F: Tell why you decided to implement Fatigue and Latency (note: I really don't know how to translate that, but it's something in-game to keep you from playing too long at a time on one class).
DK: We'd like you to think of it as a reward to those players who don't have much time to commit to the game. Those hardcore players out there might think it's a little unfair, but the main concept behind it is that you don't need to put in massive amounts of time to enjoy the game.
F: Still though, there are a lot of disgruntled looks coming from those hardcore gamers.
DK: For those who have more time on their hands, they'll be able to try out all the various classes. Fatigue doesn't carry over when you change weapons, so we hope that they'll try out not just battle-oriented classes but maybe some crafting or gathering ones as well. So for those who end up with many high-level classes, they'll have more choices when it comes to any situation, whether solo or party play.
That Lovely Guildleve Delay
F: Will there be a change to the two-day cooldown on guildleves?
DK: There's been a lot of debate over this even among the development staff, so it may or may not. We decided on the current set-up to allow those who only have an hour a day to play to be able to progress only via guildleves, so balance does become an issue. We want to encourage people who've completed their leves to group up and help others, but currently there isn't enough benefit to forming leve parties.
F: Creating a gap in merit between solo and party play seems difficult to manage, though.
DK: Definitely. We want solo play to still be worthwhile, but we also want to add a bonus to those who decide to group up.
F: So soloing will be the basis of the game?
DK: Yes. More than a one-man army, it's more of a slow-and-steady kind of thing. In FFXI many things weren't possible solo, so we'd like to avoid that from developing this time around.
Armor
F: Right now you can't buy armor from vendors, it looks like.
DK: Another point of contention among the staff. We do plan to add some more armor for the beginning part of the game, but we really want to encourage the crafting community to establish itself.
PT: Crafters can't really take part in battle, so we want them to enjoy their role in the game fully.
F: So at a certain point, crafters will become necessary?
DK: Indeed. The depth of play for crafters will also expand. For now, I think providing repairs will be a big source of income for them, and they can even repair their own.
F: It sounds like that will play into their game experience, as well.
DK: It would be pretty easy to design a guildleve around it. A "go to this aetheryte and look for the guy who needs repairs done" kind of thing. Probably a guard at a specific aetheryte.
Auto-translate
F: Aside from set phrases, will you be adding any other ways to communicate with players overseas?
DK: It's something we'll be watching as things progress. Regarding vocabulary not added yet, we'll be listening to the requests of the players. So it's something that can be expanded if needed.
Required Specs
F: The current specs needs to run the game are pretty high. Will they be lower for the official release?
DK: The specs had already been decided. But since then, we've seen the need to lower them a little to cater toward more casual gamers. However currently, there is no difference between the minimum specs for open beta and official release.
PT: Early on, beta wouldn't run properly on certain set-ups, but we've had a chance to smooth most of the wrinkles out.
Servers
F: Will we be able to choose our server once the game is out?
PT: Absolutely.
DK: However, if certain worlds become over-populated, we may add restrictions. As long as everything's normal, you can choose as you wish.
PS3
F: You mentioned it earlier, but can you tell us more about the status of the PS3 version?
PT: We had hoped for a simultaneous release, but there have been problems with linking to the hard disk, etc, and that has caused delays. That being said, even while we're talking here in Germany the staff is hard at work on it back home.
F: So will you be having a PS3 beta test?
PT: Of course. It'll be after the game has been released on PC, so testers will be playing the final version. Once we have a date decided, we'll let you all know.
F: With the start of the PS3 version, more players will be arriving in Eorzea. Will you be adding servers to compensate?
PT: It's a definite possibility.
*Well that about wraps it up. The game comes out soon, so stay tuned!
From Gamewatch
Here's some stuff I picked out that looked interesting:
-About 90% of non-Japanese players had requests concerning mouse control. Most Japanese players use a controller, but Americans, specifically, seem to be more mouse-oriented. They're looking into what can be done.
-There are no plans to increase the level cap in Open Beta.
-Guilds appear to be scattered among the three main cities. Though they're designing it so there won't be any gaps in leveling up to rank 20, it seems that certain cities may be more suitable for certain classes.
-It's not impossible to walk from city to city (though they are rather far apart), but geographically you'll need a boat to go to and from Limsa Lominsa. Distance between cities is similar to FFXI, and if you level up a bit it's not that difficult a journey. So if you're playing with friends, you don't necessarily have to start in the same city.
-Open Beta will have almost all the fundamental parts of the game, but it will only include a small portion of storyline quests.
-There are plans for giving monthly subscription discounts if you purchase three or six months' worth at a time, however details are not yet available.
p) in passive mode at the cost of spell damage. I would say it's a fair and good trade off.
