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Points to notice in this week's edition are:
- A few more comments about the armory system (they're really just chipping away at the veil on this, aren't they?)
- Some added monster pictures and comments about their history in the series
- A step-by-step look at the progression of a guildleve
- Closer pictures of the battle guages
- A FAMITSU EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Hiromichi Tanaka with information on the game's progress
- Hints that player tests may begin in the near future?
- A nifty conclusion that sums up the author's impressions
Aya and SteveManly did a smash-up tag team to bring you this article as quickly as possible. Please enjoy!
FFXIV Newest Info
Top:
At Gamescom in Germany, SquareEnix started showing FFXIV in more detail in the form of a playable version. We have the newest information, including Famitsu exclusive information, spanning the next four pages.
CLASS: The “armory system,†with which the player controls their style and skill growth, is divided into four “classes†which the player can switch through freely: fighter, sorcerer, gatherer, and crafter. Here are their pictures and information.
Blue box: [What are classes?] Classes are the skills that defines a player character. A player’s strengths and weaknesses are decided by their classes. Players learn class abilities by earning experience points for that class. There are currently 11 classes that have been revealed.
Archer. Bow user (pictured: short bow)
This is one of the fighter classes. It specializes in bows. Probably a ranged fighter.
Martial artist. Hand-to-hand weapon user (pictured: baghnakhs)
Another fighter class. Fights with hand-to-hand weapons. The furthest from the archer class, the martial artist gets up the in enemy’s face for close-range action.
Axe warrior. Axe user (pictured: bhuj)
A class with an axe. From its appearance, it seems to be a class specializing in focusing damage into large, singular attacks. Guess what? Also a fighter class.
Tailor. Tailor tools user (currently equipped: needles.)
Crafter class. Specializes in crafting with thread and cloth, but is it possible to battle with their tools?
MONSTERS: What RPG is complete without the monsters that attack the players in the fields and dungeons? Here are 8 of those monsters.
PUK: Looks like a lizard with wings. This monster was also in FFXI.
ANTELOPE: Thought to be modeled after a real life antelope (go figure, Japan). It looks gentle, but what attacks could it possess?
OPO-OPO: This charming little monster looks like a gibbon. Its fat tail and large hands and feet are its characteristic features.
SABOTENDER(Cactuar): This comical looking enemy is a staple enemy for the Final Fantasy series. There are many players who have suffered its “thousand needles†attack.
AHRIMAN: A monster that has seen a lot of screen time since its first appearance in FFIII. With wings, arms and legs extending from its eyeball torso, it’s just as creepy as ever.
OGRE: A common monster of the fantasy genre. Its aggressiveness is quite impressive.
MAMMET: Its characteristic feature is its doll-like appearance. The name is different, but its appearance is similar to that of the FFXI marionette. (Someone check on this please, didn’t use a puppet master)
MORBOL: Another staple monster of the FF series. Will we be seeing more “bad breath?â€
Guildleve(ギルドリーヴ)　：This is a report from trying Guildleve which is interesting since you can enjoy it in a short time period. The report includes an interview with Hiromichi Tanaka, the producer.
1. Move to Aetheryte(エーテライト),base
Warp to Aetheryte after getting Guildleave at the city’s Adventure Guild.
2. Check out Guildleve
<window of Guildleve> They tell you conditions to clear, time limit, and reward. In this Guildleve, the mission is to kill monsters named Dodo （ドードー）and Puk.（プーク）
3. Go out to field and search for monsters
Look for monsters with info from field maps and compass on the right bottom of the screen.
4. Dodo spotted! Begin combat
You met Dodos, one of monsters you have to subdue. Battle will be held on the spot, not as an encounter.
(Note: 5, 6, and 7 are on page 4)
5. Succeed in killing Dodos
The number of monsters you have killed and you have to kill will be shown when you kill a monster.
Attack monsters by choosing commands from the “action menu†on the bottom-center of the screen.
6. Puk appears at different point
Puks appear after killing the number of Dodos you have to. Some monsters don’t show up till you kill certain numbers of monsters as a mission. The Guildleve is cleared when you kill all the monsters.
7. Warp point appears when you clear the mission
You can go back to Aetheryte where you started the Guildleve with warp point when you cleared the mission. This system is nice since the field is vast.
<Experiences of Guildleve> by Opone Kikuchi (editor)
- Tried “The Trouble With Puksâ€
Guildleve has another missions such as “kill all the Nuteatersâ€, and “Collect five lemming tailsâ€. The former mission is quite challenging as monsters move so fast and sometimes run away in the middle of battle. You have to corporate with others for this game, like having others try to kill them while you search for them. You need to adapt your playstyle depending on the mission!
- Command choosing method is used for Battle system
When you go out to the field searching for monsters, you will soon notice that the field is massive. Moreover, there is no waiting time for loading on changing areas, so you can move around seamlessly. In FFXIV, you have to choose actions and abilities from the “action menu†icons on the bottom-center of the screen. There are two gauges which correspond to both of hands. For instance, left gauge has the command for shield since you hold it with your left hand. Also, you can choose 10 actions for the menu so you can customize them. You have to arrange things you need depending on your style and the roles in parties.
There is a gauge called “TPâ€. TP gets higher when you plan to attack or you are damaged, and when TP reaches certain point, you can use special skills.
The version I played was a trial, so it was easy to kill monsters with many special skills. The trial time was only 15 minutes, however, I enjoyed the Guildleve very much. An adventure at an unknown place with strangers, and solving mysteries…. It was an incredibly solid 15 minutes!
Interview with Hiromichi Tanaka
(to the right of 5, 6, and 7 of the guildleve walkthrough on page 4)
- Why did you decide to use a command battle system?
-Tanaka: Players have to be very active to make their own battles, and I also wanted battles to be more strategy-intensive. Those are reason players have to choose commands on their own. Plus, you can change your role depending on the situation by customizing the action menu.
-How much of FFXIV is completed?
-Tanaka: About 40 to 50 percent as a whole. FFXIV was made public quite earlier than its completion to gather many people’s opinions and reflect them. So, even though there are many unfinished parts, we are intentionally showing it. The beta tests may start a bit earlier.
-What is the points of Guildleve?
-Tanaka: The point is that you can enjoy it without circumstance. However, as a seriese of Final Fantasy, the story is the main and it would be enjoyable too, of course.
-Can we try it in Japan (at Tokyo Game Show?)
-Tanaka: We’d love to have you guys try the “Development version,†which is similar to the alpha version before Beta version. Maybe we will gather users for this trial rather than having an exhibition or show.
Conclusion
- You can enjoy Guildleve in even a short time period
- The command battle system is quite profound
- The game is fun, after all!
Guildleve is going to have different tasks too, so the variation is quite interesting. The Battle system will require a lot of strategy, starting with customizing action menus.
I'd hope they'd eat lunch before then. Also I expect we'll be well into beta by then, but not launched that soon.
Twilight 
