FF14 Dawntrail is nearly upon us, and sport director and producer Naoki Yoshida says that, after the profitable implementation of solo story parts all through Shadowbringers and Endwalker, the brand new enlargement for the critically acclaimed MMORPG could have a heavier concentrate on multiplayer and large-scale content material. Because it stands, nevertheless, Last Fantasy 14 doesn’t do the very best job of getting newcomers from the story to the endgame, and so PCGamesN asks Yoshida if he’d wish to implement extra methods to assist gamers be taught.
As a daily participant ever for the reason that launch of A Realm Reborn in 2013, I’ve watched Last Fantasy 14 proceed to develop and evolve over its decade-plus of improvement. Whereas it definitely earns its place as among the best MMORPGs ever, most gamers will agree that its biggest power is in its story, one thing that Yoshida and Artistic Enterprise Unit III have positioned nice concentrate on all through the newest Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions.
That’s set to alter in Dawntrail. Having widened the entry level for gamers to get on board, Yoshida now says he needs to push for extra concentrate on multiplayer content material, aiming in the direction of a aim of “80 to 90% multiplayer content material shifting ahead.” He additionally says the group is engaged on making FF14 content material much less repetitive and inspiring participant events to strategize on the fly and determine options to the challenges at hand.
On the media tour occasion the place I play the FF14 Dawntrail preview construct, together with the Viper and Pictomancer jobs, I ask Yoshida if this focus requires providing extra help to story-driven gamers, to assist them be taught the fundamentals of high-end fight. In any case, regardless of my in depth playtime I nonetheless really feel a pang of apprehension on the concept of queuing for brand spanking new duties on something however my consolation melee DPS jobs.
“First I wish to reply from my perspective as a sport designer but in addition as somebody who may be very aware of MMOs,” Yoshida says. “In relation to informal avid gamers and getting them to attempt a sure kind of content material, I’m not the one that would need to pull them to attempt that.” Everybody has their very own conditions, he explains, whether or not they’re busy with work or finding out, and he wouldn’t want to power somebody out of their consolation zone whereas enjoying FF14 throughout their downtime.
“Clearly from my perspective, I’d need many individuals to check out the varied varieties of content material that now we have, however I feel the best scenario is that they fight it out at their very own tempo and each time it fits them.” I point out the Corridor of the Novice, a easy tutorial system that introduces some primary ideas like avoiding AoE assaults, focusing on enemy healers first, and interacting with objects mid-fight. It’s fairly useful, however sticks to quite simple concepts and hasn’t been expanded since its introduction.
Yoshida agrees that this can be a system that would profit from some brushing up. “I feel moderately than a tutorial, there ought to be some coaching of types that may be supplied, perhaps for individuals who’ve reached the extent cap. So in Dawntrail it will be at stage 100 – they’re questioning about how their talent rotation works, or perhaps for people who find themselves tanking this coaching may assist them perceive how tank switching works. I feel a minimum of this sort of coaching ought to be supplied, as a result of it’s worthwhile having this information to tackle the problem of varied content material.”
One potential resolution lies within the Gold Saucer. I like the FF14 Fall Guys occasion, I inform Yoshida, as a result of it’s an effective way to follow some extra superior raid mechanics in a totally stress-free zone. There’s no concern of letting others down, and when you mess up you’ll be able to instantly give it one other go along with no actual draw back. It’s removed from the primary Saucer occasion to supply this potential, and with plans to develop on the on line casino’s choices in Dawntrail, I ask whether or not we may see extra such integration sooner or later.
“I feel this is able to be very best,” Yoshida responds. It’s an area the place gamers can simply bounce in and participate, he says, “and as they’re enjoying the content material, they’ll progressively be taught in regards to the mechanics. I feel that is very best as a result of if we current it as ‘right here’s a tutorial, right here’s one other tutorial, right here’s one other tutorial,’ it feels such as you’re in class – I need to keep away from that form of scenario.”
He additionally expresses a wariness that gamers may grow to be too demanding if a extra express tutorial system have been carried out. “We do have a really passionate neighborhood,” he concludes, “so if we had that, the neighborhood would say, ‘Oh you must go and do that,’ ‘you must go and try this.’” Some type of center floor possibility, then, may be simply what FF14 wants, and I’ll definitely by no means say no to extra Gold Saucer minigames.
You too can learn the opposite a part of our media tour interview, the place Yoshida reveals canceled FF14 jobs and weapons. Because the FF14 Dawntrail launch date nears, be sure you’re all caught up with our helpful overview of the whole lot that’s new. And when you love a great narrative, be sure to not miss out on the very best story video games to play in 2024.
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This text relies on time spent enjoying an in-development construct of Last Fantasy 14 Dawntrail, and content material within the remaining model is topic to alter.