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Update #1: Developers' comments on Conjurer and Thaumaturge
Update #2: Blacksmith/Miner page and Developers' comments
Update #3: Added pugilist
Update #4: Japanese main site updated. Battle music! GO LISTEN.
Download it here at FFXIVCore:
New FFXIV Battlesong.mp3 (2.87MB) Number of downloads: 1472
Update #5: Added archer
Update #6: Good morning. Added Gladiator. Translation by Aya
Update #7: Added Marauder
Update #8: Added Lancer, done by Aya and SteveManly
Update #9: This post has been cleaned up a lot by Zyuu. Also working on a new news, it's ready 'soon'™. (check the frontpage).
Eorzean Battles
There is still a lot we don’t know about how battle will go down in FFXIV, so we asked the developers about it. From left to right: Battle director Atsushi Okada, planners Sei Sato and Kenichi Iwao.
MP doesn’t recover on its own
Famitsu (F): Give us your general idea of what battle is like.
Okada (O): You can party or solo, but the enemies will also form parties, so the main idea is “party versus party.” This time, the idea won’t be to pull monsters to your camp, but to fight while moving.
F: So the general idea would be to travel around to where the enemies appear, taking breaks to rest along the way?
O: Yes, but MP will not restore itself through rest. However, there will be some abilities that characters will earn as they level up to restore MP, and HP and MP can be restored at Aetherite.
Iwao (I): The idea is not to focus on one fight at a time, but plan beforehand on how many battles you will probably fight and ration your MP to fit that.
Sato (S): The party will all move together to where they need to go to achieve their goal, but it will be important to watch their MP. There is a class whose concept is “MP cost controller,” and that member will often be charged with helping the other party members conserve MP.
The keys to battle are distance, direction, and range
F: According to this picture, each class has a certain distance they are suited for. Is this correct?
S: Yes. In FFXIV, your position in relation to the where the monster is facing and how far you are from the monster have a big effect on the battle, so, by extension, each class will have a position in battle that is best suited for them.
I: Enemies will also have classes, so we are expecting that both sides will have to maneuver to get the best position in the fight, and there may be a lot of moving during battles. We hope this makes the party vs. party battles more exciting. We want people to take enemy position into consideration instead of standing in one place and attacking the enemy.
S: FFXIV isn’t an action game, but this is sort of an action game twist.
F: Does that mean melee classes will have an easier time with movement in battle, compared to classes with set ranged skills?
I: Melee classes have to worry more about which direction they attack the enemy from, and ranged classes have to focus on distance.
S: The effects of direct melee attacks also change depending on where they hit the enemy, so both types of classes have their work cut out for them.
I: There’s also the factor of “range.” It’s most obvious for the disciplines of magic, but in fact there are a lot of area-of-effect moves for classes other than mages.
S: Our aim is to get players to view the area they are fighting in is a “share space between party members.” To do that, we’d like to focus on fleshing out area-of-effect attacks.
I: There will be attacks with areas focused around oneself or around a selected point, and even more. We think this will add another level of depth to these tactical battles.
Elemental growth
F: The concept of “elemental properties” exists in FFXIV. Can you tell us more about this?
O: In FFXIV, there are six elements: fire, ice, wind, earth, lightning, and water. There is a balance-of-power relationship between them, such as water being strong against fire but weak against lightning.
I: Elements affect a lot of things in the game. If balance of the elements tips a certain way, a “star pole” and a “spirit pole” are created, and these work similar to the concept of magnetism on Earth.
F: How will these things affect players in the game?
O: Players can control their elemental properties. For example, a player can decide that they want to be strong to fire.
F: Do they decide that when they make their character?
S: No, this is a stat, like HP, that increases with the growth of the character. It’s like becoming a specialist in that element.
O: If you level up your water element, enemies’ water attacks won’t hurt you as much.
I: Conjurers will have completely different roles for different elemental specialists, like ice and fire users.
F: So each player will have more individuality.
I: If a player raises each of their elemental stats, they will be able to take on a lot of different situations, but they won’t be able to specialize in anything.
F: It’d be funny if we saw communities pop up based on the elemental property they choose.
S: Like a Pyro Club (He laughs). Yeah, we may actually see things like that.
Conjurer
Conjurer is a discipline of magic that controls strong, elemental sorcery through a power called “conjuring.” By examining their surroundings, they can see the flow of elements around them. Made from all-natural wood and materials, they use their “staff of conjuring” (?) to change the elements around them into powerful magic. Their headquarters is in the Cave of the Tree of Meditation in Gridania.
Tools of the trade: Conjuring wands and staves
Conjurers use wands and other magic items to control the elements. Many of them are made from natural wood, but the “twig wand” is the best example of this. The “Radical root staff,” on the other hand, has a strange structure fixed to the end of it, which looks like it may have something to do with conjuring..
Picture caption: Conjurers and the Elements
“Make allies of the elements of nature!”
Elements: Lightning, Fire, Earth, Ice, Water, Wind
Abilities
- Deepness: Chant spells fully and clearly (Casting takes longer but spells are stronger)
- Trance chant: Chant spells with fervor (Nothing can interrupt casting)
- Spirit bind: Cast spells in a hushed voice (Conjurer restricts himself, but MP use drops)
- Roaming soul: Cast spells by humming (Can cast spells while walking)
- Purge: Can see all elements infinitely and clearly (Equalize the elements of enemies and allies)
Weapon skills
- Fire: Fire damage to all enemies in range
- Cure: Restores the HP of all party members in range
- Protect: Raises the physical defense of all party members in range
- Shock spike: Lighting damage to enemies that attack the Conjurer by a shield of lighting that surrounds him
- Frost: Ice damage over time to enemies in range
Developer’s comments
Almighty support role
I: Conjurers are elemental sorcerers.
O: This class must be aware of the elemental properties of their allies, enemies, and even the land around them during battle.
I: Conjurers can use all kinds of magic, like attack, defense, and healing spells. They are a good class to have around in any situation, be it a supporting or attacking role. They also have area-of-effect spells that center around themselves.
O: By the way, all actions taken in battle raise TP (technique points), and this also includes magic casting.
S: Conjurers have very powerful moves that use TP!
Thaumaturge
Controllers of the destructive magic of “Thaumaturgy.” Through the introspection of their true nature, they can call upon the power hidden deep in their heart. They call upon spiritual magic using wands and other tools fixed with decorations similar to rosaries seen in the Buddhist cultures. Their headquarters is a place of worship in Ul’dah.
Tools of the trade: Thaumaturgy
These are the magical tools of the thaumaturge. They’re a bit darker than the conjurer’s…
Gold Scepter
Long Staff
Picture caption: Thaumaturge range
Draw your enemies close, decimate them in one mighty, magic blow!
Ability
- Blood offering: Increases the power of their magic by giving your own blood (Stronger magic at the cost of your own HP)
- Thorns: Share your pain with the enemy (All damage done to you is also done to the enemy)
- Dark seal: Focus your spirit (Increases magic accuracy)
- Initiation: Share your will with your allies (Shares magic effects on you with your allies)
- Paradigm shift: Cast spells as if talking to someone (Lowers distance of the spell but widens range)
Weapon Skill
- Drain: Absorb HP from enemies in range
- Gravity: Slows movement speed of enemies in range
- Sacrifice: Heal others at the cost of your own HP
- Syphomage: Take MP from defeated enemies
- Absorb-accuracy: Take your enemy’s accuracy and make it your own
Developers’ comments
The most powerful disciple of magic also specializes is status changes
I: Thaumaturges have a lot of status effect spells for allies and enemies alike. Since they have many attack spells that range outward from them in a fan-shape, there may be times when it is actually better for them to draw enemies closer to them, unlike other mage classes, like conjurer.
S: Most of the Thaumaturge’s spells are powerful, damaging spells. This can be very risky for the mage. Of course, we’re still working on balancing this, and will alter things according to player feedback.
I: Thaumaturges also boast a range of damage- and effect-over-time spells that can even deplete or absorb an enemy’s strengths and make it their own. The key to this class will be to read the flow of the battle and cast more powerful spells accordingly.
Blacksmith
Crafts metal into weapons and armor with the use of their tools, including the cross pen hammer. They shape swords in their forges and sharpen daggers in camps; they can work their craft at any time, in any place. Their arts have been passed down through a long history through an apprentice system. There are many styles, even such advanced ones as guncrafting.
Handiwork
- Iron ingot: Make an iron ingot
- Sword guard: Makes a hand-guard for a sword. Uses iron ingot.
- Spata: Crafts a spata sword. Uses spata blade, sword grip, sword guard, and pommel
- Pick: Makes a pick. Uses pick blade, pick pole, and grip strap.
- Spiked Cuirass: An altered version of a labrys. Uses labrys and bronze ingot.
Unfortunately, that's all the time I have for now. Keep your eyes pasted to this spot, we're expecting a main FFXIV site update any minute!
Here's a quick update between classes:
Miner
A discipline of land who specializes in drawing ore from the earth. Their main tool is the pick, and their most common customers are jewel crafters and blacksmiths. Well versed in the mining techniques of Ul’dah, miners can perform jobs from studying ore veins to construction and more. There are many miners that worship Oshuon, the wanderer, because of the way the land wanders in accordance with the tectonic theory.
Gatherable materials
- Bronze ore
- Silver ore
- Saltpeter, used in things like gunpowder
- Silica sand
- Little worms
Developers’ comments
Discipline of hand, blacksmith, and discipline of land, miner.
I: The blacksmith, who works metal into weapons and armor and repairs items, is the poster-boy for hand disciples. The miner, digger of ore, is also a very representative member of the disciples of land. Don’t expect them to be too strong in a battle, but they have other abilities for the battlefield. For example, a blacksmith may be able to weaken a metal enemy or more easily find the spoils of war. With customization, a battle-blacksmith may eventually become possible!
Pugilist
This hand-to-hand fighter is a master in traditional arts of self-defense. Although her fists alone could be considered weapons, the pugilist specializes is using hand-to-hand weapons to increase their power in battle. The pugilist must stay in close to make sure she lands her blows aimed at her opponent’s vitals, and some pugilists use chakrams to gain their opponents’ attention.
Tools of the trade: Fists
Panzerfauste
Fangs
The pugilist’s hand-to-hand weapons protect her hands while giving more punch to her punches. Both of these weapons are “knuckle” weapons, but it’s already been confirmed that claw weapons are also available.
Ability
- Whistle: Whistle and gain the enemy’s attention
- Blindside: Hit the enemy from behind (When the attack from behind is successful, the pugilist does a great deal of damage
- Chakra: focuses power into the chakra point below the stomach (heals HP by using TP)
- Steal: Take something the enemy is holding
- Feather-step: Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. (Significantly raises evasiveness, but only once)
Weapon skill
- Jarring strike: An attack aimed at the joints during an enemy’s attack (Angers and stops an opponent’s movement if used right after evading an attack)
- Piercing hand: Pierce an enemy’s weak point (A piercing-based attack. Critical rate raises if used in succession)
- Haymaker: Dodge an enemy’s attack and land a heavy one of your own (A powerful attack if used immediately after dodging)
- Tackle: Tackle. (Close the distance between you and an enemy quickly and attack)
- Chiretsuzan: Sends shockwaves through the earth at an enemy (Long-distance earth-based attack that does not work on flying enemies)
Picture caption: Choose your stance wisely throughout the heat of battle!
The left stance is an offensive stance, and the fight stance is defensive (for evasiveness).
Developers’ comments:
Taking the fight to the enemy while dodging his blows
I: Her reach is short and her defense is low, but on the other hand, she sports great evasiveness and tricky maneuvers and attacks to bring enemies to their knees. The pugilist also has stances to adjust to the needs of the battle.
S: Her stances can really change a battle. The player must watch the flow of battle carefully to decide which stance is appropriate for the situation.
I: The longer she stays in one stance, that stance becomes stronger and the number of things she can do in that stance increases. A pugilist can change her stance anytime she wants, but if she does that, it goes back to its weakest state. A pugilist must choose wisely whether to deepen her stance or change when the time comes, as this could decide the battles.
Archer
This discipline of war specializes in long range attacks with a bow. A good archer will need to bring along many different kinds of arrows and know how to choose the best position to give herself the advantage in a fight. Eorzean archers use long bows, favored by the Elezen rangers, and short bows, used traditionally for hunting by the Miqo’te. If an archer runs out of arrows, they are also skilled at rock-throwing.
Tools of the trade: Bows
Elezen rangers used the long bow quite well. The “composite bow” is made of materials like wood, bone, and other materials from animals.
Composite bow
Long bow
Picture caption: Enemy type, enemy number, landscape… Choose your arrow type and number wisely based on the situation!
- Iron arrows: for regular battles
- Silver arrows: for undead
- Obsidian arrows: to pierce magic barriers
- Swallowtail arrows: for giant beasts
- Poison arrows: for long battles
- Triple arrow: for battles against multiple foes
Ability
- Replenish: Nock as many arrows as you can hold (Fire many arrows at once)
- Chameleon: Take a deep breath and hold it… (Hide your presence)
- Stride: Walk briskly in long strides (Increases movement speed for a short time)
- Retrieval: Pick up arrows (At the cost of your own HP, retrieve fallen arrows)
- Hawk eye: Focus eyes as well as a hawk’s (Next attack’s accuracy is increased)
Weapon skill
- Kagenui (The name of a sewing technique where the thread is not seen from the outside): Fire at an enemy’s silhouette and cease their movement (Stop an enemy in their tracks)
- Wide volley: Make it rain arrows (Rain arrows upon one enemy and all the enemies within a certain distance of him)
- Quick nock: Fire a number of arrows in quick succession (Fire a number of arrows at all enemies in a cone-shaped area ahead of you)
- Feather arrow: Clear your mind and fire an arrow (Attack removes magic-based buffs)
- Shrieker: Fire a shrieking arrow (Causes the enemy to run)
Developers’ comments: The technical “shortstop”
I: The archer’s most important role is the get the first shot in on enemies from a distance. How the archer approaches the battle after that is left to the archer’s technique. If the archer pulls the enemy’s attention, it could mean trouble for her and her low defenses. To avoid the eyes and ears of the enemy, the archer must balance effective attacks with repositioning. Archer is a class that must understand everything about their surroundings.
S: I want archers to think up strategies using all their methods to keep distance between themselves and the enemies.
I: Arrow selection is also key. The archer can be useful to the party not just through direct attacks, but also by using arrows that can affect an enemy’s status.
Gladiator
Gladiators are fighters of close-distance who manipulate various one-handed swords such as daggers, long swords, double-edged or single-edged swords. As their attack skills are based on fighting in diverse situations, they are very flexible. For instance, they can be efficient protector for others with shields, and they can be lightly-equipped fighters with single-handed swords. It is also noticeable that they can do a variety of things like cutting, thrusting, and even throwing.
Tools of the trade: Scimitar and Buckler
Gladiators can utilize many kinds of single-handed swords. The information released this time includes the scimitar and buckler. The scimitar has an impressive curvy shape. Buckler is small type which is useful to carry around.
Picture caption: Stances
Slash! Thrust! Guard!
Use your versatility to its fullest!
Abilities
- Applause with sword: challenge the enemy by swaying the point of a sword. (Gets the attention of the enemy)
- Cover: Protect the party member behind you. (Take damage in place of companion behind you)
- Rampart: Focus power into the defense your sword gives you. (reinforces physical and magical defense)
- Precision: Add extra power to sword attacks by standing firm. (Abandon evasion to focus on increasing hit rate)
- Aegis’s boon: Hide behind your shield and try to recover yourself. (Converts damage into HP when the attack is blocked by your shield)
Weapon Skill
- Phalanx: Attack with your sword from behind your shield. (Provokes and enemy if used right after guarding)
- Red Lotus: A chopping attack with a burning sword (Attack with fire attribute)
- Shield Bash: Strike with your shield. (Hits the enemy and stops their casting)
- Spin Stroke: Slice with your sword while feinting. (Slashing attack, damages the enemy more if you are not its target)
- Circle Slash: Mowing down your surroundings. (A slicing attack that hits all enemies around you)
Developer’s comments: Versatile defender of the party
I: This class specializes in defense, and can wear many different types of armor, including large shields. This will most often be seen as the tank in parties, gathering the enemies in one spot and protecting his allies.
O: They’re good with shields, so they’ll probably have the image of a defender, but they’ll also be able to deal damage very well.
S: This class excels in offense and defense, so it will probably be a popular class.
O: It should be fun to balance the use of slashing and thrusting attacks during battle, too.
I: Quite the versatile class, indeed.
Marauder
Marauders specialize in using great axes, which pirates use to attack enemy ships or during their pillage parties on land. Although stigma related to this pirate weapon still exists, there are also many heroes who have made a good name for themselves and this weapon by using it to great effect during wars and monster extermination. The axe cleaves through defenses; it destroys the shields of its foes and knocks its opponents out with powerful blows. The marauder also has access to throwing axes, like Franciscas, to use until the close the gap between them and their enemies.
Tools of the trade: Axes
The weight of the weapon is what gives it its destructive power in every blow. Information for two axes has been released this time: the double-edged type labrys and the single-edged war axe. I wonder what each of their strengths are in battle?
Picture Caption: BOOM!
Focus your strength! Turn the tables in your favor with one wide-reaching mighty blow!!
Abilities
- Bloodbath: Strengthen your thirst for battle with the blood of your enemy (Damage done on your next attack restores your HP)
- Powerful strike: Put the weight of the axe behind your blow to drop it in a mighty strike (Increases critical hit chance)
- Defender: Defend with your axe (Raises physical defense at the cost of attack)
- Disorient: Work up a dust cloud with your axe (Drops the enemy’s evasion)
- Unyielding march: Stomp steadily forward (Continue moving, although slowly, even if restrictive magic is cast on you)
Weapon skill
- Skull sunder: A strong, disorienting blow to the head (A slicing attack that leaves damage. Charging the skill widens its range)
- Stump splitter: An axe blow that could cleave a redwood in two (A slicing attack that is especially effective against plant-type enemies)
- Fracture: Grab an enemy’s attack and prevent further big attacks (When used after deflecting an enemy’s attack, does bludgeoning damage and disable’s the enemy’s weapon skills)
- Brandish: Cleave an area with your axe (Slash attack to all enemies in the surrounding area)
- Iron tempest: Make your axe sing like a whirlwind (A donut-shaped wind-elemental attack with you at the center)
Developers’ comments: Power over quantity, land that blow!
I: This is a class who can change the flow of battle with a single, powerful hit. When there are a lot of enemies, though, they can still dish out a number of attacks without charging their power.
S: Though they are more powerful than other classes, their axes’ accuracy is much lower than other weapons.
O: They’ll also have to predict where their enemies will be and get into position early, because they have many attacks that must be used from a fixed position instead of moving around.
Lancer
Lancers’ main weapons are long spears and are good at piercing attacks from distance. They have a variety of attacks such as slashing and thrusting depending on the weapon in use. Because of the influence of lancer sentries of Ala Mhigo, longer spears were considered to be better, but now pole arms come in various lengths. Usually, lancers carry javelins along for ranged attacking, as well.
Tools of the trade: Pole arms
The lance was originally used by mounted knights and is known for its sharp, piercing tip. The spear has a sharp blade at its tip and is probably used differently than a lance.
Lance
Spear
Picture caption: Control the gap, control the battle!
Keep large enemies at a the right distance, or take out draw in your weak enemies and take out two birds with one spear!
Abilities
- Inspiration: Encourages the party by rising flagged spears. (Adds TP to party members’ attacks on a specific target)
- Ferocity: Thrust your spear with all your might. (A powerful attack at the expense of HP)
- Spirit: Pick up the slack. (Trade some HP for TP)
- Collusion: Thrust out your spear from behind your party member. (Gathers enmity on one of your party members with a powerful attack from behind him)
- Dragon sword: Manipulate the spear and fool the enemy. (Lowers an enemy’s evasion and absorbs its HP)
Weapon Skill
- Overrun: Ready your spear and charge (When the enemy is not aware of your presence, close the gap between them quickly for a piercing attack and add to your own TP)
- Feint: A well-aimed shot at your enemy after a feint (When used after dodging an enemy, this attack has a 100% chance of connecting with the enemy)
- Sweep the Leg, Johnny (Yeah, I took a liberty on the name here –Manly): Swing your spear around you from a low stance (Sweep all enemies in a cone shape in front of you to keep them from moving. Does not work on flying creatures)
- Moonrise: A piercing slash (A slashing attack that slows the enemy’s TP gain)
- Skewer: A surprising blow that makes enemies falter (Hits all enemies between you and your targeted enemy with a piercing attack. Creatures on land hit with this attack will become slower)
Developers’ comments: Half-attacker, half-supporter
- I: Pole arms have a long range and lancers have a safer position in battle as compared to other classes. They have many special attacks to do things like confuse or stun enemies.
- S: Since lancers are farther from the enemy than other melee classes, they have a wider field of vision. If the mages get in trouble, this will be the class that can help them the fastest.
- I: This is the class most directly related to the importance of controlling your distance from the battle. They must constantly think about their distance between them and their enemies and even their allies, and shift their position accordingly, strategizing on the fly.
- S: They have to keep their mind on more than just their enemies.
Vana'Fest Trailer
These are screenshots for the opening movie shown at VanaFest 2010. There was no streaming, video, or pictures allowed, and written reenactments are all still strictly prohibited. These are from SE. The adventures of the characters set to beautiful music was absolutely breath-taking.
Source is GameWatch
New Screen Shot
We've also a new screen shot from the game itself, featuring a possibly updated UI and what appears to be another returning monster from FFXI. Here's the image:
{--Images--}
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