Final Fantasy Discovery

We're adding a new type of equippable item to the game, called a Focus. Like the FXIII Focus, our version of Focus sets your characters on an objective path, with regards to stat progression.

We've tinkered with how level gains affect your party members. HP, MP, Attack Power, Defense, and Magic Defense will all rise with level gains, while other stats like Magic Power, Speed and Strength require the use of a Focus. Stats that raise naturally with levels can also be supplemented with the use of a Focus, as well. Now, it's important to remember that every damage formula in the game factors your level into it, so using Focus items are completely optional to the player, and you'll still grow stronger with each level in regards to the damage you deal to enemies. Players who like more challenge can forego Focus items altogether to complete the hardest battles at the lowest possible stats.

Each Focus follows a little set of rules I made. Each Focus raises up to four different stats, with some restrictions. If a Focus raises a stat by +2 on a level up, then that Focus has used 2/4 points. Each Focus uses all four points, and each type of gain is worth a certain number of points. This isn't something you'll see in the game, it's just a guideline on how I created each Focus, to avoid Focus items from becoming outclassed by newer ones you'll obtain later.

+10% HP or MP: 1 Point
+30% HP or MP: 2 Points
+50% HP or MP: 4 Points
+1 to a stat: 1 Point
+2 to a stat: 2 Points
+3 to a stat: 4 Points
+1 Speed: 2 Points
+2 Speed: 3 Points

So, by this guideline, a Focus with +50% HP at level gain cannot have any other stat bonus growth, but a Focus with +1 Attack, +2 Defense still has room for another +1 to a stat or +10% HP or MP. Get it?

Each Focus is named after a classic Final Fantasy job class, and in-game, the items act as magick items that house the soul of a famous Final Fantasy personality from that job class. It's mostly just another way to toss Easter eggs your way. For example...

The Focus called "Blue Mage's Insight" raises HP +10%, Attack Power +1 and Magic Power +1 at level up. I'd wager that Strago is the most famous of Final Fantasy series Blue Mages, so you'll see his name in the item's description.

Houses the soul of Strago, the legendary Blue Mage.
ON LEVEL UP: HP +10%, Att.Power +1, Mag.Power +1

Here's the good part, for you min-maxers out there: you have access to Focus items before leaving the game's first dungeon (which has been expanded a bit to allow for a few new tutorials). Unlike Espers in FFVI, which utilized a similar way of raising stats, you won't have to wait until your party members are level 20+ to start using it.

Obtaining new Focus items will come as normal as any other item: finding them, rewards for missions, etc. Focus items aren't unique, either; you can get more than one of the same Focus, to train multiple characters in the same stat gains at the same time.

BUT WAIT, there's more! You might be thinking, these items become completely useless at max level (99). Wrong! If you equip a Focus when you're maxed out, it will apply a small bonus appropriate to the job class it's based on, almost like a third relic.

The Focus item "Thief's Swiftness" awards a +5 to Speed when equipped on a level 99 party member.

On the boring development end of things, I freed up a TON of space in the skills database by getting a little smarter with the damage formula methods. Party members and enemies use different formula for attacks and magic damage, so I had made copies of spells and other attacks to allow them to use the right formula. The thought then occurred to me, "hey, why not have the game ask itself who is using it before it calculates damage and adjust it accordingly?" Now, all of those clone skills are gone, and it's freed up well over 100 slots in the database for new skills for enemies. =)