Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[More information on crafting in Final Fantasy XIV]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/29/more-information-on-crafting-in-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/29/more-information-on-crafting-in-final-fantasy-xiv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/29/more-information-on-crafting-in-final-fantasy-xiv/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Final Fantasy XIV's crafting system is rich with detail, requiring a fair bit of knowledge from players in order to successfully craft items. Not everything is explained in the game from the start, however, giving players the chance to experiment and learn what works best for themselves. There was a prior developer dispatch regarding the crafting system, but the team at Square-Enix has just released a new FAQ detailing some of the more subtle variants of crafting. While it's not full of formulae to let players make the optimal crafting build, it certainly does shed a great deal of light on the previous unknowns for the system.

Most players had noticed sparks produced from their synthesis on more than one occasion, but up until now it wasn't clear what the sparks represented. Apparently, the aetherial sparks (as they are referred to in the dispatch) come from straining the materials, either by trying to work too fast or attempting to craft something outside of your skill range. The FAQ also covers elemental destabilization and the effects of various craft-related attributes, such as Control helping to avoid both destabilization and sparking. Final Fantasy XIV's burgeoning crafter population should take a look at the news, as it might mean the difference between a fresh suit of armor and a fresh set of botched crafts.

MassivelyMore information on crafting in Final Fantasy XIV originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classescraftingcrafting-classescraftsdisciplinesfaqffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivsquaresquare-enixsynthesisFri, 29 Oct 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Mog Log: World of Craft-craft]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/16/the-mog-log-world-of-craft-craft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/16/the-mog-log-world-of-craft-craft/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/16/the-mog-log-world-of-craft-craft/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Crafting is optional in Final Fantasy XIV, but that word doesn't mean what it usually means in games. You don't have to take any local levequests or take part in crafting to level up, but you'll find yourself far more constrained and advancing your physical level far more slowly if you ignore the crafting side of things. It should be obvious, really -- combining local and regional guildleves gives you plenty of content, but just doing one or the other might leave you feeling a bit spare, and a full half of the classes are crafting classes to begin with.

Of course, the problem quickly turns from "should I bother crafting" to "where do I start?" And that's not even touching on issues of inventory, crafts that work well with others, and which crafts support which classes. So this week, I'm going to take a look at crafting as I've seen it thus far and offer some tips on keeping yourself balanced and sane. Or at least minimizing the enraged outburst when you botch the synthesis at 99%.

Continue reading The Mog Log: World of Craft-craft

MassivelyThe Mog Log: World of Craft-craft originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abilitiesclass-abilitiesclassescraftingcraftsdisciplines-of-the-handfeaturedffff14ffxivfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-14final-fantasy-xivplanningproductionsquaresquare-enixstrategysynthesisSat, 16 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Details on Final Fantasy XI's new Synergy system]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/details-on-final-fantasy-xis-new-synergy-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/details-on-final-fantasy-xis-new-synergy-system/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/details-on-final-fantasy-xis-new-synergy-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

We've been seeing a great deal of news and information coming out from Final Fantasy XI -- which probably means the end times are coming, but be that as it may. Just the other day we found out about the upcoming Evolith system, with its cryptic mentions of the integrated "synergy" system and a promise of more details shortly. Sure enough, we already have an idea of what synergy will look like when it drops alongside the rest of the filled-to-bursting November version update. And it promises to be quite a deviation from the status quo for crafting right away -- it's an art practiced not by one person, but by a full six-person party.

In keeping with the extant nature of Final Fantasy XI's crafting, synergy doesn't promise to be simple. A number of reagents and elemental energies are dumped into the pictured "synergy furnace," at which point the entire part must begin carefully modulating and controlling the flow of elements therein. Crystals can be used to help alter the elemental composition, but will not be absolutely necessary from the sound of things. A failed synthesis can cause the whole mess to blow up in your face -- literally -- while success yields both slotted items and "cinders" that can be turned in for equipment to help boost your skill at the craft. There's a lot to digest here, so take a look and get ready for the most mold-breaking crafting yet seen in FFXI.

MassivelyDetails on Final Fantasy XI's new Synergy system originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most games give crafters the shaft. There's no real art to pushing a button and having an item pop out, especially when today's modern MMO design heavily favors "quick crafting." Crafting is an afterthought to most games, or something that players can do to both pass the time and perhaps offer an alternative to buying items from the shops.

Then there's Final Fantasy XI. The game equipped with a crafting system so complicated, people still have arguments about how the game calculates success 6 years after its American launch. A crafting system so complicated, some people like to refer to it as "voodoo crafting."

The ins-and-outs of the system may be hard to grasp for the starting player, but we here at Massively want to give everyone a fighting chance at what is a very interestingly designed crafting system. So if you want a few tips on how to leverage the crafting system in your favor, or if you want to find out what makes crafting in this game so difficult and draw so much debate, then this is the guide for you.

Continue reading Crafting in Final Fantasy XI: A few tips to achieving success

MassivelyCrafting in Final Fantasy XI: A few tips to achieving success originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>craftingcrystalsdirectional-craftingfeaturedffxifinal-fantasy-xiguidemoon-phasessynthesistipstips-and-tricksTue, 20 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Do MMO leadership skills scale?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-leadership-skills-scale/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-leadership-skills-scale/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/19/the-daily-grind-do-mmo-leadership-skills-scale/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

According to this article from the India Times, there is a direct correlation between the kinds of skill needed for leaders to excel in an MMO, and the skills required for success in the real world. Namely, these skills break down to "Collaboration is key", "Vision is important", and "Information gathering and synthesis generate results".

However, while it all sounds great on paper, there is a literal world's difference between decisions that affect the outcome of a game, and choices that determine the fate of a business. This is not to say that games can't be a testbed for quality decision-making behavior, but it takes real ingenuity to directly apply game experience to the real world and have corresponding value. What do you think? Do gamers make better leaders?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do MMO leadership skills scale? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collaborationdecision-makinginformation-gatheringleadershipsynthesistdgthe-daily-grindvisionMon, 19 May 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Are MMOs the future of gaming?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/13/the-daily-grind-are-mmos-the-future-of-gaming/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Raph Koster certainly thinks so. He feels that single-player gaming is a phase we all went through, and that online, interconnected gaming is simply the next evolutionary step -- or, possibly, a return to form. 'People always play games together. All of you learned to play games with each other,' he said, citing a reason for shared gaming's return to prominence. The problem is, however, that MMOs don't exactly scratch the same itch that single-player games do, and ironically, that's an itch engendered by the mere existence of single-player games, a kind of weird self-fulfilling prophecy. We learned to like single-player games because we were offered single-player games.

So how does this affect the MMO experience? With a sophisticated enough platform, there's no reason to think that a fully-immersive single-player experience couldn't exist cheek-by-jowl with an MMO experience. People talk about soloing, but that's just a concession, a way around the issue. What if, for example, while playing Bioshock, you arrived at endgame and left Rapture, only to discover a world filled with other players who've gone through the same experience? Is the future of gaming synthesis, rather than exchanging one form of gameplay for another?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are MMOs the future of gaming? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioshockraph-kosterraptureshared-gamingsingle-playersoloingsynthesistdgthe-daily-grindSun, 13 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST