Final Fantasy 14’s Naoki Yoshida Talks Patch 6.2 Success

The latest major patch for Final Fantasy XIV Online, Patch 6.2 Added new quests, dungeons and raids. The patch also added long-awaited chapters to several of the MMORPG’s storylines and added an all-new Island Sanctuary, an almost Animal Crossing-like island for players to enjoy and explore.

After the release of patch 6.2, GameSpot sent an email to Final Fantasy XIV Online director Naoki Yoshida asking a few questions about the update. The responses received are transcribed below.

GameSpot: How did you find the experience of breaking out of a long-running story and starting a whole new one?

I have to say that I was relieved at the conclusion of the story that has continued since the first FINAL FANTASY XIV. However, just because it’s a new adventure doesn’t mean all the previous stories are gone. This is a continuation of the story so far. Our team is always thinking about how we can excite everyone. So even though we’re working on new stories, our everyday experience remains largely the same.

In patch 6.2, we made some notable changes to the cutscenes that follow certain dungeons and added to the trust system. These seem like perfect opportunities to go back and enhance. Are there any old scenes you’d like to redo in a certain way or are excited to revisit?

We are still working on integrating the Duty Support feature into our existing content. There weren’t many elements I wanted to change, but one of the Heaven’s Word themes we updated this time was “traveling with friends”, so it was one of the elements I really wanted to revisit.

What’s your favorite part of the new Island Sanctuary mode?

There are many things, but I like the fact that you can play without rushing and have the freedom to play alone. By the way, I personally have not set foot in the sanctuary of the island yet.

Once the rest of the content settles down, I’m thinking of taking it easy and enjoying the sanctuary life on the island.

Speaking of new modes, if you could add an unlimited number of game types like Survival or Battle Royale to FFXIV, what would it be?

“Without any restrictions” is pretty unrealistic for me and I can’t imagine it in my head. FFXIV has a basic system and a server system that make up FFXIV, so any content implemented in FFXIV must comply with those restrictions. In that sense, I think it would be interesting to have content that uses blue mages while still maintaining the FINAL FANTASY feel. There is a vast field where you can learn blue magic from enemies and other players, and I think everyone will use their learned magic to fight to be the last man standing. I wish I could make it happen someday, but for now I will give priority to what is currently planned.

Not exactly a 6.2 related question, but being a huge Hildibrand fan, I was excited to hear that a new relic quest was tied into his story. What made you decide to do this? More Hildibrand is always a good thing.

I always have a lot of ideas when brainstorming what to do with the next weapon upgrade content. At the same time, we have received a lot of feedback from players. This time around, we settled on the idea of ​​enhancing the weapon along with the story rather than the content itself, and Hildibrand was a perfect fit for that. Needless to say, Hildy is back too.