[Megathread] Final Fantasy XIV

[Kaelwryn]

Are the maintenances really day long always? Is there any compensation added for such long times of not being able to play?

Most of the major patches are 24hrs, and no there is no compensation for scheduled downtime like this. Only time they give compensation is if the game is down for longer than 24hrs.

[Granyala]

DoT timers always show... And you can move the debuff bar UI anywhere.... The only time it doesn't show is maybe in raids where it goes beyond cap but even that is being fixed in 5.3 I don't see how being able to move and resize EVERY element of the UI in the STOCK game without addons is poor customization.

I want them as bars that change colors, so I can see how long they last w/o reading the number. Also I want DoT timers for my focus target.
Further on: I miss power-/weak auras. The ability to give out acoustic signals for procs etc and raidboss stuff was very helpful.

The rest of the UI is pretty much fine with me, since it's rather similar to my WoW UI.

[dope_danny]

Man it feels like they really don't know what they want AST to be and as someone who loved it before Shadowbringers thats a real shame. I get the feeling its going to have a WHM style rework in 6.0 at this point. They just keep trying tweaks but it doesnt seem like theres a clear goal rather than experimenting. Maybe theres a new healer job coming in the next expansion and they are trying to ensure they dont make another problem later?

[StrawberryZebra]

I don't see how being able to move and resize EVERY element of the UI in the STOCK game without addons is poor customization.

Because you can only move and resize them. You cannot alter their layout, remove individual bars, customise their colours and so on. It's fine if you like the default UI and think it's functional enough - It's terrible if you'd like to re-arrange or reorentate parts of the UI.

I, too, would like to change my debuffs to have a visual countdown where the icon gradually greys out rather than a timer, sadly the default UI won't allow me to do so.

If you want a good UI right out of the box, Rift has (had?) by far the best one. You could modify it freeform in game without the need for any addons at all. You could completely redesign the entire thing within 5 minutes if you wanted. It is (was?) absolutely fantastic.

Man it feels like they really don't know what they want AST to be and as someone who loved it before Shadowbringers thats a real shame.

I'm of the opinion that they dropped the ball hard on all healers this expansion. Scholar especially is so bad I moved towards playing a DPS instead.

Astrologian's changes are more to how it's MP gain works more than anything else, including it with a card draw is probably the best way to encourage players to be drawing and using them on cooldown and is easier to understand than pre-emptively conserving it with Lightspeed.

Sleeve Draw looks to be aimed at reducing the variance with getting 3 different seals. If I understand it correctly, you can use it to guarantee getting a seal you don't yet have in your Arcanum to reliably use Divination. Which is good, even if it stops you throwing out 5 cards at once along with Divination for some super super raid damage.

I get the impression these changes are aimed more at making the job aproachable than looking to redesign it.

[Delever]

So the unreal trial and rng fiesta minigame its attached to were sadly exactly as underwhelming as they sounded. Literally 2 shot. The fact that the unreal fiesta is now going to be a staple part of the content cycles in place of what could have been something else bothers me....
The fact that they even have the audacity to add an upscaled version of an ARR primal as a bullet point in their list of content for the patch is mind boggling to me.
The new trial however is actually very cool though from a lore standpoint.

[Granyala]

I think the Unreals are intended for people that never saw ARR primals with mechanics attached.

[dope_danny]

Well i finished the MSQ and everything happened exactly as i predicted which is a first. Great overall but it really makes Eden feel super detached. One tip i have is talk to every scion when you can during the quests and after. You can show Graha the wind up exarc for a little freakout cutscene and uriange comments on how places like the Azim Steppe may actually be named after Azem

[Merie]

So that one MSQ quest was like https://youtu.be/E13mGiziJm4?t=4

(not a spoiler)

[Poppincaps]

So that one MSQ quest was like https://youtu.be/E13mGiziJm4?t=4

(not a spoiler)

Accurate lol

[dope_danny]

Boy the NieR raid is fun but that second fight is going to be a nightmare for the first few weeks till people get it down then a cakewalk.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

5.3 MSQ thoughts

Spoiler: 

Nice calm before the storm, slice of life moments.

I loved how the rolequest NPCs showed up at the end of the dungeon, and the implication that they will become a merry band of adventurers together. Too bad Cylva and Taynor didn't show up, but oh well.

For the trial's active time maneuver, I noticed on my subsequent attempts that they did the classic game design trick of using the UI that the player is familiar with to manipulate the player emotionally, by allowing the bar to fall to around the 20% mark, with the player not being able to push that bar further than 30%, so it really FEELS desperate. Though we wiped several times on the trial so it quickly became apparent that it was tuned so you're not in any real danger of failing the test.

Kind of disappointed that there was no second phase music, but the trial theme was still quite nice.






Props to Elidibus' voice actor, he really sells the trepidation in his voice.

The goodbyes went on for too long, started fast forwarding through dialogue towards the end.

So the final Unsundered as perished. The Ascian threat is no more; the uplifted red masks will die out eventually with not ability to replenish their ranks (also they have no masters to guide them either so they will eventually disband either way). Except this Fandaniel... apparently he is an uplifted red mask, but he wasn't on board with Elidibus/Emet-Selch/Lahabrea's plans? Hm... is he trying to take Zodiark's power for himself? I also wonder how Zenos and Fandaniel plan on getting to Zodiark when Zodiark's avatar, Elidibus, has died, and Zodiark's essence remains a dead 8/14 fragment on the moon of the Source.





Just looked up the FFXII esper glyphs. Fandaniel's sign is Hashmal, so that's probably his true name.




Also interesting how the 14th member of the Convocation - the one who left, the WoL - is Azeyma, one of the Twelve. I had thought that the 14th/WoL would have been forgotten, and since he didn't join Venat's group, it wouldn't make sense for Azim to be one of the 12, but apparently it is so.

Kind of disappointed that Unukalhai hardly got anything. He didn't get to be there for Elidibus' defeat, and when I talked to him he barely comments on the matter. Talk about a disappointed subplot, but oh well.




Since the original timeline G'raha Tia's mind and soul, who is 9/14ths (source + 8 calamities) merged with our G'raha Tia (who is 8/14ths), G'raha Tia is now technically 15/14ths of a whole person. He should in theory be a little bit stronger than any unsundered Ascian. He has the potential to be the straight up strongest character on our side after the WoL. Estinien was also equal to the WoL in powerlevel during HW, so we have a pretty strong trio of WoL, Graha'Tia, and Estinien.

We're steamrolling towards the conclusion of the saga in 6.0. Not much time left, only about two patches and a box expansion. I wonder where they're going with Fandaniel.

Anyway, as I predicted, Sharlayan is becoming relevant again. It might be the 6.0 city, as at this point Garlemald is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things (they have no antagonists left except Gabranth, who is being dealt with in the relic questline). We'll probably get a couple zones exploring there in 6.0 but the endgame is Zenos, and ultimately, fixing the sound coming from the center of the earth. We'll need the greatest minds to fix the sound, which means Sharlayan is going to have to do some heavy lifting. I think Sharlayan as a city is more likely than the capital of Garlemald (which might just be a town like Ala Mhigo was in Stormblood).

[Edge-]

eyyy free trial is now endless and through HW.

Sad I can't use my existing account for it, but I guess I can make a catgirl and dick around again.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Well i finished the MSQ and everything happened exactly as i predicted which is a first. Great overall but it really makes Eden feel super detached.

Yeah it feels weird for Gaia to not show up.

[Poppincaps]

Thought the 5.3 MSQ was great. No quite as good as the conclusion to the 5.0 MSQ, but some very heart felt and bittersweet moments. I will say... I'm not entirely enthusiastic about the future storyline they're teasing, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Nier raid 5.3

Spoiler: 

The Nier storyline continues to underwhelm. It's not bad; it's just... when you stack it up against the prior alliance raid storylines, it's just not interesting. What little story there is... it's just nonsense. YORHA built bases in the mountains of Kholusia, and the bases are apparently so old that they have been half-reclaimed by nature. If YORHA built these bases long ago to fight Machine Lifeforms, then what have the Machine Lifeforms been doing for the past how many hundreds to thousands of years? Why haven't they wiped out humanity or taken over the world by now? Why haven't Amaro riders and Eulmoran airships spotted these structures while flying over the mountains? Or did these structures not exist on Norvrant until very, very recently? What on earth were YORHA and the machine lifeforms when the world under went two different apocalypses within a few weeks? If 2P is a machine lifeform, and her true goal is the elimination of mankind, then why was she nice to us in the first place? Why didn't she try to kill us all at first? Maybe she had amnesia and the part replacement made her remember her mission?

I'm not invested in the characters. I don't care what happens to the androids, and and the threat of Anogg dying/being a machine lifeform/whatever falls flat (especially when you compare that to how Alma was threatened in the Ivalice raids, which felt tense).

The prior alliance raids just had so much more going for them. The Crystal Tower raid series had a small cast of likeable characters who I cared about. They made invested in their character drama, of G'raha Tia being left behind, of Nero trying to one-up Cid. They also had the interesting lore of discovering Eorzea's past, and venturing into the 13th. G'raha Tia sealing himself in the tower, Una and Dogi staying behind, Cid reaching out through the portal to grab Nero, and Nero tossing away his tracking device was quite poignant.

The Void Ark raids weren't as interesting but they were still far more interesting than Nier, with the unique Sky Pirate aesthetics and background, and the pirate crews' rivalry, and the lore of old magi cities.

The Return to Ivalice raids were far and away the best, with a cast of compelling characters and a great story and lore. The theater troupe was very interesting, the Lexentale's history was interesting, and you got involved in the tragic story of Dalmasca and these people who were left wandering aimlessly, and now have hope for the future. And Garlemald was expanded.

So far, the only redeeming aspect of the Nier storyline has been gag comedy from the dwarves.

- - - Updated - - -

Weapon/Trial storyline 5.3

Spoiler: 

Yay our mech didn't get blown up! I was worried that it was going to be a one-off fight but it looks like we'll get to use it again. That being said, they made it clear that the Sapphire Weapon wasn't at full strength, so I'm guessing that in the next patch we'll start off with a solo duty using the G-Warrior against the next weapon, and the G-Warrior is destroyed in battle, which then leads us to try to fight the weapon on foot in a trial.

Terncliff was nice. Yes it is very barebones but I do like how they're trying to flesh out the world, even it's just these barebones snippets, show that the world isn't just a handful of city states and MMO quest hubs. I am looking forward to seeing Werlyt.

... When will we finally get a Garlean occupied town where the occupation wasn't horrible? You know... nuance? Or is that going to be native Garlean settlements only?

Goodness gracious, the ending scene with Lord Valens, sheesh! He gives me the creeps! Props to the cutscene team, it was really good. Posing, lighting, camera angles, animation, just really good. Makes me sad that this stuff isn't voiced. I'm not fond of Garlemald flip flopping back and forth between "grey empire" and "cartoonishly evil empire", but when it comes to the latter they really nailed it this time with Lord Valens. Looking forward to tearing his guts out.

[Merie]

Loved it but as good as the best moment was, one little addition would have made it just beyond perfect. I made a fan edit of what I mean.

https://i.imgur.com/4pVVA85.jpg

Spoilers obviously.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Loved it but as good as the best moment was, one little addition would have made it just beyond perfect. I made a fan edit of what I mean.

https://i.imgur.com/4pVVA85.jpg

Spoilers obviously.

They could be saving that for later, but then again there are story reasons for why that might not happen since

5.3 MSQ

Spoiler: 

"Azem" wasn't the WoL's true name (like "Hades"). It was the name of the office he held (ie "Emet-Selch"), which he walked away from. I doubt that the WoL would invoke the name and sigil associated with an organization he defected from and was at war with for countless years.

[Merie]

They could be saving that for later, but then again there are story reasons for why that might not happen since

5.3 MSQ

Spoiler: 

"Azem" wasn't the WoL's true name (like "Hades"). It was the name of the office he held (ie "Emet-Selch"), which he walked away from. I doubt that the WoL would invoke the name and sigil associated with an organization he defected from and was at war with for countless years.

But do we know the 14th defected? Defected to whom? From what I remember, the 14th simply left. Preferring to stay neutral and spurning Venat's overtures to join team Hydaelyn. Not even Venat begrudged the convocation citing they were working to save the people even if she disagreed with their method. My opinion is the convocation was not an evil organization, but that the few remaining members that survived became evil in their obsessive zeal to unwrite the past. The Convocation were understandably taking action to save the (at the time) living where as modern Emet/Elid/Laha were pursuing even more extreme actions to bring back those that were already gone, a notable distinction.

The ancients also freely gave up their lives to the convocation to save their countrymen, were as the 3 convocation survivors brazenly sacrifice unknowing and ignorant populations that have given no such consent. They don't even see the modern living as people. I don't think it's completely out of the question that the WoL wouldn't hold the convocation in the same contempt that he/she does with what the three remaining members have since become thousands of years later. Hythlodaeus appears to have made a custom stone for his friend as well, which could suggest a wholly original sigil, different from the red ones acians use.

[dope_danny]

But do we know the 14th defected? Defected to whom? From what I remember, the 14th simply left. Preferring to stay neutral and spurning Venat's overtures to join team Hydaelyn. Not even Venat begrudged the convocation citing they were working to save the people even if she disagreed with their method. My opinion is the convocation was not an evil organization, but that the few remaining members that survived became evil in their obsessive zeal to unwrite the past. The Convocation were understandably taking action to save the (at the time) living where as modern Emet/Elid/Laha were pursuing even more extreme actions to bring back those that were already gone, a notable distinction.

The ancients also freely gave up their lives to the convocation to save their countrymen, were as the 3 convocation survivors brazenly sacrifice unknowing and ignorant populations that have given no such consent. They don't even see the modern living as people. I don't think it's completely out of the question that the WoL wouldn't hold the convocation in the same contempt that he/she does with what the three remaining members have since become thousands of years later. Hythlodaeus appears to have made a custom stone for his friend as well, which could suggest a wholly original sigil, different from the red ones acians use.

I think they were trying to set up that Elidibus was a sense of duty bordering on obsession and they were the sense of adventure. Both could lead to something like a Warrior of Light but its all about the motivations which i guess touches back on what you do with the kids this patch.

[Graeham]

I thought it was pretty underwhelming. The bar was set very high with Emet-Selch as a sympathetic and memorable antagonist. Elidibus just felt inconsistently written and it's unfortunate that his talk of balance amounted to nothing of note. It could have easily have been something used to bridge the gap and lead to teaming up against a greater threat.

Fandaniel and Zenos are utterly boring to me. I only really cared about the Ancients and Garleans due to how bland most of the other regions in-game have become. I expected more of FFXII's nuanced take on things, not desperate attempts to exploit 'feels' for cheap drama that, ultimately, amounts to nothing.

I don't care for G'raha either. Much like Lyse, I'm left bitter that they're trying to force such a character to be heavily associated with my own.

Regula not getting any real love is disappointing. He's the most honourable Garlean we've met so far and the game just repeatedly ignores him after his quest chain in Azys Lla - which is pretty stupid.

I guess this is all the consequence of a significant portion of the game's player-base being unable to handle anything that isn't 'wholesome' and 'feels'. It honestly seems as if the development team are bored and want to move on to something else.