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Episode 9 is now online for your enjoyment.

Danny joins the podcasting team this episode and we cover the following topics.

• Roleplay in FFXIV (article from guardianknight)
• How to overcome fears about FFXIV (article by Ralsu and spin-off thread about hardcore vs. casual by Obscura)
• Dengeki translation (map of Eorzea, mark of a beastman tribe?, Primals, amount of completed game available in beta)
• Connect!On March translation (capital cities)
• Fake FFXIV Beta Download site (thread)
• FFXIVCore.com wiki team adds Mooga, who has made some nice signatures for the staff and is enthusiastic about keeping the wiki the best on the web...

Make sure to leave your feedback in our CrystalCore forum.

Download / Listen to the CrystalCore Podcast Episode 9: Roleplay and FFXIV
(or on iTunes and in the Zune Marketplace)

This week's Famitsu included an article with interviews of 20 creators for some of the most highly anticipated games for 2010. Included in the article was a short interview with Hiromichi Tanaka, head of development for Final Fantasy XIV. In it, he talks about what last year was like for him and what he thinks is in store for the game industry in 2010. Translation by SteveManly and Aya.


Profile
Hiromichi Tanaka
Square Enix
Corporate-executive, head of online development

Let’s meet in Eorzea and Vana’diel!

Thoughts switching to Eorzea
Famitsu (F): What kind of year was 2009 for you?
Hiromichi Tanaka (HT): I’ve been working on online games since 2000, so 2009 was really more of the same. To be honest, I’ve been developing continuously for so long that my sense of time is shot (he laughs). We revealed a lot about FFXIV last year, but of course I’m also still working on FFXI, so I’ve been busy just as I have since 2000, except now I’d have to say that since the latter half of last year my attention has slowly shifted from XI to XIV.

F: What are your thoughts about 2009 for the rest of the gaming industry?
HT: I think 2009 was a big year for the iPodtouch and the iPhone. (The iPhone saw a later release in Japan and is only distributed by the smallest of the three main cell phone services, Softbank. Wide-spread iPhone use did not start until Softbank started offering some models for free and others for around fifteen American dollars with a new contract, so development for Japanese games for the iPhone just started picking up this year –Manly) An explosive amount of applications and games saw release last year and the iPhone is really starting to show its power as a multimedia device. Its integration with services like twitter make it easier to share information, and we’ll probably see this functionality broaden in the future. In Japan, a cell phone is a cell phone, not a portable game system like the DS or PSP, but if the iPhone sees a killer game app, it may cause some waves which could bring around the tides of change. The iPhone’s CPU isn’t made for games and it doesn’t have a lot of memory, but if it someday has similar specs to a DS or PSP, then the iPhone could be the next big handheld game system. If the rumored tablet device (I’m assuming he’s talking about the iPad –Manly) brings even more to the gaming scene, the mainstream consoles may be in danger. I’m still stuck with my Docomo phone, though (He laughs). (Docomo is the largest cell phone company in Japan, and the only one with service that reaches my house in the village –Manly)

Official service after efficient Beta test
F: What kind of year do you wish 2010 to be?
HT: First of all, I’d like to start the official service of Final Fantasy XIV, which took several years to create. I can’t make an official announcement, but I hope users can enjoy it within this year. For starters, I’d like to get the beta test up and running.

F: About the length of the Beta test, would you like users to play it for a long time?
HT: I am not going to define the period of the Beta test, but if it is almost completed, it may not be possible to reflect the opinions of the users. I wouldn’t like that, so I’d like users to play the Beta test of the game in its unfinished state, and would like to complete the game while taking users’ opinions into account. Therefore, I’d like to have the Beta test just before the master version, and want the game to reflect users’ ideas. However, this may be quite difficult, since there could be technical problems if the Beta test was started as the game is under construction. For instance, users may not be able to log into the server for a few days. As for the period of the Beta test, we can’t say anything yet.

F: What are you expecting from the game industry this year?
HT: This year I think we can look forward to interesting innovations in interface accessories like Project Natal. We were worried about whether or not we could get voice-chat to work with FFXIV, but like FFXI, FFXIV is a cross-platform game and the technology to get the systems voice technologies to work together are not completed yet. Because of this, we’re worried about the community being separated by game system, and there are other issues to worry about, like real-time translation and harassment prevention. It would be difficult get voice-chat up and running soon.

F: Please tell the readers what you would like to do this year.
HT: See you in Eorzea! We will work on starting the official service of FFXIV. Oh, and, of course, XI is also a very important title which has been going on over eight years. We’ll also continue working on it, so see you in Vana’diel, too!

Source is Weekly Famitsu, volume 1105, February 18th, 2010 (released February 4th).

Getting to the Core

Fraidy Cats

Plain and simple, I know some real fraidy cats. I have talked to everyone I can about Final Fantasy XIV, sharing my exuberance over Square Enix's newest title, and some people genuinely are afraid to think about trying FFXIV. The reasons they give range from monsters under their bed (stuff they imagine to be in the game but isn't) to recurring nightmares (stuff that was in FFXI and could be in FFXIV). I know even us devoted fans have some fears about FFXIV, but I wanted to allay as many as I could while I "spread the good news" about the game. I'll share how I addressed the concerns I heard and ask to hear how you talk your friends down from the ledge.

Monsters under the Bed (Stuff that is not really in FFXIV)
When I spoke about FFXIV to my friend, Eric, his biggest concern was the combat system. He has never enjoyed the menu-driven, RPG combat styles most of us are so accustomed to. He had done no research on the latest project from SE and assumed combat would function just like FFXI. Once I informed him about the combat system (that it uses the hot bars traditional MMO gamers know and love and that it will be faster paced than combat in FFXI), he calmed down a little. Some of the screens released in December 2009 got him to at least promise to look into FFXIV. For Eric, the fear was unfounded, but he didn't know that.

It was not as easy to dispel all David's fears as I had done with Eric's. David cited the way FFXI launched in different regions of the world, making the game very unfriendly to gamers in the West. Now, we all know that FFXIV has a projected simultaneous worldwide release, which should prevent anyone from being at a major disadvantage in the economy or combat. Even so, David noted a dichotomy between Westerners and Easterners in FFXI likely fueled by its asynchronous release that I could not dismiss.

Recurring Nightmares (Stuff that was in FFXI and Could be in FFXIV)
David's primary concerns were that 1. Japanese players (whether accurate or not) are notorious for valuing steep difficulty and tedium (i.e. grinding or boring tasks) and 2. Square Enix would value the loyalty of Japanese customers over any others. His contention was that FFXI garnered most of its subscriptions from players in the Eastern hemisphere and that FFXIV would stick to the hardcore roots established in FFXI regardless of any publicly declared commitment to causal gameplay (like the one espoused here in question #5).

Ignore the contentious aspects of David's concerns (that Japanese gamers are more hardcore, that most subscribers of FFXI lived east of Moscow, or that SE values one customer base over another). Don't his arguments make a little sense? Most people can agree that FFXI was no slouch in the area of subscriptions. Few can deny how hard it was to start at launch for the American audience. In fact, many of the Americans who stuck with FFXI did so because they enjoyed the challenge of mechanics like XP penalty, forced grouping, and difficult mobs even at level 1.

And just look at any forum frequented by FFXI players for another reason to be scared. Most FFXI veterans talk in detail about searching for months for a single set of gear (because it was necessary to survive major encounters early on), the most efficient XP grinds (and how people would be shunned from groups if they were anything less than optimal), and class balance swings that made some classes obsolete from time to time. All of those things can be frightening for gamers who just want to have a good time and not feel like their MMOG of choice is a job.

Conversely, it was the job-like dedication required to progress in FFXI that attracted many players and made the game a success. Certainly SE knows its fan base well enough to know that it gambles alienating those gamers if it strays too far in an attempt to capture a new market. Why would SE want to change a formula that made the company substantial amounts of money and satisfied a population of gamers for seven years and counting?

Okay, so maybe that question is rhetorical. We all know that World of Warcraft's existence reminds companies daily that millions of non-hardcore gamers would love to pay money for entertainment in a game. In the end, I could do little to persuade David to give FFXIV a look, but I could at least point to the promises for more casual-friendly gameplay made by SE at this point in development.

Parting Thoughts
I hope I have not added to anyone's doubts about FFXIV. I am committed to the game from Day 1 even though I am not a hardcore gamer. Instead, I have shared a few of the fears my friends have revealed to me and how I attempted to address them. While Eric's fears stemmed from his lack of knowledge about the game, he and David shared fears about FFXIV because what FFXI was (at least from their points of view).I have a feeling they are not the only gamers to have concerns about the next SE MMOG based on the previous one. How can we FFXIV fans spread the word, assuage the fears, and convert the heathen masses? What do you tell your friends to get them excited about FFXIV?

Missed a Getting to the Core? Catch up on all the topics here.

This week's Riddle Reaper is up ladies and gentlemen! Think you have the wits to solve this week's challenge? If so, click the logo below to be taken to this week's game of Riddle Reaper!

In this issue, Volume 39, page 61 of Famitsu's Connect!On magazine, Mainai and Talu speculate about the five cities already released and the sixth "mystery" city. They discuss relations between the cities and what this possibly holds for the future (and the past) of Eorzea. There will be no scan because it was one wall-of-text page, but we hope you enjoy it!

Translation: Stevemanly and Aya

Not yet covered in other magazines
Unraveling the mystery of the six capitals

Final Fantasy XIV takes place in Eorzea, which is said to have six capitals, or main cities. The only cities with released information, however, are Limsa Lominsa, Ul’dah, and Grindania. The remaining cities remain shrouded in mystery, but by thoroughly examining all the information released up to this point, we could began to see a faint silhouette of these other capitals. Here you have it, untouched in other magazines: the mysterious six capitals!

Review of the Eorzea capitals

Mainai: Where did it first say there were six capitals?
Talu: It was in the information about the Garlean Empire’s attack on Ala Mhigo. At this point, they’ve only released information on three of these capitals directly, but putting together all of the information released so far, we actually have information about five of them. Here’s that information.

• Limsa Lominsa: The city is governed by a leader they call Admiral. One of the Roegadyn tribes lives here.
  
• Ul’dah: Ul’dah produces slashing-type one-handed swords and is surrounded by desert. Martial arts tournaments are held here.
  
• Gridania: Its base is nestled in a dim forest. According to the information released so far, it is somewhere in the northern part of Eorzea
  
• Ishgard: This city in the mountains appears in the story “Tales of Bridges.”
  
• Ala Mhigo: This city was the first to fall in the Empire’s invasion and was home to many Highlander Hyurs.

M: Ishgard came up in the weapons information. The bastard sword said something about having the thrusting power of an Ishgardian blade.
T: That it did, and the name Ala Mhigo was released with the first information about the Garlean Empire. Ala Mhigo was renowned for its military power.
M: It was so strong, the other cities were surprised when news reached them of Ala Mhigo’s downfall. If you can visit it in the game, it will probably be closer to ruins than a city. I would have loved to see that military powerhouse of a city in its heyday, though.
T: That’s where “reliving the past” comes in. The past existent in the “Wings of the Goddess” expansion for FFXI probably won’t even begin to compare to the world of the past in FFXIV. I expect we are supposed to piece together the clues from the past and the future to understand why the Primals were summoned and learn the secret to the Garlean Empire’s mechanical force.

Intercity relations
M: How are relations between the cities? Were they always cooperative with each other?
T: This information has already been released. Here’s how the story went:

• Age of warring cities
  
• Ala Mhigo falls to Garlean Empire
  
• The cities form an alliance to resist the empire
  
• Time of peace

M: The cities were forced into an alliance due to their fear of the enpire, but I get the feeling their old grudges still linger and these bonds aren’t very tight…
T: Right, and I believe that will come up in the “reliving the past” aspect.
M: Oh? How so?
T: Right now, at least on the surface, everyone gets along, but before there was a lot of hatred between the cities. Depending on the time period, a city’s enemies are different. In the present, it’s the beast tribes and the Empire, but in the past, all of the cities were at war with each other. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
M: Instead of working together to take down a single NPC, maybe we’ll be able to take part in large-scale battles in the past?!
T: Maybe we’ll even see some PVP battles for control over territory!

The mysterious sixth capital
M: What about the sixth city? We haven’t even heard its name.
T: I personally think we may see another city destroyed long ago by an outside force. It could be a city that was the strongest in its field. Like Ala Mhigo and its unparalleled military strength, this other city could have been unmatched in its knowledge of magic and skill. We haven’t seen any groups that excel in magic yet, so I think it’s possible.
M: It would be interesting if it were a city destroyed by the beast tribes and the Primals, but personally, I’d like the sixth city to be like Jeuno in FFXI. You can only be awarded entry once you’ve reached a certain level of adventuring.

Beast tribes and mankind rivalry
T: The beast tribes are split into many tribes and can be found rampaging around all the land.
M: There will probably be a major tribe for each city, like San d’Oria and its orcs in FFXI.
T: The Garlean Empire is a new, invading enemy, but the beast tribes have been around as enemies for a long time.
M: “Invaders” and “enemies.” Looks like we’re in for a battle royale between the Empire, cities, and the beast tribes!

Which city would you like to visit first?

Readers were asked which city they wanted to visit first among the three cities released at the official site. According to that survey, 48% chose Limsa Lominsa, 42 % said Gridania, and 10 percent preferred Ul’dah.

• I am interested in Limsa Lominsa. I was raised near the sea, so I’d like to have my base in an ocean city. –Yasutaka
  
  
• Since I belonged to Windurst in FFXI, I kind of want to try Gridania, the forest city. –Koka
  
  
• I want to enjoy spectacular buildings in Ul’dah. –Natu
  
  
• I’d like to watch the beautiful ocean at the ocean city. –Tonya

Race: Huge change of orders except for Miqo’te

The popularity of race players want to play has greatly changed?! As the following list shows, the rate has highly changed. On the other hand, the popularity of Mqo’te stayed same.

• Elezen Male: 11%
  
  
• Elezen Female: 7%
  
  
• Lalafell Male: 20 %
  
  
• Lalafell Female: 12%
  
  
• Hyuran Male: 6%
  
  
• Hyuran Female: 10%
  
  
• Roegadyn: 8%
  
  
• Miqo’te 26%

• Looking at the powerfulness of Roegadyn made me want to play it even more. –PEPSIMAN
  
  
• I want to design Lalafell female by character making! –Haramin
  
  
• I thought I wanted to play Lalafell, but I changed my mind to play Miqo’te on the first sight of her moving around (laugh). –Sachu
  
  
• Small, cute Lalafell Male. –Kino
  
  
• Miqo’te is cuter than Mithra! –Meme