[FFXIV:ARR] Servers Up!, and surprisingly stable! 7 free days starting 9/4/13

Delphinidaes · August 2013

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. (A Game Remade)

For those who don't know, Final Fantasy XIV originally released in September 2010 and was.... well it was basically a train wreck.

Despite stunning visuals and an interesting story the game itself was lacking mechanically. The UI was broken and sluggish, the combat was unresponsive and stiff, the world was bland and sparse, and the quests outside of the story were forgettable and dull. They tried for awhile to stem the bleeding by putting out some content patches and trying to fix a lot of the issues, but the game was on it's death rattle and had barely even begun.

However, instead of just cutting their losses and leaving the game to hobble on and eventually die, Square-Enix decided to take a different approach...

They hired Naoki Yoshida.

Mr. Yoshida (Known as Yoshi_P) took over the project and it was decided that instead of trying to fix the current game. They would just make a new one.

This one.

And it's a damned good thing they did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h542YbZuwkQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wy1S866A0E

So now we have a game with Stunning visuals, combat that is fun and engaging, a world that is full of life and secrets to be found, quests that are plentiful in number and each with it's own interesting little story to be told. Oh and Chocobos that actually fight along side you, Magitech that you can eventually ride and battle with, and generally everything that we wanted in the first game.

News

So far the PA crowd (or anyone who wants to plays with us) will be gathering on the Sargatanas (Legacy) server

Game is available for both PC and PS3!

Here is a visual comparison of the Graphics of both versions side by side.

FFXIV: ARR Client download

Note: This is just the Launcher download. You MUST use the new launcher as the older beta launchers will NOT work. It is safe to delete your old Beta 3 installation as it will no longer work anyways. This Launcher will work in Beta 4, Early Access, and Release.

Greg USN wrote: »

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/benchmark/download/index.html

Character Benchmark is a go!

Also this:

Come on, who doesn't want some snazzy Chocobos with hats?

NOTE: If you are experiencing Cutscenes that are cut in half (The top or bottom part is black) you need to uninstall the Windows Security Update KB2803821 until Microsoft releases a fix.

Pre-order site is up! Enter your retail code at preorder.na.finalfantasyxiv.com (or preorder.eu.finalfantasyxiv.com for EU folks)

SERVER ISSUES UPDATE (September 2, 2013)

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/78421-NA-All-Worlds-Maintenance-(Sep.-3)?p=1152245#post1152245

[NA] All Worlds Maintenance (Sep. 3)
At the following time, we will be performing maintenance on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn to perform the operations listed below. During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn will be unavailable.

[Details]
- Addition of new Worlds
- Implementation of countermeasures to handle the influx of concurrent user counts as a result of split processing the duty finder
- Address several known issues

* Clients will update automatically upon launch after the date and time below.

* We will announce details of the fixes at a later time.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

[Date & Time]
From Sep. 3, 2013 5:00 p.m. to Sep. 4, 2013 3:00 a.m. (PDT)
* The completion time may be subject to change.

[Affected Service]
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn[/quote]

Delphinidaes · August 2013

Races:

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:

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.
Hyur Naming Conventions

Miqo'te:

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.
Miqo'te Naming Conventions

Elezen:

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.
Elezen Naming Conventions

Roegadyn:

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.
Roegadyn Naming Conventions

Lalafell:

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.
Lalafell Naming conventions

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)
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. The Disciples of Hand/Land can be switched to once you unlock the ability to change class around lvl 10.

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
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.

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

Travel
With a world as large as Eorzea, getting around can be a daunting task. Luckily in FFXIV: ARR you have a variety of travel services you can utilize to ease the burden of travel.

Mounts: It just wouldn't be a Final Fantasy game without Chocobos. And luckily we not only get to ride them, but we get to fight alongside them as well. Don't worry if you aren't a fan of Chocobos though, because there will be a variety of mounts you can ride including Coeurls, Gobbue (only if you got it in Legacy?), Magitech armor, and more. Not only will you be able to ride, but you'll also be able to outfit your mounts with various cosmetic armors.

The basic mount will be your Chocobo, which you can get access to around lvl 20 via the main storyline. Before then however you can still hire out chocobos from your local Chocoporters who are more than happy to lend you a chocobo for a paltry fee.
Teleport: This is how you will get around in a hurry, however it is also the most expensive way to travel so you pay for the convenience. Eorzea is littered with Aetheryte Crystals (conveniently located in most major Camps and Cities). Once you have reached an Aetheryte Crystal you can attune to it, effectively adding it to your list of available teleport locations. Teleport itself has no cooldown, but as I mentioned before can be a bit pricey if you use it a lot. On the plus side however when you do activate Teleport anyone in your party in the same zone as you will also be able to tag along, provided they have already attuned to the destination Crystal.

Note: You can register 3 Aetheryte Crystals as your 'Favored' locations which drastically reduces the amount of Gil it costs to teleport to them.
Return: Return is like your classic hearthstone. You can set an Aetheryte Crystal as your 'Home Point' (an option upon selecting the Crystal) and when you use your Return spell it will take you there instantly and for no fee. However it is on a 15 minute cooldown.
Ferries: Around Eorzea you will find many Ferries that link various Zones together. For a small fee you can ride these Ferries to make travel a bit easier.
Airships: Upon clearing the prerequisite Story quests at lvl 15 you will be granted an Airship pass which will allow you to travel between the major Cities of Gridania, Ul'dah, and Limsa Lominsa for a nominal fee. This is cheaper than using Teleport but is much more restrictive in terms of usage since you can only use Airships from the Airship ports themselves in each city.

Delphinidaes · August 2013

PA Community Info

Server:
Sargatanas (Legacy) NA

Both PS3 and PC players play on the exact same servers with eachother.

Get the current Server Status from www.arrstatus.com

Free Company
Ghost in the Linkshell (gitl.enjin.com)

If you need an invite to the Free Company just message one of the following people in game using /tell and let them know you are from the PA forum

Sionnach Rua
Petra Ironheart
Delphi Kisaragi
Treave Blackthorn
Heidi Heterodyne
Chipper Ulven

or anybody currently in the FC as they all have rights to invite. The above names however are familiar with the invite process and should be easier to access.

PA Linkshells:

Omega Hares: /tell Delphi Kisaragi, Cessa Stormwall, Spawn Broker, or Sionnach Rua to get an invite.

If you've made a PA Linkshell let me know so I can add it to this list!

Voice Chat

Update:

Greg USN wrote:

I talked with a lot of people yesterday and we concluded that perhaps, sharing the current Raidcall Channel (being used by Penny-Arcade Tera fans and some League of Legends players) was not the best idea. It was for this reason that last night we created a new Raidcall channel specifically for this Game/FC. This will alleviate the clutter of having three plus games share one RC Channel as well as eliminate the "WANG" name (which i know some folks are not too fond of). There is a downside though, as the new channel is not sponsored by Raidcall we will lose the oppertunity to raise money for Child's Play through channel use. @Lloye and I talked about that and he told me that he will help us work with the RC team so we can attempt to obtain sponsorship.

Raidcall (New info!)

Download the software at www.raidcall.com
After installing it and such, You need to search for "6871673" or "Ghost in the Linkshell" and in the application message to apply to the group make sure to put "PA FFXIV".
Note: once you're in the group, to change your displayed name, right click yourself and select change Membership Name

Ventrillo info:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/39448/pa-forums-ventrilo-server-there-s-also-a-teamspeak-server/p1

Item Requisition

Looking for a specific item to be crafted? Want to post that you have a great item people can use? Try the GITL Item Requisition service!

http://ghosts.codechaos.me/

Good Info to Know

Regarding Tab Targeting

This guide demystifies the targeting system and makes tab targeting much more useful. Also has info for Controller setups as well.

http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/1knlxo/demystifying_targeting_and_filters_a_keyboard_and/

Jakarrd · August 2013

New thread smell. Yay! And yep, servers were down for me.

vagrant_winds · August 2013

At least we know sales are good if the game is crashing and burning under strain!

Rend · August 2013

Hey guys! Any news on 10102 and 90000? Can't log in at the moment, wondering if there's a workaround.

vagrant_winds · August 2013

Rend wrote: »

Hey guys! Any news on 10102 and 90000? Can't log in at the moment, wondering if there's a workaround.

Play another Final Fantasy game while you wait?

Jakarrd · August 2013

launcher has this update which was 9:21 local time for me (CST):

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties wherein players are unable to log into the North American/European data center Worlds on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. The issue is being addressed, and new updates will follow as additional information becomes available.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

[Date & Time]
From Aug. 25, 2013 6:39 a.m. (PDT)

[Details]
Unable to log into several Worlds.

[Affected Worlds]
North American/European Data Center Worlds

Delphinidaes · August 2013

I would love to see the number on how many people are trying to connect. I thought that Beta 4 had quite a lot of people but it seems there may be even more.

ghostbandit · August 2013

At least i hit paladin before the servers pooped

Lucascraft · August 2013

So for those of you who have been fortunate enough to get to 30 and do story/class quests, is there a quest involved with unlocking your job specialization? I can't freaking wait to become a paladin. This server trouble is holding me back, otherwise I would've easily gotten 30 yesterday.

On a completely unrelated note -- is there a way to disable to looping video on the title screen?

mori1972 · August 2013

I knew taking a break to do silly mundane things like having a shower and shopping was going to be a foolish mistake *shakes fist*

Still, despite all the duty finder/instance woes, I am still unbelievably in love with this game. The fact it runs so smoothly on my increasingly antiquated graphics card (and still manages to look better than a whole hell of a lot of other games at the same time) still has me grinning and giggling like a schoolgirl

CorriganX · August 2013

Oh man. My Lodestone page has my stupid archer's outfit instead of my cool arcanist one. That is not a good thing, I look like a fashion disaster.

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/1073416/

Basil · August 2013

Work it, baby!

*holds up a sack of fish*

Dance for us!

I'm so jealous of your robe.

mori1972 · August 2013

CorriganX wrote: »

...That is not a good thing, I look like a fashion disaster.

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/1073416/

Final Fantasy XIV: Advancing the Gay Agenda since 2013.

*checks the profile link*...Mind you, kid has a point.

MyDcmbr · August 2013

CorriganX wrote: »

Oh man. My Lodestone page has my stupid archer's outfit instead of my cool arcanist one. That is not a good thing, I look like a fashion disaster.

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/1073416/

At least you have clothes! Double you tee eff Lodestone?!

http://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/2751732/

chrisnl · August 2013

Aw, they still haven't fixed the servers? What a pain.

Also, not a single one of the links in post number 2 works anymore now that they have moved to the new Lodestone (I am guessing as to the reason). Doesn't make much difference to me, as I know that info already, but thought I would point it out.

Radiation · August 2013

Daww...was just about to do my Level 15 GLD quest.
Speaking of, what class is needed for Paladin? And is there a cool resource I could be reading up on things I'll need to not be a horrible tanker mcdude?

Greg USN · August 2013

I'm totally playing right now! (on kujata)

Rend · August 2013

Are the servers down right now?

BlueBlue · August 2013

How the ears stick out of that bandanna reminds me of when I was wearing glasses

How do they stay up

chrisnl · August 2013

Radiation wrote: »

Daww...was just about to do my Level 15 GLD quest.
Speaking of, what class is needed for Paladin? And is there a cool resource I could be reading up on things I'll need to not be a horrible tanker mcdude?

Paladin should be Conjurer to 15, though it might be Marauder. Either way, one of those two. Also the Guildhests and first three dungeons are a pretty good tutorial on how to tank for groups. Until the servers come back up, you could try http://www.ffxivinfo.com/guides/paladin.php as a basic guide.

Paragon · August 2013

Getting really tired of these problems with logging in. I have limited time to play and will be very busy after the 27th.

Greg USN · August 2013

Rend wrote: »

Are the servers down right now?

EU and NA are technically up but if you are not already connected... good luck.

Toxic Pickle · August 2013

The servers aren't totally down, because I'm playing on Sarg as we speak.

People who get logged out just can't log back in, it seems. Also instances broke. Again.

chrisnl · August 2013

Well that's interesting, now it isn't updating the JP server list for me. Still a 10102 error upon attempting to enter Sargatanas, so even if I wanted to screw around and see the starting stuff for another city on a Japanese server, I couldn't. Boo.

ghostbandit · August 2013

Lucascraft wrote: »

So for those of you who have been fortunate enough to get to 30 and do story/class quests, is there a quest involved with unlocking your job specialization? I can't freaking wait to become a paladin. This server trouble is holding me back, otherwise I would've easily gotten 30 yesterday.

On a completely unrelated note -- is there a way to disable to looping video on the title screen?

You do the level 30 class quest, then they offer you a new quest for paladin right after that. Paladin quest was very easy too.

Lucascraft · August 2013

The issue is that no matter how much maintenance they do, the servers that they currently own cannot support the load that they are receiving.

Additionally, it seems that their server infrastructure is not at all adequate for even a fraction of the number of people who are on. Trying to run story quests, dungeons, and any other kind of duty from the same server seems like a bad idea.

This isn't going to be an easy fix. They are basically going to have to reprogram and reassemble their entire server infrastructure to accommodate the huge number of players. That's something that will take days or weeks. Not 2 hours of maintenance.

Toxic Pickle · August 2013

They just announced another emergency maintenance from 8:30a-10:30a PDT.

Menasor · August 2013

Sure wish FFX:HD was out already. Was hoping to have that out before 14 just so I could run it and get it out of the way, now I wish I had it as a downtime filler.

ghostbandit · August 2013

Good news, the new Nekrogoblikon album comes out on the 27th!

Greg USN · August 2013

lol 2 hour maintenance starting at 0830

Grove · August 2013

Woo! Woke up in time for another emergency maintenance!

How many hours could we not play yesterday? 9?

GnomeTank · August 2013

Grove wrote: »

Woo! Woke up in time for another emergency maintenance!

How many hours could we not play yesterday? 9?

Don't worry. They took my money, but I received no codes, and now I can't even look up my order. It basically vanished. So they have my money, and I have no product and no order.

GnomeTank · August 2013

And I would cancel and order through GMG, as @Arthil and others suggested...but I can't even look up my order to cancel it now!

Kid Presentable · August 2013

I'm gonna try to keep the pitchforks and torches sheathed until Tuesday, at which point all they have to do is have it working, and then give everybody 2-4 free days (in addition to the 30) to make up for the loss of early access accessibility. Then we're all good.

Krathoon · August 2013

Wow. More maintenance. They really needed to iron things out.

Pretty fun though. I look forward to getting the iconic BLM gear.

CorriganX · August 2013

Krathoon wrote: »

Wow. More maintenance. They really needed to iron things out.

I.. I think thats what the maintenance is there for..

ghostbandit · August 2013

Lol. ITS NOT WORKING?! they need to fix it! WTF MAINTENANCE?>!

Radiation · August 2013

How is it that Japan servers don't seem to have issues?

Greg USN · August 2013

Totally agree

Penny Arcade

Quick Links

[FFXIV:ARR] Servers Up!, and surprisingly stable! 7 free days starting 9/4/13

Posts