Interview: Learning About the FFXIV Echoes of Vana’diel FFXI Raid 

When the 7.1 FFXIV patch dropped it included an Echoes of Vana’diel Alliance Raid inspired by FFXI, bringing the two Final Fantasy MMORPG entries together. Now, there’s even an Echoes of Vana’diel subscription sale to make it easier for people to get back into the older of the two titles. To learn more about what went into this crossover, Siliconera spoke to Lead Battle Content Designer Masaki Nakagawa and Art Team Lead Yusuke Mogi about preparing for this new addition.

Jenni Lada: When did work start on the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel FFXI Raid? How involved were members of the FFXI development team with the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel Raid?

Masaki Nakagawa (with input from the Scenario Team): We began planning Echoes of Vana'diel (EOV) around winter of 2023, in tandem with the development of Dawntrail. Those of us in the Battle Content team began the project by first deciding the four bosses so the Scenario team could concentrate on their tasks for Dawntrail. Once they were decided, we then moved on to designing the overall dungeon and outlining the story.

The FFXI team’s primary role was supervision of the original concept, plot, and in-game text of the scenario, along with voices and dialogue of NPCs and boss characters. We also asked them to provide the final assessment in ensuring the overall battle content was consistent regarding the universe and lore of the title, and to review the elements that were given an FFXIV-original twist for potential concerns. 

What led to Prishe being chosen as the main character for the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel FFXI Raid?

Nakagawa and the Scenario Team: We felt that the first boss of the alliance raid needed to be a character with a strong impression; someone that even those unfamiliar with FFXI would warm up to. Given her appearance in Dissidia Final Fantasy and various other titles as the “face” of FFXI, as well as her striking and charming personality, Prishe seemed like the perfect fit for what we were looking for.

Some aspects of her design were adjusted from her appearance in FFXI, and we were slightly worried if fans would be receptive to them, but we were relieved to see lots of positive comments after the alliance raid was released.

Many of Prishe’s trademark attacks and abilities appear during the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel FFXI Raid, such as Asuran Fists, Auroral Uppercut, Banishga, and Nullifying Dropkick. How did you determine which moves would appear in the Raid? Also, how did their appearances in other games, like FFXI and Dissidia, influence the look of the attacks here?

Nakagawa: I asked for input from the person in charge of this boss fight regarding this question, so I’m quoting him below:

“I placed a heavy emphasis on conveying Prishe's defining character traits. I wanted her attacks to make sense for those who remember Prishe from FFXI and establish her personality for those who haven't played, so I gave her moves that symbolize her youthful spirit.

Prishe has appeared in many other titles, and I hoped that by conveying her charm through this boss fight, players would not only take interest in the original FFXI but also in other titles such as Dissidia Final Fantasy.

When designing her animations and visual effects, I did my best to stay consistent with her previous appearances, while making alterations to help her naturally blend in with the setting of FFXIV and reinforce her character traits. For example, her Auroral Uppercut and Nullifying Dropkick are still an uppercut and dropkick, and Asuran Fists still features eight consecutive hits; but aside from those core ideas, each move was largely redesigned.”

As a side note, the staff member in charge of the Prishe encounter was also the battle content designer for AAC: Light-Heavyweight Division M2 featuring Honey B. Lovely. As with the Honey B. Lovely encounter, I think he did a great job of designing a delightful boss battle that highlights the character's unique traits.

Likewise, how did you pick Fafnir for the FFXIV Raid and how did you adjust the enemy’s moveset for attacks like Absolute Terror and Hurricane Wing when compared to FFXI?

Nakagawa: In the early planning stages, we brainstormed to decide the four bosses and enlisted the help of several game designers from the Battle System Team and Battle Content Team who are well-versed in FFXI. Among the many ideas pitched, Fafnir was included. After some deliberation, we decided on the Shadow Lord (boss 4) and Prishe (boss 1) first, then the Ark Angels (boss 3), and finally, Fafnir (boss 2).

There were three reasons why we chose Fafnir:

• Other bosses were humanoid, and so from an overall perspective, we needed a powerful, giant monster to differentiate them.
• Dragons are a staple in fantasy works, and so choosing one would allow for us to create an appealing boss fight that would be easy to understand for those who may not know FFXI.
• We wanted to include at least one HNM (High Notorious Monster), which are very memorable for FFXI players.

Capricious Cassie, another HNM from FFXI, was also considered. We debated over which one to choose and ended up choosing Fafnir because we felt Capricious Cassie would have a weaker impression on players who aren’t familiar with FFXI.

As for designing the Fafnir encounter, I started by deciding on the overall theme of the boss battle. I decided to feature a powerful dragon with dynamic and spectacular attacks and followed that theme as I came up with the battle mechanics based on Fafnir’s signature moves in FFXI, such as Dragon Breath, Spike Flail, Absolute Terror, and Hurricane Wing. 

I then relayed my ideas to the staff member in charge of the boss fight, who filled in the details. They captured the essence of Fafnir’s moves, carefully maintaining the impression of those attacks in FFXI as they put all the pieces together to make for a dynamic and spectacular encounter.

What challenges did you face when creating the FFXI Ark Angel equipment for the FFXIV Echoes of Vana'diel Raid?

Mogi: Because the design is fully black in color, during the initial drafts, the FFXI and FFXIV versions of the gear gave off very different impressions based on the varying physiques of the character races. With that in mind, during the concept art phase, I was quite conscious about keeping the visual impressions consistent where possible, such as the lengths of the top and the volume of the sleeves. A major area of adjustment was the ornate details, which I added so the gear wouldn’t look like it lacked features compared to existing FFXIV gear. To avoid deviating too far from the original look, I focused on the symbolic curved lines on the front of the torso as the key pattern and eliminated unnecessary designs as much as possible. Finally, with the final 3D models in mind, I added some highlights to the metallic parts; with that, I think I was able to achieve a simple yet weighted look.

What kinds of feedback have you gotten from the Echoes of Vana'diel first part from FFXIV players, and how will that affect future parts of the FFXI crossover?

Nakagawa: Are you referring to feedback from FFXIV players who are not familiar with FFXI? I’ll answer with that assumption in mind.

There was a large number of comments regarding the third boss, the Ark Angel encounter. FFXIV has never had an encounter where you fight five bosses all at once, and I’m very happy it was well-received as a fresh new battle experience. We saw many positive responses from both those who have and haven’t played FFXI. Developing the battle was filled with hurdles we had to overcome and proved quite challenging for us, but I feel it was all worth the effort. 

Prishe also received a lot of feedback, including from people who have not played FFXI. They seemed to enjoy her unique and charming personality, and many people commented that the fight was quite different from other boss fights, with its engaging mechanics that were both unusual and comical. As for Fafnir and the Shadow Lord, although their mechanics were straight forward, many players seemed to enjoy those battles for their visual impressiveness.

As for the difficulty level, we worked to make the battles more challenging overall compared to Myths of the Realm. Casual players mentioned that they struggled on their first attempt but felt the difficulty was just right and enjoyable from the second attempt onward. Others also noted that the difficulty level was perfect for an alliance raid, and that they look forward to subsequent installments to be this challenging.

Since Myths of the Realm saw a lot of feedback in the vein of “It wasn’t challenging enough, even on day one!” I’m relieved to see people seem to be receptive to this change in direction.

On the flip side, because it is a rare opportunity of a crossover with another game, I’ve seen players eagerly asking for even more unique ideas and new mechanics.

We’ve started work on the second installment, leveraging the feedback we received from everyone. We aim to surpass even this first alliance raid in the series, so I hope you'll look forward to it!

Final Fantasy XIV is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and Final Fantasy XI is available on PCs. 

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