I believe the chocobos should be modeled after FFVII as closely as possible. The color of your choco should signify something related to it's stats/abilities other than someone simply thinking, "I like this color."

I agree that chocobo stats/abilities should only be apparent during a race. Riding a chocobo to a camp spot with your party could get rather annoying when everyones' chocobo is running at a different speed. /follow wouldn't work very well, especially when traveling long distances.

A point system should be created for races. A player would obtain points based on what place he/she finished the race, first place awarding the highest amount. The points could then be exchanged for items related to your chocobo only, meaning no items/armor a player could use for him/herself. Such items could include standard items already available/created for chocobo use such as the various types of food. Chocobo specific potions could be created that temporarily raise stamina, endurance, etc. Also items that you can equip on your chocobo like the saddlebags mentioned in another post, higher quailty/more durable reigns, maybe even a type of body armor (cloth or leather) that would cover the feathers decreasing wind resistence, thereby increasing speed.

To prevent players from throwing a race for gambling purposes, the option of controling your chocobo during a race should not be allowed. However, a player should be able to use the potions mentioned above during a race. Possibly other abilities could be given to a player during a race as well with the exception of directly being able to control the speed and direction.

The amount of gil a player can bet on a chocobo race should vary with the maximum being 20,000gil. However, a ranking system should be put in place which controls this. Similar to the points system above, raking system which reflects a player's ability to race. Rank ups would come after accumulating a certain number of points from finishing races or by completing certain objectives during a race. A beginner may only be able to bet a maximum of 1,000gil per race, and increase per rank up.

The number of chocobos participating in a single race should be 8. Racing against NPCs with their own chocobs should be an option, as well as selecting a difficulty level to race in. Of course racing at an ametuer level would award much fewer rank/racing points than at a more advanced level. Random players should be able to get in the same race together by entering by the start time. If the number of PC participating in a race is fewer than 8, the difference should be made up by NPCs.

The NPCs which can appear randomly as competitors should include a 'dreaded' competitor, i.e. someone a player will be nervous about racing against due to this NPC's chocobo being notoriously hard to beat.

Another option of racing your chocobo directly against another player should also be incorporated, much like doing a PvP event.

The ability to race should occur often, perhaps 3 times per game hour. Fewer than that and people will lose interest in it quickly after the 'newness' of the event wears off. Waiting is not fun.

I suppose that's all I've got to say for now :p Just some ideas I believe will make breeding/racing more exciting.

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I love the idea of gambling. I think multiple tracks like a lot of people are almost a necessity since they'll be alot of crowding. Although it would be completly understandable if they took time to open like an under construction time to give SE time to work on more. Also I think any prizes should somehow be dispayable either on you or your choco or in your Mog House. Personally items on choco's should exist if they are more then aethestic then shouldn't aloud in the races or perhaps some sort of limitation that way people can have a small boost but in different ways; possibly in more advanced races. I want my jocky to be a Taru of some kind or the option of a taru T_T. I personally don't care if I could control my choco knowing my luck it would DC while was running and I'd log back to last place and my choco with a complex.
Now for maybe the only original idea I have maybe... You know how we have those rooms with passwords get in and make reservations; maybe we could have like that but closed races (only one ttrack existing reserved as well) So friends or ls mates could runn chocobo in friendly races obviously with training ups since that would be unfair. I think that would be fun.
Most I was just resupporting ideas

I was originally very excited to hear that you were introducing a chocobo racing part of the game, one of the only things I was excited about from this new expansion. Unfortunately "Chocobos will not be controllable by players during Chocobo Racing.". Now, I wonder who's brilliant idea this was? Obviously the same idiot behind the auto /attack combat.

Do you guys actually play your game? Because to me not controlling a video game is like watching a movie. I don't want to watch a movie unless I'm watching a movie. I personally don't mind cutscenes but this is supposed to be a video game and I expect to play it. All that I ask is that you at least have commands like speed up or move left right. I seriously don't get why you will not be able to control them unlike how freely you control them outside of racing.

Maybe I'm the only one who gives damn, but would it be that great to ask you to give us some control? Final Fantasy 11's gameplay would be significantly better if there was a manuel combat system that you could choose to use instead of the automatic one. I am also sure that it would be better if you let us actually race our chocobos! Hell, I don't even see why they have riders on them if it's going to be chocobo racing you cannot control.

Please don't make this suck Square Enix

Macc out

Controlling the Chocobo:
Give players a choice: They can hire a jockey (or use an adventuring fellow) and race the chocobo through AI control (and issued tactics before the race).OR ride the chocobo themselves like in FFVII and command the chocobo with commands like speed up, slow down etc. with a stamina bar.Maneuvering is not nescessary IMO so chocobos stay in their respective lanes. As for Hackers, I'm pretty sure that it would be easier to hack AI controlled Chocobos rather then manually controlled ones.

Calling your Chocobo:
There should be no recast time for the choco whistle, however, since players would use this to avoid aggro; you should only be able to call the chocobo if there are few mobs around. For some areas, you should only be able to call the chocobo if you've been there before on foot.

Gambling, Rankings and prizes etc:
I love these ideas as well as the Advertising Fame (you win and posters of you are out up in Jeuno etc.)mentioned by someone else. Mog House items such as plushies,tropies and/or posters would be great prizes along with chocobo/character equipment(to show off).
I'd also want the chocobo stadiums to exist in physical form.(no pursuivants or some such thing)and am looking forward to seeing other chocobo related (quests on Chocoback?) things similar to racing in the future.

Gambling:
Obviously, a gambling system similar to real life horse racing would be best. Of cause the game has to collect all sorts of statistics about every chocobo, but since this is in a seperate Zone, i don't think it will be a big problem.

The only problem i see with a gambling system that is very close to real life is the possible problems with Anti Gambling organizations and the game rating. I know that no one in europe would care, but in the US this could cause some problems.

I know it's not real money but some smart lawyers could argue the fact that although it is monopoly money, it does in fact have a real life value.

Another solution would be to give prizes in the form of items for your chocobo or some sort of coupons/tickets that can be exchanged. Maybe we could bet with IS Points and win IS (Imperial Standing).

Maybe i am a bit too concerned about the gambling thing. I sure like to see some gambling and rewards for the winners and the winning chocobo.


Not controlling your Chocobo:
This is a good idea to prevent cheating and rigging races. I would however like to see at least some basic strategy you can set before the race. Something like:

Early Lead - Will use alot of stamina to take lead early.
Even Pace - Will balance his speed/stamina.
End Sprint - Will put all he has in the end sprint.


More than one Chocobo
I assume you will specifically breed a racer and breed a different one for your personal use. If you can always have just one chocobo, it will limit you to either breed one for Travel, Digging or Racing.

PLEASE MAKE A NPC LOOKS LIKE KURARA CHIBANA(MISS UNIVERSE FIRST RUN UP 2006) AND HAVE HER PRESENT THE CROWN TO THE WINNER AFTER RACE!

I LOVE KURARA CHIBANA!!

OPPS DID I POST ON THE WRONG WEBSITE LOL

Rather than having the whole thing be AI contoled I'd like to see something like this:

1. Gas pedal(speed up bird)
2. Break button(slow down abit)
3. Stamina recovery(hold a button)
4. Sprint button(similar to FF7)

Now I don't think I'd let people control where the bird goes...unlike FF7...this is because I could see to many chashes and hangups. The birs would be stuck in their own lanes for the durration...

I would have thought the whole fun from this would have been the ability to control your own Chocobo?

I can't see me having any interest in this at all since that announcement, I had hoped to be able to raise my own Choc and then race it - with me controlling it by skill. It seems a real anticlimax to me.

-Gambling to place bets on winning chocobos.
-Wider variety of foodto develop chocobos.
-Chocobo Stats to influence race outcome.
==Stamina/Endurance (to determine the length of time a chocobo can run)
==Speed
==Acceleration
==Recovery (from losing endurance)
==Comfort
==Control (maneuverability and racer control)
-Race Tracks or Battlefields designed for Chocobo Racing only.
-Rewards or Prizes for winning Chocobos (low in value obviously)


These would all make a great chocobo program and allow for capitalization. In short, VERY similar to the FFVII chocobo racing (which was SO much fun!).

perhaps SE could have a track built in to different area's. let the choco's race thru the terrain of the different area's but ppl wouldn't be able to get in the way due to the track being off the ground high enough where ppl and the racers don't interfere. Then ppl could watch the choco's racing. i also agree that prizes should be EX due to gil sellers. v.v they always seem to ruin all the fun everywhere else. Now, riders in particular. Mog's could be the riders but it would be ur Mog House mog that rides for u. Yet, you could control where the moogle goes. i understand there's a connectivity issue w/ that but ppl will just have to overcome it however they can. Too many ppl spend money and time to let these great idea's go to waste. So i say let there be something new and fun for everyone to do, ppl don't want to lvl? that's fine, raise ur choco ^^ whatever happens w/ this, lets just have some fun w/ it ok?

I would like to see a way to either make bets with other people and have SE take those bets for us so we don't have to worry about someone stealing money. Also, an SE run bookey would be fun. Hang out, bet on the chocos and have a nice afternoon.