Final Fantasy XIV’s producer and director explains packet loss and reporting on internet issues

Here’s the good news for most of the people reading this: You are probably not being affected by packet loss issues while playing Final Fantasy XIV, as the latest letter from producer and director Naoki Yoshida addressing the topic notes that the issues mostly seem confined to Japan. But if you thought those facts would mean that Yoshida wouldn’t take the matter seriously or wouldn’t offer everyone an extended explanation of what packet loss is and how it can affect playing the game, well, you clearly haven’t been playing this game very long. He had more than a few things to say on the matter.

Yoshida also explains how players can record useful information and provide it to the support team to address the issue via traceroute information on Windows 10, complete with step-by-step instructions and pictures. Even if you don’t play the game, it’s useful information for understanding internet issues and being able to discuss them intelligently, so everyone can benefit from the quick explanation and crash course, even if you’re not having any sort of packet loss problem.