FFXIV Team: Black Mage Balance Changes: It “Went Too Far”.
Patch 6.11a was released earlier this week for Final Fantasy XIV. Many players noticed that the patch was mostly focused on balance changes for PVP Jobs as well as the new crystalline conflict PVP mode. Black Mage received a lot of buffs. It’s easy to see why players thought Yoshi-P was buffing himself, given that FFXIV producer Naoki Yoshida, the creative director, was also seen in Crystalline Conflict matches as Yoshi’s Sampo (a Black Mage).
Yoshida shared his thoughts in a blog post on the Lodestone blog. Yoshida admitted that the changes to the balance were perhaps too much. We have had a lot of feedback about these changes and, in hindsight, I think we went too far. He said, “I am sorry for this.” He also described the process that led to the overall PVP balance change.
The PVP version of Black Mage was not the most effective Job to play in Crystalline Conflict. We placed Black Mage in the C+ tier in because he was too heavy and difficult to use in the PVP setting. The development team determines how Jobs should be adjusted.
The FFXIV team looks at both Job win rates and overall Job usage rates. The team searches for Jobs that have a win rate greater than or equal to 50 percent. This is the standard they use across all Jobs. They’re looking for jobs that are easier to work with.
Yoshida stated that “when a job seems significantly more appealing to players, both we review player feedback and engage ourselves in matches to examine any issues in action balance or the job’s fundamental mechanics.” “We try to keep each job’s uniqueness when making changes such as adding weaknesses to jobs that are distinctly more advantageous while supporting those who may need it.
He also provided details about the PVP balance change schedule. He noted that most of these changes happen well in advance. Yoshida was seen on the Black Mage by players in the last two weeks, however, that was after the balance adjustments were submitted. He stated that players might have received patch 6.11a Tuesday, May 24, but the developers had to complete their adjustments and implement them by Friday, May 6.
Yoshida began to investigate the problem himself after reading the above information. He discovered that Black Mage was behind. However, his feedback was not received until Patch 6.11a was installed.
He said, “In the next days, I would have the distinct pleasure of fighting against many of you during my personal investigation into the black mage’s issues.” “Having said that, I have come to the conclusion that the Black Mage is capable of excelling in battle in the hands of a skilled PVP fighter.” These impressions were only formed after Patch 6.11a was sent to us for final touches.
The FFXIVteam will eventually reverse some of these changes. The defense added to Soul Resonance’s limit break will be decreased. You can expect some changes soon. Yoshida said, “Please be aware that we have plans for addressing these concerns in Patch 6.15 which will be released Tuesday, June 7.”
Yoshida also addressed another problem that the PVP community was discussing: that balance changes were primarily aimed at Crystalline Conflict and not Frontline, which is the other PVP mode. Crystalline Conflict is a small-scale PVP mode, while Frontline has three large teams. Each mode has its own balance requirements.
Yoshida stated that Frontline-specific adjustments will be made to the damage dealt and frequency of Limit Break usage. These adjustments will be made in Patch 6.18. Further changes are coming in . Future updates will include more functionality that allows Frontline-specific changes.
“I regret that it took us so long to correct the imbalance in Frontline. Although it will take some time, we will review the play records and, once we have made appropriate adjustments, test them and implement them. He said, “We appreciate your patience.”
The FFXIV team is always open to receiving feedback as long as it’s provided in a professional manner. Don’t harass or abuse the developers, but make your voice heard!
