September 2010, Final Fantasy XIV launches as one of the worst MMORPGs in recent history.
August 2013, Final Fantasy XIV relaunches as "A Realm Reborn" and largely in part to the efforts of Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi P) it becomes a whirlwind success.
The game has now been out for a full year, and in that time Square Enix has made good on it's promises. It has delivered a rich, vibrant world, with interesting stories and characters, challenges to be conquered, crafts to be created, baubles to be collected, and generally a large variety of activities from the most casual of players to the most hardcore.
Every 3 months there is a new content patch which adds new dungeons, advances the main storyline, epic fights, side quests, humorous stories, and fun activities for all to enjoy. In between these massive patches (and they are quite huge) are quality of life updates, and smaller content patches to keep players constantly coming back for more.
Since the game came out in 2013, we have had a total of 4 major content patches (the fourth to be due next month in October)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdQPL1tS36E
On top of all that Square Enix is in the process of launching the game in China, and has recently signed a deal to bring the game to South Korea.
If that isn't enough they've also been hard at work on a brand new expansion to debut sometime next year, with promises of content equal in size to the launch of the game.
http://youtu.be/68CNzwinqlg
Races:
(Warning lots of lore within, just not your Race selection doesn't matter like it did in FFXI, there are minor stat differences and at worst you are looking at a 6 point difference in any particular stat, but when you are dealing with stats in the 500's it doesn't matter much. So just pick what you think is cool, besides you can always change later with a Phial of Fantasia purchased for real money)
All the races from FFXI are back with new names and the addition of a couple new genders! All info is from the official FFXIV: ARR website.
Hyur:
Naming Conventions
Over the course of some one thousand years and three great migratory waves, the Hyur have come to be the most populous of the civilized races in Eorzea. Compared to the others, theirs is an average physique, both in terms of height and build. The Hyur champion personal freedom and liberty, and their espousal of an eclectic variety of languages and traditions is a legacy of their diverse heritage?as is their resulting lack of a unified cultural identity.
The Hyur are divided into the Midlanders and the Highlanders.
Miqo'te:
Naming Conventions
Though their presence in Eorzea is lesser than that of the other races, the Miqo'te are easily distinguished by their large, projecting ears and restless, feline tails. The ancestors of this line first made their way to the realm during the Age of Endless Frost in the Fifth Umbral Era, traversing frozen seas in pursuit of the wildlife upon which they subsisted. Instinctual territoriality causes many among them to lead solitary lifestyles. Males in particular are said to shy from contact with others.
They are divided into the Seekers of the Sun, and the Keepers of the Moon.
Elezen:
Naming Conventions
The Elezen are a characteristically tall people, long of limb and slender of build. They are also possessed of a somewhat extended lifespan in comparison to the Hyur. The Elezen once claimed sole dominion over Eorzea, their presence predating that of the other races, and, as such, developed a heightened sense of honor and pride. In years past, the Hyur migration into Elezen lands sparked bitter conflict. At present, however, the mutual understanding reached between the two races allows them to work towards mutual peace and prosperity.
The Elezen are divided into the Wildwood, and the Duskwight.
Roegadyn:
Naming Conventions
The Roegadyn are easily identified by their massive, muscular frames. They are descended from a maritime people that roamed the northern seas, though many of their ancestors turned their longships south to brave the crossing into Eorzean waters. Often considered a barbaric race, the fiercely competitive Roegadyn are also known for their compassion and unswerving loyalty. Many of the greatest warriors in history were born of Roegadyn stock.
The Roegadyn are divided into the Sea Wolves, and the Hellsguard.
Lalafell:
Naming conventions
The Lalafell are a folk both rotund and diminutive. Small by any race's standards and possessed of a childlike countenance, it proves difficult for non-Lalafell to gauge an individual's age with any degree of accuracy. Originally an agricultural people inhabiting the fertile islands of the south seas, they found their way to Eorzea via the burgeoning trade routes. Lalafell are welcoming of outsiders, and share prosperous relations with all of the other races of Eorzea.
The Lalafell are divided into the Plainsfolk and the Dunesfolk.
Classes: (Letter in parenthesis designates the city in which each Class has it's guild. Cities are Gridania (G), Limsa Lominsa (L), and Ul'dah (U)
- Disciples of War: Archer (G), Gladiator (U), Lancer (G), Marauder (L), Pugilist (U), Rogue (L)
- Disciples of Magic: Arcanist (L), Conjurer (G), Thaumaturge (U)
- Disciples of Hand: Alchemist (U), Armorer (L), Blacksmith (L), Culinarian (L), Carpenter (G), Goldsmith (U), Leatherworker (G), Weaver (U)
- Disciples of Land: Botanist (G), Fisher (L), Miner (U)
*Note: Only the Disciples of War/Magic are available as a starting class (except Rogue). The Disciples of Hand/Land can be switched to once you unlock the ability to change class around lvl 10.Jobs
The Jobs and their Class requirements:
- Bard = 30 Archer / 15 Pugilist
- Summoner = 30 Arcanist / 15 Thaumaturge
- Scholar = 30 Arcanist / 15 Conjurer
- Dragoon = 30 Lancer / 15 Marauder
- Black Mage = 30 Thaumaturge / 15 Archer
- White Mage = 30 Conjurer / 15 Arcanist
- Monk = 30 Pugilist / 15 Lancer
- Warrior = 30 Marauder / 15 Gladiator
- Paladin = 30 Gladiator / 15 Conjurer
- Ninja = 30 Rogue / 15 Pugilist
- Dark Knight = No Base Class
- Astrologian = No Base Class
- Machinist = No Base Class
Nitty Gritty on the Class/Job system:
In FFXIV: ARR your character is able to access any and all classes and jobs that exist within the game. Unlike most other MMOs where you choose a single class at the start and are stuck with that Class throughout the game, FFXIV: ARR allows you to change your Class at will once you unlock the ability to do so by taking your starting Class to level 10 and completing the appropriate quest.
Each Class in FFXIV: ARR is leveled separately and retains any and all XP you gain on that Class when you switch. This means if you start as a Marauder and take it to level 15 and switch to Conjurer, your Marauder Class remains level 15 and you are now a level 1 Conjurer. If you play your Conjurer for awhile get to level 4 or so and decide to switch back to Marauder you are now a lvl 15 Marauder again and your Conjurer remains at level 4.
To switch your class (after completing the unlock quest) you simply seek out the desired Class Guild and speak to the Guild Receptionist who will give you a quest to speak to the Guildmaster. Upon speaking to the Guildmaster you will receive a weapon/tool appropriate to the desired Class and by equipping that weapon/toll you will transform into that Class.
The nice thing about having the ability to change your Class is that you are able to unlock abilities on each Class that you can then carry over to other Classes. Want a Lancer that can Cure? How about an Archer with Second Wind? Maybe a nice Parry buff on your Gladiator? All of this is possible by leveling up the appropriate Class that has the ability you want and then switch to the Class you want to use it on and set the ability you want from the Skills menu.
Jobs are a bit different as they are extensions of certain Classes. Once you reach the requisite level of the appropriate Classes (usually around lvl 30) you can unlock the Job associated with that Class or Classes. A Job is a more specialized version of the Class or Classes that it is associated with. A Conjurer for example can become a White Mage, and a Pugilist can become a Monk. Each Job has it's own requirements that must be met before you can unlock it.
New Info: The Expansion in 2015 will change this however as the 3 new classes to not have a Base Class. We don't know entirely what this entails just yet but it seems that Square Enix is breaking away from the initial system they put into place.
Posts
Server:
Sargatanas (Legacy) NA (Aether datacenter)
Current Server Status: www.arrstatus.com
All PS3/PS4 and PC players play on the exact same servers with each other. There are Japanese servers (located in Japan) and Western Servers (located in Montreal)
Free Company (Guild)
Official Penny Arcade Forum FC:
Ghost in the Linkshell <GHOST> (gitl.enjin.com)
You can be invited to the FC via the following methods:
-Sionnach Rua
-Delphi Kisaragi
-Alethia Tamarie
-Rie Himawari
-Aiskoena Trachynkrepf
Voice Chat
Mumble info:
Server: central2.voice.enjin.com:60348
Password: (Ask in Free Company for now)
Useful Info
2.3 Patch notes
Where do I go to start _________________ in 2.3?
2.4 Patch Notes
Where do I go to start _________________ in 2.4?
I've just come back to the game, What have I missed?
http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/28vn5j/what_did_i_miss_patch_notes_universal_summary
I just hit lvl 50 in patch 2.3. What do I do?!
http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/2a8mmn/so_you_just_hit_level_50_in_patch_23/
I just hit lvl 50 Crafting in patch 2.3. What do I do?
http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/2abxyz/so_you_just_hit_level_50_in_patch_23_crafting/
2.3 Endgame Progression chart (warning, it's huge)
http://i.imgur.com/OVDvNpp.png
2.4 Endgame Gear progression
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/31240491/#Comment_31240491
How to Set Up Good Targeting Filters
http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/1knlxo/demystifying_targeting_and_filters_a_keyboard_and/
Ishtaar's super helpful beginner's guide to Crafting in FFXIV!
So if you're a normal person, you probably don't want to do that. So here's what you want to do:
Get Culinary, Alchemy, Weaver, Carpenter, and Leatherworking to 15. (Really just get everything to 15, it's relatively quick if you just make one of everything in your crafting log and do the quests, a couple levels late if you need to) But those 5 at least.
So once you've leveled everything to 15, here's where things get fun: Your very basic low level HQ strategy! I say strategy rather than rotation since it's more important to know why you're mashing buttons rather than memorizing an order.
Start out with Inner Quiet. Inner Quiet is a stacking buff that increases your control (the HQ stat) every time you successfully increase an items quality. Once you get this stacked like 3, 4, 8 times, your "touch" abilities will increase the quality more and more and more.
So we need to increase quality, but we're throttled by CP. Here's when Culinary comes in. Hasty Touch costs nothing, but it's only a 50% success rate. Steady Hand (and later Steady Hand II fro 37 CUL) increases the success rate by 20% (and 30%) so it'll still fail, but not as often. You'll use Steady Hand I or II and Hasty Touch to stack Inner Quiet and get your quality up, this is actually still true in 3 star crafting and where the RNG comes from. Also, the item's current condition affects the amount of the quality bar is increased per touch, if excellent ALWAYS use a touch skill if it wont break your craft. Also, try to use Basic Touch on Excellents if your CP allows it, since the success rate is higher.
OK so now we have to worry about durability. Master's Mend I & II are just a flat increase and what you'll use most of the time, but (advanced stuff!) Waste Not (15 CRP) and Manipulation (15 GSM) can add some different strategies, for 40 dura stuff especially. We'll get to using those for quality increases another time, it's rough to have the CP at low level. Waste Not will be important below...
You'll notice you're burning through CP rather quickly and that's where our 15 ALC skill, Tricks of the Trade, comes into play. Using a "touch" skill when the synth quality is good makes the quality increase more, but having an extra swing with 7 stacks of Inner Quiet is even better. Pretty much every "good" quality, use a Tricks of the Trade to get CP back.
Ultimately, you'll want CRP 50 for Byregot's Blessing which gives you a boatload of quality and is how we HQ 2/3 star stuff, but that's a long term goal. For now, we'll use the 15 CRP skill Rumination, which kills your Inner Quiet stack but gives you a pile of CP back. Once your quality is at 100% or as high as you can get it, use Rumination so you have some CP back to either Master's Mend or Waste Not. (depending on your current durability and how much your Synthesis swings do)
And last, the reason we leveled WVR, Careful Synthesis. There's noting more infuriating than getting to 100% quality and then having that last progress swing fail and having your item smash. Careful Synth is 100%.
Quick summary:
Start with Inner Quiet
Tricks of the Trade whenever the condition is good
Use Steady Hand/Hasty Touch to increase quality and stack Inner Quiet
Master's Mend to restore Durability
Once you've increased quality as much as you can, Rumination to restore CP, Master's Mend/Waste Not, Careful Synth to finish off progress.
From there, the most important skills to get are Steady Hand II (37 CUL) and Careful Synth II (50 WVR), which just kind of improve the above strategy. Then later, go for Byregot's Blessing (50 CRP) which changes all of this entirely!
What level do I unlock ___________?
http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Guide:Progression_and_Level_Locked_Content
Accuracy Caps for Binding Coil of Bahamut Turns 1-9
http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/278dx2/accuracy_cap_for_everything_coil_19/
Official PA Forums FFXIV:ARR Free Company <GHOST> gitl.enjin.com Join us on Sargatanas!
PSN: BrightWing13 FFX|V:ARR Bright Asuna
I figure it'll be a while before I get gear better than my AF, so who can I purchase grade 1 leatherworking glamour prisms from? I need 4.
(I'm assuming the grade you require is based on the level of the item you want it to look like, and not the level of the item it actually is- is this correct?)
That reminds me, I need to post a picture of the Cammy outfit that I probably should've used almost used in the show yesterday.
Haha. Yeah, that sounds great.
And here I am, sitting at 1/9 books...
My Digital Pin Lanyard || PAX East '13, '14, '15, '19 | PAX South '15
@Ishtaar - Thanks so much for this write-up. I haven't seen it before and it's *super* helpful as a starting point for more than banging out ingots. Can you please write Part 2, where you talk about using Waste Not and Manipulation for quality increases, etc.?
@Cirira , @secretexhibition , I searched for you guys last night; I should be on 530-7p EST, and 930-midnight EST tonight. If you're on, it'd be great to friend you and get some tips! ^_^
So... I did 6 S-Rank hunts last night. Is that pretty typical and I just never noticed? Or did all the stars align to get me 300 allied seals and a bloody mark log?
My Digital Pin Lanyard || PAX East '13, '14, '15, '19 | PAX South '15
When it rains, it pours.
It has been a good day
As for S Ranks spawns, there's a bunch of known/semi-known/assumed ways to trigger them so a dedicated full party or two can run around and spawn a bunch in a row. A friend of mine is kind of the unofficial coordinator for spawns on Faerie, sending us to go gather stuff and things. (Four that are definitely triggered by gathering: Western La Noscea from Leeks with Botany, Middle La Noscea from Soil from Mining, Western Than and North Shroud are high level fishing) There are bunch of other theories, this list is a bit outdated, a few theories have been confirmed "wrong" by devs like the Core Blimey thing in NThan, but you get the general idea.
@Takel What is 2 star gathering?
@Ishtaar ^_^ Awesome. It's definitely a help for guys like me who are leveling classes but don't really know where to begin once they've passed the starting line.
So what's the "average" (loose guess) spawn rate for an S rank? Once every 2-3 hours?
edit - are there "fast" ways to bang out the relic books (Atma -> Animus), or is it really just as big of a grind as it looks like? 900 monsters, 27 dungeons, 27 leves, 27 FATEs... just kill me now.
My Digital Pin Lanyard || PAX East '13, '14, '15, '19 | PAX South '15
S ranks spawn windows are every 2-3 days. however after a server reset/maintenance the windows will be open 24 hours after the maintenance. This is why you see big spurts of S ranks sometimes because all the windows are opening at once and people know how to spawn pretty much every S rank now.
A rank hunts however are every 4 hours and have no spawn requirements, so that's where the majority of your seals will come from, you get 20 seals and 80 myth from an A rank.
Official PA Forums FFXIV:ARR Free Company <GHOST> gitl.enjin.com Join us on Sargatanas!
Do we have the same fc invite system for A-ranks? Just grab a party and go / the location gets announced in chat? I guess I've only been paying attention very recently, and only to S-ranks.
My Digital Pin Lanyard || PAX East '13, '14, '15, '19 | PAX South '15
I don't typically call A ranks in FC because it tends to clutter FC chat with how frequently they are spawning (There is usually only a 1-2 hour window where there ISN'T an A rank about ot spawn). This is the primary use for Hunting Linkshells, to communicate A rank spawns. I do however call S ranks in FC because of how infrequently they spawn, and because they are typically alive for longer so people have a decent chance of getting there in time to get some credit. A ranks typically get called, and pulled very shortly after and have very little health so by the time a party is coordinated in FC they are long dead.
What I do however for both A ranks and S ranks is I'll put up a Party Finder party just called "Hunts" and shout in the zone that it's available. This allow people in the area to jump in quickly to a party and we can all try and kill the current hunt.
I use this site to track which hunts are up, and which are coming up soon: http://ffxivhunt.com/sargatanas
That site basically is a series of timers from when the last hunt died. So when Marberry is killed, if a large enough percentage of the hunters on the site click it to report the kill it will mark it dead and start the timer for when it will spawn again. (This removes the ability for a small group of people to troll the site)
It's not perfect but it gives a rough idea of which hunts are about to spawn so people can run around those zone looking for them. Even if you aren't in a hunting linkshell you'll still see people shouting in Zone that they found the hunt and can use that information. IF you are serious about getting into hunts however I would suggest looking into joining a hunting linkshell (Try shouting in zones that have a lot of hunters, I would invite you into the one i'm in currently but it's capped out on members)
Actually it may not be a bad idea to make an FC Hunt linkshell now that I think about it. We're large enough that it may be useful.
Official PA Forums FFXIV:ARR Free Company <GHOST> gitl.enjin.com Join us on Sargatanas!
Fishing is.... similar. There are a crapload of one and two star fish, many require mooching (recasting an HQ catch), time of day, certain weather, etc. This site is a good resource, also this forum post. High end fishing is mainly used for Culinary desynth for the swimsuits and a kind of involved side game Pokemon style gotta-catch-em-all craziness. I'm only in so deep as catching the decent desynth stuff and the S Rank fish, completing the fishing log is a very long term thing.
Ohh yesyes pleaseplease.
I've been trying to get into one and no one wants me/they are all full.
Was really saddened when Dragoon stuff dropped later on and I couldn't Need on it. Only Syrcus Tower and 2nd Coil do loot lockout at the moment right? Is there a way to gain more items in a week from a raid? Or is it only one piece a week for everyone?
And whats the deal with the Unidentified Allagan Tombs, Sands of Time and Oil of Time? Those were in my loot list as well but couldn't do anything with em.
Still looking for those leatherworking prisms!
Also, I'd really love to at least get my Magitek mount tonight. Would y'all mind helping me finish Rock the Castrum and The Ultimate Weapon missions?
Official PA Forums FFXIV:ARR Free Company <GHOST> gitl.enjin.com Join us on Sargatanas!
There's a couple strategies to tackling books:
FATEs are the RNG part, the second I got a book I'd port around to the zones to look and see if the FATEs were up. If they were, awesome, if you need help completing it in time /shout in the zone or ask in FC, Linkshells, friends and see if someone can come help bang it out quick. (I play primarily during prime time so I never really ran into an issue finding help when there was like 5 min left on a fate) If they aren't up, no worries, queue a dungeon and work on leves/kills. Rinse and repeat on checking for fates between dungeon queues/mob kills. If you konw someone else working on books buddy up with them for the mob kills, even if you don't have the same mobs they're in the same area, the kills were the annoying part for me as a healer. (If only I could have just massacred them all on my Bard, QQ) This strat worked out super well for me, there was only one book where I ended up having to wait on a fate spawn to complete, and since then they've added in a system that increases the spawn rate of rarer fates so it's not as much of a concern.
The other thing that used to throttle book progression is pretty much a non-issue now because of hunts: Mythology. Just hop on the A-train every couple hours and you'll be drowning in Mythos.
Ok, good to know about the FATEs. The monsters aren't annoying to me as a BLM; I honestly just set the entire zone on fire to work on my chocobo rank when I do it. I'm over-geared for where I am in the relic line anyway (sitting at i96, will probably be at i98 today) so the toughest part for me will probably be the FATEs.
My Digital Pin Lanyard || PAX East '13, '14, '15, '19 | PAX South '15
Ah ha ha, oh god, you're not the only one! I just did the same thing this week as well. Looking for those DRG gloves, and the monk ones popped up. "Oh, I can't Need these? Ah, they're the MNK gloves. Oh well, might as well Greed them. Oh wait, what have I done?"
Sometimes it is easy to forget that each player in the game has their own story being told. With it's highs and lows, it's struggles, and achievements.
But sometimes it's nice to recognize that and appreciate what others have experienced. It's rare in this day and age of MMOs to find a game that resonates this much with players, and it suggests a truly bright future for the game indeed.
Official PA Forums FFXIV:ARR Free Company <GHOST> gitl.enjin.com Join us on Sargatanas!
Yeah the kills as a healer are just annoying; the leash distance in this game is so short I can't just dot all the things without them resetting. /pout
Gotta admire the fact that like the first 3 minutes are "..and we got to 50" and then the video keeps going and going.
chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
Such a good video by Merewyn.
yeah but it makes them giant dicks.
source: goldsmith quests.
Yes, lockout is currently only on ST and 2nd Coil. And it will most likely disappear with 2.4 (just like 2.2 removed the CT1 and 1st Coil lockouts.)
UAT is for the soldiery weapon. Requires 1300 sold plus an UAT. Sands/Oil are for restoring sold gear to pristine 110 condition. Left side uses sand, right uses oil.
I wasn't sure why until I looked around and noticed literally every other male miqote was white skin and pale hair.
Whereas when I make a black cat
Fun fact. There is an absolutely gorgeous black cat at my workplace called Oscar. But some people call him Sabbath.
So my character is called Oscar Sabbath.
Meeting that cat when I go to work makes getting up in the morning easy. I wasn't a super cat person before I started working there.
Oh, that guy.
Maggie is much cooler than him.