"Final Fantasy 14" director Naoki Yoshida still wants people to enjoy the game, even with the recently added AFK kick feature.

The MMO recently broke its concurrent player count on Steam and somehow managed to sell out its digital version as well. Even Asmongold, a traditional World of Warcraft player, jumped on the hype, perhaps helping the game's meteoric rise somewhat.

While Final Fantasy 14's rise has been great, the lines waiting for servers are now an absolute nightmare. Some free trial players are not being let in at all, and it is not surprising that some are a bit frustrated.

Square Enix released a patch earlier this week in an attempt to alleviate some of this congestion. This has made busy areas like Limsa Lominsa noticeably quieter, with fewer players idling and dancing while eating and strolling in the real world.

Anyone who has spent even a few hours in the game will know that these dense areas are the core of the game's atmosphere and community. In a message to players this morning, the director said he knows how important these interactions are to the overall experience and immersion.

"Having played many MMOs myself, I know that seeing other players bustling past at mealtime can prepare you physically and mentally for the dungeon you will later tackle, or that a spontaneous dance performance can brighten everyone's day 'These are the ways of role-playing,' he writes.

"These are ways to role-play and part of the fun of MMORPGs.

"So, while I deeply appreciate your consideration, I want you to know that the above activities are part of the game and that you don't have to show restraint to the point of stopping having fun."

Yoshida went on to say, "Enjoy FF14 in your own way," and "Show new players how the world of FF14 comes alive." He also touched on the difficulties that AFK timers pose to high-level fishermen, saying that it is of course fine to "stay logged in" to wait for a big catch. The overall message seems to be that it is fine to do fun things like dancing and music, but let's also be respectful of those who want to jump in and play.

This is not the first time the AFK kick feature has been implemented in Final Fantasy 14, with the release of Stormblood. However, Square eventually went one step further and implemented daily kicks across the entire server for those who tried to circumvent the kicks with macros and timers. It kinda sucked.

It's good to see Yoshida trying to address this issue, but at the same time he is incredibly aware of how the culture of his game works. He has always been at the core of Final Fantasy 14's success, and it's easy to see why the community looks up to him. Look at the way he talks about his biggest competitor, World of Warcraft. You can't help but love him.