Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail has arrived to a little bit of a blended reception, because of a middling story that has a number of obtrusive flaws and—regardless of some wonderful enhancements with regards to bosses and dungeons—a number of persistent points that, from what I’ve seen from extra crucial components of the neighborhood, are irritating due to how lengthy they have been occurring.
There’s a notion I’ve picked up on that, if we’re taking the long-view, FF14 is mechanically caught in a rut—whereas direct opponents like World of Warcraft are heaping on new experimental mechanics just like the Warbands system and doing harebrained modes like MoP Remix, not a lot has modified on Etheirys.
Questing has remained largely the identical for years: Go right here, click on on two objects, combat an enemy that takes half of your opener earlier than it explodes—and whereas Dawntrail did have a number of good solo duties, they had been few and much sufficient between to make issues drag. Patch cadence and content material has remained largely the identical. Open-world FATEs, other than getting an non-obligatory grind within the Shared Fate system, largely contain melting the identical unthreatening monsters down with space of impact spells.
FF14, merely put, innovates fairly slowly. That’s to not say we’ve not had new concepts come into the ecosystem, however additionally they had their very own share of points—Island Sanctuaries had been cute at first, however wound up turning into a largely passive spreadsheet simulator. Variant Dungeons, in the meantime, had been a ton of enjoyable to play the primary go round, however they suffered as a result of poor reward buildings.
I sat down and spoke with the sport’s director, Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P) throughout Gamescom, and whereas we talked in regards to the story’s total reception, and what to do with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, one thing he stated in direction of the tail-end of our interview additionally shocked me: It seems to be like Yoshi-P actually does wish to shake issues up.
“Yes, when it got here to the earlier Hydaelin and Zodiark saga, this was one thing that began earlier than I took cost of challenge on Final Fantasy 14, and the saga did end in Endwalker, however it’s with the brand new enlargement that we have reached the extent cap of 100 and so in that regard, I view 7.0 as a fruits … we have been in a position to perform numerous preparations, and now have a secure state of issues within the recreation.”
He’s not improper right here—Endwalker, for all my complaints, did genuinely do quite a bit to incrementally enhance the brand new participant expertise, with tune-ups to dungeons and duties within the recreation’s introductory content material, A Realm Reborn. Dawntrail has gone on so as to add a serious graphics overhaul, which I do not doubt was a number of arduous work.
“So shifting ahead with the following enlargement, I wish to incorporate extra modifications. I do not wish to take a conservative strategy, however reasonably, I wish to present an expertise that modern players can get pleasure from. To that finish, I wish to incorporate numerous modifications. I will even shield issues that have to be protected. But we’d very very like to check out new issues, and we’re discussing numerous prospects proper now within the staff, so I’m actually enthusiastic about that.”
Some necessary context: This was on the finish of our interview, so whereas I’m positive Yoshi-P was holding issues imprecise to keep away from making any sweeping guarantees, we had been additionally working quick on time for particulars and follow-up questions.
His phrases right here do, on the very least, observe with what he is stated earlier than about transforming the sport’s jobs and leaning away from homogeneity and two-minute meta after Dawntrail. Whether his staff shall be given the precise sources for that’s one other matter. As was outright said in an earnings report, MMOs made up round 68% of Square Enix’s working earnings, and this can be a firm that has launched a lot of different mainstream video games. FF14 makes cash, however whether or not that cash goes again into it to make it higher is unclear.
But simply because these are guarantees additional down the road, that does not imply Yoshi-P is not excited for what’s coming subsequent: “So in fact, within the subsequent enlargement, we’re planning numerous modifications to the mechanics, however even for the present enlargement, from patch 7.1 we’ve a number of new content material deliberate.” He brings up the upcoming restricted job, Beastmaster, and provides: “I can not present any particulars at this cut-off date, however it’s shaping as much as be excellent certainly, so there’s quite a bit that gamers can sit up for.”
