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Square offers 14-day Final Fantasy XIV trial
Square is looking to spread the gospel of Final Fantasy XIV via a newly announced 14-day free trial. The fantasy MMORPG normally features a client fee and a monthly subscription, but you can get a taste of what Eorzea has to offer by downloading the trial software and giving it a whirl. There are a few restrictions to be aware of including a level 20 cap, a currency cap of 20,000 gil, and the inability to join guilds, trade, or use the market. A full list of terms is available on the official Square support website.
Final Fantasy XIV gets a real-world theme cafe in Tokyo
Have you ever looked at the vistas of Eorzea in Final Fantasy XIV and thought that they looked like a place you want to be in real life? Good news: You can. A new real-world themed restaurant in Tokyo called the Eorzea Cafe is opening soon, and it's based on the Carline Canopy in Gridania, complete with Eorzean dishes, beverages, and decorations. If you ever wanted to see a bladed lantern shield on the wall whilst you have your dinner, this is the place. Opening on July 31st, the cafe features drinks inspired by the jobs, moogle-themed desserts, and what appears to be a burger based on the Lord of the Crags himself, Titan. There are also PCs set up for people to play the game at their leisure. It's going to be a bit of a hike out to the Akihibara district, but where else are you going to find a Titan Burger while drinking a Dragoon cocktail? [Thanks to Kythas for the tip!]
One Shots: The green marble
Man, Bunglerm00se is so lost right now, you can't even imagine it. At least he's getting a great view as he contemplates having to trudge back. If you haven't heard, space is, like, really really big. Costco-family-packages-of-goldfish-crackers big. "WildStar is shaping up to be one of the most immersive, interesting, and (above all) fun MMORPGs I've played in over a decade of mMm-Mor-Pu-Guhing, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone!" Bunglerm00se enthuses. "This is from the first shiphand mission your character can run. In this case, my character was asked to liberate a moonbase from a deadly menace. Is there any other kind of menace, you ask? On and around Nexus, the answer is 'no.' But the scenery sure is pretty." You know what else is pretty? Everything after the break. Just you wait and see, my friends.
'World's biggest LGBT guild' celebrates FFXIV's same-sex marriage
Members of the Rough Trade Gaming Community, which bills itself as "the world's biggest LGBT guild," staged an Eorzean parade last weekend to celebrate Final Fantasy XIV's decision to reverse its restrictions on same-sex marriage. You can watch highlights from the event in the 11-minute video after the cut.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's Hunts are broken
It's been nearly two weeks since Final Fantasy XIV's patch went live, and I'm at once surprised and not surprised that we haven't seen anything really addressing the problem with Hunts. I'm not surprised because Square has a bad history of reacting to broken elements about as quickly as a narcoleptic sloth with poor motivation, and I'm surprised because players have been screaming about it for... about two weeks now? Yes, that sounds right. And not just screaming in the usual disorganized fashion. This is pretty targeted and logical screaming, helped substantially by the fact that Hunts are currently very, very broken and need fixing. So let's explain the mess that the game has made for itself and the numerous simple solutions that can be implemented really any time now. Not that I'm saying they're all easy, just simple. Straightforward. And no, increasing mark HP is not one of those solutions.
One Shots: Life isn't fair
Today, this boss mob woke up to the harsh realization that life just is not fair. Even with his impressive stature and the rather expensive sword that his grandma gave him for Christmas, he's unable to hold down any full-time job. What's worse is that every would-be "hero" in the world keeps ganging up on him. Even if he emerges victorious, everyone sneers and jeers at him. He just can't win. So let's meet our first antagonist, reader William, who documented this shameful moment from Final Fantasy XIV. "The new hunts are incredibly fun and have added a lot of variety to the game!" he chirped. "My friends and I recently tackled this S-Rank Hunt, Agrippa the Mighty, along with some additional help from people in the zone. Don't worry; I healed that poor Black Mage lalafell after taking this screenshot." But did you heal Agrippa and try to make friends with him? That's what would lead to a true storybook ending!
Final Fantasy XIV offers a free weekend to lapsed accounts
Final Fantasy XIV is looking to pull back in its lost brothers, sisters, and furries with a free login weekend. From 3:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, July 18th, through Monday at the same time, inactive accounts will be switched on. The free weekend is only for previous players who purchased the game and have since stopped paying for it. Square Enix is hoping that the new Patch 2.3 and its features will woo returning players to sub back up after getting a taste during these three days.
Yoshida: Let's analyze why Final Fantasy XIV's 2010 version failed
Final Fantasy XIV's game director, Naoki Yoshida, spoke candidly at his presentation during this year's Game Developer's Conference in March about what went wrong with the popular franchise's newest MMO during its first launch. As FFXIV fans might remember, the initial launch of the game in 2010 was plagued with problems, but a relaunch in 2013 proved successful. How did the team at Square Enix win back fans? How had the MMO landscape changed in those three years? The complete one-hour presentation video is available in both English and Japanese versions through the GDC Vault, or you can watch a translated version at Gamasutra.
Final Fantasy XIV offers more details on the Hunt system
Are you looking forward to stalking and destroying the rarest beasts across the land of Eorzea? Then you'll want to read the latest Final Fantasy XIV letter from Producer Naoki Yoshida, who takes the time to talk in a little more depth about the Hunt system. The basics have already been established, but how will Elite Marks avoid horror stories of players camping spawns and only one person getting any reward for all of the effort? Yoshida explains that the Elite Marks are meant to offer rewards to everyone who takes part in killing them, meaning that multiple players or parties taking down the monster will just result in more people getting the rewards. Some of the Marks are even meant to provide a challenge for multiple parties, anot several do not respawn in the same places, providing more incentive to wander, search, and help out. Check out the full letter for more details, and get ready to experience the system yourself when patch 2.3 goes live tomorrow.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's 2.3 primer
Tomorrow, patch 2.3 will descend upon Final Fantasy XIV like a flight of angels. If you can't tell, I'm pretty excited. While I was by and large disappointed with 2.2, 2.3 is adding a lot of features I want, undoing some of the dumb features added in 2.2, and adding in a few more features that I didn't realize I wanted before but now know are immensely important to me. Kind of like the Challenge Log, except more. Unfortunately, the fact that it's landing tomorrow as of the time you're reading this means I have not yet actually played this patch. But I can still put a guide of some preliminaries together so that you can at least know what you're doing even if you haven't necessarily examined the patch notes with a fine-toothed comb just yet. So let's dive into it. When the patch goes live tomorrow, pick your destination, and go to it.
Final Fantasy XIV posts preliminary notes for patch 2.3
While it's a long weekend in the US, fans of Final Fantasy XIV will have to wait until next Tuesday to enjoy all of the content added in patch 2.3. But you can get a head start of sorts by checking out the preliminary patch notes. Sure, the notes list all of the features that everyone knows about by now, like Frontline and new dungeons, but there are some gems in there for players that we hadn't expected. Players will soon be able to augment artifact armor and the upgraded form of said armor so that the equipment may be colored as desired. Inn rooms will include a new toy chest for playing minigames, starting with the Parley minigame last seen in 1.0. There's also a wide-scale revamp of Gladiator/Paladin weapons; knives and daggers have been removed from those classes and will be available to Rogues/Ninjas in the future. Check out the full patch notes on the official site. [Thanks to Kythas for the tip!]
Final Fantasy XIV previews chocobo training
Your chocobo is your lifelong companion in Final Fantasy XIV, but is he really getting all he can out of life? Does he have the options necessary for a robust avian lifestyle? Is he stuck sitting outside in the cold while you go in and have a few drinks? Are you one of the relentless achievers who has reached max level with the bird and wants to advance past rank 10? Then patch 2.3's chocobo raising system is for you! Once your free company builds a chocobo stable on its housing plot, you can stable your bird there, allowing him to earn experience and train skills on an hourly basis. Training requires treats, with a special treat allowing your companion to exceed rank 10 (although you're still limited to rank 20 as a maximum). Players will not be able to summon their companion whilst he's stabled. Read the full preview for more details, and get ready to start intimately tending to the needs of your feathered friend.
Final Fantasy XIV previews private chambers
You devoted a lot of money to your free company's house in Final Fantasy XIV, and now you have it. It's yours. It's all of yours. Except, of course, for the fact that it's not quite yours. Sure, you get a vote about what's in the building, but not sole control. Wouldn't it be nice if instead you could have a part of that house to call your own? That's what private chambers are for, an apartment just for you set off of the main house. Private chambers cost 300,000 gil and require a player to have reached level 50 as well as the rank of Second Lieutenant in their grand company of choice. They can have 50 items placed therein, and just as with company houses, you can control who's allowed to enter the room. You can't leave your free company while you still have a private chamber, although you can vacate your chamber if you so choose. Read more details on the official preview; this feature will be added to the game with the launch of patch 2.3 next week.
One Shots: Regrets, I've had a few
Staring at a sunset is a perfectly legitimate time to look back at one's day (and one's life) to muse upon victories won and defeats suffered. The regrets are then cast upon the sinking sun to be taken into the void of yesterday. Tomorrow? Tomorrow is a clean slate of possibilities. Reader Dynatos submitted this warm and fuzzy Final Fantasy XIV picture. "Here's another sunset, this time in Thanalan with my tanky Carbuncle. I kinda miss him after he was replaced." Regrets? We've all had a few. And if you don't read the rest of this column, you will regret it. That's friendly advice, not a threat.
Final Fantasy XIV breaks down Desynthesis
In most MMOs, you want your efforts with crafting to produce more items by the time you're done, not fewer. But the upcoming Desynthesis system in Final Fantasy XIV is meant to destroy items rather than make new ones, although you can end up making new ones after you break them down. It's a chance to take your crafting skills and apply them to break down items that you have no use for, making something better from the resultant materials. Desynthesis will allow the breakdown of items by crafting classes above level 30, who will recovering some of the items used in its construction. Skill level affects the odds of a successful desynth; there is a maximum skill level shared across all crafting classes, which will prevent players from being equally skilled in all crafts. More to the point, breaking down an item can unlock materials that can't be acquired through other means, allowing players to make even more powerful items than would otherwise be available.
Final Fantasy XIV offers a hunting preview
Are you ready to go hunting? Final Fantasy XIV is ready to let you. No, you won't get a standard-issue bright orange vest and deer blind, but you will be able to take on a variety of different marks, earn special currency, and possibly eventually pick up a nice orange vest. It could be one of the rewards; you don't know. Players will be tasked with killing a certain number of monsters at varying levels of challenge at both regular and elite difficulties. Regular marks will differ from player to player, but elite marks will be the same for all players and are refreshed once per week. Slaying elite marks provides allied seals and tomestones, with allied seals used to purchase armor, weapons, minions, alexandrite, and sands/oils of time. The preview also contains a hint of a new moogle delivery quest, which should give players of a more pacifist bent something to do even without hunting down creatures across Eorzea.
FFXIV releases Defenders of Eorzea trailer, screenshots
Square-Enix has just released a brand-new and lengthy trailer for Final Fantasy XIV's upcoming Defenders of Eorzea patch. The video and the new promo site preview new boss battles, new quests, the Syrcus Tower dungeon, several dungeon hard-mode variants, private chamber customization, chocobo raising, desynthesis, and the new crafting recipes Patch 2.3 goes live on July 8th. We've got the trailer and some new screenies below.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's superfluous damage Ninja
If you don't know whether or not I'm excited about the inclusion of Final Fantasy XIV's newest class, I don't know what to tell you. I've been playing a character who's been an in-character Ninja for the duration of the game's life, so obviously I'm happy to finally have it available to me. I personally would be happiest if it were a tank, since I do so enjoy tanking in the game, but I have plenty of people to run stuff with anyway. I'm not worried about queue times anyhow. At the same time, though... we know there's a shortage of tanks in the game right now. This isn't a mystery or a secret. Healers are more common but still hardly as ubiquitous as Bards and Dragoons. So is the inclusion of another DPS class really a wise decision? With the precedent established, would Final Fantasy XIV have been better off adding a more party-oriented option into the mix?
Final Fantasy XIV offers a preview of 2.3's story
Final Fantasy XIV is rolling out patch 2.3 very shortly, and that means the game's main story will continue onward. The latest preview on the official site hints at what comes next for the Warriors of Light (i.e., the player characters) as well as what's around the bend for Inspector Hildibrand. Dedicated followers of the game know that the next patch will feature Ramuh, but there appears to be more going on than simply the appearance of the next Primal. The story preview hints that the next update will focus on Thanalan and Coerthas as well as the Black Shroud, with implications that Shiva may not be exactly who players are expecting. Hildibrand's next adventure, meanwhile, looks to be taking a decided turn for the nautical, complete with a new look for the Inspector. Take a gander at the preview as well as the Facebook preview gallery for more hints about what will be going live with the patch.
Final Fantasy XIV previews Frontline
Carteneau, the site of the final clash before the Calamity in Final Fantasy XIV, is now a smoldering wasteland devoid of any worthwhile objects... save a number of Allagan ruins. All of the great nations of Eorzea are eager to claim those ruins, but rather than starting a bloody conflict, the nations have agreed to a join contest by the Grand Companies to settle matters in a civilized fashion. It's all the justification you need for Final Fantasy XIV's Frontline, a new PvP mode in which 72 players face off for a three-way conflict. Participating in the battle comes down to moving between control points on the map and acquiring them for your company, earning points for your side as you maintain control. Points can also be earned via slaughtering other players and taking out monsters that appear on the battlefield. Those who take part will earn PvP experience, Wolf Marks, and tomestones, meaning that Frontline offers a reliable one-stop shop for all sorts of bonuses.
