Final Fantasy 14 to get easier solo play and visual upgrade

polygon.com:

During a marathon “Letter from the Producer” livestream, Final Fantasy 14 Online director and producer Naoki Yoshida laid out plans for future improvements to the hit massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Expanded support for solo play is coming soon, with a graphical upgrade a little further down the line.

In a show of confidence in the MMO’s blossoming fortunes, Square Enix said in an accompanying press release that it will continue to support the game “for the next 10 years.”

Starting with patch 6.1, which is set for release in April, the Trust System that allows a solo player to tackle main scenario dungeons with a squad of non-player characters will be expanded. To begin with, all main scenario dungeons from A Realm Reborn will be made compatible with the system. Trust System support for dungeons from later expansions Heavensward and Stormblood will come in subsequent patch cycles up to 6.5. These updates will make it much easier for a solo player to follow the game’s story at their own pace. With new players in mind, some low-level dungeons and trials will also be adjusted to support an “accessible” solo experience.

Yoshida also revealed that work is underway on Final Fantasy 14’s first-ever visual overhaul. The graphical enhancements will launch alongside the game’s next expansion, with more to follow. Both character and world visuals will be upgraded with higher-resolution textures, improved materials, and better lighting and shadow effects. Showing some early test images of characters’ faces, Yoshida said that photorealism was not the goal, but more subtle enhancements that stayed true to the game’s art style.

Yoshida also shared a partial roadmap for content additions in the next few patches. A new