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Field Journal: Pandaria's pastoral paradise
This week in Massively's Field Journal, I'm turning my attention to the big one, the game that must not be named, World of Warcraft. Some of you might say that's what WoW Insider is for, but our sister site's staff is made up of hardcore players who have kept up with the times and are used to the game's ways, some perhaps to the exclusion of other MMOs. What I'm offering is a look at the introduction of the current expansion with fresh eyes, from someone who used to be that person but hasn't been for a long time.
The Starlight Celebration approaches for Final Fantasy XI
The end of the year quickly approaches, and if you're a veteran of Final Fantasy XI, you know that means it's time for the Starlight Celebration. The music changes in Jeuno, the snow falls, and players get to enjoy a bit of Christmas cheer in the game as well as out of it. And like most events, this one has a new wrinkle for its newest outing: it seems a handful of Goblins have decided to get involved in the celebration, taking some presents that weren't intended for them and leaving adventurers to recover the missing gifts. Missed a previous year? That's all right -- you can still obtain one of the many cozy furnishings or festive costume pieces through a variety of event merchants and packages scattered throughout Vana'diel. The event will start on the live servers on December 16th and run through December 31st, plenty of time for everyone in Final Fantasy XI to get a solid dose of some holiday cheer.
One Shots: A festive find
With the holidays in full swing, there are lots of festive decorations to be found, from large to small. Today's example comes to us from William B., who plays the character Felona Venes in Final Fantasy XIV. While moogles aren't always known for getting things quite right (especially during holidays), it appears that the group in charge of decorations did a splendid job setting this scene. William writes in to explain: "The Starlight Celebration has come to Eorzea, creating some nice new photo-ops of the event. I snapped this picture in Ul'dah's market-place. The tree with the huge city in the background looked simply stunning to me." One Shots is always interested in great scenic shots from around the MMOGsphere. If you'd like to show off a lovely view you've found during your travels then just email it to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. Please make sure your image is at least 1024px wide and has no visible UI elements. It could be the next one featured here on Massively! %Gallery-85937%
Spread some holiday smiles in Final Fantasy XI
Any game with holiday events could do far worse than taking inspiration from Final Fantasy XI. With each event having eight years of refinement, there's always plenty to do for adventurers in Vana'diel, and the latest round of the Starlight Celebration is no exception. But there's a brand-new wrinkle, since the keepers of all holiday events in the game (the Moogles) have continued their high level of service (they've screwed up again) and provided adventurers with a delightful new game (that involves racing goblins on chocobos). In keeping with tradition, this year also includes a bit of fiction to go along with the event, and the rewards and frills from previous celebrations will be available as well. Players can take a look at the guide from last year for an idea of what to expect, but even with that knowledge, this year's new card-hunting game promises to be unique. Final Fantasy XI has seen its last major patch this year, but there's still going to be plenty to do for the holiday season.
Familiar faces and holiday places in Final Fantasy XIV
While Friday saw a massive news bomb dropped for players of Final Fantasy XIV, life in Eorzea continues, albeit with a touch of a specter hanging overhead. Still, one can only hope that the first Starlight Celebration in the game will help alleviate some of that sense of doom and gloom. To the surprise of nearly no one, the celebration features a number of gifts for players, as well as a three-piece set of thematic attire that can be either crafted or received via helping needy children. It's also one of the first glimpses at the game world's backstory beyond those tantalizing glimpses in story quests. But perhaps you couldn't care less about the celebration and just want to go toe-to-toe with something more dangerous than a marmot. The December update should be good for what ails you, with the most recent preview offering up several new notorious monsters as well as two returning enemy groups. Flans, of course, have been a staple of nearly every game in the series -- but goblins are a welcome returning foe from Final Fantasy XI, complete with the same design and mercantile nature. Final Fantasy XIV players don't have a definite date for the update just yet, but it should be in the very near future, possibly even this week.
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite in-game winter holiday?
There's nothing better to cement the mood of the holidays than a cup of hot liquidy beverage, a roaring fireplace (or, lacking a fireplace, a carefully controlled indoor fireworks display), and an internet-capable computer that allows you access to your favorite MMOs. Of course, this is the time of year when most MMOs pull out their annual winter-themed holiday events, which are packaged in such a way to offend no one while calling on the spirit of the season. So granted that you're fond of these holidays, we want to know which MMO winter event is your fave? It's not as if you lack choices at this point: Frostfell, Yule Festival, Wookiee Life Day, Winter Veil, Wintersday, First Night, Frostburgh, Solorius, Attack of the Misfit Toys, Festivult, Snowflake Festival, Starlight Celebration, Midwinter Festival, Festival of the White Hart, Snowdays, Junkadoo, Festival of Gloriann... the list just goes on and on. For a bonus question, what are your winter event goals this year? Do you have your eye on a special prize, decoration or outfit? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Join the moogles for the Starlight Celebration in FFXI
This coming Friday, the 19th of December, the Starlight Celebration will begin in Vana'diel, offering Final Fantasy XI players the chance to party with the moogles and score some presents. On one side of the equation, you can assist the moogles with giving out gifts and greeting cards. On the flip-side, you can look for the presents that they've hidden all over the place to get some for yourself -- but since they had to make the boxes monster-proof, there will probably be some force required to bust those suckers open.If you're looking for more to do, or if the moogles just plain creep you out a little bit, you can help smilebringers deliver some Starlight joy to the children of Vana'diel, or visit special merchants to pick up festive items. The official website has the lowdown on exactly where you can find these activities. Seeing as the "Return Home to Vana'diel" campaign begins on December the 15th, those that are planning on restoring their old FFXI characters will be just in time for the celebrations to kick off on Friday. The holiday will draw to a close at 7:00AM PST on December the 31st.
