FFXIV News: New Pictures and More.

Elmer the Almighty has put up a new article on ZAM! and detailed a few new pictures that were leaked about FFXIV from a new Japanese magazine that is due out at the end of the week. Elmer's full article can be seen here.

Elmer provides as much information as he can about the races and classes that have been presented so far in FFXIV. The races are the first things that he discusses and all the old reliables are there. Hume (Hyuran), Elvaan (Elzen), Tarutaru (Lalafell), Galka (Roegadyn) and Mithra (Miqo'te). The designs for all of them are almost exactly the same as FFXI designs except for the Lalafell which actually appear to have elbows and knees, features that were lacking for our miniature stiff-limbed companions. Yes, of course the designs have been updated, but if you look at the Hume/Hyuran design from the FFXIV trailer and compare him to the one from teh FFXI trailer the resemblance is striking.

Next up is the vague description of the job system, called the Armory System. It appears that SE is going to follow something like other games use with general archetypes that become more and more specified with more "training" through the use of different weapons. So use a different weapon and you train/develop as a different job. It should make things relatively easy to switch jobs, and the information seems to indicate that we will be keeping the equipment-centric system because you will be able to change jobs on the fly. Thank god.

It also appears that crafting is interrelated within the job system. The original jobs featured were Fighter which specialized into Fencer and Archer. Sorcerer which specialized into some kind of Shaman and some kind of Illusionist. The thing to remember here is that details were vague but they did follow some traditional Final Fantasy roles for the most part. The crafting classes appeared to be broken down into Crafter and Gatherer, with Blacksmith and Chef, and Gardener and Fisherman respectively. Job changing appears to be wholly based on changing the weapon that is currently equipped.

Finally, Elmer discusses the questing system. It appears to be more player-driven than anything else I have seen on the market. You select "leaves" (of a book?) and it lets you develop the goals of the quest and how to fulfill them. Want to craft? Go for it? Kill a bunch of easy mobs or just on big baddy? Your choice. Elmer mentions that this sounds like the Moblin Maze Mongers system, but I think it might also resemble Fields of Valor where you are given options within certain perimeters rather than total randomization. This was the lest clear part of the article, out of no fault of Elmer's but rather because the screenshots he was reviewing are not complete.

I look forward to seeing the translation of the full article later this week. Check below the cut for all the picture available so far.

A facial shot of most of the races.


Hyuran/Hume


Elzen/Elvaan


Lalafell/Tarutaru


Roegadyn/Galka


Miqo'te/Mithra


The "Figher" Class


The "Sorcerer" Class


The "Crafter" Class


The "Gatherer" Class


The "Guild Leave" System