Massively

Translated interviews offer more insight into Final Fantasy XIV's world and playstyle

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Game mechanics, Interviews, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV

We're just coming off of a holiday weekend here in the US, and Japan had their own recent stretch of holidays, so news on Final Fantasy XIV has been a little bit slower of late. But a recent group of interviews in the June 11th issue of Dengeki have been translated thanks to the team over at FFXIVCore, and they cover topics from materials of armor to the game's not-always-praised battle system. The first part of the interview talks testing and systems with Hiromichi Tanaka and Nobuai Komoto, while the second part discusses visuals and worldbuilding with planner Kenichi Iwao.

Tanaka and Komoto confirm that the next phase of testing is set to begin soon, as well as dropping the news that the next test will likely feature an almost totally redesigned battle system. It's even hinted that players were never meant to experience the current system, that it was there almost as a placeholder. By contrast, Iwao discusses the lore and visual aspects of the game, talking about how items will be made from different materials, and how players who want to play a male Mito'qe shouldn't give up hope just yet. All Final Fantasy XIV fans are encouraged to read both interviews, since there's a lot of information available in both -- just the thing for the post-holiday doldrums.

Translated interviews offer more insight into Final Fantasy XIV's world and playstyle originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Gaming Iconoclast: Deity not included

Rafe Brox — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Culture, Lore, Opinion, Roleplaying, Humor, The Gaming Iconoclast

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.
- Judy Bloom

(Hey, just be glad you didn't get another Neitzsche quote*)

The fantasy-based worlds our characters inhabit are, almost without exception, richly steeped in legend and brimming with lore. This is doubly true for those that have come to parturition after having existed outside of the digital realm. Frequently, the book or books upon which they are based feature the prominent (occasionally bordering on overwhelming) presence, if not direct and outright influence, of the God or Gods the characters worship... or at least call upon to save their bacon once in a while.

Having been so much a part of the lives of the inhabitants of these universes, at least before they found themselves to be at our command, the relegation of these heretofore great cosmic forces to the essential position of role-playing wallpaper at best is puzzling, the occasional trimming of an Elder God's Toenail notwithstanding. In all these worlds full of powerful wizards channeling arcane energies and hurling bolts of numinous fire at their enemies, or healers using their connection to the divine to aid their allies -- some of whom are called Priests outright -- where are the Gods themselves? And, more to the point, where is the role of religion in the characters' lives?

Continue reading The Gaming Iconoclast: Deity not included

The Gaming Iconoclast: Deity not included originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Joshua Slack demonstrates NCSoft worldbuilding tool

Adrian Bott — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Events, real-world, MMO industry, Maps

In the course of a technical session at JavaOne, Joshua Slack and Rikard Herlitz showed off the kind of tools you can build using the jMonkeyEngine, and used the NCSoft world-building tool as an example. This video shows Rikard putting together a hasty landscape that comes out quite nicely, given that he is 'just a programmer' rather than a professional level designer. (Self-deprecatory humor for the proverbial win.)

Although the video is intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the jMonkeyEngine, it's an interesting look at one of the tools used by a major player in the MMO market. NCSoft has been using jMonkeyEngine for the last two years. Joshua doesn't mention any specific games that have used the tool, though he does hint rather strongly that NCsoft's most recent output might have employed it.

The worldbuilding tool presentation follows behind the break.

Continue reading Joshua Slack demonstrates NCSoft worldbuilding tool

Joshua Slack demonstrates NCSoft worldbuilding tool originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments