Final Fantasy 14/XIV (Online) - Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy XIV (14) also called Final Fantasy XIV Online is an MMORPG released by Square Enix in 2010 for Microsoft Windows personal computers. It is the fourteenth title of the flagship Final Fantasy series and is the second MMORPG in the franchise. The game was directed by Nobuaki Komoto and Naoki Yoshida, produced by Hiromichi Tanaka and Naoki Yoshida, its music scored by series veteran Nobuo Uematsu and others.
The original version of the game was shut down in 2012 due to poor quality and negative reception. Naoki Yoshida took over production for the remake and Hiromichi Tanaka was dropped from the role. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, released worldwide for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3 in August 2013, with clients for PlayStation 4 and macOS following later.
Final Fantasy XIV Plot
Final Fantasy XIV takes place in the world of Hydaelyn and the region the game takes place is called Eorzea. At the end of the original game, the dragon Bahamut escapes from its lunar prison and begins the Seventh Umbral Calamity, a destructive event that leaves much of Eorzea in ruins. Thanks to a blessing from the gods, the player character escapes the devastation through time travel-- going five years into the future. As Eorzea recovers from the devastation, the player must address the impending menace of invasion by the northern Garlean Empire.
Gameplay
The game follows the classic RPG experience system, whereby players gain experience and become stronger. The main sources of experience include quests, exploring instanced dungeons, participating in Full Active Time Events, and slaying monsters. In addition, the game offers PvP content. In the Armoury System, the weapon a character wields determines the character’s class. Thus, players may change class by changing weapons. Classes are divided into four major categories: Disciples of War, adept in physical combat; Disciples of Magic, skilled mages; Disciples of the Hand, craftsman capable of fixing and making items; and finally the Disciples of the Land, gatherers that specialize in collecting resources from the environment. The Job System adds upon the Armoury System for Disciples of War and Magic, allowing access to magic, weapons, powerful skills, and armor associated with the job and class. These jobs, influenced by previous Final Fantasy character jobs, are best suited to party-based combat.
Characters
There are eight playable races in the game:
- Hyur- A race that migrated to Eorzea and brought their technology. They are split into two groups, the midlanders and the highlanders.
- Lalafell- A race that comes from the south seas of Eorzea made up of the Plansfolk and the Dunesfolk.
- Miqo’te- A cat-like race that migrated to Eorzea like the Hyur. They are classified as either seekers of the sun or keepers of the moon.
- The Roegadyn- A race from the seas to the north of Eorzea. The maritime race is split into two main tribes; the Sea Wolves and the Hellsguard.
- The Elezen- A race that has inhabited Eorzea for the longest time and lived peacefully with the neighboring races. Elezen are either Wildwood Elezen or Duskwight Elezen.
- The Au Ra- A race introduced in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. They come from the Far East and are divided into two tribes: Raen and Xaela. They appear to be half-human, half-dragon, but the producers state they are actually part demon.
- The Viera- are a race introduced in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers. They are from southern Othard and categorized as either Rava or Veena. Only females are playable since males are rarely seen.
- The Hrothgar- Introduced in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, they come from Ilsabard. The beast-like race has two tribes, the Helions and the Lost. They are the opposite of the Viera, only males are playable since females are rarely seen.
Development
Development for the game began under the codename “Rapture”, but producers were reluctant to release it as a main title Final Fantasy game because it was considered “too radical”. Development first started in 2005, four years prior to its official announcement. Hiromichi Tanaka, the original producer for Final Fantasy XI and involved in other titles, took on the role of a lead producer. Some of the games artwork and its logo (designed to appear as a sort of wheel) were created by Yoshitaka Amano. Nobuo Uematsu and others were responsible for the score.
The game was supposed to be built around a main story with branching side stories. Yaeko Sato was the writer for the game, the same writer of Final Fantasy XI. Sato had to deal with a completely inefficient work environment, and was brought on board after the setting and gameplay was determined, forcing her to consult the rest of the team every time she wanted to use a major location in some way.
Reception
The reception to the original game was largely negative, mostly due to problems with the user interface, performance, and various aspects of gameplay. Gametrailers stated that it had been "released before it was finished" and called it "[a] broken, incomplete mess". PC Gamer described the game as "a shallow, slow, grind-heavy MMO crippled by a horrible interface and nonsensical player limitations". However, the remake, A Realm Reborn, addressed these original issues and was a critical success.