Tuesday 31 August 2010

Open beta NOT about to start.

Source: Kotaku

The FFXIV open beta is 'postponed due to a confirmation of critical bugs'.  Opps!  Lets hope that by 'bugs' they mean they are getting rid of the surplus exp system and bringing in auction houses.  We shall see...

Thursday 26 August 2010

Surplus EXP: the reason.

Remember playing in the beta and wondering what surplus exp was?  Well Square-Enix has printed the answer for you.

"Once again, we would like to thank you all for your participation and support during the Closed Beta. We will continue to take your valuable feedback into consideration as we develop the game during Open Beta and even beyond the official release.

Now I would like to take a moment to respond to the many questions and opinions regarding the manner in and rates at which experience and skill points are obtained in Beta 3.

Firstly, the concept for FINAL FANTASY XIV was to design a system of character progression that offers meaningful advancement for those with limited time to dedicate to playing. We did not want to create a game that forced people to play for hours on end to see their efforts rewarded. To that end, in addition to the Guardian's Aspect and guildleve systems, we introduced a means of apportioning swifter advancement to shorter periods of play.

In order to achieve this balance, we calculated a value for the amount of skill or experience points that could be earned in a one-hour period. This theoretical value represents an hour spent engaged solely in combat, levequests, or any other activities that earn skill or experience points, and sets a threshold delimiting how many of these points can be earned in a period of play.

Based on this, we have implemented a “threshold value” concept. These thresholds are regulated by a one-week timer that begins counting down the instant you earn skill/experience points. After a week has passed, the thresholds will reset, and the moment skill/experience points are earned again, the timer begins counting down anew.

For the first eight thresholds during this week-long period, players will receive skill/experience points at the maximum rate possible. The actual amount of time spent reaching these thresholds is not significant. That is to say, a player who exceeds eight hours of gameplay will still be rewarded the maximum amount of skill/experience points, so long as the total amount earned is below the eighth threshold value. For the subsequent seven thresholds, players will earn skill/experience points at a gradually decreasing rate, eventually reaching a rate of zero.

It is worth noting, however, that the reduced rate will also gradually recover while players are engaged in activities that do not yield skill/experience points. In this manner, it is possible for the threshold value to reset completely, even before the completion of the one-week timer.

Any skill points earned in excess of the threshold maximum—that is, at a rate of zero—will be stored as "bonus skill points." These are specific to each class, so players limited to earning bonus skill points still have the freedom to change classes and begin earning skill points again at the maximum rate, allowing their reduced skill rates to recover in the meantime.

The experience point threshold, however, is unrelated to class, and switching classes will have no effect on the decreasing rate of earnable experience.

This is how the progression system currently works.

This system was not introduced in Beta 3, but has been in place since the beginning of beta testing. There are several reasons why many people believe that these features were only recently implemented:

- Leading into Beta 3, operation hours were extended, making it possible to play more often during the span of a week.
- To encourage players to form guidleve parties in Beta 3, skill and experience point rewards for guildleves were significantly increased.
- The process that reduced the amount of skill/experience points awarded for weak enemies attacking in groups was unintentionally removed at the start of Beta 3. (This issue has been addressed.)

That last reason in particular was the biggest cause for players running up against the threshold penalty, with characters earning far more skill/experience points than we anticipated. We also faced an issue where we were simultaneously unable to adjust the amount earned for guildleves as well as the effects of crossing each threshold.

We sincerely apologize for the lack of explanation and our failure to make the necessary adjustments in the game.

The threshold values are being reexamined, and we plan to further adjust the different rates of earnable points based on feedback from our testers. One of the top issues we are looking at right now is fixing the excessively rapid drop after crossing the eighth threshold. We also plan to improve experience point reduction rates, even more so than for skill points, considering the threshold is unaffected when changing class.

At the very least, we can promise that players won't be running into the threshold penalty in the same short time span as they did in the beginning of Beta 3.

We would like to take this opportunity to also explain the following issues.

The diminishing results experienced during gathering are a function related to that class alone, and have no connection to this progression system. We are in the process of adjusting this system, and plan to make changes based on tester feedback.

We are currently in the process of considering the means in which bonus skill points can be used. There have been suggestions for various types of incentives, but as encouraging people to play with that in mind defeats the purpose of this threshold system, we will be examining this issue very carefully.

These are not the only adjustments we have planned for Open Beta. As mentioned previously, we are looking into increasing the amount of skill points earned when fighting in a party, and we look forward to seeing your input on these changes.

Last of all, I would like to apologize for the delay in releasing a developer's comment due to my recent attendance to Gamescom. The article based on my interview during that trip, coupled with conjecture, outdated information, and some misunderstandings on overseas websites, only added to the confusion. In the future, I hope to avoid similar problems by responding directly through official developer's comments as often as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

See you in the Open Beta Testing!

FINAL FANTASY XIV Director
Nobuaki Komoto"

Tuesday 24 August 2010

The most awful idea in MMO history

Market wards.  WTF is the point?  I'm so angry that Square-Enix are not going to put in an Auction house at launch it's unreal.

Those with beta test accounts can see my rant on the test site here:
https://dev-eu.ffxiv.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=821&Number=67047#Post67047

But for those that do not have access this is what I wrote:

"The whole idea of Market wards of flawed, and it should be scrapped.

Example:
I decide I want a new pair of gloves so I go to the market wards to see whats on offer.

After a while I find a pair on sale for 6,000 Gil. I want to compair the prices to see if I'm being ripped off or not, so I search longer. As no one can really see what other people are selling the same items for prices are different from seller to seller so to get a good price you have to spend AGES looking. By that time someone else already has brought the ones I saw 10 minutes ago because I've had to spend so long checking the price.

How do you fix that?
Easy, you make a search function that searches all the wards and compairs the price. That way I can see the best deal right away.

Ah but the sellers can't see it as they are giving the stuff to their retainers to the prices still vary wildly.

How do you fix that?
You make it so when you are giving the stuff to the retainer you can see what other people are selling it for.

You know what you have then? A f**king auction house! So stop messing around and get one in before the games economy goes into melt-down."


The Only good thing that happened while I was in a Market Ward today was another 'blogger guy' incident. You can see it pictured below, but I had to use my digital camera as I was playing while in full screen mode.















Monday 23 August 2010

Two days left

Enjoy your last two days in the Closed beta becuase in September it goes public.  Yep, we'll all lose all our Charactors and have to start again.

That means I'll have to create the Linkshell again, and have to invite everyone again.  Although this time I will promote more members so they can invite the other forum users while myself or Heicko are away.

Square-Enix had this to say:

"Thank you for participating in the FINAL FANTASY XIV Beta Test.

The current Beta Test Phase 3 (Beta 3) will end on August 25 at 5:00pm (PDT), and we plan to start the Open Beta Test in early September.
We look forward to your continued help and support.

*After Beta 3 ends, all character data will be deleted.
*For the period during which a beta test is not being conducted, players will not be able to access the Players’ Site.
*Once the test’s character data have been deleted, all blogs and images on the Players’ Site will also be deleted."


Damn them all!  also remember at 8:00 to 9:30 (GMT) on Aug. 24, 2010, Square-Enix will be performing maintenance on all Worlds. During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV will be unavailable.

(Small) Group picture

Today vader from the forum joined the Twelve, I took this picture while Draiko was AFK, so this will be the first he hears about this!

Yep, it's that blogger guy again!

Fame knows no boundaries for the Twelve!  Once again I was spotted in FFXIV!





















I also recived a message via the forum of another blogger guy incident:

Saturday 21 August 2010

Linkshell list & Market Wards.

So far the following members are in the Linkshell, I'm not going to bother typing them all out when I can just take an easy screenshot of it!











Also I actually found where the Market Wards are!  It's basically rooms filled up with players retainers selling all their junk items.  Here is how to find them if you don't know already.












First of all you'll need to go to this point in Limsa.












Then in the side menu you'll see that there is now a option to teleport.  Select it and you'll be greated with this menu to ask you which Market Ward you would like to visit.  I recomend selecting from high up in the list as those are the wards that have the most retainers in.












And here we are, a Market Ward.  You can probably get any sort of crap item here.  Still not as good as an auction house but still better than millions of people crowding outside Jeuno and causing ultra lag.

Alter Walters (aka anubismedia) picture collection

Anubismedia from the forum sent me some of his beta version pictures that he took while playing on his character Alter Walter.



















Earth and Wind Element monsters that he found.























The strange underground water area that he found via the caves.

Thursday 19 August 2010

Moving Northward

A few screen shots for you, almost all of them from last nights session in which we ventured further north whilst grinding.

After doing a few leves the two of us were offered to join these two on a goat grind. First time for me doing a heavy grind in this game and even though we had no healer it was decent exp with minimum downtime and good kill speed.



We moved northward and since we were right by Wineport we went in using that glitch to get past the gate to take another look inside Wineport. From closer inspection it seems to be a wine distillery and a pub. The main building has a sign which I'm assuming represents pub, don't think I have seen a building with this sign in Limsa. Other npc's hinted that the armorer craft was also big in Wineport. One NPC spoke of kobolds and there exceptional armorer crafting skills, and that if somehow you could get one to tell you some of there secrets you could craft special things. You can see from the chat in this screen that one of our party bugged out upon talking to this npc.



Upon leaving Wineport, three of us remained and we decided to venture much further north, killing goats, jellyfish and a few bandits on the way. After moving a good deal northward we suddenly hit a wall of very strong monsters. Clipper crabs (Grown 3 to 5 times the size since the dunes), Goobbue's, Salamanders and Storm Blast's. Unsure which ones aggro'd we decided to test. As you can see Only777 didn't have much success with the Storm blast.





We then spotted a nearby cave and decided to go in. After making our way into the cave we were halted by a bridge with a few more new monsters infront of us. The familiar Qiqirin stood with what was called a Smolenk, winged one eye creatures which had a bit of a resemblance to the Ahriman's in FFXI though not as tubby. Curiosity got the better of us and we decided to try run in as far as we could. The eye's aggro'd immediately and hit really hard. I got hit first and the other two were eventually chased down.





After taking enough deaths for one night we had one last look around before logging. Just as it moved into morning I snapped a view from the cliff looking out into the ocean. The mainland far away over the horizon.

Wednesday 18 August 2010

It's that Blogger guy! (Again!)

Another person in Limsa recognised me today, Twelves fame is spreading!
















 After selling a load of stuff and meeting anubismedia (from the forum) in-game I bumped into this chap who knew who I was.

















Thank you for your kind words sir!  Also Alter Walter you can see in the chat box is anubismedia.

Reporting LIVE from Aleport

Today I used the same trick I used yesterday but this time to get into Aleport.  This is what I found.











This is where Aleport is on the map, sort of on the west side really.











Once again the people on the gate had no intrest in letting me and and have a look around the place.











Not a problem!  Just used the log glitch to pass through and I'm in!











Looks like a food guild building.











What looked like dead crab remains had sparkles comes off them.











I trid to fish on this pier but the fishing icon didn't appear.  Although it did let me fish on the beach, and it was classed as a grade 2 fishing zone.











According to this Lalafell the sparkly crab remains are treasure.  Nothing happened for me when I took a second look at them, but if I could dig in that spot I guess it might be a different story.











Here is me trying out a spot of fishing.

FFXI players rewarded! But is this the first signal that FFXIV is being delayed?







If you are a player of FFXI then you can recive a discount on the FFXIV sub, and you can read all about that here: http://www.playonline.com/ff11eu/topics/ffxiv/

SE have given this handy chart to show how the discount would work if your FFXIV sub started in lat October.












Hang on, late October?  Why would it start then?  Why not September 22nd?  Are SE using this to sneak the news through the back door that the game is being delayed by a month?  A lot of people on the Beta test think that next months release date is too soon so it would not suprise me.  Plus I think they could do with an extra month.
Oh well, also FFXI players will get a new in-game item which boosts player movment speed.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Wineport Glitch!

Thanks to drnahog who pointed out a glitch to me.  It is possable to enter Wineport (and some others) through a glitch in the game.  I wrote that the gates were locked to Wineport, well if you stand very close and face the gate, then log out then back in again, but hold foward while you are logging in you can get through!

So here is what Wineport looks like, not a lot really.  I guess it's not finshed really.





















Todays adventure fun.

Today I had did quite a lot on FFXIV, heres what I got up to.












Look how tough these guys are suppost to be, they are orange and I thought I'd be dead for sure.

But I kicked their arses into next week, GO MCWILD!













Then I had a Guild Leve to go and kill some Opo-Opo's.  I remember them from FFXI, and like the Rebels in the higher pictures they got the smack down too.












Also while I was walking around I spotted an Airship in the sky so I waited around to get a better look as it appeared to be flying towards me.












Thats about as good a picture as I could get of the Airship.  It is quite high in the air I suppose, after all it is an Airship.












I spotted on the map that I was not very far away from a place called "Wineport".  I'd never heard of it before and it has got Limsa's logo on the map so I thought it might be worth a look and I started walking to where it was on the map.












As I started to get closer to it, I saw what looked like a castle in the distance.  It matched the area on the map marked as Wineport.  I started to dream of an NPC that could sell em the much needed Fire Crystals I needed for Blacksmithing that seem to be in very short supply right now.












I arrived at the entrance of Wineport only to be confronted by two very unhelpful Roegadyn who would not let me past the gate.  One Roegadyn seemed intent on telling me a story that Wineport used to be next to the sea but over the ages the amount of sea around it had gone back up into the sky so now Wineport is just on a cliff.  The other Roegadyn didn't seem to think that story was true and used Limsa as an example on how the water depth in the region has always stayed the same.
Although myself I'm not sure.  I mean if you walk around Limsa, everything is quite high up and everything is in tall towers, so maybe the first Roegadyn's story is true.












After a while I went back to Limsa and tried fishing again.  My first attempt the other was was an utter non-event as I didn't catch a thing and got annoyed and sold the fishing rod to an NPC.  This time I spent a lot longer trying, and after a very long time of not catching a thing and swearing that the fishing system was broken I think I started getting the hang of it and after a while I actually did catch a fish.  It was a Tiger Cod +3, which I thought was quite good for my first ever fish.

Monday 16 August 2010

It's that Blogger guy!

Today on FFXIV has been quite fun.  First of all I logged on only to notice Hankypants standing at the Guild Leve desk.  I knew he got a beta key from the File Planet key give away and I just happened to see him when I logged in!











So Hankeypants is now in the Beta linkshell and so is Malveux Dalranth who spotted me walking by and asked "Your that guy with the blog right?".  I'm sure we'll be seeing him on the Forum soon!  I thought that would be a great screen shot, so here it is below.











Woohoo!  I'm famous!

Sunday 15 August 2010

Free money!

When you are on your adventures around the land, keep your eye peeled for treasure chests laying around.











Oh look, there's one.  Get it quick!











Stand next to it and open the menu up and you'll see an option that says "Examine", just select that.











Now I'm 10 whole Gil richer and the chest fades away.  I have picked up amounts like 300 Gil in a chest so it is worth looking inside when you see one.