The Rare Double-headed Internet Troll.

Everyone loves a good trolling from time to time. Trolling seems to be more of an art than a skill, something that is less trained than passed down through the generations. That perfect combination of poor English, abusive slurs and a complete lack of regard other people. The best part about a troll though is that a large part of the time they behave in a most ironic fashion, and yet can't see it for themselves.

Today, to illustrate I have discovered one of my very own trolls. Quite like a troll he was hanging out in a older post, and very much like any MMO troll, that post was about PvP. This is a very special troll though, one that is so confused and baffled that they can not even figure out which direction they are going. A two-headed troll if you will. One head spitting the abuses and slurs, exclaiming their intent to crush all those around them, and the other head issues a huge list of reasons that they would never even waste their time. The confusion is only apparent to those observing the troll, and never to the troll itself. Apparently, trolls are born with an innate immunity to logic and consistency.

I encourage you to read the comments reposted below, as they are quite enlightening to behaviors of the internet troll, and I think you will enjoy them.


Anonymous said...
Another pvp hating internet troll. why would you even make a topic like this. people like you will ruin ffxiv. Sadly instead of tryin to work with every to work out pvp/pve conflicts, you would rather it be banned from the game completly. your a biased failbot, with no class or sportmanship. Leme guess you dont wana get ganked or you dont want distastfull players around. well the assholes will be there, "you will be there" And people like you deserve to get ganked even tho that can be fixed easily with pvp/pve server seperation. but thats outa the question cuzz havin pvp in a fighting rpg is unheard of by trolls like yourself who who exxcuses like" i hope SE spend more time on pve content". most retarded shit i ever heard. why the fuck do we pay to play a game? so we can get what we pay for not hear excuses to why they not able to do their job.
7:34 PM


Ringthree said...
LOL, this has got to be a joke. :)
9:04 AM


Anonymous said...
this fucking asshole is reason ffxiv will die and proly part of reason ffxi died. not like any1 forcing you to pvp and if you got your ass kicked in pvp its your fault for sucking so bad.Dont get mad get even. all i see on this post is another troll that goes to every1 ffxiv sights and trolls any idea of improving ffxiv with a good pvp system. Just cause you dont want it doesnt meen ALOT of other people do. your and fucktard loser got pwned in pvp to much... I kid i kid ... not truth hurts go fuck yourself, and get ready for all the cassual asshole that will tell you the exact same fucking thing when you try to tell them how they should play the game they pay to play. the developers stated multiple time in different topics that they are taking fans input on how they gona go about makin ffxiv. and if you same fags that have no life would stop sayin the same shit like some1 is soposed to walk you threw every lil detail of how pvp can coexist in a pve game. i dont have time to fix your ignorance nor do i care. just know if you didnt like how ffxi turned out you only got yourselfs to blame. and whn ffxiv flops cuzz lack of interest to the whole mmo comunitees blame asshole like this.
12:38 PM


Ringthree said...
You are the reason that I am glad there will be no PvP in FFXIV. :)
2:28 PM


Anonymous said...
You are the reason im glad i left ffxI. Balista was in it and it will be in ffxiv so you can fuck off to asswipe. dont realy care what the fuck any you forum trolls have to fucking say if SE caters to you. the game will be small and boring. with a population no more than fxi has had for last 4 year, less that 500k. I know most of you used to wasting time and not doin shit when you play the game you pay for but when the other millions of gamers jump on bandwagon they wont be on these forums telling you what they want they will be buying Diablo 3 or catalism for wow. or tryin the next big thing.... I give it 6-12 months with no PVP in it.
5:15 PM


Ringthree said...
First of all, this isn't a forum. This is my blog. Second, you are the kind of mouth breather that makes me glad that WoW exists so you don't ruin my favorite game with your lack of intelligence and your e-thuggery.

As I said, you are the exact reason that I am glad there will be no PvP in FFXIV.
11:05 AM


Anonymous said...
Yea your whole blog is nothing but you bashing PVP like the fag that you are and i will play FFXIV so fuck you guess what maybe its not the pvp mouth breather maybe its just you running your cocksucker.
People like you are good for that then try to pass the buck like you are here. you started the shit with this whole fucking blog.

Like i sayed b4 people like you are reason im glad i quit ffxi and ill be in ffxiv just to make sure i piss all fags like you who think they can put twist on peoples opinions. Your the Ethug wana be unsavory behavor that shouldnt be in ffxiv.
8:25 AM


Anonymous said...
Im gladd assholes like you will get what you deserve in the end. Another broken game with limited options to please your gaming desires. You played ffxi to long with the very little fanbase. if ffxiv turns out like they want it to. im sure you gona realy hate the asshole thats gona tell you what you can do with your mouth breather. When you tell them they should be able to play the game how they wanted to. I bet you was 1 of them fags that wouldnt lets a drk/war group with you just because he didnt have the best subjob. Yay thats reason why millions of people quit cuzz the fanbase ass a whole was bunch losers with to much time on their hand, ruin it for any1 else trying to play the game and have fun. no room in a game for those people only the ones that play the game how you want it to be played.
8:39 AM

<a href="http://topazbean.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/troll-0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://topazbean.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/troll-0.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 360px;" /></a>Everyone loves a good trolling from time to time. Trolling seems to be more of an art than a skill, something that is less trained than passed down through the generations. That perfect combination of poor English, abusive slurs and a complete lack of regard other people. The best part about a troll though is that a large part of the time they behave in a most ironic fashion, and yet can't see it for themselves.<br /><br />Today, to illustrate I have discovered one of my very own trolls. Quite like a troll he was hanging out in a older post, and very much like any MMO troll, that post was about PvP. This is a very special troll though, one that is so confused and baffled that they can not even figure out which direction they are going. A two-headed troll if you will. One head spitting the abuses and slurs, exclaiming their intent to crush all those around them, and the other head issues a huge list of reasons that they would never even waste their time. The confusion is only apparent to those observing the troll, and never to the troll itself. Apparently, trolls are born with an innate immunity to logic and consistency.<br /><br />I encourage you to read the comments reposted below, as they are quite enlightening to behaviors of the internet troll, and I think you will enjoy them.<br /><br /><br />Anonymous said...<br /> Another pvp hating internet troll. why would you even make a topic like this. people like you will ruin ffxiv. Sadly instead of tryin to work with every to work out pvp/pve conflicts, you would rather it be banned from the game completly. your a biased failbot, with no class or sportmanship. Leme guess you dont wana get ganked or you dont want distastfull players around. well the assholes will be there, "you will be there" And people like you deserve to get ganked even tho that can be fixed easily with pvp/pve server seperation. but thats outa the question cuzz havin pvp in a fighting rpg is unheard of by trolls like yourself who who exxcuses like" i hope SE spend more time on pve content". most retarded shit i ever heard. why the fuck do we pay to play a game? so we can get what we pay for not hear excuses to why they not able to do their job.<br /> 7:34 PM <br /><br /><br />Ringthree said...<br /> LOL, this has got to be a joke. :)<br /> 9:04 AM <br /><br /><br />Anonymous said...<br /> this fucking asshole is reason ffxiv will die and proly part of reason ffxi died. not like any1 forcing you to pvp and if you got your ass kicked in pvp its your fault for sucking so bad.Dont get mad get even. all i see on this post is another troll that goes to every1 ffxiv sights and trolls any idea of improving ffxiv with a good pvp system. Just cause you dont want it doesnt meen ALOT of other people do. your and fucktard loser got pwned in pvp to much... I kid i kid ... not truth hurts go fuck yourself, and get ready for all the cassual asshole that will tell you the exact same fucking thing when you try to tell them how they should play the game they pay to play. the developers stated multiple time in different topics that they are taking fans input on how they gona go about makin ffxiv. and if you same fags that have no life would stop sayin the same shit like some1 is soposed to walk you threw every lil detail of how pvp can coexist in a pve game. i dont have time to fix your ignorance nor do i care. just know if you didnt like how ffxi turned out you only got yourselfs to blame. and whn ffxiv flops cuzz lack of interest to the whole mmo comunitees blame asshole like this.<br /> 12:38 PM <br /><br /><br />Ringthree said...<br /> You are the reason that I am glad there will be no PvP in FFXIV. :)<br /> 2:28 PM <br /><br /><br />Anonymous said...<br /> You are the reason im glad i left ffxI. Balista was in it and it will be in ffxiv so you can fuck off to asswipe. dont realy care what the fuck any you forum trolls have to fucking say if SE caters to you. the game will be small and boring. with a population no more than fxi has had for last 4 year, less that 500k. I know most of you used to wasting time and not doin shit when you play the game you pay for but when the other millions of gamers jump on bandwagon they wont be on these forums telling you what they want they will be buying Diablo 3 or catalism for wow. or tryin the next big thing.... I give it 6-12 months with no PVP in it.<br /> 5:15 PM <br /><br /><br />Ringthree said...<br /> First of all, this isn't a forum. This is my blog. Second, you are the kind of mouth breather that makes me glad that WoW exists so you don't ruin my favorite game with your lack of intelligence and your e-thuggery.<br /><br /> As I said, you are the exact reason that I am glad there will be no PvP in FFXIV.<br /> 11:05 AM <br /><br /><br />Anonymous said...<br /> Yea your whole blog is nothing but you bashing PVP like the fag that you are and i will play FFXIV so fuck you guess what maybe its not the pvp mouth breather maybe its just you running your cocksucker.<br /> People like you are good for that then try to pass the buck like you are here. you started the shit with this whole fucking blog.<br /><br /> Like i sayed b4 people like you are reason im glad i quit ffxi and ill be in ffxiv just to make sure i piss all fags like you who think they can put twist on peoples opinions. Your the Ethug wana be unsavory behavor that shouldnt be in ffxiv.<br /> 8:25 AM <br /><br /><br />Anonymous said...<br /> Im gladd assholes like you will get what you deserve in the end. Another broken game with limited options to please your gaming desires. You played ffxi to long with the very little fanbase. if ffxiv turns out like they want it to. im sure you gona realy hate the asshole thats gona tell you what you can do with your mouth breather. When you tell them they should be able to play the game how they wanted to. I bet you was 1 of them fags that wouldnt lets a drk/war group with you just because he didnt have the best subjob. Yay thats reason why millions of people quit cuzz the fanbase ass a whole was bunch losers with to much time on their hand, ruin it for any1 else trying to play the game and have fun. no room in a game for those people only the ones that play the game how you want it to be played.<br /> 8:39 AM

FFXIV: New Famitsu article translated by Elmer.

Elmer is pretty much my hero. Japanese translator extraordinaire, Elmer provides the low down on all the sweet information that SE gives to the Japanese gaming media but doesn't provide to the American gaming media or at least the American gaming media doesn't have a Japanese correspondent. Now that I think about it, wouldn't it be a good idea for someone like Elmer to work for an American gaming magazine as a Japanese correspondent? I mean half or more of the world's video game are made and consumed in Japan. Elmer I have found your new calling in life!

You can check out Elmer's new translation on Zam's FFXIV page or check it out after the break.

Oh and all of the pictures and information blatant stolen from Elmer, Zam and Famitsu. :)


Character Creation

Famitsu boasts that the character creation system is so deep, you'll be nitpicking your avatar setting all day long trying to get it just right. Even the alpha, while not complete, has a considerable amount of variations available such as face type, skin color, hair style and body size. There are even smaller details, like putting highlights or streaks in your hair, that are customizable. There will be brand new aspects of your character to select as well -- there will even be a number of different voice types.

The character creation process begins with selecting one's race and customizing the avatar. Once your character is complete, you begin the game and set up your Class, birthday and Guardian Diety. What effects one's Guardian Diety will have in game are unknown at this time. Once all those steps are complete, you choose your name, which as we know consists of both a first and last name.

Seamless Fields and Instanced Areas

Leaving a town brings you into the Field Area where you have your adventures. FFXIV will have a seamless transition between areas that requires no loading time. From their experience with the game, Famitsu says this really gives Eorzea the feeling of a wide, expansive world. In addition, the background music transitions naturally between the areas you traverse.

A new addition, familiar to many MMO players, is the Instanced Area. This is where a private copy of an area is created, into which only you and your party can enter. These will be used in FFXIV for special events, an example being when cut scenes take place in order to eliminate outside effects and noise, allowing the player to enjoy their cut scene in peace.

The Menu System

Status & Equip: Opens up the Status & Equip screen (pictured below)

Action: Unknown... may contain commands like Trade, Craft etc?

Physical Bonus: Unknown... a place to allocate points to stats?

Item: Displays your inventory

Journal: Opens up your Guildleve menus

Party: Opens up party-related lists/functions

Map: Displays the full area map

Teleport: Instantly move to any Aetheryte you have visited at least once

Warp: Instantly return to the last Aetheryte you visited

Logout: Leave Eorzea and return to the harsh banality of Earth



Guildleve and the Battle System

Guildleves are like "quests" that you can undertake by visiting an adventurer's guild in a city. The contents of a Guildleve can vary player to player, and you can attempt them alone or with a group. To begin your selected Guildleve, first you must seek out Aetheryte in a Field Area. Players can move instantly to Aetheryte they have visited once before by selecting the "Teleport" command.

The difficulty of a Guildleve changes based on your selected party size. However, the party sizes are not selected directly, but rather through 5 different categories.

Now, as a big kanji nut, something that I found interesting that I'm going to bore you with here is: Judging from what is revealed in Famitsu, the party sizes are described through 四字熟語 (yo-ji-juku-go) or four-character idioms. These are terms constructed of four kanji that together hold a profound meaning. Many of these terms cannot be translated directly, or take entire sentences just to explain -- they are tough for even native Japanese to remember! Often times, you will see them translated as clever puns or a play on words that keeps it snappy while attempting to capture the original meaning.

Here are the party sizes and difficulty levels from ☆(easy) to ☆☆☆☆☆(hard) Party sizes are approximated based on what we know, i.e. recommended parties are 6-8 members, and the max is 15 members.

☆ - 孤軍奮闘 (ko-gun-fun-tou) - A Lone Fighting Force , (solo)

☆☆ - 少数精鋭 (shou-suu-sei-ei) - An Elite Few , (below 6 members)

☆☆☆ - 推奨人数 (sui-shou-nin-zuu) - Recommened Party Size, (6-8 party)

☆☆☆☆ - 千軍万馬 (sen-gun-ban-ba) - A Great Army *lit. 1,000 Units & 10,000 Horses* , (9+ members)

☆☆☆☆☆ - 人海戦術 (jin-kai-sen-jutsu) - A Vertiable Ocean of People *similar in meaning to swarm/zerg* , (~ 15 members)



Many Guildleves involved combat, and the Famitsu team was kind enough to explain the flow of combat below:

1) Target your enemy - Find the enemy you wish to attack and select it. Once selected, the L3 button will initiate Target Lock, keeping you facing the enemy's direction.

2) Ready your weapon - Move your cursor over your weapon of choice and press Circle. Once selected, R1 will take out your weapon and ready your stance. Now you are in "Active Mode" and able to engage the enemy.

3) Select your commands - A list of your commands is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Underneath each icon is a gauge showing how much time remains until they are ready for use.

4) Store up your Action Gauge - Once your Action Gauge is full, you can activate commands. To boost their effect, store up the Effect Gauge.

5) Using the Effect Gauge - You can activate commands immediately, or you can enhance their effects by storing up your Effect Gauge. This gauge is constantly building, so timing is important. Below you can see there are three levels to the Effect Gauge.

Convenience and Travel Time

Aetheryte provides the foundation for adventure for all players. It exists out in Field Areas as well as inside cities. Aetheryte serves as a the launching point for a Guildleve and the destination for Teleport. All players are able to use Teleport right from the start. In addition, once a quest is complete, an Aethereal Node will appear, allowing players to easily warp back to the original Aetheryte they came from. Everything is designed to allow players to move around and enjoy the game with ease.

Freedom of Growth

In FFXIV, what most MMO players know as "levels" will be the character's "Physical Level." Points you accumulate in battle can be freely spent on HP/MP, physical strength, intelligence or a variety of other parameters. In other words, you can focus on one aspect of your character, or aim for balance between all stats. The ultimate decision regarding the direction of the character is completely up to the player.





Alpha Test Hands-On Report

The team from Famitsu were able to create characters and try out the Alpha Version of FFXIV. They put their experiences into two write-ups -- one for Disciples of War and one for Disciples of Magic. Here are the key points of what they had to say.

Kikuo Saji: Roegadyn, Disciple of War, Pugilist

- The Character Creation system is so deep, you'll spend all day tweaking your avatar

- Don't fret too much over Class, you can change at anytime by changing your weapon

- The size difference between Roegadyn and Lalafell is quite massive

- You'll love the variety of new emotes -- Lalefell are especially adorable

- Aetheryte warps you right to where you need to go for Guildleves

- Guildleve difficulty is split into 5 levels, 1 star (easy) 5 stars (hard)

- The locations of target monsters for Guildleve are clearly displayed on your map

- There is a "weakened state" after dying -- HP/MP are lowered and it lasts for 5 minutes

- The game feels incredibly expansive, and it feels like you could walk on forever

- Crabs are back! Apparently Kikuo Saji found a giant one outside town that killed him in one strike!

Opone Kikuchi: Lalafell, Disciple of Magic, Thaumaturge

- There is so much more to do in the alpha compared with the Gamescom version 7 months ago

- Again, feels character creation is like a day's work in and of itself

- Once your MP is spent, you cannot recover it through resting

- Disciples of Magic have a basic magical ranged attack that does not consume MP

- It is possible to move while casting magic, but still important to be aware of the area of effect your spell will cover when cast

- Sheathing your weapon puts you into Passive Mode, which begins to recover HP, making it possible for even magic users to solo effectively

<a href="http://www.zam.com/Im/Image/162532.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.zam.com/Im/Image/162532.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 442px; height: 92px;" /></a>Elmer is pretty much my hero. Japanese translator extraordinaire, Elmer provides the low down on all the sweet information that SE gives to the Japanese gaming media but doesn't provide to the American gaming media or at least the American gaming media doesn't have a Japanese correspondent. Now that I think about it, wouldn't it be a good idea for someone like Elmer to work for an American gaming magazine as a Japanese correspondent? I mean half or more of the world's video game are made and consumed in Japan. Elmer I have found your new calling in life! <br /><br />You can check out Elmer's new translation on <a href="http://ffxiv.zam.com/story.html?story=22042">Zam's FFXIV page</a> or check it out after the break.<br /><br />Oh and all of the pictures and information blatant stolen from Elmer, Zam and Famitsu. :) <br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Character Creation<br /><br />Famitsu boasts that the character creation system is so deep, you'll be nitpicking your avatar setting all day long trying to get it just right. Even the alpha, while not complete, has a considerable amount of variations available such as face type, skin color, hair style and body size. There are even smaller details, like putting highlights or streaks in your hair, that are customizable. There will be brand new aspects of your character to select as well -- there will even be a number of different voice types.<br /><br />The character creation process begins with selecting one's race and customizing the avatar. Once your character is complete, you begin the game and set up your Class, birthday and Guardian Diety. What effects one's Guardian Diety will have in game are unknown at this time. Once all those steps are complete, you choose your name, which as we know consists of both a first and last name.<br /><br />Seamless Fields and Instanced Areas<br /><br />Leaving a town brings you into the Field Area where you have your adventures. FFXIV will have a seamless transition between areas that requires no loading time. From their experience with the game, Famitsu says this really gives Eorzea the feeling of a wide, expansive world. In addition, the background music transitions naturally between the areas you traverse.<br /><br />A new addition, familiar to many MMO players, is the Instanced Area. This is where a private copy of an area is created, into which only you and your party can enter. These will be used in FFXIV for special events, an example being when cut scenes take place in order to eliminate outside effects and noise, allowing the player to enjoy their cut scene in peace.<br /><br />The Menu System<br /><br />Status & Equip: Opens up the Status & Equip screen (pictured below)<br /><br />Action: Unknown... may contain commands like Trade, Craft etc?<br /><br />Physical Bonus: Unknown... a place to allocate points to stats?<br /><br />Item: Displays your inventory<br /><br />Journal: Opens up your Guildleve menus<br /><br />Party: Opens up party-related lists/functions<br /><br />Map: Displays the full area map<br /><br />Teleport: Instantly move to any Aetheryte you have visited at least once<br /><br />Warp: Instantly return to the last Aetheryte you visited<br /><br />Logout: Leave Eorzea and return to the harsh banality of Earth<br /><br /> <br /><br />Guildleve and the Battle System<br /><br />Guildleves are like "quests" that you can undertake by visiting an adventurer's guild in a city. The contents of a Guildleve can vary player to player, and you can attempt them alone or with a group. To begin your selected Guildleve, first you must seek out Aetheryte in a Field Area. Players can move instantly to Aetheryte they have visited once before by selecting the "Teleport" command.<br /><br />The difficulty of a Guildleve changes based on your selected party size. However, the party sizes are not selected directly, but rather through 5 different categories.<br /><br />Now, as a big kanji nut, something that I found interesting that I'm going to bore you with here is: Judging from what is revealed in Famitsu, the party sizes are described through 四字熟語 (yo-ji-juku-go) or four-character idioms. These are terms constructed of four kanji that together hold a profound meaning. Many of these terms cannot be translated directly, or take entire sentences just to explain -- they are tough for even native Japanese to remember! Often times, you will see them translated as clever puns or a play on words that keeps it snappy while attempting to capture the original meaning.<br /><br />Here are the party sizes and difficulty levels from ☆(easy) to ☆☆☆☆☆(hard) Party sizes are approximated based on what we know, i.e. recommended parties are 6-8 members, and the max is 15 members.<br /><br />☆ - 孤軍奮闘 (ko-gun-fun-tou) - A Lone Fighting Force , (solo)<br /><br />☆☆ - 少数精鋭 (shou-suu-sei-ei) - An Elite Few , (below 6 members)<br /><br />☆☆☆ - 推奨人数 (sui-shou-nin-zuu) - Recommened Party Size, (6-8 party)<br /><br />☆☆☆☆ - 千軍万馬 (sen-gun-ban-ba) - A Great Army *lit. 1,000 Units & 10,000 Horses* , (9+ members)<br /><br />☆☆☆☆☆ - 人海戦術 (jin-kai-sen-jutsu) - A Vertiable Ocean of People *similar in meaning to swarm/zerg* , (~ 15 members)<br /><br /> <br /><br />Many Guildleves involved combat, and the Famitsu team was kind enough to explain the flow of combat below:<br /><br />1) Target your enemy - Find the enemy you wish to attack and select it. Once selected, the L3 button will initiate Target Lock, keeping you facing the enemy's direction.<br /><br />2) Ready your weapon - Move your cursor over your weapon of choice and press Circle. Once selected, R1 will take out your weapon and ready your stance. Now you are in "Active Mode" and able to engage the enemy.<br /><br />3) Select your commands - A list of your commands is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Underneath each icon is a gauge showing how much time remains until they are ready for use.<br /><br />4) Store up your Action Gauge - Once your Action Gauge is full, you can activate commands. To boost their effect, store up the Effect Gauge.<br /><br />5) Using the Effect Gauge - You can activate commands immediately, or you can enhance their effects by storing up your Effect Gauge. This gauge is constantly building, so timing is important. Below you can see there are three levels to the Effect Gauge.<br /><br />Convenience and Travel Time<br /><br />Aetheryte provides the foundation for adventure for all players. It exists out in Field Areas as well as inside cities. Aetheryte serves as a the launching point for a Guildleve and the destination for Teleport. All players are able to use Teleport right from the start. In addition, once a quest is complete, an Aethereal Node will appear, allowing players to easily warp back to the original Aetheryte they came from. Everything is designed to allow players to move around and enjoy the game with ease.<br /><br />Freedom of Growth<br /><br />In FFXIV, what most MMO players know as "levels" will be the character's "Physical Level." Points you accumulate in battle can be freely spent on HP/MP, physical strength, intelligence or a variety of other parameters. In other words, you can focus on one aspect of your character, or aim for balance between all stats. The ultimate decision regarding the direction of the character is completely up to the player. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />Alpha Test Hands-On Report<br /><br />The team from Famitsu were able to create characters and try out the Alpha Version of FFXIV. They put their experiences into two write-ups -- one for Disciples of War and one for Disciples of Magic. Here are the key points of what they had to say.<br /><br />Kikuo Saji: Roegadyn, Disciple of War, Pugilist<br /><br />- The Character Creation system is so deep, you'll spend all day tweaking your avatar<br /><br />- Don't fret too much over Class, you can change at anytime by changing your weapon<br /><br />- The size difference between Roegadyn and Lalafell is quite massive<br /><br />- You'll love the variety of new emotes -- Lalefell are especially adorable<br /><br />- Aetheryte warps you right to where you need to go for Guildleves<br /><br />- Guildleve difficulty is split into 5 levels, 1 star (easy) 5 stars (hard)<br /><br />- The locations of target monsters for Guildleve are clearly displayed on your map<br /><br />- There is a "weakened state" after dying -- HP/MP are lowered and it lasts for 5 minutes<br /><br />- The game feels incredibly expansive, and it feels like you could walk on forever<br /><br />- Crabs are back! Apparently Kikuo Saji found a giant one outside town that killed him in one strike!<br /><br />Opone Kikuchi: Lalafell, Disciple of Magic, Thaumaturge<br /><br />- There is so much more to do in the alpha compared with the Gamescom version 7 months ago<br /><br />- Again, feels character creation is like a day's work in and of itself<br /><br />- Once your MP is spent, you cannot recover it through resting<br /><br />- Disciples of Magic have a basic magical ranged attack that does not consume MP<br /><br />- It is possible to move while casting magic, but still important to be aware of the area of effect your spell will cover when cast<br /><br />- Sheathing your weapon puts you into Passive Mode, which begins to recover HP, making it possible for even magic users to solo effectively<br /></span>

FFXIV Alpha News: Dates are Released! Or are they?

EDIT: It has been noted that this might be a fake message, so take it with a grain of salt until I can get some other confirmation.

SE has finally announced the dates of their Alpha trials for FFXIV, at least in Japanese.

Semi-translation stolen from BG, below.


Alpha tests (assuming this is Japanese time) will be from 19:00 to 24:00 (7PM to Midnight) on March 19 and 20th (this coming Friday and Saturday) and from 18:00 to 22:00 (6PM to 10PM) on March 21st and 25th. Beta tests start on April 1. All characters will be deleted between the Alpha and the Beta.

I will try to get this information in English and other languages as soon as it's available.

EDIT: It has been noted that this might be a fake message, so take it with a grain of salt until I can get some other confirmation.<br /><br />SE has finally announced the dates of their Alpha trials for FFXIV, at least in Japanese. <br /><br />Semi-translation stolen from BG, below.<br /><a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Alpha_times.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Alpha_times.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 339px;" /></a><br /><br />Alpha tests (assuming this is Japanese time) will be from 19:00 to 24:00 (7PM to Midnight) on March 19 and 20th (this coming Friday and Saturday) and from 18:00 to 22:00 (6PM to 10PM) on March 21st and 25th. Beta tests start on April 1. All characters will be deleted between the Alpha and the Beta. <br /><br />I will try to get this information in English and other languages as soon as it's available.

YANYOK's FFXIV Beta test NDA policy.

We at YANYOK needed to clear up our NDA policy in regards to FFXIV's Alpha/Beta.

We will be providing 100% coverage of all things FFXIV Alpha and Beta related. We already have "foreign correspondents" in the field ready, willing and able to provide all of the information that you want to hear about. We will be delivering all of this information to you as soon as we can wipe the drool off of the screenshots.

To be clear, no one at YANYOK have alpha or beta invites, all of the information will be passed along second hand, but you will be getting the information without a filter and without someone trying to ban your forum posts for talking about it.

I actually read on a forum that we shouldn't violate the NDA or SE won't want to communicate with us anymore. I laughed so hard that milk shot out of my nose.

We at YANYOK needed to clear up our NDA policy in regards to FFXIV's Alpha/Beta. <br /><br />We will be providing 100% coverage of all things FFXIV Alpha and Beta related. We already have "foreign correspondents" in the field ready, willing and able to provide all of the information that you want to hear about. We will be delivering all of this information to you as soon as we can wipe the drool off of the screenshots. <br /><br />To be clear, no one at YANYOK have alpha or beta invites, all of the information will be passed along second hand, but you will be getting the information without a filter and without someone trying to ban your forum posts for talking about it. <br /><br />I actually read on a forum that we shouldn't violate the NDA or SE won't want to communicate with us anymore. I laughed so hard that milk shot out of my nose.

Good news and bad news.

The good news first. The new update is a lot closer than I expected it to be. Coming in mid-March will be the Mid-March Version Update! Original name of course, but I am not too concerned. I am not going to do my normal dissection of the sole picture that they provide in the update teaser because I always end up being wrong or creating something random whole cloth. The obvious pictures include Synergy, Missions and Campaign. So we will know we are getting at least that much. You can speculate on exactly what is happening in the picture on the right, but I have done all the eye-squinting I feel compelled to do to figure out what the hell is happening.

The bad news isn't really bad news, it's bad reporting of news. As everyone has probably already heard, there is a rumor floating around that FFXI is shutting down this year. As Omoi would say this is "utter claptrap". The initial report was in reference to a blog that doesn't now and may have never existed from a "high ranking HR SE employee". There are so many problems with this rumor and it's source that it is a joke to start with, never mind the reality of the situation and statements from SE questioning the credibility of the statement. I mean, come on, if you are going to make up a rumor at least have it coming from a more credible source than the HR department.

The point I want to make here is not that the rumor was picked up by the interether, but that it was posted by a semi-credible website and that website didn't even take the 30 seconds to Google the report to see if there was any credibility behind it. Thankfully, our friends at Limit Break Radio posted a list of evidence disputing the claims of that semi-credible website.

I mean it is one thing to post a rumor, but to post it without any research, especially posting AFTER the freaking head of Square Enix had already squashed the rumor just makes you look like a toolbox.

Playing WoW doesn't mean you are qualified to report on the entire MMO industry...

The good news first. The new update is a lot closer than I expected it to be. Coming in mid-March will be the Mid-March Version Update! Original name of course, but I am not too concerned. <a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/5283/5283.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/5283/5283.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 415px; height: 100px;" /></a> I am not going to do my normal dissection of the sole picture that they provide in the update teaser because I always end up being wrong or creating something random whole cloth. The obvious pictures include Synergy, Missions and Campaign. So we will know we are getting at least that much. You can speculate on exactly what is happening in the picture on the right, but I have done all the eye-squinting I feel compelled to do to figure out what the hell is happening. <br /><br />The bad news isn't really bad news, it's bad reporting of news. As everyone has probably already heard, there is a rumor floating around that FFXI is shutting down this year. As Omoi would say this is "utter claptrap". The initial report was in reference to a blog that doesn't now and may have never existed from a "high ranking HR SE employee". There are so many problems with this rumor and it's source that it is a joke to start with, never mind the reality of the situation and statements from SE questioning the credibility of the statement. I mean, come on, if you are going to make up a rumor at least have it coming from a more credible source than the HR department. <br /><br />The point I want to make here is not that the rumor was picked up by the interether, but that it was posted by a <a href="http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/74/Final-Fantasy-XI.html">semi-credible website</a> and that website didn't even take the 30 seconds to Google the report to see if there was any credibility behind it. Thankfully, our friends at Limit Break Radio posted <a href="http://limitbreakradio.com/?p=2713">a list of evidence</a> disputing the claims of that semi-credible website.<br /><br />I mean it is one thing to post a rumor, but to post it without any research, especially posting AFTER the freaking head of Square Enix had already <a href="http://kotaku.com/5474554/dont-worry-about-final-fantasy-xi-just-yet">squashed the rumor</a> just makes you look like a toolbox.<br /><br />Playing WoW doesn't mean you are qualified to report on the entire MMO industry...

Morning in Vana'diel: Defending Your Avatar

Morning in Vana'diel is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! The day of reckoning approaches and in the end have we spent our time well? I think so.

With the coming of the FFXIV beta I have done a little bit of reminiscing about the time I have played FFXI, time I have enjoyed. I have also thought about those that didn't enjoy their time playing FFXI apparently, and I don't really get it.

I never really understood the way some people complain after quitting FFXI, or how they will never play FFXIV because "SE sux". I guess it's just the bitter gamer that is projecting their anger onto the game company instead of themselves.

Whether you like it or not, FFXI is a well run and successful game. A few people complaining about AV does not really effect the experience of 99% of the player base even those that want to fight AV.

Another one of those projections is the complaints about customer service. Outside of the few people that really did have to deal with the problems with SE and getting their account stolen, most of these complaints are from people that don't have the experience to make such claims and are just parroting what other people say.

SE's game development for FFXI is actually very good, especially considering the limitations of the game itself, but remember this game started development about 10 years ago and things are much different now than they were then. I think the problem right now is one of internal resources and nothing more.

SE doesn't "hate" their player base. They have learned from their mistakes and there are many examples of this. There are still some other mistakes they haven't or don't want to rectify (AV) but in the end the game experience in FFXI is excellent and enjoyable. It is far more social and it was built to be this way. Grumpy gamer kids may not really appreciate this aspect of the game, but in the end, we are all probably much better off without them.

And of course, if you just want to dismiss everything I just said, go ahead and call me an SE fan boy.

<a href="http://goateeandglasses.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/defending.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://goateeandglasses.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/defending.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 344px;" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Morning in Vana'diel</span><span style="font-style:italic;"> is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! The day of reckoning approaches and in the end have we spent our time well? I think so.</span><br /><br />With the coming of the FFXIV beta I have done a little bit of reminiscing about the time I have played FFXI, time I have enjoyed. I have also thought about those that didn't enjoy their time playing FFXI apparently, and I don't really get it. <br /><br />I never really understood the way some people complain after quitting FFXI, or how they will never play FFXIV because "SE sux". I guess it's just the bitter gamer that is projecting their anger onto the game company instead of themselves.<br /><br />Whether you like it or not, FFXI is a well run and successful game. A few people complaining about AV does not really effect the experience of 99% of the player base even those that want to fight AV.<br /><br />Another one of those projections is the complaints about customer service. Outside of the few people that really did have to deal with the problems with SE and getting their account stolen, most of these complaints are from people that don't have the experience to make such claims and are just parroting what other people say.<br /><br />SE's game development for FFXI is actually very good, especially considering the limitations of the game itself, but remember this game started development about 10 years ago and things are much different now than they were then. I think the problem right now is one of internal resources and nothing more.<br /><br />SE doesn't "hate" their player base. They have learned from their mistakes and there are many examples of this. There are still some other mistakes they haven't or don't want to rectify (AV) but in the end the game experience in FFXI is excellent and enjoyable. It is far more social and it was built to be this way. Grumpy gamer kids may not really appreciate this aspect of the game, but in the end, we are all probably much better off without them.<br /><br />And of course, if you just want to dismiss everything I just said, go ahead and call me an SE fan boy.

FFXIV News: Beta Sign-ups Begin!

The beta sign-ups for FFXIV have begun! You can head over to the sign up now, or if you are afraid that I am trying to haxxor your account you can go there directly from the Final Fantasy XIV website. Just click on the big "beta sign-ups" button on the main page. That is only for the NA site, but from that link you can sign up for whatever region you are from or your account is from.

This is pretty surprising news as there was no hint of this before yesterday. It also disproves the idea that people will be picked from the largest HNM LS's, which I thought was crap to begin with.

<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXIV_Logo.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXIV_Logo.png" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 274px;" /></a>The beta sign-ups for FFXIV have begun! You can head over to <a href="http://entry.ffxiv.com/na/index.html">the sign up</a> now, or if you are afraid that I am trying to haxxor your account you can go there directly from the <a href="http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/">Final Fantasy XIV website</a>. Just click on the big "beta sign-ups" button on the main page. That is only for the NA site, but from that link you can sign up for whatever region you are from or your account is from.<br /><br />This is pretty surprising news as there was no hint of this before yesterday. It also disproves the idea that people will be picked from the largest HNM LS's, which I thought was crap to begin with.

Grist for the Rumor Mill: FFXIV betas picked from FFXI HNMs?

*WARNING* This is just an uncorroborated rumor! *WARNING*
Yeah, I don't believe it either, and even the person that told me is high skeptical. I am more trying to get in front of this before the mindless repeaters get a hold of it. The newest rumor going around about FFXIV betas is that SE is going to give the beta invites to the best HNM LS's in FFXI.

Before you get started there are about a million problems with this, and I don't think it is true at all. First off SE has never done anything like this before. They have never even recognized the fact that there are "HNM LS's" as opposed to other kinds of LS's. How would they even determine what an "HNM LS's" is? Second, SE has already said how their beta testing is going to work and that while there will be a closed beta for a while with limited groups, there will be an open beta by the end. So even if this were true the closed beta testing would only be for a limited time. Third, it just doesn't make any sense. Everyone wants to get in on the beta, limiting it to HNM LS's would definitely leave a bad taste in the mouth's of non-HNM LS members. I don't think this is the kind of thing that SE wants to put forward. Finally and in the same vein, why would SE invite HNM LS's to a closed beta when they have been playing up how casual-friendly FFXIV is supposed to be.

There are now two groups of people reading this: The HNM LS members that are hoping it is true, and the non-HNM LS members that are hoping it is not true. And you might be saying "Hey, Ring! You aren't in an HNM LS, so that is the only reason you are poo-pooing the idea." and in response I would give you the /facepalm. You have to remember that there is NO evidence that this is the case now, except for a few things I have heard through various other people. The "cousin's friend's postman's dog told me" scenario. The only reason I am reporting it at all is that I trust the person that passed along the information in as much that he passed along what he heard and that he didn't make it up. He was pretty clear when he told me about it and stated that he didn't think much of it either because there were just too many things that didn't make sense.

There are a few things that could support the idea. First, and everyone's favorite reason: SE makes a lot of bad decisions. That one pretty much stands on it's own. Second, it's a beta. Beta's are not the real game and therefore it doesn't have to be equal before the game is released.

There are major issues with those ideas too, but I am not going to debate out every little detail here. Instead, I will just conclude that it is so far from realistic as to be laughable. Actually, I think the thing that motivates such a rumor is that someone was feeling like SE is ignoring all of the "hard work" they did playing FFXI, and that giving out betas to the "HNM LS's" would be a proper reward for a new game. This is kind of pathetic when you think about it, but I can understand they psychology of someone starting a rumor like that.

In the end, it might just happen, but I give it less than a 1%.

*WARNING* This is just an uncorroborated rumor! *WARNING*<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXIV_Logo.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXIV_Logo.png" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 274px;" /></a><br />Yeah, I don't believe it either, and even the person that told me is high skeptical. I am more trying to get in front of this before the mindless repeaters get a hold of it. The newest rumor going around about FFXIV betas is that SE is going to give the beta invites to the best HNM LS's in FFXI. <br /><br />Before you get started there are about a million problems with this, and I don't think it is true at all. First off SE has never done anything like this before. They have never even recognized the fact that there are "HNM LS's" as opposed to other kinds of LS's. How would they even determine what an "HNM LS's" is? Second, SE has already said how their beta testing is going to work and that while there will be a closed beta for a while with limited groups, there will be an open beta by the end. So even if this were true the closed beta testing would only be for a limited time. Third, it just doesn't make any sense. Everyone wants to get in on the beta, limiting it to HNM LS's would definitely leave a bad taste in the mouth's of non-HNM LS members. I don't think this is the kind of thing that SE wants to put forward. Finally and in the same vein, why would SE invite HNM LS's to a closed beta when they have been playing up how casual-friendly FFXIV is supposed to be. <br /><br />There are now two groups of people reading this: The HNM LS members that are hoping it is true, and the non-HNM LS members that are hoping it is not true. And you might be saying "Hey, Ring! You aren't in an HNM LS, so that is the only reason you are poo-pooing the idea." and in response I would give you the /facepalm. You have to remember that there is NO evidence that this is the case now, except for a few things I have heard through various other people. The "cousin's friend's postman's dog told me" scenario. The only reason I am reporting it at all is that I trust the person that passed along the information in as much that he passed along what he heard and that he didn't make it up. He was pretty clear when he told me about it and stated that he didn't think much of it either because there were just too many things that didn't make sense.<br /><br />There are a few things that could support the idea. First, and everyone's favorite reason: SE makes a lot of bad decisions. That one pretty much stands on it's own. Second, it's a beta. Beta's are not the real game and therefore it doesn't have to be equal before the game is released. <br /><br />There are major issues with those ideas too, but I am not going to debate out every little detail here. Instead, I will just conclude that it is so far from realistic as to be laughable. Actually, I think the thing that motivates such a rumor is that someone was feeling like SE is ignoring all of the "hard work" they did playing FFXI, and that giving out betas to the "HNM LS's" would be a proper reward for a new game. This is kind of pathetic when you think about it, but I can understand they psychology of someone starting a rumor like that.<br /><br />In the end, it might just happen, but I give it less than a 1%.

FFXIV News: New Pictures Make Omoikitte Hot in the Pants.

So a few more teaser pictures were posted from this coming weeks Famitsu. Apparently the Japanese take pictures of coming articles from their own magazines then post them on the internet to get people interested. It's quite a novel concept for me, and while a little "Japanese weird" (you know like tentacle rape and Japanese cuisine) it definitely gets you going, and make you want to get the magazine. I am sure that Elmer will have it and I will get to sing his praises again on Friday.

The cover of the article gives a little information through pictures like a Mithra running around with a polearm. It also shows that the Hume character may be a Ranger, or as they call the job in the second picture, an Archer. Also, if you look closely, you can see someone cooking over a fire.

This second picture has a lot more information. Two new job names are revealed, Lancer and Archer, and several new monster types. The Raptor looks pretty much exactly the same, but the other mobs are new models completely.

Looking forward to more information from Elmer come Friday. :)

So a few more teaser pictures were posted from this coming weeks Famitsu. Apparently the Japanese take pictures of coming articles from their own magazines then post them on the internet to get people interested. It's quite a novel concept for me, and while a little "Japanese weird" (you know like tentacle rape and Japanese cuisine) it definitely gets you going, and make you want to get the magazine. I am sure that Elmer will have it and I will get to sing his praises again on Friday.<br /><a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Fam_cover.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Fam_cover.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />The cover of the article gives a little information through pictures like a Mithra running around with a polearm. It also shows that the Hume character may be a Ranger, or as they call the job in the second picture, an Archer. Also, if you look closely, you can see someone cooking over a fire. <br /><a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Fam_Info.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Fam_Info.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />This second picture has a lot more information. Two new job names are revealed, Lancer and Archer, and several new monster types. The Raptor looks pretty much exactly the same, but the other mobs are new models completely. <br /><br />Looking forward to more information from Elmer come Friday. :)

FFXIV News: Beta Information Released?

The internet is a serious of tubes and if you line up all those tubes you sometimes get some decent information. This beta information comes via several different sources, but it is originally from a Gamewatch interview with Tanaka, the head honcho.

The beta tests are going to go in stages, starting with closed limited, then closed less limited, then closed unlimited, then closed stress test, then open. That may sound a little overwrought but they seem to have very specific goals for each stage. Tanaka also said that testing was coming along well and he thought that they could aim for a release next summer. I think that is way earlier than most people had considered.

Corinth posted the information, and presumably handled the translation because she is cool like that. You can check out all of the information here.

<a href="http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/images/_MG_9501.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/images/_MG_9501.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" /></a> The internet is a serious of tubes and if you line up all those tubes you sometimes get some decent information. This beta information comes via several different sources, but it is originally from a Gamewatch interview with Tanaka, the head honcho.<br /><br />The beta tests are going to go in stages, starting with closed limited, then closed less limited, then closed unlimited, then closed stress test, then open. That may sound a little overwrought but they seem to have very specific goals for each stage. Tanaka also said that testing was coming along well and he thought that they could aim for a release next summer. I think that is way earlier than most people had considered. <br /><br />Corinth posted the information, and presumably handled the translation because she is cool like that. You can check out all of the information <a href="http://www.eorzeapedia.com/2009/09/28/game-watch-interviews-tanaka-and-komoto-at-tgs/#more-1161">here</a>.

Morning in Vana'diel: PvP in FFXIV?

Morning in Vana'diel is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! PvPer's are mouth-breathers and gankers all! I bet they like to steal candy from babies and bang Sam's mom!

So far SE (Tanaka specifically) has said that FFXIV will not have open world PvP and even if PvP does make an appearance it will be in the form of a sport or game like Ballista or Brenner. For most FFXI people this is pretty much the norm. There has never been any focus on PvP really, even if some people found Ballista and Brenner to be quite fun. FFXI was never designed to have PvP in it, and while Ballista and Brenner do allow it, it definitely wasn’t the focus of the development team for more than an update or two.

With the confirmation of the lack of PvP in FFXIV, I have seen a few (not many) posts around the interweb decrying the loss of their favorite past time… but I have to wonder if they are barking up the wrong tree. Most people that were very pro-PvP left FFXI a very long time ago to play WoW which has a very developed and balanced world and game-based PvP system. To stay in FFXI and complain that FFXIV doesn’t have a PvP system is kind of like going to a Football game and getting upset that they are not playing Basketball.

Now, I am not trying to decry the entirety of PvP. There should be places where those mouth-breathers can gank each other to their hearts delight. (I KID! I KID!) But FFXI has never been a place for that outside of the (rather enjoyable) games that people can play against each other in game. I don’t know why the same developer with the same development team would approach the sequel to the same game any differently.

I guess I will never understand the mind of the PvP mouth-breather… I KID! :)

<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Brenner01.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Brenner01.gif" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 444px; height: 105px;" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Morning in Vana'diel</span><span style="font-style:italic;"> is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! PvPer's are mouth-breathers and gankers all! I bet they like to steal candy from babies and bang Sam's mom!</span><br /><br />So far SE (Tanaka specifically) has said that FFXIV will not have open world PvP and even if PvP does make an appearance it will be in the form of a sport or game like Ballista or Brenner. For most FFXI people this is pretty much the norm. There has never been any focus on PvP really, even if some people found Ballista and Brenner to be quite fun. FFXI was never designed to have PvP in it, and while Ballista and Brenner do allow it, it definitely wasn’t the focus of the development team for more than an update or two. <br /><br />With the confirmation of the lack of PvP in FFXIV, I have seen a few (not many) posts around the interweb decrying the loss of their favorite past time… but I have to wonder if they are barking up the wrong tree. Most people that were very pro-PvP left FFXI a very long time ago to play WoW which has a very developed and balanced world and game-based PvP system. To stay in FFXI and complain that FFXIV doesn’t have a PvP system is kind of like going to a Football game and getting upset that they are not playing Basketball.<br /><br />Now, I am not trying to decry the entirety of PvP. There should be places where those mouth-breathers can gank each other to their hearts delight. (I KID! I KID!) But FFXI has never been a place for that outside of the (rather enjoyable) games that people can play against each other in game. I don’t know why the same developer with the same development team would approach the sequel to the same game any differently.<br /><br />I guess I will never understand the mind of the PvP mouth-breather… I KID! :)

Morning in Vana'diel: Freeze Up.

Morning in Vana'diel is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! I hate days like today, too many things to talk about and I can't decide on just one. I just freeze up and barely get anything done.

So, lets see, we have a ton of FFXIV information coming out. We have a great late night story about Izman. We have some needs/wants lists for Ring. We have several days of missing columns because of travel and personal sickness. And we potentially have a contest...

That's right, I am in discussions (with myself) about having a contest here at YANYOK... and it isn't going to be about coming up with a new name for whatever we have here, but I probably should consider that at some time. LOL Once I talk to a few more people about this but it should be coming down the pipe pretty soon so be on the look out.

As for FFXIV, there has been a flood of information about it in recent days and we will have a review of that today or tomorrow, but lets just say that it looks absolutely gorgeous and potentially has the updates we have all been looking for from FFXI. I think this is a good time to make a comparison to other games both out now and coming down the pipe. So look forward to that soon.

For me, I hardly ever post about just me and what I want from FFXI anymore because of the way we have changed this site, but I think it is time for one of those personal posts so I can list out what I am doing in case anyone cares.

Finally, Izman is on a roll like no other right now. Not only is he the King of FoV but last night he got even more lucky. We were farming organs in Sea and decided to give Ix'DRK a try. Iz got the animosity on the first kill, and we popped it. There was a little bit of confusion on how to pull it from the Qn's, but once that was settled and a few friends showed up and we killed it 6 times, it dropped the cape. So Iz is now official 1/1 on Ix'DRK's cape. LOL

It's Iz's world, we are all just playing in it.

<a href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/thumb/0/0a/FFXI-Tarutaru-Blackmage.jpg/250px-FFXI-Tarutaru-Blackmage.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/thumb/0/0a/FFXI-Tarutaru-Blackmage.jpg/250px-FFXI-Tarutaru-Blackmage.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 382px;" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Morning in Vana'diel</span><span style="font-style:italic;"> is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! I hate days like today, too many things to talk about and I can't decide on just one. I just freeze up and barely get anything done.</span><br /><br />So, lets see, we have a ton of FFXIV information coming out. We have a great late night story about Izman. We have some needs/wants lists for Ring. We have several days of missing columns because of travel and personal sickness. And we potentially have a contest...<br /><br />That's right, I am in discussions (with myself) about having a contest here at YANYOK... and it isn't going to be about coming up with a new name for whatever we have here, but I probably should consider that at some time. LOL Once I talk to a few more people about this but it should be coming down the pipe pretty soon so be on the look out.<br /><br />As for FFXIV, there has been a flood of information about it in recent days and we will have a review of that today or tomorrow, but lets just say that it looks absolutely gorgeous and potentially has the updates we have all been looking for from FFXI. I think this is a good time to make a comparison to other games both out now and coming down the pipe. So look forward to that soon.<br /><br />For me, I hardly ever post about just me and what I want from FFXI anymore because of the way we have changed this site, but I think it is time for one of those personal posts so I can list out what I am doing in case anyone cares. <br /><br />Finally, Izman is on a roll like no other right now. Not only is he the King of FoV but last night he got even more lucky. We were farming organs in Sea and decided to give Ix'DRK a try. Iz got the animosity on the first kill, and we popped it. There was a little bit of confusion on how to pull it from the Qn's, but once that was settled and a few friends showed up and we killed it 6 times, it dropped the cape. So Iz is now official 1/1 on Ix'DRK's cape. LOL <br /><br />It's Iz's world, we are all just playing in it.

On Paranoia, Anger and Empty Retribution.

The recent trend on all of the big FFXI forums has been to whine about anything that SE does. Emergency maintenance? Whine! Mistaken gardening RMT bans? Whine! Credit card verification? Whine! Some of it is almost legitimate, but for the most part this whining is some of the most paranoid and delusional crap I have ever heard.

You might have noticed that lately I have voiced some concerns over [i]the game[/i] that we play. I want more of everything, and I want more development time spent on new things. I want a real expansion, and not these mini-expansions. I want new gear models, I want more merits, I want more gil, I want more mobs, zones and rewards. I want a lot of things.

Am I a hypocrite? No, because there is a very large difference in wanting more out of the game that we play and finding evil in every one of SE’s action. I am not paranoid about my demands from the game. I think everyone wants things similar to what I want. No one is ever going to say they don’t want more things in game. But I stop at the waters edge. I do not delve into the paranoid machinations of many of the commentators and posters in FFXI world.

I have gone over my feelings about emergency maintenances. FFXI players are not unique in this regard. Every game will always have their complainers anytime there is any maintenance at all, no matter how short or how important. These people are so self-absorbed that they can not even think for a moment outside of themselves to consider the reason that these maintenances are important for the game and even themselves. If coding a game was as easy as the people on forums think it was then those people would be coding games instead of posting on forums.

The mistaken gardening bans? Yes, there is definitely room for legitimate complaints here, especially for those that got hit and especially because SE never said anything about it at all. But it was a mistake and for the most part (except for Ryskar from what I can see) it has been reversed. Mistakes happen, I am not really as concerned that it happened but more that it wasn’t acknowledged and openly fixed. But even in this case where there is definitely a place for legitimate complaint, some people take things way too far. Some assert that it was an attempt by SE to force people out of the game to get them to play FFXIV, or that SE doesn’t want these people to play, or that it was part of a greater plan by SE to sabotage FFXI overall. Keep in mind these were likely the same people that used to say that SE worked with the RMT.

Finally, we have the credit card verification complaints. This is the one that really sends me on tilt not because it may be a hassle for a handful of people, but because this is one of those “people will complain about anything” issues. SE is trying to change its policy, likely to stop having to ban people that are doing charge backs on their CCs because of their own failures because that is how RMTs have been screwing SE over themselves. This is a good policy, and it is very likely that Blizzard, other MMO companies, and many online stores will adopt this policy. SE even has a way to resolve this issue for most people if they can’t get verification. And this only applies to people that sign up with a new credit card or re-sign up for the game. The funniest thing about these people is there insistence that they refuse to give SE anymore money because SE isn’t letting them give their money.

And there we have a perfect illustration of the irony of the situation.

Some people just need to take a deep breath, slide back from the monitor and get a freaking grip.

<a href="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/ffxi/images/6/6d/Skull_of_Wrath.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/ffxi/images/6/6d/Skull_of_Wrath.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 410px;" /></a>The recent trend on all of the big FFXI forums has been to whine about anything that SE does. Emergency maintenance? Whine! Mistaken gardening RMT bans? Whine! Credit card verification? Whine! Some of it is almost legitimate, but for the most part this whining is some of the most paranoid and delusional crap I have ever heard. <br /><br />You might have noticed that lately I have voiced some concerns over [i]the game[/i] that we play. I want more of everything, and I want more development time spent on new things. I want a real expansion, and not these mini-expansions. I want new gear models, I want more merits, I want more gil, I want more mobs, zones and rewards. I want a lot of things. <br /><br />Am I a hypocrite? No, because there is a very large difference in wanting more out of the game that we play and finding evil in every one of SE’s action. I am not paranoid about my demands from the game. I think everyone wants things similar to what I want. No one is ever going to say they don’t want more things in game. But I stop at the waters edge. I do not delve into the paranoid machinations of many of the commentators and posters in FFXI world.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />I have gone over my feelings about emergency maintenances. FFXI players are not unique in this regard. Every game will always have their complainers anytime there is any maintenance at all, no matter how short or how important. These people are so self-absorbed that they can not even think for a moment outside of themselves to consider the reason that these maintenances are important for the game and even themselves. If coding a game was as easy as the people on forums think it was then those people would be coding games instead of posting on forums.<br /><br />The mistaken gardening bans? Yes, there is definitely room for legitimate complaints here, especially for those that got hit and especially because SE never said anything about it at all. But it was a mistake and for the most part (except for Ryskar from what I can see) it has been reversed. Mistakes happen, I am not really as concerned that it happened but more that it wasn’t acknowledged and openly fixed. But even in this case where there is definitely a place for legitimate complaint, some people take things way too far. Some assert that it was an attempt by SE to force people out of the game to get them to play FFXIV, or that SE doesn’t want these people to play, or that it was part of a greater plan by SE to sabotage FFXI overall. Keep in mind these were likely the same people that used to say that SE worked with the RMT.<br /><br />Finally, we have the credit card verification complaints. This is the one that really sends me on tilt not because it may be a hassle for a handful of people, but because this is one of those “people will complain about anything” issues. SE is trying to change its policy, likely to stop having to ban people that are doing charge backs on their CCs because of their own failures because that is how RMTs have been screwing SE over themselves. This is a good policy, and it is very likely that Blizzard, other MMO companies, and many online stores will adopt this policy. SE even has a way to resolve this issue for most people if they can’t get verification. And this only applies to people that sign up with a new credit card or re-sign up for the game. The funniest thing about these people is there insistence that they refuse to give SE anymore money because SE isn’t letting them give their money. <br /><br />And there we have a perfect illustration of the irony of the situation.<br /><br />Some people just need to take a deep breath, slide back from the monitor and get a freaking grip.</span>

FFXIV News: The Pied Piper of Shibuya.

The more and more I hear about FFXIV the more and more I get concerned. I was really looking forward to this new game, but really I have to wonder if I am interested in a new version of FFXI if SE hasn't really determined what are the real problems with FFXI. Sure SE is covering all their bases, describing the new job system, quest system and other things. But these are all things that SE does correctly right now. What about things like job balance? What about some of the insane and inane content? Instancing? World spawns? What about the basic information that anyone outside of the fanboys are really interested in when choosing a game.

The forums are frothing at the mouth over a game where they have seen nothing more than concept art. Are they going to want a game that doesn't support external add-on development again? Are they going to want to play a game that does even let you alt-tab out again, and basically requires anyone to violate the rules to even have the game playable on a PC for the first four years it is available? This is just the internet at it's worst. All flash and no content.

Don't get me wrong, I want this to turn out really well! I want FFXIV to be great, but I don't want to have to give up almost two years in FFXI content to get to that point and I don't want to have to experience the same exact mistakes they have made for seven years just delivered in a shiny new package.

Also, we haven't ever gotten the real honest truth on some issues from SE and their answers tend to change over time to fit the current mood of the player and the development team. PS2 limitations are a great example of excuses that were nothing more than hot air for a lot of things that were implemented later on.

Is the real reason they are using the same races from FFXI really to provide continuity between FFXI and FFXIV, or is it because it just saves them a lot of programmer/designer time to just reuse something they have already been developing designs for? Sure there are differences, but the creativity has been removed from that part of the development cycle.

The question is this: Are the problems in FFXI because of structural game designs that SE isn't going to have with FFXIV, or are the problems because of the people that developed FFXI feel they know better than the players? If the problem is the former, then FFXIV will likely be a great game because there is so much that has happened in the MMO world since FFXI was released and a new platform will let SE unleash their ideas integrated into a much more playable platform. If it is the latter though, then FFXIV will be nothing more than a gussied up but casual version of the game we already play. If that is the case, I already have my old faithful crack, I don't need New Crack™.

Here is my run down on the more specific issues that have been presented about the game.

The new job system - This is the main thing that FFXI got right, and it sounds like the are going to do something different but similar enough to maintain the flexibility to change jobs. Doing it on the fly will be even better. This is my one shining hope for this game.

Crafting - Oh god, not this again. Crafting in FFXI sucks, the system sucks, the skilling-up sucks, the HQ system sucks, and the economy sucks. Some people like it and I am not saying they are wrong, I am just saying that it could be so much better. Crafting shouldn't be an end in itself, but a means to make money. Integrating it into the job system seems like they are trying to make it an end again. There needs to be a purpose for crafting and that purpose needs to be making an income of a reasonable amount.

Trading-off skills - No. Just please God no. No one likes it in FFXI because it is not a "fun, additional aspect to player customizing", it is an artificially construct limit on your potential. Artificial limitations in combat skills, magic skills and crafting don't do anything to provide customization, they just sharpen the edges of the cookie-cutter even more.

Races - I stated this above but it bares mentioning again. I have to wonder how hard they really are trying here if it's just the same people in a different place with just more technology than in Vana'diel. Even the story line seems to have major resemblances to Vana'diel.

UI/Macro system - This is one place where uncertainty definitely is playing a role in my doubts about FFXIV. I should be assuming that SE is going to have a wonderful new UI and Macro system and there have already been statements about the ability to quickly swap around sets of gear, but SE's inability/lack of want to improve FFXI's UI and failure to create a decent Macro system makes me have major reservations.

Communication - SE seems to be taking the same exact approach as they did with FFXI, while every other major MMO developer is moving toward more contact with it's player base. I understand that it is a Japanese company so there will be some disconnect, but Blizzard seems to handle it's Oceanic players with a modicum of respect. The NA representatives for SE seem to be as out of the loop as the players are for most things.

Balancing - SE doesn't have to worry about job balance in FFXI as much as other games because people can freely change and level different jobs, and FFXIV appears that it won't have this problem either, and it may be even less of a concern depending on the amount of over lap that is available for already trained skills. The problem is that SE actually though the subjob system was going to allow this to happen in FFXI, but instead the subjob system just worked to further restrict players choices. The major concern I have over game balance as a whole is that we will see mobs like Absolute Virtue again. This just causes frustration more than anything else, and is the best, most obvious example of the disconnect between how the developers envision the game and how the players actually play it.

I have high hopes for FFXIV, and I have real apprehensions. Either way, as of right now, I have no plans to stop playing FFXI. Nothing that has been present so far has made be change my plans at all. I will definitely pick up FFXIV, but the jury is still out on how everything is going to pan out.

The more and more I hear about FFXIV the more and more I get concerned. I was really looking forward to this new game, but really I have to wonder if I am interested in a new version of FFXI if SE hasn't really determined what are the real problems with FFXI. Sure SE is covering all their bases, describing the new job system, quest system and other things. But these are all things that SE does correctly right now. What about things like job balance? What about some of the insane and inane content? Instancing? World spawns? What about the basic information that anyone outside of the fanboys are really interested in when choosing a game. <br /><br />The forums are frothing at the mouth over a game where they have seen nothing more than concept art. Are they going to want a game that doesn't support external add-on development again? Are they going to want to play a game that does even let you alt-tab out again, and basically requires anyone to violate the rules to even have the game playable on a PC for the first four years it is available? This is just the internet at it's worst. All flash and no content. <br /><br />Don't get me wrong, I want this to turn out really well! I want FFXIV to be great, but I don't want to have to give up almost two years in FFXI content to get to that point and I don't want to have to experience the same exact mistakes they have made for seven years just delivered in a shiny new package. <br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Also, we haven't ever gotten the real honest truth on some issues from SE and their answers tend to change over time to fit the current mood of the player and the development team. PS2 limitations are a great example of excuses that were nothing more than hot air for a lot of things that were implemented later on.<br /><br />Is the real reason they are using the same races from FFXI really to provide continuity between FFXI and FFXIV, or is it because it just saves them a lot of programmer/designer time to just reuse something they have already been developing designs for? Sure there are differences, but the creativity has been removed from that part of the development cycle.<br /><br />The question is this: Are the problems in FFXI because of structural game designs that SE isn't going to have with FFXIV, or are the problems because of the people that developed FFXI feel they know better than the players? If the problem is the former, then FFXIV will likely be a great game because there is so much that has happened in the MMO world since FFXI was released and a new platform will let SE unleash their ideas integrated into a much more playable platform. If it is the latter though, then FFXIV will be nothing more than a gussied up but casual version of the game we already play. If that is the case, I already have my old faithful crack, I don't need New Crack™.<br /><br />Here is my run down on the more specific issues that have been presented about the game.<br /><br />The new job system - This is the main thing that FFXI got right, and it sounds like the are going to do something different but similar enough to maintain the flexibility to change jobs. Doing it on the fly will be even better. This is my one shining hope for this game.<br /><br />Crafting - Oh god, not this again. Crafting in FFXI sucks, the system sucks, the skilling-up sucks, the HQ system sucks, and the economy sucks. Some people like it and I am not saying they are wrong, I am just saying that it could be so much better. Crafting shouldn't be an end in itself, but a means to make money. Integrating it into the job system seems like they are trying to make it an end again. There needs to be a purpose for crafting and that purpose needs to be making an income of a reasonable amount.<br /><br />Trading-off skills - No. Just please God no. No one likes it in FFXI because it is not a "fun, additional aspect to player customizing", it is an artificially construct limit on your potential. Artificial limitations in combat skills, magic skills and crafting don't do anything to provide customization, they just sharpen the edges of the cookie-cutter even more.<br /><br />Races - I stated this above but it bares mentioning again. I have to wonder how hard they really are trying here if it's just the same people in a different place with just more technology than in Vana'diel. Even the story line seems to have major resemblances to Vana'diel.<br /><br />UI/Macro system - This is one place where uncertainty definitely is playing a role in my doubts about FFXIV. I should be assuming that SE is going to have a wonderful new UI and Macro system and there have already been statements about the ability to quickly swap around sets of gear, but SE's inability/lack of want to improve FFXI's UI and failure to create a decent Macro system makes me have major reservations.<br /><br />Communication - SE seems to be taking the same exact approach as they did with FFXI, while every other major MMO developer is moving toward more contact with it's player base. I understand that it is a Japanese company so there will be some disconnect, but Blizzard seems to handle it's Oceanic players with a modicum of respect. The NA representatives for SE seem to be as out of the loop as the players are for most things.<br /><br />Balancing - SE doesn't have to worry about job balance in FFXI as much as other games because people can freely change and level different jobs, and FFXIV appears that it won't have this problem either, and it may be even less of a concern depending on the amount of over lap that is available for already trained skills. The problem is that SE actually though the subjob system was going to allow this to happen in FFXI, but instead the subjob system just worked to further restrict players choices. The major concern I have over game balance as a whole is that we will see mobs like Absolute Virtue again. This just causes frustration more than anything else, and is the best, most obvious example of the disconnect between how the developers envision the game and how the players actually play it.<br /><br />I have high hopes for FFXIV, and I have real apprehensions. Either way, as of right now, I have no plans to stop playing FFXI. Nothing that has been present so far has made be change my plans at all. I will definitely pick up FFXIV, but the jury is still out on how everything is going to pan out.</span>