Hello, everyone. This is FFXIV Producer and Director, Naoki
Yoshida.
First of all, I'd like to thank our players for all the
feedback and discussion regarding the "White Ravens" reward
for the Rising seasonal event─an item which many remember
from before the rebirth of FFXIV.
Combing through the global feedback, on top of a business
trip and checking the content for patch 4.4, has prevented
me from commenting on this issue in a timely manner, and
for that I apologize.
I would also like to apologize to those who feel the
decision to give away the White Ravens as a reward was
unfair or disappointing, as undermining prior achievements
was certainly not the intention of the development and
operations teams.
We are deeply sorry for this oversight, and we now realize
our mistake in not making the item a "replica" in the first
place, as has been suggested.
With this in mind, I've put together a summary of what we
hope to accomplish with this seasonal event, and how we
intend to move forward after digesting your feedback.
- The Rising 2018
This marks the fifth anniversary of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A
Realm Reborn. It is thanks to the many legacy players who
stayed with us since the game's original inception that we
were able to effect this rebirth. And now, five years
later, with the support of new players from across the
globe, FFXIV has grown beyond my wildest expectations.
Even as we develop the game throughout the year,
promotional work takes me around the world, and since last
year's Stormblood expansion, I've fielded an
ever-increasing number of requests to recreate the story
and atmosphere of FFXIV's early days in some form.
I've responded by explaining that the story for FFXIV's
previous incarnation was, to be completely honest, a
shambles. The original main scenario was abandoned─using
the shaky servers and systems available, I took the Grand
Company scenario and forcibly reshaped it to become the
main thrust of the story. It was the sense of impending
calamity and expectations for rebirth that made it come
alive, which is not something that can necessarily be
reproduced. The excitement also came from the legacy
players themselves─the sense of community and support
which arose from that shared experience.
We've also had requests for a "legacy server," if only a
temporary one. Those servers have long been dismantled, and
although the source code has been preserved, there is
little incentive for us to restore them (some of those
servers have, in fact, been repurposed to generate your
character images that you see displayed on the
Lodestone.)
Others have asked for the story alone to be told on a DVD
or in a book, but as I've already mentioned, the plot was
plagued with issues, and as I took the liberty of ignoring
certain points of lore, it suffers from numerous
inconsistencies. I think it's fair to say that it worked
precisely because─as the rebirth was described at its
unveiling─it was a "once-in-a-lifetime experience" that
marked the end of an era.
When the new era of FFXIV began, we gained a host of new
players who took to the game with a passion, and we in the
development and operations team have as much regard and
gratitude for these adventurers as we do for our original
veterans.
Our legacy players stood with us through the challenging
days of FFXIV's rebirth, but we've had our share of
difficulties in the years that followed, and it is through
the support of all our players that we've succeeded to this
degree.
Despite the many requests, it's just not possible to
faithfully recreate FFXIV as it once was. Our stance on the
matter has not changed. But we did, however, decide that
the fifth anniversary of the rebirth was the perfect timing
to provide at least a glimpse into how the game was back
then. And thus the theme for this year's Rising was
born.
As well as giving legacy players the chance to reminisce,
our hope is that the event encourages them to share those
memories and experiences with newer players, and in doing
so strengthen the game's community. Taking that idea one
step further, having the reward be a "replica" is, I
believe, more in line with the spirit of the event.
- Plans for the Future
Although some players were of the opinion that the reward
was not an issue, many others voiced their disappointment.
And the fact that these players came forth is evidence that
we failed to give the matter due consideration.
Our legacy players have memories that are tied to that
earlier time─I was reminded that the excitement and pride
they experienced in acquiring the White Ravens is bound up
in the item itself, regardless of its stats or appearance.
I, myself, am the sort of person who separates the
experience from the physical reward, but that doesn't
excuse the failure to consider those who feel otherwise. I
intend to learn from this lesson moving forward, and
continue to develop FFXIV as a game that everyone can
enjoy.
Once again, I offer our sincere apologies to those whom
we've upset with our lack of foresight and consideration,
especially in a time when we should be celebrating this
anniversary together.
It has been five years since FFXIV's rebirth, and nine
years since its original inception, and I hope we can enjoy
many more to come!
FINAL FANTASY XIV Producer and Director, Naoki Yoshida
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Originally Posted by
Rongway
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