Predictably enough, it's time I acknowledged the announcement of Final Fantasy XIV. FFXI players have known that project Rapture has been on its way for a long time now, so it came as no surprise. What was surprising however was just how much of FFXIV appears to tip its hat to XI. They have even preserved the same races that comprises the population of Vana 'diel. Amano's illustrated logo itself also mirrors the shape and theme found in XI's. I'm glad to see that FFXIV will be essentially a "spiritual" sequel to FFXI.

Only a brief teaser and a small smattering of info has been released so there's not much to go on. I'm generally hostile to CG being used in gaming trailers as it is worthless for distinguishing the games worth. In which case it's impossible to tell at this point how FFXIV will finally shape up, as the snippet of CG tells us little.

It does show us the general style and culture the game world exists within. Akihiko Yoshida who will be FFXIV's art directer who served on other SE games such as FFXII, and Vagrant Story. Taking the trailer together with earlier concept photos and artwork from the official site gives a feeling of how it will look. Personally I like Akihiko Yoshida's style a lot. It has a very intricate and artisan look full of vibrant colors and curved forms.




During the short trailer, log-shaped crafts fly through the air shooting at moving targets, which would suggest the level of technology will be higher than that found within FFXI. This should be a welcome decision as the last thing the world needs is yet another MMORPG with a medieval culture.

Here's some other info culled from the Q&A press conference Square held at E3:

- Subscription fees may be based upon a static 30 day charge instead of following the capriciousness of whichever month of whichever date and time you happen to start/restart upon.
- Leveling your character and gaining experience may be wholly rethought to create a better system.
-They will be utilizing the lessons learned from their time adjusting FFXI.
-All regions will play on the same servers the same as FFXI. Some users disparage this idea but I personally like playing with international users.

The direct quote Square used when referring to furthering your avatar was "the growth and development of the character". That could mean a lot of things, but firstly it makes me think of the game Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Oblivion made use of a system where the player progressed dynamically depending on the actions he took. New ideas like that are what the MMO genre could desperately use. WoW is the poster boy for forging new ideas in an MMORPG (although I think FFXI has been unjustly unrecognized in this regard).

Innovation is a tricky and dangerous thing however. For some time now MMO creators have been out-boasting each other trying to present themselves as the most cutting edge. Tabula Rasa was hyped as an action-packed genre blending spectacle that ultimately fell flat and was taken off-line not long ago. Ditto for Auto Assault and the Matrix Online. Hell, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures even features full out pixelated boobs and it has underperformed the developers expectations. Clearly then, edgy rhetoric is not enough and an MMO lives or dies by the entertainment and fulfilling nature of its gameplay. I sincerely doubt FFXIV will wind up that way, but until more is known I remain skeptical.

Some general things I'd like to see from FFXIV:

• De-emphasize rare equipment.

• Do away with "randomness" as a gameplay element in general.

• Reward exploration, if only in some small way.

• If it is decided the game will use voice actors implement an option to turn the voices off. It probably sounds silly but this is almost a make-or-break deal for me. If the voice acting fails, why should I be punished with listening to it? Learn from FFX here.

• Utilize a detailed system that makes it easy to see who is on the same missions or quests as you. Lord of the Rings Online has a great system where you can see your whole party in one look. It tells you in simple icons if they have the quest, if they're on a previous one, or a further one, etc.

Lastly in regard to FFXI Square maintained its position that development will continue as long as players support it. We do know there is likely to be at least two more version updates before Wings of the Goddess draws to a close with two accompanying add-on scenarios. I'm hopeful there will be a new expansion introduced some time after that. Ideally I'd wish for an expansion catering exclusively to high-level veteran players on a new continent (a sort of Aht Urhgan+1). New version update notes will be released the rest of this month so we will soon see what the immediate future holds for FFXI.

There is an new trend emerging in the last few FFXI updates. Field of Valor was treated with steroids. Mog Tablets are souping up Signet while having us comb every square inch of mainland areas. Add-on scenarios entice us to spend our time scouring the oldest nooks and crannies of Vana 'diel. Others have also suggested as much elsewhere; there is a likely motivating factor behind these events. I think it is that old notion of making better use of "under utilized" areas.

In case the idea is unfamiliar to you (if you read player forums you'll hear this argument often), here's the gist of it. Some areas are more frequented than others, therefore the shunned zones should have new incentives added in order to make better use of them. This is only one of the many bizarre manifestations resulting from players being culturally influenced by leftist political ideas.

Truly, in all its weirdness, it is egalitarianism applied to areas. Call it "zone disparity" if you like, to make the spin more openly stated. The way some players talk you would think that we are being bilked out of our money every month if every single zone isn't equal to Bhaflau Thickets or Whitegate.

A typical player comment goes something like this:

"Well, if I go to Ranguemont Pass NO ONE is EVER there, so it is a WASTE!" they would say. A waste of what exactly? Some rationalize this as a waste of money paid for an expansion, or as time developers spent grueling over hot Promyvion floaty-balls instead of creating jizz inducing double-ended Ridills.

The simple and obvious fact of reality is that things have an identity, and so, are evaluated differently from one another. Saying that all the areas should ideally be equally popular is lunacy, and plainly not possible

It's also important not confuse the "equal area opportunity" argument for simply arguing for more viable merit camps. On most servers there is a genuine dearth of merit camping areas that should be addressed, but that is a separate issue.

Think about this the next time you are scouring Mog Tablets, or collecting the next add-on scenario item capriciously dropped from some goblin somewhere. There's a good chance you're acting as a result of someone's arbitrary agenda of equal area appreciation. It is a quest in vain for some vague sense of an underdog injustice that doesn't exist.