichi Wada said:
We fully realize this is but a single step towards our ultimate goal, and that to meet the high standards set in the plan, more time is required.

...

With this, it is my hope that we will continue to receive your support as we will need to bring the unbilled period to a close between late November and early December 2011, and introduce our subscription-based billing system. I appreciate that this decision will not be popular, but it is a necessary step in building upon the foundation our fans and development team have made together and to realize the full potential of FINAL FANTASY XIV.
Click to expand...
Can't... stop... laughing...
 
T

Thoraxes

Member
Undubbed said:
Well, I really do hope they significantly fixed the game, but I just don't know anymore. I think I'd rather just wait for Dragon Quest X, honestly.

Though I am interested in exactly what they changed and what the people still playing think of them in comparison to the state of the game at launch.
Click to expand...
It's A LOT better than it was at launch. It still has its ways to go, but they are very different beasts now. Yoshida has been doing a really good job.

Also, i'm still working though my summary.
 
M

mollipen

Member
Soooo... it's going to stop being free, and then it'll be free again for the version 2.0 beta test, and then it won't be free again.

...ooooookay.


If this was going to be free until this mythical version 2.0, I could totally understand that. But are they really expecting people to stick around and pay a monthly fee until then?
 
W

walking fiend

Member
Between October and December of 2012, we plan to integrate the current service and the coming PlayStation®3 version into the all-new FINAL FANTASY XIV.At this time, a second free trial period will also be offered.
Click to expand...
interesting.
 
K

kiryogi

Banned
Wow. Pretty fucking hype over this. It looks outstanding. I dunno, maybe there is hope for a revival. This is major. I cannot wait to see the ingame events that lead to this new Eorzea. To note, the recent new content with Ifrit and whatnot are pretty goddamn awesome.

I have absolute faith with Yoshida on this one. He's been doing a phenomenal job.
 
Yoshichan

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
Q4... 2012, what the fuck.
 
H

hamchan

Member
Wow at Q4 2012.

2 years after release, that's enough time to make an entirely different game. I'll try it out I suppose.
 
I

IonicSnake

Banned
As much as I enjoy this game right now I don't see myself paying a monthly fee in November when so many great games coming out and other MMO games going free to play.
 
D

duckroll

Member
Okay, so I read through all the stuff. And I feel there are pros and cons to this. Clearly a major step forward for them getting the game "back on track" and this announcement was something they needed to make. But at the same time, turning subscriptions back on for a whole year before 2.0 hits means that they're basically telling fans that they need donations for a year for what is still an on-going beta.

The game has not met their expectations yet, and there is a clear goal and plan to get it there with the 2.0 relaunch and the PS3 version at the end of 2012. But they can no longer afford to keep the game free to play. Yet the target is a year away. This seems kinda, poorly expressed imo. With the fanbase being as small as it is now, they could risk killing off the game entirely before they get to 2.0. That would be kind of unfortunate, since they would no longer have much feedback or people playing to test the content they're pushing out before 2.0.

The roadmap pdf was really weird. It was so detailed, and yet made it perfectly clear that from October onwards you will be paying monthly to play a game which is still work-in-progress. Sad. The Yoshida-packed artwork pdf is awesome though. <3 <3
 
Alex

Alex

Member
I figured they'd wait for the PS3 version to stage a grand relaunch. FFXIV at least now vaguely has some structure of an actual game with a hint of content, but I still think it has a ways to go before I'd pay a cent for it.
 
E

Emitan

Member
Square, I know you don't want to hear this, but the only reason people are playing your game is because it's free.
 
R

RomanticHeroX

Member
Transitioning back to a subscription model will be really, really hard. I bought the LE, at launch, and played a couple hours before uninstalling in disgust. I'm sort of interested to see how it looks now, but it'd have to be pretty impressive to convince me that it'll actually be worth dropping $15 a month, especially since so few people play it already.
 
J

Jonnyram

Member
This is pretty insane.
Very ambitions plans, and quite an aggressive timeline (v2.0 retail for PC/PS3 in 2013).

If they add RDM back in, I'll be there day one :D
 
G

glaurung

Member
Phonomezer said:
That screenshot above is great. Kind of like God of War meets Dark Souls.
Click to expand...
Too bad it will still play worse than White Knight Chronicles.

I bought into the PC version when it was released. Worst MMO launch ever. Period.
 
D

duckroll

Member
Riposte said:
Hmmm, I'd pay for the game pictured in that image.
Click to expand...

You won't have to. We'll all be able to play that game pictured in the image for free in Dec 2012 if S-E doesn't go out of business first. Then we'll be able to judge if we want to pay to continue playing it. :)
 
K

kiryogi

Banned
It is insane. But after seeing what's happened to XIV post-Tanaka, if there was a man to lead this charge, Yoshida is it.
 
Alex

Alex

Member
Beta is still being a bit kind, but I do def think it's moved up from pre-alpha to alpha now! They have a vague structure and a smidgen of content and actual game theory in place!

It's still too early, this must be such an enormous money sink for them and someone just wants some return on it and now. November is such a poor time to start this as well, I mean the time period in which TOR and WoW's massive 4.3 patch launches? And they're reyling on fumes of a fanbase and a Japanese audience without a console version?

Just seems silly to me.

Yoshida's art work is so amazing for this game though. I hope things work out in the end just to not be such a waste of all of the nice art and music in the game at the minimum.
 
Riposte

Riposte

Member
glaurung said:
Too bad it will still play worse than White Knight Chronicles.
Click to expand...

It already plays better than White Knight Chronicles, so they got that down. If only they added optional level caps to quests I would have way more fun. Oh and NPC party/gambits.


EDIT: What the hell are the dot patterns to the far right suppose to be lol?
 
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