One of the new features of the new expansion Endwalker of Final Fantasy XIV will be an island where players can take care of animals and plants. Director Naoki Yoshida revealed more about it.
This is the new feature: With the launch of the new expansion Endwalker in autumn 2021, fans of FFXIV can look forward to a lot of content, including a special island feature.
The island is tentatively named “Island Sanctuary” and is supposed to become a kind of “Animal Crossing” island or “Stardew Valley” farm. The players will be able to take care of animals and grow plants there. Over time, players will also be able to expand their island.
The first artwork for the island content shows many different companions that players can obtain in FFXIV, as well as some mounts wandering around freely. Normally, you can only summon one of them at a time.
Casual Solo Content for Relaxation
We were able to ask the head of the MMORPG, Naoki Yoshida, some questions, and here is what he revealed to us about the island content.
This is what Naoki Yoshida says: The content has reportedly been in development for two years. The original idea for the island was based on the desire of many players for their companions and mounts to roam freely in their housing.
According to Yoshida, this is not possible with the current housing system, which is why the team came up with another solution. As a result, standalone solo content was created:
Even though this content was designed for an MMORPG, the intention behind it is for players to pass the time while engaging in solo activities. They do not have to worry about the progress of other players.
There is no reason to rush, and there are no elements that would put pressure on players. Our goal here is for players to enjoy the slow life by playing carefree with their companions, taking screenshots in their favorite locations, and so on.
Director Naoki Yoshida speaking to MeinMMO
Thus, the inspiration for the island content came: Although Yoshida mentioned in a conversation with our sister site GameStar that he himself played a lot of Animal Crossing. For him, it is “extremely painful” to draw a comparison to the popular Switch game because it is simply “so incredibly” good.
Instead, the FFXIV team based their ideas on a TV show popular in Japan, where members of pop bands are stranded on uninhabited islands and participate in various construction and farming activities.
He also mentioned that many FFXIV developers are fans of Harvest Moon. It is a game series that also revolves around farming and raising animals.
The Director Does Not Want You to Rush
In general, Director Yoshida does not want players to feel overwhelmed by the amount of content while playing his MMORPG. This should not only apply to the new island content but also to your progress in the story of FFXIV.
This is what Yoshida says about the story: With the Endwalker addon, the overarching storyline surrounding Hydaelyn and Zodiark, which has been ongoing for 10 years, will finally come to a close.
Because Shadowbringers was so well-received, we had the option to extend the final chapters of the [Hydaelyn and Zodiark] saga. However, that brings the risk of slowing the pacing of the story and losing momentum. That’s why I decided to jump right in. […]
Director Naoki Yoshida speaking to MeinMMO
For new players, it can be intimidating to start in such an old MMORPG with 4 expansions. However, Yoshida states at this point that players should take their time.
He likes to compare his MMORPG to TV series, and you can easily start anew even after many seasons:
[…] FFXIV is quite unique. Although it is an MMO, it is a heavily story-driven game. You can think of it like an interactive TV show where you can experience the story and grow as the main character while progressing. […]
Since Endwalker is our fourth expansion, you can picture it like the fourth season of a series. You can definitely catch up!
Director Yoshida speaking to the PlayStation Blog
You can play the game like a normal Final Fantasy and enjoy it at your own pace, Yoshida said to the colleagues from GameStar.
This is how FFXIV will continue: Although the Endwalker addon concludes the current story of FFXIV, it is not the end of the MMORPG. Yoshida and his team still have years of content in store for their game.
But next, fans can first look forward to patch 5.5 on April 13.
