Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P Weighs in on Mods After Popular Custom Character Sharing Mod Shuts Down

Final Fantasy 14's assemblage is erstwhile again successful a tizzy astir the usage of mods successful game, to the constituent wherever the game's shaper and director, Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), has weighed in.

First, immoderate background. While modding is an highly communal signifier crossed galore games, including different MMORPGs similar World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy 14 has ever had a somewhat much hostile narration with them. That's not to accidental players don't usage mods successful FF14 - they perfectly do. But officially, they're not allowed. Even so, Square Enix has mostly operated for a agelong clip connected a argumentation of letting mods slide...as agelong arsenic players aren't excessively large oregon evident astir it. So players mightiness usage mods to customize their UIs, oregon alteration the mode their quality looks conscionable connected their ain screen. As agelong arsenic they aren't interfering with different people's games or, say, being precise nationalist astir their mod use, the steadfast has mostly turned a unsighted eye.

But that strategy hasn't ever worked retired for Square Enix, particularly owed to the deficiency of existent clarity for players arsenic to what Square Enix volition beryllium permissive about, versus what it volition instantly ban. And recently, mods person been successful the crosshairs of the developer erstwhile again. Earlier this year, Yoshi-P himself threatened ineligible enactment aft a mod went astir that could way different people's subordinate information - a mod that's beauteous evidently not permitted by immoderate standards. But much recently, a different, little evidently problematic mod has entered the discourse: Mare Synchronos.

Mare Synchronos is simply a mod that's go fashionable with Final Fantasy 14 players implicit the years, particularly for role-playing communities. Essentially, it lets those who usage it "synchronize" their quality appearances with those of different players. Here's an example. If I'm playing FF14 and don't person a batch of chill cogwheel to formal my quality up in, and don't privation to tally the contented needed to get it for immoderate reason, I tin usage a mod that volition fto my quality look precisely however I privation them to - but lone connected my screen. However, with Mare Synchronos, everyone other utilizing Mare Synchronos tin also spot that modded appearance. Players who bash not usage the mod volition spot my quality successful immoderate bland cogwheel I'm really wearing. And critically, Mare doesn't really fto you alteration your character's quality - different mods are needed for that. Mare conscionable lets you spot different mods, and beryllium seen.

However, a week ago, Mare Synchronos announced it was shutting down. The cited crushed was that it had received a "legal inquiry" surrounding the project, and aft reviewing options, the creator decided to upwind it down. It officially went acheronian past Friday. While immoderate fans were unphased by the shutdown, oregon adjacent claimed they'd expected it eventually, galore others were profoundly upset. Though Mare's developer hadn't specified who the ineligible enquiry was from, galore speculating it was apt Square Enix, and adjacent took to the FF14 authoritative forums to kick astir the third-party mod shutting down. It's adjacent getting reappraisal bombed connected Steam close now, presently sitting astatine "Mixed" caller reviews versus "Very Positive" full reviews.

Which is what has prompted Yoshi-P to talk up. In a lengthy station connected the authoritative Final Fantasy 14 website, the shaper reiterated his past-stated stance connected mods: helium tolerates them. That stance, helium says, hasn't changed. Mods made wholly for one's ain idiosyncratic usage that lone interaction the idiosyncratic utilizing them, Yoshi-P explains, are good with him. "I'd similar to accent the value that players travel 2 rules: that their benignant of gameplay does not infringe upon others, and that they bash not negatively interaction the halfway game, its services, oregon intended crippled design, arsenic mentioned above."

Yoshi-P goes connected to item precisely what helium means by "negative impacting the intended crippled design" and "infringing upon others." He offers an illustration of a player, Player A, who loves to raid and acquires a caller rubric and limb by successfully finishing an Ultimate raid. Player B does not person clip to raid, and uses a mod that allows them to spot their quality with the aforesaid rubric and limb arsenic Player A. As agelong arsenic that lone displays connected Player B's screen, that's not a occupation for Yoshi-P.

However, wherever Yoshi-P takes contented is erstwhile this begins to interaction others. If Player B's changes are disposable to Player A somehow, "it considerably negates the cooperation, time, and effort invested, not to notation the pridefulness they mightiness person felt successful their achievement."

He goes connected to exemplify different illustration that is unacceptable: a mod that allows players to freely equip optional items purchased from the FF14 Online Store and show them to others:

"Some whitethorn accidental that Square Enix is to blasted for trying to marque wealth by demanding that players walk other connected optional items," helium writes. "We run our servers and information centers twenty-four hours a day, three-hundred-sixty-five days a twelvemonth with the anticipation that our players tin bask a reliable gaming experience. Currently, planetary ostentation is taking its toll astatine a accelerated pace, driving up server energy costs, the outgo of land, and adjacent the terms of servers themselves. We bash not privation to summation subscription fees for players, if astatine each possible─but keeping our crippled moving requires capable income. If we commencement creating a deficit, FFXIV whitethorn nary longer beryllium capable to operate. This is an illustration of harm dealt to the services we provide."

In a 3rd example, Yoshi-P mentions the anticipation of a mod that displays a quality wholly naked. Even if this is lone displayed connected the player's screen, helium explains however it could perchance inactive beryllium harmful. For instance, if a subordinate posts a screenshot of their bare quality connected societal media, FF14 whitethorn look ineligible consequences.

"Laws that modulate the contented of video games turn stricter by the year," helium says. "These laws are determination to support minors and for a assortment of different reasons, but the information remains that they are tangibly becoming stricter. We person a work to supply our services successful adherence to the laws of each countries wherever FFXIV is available, and if we are incapable to bash so, the organisation of our crippled tin beryllium prohibited. This is different illustration of harm dealt to our services."

Yoshi-P ends his station by saying helium intends to perceive to subordinate feedback and effort to summation the state of players to equip antithetic types of gear. "While paying respect to the long-standing contented of modding PC games, I inquire that each players successful crook respect our crippled by enjoying their amusive wrong the confines of immoderate basal rules," helium concludes.

While this station contains immoderate much-needed clarification, it yet does permission Final Fantasy 14 successful the aforesaid unusual limbo authorities it's ever been in: nary mods allowed, but it's good if nary 1 ever knows you're utilizing them. While that volition apt beryllium capable clarification for galore players, it's inactive a perchance frustrating spot for players who person built their gameplay styles astir the modding assemblage and what it has to offer. At slightest implicit connected console, nary 1 has thing to interest about.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].