Ask the Developers: User Interface and Enemy Distribution (Source)
Quote
Following the Topics post of November 17, entitled New Features and User Interface Improvements, the FINAL FANTASY XIV community has expressed interest in and provided feedback regarding several of the changes planned for the coming version updates.
In today's post, the development and management teams address some of the most prominent questions and concerns in an ongoing FAQ series.
Changes to User Interface
Q.
I see that the inventory space for PCs and retainers is going to be expanded. Will this require me to complete a quest of some sort like the item-fetch gobbiebag quests of FINAL FANTASY XI?
A.
Not at all. The inventory expansion will take effect for all players and retainers immediately following the version update on November 24.
Q.
What is the difference between the automated and manual item sort features that are planned for release?
A.
The automated item sort feature will organize a player's inventory by grouping together items of the same kind. Within these groupings, items will further be listed alphabetically. By using the manual sort option, however, players may arrange the items in their inventories however they see fit. Additional sort options will be added in future version updates, as well.
Q.
What kind of features will be added to the Keyboard Settings section of the Configuration menu?
A.
The new commands that can now be mapped to the keyboard are listed below.
Other Mappable Functions
Enemy Distribution
Q. The before and after screenshots in the previous Topics post illustrating the changes to the distribution of enemies made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. What changed exactly? And why are they gazing into my soul?
A. What the pictures come up incredibly short of depicting is an approximately 50% increase in the number of enemies. This figure is subject to some variation across areas. Soul-gazing may or may not be addressed in a future Topics post...
Balancing is Half the Battle (Source)
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One area of focus for the November 24 version update is battle balancing. Among the many adjustments being made are changes to the accuracy of physical and magic attacks, enmity rates, actions for all classes, and reductions to the amount of skill points needed to rank up, and more.
Character Progression
Accuracy
The accuracy rates for actions in general, both physical and magic, have been increased, making it easier for players to land attacks. This will, subsequently, result in more skill points.
Skill Points in Parties
Skill points earned in battle are now awarded after an enemy is defeated. Additionally, discrepancies in the amount of skill points awarded to party members have been reduced. Together with these changes, the overall number of skill points awarded has also been increased, making progression easier even in smaller parties.
The above changes will serve to increase the tempo of battle, and also allow players to obtain more skill points than was previously possible. To further facilitate the process of ranking up, the amount of skill points required to attain ranks 11 through 31 has been reduced. The reductions are most significant for the rank range of 11 through 20, as we would like to enable players the ability to engage in more goal-oriented content, such as the hunting of notorious monsters, at an earlier stage of play. Further information regarding these changes will be released in the version update details Topics post of November 24.
Balancing Adjustments to Actions
In order to improve the uniqueness and flavor of each class in party battle, we have made a number of adjustments to the effects, durations, execution costs, and enmity generation rates of a number of actions. Below is a sampling of these changes.
Pugilist
Gladiator
Marauder
Archer
Lancer
Conjurer
Thaumaturge
More...
Quote
Following the Topics post of November 17, entitled New Features and User Interface Improvements, the FINAL FANTASY XIV community has expressed interest in and provided feedback regarding several of the changes planned for the coming version updates.
In today's post, the development and management teams address some of the most prominent questions and concerns in an ongoing FAQ series.
Changes to User Interface
Q.
I see that the inventory space for PCs and retainers is going to be expanded. Will this require me to complete a quest of some sort like the item-fetch gobbiebag quests of FINAL FANTASY XI?
A.
Not at all. The inventory expansion will take effect for all players and retainers immediately following the version update on November 24.
Q.
What is the difference between the automated and manual item sort features that are planned for release?
A.
The automated item sort feature will organize a player's inventory by grouping together items of the same kind. Within these groupings, items will further be listed alphabetically. By using the manual sort option, however, players may arrange the items in their inventories however they see fit. Additional sort options will be added in future version updates, as well.
Q.
What kind of features will be added to the Keyboard Settings section of the Configuration menu?
A.
The new commands that can now be mapped to the keyboard are listed below.
- Targeting Functions
- Target Party Member 1
- Target Party Member 2
- Target Party Member 3
- Target Party Member 4
- Target Nearest PC
- Target Nearest NPC
Other Mappable Functions
- Open Attributes window
- Open Gear window
- Open Actions & Traits window
- Open Point Allotment window
- Open Loot window
- Open Inventory
- Open Journal
- Open Bazaar
- Examine target
- Begin Synthesis action
- Begin Gathering action
Enemy Distribution
Q. The before and after screenshots in the previous Topics post illustrating the changes to the distribution of enemies made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. What changed exactly? And why are they gazing into my soul?
A. What the pictures come up incredibly short of depicting is an approximately 50% increase in the number of enemies. This figure is subject to some variation across areas. Soul-gazing may or may not be addressed in a future Topics post...
Balancing is Half the Battle (Source)
Quote
One area of focus for the November 24 version update is battle balancing. Among the many adjustments being made are changes to the accuracy of physical and magic attacks, enmity rates, actions for all classes, and reductions to the amount of skill points needed to rank up, and more.
Character Progression
Accuracy
The accuracy rates for actions in general, both physical and magic, have been increased, making it easier for players to land attacks. This will, subsequently, result in more skill points.
Skill Points in Parties
Skill points earned in battle are now awarded after an enemy is defeated. Additionally, discrepancies in the amount of skill points awarded to party members have been reduced. Together with these changes, the overall number of skill points awarded has also been increased, making progression easier even in smaller parties.
The above changes will serve to increase the tempo of battle, and also allow players to obtain more skill points than was previously possible. To further facilitate the process of ranking up, the amount of skill points required to attain ranks 11 through 31 has been reduced. The reductions are most significant for the rank range of 11 through 20, as we would like to enable players the ability to engage in more goal-oriented content, such as the hunting of notorious monsters, at an earlier stage of play. Further information regarding these changes will be released in the version update details Topics post of November 24.
Balancing Adjustments to Actions
In order to improve the uniqueness and flavor of each class in party battle, we have made a number of adjustments to the effects, durations, execution costs, and enmity generation rates of a number of actions. Below is a sampling of these changes.
Pugilist
- Featherfoot
- Active duration increased from 15 to 30 seconds.
- Evasion rate increased.
Gladiator
- Luminous Spire
- MP cost reduced from 20 to 10.
Marauder
- Foresight
- Stamina cost reduced from 5 to 3.5.
- Active duration increased from 15 to 30 seconds.
- Parry rate increased.
- Bloodbath
- Stamina cost reduced from 6 to 3.5.
Archer
- Trifurcate
- MP cost reduced from 30 to 15.
Lancer
- Speed Surge, Life Surge
- Active duration increased from 120 to 180 seconds.
Conjurer
- Cure, Cure II, Cure III
- Enmity generation adjusted.
Thaumaturge
- Scourge
- Amount of damage dealt increased.
- Sacrifice, Sacrifice II, Sacrifice III
- Enmity generation adjusted.
- Amount of HP healed increased.
More...