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Touring La Noscea and Thanalan in Final Fantasy XIV
My time spent at the Final Fantasy XIV tour didn't just include a preview of the areas to be found in the upcoming beta. No, we proud and few got the chance to also explore some of the game's other iconic areas, areas closed off at the start of the beta but slated for opening later on in the testing process. I poked around both of these regions, touring both the streets of Ul'dah in Thanalan and the cliffs and plains of La Noscea. These areas were admittedly still a work in progress. While the maps were mostly finished, the enemies in many of the regions were placeholders, and it was clear that the client we were using had a version with these regions in a state that's not ready for prime time. Still, it was interesting to look at both and see things that had been changed, updated, and in a few cases removed altogether. Before I proceed, a note: All of the areas under discussion are still being optimized and improved, so some elements such as lighting and geometry may change by the time you get to play with them.
The Mog Log: Ul'dah on 15 gil a night
In a way, each of the cities in Final Fantasy XIV resembles a non-capital city from Final Fantasy XI. Gridania has shades of Kazham; Limsa Lominsa has shades of Norg. But Ul'dah has a clear line to Al Zahbi, center of Aht Urhgan. It's the jewel of the wasted, barren region of Thanalan, a bustling hub of commerce, a place where even the lowliest adventurer might find fortune and fame in the arenas or via careful self-promotion. Of course, it's also the most dangerous. Sure, there are spirits woven throughout Gridania and pirates in every corner in Limsa Lominsa, but Ul'dah is filled with those who'd smile to your face and then shiv your spine as soon as you turn around. Beneath a glittering facade lies a horrid hive of cruelty, and the journey to the top the city is rife with backstabbing and strife. If you're not a native, you might not realize just how bad the place really is -- or how far the city's powerful members are willing to go to ensure that Ul'dah remains at the center of trade.
One Shots: It's dangerous to go alone
While One Shots is generally full of bright, vivid scenery, some folks find other vistas can catch their eyes and fire up the imagination. Today's murky, shadowy area was captured recently by a reader who likely felt the oncoming storm offered visual interest and mystery. This image comes to us from Gabe C. who stumbled across this scene in Final Fantasy XIV and writes in to tell us a bit more about it: "[I] had just logged on to do some levequests on my little Thaumaturge. When I got to the camp, I was stunned by the site of Ul'Dah in the distance during a sandstorm. Everything in this game continues to amaze me." If you'd like to share your adventures from time to time, we're always looking for regular contributors! All you have to do is email a screenshot to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a note to tell us what's going on in the image. To become a regular submitter, just send your pics in every so often and keep us in the loop on what you're up to. We'll post your images out here on Massively and give you the credit for sending them in! %Gallery-85937%
Final Fantasy XIV releases new Gridania assets
With only a few days left until release, Final Fantasy XIV has lifted the shroud surrounding the third of the starting city-states for new characters. Gridania, nestled in the Black Shroud, is a city built into the very structure of the wood around it, filled with reverence for the spirits and creatures that dwell in the environment. The newest pictures have been put together in a gallery showing off the environment of the city -- as well as a hint of the Garlean Empire. A city of warm earth tones and expansive wooden buildings, Gridania manages to carry its own distinct feel from its sister cities, especially with the stained-glass architecture that dominates the adventurer's guild. While the preview images lack the callbacks that the recent Ul'dah reveal carried, they still show off an environment that is both engaging and alien. Take a look at the full gallery, and keep your eyes open to see if Final Fantasy XIV has any more secrets to reveal prior to next week's launch. %Gallery-102406%
The cities and world of Final Fantasy XIV
If you're all about living the life of a pirate, then odds are good you don't mind being restricted to Limsa Lominsa in the Final Fantasy XIV beta. But if you've done the sea serpent tango more than once, Ul'dah and Gridania are no doubt sounding pretty good. So it's a good thing that MMOSite is reporting that the next phase of beta will start in September and will include the two heretofore unseen cities as playable areas. Considering the recent hands-on experience with the starter cities, we think it's well within the realm of possibility. Of course, one of the major components to making each of the starting cities and subsequent areas stand out is the worldbuilding efforts of the development team. The most recent Making of Eorzea documentary covers precisely this, and not coincidentally, it can be viewed past the cut. With a discussion of the scenery and the visual culture of the game's landscape, the video is something every Final Fantasy XIV player can enjoy, and it shows that the vibrancy of the world has been a big priority during development.
A peek at Gridania and Ul'dah in Final Fantasy XIV
Square-Enix has been as good as their word when it comes to obfuscating the details of Final Fantasy XIV, even through testing. Testers have been confined to the port city of Limsa Lominsa all through the beta phases, but last week Square gave a small hands-on to a handful of sites showing off the other two cities. FFXIVCore happened to be among them, and offers an extensive rundown of the experience in both Ul'dah and Gridania -- both of which are very different from the thoroughly-tested pirate-themed opening. Gridania's opening takes place within the dense forests surrounding the city, with a crashed airship and a rather unexpected encounter with wolves. Ul'dah, on the other hand, features a great deal of pageantry being disrupted by the untimely freedom of a goobue. Both include certain common elements from the Limsa Lominsa opening, most notably the meteor shower and the disembodied voice, but the rundown indicates that players starting in different settings will have a memorable start to their adventures as well. That's good news for Final Fantasy XIV's future players, although perhaps a bitter pill for the testers not yet able to play these cities.
