The Companion App for Final Fantasy XIV was released earlier this month and the premium version recently went live as well. Producer Naoki Yoshida discussed in our interview what additional features he would like to add in the future.
What is the Companion App? The companion app for FFXIV utilizes the game account and provides players with features on their smartphones, such as chatting with their friends or reorganizing their inventory and shopping.
Director Yoshida wants to build the app step-by-step, just as has been done with the content of Final Fantasy XIV so far.
Yoshida’s Wishlist for the App
“Quality of Life” updates are a priority: “We want to split future updates into two major parts, as their priorities are different. There are some very urgent areas and features we need to work on now. But there are also others that cover more diverse services.”
- The first feature we absolutely need to work on is the Android version of the app – specifically its chat feature. When chatting, it feels much slower than other chat apps. There is a certain delay.
- The second item on the list is the update of the calendar for the iOS version. Currently, the calendars of your iPhones and the companion app are not connected. We want to change that.
- The third issue would be the ability to split items in your inventory into multiple stacks, which is currently not possible in the app. This feature is bound to the game servers and still needs to be adjusted. Since it relates to items and possibly their loss or duplication, I want to ensure that everything works correctly.
- Another feature we want to implement would be the option to send your helpers through the app to bring you items. The idea that came up in the team was to create a special area for the helpers to go to when you send them through the app.
- Another feature would be a timer for gatherers, letting players know when they can harvest something.
“These ‘Quality of Life’ features are something I would like to have. Right now, we are only making small steps, but we will grow just as we did with the actual game. So please keep an eye out for announcements that will come in the future.”
Everyone Wants the In-Game Chat Feature
Is direct chat with players in FFXIV feasible on the app? “As for the chat feature with people directly in the game – the amount of traffic between the app and the game server would massively increase. The ability to talk to players in-game means that the player would receive an extreme number of messages that may not even be directed at them. For example, someone could say about you, ‘Wow, I hate that guy!’ and you would still see it.
If there is a specific feature we can implement, it would be an in-game notification. You would receive an in-game message saying, ‘Hey, you have mail. Can you check your phone?’ It would be more of a signal to let your friends know to check their app.”
“However, I am somewhat concerned that players might not log into the game anymore because they can chat with each other through the app. One of the reasons we created the game, Eorzea, and Hydaelyn is that we want players to have fun and interact with others. We do not want to take that away from the game.”
Read here in the first part of the interview about the collaboration between Monster Hunter: World and Final Fantasy XIV:
Final Fantasy XIV: “Event with Monster Hunter World was a duel”
