Final Fantasy XIV Producer And Director Naoki Yoshida Talks About Lore, Cutscenes, And Facial Hair
Looking forward to Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers? Well, here’s a bit more information from the game’s Producer and Director himself, Naoki Yoshida. In an interview with Gamer Escape, Yoshida spills the beans on the upcoming expansion’s development and lore.
Of course, one of the more popular questions about Shadowbringers is bound to pop up in the interview. Specifically, why jump to other dimensions when there are still unexplored areas in The Source? “In order for us to dive into FINAL FANTASY XIV’s core, there are certain themes we cannot forget—these have been present even since the original FINAL FANTASY XIV,” explains Yoshida. “What are the goals and intentions of the mysterious Ascians? What was the cause for Hydaelyn to be split into fourteen different worlds so long ago? These are questions that we cannot forget as we delve to the center of this story.”
“Of course, there are unexplored areas like Sharlayan and the New World, but I feel we need to tackle these fundamental points before journeying to those locations,” continues Yoshida. “The answers to the questions I posed will be revealed through the Shadowbringers main scenario, and it is here we will really start to see the foundation of the FINAL FANTASY XIV story.”
When asked about the similarities of The First and The Source maps, Yoshida assures fans that while both maps may look alike, The First was created from the ground up and that the similarities were intentional. “This is due to the splitting of Hydaelyn into fourteen shards over 10,000 years ago—each of these separate worlds went down their own path with their own history. Naturally, their history and evolution would divulge from this point, and so we did not repurpose any existing assets.” The races inhabiting The First will also look the same as those on The Source but will have different philosophies and heritage.
As for CG cutscenes, Yoshida confirms that Shadowbringers will not have cinematic cutscenes simply because they detract from the player experience and take too long to make and modify. And, if you think facial hair on you character is cool, Yoshida promises players that he’ll keep the idea in mind.
“In our trailers, we depict the Warrior of Light as a sort of symbol to represent the Warriors of Light around the world. If he has stubble, it’s only natural that everyone else could grow some too.”
The producer/director goes on to talk about how the World Visit System might affect the player economy. He sees this as an evolution of the previous market with both supply and demand increasing as the wall between the Worlds fade and the market opens up to all players in a data center.
Catch Shadowbringers when it goes live on July 2nd. In the meantime, here’s the full 6-minute trailer just in case you haven’t seen it.
