Recently, the Dengeki team has released two very large collections of all FFXI-related magazine articles from 2002 until the end of 2006. Unfortunately, these articles are not quite in tact, as all past interviews are completely removed from the pages.

Perhaps as an incentive to make up for this, the second volume of magazine articles (June 2004 - December 2006) contains a nice meaty Developer Interview on its final pages. The team sat down with Nobuaki Komoto and Koichi Ogawa, who directed Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht Urghan respectively.

This interview is written to have taken place in August 2008, before the most recent Version Update.

Two Developers Give the Inside Scoop on Their Two Expansions

(left) Chains of Promathia Director, Nobuaki Komoto, Favorite Area: Bastok, Favorite Race: Galka. Even if he could remake his character, he would still choose Galka.

(below) Treasures of Aht Urghan Director, Koichi Ogawa, Favorite Area: Purgonorgo Island, Favorite Race: Mithra. If it were possible, he would want to play as a Yagudo Samurai.

Do user reactions get implemented into Version Updates?!

- Final Fantasy XI has seen Rise of the Zilart, plus three other expansions since service began. What are the difficulties you face with each release?
Komoto: At first, it was pretty much like making a regular game, you decide what goes where and you get to work. But once you get into making “expansion discs,” everything has to change in line with the reactions of your users. So, before we put anything out there, we get lost in re-examining what we want to do, wondering “should we do this instead?” Things are constantly changing, and evolving our original plans to match that is tough, indeed. (laughs) Things like graphics may be already set, so there’s a limit to what we can do on the fly. If I had to choose though, game balance is something that is extremely difficult to attain.

- So you do, after all, take user reactions into account and incorporate them into adjustments?
Komoto: Yes, we do. It wouldn’t make sense not to. That back and forth with the users is important, I think.

- Where do you mainly get user opinions from?
Komoto: That differs amongst the various staff members. Of course, we also check the Internet. I often read individual blogs for information. More than searching for overall approval or disapproval, I find it’s most important to see what kind of people have what kind of reactions. Looking at a blog, I can see the reaction of someone who focuses on a certain style of play. That’s what I check for.

- How about you, Ogawa-san?
Ogawa: Ah, yes. Of course, I feel that the number one thing players look forward to with a new expansion is new jobs. But deciding what kind of jobs to add in is always a difficult task. Beforehand, I take in a wide variety of opinions. It’s difficult to scrap a job mid-development, so you have to find something into which you can fit an assortment of gameplay elements.

- So would you say its a matter of seeing how much you can change and adjust things before it goes on sale?
Ogawa: Yes. Still, with expansions we can always go back with Version Updates, so that’s an advantage we have over regular games. It’s difficult to determine how much to adjust things before releasing the product for sale.

- Looking at user reactions, was there anything unexpected or that made you happy to see?
Ogawa: I feel that even criticism is a good reaction to get. It’s like food for the mind that keeps me going. There is no doubt some people will approve and then others will disapprove. For example, some people can’t stand the President of Bastok, and others don’t seem to care. As for unexpected reactions, I always pay attention those, even if they are negative. Of course, this doesn’t mean they don’t make me sad. (laughs)

Big Changes in Vana’diel Over the Last 6 Years

- As FFXI heads into its 7th year, all the expansions and Version Updates have completely transformed the game since its inception. There must have been a lot of bumps or problems along the way…
Komoto: A mountain of problems. (laughs) However, this staff has also gained a mountain of experience over these 6 years. Certainly, things were much different back then. The amount of items you can carry has increased for one. We also have a lot more freedom now to do things we have always wanted to do. A perfect example is the new plan for Level Sync.

- I certainly was surprised by this latest feature you are bringing to the game. I bet it’s tough to be changing something so fundamental within the game system.
Komoto: Well, it’s because developers look at what the players really want, and try their best to think of how to deliver. Still, we honestly didn’t think we’d make it for this Version Update. It was by Tanaka’s demand (FFXI Producer Hiromichi Tanaka) that it got implemented. Actually, when developing Chains of Promathia, we analyzed whether we could add such a system, and ultimately concluded it would be too difficult. So we’re surprised that we’ve been able to make it work.

- What do you feel has most changed in Vana’diel over the past 6 years?
Komoto: Hm, well, there are many opinions regarding this, but I’d have to say Treasures of Aht Urghan was the real turning point. During Chains of Promathia, the staff was smaller, and we barely got things done in time, but after that, we gained a number of staff members and were able to add a lot more MMO-type elements to Treasures of Aht Urghan. You could see the immense impact it had as the entire player base shifted focus from Jeuno over to Aht Urghan Whitegate.
Ogawa: For me, since I played back when FFXI was Japan-only, the biggest change was when foreign players were added to the game. For sure, people have become used to it by now and can play comfortably with each other, but… I think that was when the real meaning of the game changed.

- I think the release of the Windows version also really changed the game, but what do you think?
Komoto: For sure, thanks to the Windows version we have been able to reach the level of users we have.

Official in-game events have also really changed. Recently, the Sunbreeze Festival became a Superheroine Stage Show, which was surprising.
Ogawa: (laughs) Actually, personally, I was a little surprised at the scathingly critical reaction to the event. In-game events have been done over and over, so I thought something new would not be an issue, but I took a lot of heat from all over the world. Guess I learned my lesson.

The Most Impressive Event?

- There have been countless events over the years, from the very first Selbina Moogle event, to the latest Summerbreeze Superheroine event. Which one do you feel left the biggest impression?
Komoto: There are many different answers, but I think for the trauma it caused, the first Moogle Event, “The Search for Lost Moogles!” left the biggest impact. (laughs) At that time, there was no control switch to turn on an event, and we just sort of had to hope it started at the planned time… It was so nerve-wracking waiting to see if it would start up properly. And things only got worse after it did…

*Elmer Point*
You can read about the first event on the timeline for 2002: Click Here

- There were too many people, and players couldn’t target the NPC, right? (laughs)
Komoto: When people are focused in one place, there are display issues, like being unable to target NPCs or doors… We try to solve these problems as they come, and that’s how we’ve arrived at present-day Vana’diel. If we did Besieged at that time, you wouldn’t have a game. People would login and be unable to move. (laughs) After 6 years of improving on these issues, it has become a feature we can include now. That’s why I feel the first Moogle event is something I will never forget.

- So that’s why you can now have events with large creatures and were able to make Besieged. By the way, will the reactions from users have a place in creating future events?
Ogawa: If they have a bad reputation, even seasonal events will not be repeated the following year.
Komoto: If an event doesn’t go over well, then really, it’s a little depressing. There’s a lot of pressure involved in seasonal events, not to mention the time constraints, and honestly, I would like to stop doing them. (laughs)

- Cultural differences across various countries must provide different reactions to these events, I’d think.
Komoto: I wonder, but I would say that maybe foreign players are more positive towards events. Especially ones like the Easter Event, and others based off foreign holidays, seem to be popular with them.

- So, probably Japanese players are more inclined towards Bon-Odori and such.
Komoto: Yes, I’d say so. Still, many foreign players in FFXI like Japanese culture, so it has an impression on them as well. They enjoy speaking Japanese, and reading Japanese manga, and they incorporate that into their names as well.

- A little off-topic, but it appears the recent “Mog Bonaza” event was a great succes. Will you continue this in the future?
Ogawa: Hmm. (laughs) There’s all the international legal issues to deal with…
Komoto: A lottery-type event is one thing that all developers always really wanted to do. A luck-based event where you can with super-rare items like Kraken Club or Ridill needs a lot of consideration put into it. We couldn’t, for example, do it once every week, I think.

Chains of Promathia Based Off of Episodic Gaming?

- Now I want to ask about both Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht Urghan. Now, Chains of Promathia was released about four years ago, in September of 2004.
Komoto: Such a long time ago, huh? (laughs)

- Compared to other expansions, Chains of Promathia has the most amount of story, I think. Tell me, what was the general concept behind this?
Komoto: For Chains of Promathia, we decided from the get-go that there would be no new jobs added… Instead, we came up with the idea of taking a more offline game approach, in that we would put intense effort into the missions and cut-scenes. So, we were thinking to really draw the user into the story, and make them excited about getting to the next cut-scene. We feel that Prishe, and her “Follow me!” attitude accomplished this better than anything else.

- What’s the main thing you focus on when creating a story?
Komoto: Of course, you have to make the story compelling, and once it’s over, it needs to be memorable. That feeling of no matter how difficult it gets, you’ve got to make it to the end. So you have to deliberately form a climax, and put a battle there too. You make each event with the intent that it be memorable.

- Battle difficulty is also a issue to consider. What were the circumstances behind lowering the difficulties of the missions? The Dengeki Lightning Brigade certainly understands what you say about memorable battles, having struggled to overcome some of those formidable challenges.
Komoto: The difficulty level was something that we regret. We were truly sorry that users had to go through difficulties much greater than we had imagined. Thinking back now, we didn’t have a solid grasp of the effect it would have on players who were yet to have experienced high-level BCNMs or Dynamis. Even if everyone is capped to level 60, there is still a difference in what each player has learned in the game. The staff is pretty much used to everything in the game already. That’s why level we had set appeared to be just fine… or so we thought until battles became all but a series of impassible barriers for people. Also, even though people had already cleared these obstacles, we made a big change in game balance and we think that is thanks to the hard work of many players.

- The idea for level-capped areas seems adopted from BCNMs.
Komoto: If there were no level restrictions, everyone was already more than strong enough to complete everything too easily. We also couldn’t design everything for level 75 players. Also, we wanted a way for players of different levels to be able to enjoy content together. We’ve heard many say that the Shadow Lord battle was the most fun back when the level cap was lower. So, the end result of thinking how to make battles that exciting again was the current system.

- Compared with subsequent expansions, I think the maps in Chains of Promathia are the most distinctive. Would you agree?
Ogawa: Chains of Promathia was different from Rise of the Zilart in that we were improving on story, so we also talked about needing to improve maps and have a concept for each area. Promyvion would involve one floor that you warp around, Attowha Chasm would be involved in a mission where you have to climb mountains, Ulegeurand Range would have you ascending cliffs; each area needed a distinctive map to match the concept. For each person who said the difficulty was to high, there was another telling us how fun and exciting missions were. I’m also really bad at falling from the cliff in Uleguerand Range. (laughs)

- We in the Lightning Brigade remember making a 30-minute video about climbing up that took forever to make. (laughs) Did you consider from the beginning that people would just kill themselves at the bottom and have someone Tractor and Raise them onto the ledge?
Komoto: I didn’t expect it, but what can you do. (laughs)
Ogawa: I’ve been pulled up that way so many times.

- Tu’Lia in Rise of the Zilart is like this as well, but Al’Taieu in Chains of Promathia is much more an area that opens up as you progress through the story. Did you plan this area as a series of points users would reach through story progression?
Komoto: Yes. Overall, gradual progression to new areas was the main concept behind Chains of Promathia.

- That area is, after all, based on the image of the sea, right?
Komoto: That wasn’t the intention from the beginning, but… Somewhere along the line, it became a sea. (laughs)
Ogawa: There was no clear image at first, but the guys in charge of graphics had the suggestion of something where it was like you were walking on top of the sea, and it seemed interesting to have monsters come up out of the water below your feet. That’s how we came up with the Lumorians.

- So you mix international player response with the technical side when making changes?
Komoto: That’s right. Exchanges like that allow us to come up with more and better ideas, and we try our best to incorporate them.

- Around the time Chains of Promathia went on sale, two new major elements, Fellowship and Conflict, were introduced. How did these develop?
Komoto: Fellows were born out of the so-called Escort Quests and the final Mission battles where you have help in the BCs. It got us thinking about users having a personal NPC they could use. First, they were to be called “Mercenaries,” and then the idea took some twists and turns and eventually became a completely different concept as Fellows. The reaction has been huge regarding this system.

- NPCs are unable to be called in Treasures of Aht Urghan areas, and I assume this is to avoid conflict with popular leveling areas.
Komoto: Honestly, that’s a big part of it.
Ogawa: Currently, those are the most popular hunting grounds, so our biggest fear is disturbing that and creating problems.

- As for Conflict, you added Ballista and Brenner. How about them?
Komoto: Originally, we didn’t think the FFXI population particularly liked PvP, so we didn’t expect many people to participate. So, we had to think of a way for people with no PvP experience to be able to come in and have fun, and that’s where the idea of making it like a sporting event came from. Thankfully, Ballista caught on and is still enjoyed by many people to this day. In that sense, we feel it was a success.

Besieged, Assault and Chocobo Racing

- With Treasures of Aht Urghan, an entire new continent was added, and the game’s world was completely changed. Was this the idea from the beginning?
Ogawa: Yes, it was. Before the map team went ahead with their work, we first decided upon a concept where a number of islands that would make up a single region. Still, many elements developed along the way, and it became a large region.

- Treasures of Aht Urghan was no only set on a new continent, but brought the first new jobs since Rise of the Zilart.
Ogawa: Adding new jobs really is tough. First you look at user requests, and try to find something from previous Final Fantasy games that could work in FFXI. Finding a niche that existing jobs don’t fill is a big concern.

- In the end, balancing it amongst all the other jobs, and balancing it in terms of the battle system are probably the biggest adjustments you have to make, right?
Ogawa: Yes, that of course is true. By the way, Wings of the Goddess added Scholar and Dancer, were designed to be support jobs that could shake up current play styles, while the three jobs added in Treasures of Aht Urghan, Blue Mage, Corsair and Puppetmaster, were made to stand apart as unique main jobs.

- With Merits and Relic armor now being fully introduced for the three Aht Urghan jobs, it seems like there are still more changes in store.
Ogawa: That’s right, Treasures of Aht Urghan is not over yet, it is still going.

- Do you originally expect to still be adding new elements at this point in time?
Ogawa: I did originally expect to be adding this amount of content. However, I didn’t expect it to take this much time. (laughs) Even the elements that went into “Balrahn’s Weapons” I was thinking about from the very beginning. I thought that a lot of time had passed since the implementation of relics, and the amount of people in possession of them was increasing.

- What do you think about player focus moving from Jeuno to Aht Urghan?
Ogawa: At that time, there was a lot of congestion in Jeuno, and we knew we needed to do something about it. We knew we had to pull people over to Aht Urghan, and developed ways to accomplish that… and in the end it worked brilliantly. Still, we thought if we could shift the focus there, we should also increase activity in the cities. A later adjustment added convenient travel to the three nations, and spread out people a little more. We feel that the current distribution of players has proven to be a success. Now, a lot of players are also in the past.

- Other big changes that came with Treasures of Aht Urghan include Chocobo-related activities, Assault and Besieged.
Ogawa: Chocobo Raising and Racing stemmed from users requests to have and raise their own personal Chocobo. We did the Chocobo Raising first, and then introduced Chocobo Racing, where you could use your grown up Chocobo.

- Chocobo Racing has almost evolved into a whole separate game with FFXI.
Ogawa: It completely took off. (laughs)

- It seems mini-games, like Assaults with no fighting, have really increased over the last 6 years.
Komoto: While adding MMO-type elements, like large scale battles, we also slip in things we’ve been wanting to add, to broaden the game. Like I said before, there’s a lot we can do now that we just couldn’t do in the beginning.

- Ever since Treasures of Aht Urghan went on sale, there have also been more real life held it seems. Overseas events and the Altana Festival in Osaka were especially successful, don’t you think?
Komoto: As expected, lots of fans come to tell us their thoughts in person. I feel like we do a lot of apologizing after hearing their reactions. (laughs)
Ogawa: A portion of the development team participates in these events, but if possible, we would like the entire team to go. That direct reaction is something that can be reflected in our work.
Komoto: If we get the chance, we want to hold more events, so I hope to see you there.

Bonus Interview! Chief Peaberry of the Lightning Brigade Asks Some Stuff

Now it’s time for me to ask some questions that are of personal interest to me! First, are there still little easter eggs, like the little grasshoppers in Konschtat Highlands?
Komoto: Honestly, as directors we have absolutely no idea. (laughs) The new areas have all sorts of things in them, so feel free to go searching.

Peaberry takes 200 damage from Komoto

Is there any equipment, such as the Nanban Kariginu, with hidden effects that are yet to be known?
Ogawa: From talking to those in charge of that, it would seem there still are. (laughs) However, I doubt anything with that dramatic of an effect is still undiscovered.

Mog Bonanza was certainly a wonderful new event, but do you plan to add casinos to each of the home nations? (I’d like to see those bunny outfits too, please!)
Ogawa: We’ve been thinking a lot about things like Mog Bonanza, but I don’t think we’ll be able to implement something like that.

Moblins and Trolls have very distinctive speech patterns, so if you’ve got the translations for them, please show it to me!!
Ogawa: We asked the guy in charge, but as it’s supposed to be a language difficult to comprehend, he asked it be kept a secret.

Peaberry takes 230 damage from Ogawa.

This year’s Summerbreeze Festival gave you a bathing suit that teleports you to Purgonorgo Island. Why Purgonorgo Island?
Ogawa: That’s because the guy who was in charge of Clamming happened to be the one who made the bathing suits this time. I guess he took this as his chance to get you to enjoy Clamming. (laughs)

Will we ever be able to buy and sell grown Chocobos?
Ogawa: I can’t say it isn’t possible, but I wonder how difficult that would be?

Peaberry takes 300 damage from Ogawa.

Is there a possibility for more commands, like the recently added /dance command?
Ogawa: If it’s possible, it would have to wait until we’re finished implementing some things we are already working on.

In Wings of the Goddess, Lilisette has a very expressive face. Will player characters ever be able to have faces as expressive?
Ogawa: We created Lilisette to be that uniquely expressive from the beginning, so… changing player faces now to give them such movement would be difficult. (laughs)

Peaberry takes 444 damage from Ogawa.

Peaberry is defeated by Ogawa…

Source: JPButton

written by Elmer the Pointy