ffxiv-fanfest-2014
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The Mog Log: Dark Knight is a tank in Final Fantasy XIV
I can't really stop talking about Final Fantasy XIV when it's been weeks of news feasts for the game, can I? Hot on the heels of the last fanfest, the one-day London fanfest happened, and the development team compensated for the shortened overall time by filling the keynote with revelations. The Vanu Vanu are a thing which I currently want to cuddle, we will get personal airships, and we're getting Dark Knight -- a job that starts at level 1 with no base class, breaking all the established rules of the game. Oh, and it's a tank. There were basically two sets of reactions to this news. The first group was busy releasing its collective gasp of joy that it had been holding on to since Dark Knight was practically revealed in Las Vegas. The second group was screaming to the heavens about the fact that this job was going to be a tank instead of a DPS. So it merits some discussion, as do the other things we know about it because boy, Tank #3 is going to be a weird one.
Final Fantasy XIV unveils Dark Knight and more at London Fanfest
The second of three Final Fantasy XIV fan festivals is taking place now in London, and once again there's no shortage of information about the game's first expansion. While the Las Vegas gathering hinted at the new jobs, the first one was officially revealed today: Dark Knight, a new tank wielding a two-handed sword without any base class involved. No word on how the omission of a class will affect the leveling structure, but it was mentioned that the job will focus on dodging and parrying to reduce damage. The keynote speech also included revealing more about the game's flying mounts, which will allow free exploration of the Heavensward areas with no need for take-off or landing. Black chocobos and single-player airships were confirmed, with a grand total of six mounts currently in development. Two beast tribes were also linked, a birdlike race called the Vanu Vanu worshipping the primal Bismarck, and the insectoid Gnath who worship Ravana. There was also a hint that the next job to be revealed will be gun-focused. More news is likely to emerge as the fanfest continues.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's post-fanfest shakedown
So Final Fantasy XIV players like yours truly have a mouthful of fanfest information to chew on. How did it all shake down, in the final assessment? Well, I'm not going to lie: My aim was mixed at best. A minority of demo stations covering content I hadn't anticipated, patch 2.4 a week after my prediction, and mentions of 2.5 in brief. But we did get gear details and an expansion announcement. I'd call it a mix and a wash, at the end of the day. You tried, gold star, etc. But enough about what I did and didn't get right; there's plenty more to talk about from the various panels, the Live Letter, and other revelations. So let's start in on it, kicking off with the elephant in the room that I've already been hearing about for the entirety of the past day for obvious reasons. Yes, it's a cash shop.
Final Fantasy XIV announces its first expansion, Heavensward
The Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival is currently underway in Las Vegas, and the keynote speech brought with it the big announcement many people were waiting for: The game's first expansions has been announced for spring 2015. Heavensward will focus on the city-state of Ishgard, as seen in the trailer embedded just past the break. Gamer Escape's liveblog of the keynote notes that the expansion will feature a level cap increase to level 60, new jobs, a new race (albeit with an as-yet-unconfirmed identity), new primals, and new high-end content. More information will be available at the London fanfest taking place next week. For now, players will just have to speculate a bit on what the future holds. (The smart money, of course, is on dragons. Lots and lots of dragons. It's kind of an Ishgardian thing.) [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Final Fantasy XIV opens up HD fanfest streams for purchase
If you missed out on your chance to get a ticket for Final Fantasy XIV's fanfest in Las Vegas this weekend, you can still at least watch the events unfold in glorious high definition. Square-Enix has opened up the purchase option, allowing players to watch the event, pick up a moogle costume, and watch otherwise unviewable parts of the convention for $20. Players who opt for the HD stream will also have access to the archived footage until March 31st, 2015. Should you be short of the cash to drop on this stream, you still have options open, as a standard-definition stream is also available for free. This stream skips the opening keynote and closing ceremonies and does not award viewers a moogle costume, so it's up to you if $20 is worth the absence of those. Still, even if you can't make it out to the side of the convention, you'll be able to find out all of the information on the ground as it happens.
