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It Takes A Year To Create A New Job In Final Fantasy XIV
At a recent Square Enix press event, we received some insight into Final Fantasy XIV's new Heavensward expansion, which features three new jobs. Square Enix also revealed during a presentation how much of an undertaking it is to add new classes to its MMORPG.
Adding a new job takes a lot of thought and a year's worth of effort. For Heavensward, three new ones are available: the dark knight, astrologian, and machinist. Deciding on new jobs isn't an easy process. The class' roles, skills, abilities, quests, animations, cutscenes, weapons, and armor all must be figured out. Square Enix also strives to make sure its new differentiates itself enough from the other jobs available, but that it also already fills a necessary role and considers how it will impact party play and overall gameplay.
Fan feedback also is considered, but Square also has to make sure it fits the previous requirements. For instance, fans really wanted a samurai class, but it was too close to the ninja class. Therefore, Square created the dark knight. The dark knight was a better fit for Heavensward's atmosphere, being more high fantasy. The new machinist class made its way in because fans had been asking for firearms in the game. Choosing the right weapons is very important, since weapons determine your class. The Final Fantasy XIV team's goal is to make sure the weapon represents the job, and is iconic and interesting. For instance, Square Enix struggled with how to make the astrologian's cards stand out on the character. That's how the idea of the star globe came to be.
For more on Heavensward, check out feature: Everything You Need To Know About Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
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