1531: Zodiac Brave

Final Fantasy XIV’s second major patch is brilliant stuff, bringing with it an absolute shit-ton of things to do for those who have reached the level cap.

I used to be a little disappointed to hear that MMO expansions and major patches tended to favour endgame players over those working their way up through the levels, but now that I am an endgame player, I completely understand the logic. There’s already a bunch of stuff there designed to get people from level 1 to level 50; but the people who have reached level 50 need a constant, continual stream of New Things to Do otherwise they’ll simply jump ship and go off to play something else. In a subscription-based game such as Final Fantasy XIV, this is exactly what Square Enix does not want to happen.

Patch 2.1 added a decent amount of new content for endgame players to work through, primarily in the form of new dungeons and Trials (complex boss battles) to play through. Patch 2.2, the most recent one, initially appears to be somewhat similar, but there’s a bunch of more subtle tweaks here and there that are designed to keep people invested in the game in the long term rather than simply racing through the new content as quickly as possible, then taking to the forums to whinge that there’s not enough to do.

Chief among this time-consuming stuff is the Zodiac Weapons quest. One of the first things you’ll want to do upon reaching the level cap in Final Fantasy XIV is complete the “A Relic Reborn” quest, which outfits you with a good weapon for your class that can subsequently be upgraded. The quest is a lengthy affair that demands you work through some of the toughest battles in the game and then participate in enough endgame content to earn the special currency required to purchase some items. Once it’s done, it’s done, though, and for each class there was previously only really one weapon better than the Relic available, and that was extremely difficult to obtain due to it being secreted in what was formerly the hardest dungeon in the whole game.

Now, though, your Relic can be upgraded further through the new Zodiac Weapons quest. After maxing out your relic, you’re then tasked with going on the hunt for twelve “Atmas” — mysterious items that are required to buff up your Relic weapon into something new and shiny. In order to obtain the Atmas, you have to participate in the “FATE” events around Eorzea — little mini-quests that pop up around the world map that anyone in the area can jump in and help out with. For each FATE that you attain a gold medal in, there’s about a 5% chance that the Atma for that area will drop, and you need to obtain twelve Atmas in total, so I’m sure you can see how this will take a while.

A grind it may be, but it’s had the side-effect of making FATEs relevant again, which is a good thing, since they’re a lot of fun and had fallen somewhat into disuse after the rewards from dungeon-crawling became significantly better. Now, though, there’s always bands of wandering adventurers crawling around the various areas and stomping through the FATEs, and due to the game’s level-sync mechanic, no-one will ever come along and simply overpower them, making it no fun.

Once you’ve obtained the twelve Atmas, there’s then a selection of books to work through, each of which have their own challenges to complete and each of which buff up the Zodiac weapon’s stats by a particular amount when you complete them. And then you can do this for each class.

In other words, it’s going to take a while to accomplish. Despite the fact it’s a fairly unsubtle move to keep endgame players invested in the game in the long-term, having a long-term goal like this is actually rather enjoyable because it brings a wonderful sense of achievement when you do finally accomplish it. I have no doubt that I’ll put in the hours required to get a Zodiac weapon for my Black Mage class, and I will probably do it for the other classes I get to 50, too. I’m in this game for the long run, and I’m really enjoying the flow of new challenges that appear every few months.

1529: The Whorleater

I imagine only a few of you reading this will give a toss, but Final Fantasy XIV version 2.2, aka Through the Maelstrom is out today. I haven’t had a lot of time to play with it so far, what with having to do pesky work and then go out to Japanese class this evening, but after we’ve had dinner I’m going to spend some time with it tonight.

I have had the opportunity to at least unlock the Glamour system I talked about a few posts ago, and from there begin assembling my own custom outfits for my high-level classes. So far I’ve put together some rather fetching ensembles for my Black Mage and White Mage classes — Black Mage looks rather classy in a figure-hugging black skirt, white thigh-highs, black velveteen gloves and a low-cut black coatee with a lacy white collar; White Mage, meanwhile, is clad in what I can only describe as a slightly slutty tennis player’s outfit, eschewing the usual frumpy robe of level 50 white mages in favour of a snug-fitting, bone white hempen camise up top and the borderline-indecent Cleric’s Culottes (aka the tiniest miniskirt in the world) down below.

I followed my unlocking of the Glamour system with the unlocking of the new dance animations — I know where my priorities are, huh? — and after dinner I’ll be delving into some of the more meaty new content. For now, it’s time for dinner; I’ll update this post with some pics and additional thoughts later.

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Okay, I forgot to take any pics, but I’ve done the three new dungeons, and they’re a lot of fun. One of the best things about much of Final Fantasy XIV’s multiplayer content is how most of it eschews the straight “tank and spank” approach seen in many MMOs. It’s a very movement-heavy game, and success in boss battles is dependent on knowing any special mechanics that might be in play along with having the ability to avoid incoming attacks.

A particular highlight was one of the bosses in the new Hard Mode version of the Brayflox’s Longstop dungeon. Initially appearing to be a rather simple fight against a tough goblin, it’s not long before the fight becomes highly chaotic, with exploding mines dropping into the battlefield and criss-crossing the arena with Bomberman-style cross-shaped explosions. Alongside all this, the boss is hurling stuff at you and summoning additional enemies, each of whom lock their attention on an individual party member, necessitating a quick takedown. You really have to stay on your toes and pay attention.

Another particular highlight was the final boss of the same dungeon, which had several different phases: hurling damage at it, staying out of its way as it careened around the outside of the arena, and using area-effect skills to push back swarms of bombs to create a safe zone in the middle of the area. Again, it’s another fight where you really need to pay attention to what’s going on around you rather than simply going through the motions of triggering the same skills over and over again.

It’s the skill-based part of Final Fantasy XIV that, for me, distinguishes it from other MMOs where you might have a bit more character customisation. Everyone at level 50 in Final Fantasy XIV has the same abilities and probably very similar stats, too; the main distinguishing factors between individual players are pure skill and the equipment they’re wearing. A skilled player in slightly lower-level gear will pretty much always beat a well-equipped player that is not very observant or not very good at dodging. We’re not talking the level of dexterity and timing required by something like Dark Souls, for example, but it’s pretty close in some fights — the challenging battles against Titan being probably the best examples.

So far I’ve barely scratched the surface of the new content. The three new dungeons were great fun and I can see myself running them lots of times, particularly as the rewards on offer are pretty good. Tomorrow and over the weekend, it’s onto the main story content and the long-awaited continuation of the hilarious and bizarre Hildibrand quests, which have proven to be a highlight of the new content in both updates so far.

In case it wasn’t clear, I continue to be super-impressed by Final Fantasy XIV. The fresh injections of content, the constant improvements to the game experience in response to player feedback and the great community of players I’m lucky enough to be able to enjoy the game with — it all adds up to one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I’ve had for years. For those of you thinking of joining the fray when the PlayStation 4 version arrives in April, I look forward to showing you around Eorzea!

1525: Through the Maelstrom

Final Fantasy XIV gets its second major “big patch” next week, and my Free Company and I are looking forward to it a great deal. Like the previous big update A Realm Awoken, Through the Maelstrom, as it’s known, not only adds a bunch of new content, but also some tweaks, refinements and additions to the game system as a whole.

Top of the priority list for many players is not any of this new content, however; it’s a simple addition known as Glamours, otherwise known as the game’s long-awaited vanity system.

For those unfamiliar, a vanity system in an MMO is pretty much what it sounds like: it’s the opportunity to customise your character’s appearance however you see fit rather than being restricted to the default appearance of the equipment you’re wearing. There are pros and cons to both approaches: having gear with distinct appearances means that you can quickly and easily judge at a glance roughly what level (and class) a particular player is at, for example, but it does mean that everyone has something of a tendency to look the same, particularly at high level. Conversely, a vanity system allows players to look however they want at the expense of that visual shorthand that says “yes, I am an average item level 80 Black Mage ready for some hot Binding Coil of Bahamut action”.

On balance, in a socially-centred game such as an MMO, the opportunity for players to express themselves as they see fit is probably the best in the long run. After all, an MMO character is an extension of yourself, your avatar in the virtual space, and something you’ve worked hard to develop over the course of many weeks and months — so why the hell shouldn’t they look and dress how you’d like them to? There’s nothing stopping you wearing the distinctive “uniform” of your class if you still want to, of course, but with the presence of a vanity system you can take that step away from the herd, too.

I haven’t fully decided on the outfits for my various classes as yet, though my rough “theme” is that I want my character to look more feminine. (She is a lady, after all.) Mage gear in particular isn’t terribly flattering, being all baggy robes, hoods and silly hats, so I’m contemplating a new black mage ensemble for her in the form of a slinky, sexy black dress (or, more accurately, skirt and top combo that looks a bit like a slinky, sexy black dress) and some dainty gloves, set off by a nice pair of shoes that don’t look too ridiculous. I’m keeping an eye out for items that might fit the bill as I’m playing, and I have a feeling that the cloth “All Classes” items typically worn by crafters as they’re levelling may just fit the bill nicely — though I’ll probably stop short of the high-level ones that incorporate a garter belt on the outside of the incredibly snug skirt. Sexy, yes; impractical, uh, yes.

In short, yes, I have been thinking about Amarysse’s new Eorzea Spring Collection far more than I perhaps should have been. And later in the week I’ll be able to implement it, take her out into the dungeons and rack up the Player Commendations for my fetching ensembles. That or get a torrent of questions from people asking why I’m wearing crafting gear as a black mage. We’ll see!