Final Fantasy XIV Director:What Went Wrong With The Original

ku xlarge New Final Fantasy XIV Director Talks About What Went Wrong With The Original

Naoki Yoshida is about as far away from the stereotypical image of a Japanese businessman as you are likely to get. Clad in designer jeans with expertly styled hair and numerous finger rings, he looks more like a rock star than anything else. His business card even features a caricature of himself smoking while relaxing with a cup of coffee. But regardless of what he looks like, he is, at heart, a passionate MMO gamer who wants to turn Final Fantasy XIV from colossal failure into striking success.

While not a member of the team working on the original version of Final Fantasy XIV, Yoshida feared the game was doomed even before its release. After the bad reaction from players during the Beta test, even the staff thought the game wasn’t ready for it to go on sale. “When I heard that it was going to go on sale as planned, I thought, that will probably be a big mistake.”

To Yoshida, the biggest problems with the original Final Fantasy XIV came from how the game itself was envisioned and developed. Final Fantasy XI, Square Enix’s other Final Fantasy MMO, was developed as a game where Final Fantasy would meet EverQuest—the top MMORPG of the day. In fact, according to Yoshida, the entire staff played EverQuest for at least a year while developing FFXI, trying to figure out just what exactly made it work so well. “I think it would’ve been good to do the same thing [for the original FFXIV].”

“So, because they tried only to make something that was ‘different from FFXI,’ they ended up with not much of anything.”

In Yoshida’s opinion, the reason FFXI was a success is that it took the areas where Final Fantasy was strongest—cutscenes, dramatic scenarios, and story-driven content—and input them into an EverQuest inspired framework.

However, when the original FFXIV was in development, the goal of the project was simply to make a game that was different from Final Fantasy XI. Yoshida feels that the creators didn’t recognize that the global standard of MMOs had been significantly raised in recent years. He would have suggested a different path for the game—one that mirrored FFXI’s own creation. “I think it would’ve been good if they tried seeing what happened if they turned World of Warcraft into Final Fantasy. So, because they tried only to make something that was ‘different from FFXI,’ they ended up with not much of anything.”

“They should have said, ‘Hey you, go play WoW for a year [for inspiration].’”

Yoshida then talked at some length about the origins and development of MMORPGs. How they developed from tabletop RPGs into games like Ultima and Wizardy—before moving to the online world. What was important in his eyes is how early RPGs borrowed the best elements from and influenced each other. That’s how the genre advanced and made new games. “Unless you are a genius, you cannot make something completely new from nothing.”

ku xlarge New Final Fantasy XIV Director Talks About What Went Wrong With The Original

When it comes to his FFXIV, A Realm Reborn, Yoshida believes they are on the right track. He has the best of the best from inside the company to work on this game and they are adamant the game not be released until it is ready. “We won’t make a mistake like FFXIV again—if we did, it would be like at the level of destroying the company.”

That said, Yoshida said his biggest worry while making A Realm Reborn has been the schedule. World class MMOs have so much in them that time is always an issue. There’s got to be a lot for players to do. When coding started for A Realm Reborn, Yoshida and his team only had 16 months until the planned relaunch. At times, he had wondered if it was really possible to do all the work in two years. He lamented that he knows players wanted it fixed as quickly as possible, but if it is released before next year, he thinks they won’t enjoy it.

When asked in closing how he would play A Realm Reborn, on PC or PlayStation 3, Yoshida responded, “I became an online gamer 16 or 17 years ago and I’ve always played on the PC. I played Diablo, Ultima Online, EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, and World of Warcraft—all always on the PC.” He feels that, personally, if he did things like PvP without his trusty mouse and keyboard, he would definitely lose. But he mentioned that there was more than a little appeal to lying on his couch with the controller.

Coming out of the interview, I found myself more than a little impressed. Yoshida was upfront and frank about the problems of Final Fantasy XIV and the challenges that await Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. But more than that, our short talk left me with faith that if anyone can fix the game, it’s him.

Is Final Fantasy XIV Coming to the PS4?

ku xlarge Is Final Fantasy XIV Coming to the PS4? Somebody Asked That Question.

Final Fantasy XIV’s road to the PS3 has been rough. But now that the game is finally coming to the PlayStation 3, Square Enix’s Yoichi Wada was asked whether or not the game is headed to the PS4.

“Basically,” said Wada, “I want to offer it through any means possible, but only after we’ve nailed the PS3 version we promised everyone.”

Naoki Yoshida, Final Fantasy XIV’s game director, added that after the PS3 version is optimized and successfully launched later this year as FFXIV: A Realm Reborn, if they have the chance, he’d like to discuss it then.

So, yeah. The PS4 was just announced. The PS3 version of Final Fantasy XIV isn’t out yet. Everyone chill.

Final Fantasy XIV Reborn August 27

k bigpic Final Fantasy XIV Reborn August 27, Gets Another Collectors Edition

Final Fantasy XIV was released in September of 2010, and it wasn’t very good. On August 27, nearly three years later, Final Fantasy XIV rises again a realm reborn, and Square Enix is celebrating with a collector’s edition that’s much better than the original.

Now available for preorder for the PC and PlayStation 3, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn features a new game engine, revamped mechanics and all sorts of tweaks designed to get rid of the bad taste left in the mouth of everyone that played the original disaster. The base game will be available for $39.99 on the PlayStation 3 and PC, while the extravagant collector’s edition will run $79.99 and $69.99 respectively, though the PC collector’s edition will be exclusive to Square Enix’s online store.

So what’s in the big shiny box?

*Collector’s box designed by Yoshitaka Amano, legendary FINAL FANTASY artist
*80-page “Art of Eorzea” hardcover art book featuring never-before-seen concept art
*“The Waning of the Sixth Sun,” a special bonus video disc that takes a cinematic look at the events that led up to the realm being reborn
*“Sounds of Eorzea” album that features musical scores by renowned FINAL FANTASY series composers
*Five collectable character art cards
*A FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn-branded security token to secure user accounts
*In-game bonus items: Helm of Light, Baby Behemoth Minion, Coeurl Mount and Behemoth Barding

I don’t recall exactly what was in the original collector’s edition, but I know it included 2010 Final Fantasy XIV, so this has to be better.

Fans who roll the dice on a preorder will score early access, along with some digital goodness. You can find out more at the official site.

Who’s ready to give this another go? I’m scared, but oddly-excited.

Final Fantasy XIV Isn’t Coming To Xbox

k bigpic Final Fantasy XIV Isnt Coming To Xbox Because Of A Silly Policy

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, the much-improved reincarnation of Square Enix’s online role-playing game, will be out on August 27 for PC and PS3, then later in the future for PS4. No Xbox 360. No Xbox One.

Allow Naoki Yoshida to explain why. Speaking with RPGSite, the new director of FFXIV pointed a finger at Xbox Live’s cross-platform policies—games on Microsoft’s online platform generally can’t share servers with games on other platforms. In other words, if you played the online game on Xbox 360, you wouldn’t be able to play in the same world as people on PlayStation 3.

Yoshida isn’t okay with that.

“The policy has not changed on Microsoft’s side,” Yoshida told RPGSite. “The main reason from our side is that I don’t want the community to be divided; to be split into two or more. For example, one player might be on the PC version, another might be on the PS4 version, and I’m playing the Xbox version – but we’re not able to join the same game servers. That is just… I just don’t like the idea. I disagree with it.

“To be frankly honest with you, there are now so many mobile devices, smart phones, everything — why would you ever just stick to one platform from the hardware aspect? Just — make it open to everyone? That’s my opinion.”

Boom. Funny enough, Square’s last online game, Final Fantasy XI, was actually cross-console on PS2, PC, and 360. But for whatever reason they can’t make it happen this time around. At least not yet.

Forced group quests in Final Fantasy XIV

moglogheadernew 1373466852 The Mog Log: Forced group quests in Final Fantasy XIVThere are certain things I hate in MMOs. One of those things is a forced group quest.Final Fantasy XI introduced me to this idea in a roundabout way by giving every player a single quest (“accomplish something”) and forcing him or her to group for pretty much all of it. I didn’t need a group to walk around San d’Oria, but pretty much anything else required a full group. It made me give up on Dragoon, and it meant that I’ve spent most of my life feeling that forced grouping is one of the worst things that a developer can implement.

That having been said, I think Final Fantasy XIV might have actually gotten it mostly right. Not perfect, but considering that the development team felt it was important to include these quests, I think they’ve at least provided us with the best possible implementation for this content. So the inclusion doesn’t really bother me after all.

ffxiv moglog group 1 epl 711 The Mog Log: Forced group quests in Final Fantasy XIVLet’s get something out of the way before we go any further, however: Not wanting forced group quests is not the same as wanting to play a single-player game. Final Fantasy XIV comes from a long line of single-player games; you can be fairly certain that most of the people playing are familiar with that fact. There’s a number after the title, for example.

I’ve written about this before, but the short version is that there are lots of reasons to play MMOs that don’t necessarily correspond to being in a group at all times. Having group content is very different from having your story stop and demand that you get a group together right now to progress. Group quests are often a whole other ball of wax.

For starters, a lot of them don’t actually coincide with anything worth repeating; you’ll be fighting enemies that reward only you despite needing other people with you. So you need people who either have the quest or are generous enough to do it despite that fact. Assuming you’ve actually assembled a group, hopefully your group is actually capable of getting through the content without a hitch. Plus, these quests are worth bothering with for only a small period of time, and no one wants to face a brick wall of content until you can manage to work around all these restrictions.

So let’s address the last point first: Hitting a brick wall in terms of content in FFXIV is really hard to do.

I talked about this a bit the other week, but the fact is that even if you never dip into the group content of the game and thus block yourself off from further exploration of the story, you are still awash in things to do. You’ve got class content, you’ve got leves, you’ve got sidequests, you’ve got crafting, and you’ve got hunting logs. I haven’t tried this for various reasons, chief among them being the fact that the game is not yet released, but I’m willing to bet that if you really wanted to go from 1-50 without ever grouping up, you’d be able to do so.

Beyond that, there’s the simple fact that the group quests currently in place amount to “go into these dungeons.” Not “do something strange and time-consuming in these dungeons,” just “go in and fight your way through.” There are time limits in place, and truth be told even amateurs can clear a given dungeon in about an hour with some dawdling, less with an efficient group. This is not painful content to complete.

More to the point, though, it’s content that’s meant to be experienced multiple times because it’s a low-level dungeon with stuff for lots of classes and plenty of experience to earn. People will be queueing up for this even if they’ve already cleared the quests because there are rewards to be earned all the same.

And even more to the point, it’s still worth experiencing even if you’re overleveled. If you get distracted and wind up leveling past the usual range, you can still queue up and just sync down to the appropriate level with no real loss of time or reward. Or switch to a class that is level appropriate. There’s no statute of limitations, no point at which a dungeon becomes completely obsolete. That is a big change from other games, one that allows you to enjoy content at many levels without diminishing the experience.

ffxiv moglog group 2 epl 711 The Mog Log: Forced group quests in Final Fantasy XIVI keep mentioning queueing for good reason. Remember, FFXIV launches with a group finder. It would be problematic if the group content you needed to do were all quests, but the group finder (all right, Duty Finder) works effectively and lets you set up for all of the things you need to do at this point. Instead of trying to chase down a group, you have groups just waiting for you to ask in. How readily available they will be down the line is a bit more questionable, but at least for the moment they’re in steady supply.

About the only thing that Yoshida hasn’t done to make grouping better is physically changing people to be more capable in group content. And I don’t think that’s within his power.

Do I like having the story throw a forced grouping curveball at me midway through? Not especially. But I can recognize the thought process that goes into it. And it’s done in such a way as to be as unobtrusive as possible while still giving players incentive to team up. I’m as leery of forced group quests as the next person, but this won me over most of the way.

final fantasy xiv:Recipes

There are a lot of recipes in the game. This page should describe them generally, and maybe have some links to the various broad types.

Crafter’s Compendium by Class

Alchemy Recipes    Armorcraft Recipes      Blacksmithing Recipes    Carpentry Recipes

Alchemist Icon small final fantasy xiv:Category:Recipes                      50px Naldiq %26 Vymelli%27s Icon2 final fantasy xiv:Category:Recipes                           50px Naldiq %26 Vymelli%27s Icon1 final fantasy xiv:Category:Recipes                           final fantasy xiv:Category:Recipes
Cooking Recipes    Goldsmithing Recipes    Leathercraft Recipes     Weaving Recipes

50px Bismarck%2C The Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Recipes                       final fantasy xiv:Category:Recipes                            final fantasy xiv:Category:Recipes                           final fantasy xiv:Category:Recipes

 Crafter’s Compendium by Type
[+] Armor                      [+] Weapons                 [+] Tools
[+] Materials                 [+] Metal                       [+] Wood
[+] Weapon Parts         [+] Armor Materials
[×] Foods                        [+] Medicines

Subcategories

This category has the following 8 subcategories, out of 8 total.
A

[+] Alchemy Recipes‎ (14 C)
[+] Armorcraft Recipes‎ (14 C)

B

[+] Blacksmithing Recipes‎ (14 C, 1 P)

C

[+] Carpentry Recipes‎ (14 C)
[+] Cooking Recipes‎ (14 C)

G

[+] Goldsmithing Recipes‎ (14 C)

L

[+] Leathercraft Recipes‎ (14 C)

W

[+] Weaving Recipes‎ (14 C)

 

Pages in category “Recipes”

The following 8 pages are in this category, out of 8 total.
A

Alchemist
Armorer

B

Blacksmith

C

Carpenter
Culinarian

G

Goldsmith

L

Leatherworker

W

Weaver

final fantasy xiv:Disciplines

“Every soul must needs have a code, a purpose, to guide them. Else chaos would consume us all.”
– The Determination of Being, Guillaurmand de Padellaint

In general, there is a fourfold classification of adventurers based on the disciplinary paths to which they devote themselves: Disciples of War, masters of arms who live for the call of combat; Disciples of Magic, erudite researchers of all things esoteric; Disciples of the Land, gatherers of material resources and students of the natural order; and Disciples of the Hand, crafters who invest their creative ingenuity in synthesis and industry.

Players may opt to specialize in one discipline, excelling in a single skill, or they may take a more general approach, making free use of the Armoury. The choice is yours.

 Classes

See: Main Article.

In FINAL FANTASY XIV, characters can take on a number of different professions, or classes. Changing classes is as simple as switching the weapon or tool equipped in the character’s main hand. Some classes have associated jobs as well, which confer additional skills and abilities. Players can switch to these jobs once they have met certain prerequisites.

Jobs

See: Main Article.

By meeting certain prerequisites, Disciples of War or Disciples of Magic can change from their classes to more specialized jobs. Taking on a job gives characters access to exclusive skills and actions.

Disciples of War

“The advancement of a nation may be gauged by its ability to craft weapons,
but its future depends on its ability to craft wars.”
– from Leading the Van, by master tactician Owyne Cosserand

Followers of this discipline devote themselves to the mastery of weapons and the wars waged with them. Through rigorous physical training, they hone their minds and bodies into instruments of combat, ever ready to make a decisive contribution to the cycle of conflict which plagues Eorzea.

Classes     Archer     Gladiator     Lancer     Marauder    Pugilist

50px Archery Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines   50px Gladiatoricon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines     50px Polearm Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines    50px Astalicia%2C The Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines    50px Hand to Hand Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines

 

Jobs             Bard        Paladin      Dragoon    Warrior         Monk

50px Bard Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines    50px Paladin Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines    50px Dragoon Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines    50px Warrior Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines     50px Monk Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines

 

Disciples of Magic

“An empty hand is akin to an empty heart — ever does it long for a companion.”
– former Leatherworkers’ Guild guildmaster, Saiverin Vaireloque

These harvesters of nature’s bounty utilize an array of tools in their work with all forms of plants and minerals. Their trade encompasses knowledge of all of Hydaelyn’s natural resources, be it in a cultivated garden or the great outdoors. As a cornerstone of Eorzea’s economy, their impact on her inhabitants can hardly be overstated.

Classes     Alchemist    Armorer    Blacksmith  Carpenter    Culinarian    Goldsmith    Leatherworker    Weaver

50px Alchemist Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines    50px Armorcraft Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines      50px Smithing Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines        50px Carpenter Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines     50px Cooking Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines          50px Goldsmith Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines          50px Leatherworker Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines         50px Weaver Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines

 

Disciples of the Land

“Gladiators haven’t a care whence steel comes, nor archers timber. ‘Tis no concern of ours — so long as their gil is good.”
– esteemed naturalist Pilfa Dalfa, in his cups

These harvesters of nature’s bounty utilize an array of tools in their work with all forms of plants and minerals. Their trade encompasses knowledge of all of Hydaelyn’s natural resources, be it in a cultivated garden or the great outdoors. As a cornerstone of Eorzea’s economy, their impact on her inhabitants can hardly be overstated.

 

Classes         Botanist       Fisher      Miner

50px Botanist Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines   50px Fishing Icon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines  50px Minericon final fantasy xiv:Category:Disciplines

Final Fantasy Xiv:The Game Armory System

Classes

There are four base disciplines, each divided into several classes. Each class has its own weapon type, and as of the beta, changing classes is as simple as changing weapons; this is known as the Armory System. Classes can be changed at any time, except during a battle. The player can use most skills on any class after learning them, but skills are scaled with the current class level.

Players can use all skills learned by their current class, and set up other classes’ skills based on his or her current max level. The maximum number of cross class skills that can be used is capped at 10 for a level 50 character.

Jobs
FFXIVJobArtwork200px FFXIVJobArtwork Final Fantasy Xiv:Armory System

Introduced in patch 1.21 of the original version, classic Final Fantasy jobs appear as types of specializations inside the armory system. Upon reaching a certain level in a class, players can do a quest unlocking the use of a job, obtaining a soul crystal, carved with the deeds of past warriors.

Setting a job on top of one’s class severely limits the use of cross class abilities (can only use half the usual number – max of 5 skills at level 50 – and only from specific classes) but allows the use of powerful job-specific abilities and equipment. The main advantage of using a job will be the possibility of specializing on a role (like tanking as a Paladin) for high level party play, while using the regular classes will be advantageous while playing solo or in smaller parties (where things like a Thaumaturge who can heal can prove useful). Jobs change the player’s base stats to help fulfill its intended role.

Paladin, requires Gladiator level 30 and Conjurer level 15. Can use Marauder and Conjurer abilities.
Dragoon, requires Lancer level 30 and Pugilist level 15. Can use Pugilist and Archer abilities.
Monk, requires Pugilist level 30 and Lancer level 15. Can use Lancer and Archer abilities.
Bard, requires Archer level 30 and Conjurer level 15. Can use Conjurer and Thaumaturge abilities.
Warrior, requires Marauder level 30 and Gladiator level 15. Can use Gladiator and Pugilist abilities.
White Mage, requires Conjurer level 30 and Gladiator level 15. Can use Gladiator and Pugilist abilities.
Black Mage, requires Thaumaturge level 30 and Pugilist level 15. Can use Pugilist and Archer abilities.
Summoner, an upcoming job of A Realm Reborn, will be available to Arcanists. It might require level 15 Thaumaturge.
Scholar, an upcoming job of A Realm Reborn, will be available to Arcanists. It might require level 15 Conjurer.

Final Fantasy Xiv:Game Setting

World & Lore
Final Fantasy XIV is set in the world of Hydaelyn. Players can currently explore a realm of Hydaelyn known as Eorzea, though there are many other distant landmasses with numerous civilizations.180px Eorzea Final Fantasy Xiv:Setting
EorzeaThe Eorzean Realm.
In Eorzea, towering mountains dominate the north, their peaks forever lashed with icy winds; to the south, a bleak expanse of unforgiving desert holds sway. These inhospitable lands hold irresistible lure for man and monster alike: the currents of Aether that run through the realm. Aether is a magical substance that flows through the planet and everything living on it. It can be used in a number of ways, including fuelling magic, powering machina, aiding in crafting, and allowing instantaneous teleportation through Aetheryte Crystals. This valuable substance can start wars, as different organisations and races compete for control over it.Eorzea is said to cycle through prosperous Astral eras and disastrous Umbral eras. Eons ago, the land was inhabited by gods and goddesses, which the wandering tribes that settled the land called the Twelve. The gods blessed the tribes that came to the savage land with welfare and prosperity, in what is known as the First Astral Era. The tribes began fighting with each other, and war tore Eorzea apart. The gods and goddesses vanished, starting the First Umbral Era. There have been six such eras of calamity since the First Astral Era ushered in the age of man. Each of the Umbral catastrophes has, in turn, borne the characteristics of one of the six elements. With the end of the last Umbral Era, all the elements had been represented, it was believed the current Astral Era would last into eternity. With the end of Final Fantasy XIV 1.0, and the fall of Dalamud, a period known as the Seventh Umbral Era has started. The unleashing of Bahamut has destroyed much of the land, and numerous other dark omens signal great suffering to come. The Realm Reborn relaunch will take place in this Seventh Umbral era.

Three major city states exist within Eorzea; the bustling commercial hub of Ul’dah, the forest nation of Gridania, and the marine city-state of Limsa Lominsa. Each state hosts a Grand Company – economic and military organisations tasked with defending the land. Adventures join these organisations to further their goals and ambitions, while at the same time helping keep the peace over Eorzea.

Eorzea’s main enemies consist of the Beastmen races and the Garlean Empire. Beastmen are a group of intelligent but monstrous clans, whose ideals and objectives clash with the humanoid races, while the Garlean Empire is a magically weak but technologically advanced, multiracial (though Hyruan-dominated) nation hailing from outside of Eorzea. They seek to conquer the land and its Aether, which powers their Magitek Armor.

City States
Ul’dah
150px FFXIV Ul%27dah Flag Final Fantasy Xiv:Setting
The bustling commercial hub of Ul’dah sits amid the desolate desert landscape of southern Aldenard. The city is organized strategically around the dome-shaped citadel at its center. Its towering fortifications and protective outer walls are visible for malms in all directions, and serve as a stark deterrent to would-be besiegers.

Visitors from every corner of Eorzea come to Ul’dah to partake of the city’s famed recreation, most notably the fighting arenas and gambling halls. Ul’dahn culture is known for its affluence, and the nation’s wealth comes from its abundant mineral resources and prestigious clothcrafting industry.

Historically, it is the sultan who claims sovereignty over Ul’dah, but true power is wielded by the Syndicate, an elite group of six of the most influential and richest members of society. Nald’thal is the patron deity of the city, and two great halls devoted to his two aspects can be found in the eastern and western sections of the city.
FFXIV Ul’dah Flag
The bustling commercial hub of Ul’dah sits amid the desolate desert landscape of southern Aldenard. The city is organized strategically around the dome-shaped citadel at its center. Its towering fortifications and protective outer walls are visible for malms in all directions, and serve as a stark deterrent to would-be besiegers.

Visitors from every corner of Eorzea come to Ul’dah to partake of the city’s famed recreation, most notably the fighting arenas and gambling halls. Ul’dahn culture is known for its affluence, and the nation’s wealth comes from its abundant mineral resources and prestigious clothcrafting industry.

Historically, it is the sultan who claims sovereignty over Ul’dah, but true power is wielded by the Syndicate, an elite group of six of the most influential and richest members of society. Nald’thal is the patron deity of the city, and two great halls devoted to his two aspects can be found in the eastern and western sections of the city.

Limsa Lominsa
150px FFXIV Limsa Lominsa flag Final Fantasy Xiv:Setting
On the southern coast of the island of Vylbrand, under the shadow of ancient cliffs worn by the relentless onslaught of the Rhotano Sea, lies the marine city-state of Limsa Lominsa. Said to be blessed by the goddess of navigation, Llymlaen, the city is spread out over countless tiny islands, each connected by sturdy bridges of iron and wood construction, earning her the name the “Navigator’s Veil” from traveling bards who have witnessed the city’s beauty from afar.

Limsa Lominsa is a traditional thalassocracy, with power lying in the hands of the ruling party and its leader, the Admiral. Its economy is driven by shipbuilding, fishing, and blacksmithing, but the majority of wealth comes from the lucrative shipping industry.

To maintain the safety of its maritime routes, the city employs a formidable navy known as the Knights of the Barracuda. However, even in the waters nearby the city, pirate bands run rampant, reaving and pillaging.

Gridania
150px Gridania 1 01 200 Final Fantasy Xiv:Setting
In the eastern reaches of the Aldenard landmass, home to vast, dense woodlands and coursing rivers, lies the forest nation of Gridania. The cityscape is a mosaic of labyrinthine waterways and great wooden structures, so gracefully constructed they seem a part of the surrounding environment.

The Gridanian emphasis on natural harmony has led to its preeminence among Eorzea’s city-states in trades such as forestry, agriculture, carpentry, and leatherworking. Gridania is home to the Wood Wailers, a militant band of polearm-wielding sentries charged with the protection of their homeland.

The favored goddess of the citizenry is Nophica, the Matron, but great faith is also placed in the wisdom of the Seedseers—young oracles who guide the nation based on the will of the forest’s elementals.

Final Fantasy Xiv:Races

There are five playable races resembling those from Final Fantasy XI. 280px AkihikoYoshida FinalFantasyXIV Final Fantasy Xiv:Playable RacesEach race has a new name and their appearance has been altered; additionally, each is divided into two clans. The “missing genders” for some races (Female Roegadyn, Male Miqo’te and Female Highlander Hyur) will become available upon the PlayStation 3 release. [1] A recent player’s poll presented the possibility of mixed races (Miqo’te-Lalafell, Hyur-Elezen), though nothing is confirmed as of yet.

·Hyur

The Hyur are a race not originally from Eorzea, having migrated there and brought their technology with them. They are split into two clans, the Highlanders and the Midlanders. They are similar to Humes from Final Fantasy XI.

·Lalafell

The Lalafell are a race from the seas south of Eorzea. The race consists of the Plainsfolk and the Dunesfolk. They are similar to the Tarutaru.

·Miqo’te

The Miqo’te are a race from Eorzea, and like the Hyur, are not native to the region. Miqo’tes are either Seekers of the Sun or Keepers of the Moon. They are cat-like beings, and similar to the Mithra.

·Roegadyn

The Roegadyn are a race from the seas north of Eorzea. This maritime race is broken into two tribes; the Sea Wolves and the Hellsguard. They are like the Galka, though they lack tails.

·Elezen

The Elezen are the race that has lived in Eorzea the longest and co-exist peacefully with the other races. Elezen can either be Wildwood Elezen or Duskwight Elezen. They are similar to the Elvaan.