New information is dropping rapidly on this game. Now, Final Fantasy XIV's race names and first classes have been revealed. Hmm, maybe those rumors of an earlier than expected beta carried more weight to them than we thought.
If you weren't already aware, the races in Final Fantasy XIV are visually alike to the ones found in Final Fantasy XI so that players from that game feel more at home in the new one. Aside from this, names and lore for each race are completely different. Today, we've got the official new names. Here's the rundown with the Final Fantasy XI names in parenthesis for comparison: Hyuran (Hume), Lalafell (Tarutaru), Elzen (Elvaan), Miqo'te (Mithra) and Roegadyn (Galka).
There are four jobs, each with two subclasses, revealed so far. They are: Fighter (Archer & Swordsman), Sorcerer (Enchanter & Warlock), Crafter (Blacksmith & Cook) and Gatherer (Gardener, Fishermen). Interestingly, it appears that FFXIV may eschew crafting professions for a system that incorporates the feature into jobs. When you couple this with the news of no levels and no experience points, it becomes even more curious.
We think the dev team are really onto something, and 2010 cannot come soon enough.
[via Kotaku]
Reader Comments (45)
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:13PM (Unverified) said
You can bet on Thief (Ninja/???) will be there.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:23PM (Unverified) said
I'm interested to see how SE will show character progression without the use of levels or exp. I've read that if you choose to play as, let's say an archer, then the more quests you do as an archer furthers your character progression... but how? via sphere grid system? some other type of point system? I'm happily curious about this concept.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:25PM Cendres said
Yay!!! ^_^ Return of my Mithra, I mean Miqo'te how do you even say that? For sure! I was hoping for cat boys though too..
Interesting tid bit on the crafts there.
Interesting tid bit on the crafts there.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:26PM (Unverified) said
I was thinking "me-co-te" although that could be wrong.
Reply
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:28PM Aganazer said
Without the name, I might have confused this news entry for Free Realms.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:41PM arnavdesai said
I am really curious about this game as well now. I have never played any FF game ever and am really curious about this one. Also, the graphics of what they have shown so far is really beautiful.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:41PM Thac0 said
I'm super excited for a Major title like this to abandon a traditional level system. I've been waiting for a game to "get" mmos and start innovating for some time. FFIV looks like a pre-order just to support the principle that this type of idea should be supported! Yay!
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:49PM Minofan said
Yay early details!
Boo these particular revelations...
Not overjoyed to see Tarutaru back, though at least their noses are less freaky/creepy this time.
Not at all happy to see Galka returning; now in addition to the 'male' race being lumbering asexuals again their popularity will surely plumb even lower depths - a flexible class system does no favor to the most one-dimensional race, unless people unexpectedly enjoy switching their meat-shields to "bad thief who can take more hits", "bad mage who can take more hits", "bad healer who can take more hits" etc.
I cannot claim to be a design genius, but when your game has five races and less than 8% of your players even look twice at one of them... don't make the exact same mistake in the sequel!
Finally; I know it has some basis in the real-world, but I was hoping the 'onion' body-shape would be ditched - to be honest I'd kind of forgotten FF XI even had it until I saw those pictures, then it all came flooding back.
Yes in reality many people are heavy around the hips (to put it politely), but for online-game avatars my personal taste is rather more gorgeous & athletic than we get to be day-to-day.
Hmph - turns out I don't really like any of this news at all then, except for the Black mage looking fairly swish.
Boo these particular revelations...
Not overjoyed to see Tarutaru back, though at least their noses are less freaky/creepy this time.
Not at all happy to see Galka returning; now in addition to the 'male' race being lumbering asexuals again their popularity will surely plumb even lower depths - a flexible class system does no favor to the most one-dimensional race, unless people unexpectedly enjoy switching their meat-shields to "bad thief who can take more hits", "bad mage who can take more hits", "bad healer who can take more hits" etc.
I cannot claim to be a design genius, but when your game has five races and less than 8% of your players even look twice at one of them... don't make the exact same mistake in the sequel!
Finally; I know it has some basis in the real-world, but I was hoping the 'onion' body-shape would be ditched - to be honest I'd kind of forgotten FF XI even had it until I saw those pictures, then it all came flooding back.
Yes in reality many people are heavy around the hips (to put it politely), but for online-game avatars my personal taste is rather more gorgeous & athletic than we get to be day-to-day.
Hmph - turns out I don't really like any of this news at all then, except for the Black mage looking fairly swish.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:59PM Cendres said
One problem, it's not because something looks like FFXI that it's going to be just like it. They've stated that they won't do the same things as before even though the game will be 'familiar'. I'll bet character stats won't affect you at all anymore, not that it does in FFXI now, what with all the gear you can get to counter your base stats...
Reply
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 3:43PM (Unverified) said
Who does the onion type body shape apply to? as far as I can tel the only one that really fits that bill is the fallafel (... lalafell or whatever) The miqo'te still are slick and attractive by most modern standards, and the galka knockoffs are your lumbering powerhouses, large brute body types. The humans are just that. generally fit looking.
You have all the body types you want. Are you actually going to slight other people their choices? you get to play what you want, why can't someone else?
Reply
You have all the body types you want. Are you actually going to slight other people their choices? you get to play what you want, why can't someone else?
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 4:08PM Minofan said
You seriously don't think FF XI & XIV Human's are onion/pear/whatever shaped relative to MMO and FF conventions?
This:
Massively gallery - http://www.massively.com/gallery/ffxiv-first-races-and-classes/2188359/
vs
Tidus - http://uk.stars.ign.com/dor/objects/14212110/tidus-ffx/images/ffx_eng_026.html
Aion - http://images.mmosite.com/feature/news/2007_07_05/aion/big/aion_m001.jpg
FF XI & XIV Humans have markedly 'off' head & upper body proportions relative to the fantastical norm.
It bugged me about XI, and I'm expecting it'll bug me about XIV too.
Reply
This:
Massively gallery - http://www.massively.com/gallery/ffxiv-first-races-and-classes/2188359/
vs
Tidus - http://uk.stars.ign.com/dor/objects/14212110/tidus-ffx/images/ffx_eng_026.html
Aion - http://images.mmosite.com/feature/news/2007_07_05/aion/big/aion_m001.jpg
FF XI & XIV Humans have markedly 'off' head & upper body proportions relative to the fantastical norm.
It bugged me about XI, and I'm expecting it'll bug me about XIV too.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 8:49PM (Unverified) said
Aion is ripe for the picking then. Nobody is forcing you to play a game with "onion-shaped" characters.
And Tidus just has a big head.
Reply
And Tidus just has a big head.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 12:59PM (Unverified) said
Sounds like an Ultima Online system to me. which is a VERY good thing.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 1:15PM Pewpdaddy said
Sphere grid system would really be pretty damm cool. TBH it also sounds really good that there will be a lack of lvling / xp grinding. Friggin WOOT!! =] Kudos to the dev's I'm really liking what I'm hearing so far ^^
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 1:34PM (Unverified) said
Woah woah there buddy. Noone said anything about there being no grind, just no levels.
My guess is it's going to be skill based. You pick a particular weapon and the more you use it the more skillful you become with it which allows you to deal more damage and use more powerful abilities. Similar to how Darkfall and Mortal Online systems are. If they can make a game similar to those with meaningful and achieveable PvE as well as make progression only possible by actually playing the game as it was intended then they'll have something worth playing.
I agree though, a Sphere grid system would be pretty badass.
Reply
My guess is it's going to be skill based. You pick a particular weapon and the more you use it the more skillful you become with it which allows you to deal more damage and use more powerful abilities. Similar to how Darkfall and Mortal Online systems are. If they can make a game similar to those with meaningful and achieveable PvE as well as make progression only possible by actually playing the game as it was intended then they'll have something worth playing.
I agree though, a Sphere grid system would be pretty badass.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 6:08PM (Unverified) said
Dagonis is probably on to something that we've been discussing on Killing Ifrit forums. I forget at the moment, but believe it was FFIV that didn't have leveling and you rather chose specific skills to increase. They have said nothing about the accumulation of some type of points. It's entirely possible that what we are going to have is the FFXI merit system for the entire games "leveling". Fights, quests, etc could earn a player points, and then the player exchanges the points for an increase in a particular skill or purchases new job abilities, weapon skills, etc with those points.
Change your weapon and your skills change. i.e. If I equip a sword I would be able to use points toward an increase in accuracy or strength, where as if I were to equip a staff for a mage job I could use points to increase my mana points cap.
Crafting would be the same way. I equip a hatchet and I can put points toward an increase in logging skills.
The only downfall I see here is that FFXI had a decent amount of options in the weapon types any job could use, whereas it appears that FFXIV jobs will be limited to fewer weapon choices since the weapon essentially determines the job.
I am eager to see how ranged jobs work. I would love for them to get rid of ammo in the way it was used in FFXI. It became entirely too pricey. Possibly the equipping of a bow simply allows ranged attack without the need for using up ammo.
Reply
Change your weapon and your skills change. i.e. If I equip a sword I would be able to use points toward an increase in accuracy or strength, where as if I were to equip a staff for a mage job I could use points to increase my mana points cap.
Crafting would be the same way. I equip a hatchet and I can put points toward an increase in logging skills.
The only downfall I see here is that FFXI had a decent amount of options in the weapon types any job could use, whereas it appears that FFXIV jobs will be limited to fewer weapon choices since the weapon essentially determines the job.
I am eager to see how ranged jobs work. I would love for them to get rid of ammo in the way it was used in FFXI. It became entirely too pricey. Possibly the equipping of a bow simply allows ranged attack without the need for using up ammo.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 8:40PM (Unverified) said
"I forget at the moment, but believe it was FFIV that didn't have leveling and you rather chose specific skills to increase"
Final Fantasy II actually (though it might have been released as IV in the states). Stats and spells increase depending on how you fight and what abilities you use. Concentrate on melee attacks and get hit a lot? Strength and stamina go up. Use cure every battle? After enough time it will rank up to the next more powerful version. I've been going back and playing through the Final Fantasy chronologically and it is interesting to see the FFXIV designers potentially reaching back to the series' roots. Everything old is new again.
Reply
Final Fantasy II actually (though it might have been released as IV in the states). Stats and spells increase depending on how you fight and what abilities you use. Concentrate on melee attacks and get hit a lot? Strength and stamina go up. Use cure every battle? After enough time it will rank up to the next more powerful version. I've been going back and playing through the Final Fantasy chronologically and it is interesting to see the FFXIV designers potentially reaching back to the series' roots. Everything old is new again.
Posted: Aug 5th 2009 1:50PM RogueJedi86 said
Isn't this now going to be the first big game since SWG to have Crafting as a main class? That's cool.
I miss the Taru Taru already. These Lalafell have such pointy noses, it makes them less cute. :(
The other races look about the same as before, no real obvious changes like the Taru-Lalafell change.
I miss the Taru Taru already. These Lalafell have such pointy noses, it makes them less cute. :(
The other races look about the same as before, no real obvious changes like the Taru-Lalafell change.
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