There are some evil people in this wold playing cruel jokes. Be very cautious of dealing with any FFXIV Beta Invite e-mails. E-mails for FFXIV Beta Invite will come from a @square-enix.com. There is a squarenixcom@gmail that is circulating these fake emails. This information has been verified after talking with a Square Enix representative about the fake e-mails.

Square Enix has launched its Final Fantasy XIV Beta site. The site is on lock down for now and should release more information on March 11, 2010. This is the site you are supposedly to be link to once you receive your FFXIV Beta invite e-mail!
Check out your self at https://dev-na.ffxiv.com/soon/index.html

It’s time to start stalking your emails like a crack head smokes his rocks. Final Fantasy XIV Beta has been announced and it is scheduled to start March 11, 2010. This is huge news straight out of Vanafest. All members who attended Vanafest received invites into Alpha and Beta starting today. You can just imagine the excitement that hit the 1000 Final Fantasy XI players that were invited to this event in Japan. The creators of the game also stressed to not worry, if you don’t get into Beta it will eventually happen. They repeated again that everyone will be given an opportunity to get into Beta. With the start of Beta this March it looks like the game will be released Fall of 2010 baring any unusual set backs. Check back later for more information on Final Fantasy XIV Beta.

Big News out of Vanafest so far

• FFXIV Beta Starts March 11, 2010
• FFXI- Level Cap Raised To 99
• FFXI- 2 New Summons for Summoners
• FFXI- New Weapon Enchantment System
• FFXI- 3 New Mini Expansions, Exploring New Areas

VanaFest 2010 will begin February 28th, at 2AM EST. The show will be broadcasted live by Limit Break Radio and Pet Food Alpha. Only 100 fans will be able to fit on their server so space is limited. For more information on their show check out http://www.eorzeapedia.com

Vanafest is primarily a Final Fantasy 11 fan fare, but their has been big rumors of news about Final Fantasy XIV to be released as the fesival nears. Around the net millions of Final Fantasy fans are waiting for Sunday to recieve this mysterious rumor. There hasn't been any real news on Final Fantasy XIV since the middle of December. However, there is talk of a Beta announcement coming soon as the game is trying very hard to be released before the end of 2010. Check back with Rapture in the coming days for a big surprise or maybe just another screen shot of a crab from Final Fantasy XIV again.

Crazy real life picture contest!
Life is weird. you all have probably figured that out by now and when life gives you crazy you get out your camera take a picture and post it all over the webbernets. SO in honor of insanity we present to you the Crazy life photos contest! just post a picture of one of your craziest moments and the public will get to Vote on which picture is the craziest! Picture does not have to be of yourself, but must contain something that is a living creature.

*please make your own post for submission and title it *

Contest times

Submission period feb 21st -> march 5th
Voting period March 6th - > 7th


Winner gets a copy of FFXIII!
(If not enough people enter, we'll give all the donated money to the winner)

Contest Rules

Must donate to participate
Real life pictures only
no plaigiarism, we will check!
NO PHOTOSHOPPING!
captions are optional
Put in photobucket link after photo


Any questions about photobucket (or in general) contact Altaeiu or Skky Via e-mail or PM

Donation Instructions

Must be 3 dollars
in the message box, put in Forum name and contest name and time of donation, also put in your submission post as backup

You'll find the donation link in the botton left hand corner of the page along with a repeat of the contest info!
http://www.rapturexiv.com/content/contests

In celebration of the release of FINAL FANTASY XIII, Square Enix is hosting two special events on March 8, 2010 in San Francisco.
SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS is inviting 200 members and their guests to FINAL FANTASY XIII EXPERIENCE, the day-time event, and 50 lucky Bronze-and-above members to FINAL FANTASY LAUNCH PARTY, the evening VIP event. The sweepstakes ends February 23, so enter today!

Final Fantasy XIII Sweepstakes

Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders for Final Fantasy XIV for the Xbox 360. Do they know something that we don't? Is it a mistake? No official word has been release as of yet, so only time will tell if FFXIV makes its way to the Xbox 360. Final Fantasy XIV is scheduled to be released for PS3 and PC some time this year. It has been mention in more than a few articles that Final Fantasy XIV has been in negotiations with Xbox 360 to bring the game their way. The sun is definitely starting to get a lot brighter for Xbox 360 fans, now that Amazon is taking pre- orders for Final Fantasy XIV.

Source www.zam.com

As the buzz continues to grow around Final Fantasy XIV, Producer Hiromichi Tanaka is also increasingly finding himself the center of attention. In this week's Famitsu, he was part of a feature on the 20 Most Anticipated Games & Game Creators of 2010. Tanaka has been a part of Square Enix since 1983, but is now coming into the spotlight thanks to his work producing Final Fantasy XI, and of course, the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV.

In this interview he gives his opinions on the state and direction of the gaming industry and elaborates a little on plans for the Final Fantasy XIV beta test.



Also, as each creator who was interviewed did, Tanaka also showed off his (dare I say, mad) calligraphy skills. He referenced the release of a brand new online world with 新天地 (shin-ten-chi) "new world", and wrote "Eorzea" in hiragana: えおるぜあ. Don't forget that registered symbol!

Read on for the interview and discuss this in the ZAM forums!

- How did 2009 treat you?

Tanaka: I've been producing the same online game since 2000, so the years generally follow the same cycle. Honestly, I was just working away to the point where I couldn't really feel the passage of time. (laughs) We put together presentations on Final Fantasy XIV, and of course were actively keeping Final Fantasy XI going as well. So just like the year 2000, it was a marathon. Still, if I were to say how much of my mind was occupied by either XI or XIV, I would say XIV became increasingly important as the year went on.

- How do you feel about the gaming industry as a whole?

Tanaka: Personally, I think 2009 was the year that really brought iPod Touch and iPhone gaming to the forefront. There was an explosion of applications, including games, and what was essentially a multimedia device suddenly had a rush of new and interesting software. Services like Twitter have also become commonplace, changing the way we spread information, which I think will continue to expand this year.

In Japan, for the most part, cell phones are cell phones, and we use Nintendo DS or PSP for portable gaming. But now, if more killer titles begin to appear on the iPod Touch or iPhone, they could really start making waves in the industry. Although the CPU and memory capabilities of these devices lose out to dedicated gaming handhelds, the potential is there for iPod Touch and iPhone to become serious portable gaming systems. As for the rumored tablet, it's probably doubtful it will focus on being a gaming device, which would undermine some of the concept behind the iPod Touch line.

Either way, I have my Docomo phone. (laughs)

- What are you expecting from 2010?

Tanaka: We are going to start service for Final Fantasy XIV, which we have been working on for several years now. We don't have an official announcement yet, but we are certain the game will be ready for all users to enjoy. First, we want to get the beta test rolling.

- What kind of time frame are you thinking of for the beta test?

Tanaka: We don't intend to set a specific time frame for the test, but if we begin too close to a finished product, we cannot apply the opinions and reactions of the users. Therefore, we want to let users try out the game in its unfinished state, and from there we will take in user feedback and gradually build together towards a final version. However, we have to avoid making it too much trial-and-error, or it would be more of a development process than a beta test, which could pose problems. For instance, the servers would need to be shut down for days at a time while the developers work on the game, and I think it would be difficult to run a smooth beta test. I can't really say anything definitive about the length of the beta test at this time.

- Where do you see the gaming industry moving this year?

Tanaka: I see the birth of more unique interfaces and technology such as Project Natal. For XIV, we're worrying whether or not we can implement voice chat. Like XI, it will run across multiple platforms, and there isn't a single, unifying way to support them all. Not to mention, we have many other communications issues to confront, such as communities being splintered by system, player harassment and translation features. At the moment, supporting voice chat will be difficult.

- Tell our readers your ambitions for 2010!

Tanaka: I'm working hard to begin service for Final Fantasy XIV, and I hope to see you all in Eorzea! And of course, there is Final Fantasy XI, which I have been so proud to be a part of for 8 years now. Things are going to be heating up again this year, so I'll see you back in Vana'diel too!

Following are translated highlights from a January interview by famitsu.com with XIV scenario planner Bieko Sato. Nothing earth shattering revealed here since the conversation focuses on the storyline. The only interesting part might be the talks about Echo and inference on gameplay.

Q: Did you devise the main storyline first and then came up with the world of Eorzea to fit the story scenarios?
A: Actually it was the other way around. We first outlined the world and game concepts and then thought up a story to fit the world. We want to make sure setting a scenario up in certain parts of the world will not interfere with the main game concepts.

Q: So did you have to change parts of the story because of the world layout and game concepts?
A: The main storyline remained the same. What we adjusted are the sub-stories to allow better integration with events and quests.

Q: Can you give us more details about the role of crystals in the storyline?
A: Crystals represent light and life force to all things in Eorzea. In the storyline it is mentioned that adventurers derive their power from crystals.

Q: On the official site it was mentioned that Echo, the mysterious power adventurers get from crystal allow them to resonate with others and enables them to relive past events as if their own, what does that mean?
A: It actually means what it said; players can see and experience past events through the power of Echo. Since players are reliving the memories of others, future events will not be altered by those experiences.

Q: So is it the biggest objective of the story for players to find out why the power of Echo suddenly appeared in Eorzea?
A: Indeed investigating why the power of Echo appeared will lead the players all the way towards the end of story. It would seem that the power of Echo can in certain cases be useful in the continuing struggle with savage tribes and Garlean Empire.

(At this point interview rambles on a bit about savage tribes and Banjin the savage deity. Unfortunately there was nothing worth translating.)

Q: What kind of nation is Garlean Empire?
A: Garlean’s capital is situated far away to the northeast of Eorzea. It is very advanced technically. While Garlean is connected by land with Eorzea because there is a big buffer zone of harsh terrain between Garlean and Eorzea, before the invasion of Ala Mhigo Garlean rarely entered the minds of Eorzea populous.

Q: So why did Garlean invade Eorzea?
A: Garlean is an empire built on expansion by conquering. Now its ambition has reached Eorzea.

Q: What kind of city-state was Ala Mhigo?
A: It was a city populated mostly by Hyur Highlanders. It is also situated closest to Garlean thus most vulnerable to Garlean’s attack. Even so, before the Garlean invasion Ala Mhigo was considered the most powerful of 6 city-states in Eorzea. Other states were wary of its strength and were shocked by swiftness of its conquest by Garlean.

Q: So what in condition is Ala Mhigo after the invasion?
A: That is part of main storyline for the players to find out.

Q: So is the story of FFXIV completed in your mind?
A: Yes, but I wouldn’t be able to talk about the details for very long time to come.

Vanafest is being held Febuary 28th 2010 in Tokyo, Japan. Only 1,114(nice number) guest will be invited from a group of Final Fantasy XI players. There will be news of Final Fantasy XIV. Check back with us for info as the date gets closer.

By Yutiko





Rapture = FFXIV, major trickage from the devs.

Eorzea will differ from Vana'diel in a number of ways. First, Eorzea is but a region within the full world of Final Fantasy XIV, which will be named ハイデリン (ha-i-de-ri-n). This land will be blessed with high technology, but not to the point of more sci-fi themed worlds found in Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy X. This new MMO will stay true to the fantasy-style roots of the series, while setting itself apart as a completely different world than Vana'diel.

4 races in FFXIV. Similar to the ones in XI, but with different names. Galka models don't have tails.

No more exp. Instead weapons somehow play a role of how strong a character is. Classes will be slightly (or majorly) varied from XI and other FF series.

Lots of story based events and cut scenes.

Learning curve on battles. Battles are not realtime action.

Soloing is like that hot girl in your spanish class. Everyone is focusing on her. However parties will still be necessary for some aspects, or if you like to play in parties.

From one mob to many. The number of creatures you will fight at once in unknown. PvP may be implemented later. The devs don't want PvP going on anywhere. (Could that mean instanced PvP?)

Chocobos are getting a makeover!

PS3, not anymore! This will also be for the PC. Beta will use the most current DirectX. OS requirements for the game are not yet specified. FFXIV may be ported to the 360 if SE and Microsoft can reach agreements.

Uematsu did the music for this one too.

Different servers. Capacity of 5k-6k people a server.

If you were diligent in acquiring your Mog Satchel, those Square Enix IDs and Security Tokens we set up are going to come in handy. As Square Enix revealed yesterday in a response to a series of questions from ZAM, the Security Tokens will be used to secure Final Fantasy XIV accounts and PlayOnline will not be used as a portal for accessing the game. Tanaka further explains that exclusively using the Square Enix ID also allows them to be more flexible with the payment plan. He expresses interest in switching from a monthly plan to one that charges in 30-day increments. As for being able to purchase in-game items with real money, the developers indicate they are not considering the option at this time.

FFXI will not be thrown out once XIV comes to town.

No solid connection from XI to XIV. No character transfers. However, name transfer is being looked at. Transferring Linkshells and Friends List may be implemented.

Crystals play a role. And ZOMG major hintage at voice acting!

VOTING
Voting will be held January 17 to the 19
Send all officer votes to me via pm. Every member has one vote and this is for the last officer position left.
The winner will be announced on the 20th


To view members that are running for office and for new members who would like a shot at the title please visit

viewforum.php?f=14
or
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=676


For a view of our guild current structure please visit

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=606

THATS RIGHT! 10:20 EST Altaeiu will be hosting the 2010 Founding leader debate on Tuesday January 12th.

ALL NEW MEMBERS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO COME PARTICIPATE! please pm me if you wish to run for founding leader or cannot make the times (this is if your running)!

LOCASHUN: http://www.rapturexiv.com/chat

---THOSE DEBATING---

ARAMIL MASTER WEB SAGE

ROSE IN THE GARDEN... OF POOP!

KEITH BLACK HAT!

YUTIKO KIKO MONIKO

HOT DOG BUNS OF FUN

AND

Fanny poo

---RULES---
- everyone can ask questions even non officers

-Alt is the master on this day +_+ and what I say goes (with reason <_<;)

-Obey the set order of question answering, each person has 1 minute, it will be alphabetical.

-No interruptions, or there will be blood! Must be DEAD SILENT! or I will summon the great ori beast from the nether to smite ye!

-have fun, bring sammiches, sit back, relax, AND WATCH THE CARNAGE <3


Last edited by altaieu on 06 Jan 2010 22:38, edited 8 times in total.

All Guild MeetingDate: January 5, 2010Time: 10:30 ESTPlace: http://www.rapturexiv.com/chat

Topics of discussion

-Beta
-Election for new officer
-Election for co officers
-Guild direction
-Guild Web site
-Meet and Greet(newer members please come!)

If anyone would like to add any topics please reply here so i can add it to our agenda.

http://www.rapturexiv.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=745

Final Fantasy XIV got some face time this week in Famitsu the magazine in Japan. The magazine focused on the story of Final Fantasy XIV with new screen shots released this week. Check out this interesting article on what they had to tell about the storyline of Final Fantasy XIV

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/12/23/ffxiv_story/

Check out http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/ and register an account with Square Enix. Pray to the FFXIV gods that you get in soon.

The new Rapture website has been officially launched. We still have big changes to make as forth as the look of the site, but the general aspects have been put into play.Please bookmark

http://www.rapturexiv.com/
From there you will be able to see our forums, chat room, and much more.