Final Fantasy XIV

Unreleased

Final Fantasy XIV, also known as Final Fantasy XIV Online, is the future fourteenth installment of the Final Fantasy series, first revealed at E3 2009, and the second MMORPG in the series, after Final Fantasy XI. It will initially be released on the PlayStation 3 and Windows PC.

The universe of Final Fantasy XIV is more technologically advanced than Vana'diel in Final Fantasy XI. The players can take part in mighty battles upon airships, for example.

The game is slated for a simultaneous worldwide release in four languages: English, Japanese, German, and French. Square-Enix has activated their open calls for beta applicants, available at this link.

Story
The game will take place in a land called Eorzea, which consists the continent of Aldenard and its surrounding islands, all situated in the world of Hydaelyn. Eorzea contains several independent city-states: the bustling port and pirate hideout Limsa Lominsa; the wealthy desert city of Ul'dah; the city of Gridania hidden in deep woods; and the mountain top bastion called Ishgard.

Eorzea was first inhabited by gods and goddesses, which the wandering tribes that settled the land started calling the Twelve. The gods blessed the tribes that came to the savage land with welfare, but the tribes began fighting with each other, and war tore Eorzea apart.

Fifteen years before the events of the game, metal-clad warriors invaded Eorzea with flame-spewing weapons and colossal airships. The army came from the Garlean Empire, and it didn't take long before the mightiest of the six city-states, Ala Mihgo, fell under their force. The other city-states united their power to defend themselves, but just as fast as it had arrived, the imperial army was gone again. A new era began at Eorzea, known as the "Age of Calm", which the city-states spent by building up their defenses and training their armies. Before, the cities had hired mercenaries for their inner wars, but now they trusted only professional soldiers, leaving the sellswords unemployed and restless. To keep them from causing harm and steer their energy into helping others instead, the city-states founded a network of adventuring guilds.

Player Characters
The production team has stated that the game is not related to Final Fantasy XI storywise, but the trailer and official artwork show five playable races resembling those from Final Fantasy XI, including Hume, Galka, Elvaan, Mithra, and Tarutaru.

Each race has a new name and their appearance have been slightly altered. The Lalafell are very similar to the Tarutaru, and they have smaller noses and dark tips on their ears. The Roegadyn resemble the Galka, and they will have no tails. The Miqo'te are similar to Mithra, and they are divided into the diurnal Seekers of the Sun and the nocturnal Keepers of the Moon. The Hume are named Hyur, while Elvaan are referred to as the Elezen.

When player creates a character, aside from choosing the race and gender, they are now able to customize the appearance of their character, including head, skin color, hair type, and hair color.

Gameplay
Final Fantasy XIV will be an MMORPG similar to Final Fantasy XI, but the game will feature no Experience point or level system, and will feature a new system of growth that will gives players more freedom in choosing quests. Final Fantasy XIV focuses on character growth, and will expand upon the Job system used in Final Fantasy XI, and will feature a more involved story and more complex and varied quests. The game is intended to appeal to players who play on their own and so do not form large parties, but the option to play cooperatively with others will still be present. The game will not include a voice chat option, and is limited to text chat only.

Armoury System
In the game there are four base disciplines, which each divide into several classes. Each class has its own weapon type, and changing classes is as simple as changing weapons, which is referred to as the Armoury System.

Disciples of War: Disciples of Magic: Disciples of Land: Disciples of Hand:
 * Archer (bows)
 * Gladiator (one)~(two)-handed swords and shields)
 * Lancer (lance)
 * Marauder (two-handed axes)
 * Pugilist (claws/metal knuckles)
 * Conjurer (rods)
 * Thaumaturge (staves)
 * Fisherman (?)
 * Botanist (axes)
 * Miners (?)
 * Alchemist (alchemy)
 * Blacksmith (hammers)
 * Culinarian (skillets)
 * Tanner (headknives)
 * Weaver (needles)

Guilds
During the game, the player character must join a guild in order to receive Guildleves, decorative cards which each hold a quest for the character to complete. The quests can include anything from hunting a specific monster to item collection or even negotiation with the enemies. The Guildleves can be completed alone or with a party of other players, with everyone being able to reap the benefits of the quest. The players can also multi-task on several leves at the same time.

Aetheryte
In the game, the player characters can move quickly from place to place by using Aetherytes, large shards of crystallized aether that are fused with ancient machinery. These crystals act as teleporters, but using them too much has negative effects.

Production
Originally codenamed Rapture, it was first mentioned in August 2005, although few details were revealed between that date and 2009 apart from a concept video (now outdated), various statements concerning the platforms of the game (the Xbox 360 was considered at one point), and the fact that it was developed with the Crystal Tools engine. Square Enix is currently trying to reach an agreement with Microsoft to allow Xbox 360 users to play the game.

Final Fantasy XIV will be directed by Nobuaki Komoto with art design done by Akihiko Yoshida. Music will be done by a returning Nobuo Uematsu, this being the first full musical score he has composed for a Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy IX, having worked with other artists on all titles since, and then having left Square Enix altogether in 2003 to work as a freelance artist.