[Megathread] Final Fantasy XIV

[Thestrawman]

I just watched my son finish up the 2.0 MSQ again - there are quite a few Ascians present in a cutscene that we haven't seen since.

There's a lot of stuff that happens between 2.0 and 5.4.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

So, I'm bored to death in wow atm and want to give ffxiv another go. My problems is that atm I have a 51 summoner but i want to give my monk job/class another try but its only around 35 or so. Whats the best/easiest way to get it caught up to my current spot in the content story line? Tried doing fates but my memory of the zone levels are shit atm considering its been over a year or so since I last played the game.

The most efficient source of exp is, in descending order: daily frontline > daily MSQ roulette > daily alliance roulette > levelling roulette

However, if you are DPS, you won't get instant queues, so queuing for roulettes is not usually the most efficient way to level a DPS job.


ALL JOBS

• If you are under level 18, do Palace of the Dead until level 16 (if tank or healer) or level 18 (if DPS).

Tanks and healers:

• once you hit level 16, just spam leveling roulette until level 50. You'll get instant queues.

DPS:

• once you hit level 18, spam squadron dungeons until level 50. Since you are playing by yourself, you get instant queues. You want a marauder tank set to defensive, a conjurer set to balanced, and an archer set to offensive. The nice thing about this levelling method is that you can AFK, and you can casually do it while not paying attention. You can just run forward, pull mobs, and then alt + tab out and browse the web while the squadron takes care of the mobs for you. So you get the most EXP for the least amount of time and effort required. Do the highest level dungeon you can. However, once you hit level 50, squadrons stop being efficient, and you should just bite the bullet and wait out the DPS queue times for roulettes. Alt+tab out and do something else while you wait.

ALL JOBS:

• once you hit level 30, you can start doing a daily frontline. This will give you the most amount of exp for the least amount of effort and is amazing. You can also switch jobs. Ie, if you want to level monk, but don't want to play as it, you can queue for frontline as monk, pop into the frontline, switch to another job, and when the frontline ends, the monk will get all of the exp.

• Once you hit level 70, you can start doing Pixie Beast Tribe quests (once you reach the 5.0 MSQ). You get half a level for less than 5 minutes of effort per day. Don't bother with beast tribes before then; they're not worth the time and effort for so little exp (unless it's moogles and namazu for crafters)

• Lastly, once you hit level 71, you can do Bozja (but you have to have a level 80 character first and have beaten the 5.0 MSQ), which is basically casual FATE farming and you get quite a lot of EXP from it. Going from 71-80 on one job takes about 4-6 hours of Bozja FATE farming.

So, TL;DR for your Monk leveling:

• Do your daily frontline

• after that, do squadron dungeons until level 50

• once at level 50, just queue for your daily MSQ roulette, then daily alliance roulette, and then spam leveling roulette

• once at 70, start doing the Pixie Beast Tribe

[draugril]

There's a lot of stuff that happens between 2.0 and 5.4.

Which I am caught up on.

I don't recall ever seeing Pashtarot again. And there are some nameless present.

[xuros]

The most efficient source of exp is, in descending order: daily frontline > daily MSQ roulette > daily alliance roulette > levelling roulette

However, if you are DPS, you won't get instant queues, so queuing for roulettes is not usually the most efficient way to level a DPS job.


ALL JOBS

• If you are under level 18, do Palace of the Dead until level 16 (if tank or healer) or level 18 (if DPS).

Tanks and healers:

• once you hit level 16, just spam leveling roulette until level 50. You'll get instant queues.

DPS:

• once you hit level 18, spam squadron dungeons until level 50. Since you are playing by yourself, you get instant queues. You want a marauder tank set to defensive, a conjurer set to balanced, and an archer set to offensive. The nice thing about this levelling method is that you can AFK, and you can casually do it while not paying attention. You can just run forward, pull mobs, and then alt + tab out and browse the web while the squadron takes care of the mobs for you. So you get the most EXP for the least amount of time and effort required. Do the highest level dungeon you can. However, once you hit level 50, squadrons stop being efficient, and you should just bite the bullet and wait out the DPS queue times for roulettes. Alt+tab out and do something else while you wait.

ALL JOBS:

• once you hit level 30, you can start doing a daily frontline. This will give you the most amount of exp for the least amount of effort and is amazing. You can also switch jobs. Ie, if you want to level monk, but don't want to play as it, you can queue for frontline as monk, pop into the frontline, switch to another job, and when the frontline ends, the monk will get all of the exp.

• Once you hit level 70, you can start doing Pixie Beast Tribe quests (once you reach the 5.0 MSQ). You get half a level for less than 5 minutes of effort per day. Don't bother with beast tribes before then; they're not worth the time and effort for so little exp (unless it's moogles and namazu for crafters)

• Lastly, once you hit level 71, you can do Bozja (but you have to have a level 80 character first and have beaten the 5.0 MSQ), which is basically casual FATE farming and you get quite a lot of EXP from it. Going from 71-80 on one job takes about 4-6 hours of Bozja FATE farming.

So, TL;DR for your Monk leveling:

• Do your daily frontline

• after that, do squadron dungeons until level 50

• once at level 50, just queue for your daily MSQ roulette, then daily alliance roulette, and then spam leveling roulette

• once at 70, start doing the Pixie Beast Tribe

Will have to look up what a squadron dungeon is. This game has so much in it that it can feel a bit overwhelming for someone to come back to lol. Thanks for the info though.

[DarkShinobi]

I was aiming for Squadron to help on leveling but first you have to unlock this possibility and to do that, as far as I know you have to collect a bunch of Grand Company Seals in order to upgrade your rank and then get the quest to start the Squadron. I was looking for a way to get company seals faster but I don't have any Craft/Gathering job so I cant turn in provisions, the only way left to farm them is with Fates or Levequests. Some work to do, but I will get there, lol

[draugril]

I was aiming for Squadron to help on leveling but first you have to unlock this possibility and to do that, as far as I know you have to collect a bunch of Grand Company Seals in order to upgrade your rank and then get the quest to start the Squadron. I was looking for a way to get company seals faster but I don't have any Craft/Gathering job so I cant turn in provisions, the only way left to farm them is with Fates or Levequests. Some work to do, but I will get there, lol

Honestly, the Squadron leveling is pretty meh given the amount of setup you need to do for it to become viable. You could easily level a few classes in the time it would take to get them up to snuff.

Also, never spam the leveling roulette. Do it once for the day, then queue for the highest level dungeon specifically.

[DarkShinobi]

Honestly, the Squadron leveling is pretty meh given the amount of setup you need to do for it to become viable. You could easily level a few classes in the time it would take to get them up to snuff.

Also, never spam the leveling roulette. Do it once for the day, then queue for the highest level dungeon specifically.

Yes, I do that already since the daily roulettte only gives the bonus once a day. Then I stay farming dungeons close to my level!

[Xilurm]

The Echo gives us a huge tactical advantage in battle that was explored in Stormblood and our martial prowess in general has been showcased several times over.

Are you talking about being able to see forthcoming attacks? Because that's not true. It's something people started talking about but can't back up with evidence. What the Echo gives us is the ability to see people's memories and to prevent tempering. It's different for some apparently, like with Mikoto, it gives her the ability to see the future.

The Blessing of Light makes us pretty strong though, although it was shown during HW that we're pretty strong without it aswell.

[Katchii]

Are you talking about being able to see forthcoming attacks? Because that's not true. It's something people started talking about but can't back up with evidence.

It's highlighted and showcased specifically with Fordola, where after she was given the Echo through artificial means she was easily able to dodge attacks and even comments on how great it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2v30XsBgxU

Go to 7:25 and watch the fight, and it's plain as day what's going on. The Echo gave her that ability.

[Xilurm]

It's highlighted and showcased specifically with Fordola, where after she was given the Echo through artificial means she was easily able to dodge attacks and even comments on how great it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2v30XsBgxU

Go to 7:25 and watch the fight, and it's plain as day what's going on. The Echo gave her that ability.

That's just the power the Echo gave her. From the people it was copied.

Because it certainly doesn't explain how Krile, Minfilia and Mikoto end up getting captured. Nor have they shown to even have any sorts of powers like that except the ones they were specifically show like visions of the past and seeing the future in Mikoto's case. Also, Misija stole Mikoto's echo and can also see future events, but nothing else.

Keep in mind that both Fordola and Zenos took a bunch of echos, not just one. That's why Fordola also saw our past. We can only see the past with our Echo.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

@Katchii

If the Echo allowed the WoL to canonically see incoming attacks, then the WoL would have never been hit by an attack in a cutscene, and yet they get hit a lot in cutscenes.

5.4 MSQ spoilers

Spoiler: 

• They would have seen Ifrit's breath of fire/tempering coming and dodged it, rather than just standing there and getting immolated (only saved by an immunity they did not know they had).

• The WoL would have seen that Heaven's Ward knight's javelin throw coming.

• The WoL wouldn't have been hit by Zenos at Rhalgr's Reach.

• The WoL wouldn't have been hit by Zenos at the Ghimlyt Dark.

• The WoL would have seen Ran'jit attack coming.

• The WoL would have seen Lunar-Bahamut's breath of fire attack coming.

Those are a few scenes where the WoL gets hit off the top of my head.

Also, if Minfillia had the echo and could see future attacks, the 2.55 fight would have gone down very differently. And so many Minfillias on the First wouldn't have died fighting sin eaters.

- - - Updated - - -

Keep in mind that both Fordola and Zenos took a bunch of echos, not just one.

5.3 spoilers

Spoiler: 

My understanding is that the Echo is very rare on the Source, and Krile was the only test subject with an Echo they were able to acquire. There are a grand total of... five known people in Aldenard who possessed the Echo during the events of the FFXIV story (WoL, Minfillia, Yslaye, Krile, and Mikoto).

Remember, there is a limited number of Amaurotine souls in circulation. Amaurot was just one city, and a large number of the population's soul are not in circulation in the Lifestream because they're tied up as Zodiark, and another portion of the souls are tied up as Hydaelyn. Furthermore, Aldenard is just one continent on the planet. The remaining Amaurotine souls could be reincarnating in other parts of the world, such as the New World and Merycadia. Thus, why the number of Echo users is ludicrously low. Aulus' research pretty much never progressed until Krile came along. The hundreds of bodies we see in Ala Mhigo are not Echo users, but normal people who were used as test subjects that Aulus was trying to clone Krile's echo on to.

Contrast that with the First. 90% of the world's landmass is uninhabitable. The entire world's population of souls is reincarnating in a very small area, but the number of Amaurotine souls has not changed. Thus, why there appears to be a far higher percentage of Echo users; more Amaurotine souls bunched up in a smaller area. That's why we see so many people awaken their Echo in 5.2 and 5.3.


The other thing is, I'm not too sure that the Resonant is wholly a clone of the Echo. Zenos manifested powers that no Echo user ever had, such as being able to use Ascian portals, though it's unclear whether or not that's something Emet-Selch did to Zenos, or a power of the Resonant.

[Katchii]

That's just the power the Echo gave her. From the people it was copied.

Because it certainly doesn't explain how Krile, Minfilia and Mikoto end up getting captured. Nor have they shown to even have any sorts of powers like that except the ones they were specifically show like visions of the past and seeing the future in Mikoto's case. Also, Misija stole Mikoto's echo and can also see future events, but nothing else.

Keep in mind that both Fordola and Zenos took a bunch of echos, not just one. That's why Fordola also saw our past. We can only see the past with our Echo.

Deductive reasoning though... If Fordola couldn't see incoming attacks before she got the Echo but can see incoming attacks and therefore dodge them because she received the Echo, and we have always had the Echo and have been able to see incoming attacks, isn't it pretty logical to conclude that the Echo is what is giving both she and us the power to see those things?

Seems pretty clear to me. What other lore based reasoning would there be?

@Katchii

If the Echo allowed the WoL to canonically see incoming attacks, then the WoL would have never been hit by an attack in a cutscene, and yet they get hit a lot in cutscenes.

5.4 MSQ spoilers

Spoiler: 

• They would have seen Ifrit's breath of fire/tempering coming and dodged it, rather than just standing there and getting immolated (only saved by an immunity they did not know they had).

• The WoL would have seen that Heaven's Ward knight's javelin throw coming.

• The WoL wouldn't have been hit by Zenos at Rhalgr's Reach.

• The WoL wouldn't have been hit by Zenos at the Ghimlyt Dark.

• The WoL would have seen Ran'jit attack coming.

• The WoL would have seen Lunar-Bahamut's breath of fire attack coming.

Those are a few scenes where the WoL gets hit off the top of my head.

Also, if Minfillia had the echo and could see future attacks, the 2.55 fight would have gone down very differently. And so many Minfillias on the First wouldn't have died fighting sin eaters.

As we've also seen many times though, things happen because they have to in cutscenes. People die even though the WoL has the ability to resurrect people, enemies get away even though we have the ability to slow them down, root them in place, or dash to them over long distances, even teleport, kinda and as tanks we have teh ability to guard others from taking damage so things like Haurchefant.... shouldn't be a thing if we were actually ever shown to use our full power and range of abilities ALL the time. Zenos swiping us away like an annoying fly the first time we meet him is bullshit compared to how powerful we're supposed to be at that point, but it serves a narrative point.

Us being hit by stuff in cutscenes doesn't negate or change the power of the Echo, it just shows we're not invincible, but mainly just serves as a plot device. That said, what else could that have been with Fordola?

[threads]

though everyone is on the scythe hype train, i have a strong feeling the new job is gonna be a templar/temple knight. magic melee with runes and heavy armor and blunt weapons.

[Kaelwryn]

@Katchii

If the Echo allowed the WoL to canonically see incoming attacks, then the WoL would have never been hit by an attack in a cutscene, and yet they get hit a lot in cutscenes.

5.4 MSQ spoilers

Spoiler: 

• They would have seen Ifrit's breath of fire/tempering coming and dodged it, rather than just standing there and getting immolated (only saved by an immunity they did not know they had).

• The WoL would have seen that Heaven's Ward knight's javelin throw coming.

• The WoL wouldn't have been hit by Zenos at Rhalgr's Reach.

• The WoL wouldn't have been hit by Zenos at the Ghimlyt Dark.

• The WoL would have seen Ran'jit attack coming.

• The WoL would have seen Lunar-Bahamut's breath of fire attack coming.

Those are a few scenes where the WoL gets hit off the top of my head.

Also, if Minfillia had the echo and could see future attacks, the 2.55 fight would have gone down very differently. And so many Minfillias on the First wouldn't have died fighting sin eaters.

- - - Updated - - -



5.3 spoilers

Spoiler: 

My understanding is that the Echo is very rare on the Source, and Krile was the only test subject with an Echo they were able to acquire. There are a grand total of... five known people in Aldenard who possessed the Echo during the events of the FFXIV story (WoL, Minfillia, Yslaye, Krile, and Mikoto).

Remember, there is a limited number of Amaurotine souls in circulation. Amaurot was just one city, and a large number of the population's soul are not in circulation in the Lifestream because they're tied up as Zodiark, and another portion of the souls are tied up as Hydaelyn. Furthermore, Aldenard is just one continent on the planet. The remaining Amaurotine souls could be reincarnating in other parts of the world, such as the New World and Merycadia. Thus, why the number of Echo users is ludicrously low. Aulus' research pretty much never progressed until Krile came along. The hundreds of bodies we see in Ala Mhigo are not Echo users, but normal people who were used as test subjects that Aulus was trying to clone Krile's echo on to.

Contrast that with the First. 90% of the world's landmass is uninhabitable. The entire world's population of souls is reincarnating in a very small area, but the number of Amaurotine souls has not changed. Thus, why there appears to be a far higher percentage of Echo users; more Amaurotine souls bunched up in a smaller area. That's why we see so many people awaken their Echo in 5.2 and 5.3.


The other thing is, I'm not too sure that the Resonant is wholly a clone of the Echo. Zenos manifested powers that no Echo user ever had, such as being able to use Ascian portals, though it's unclear whether or not that's something Emet-Selch did to Zenos, or a power of the Resonant.

You're forgetting Arenvald, also (while they are no longer with us) there were atleast 3 others aside from him who had the echo. So there have been more echo users than just those 5.

As we've also seen many times though, things happen because they have to in cutscenes. People die even though the WoL has the ability to resurrect people, enemies get away even though we have the ability to slow them down, root them in place, or dash to them over long distances, even teleport, kinda and as tanks we have teh ability to guard others from taking damage so things like Haurchefant.... shouldn't be a thing if we were actually ever shown to use our full power and range of abilities ALL the time. Zenos swiping us away like an annoying fly the first time we meet him is bullshit compared to how powerful we're supposed to be at that point, but it serves a narrative point.

Us being hit by stuff in cutscenes doesn't negate or change the power of the Echo, it just shows we're not invincible, but mainly just serves as a plot device. That said, what else could that have been with Fordola?

Do note, that we do not have the ability to resurrect the dead. Same with phoenix down, we revive KO. So things like the vault where the wound was way too much damage to heal, we wouldn't have been able to really do anything about. Raising the dead is a HUGE no no, necromancy highly taboo not to mention that it takes a lot do it. See the alchemist 1-50 quests.
Fordola being able to do dodge attacks largely is due to her having a copy of Krile's echo, who is super sensitive to the "whispers of the soul" so its very likely Fordola simply felt her attackers getting ready to attack. Its why Urianger is like "yeah, i'm giving you this device, just use it when she starts doing her shit. I'm not telling you what it will do or why you should use it." Can't ready yourself against an attack when you don't know what it really is. This sensitivity is also shown in post SB, fordola is basically in constant pain because she's feeling/seeing her guards' pain/anger/etc towards her. She doesn't have as good control over such a sensitive echo as krile does.

[Granyala]

So things like the vault where the wound was way too much damage to heal, we wouldn't have been able to really do anything about.

You're right about resurrection. It's pretty much gameplay > lore in any MMO.
I disagree with the vault thing though. Judging what bosses, even story bosses, throw at us, we should have been able to save H.

[Kaelwryn]

You're right about resurrection. It's pretty much gameplay > lore in any MMO.
I disagree with the vault thing though. Judging what bosses, even story bosses, throw at us, we should have been able to save H.

I mean i do personally agree that as a healer, could've probably saved him but like not everyone is going to be on a healer job at that point so :shrug:

[Granyala]

I mean i do personally agree that as a healer, could've probably saved him but like not everyone is going to be on a healer job at that point so :shrug:

I was and Ifalna just stared at him with watery eyes.
I think I even said "Come on, heal him, kitty!" to the screen.

[Katchii]

Do note, that we do not have the ability to resurrect the dead. Same with phoenix down, we revive KO. So things like the vault where the wound was way too much damage to heal, we wouldn't have been able to really do anything about. Raising the dead is a HUGE no no, necromancy highly taboo not to mention that it takes a lot do it. See the alchemist 1-50 quests.

While that's a fair point, it's also somewhat semantics. We see many people "die" or get gravely injured with us just standing there like a doofus waiting for them to die, when we (some people who have and play healers) literally just spent the dungeon rezzing, healing and bringing people back from the brink of death.

Fordola being able to do dodge attacks largely is due to her having a copy of Krile's echo, who is super sensitive to the "whispers of the soul" so its very likely Fordola simply felt her attackers getting ready to attack. Its why Urianger is like "yeah, i'm giving you this device, just use it when she starts doing her shit. I'm not telling you what it will do or why you should use it." Can't ready yourself against an attack when you don't know what it really is. This sensitivity is also shown in post SB, fordola is basically in constant pain because she's feeling/seeing her guards' pain/anger/etc towards her. She doesn't have as good control over such a sensitive echo as krile does.

Point being she did what she did because of the Echo, something that we also have, and use in a similar way to Krile, she's just SUPER sensitive with it but we're still sensitive enough to it to predict enemy attacks.

[Kaelwryn]

While that's a fair point, it's also somewhat semantics. We see many people "die" or get gravely injured with us just standing there like a doofus waiting for them to die, when we (some people who have and play healers) literally just spent the dungeon rezzing, healing and bringing people back from the brink of death.



Point being she did what she did because of the Echo, something that we also have, and use in a similar way to Krile, she's just SUPER sensitive with it but we're still sensitive enough to it to predict enemy attacks.

WoL is just a big ol dummy ok?

One of the problems with using the echo to justify "seeing" AoEs is trusts. None of the npcs have the echo and yet they dodge them just fine so. Echo may give us a bit of a leg up in reading that, but its not entirely the echo. It, imo, is also battle instincts.

[Katchii]

WoL is just a big ol dummy ok?

One of the problems with using the echo to justify "seeing" AoEs is trusts. None of the npcs have the echo and yet they dodge them just fine so. Echo may give us a bit of a leg up in reading that, but its not entirely the echo. It, imo, is also battle instincts.

Not discounting their battle instincts, but I think that has much more to do with game mechanics and how stupid or awful it would be to have a group of NPCs that stood in everything and got hit by enemy AoE's constantly than it does with any actual character growth/ ability. I mean, they adjust to mechanics faster and more smoothly than the WoL, that shouldn't really be all that believable in context given OUR battle experience and instincts.