Riposte
Member
Information Page
"Letter from the Producer" concerning this
SE recently announced two "campaigns" in anticipation of the "2.0" relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV. The first being the Legacy campaign, which rewards those who play now with a reduced fee in the next version of the game. The other is the Welcome Back campaign which will allow players to reactivate their accounts and characters for free for a short period of time. Be sure the at least skim through the OP, as it will probably answer most of your questions and concerns.
Clarification: Your account must be registered by MAY 31st in order to be eligible for the Legacy Campaign.
Players who take part in the Legacy campaign will only have to pay $9.99/30 days (closer to current reduced fees), lowered from $12.99 for a partial subscription and $14.99 for the equivalent subscription when 2.0 launches. They will also get a unique chocobo mount(Akihiko Yoshida approved) on 2.0's launch and can request to have their name in the credits. (Does this sound like a kickstarter to anyone else?)
A 90-subscription is around $27~.
The 2.0 beta is dated for September, which gives you a few months. As I understand it if you purchase the 90-day subscription plan at any time during that period you will immediately qualify, but I could be wrong. Even if you are unable to play or are waiting for the PS3 launch (which is said to coincide with 2.0) you could still jump on this if you are absolutely sure you'll be a long time player. (One might make the gamble of waiting for the "inevitable" switch to f2p. However SE really likes its monthly fees (FFXI is still p2p after 10 years and DQX is launching p2p) and these guys seem particularly stubborn on the idea of making a successful p2p MMO. Your call.)
(Pictured are the jobs in their "Artifact" armor: Bard, Black Mage, Warrior, White Mage, Dragoon, Monk, Paladin)
Assuming there are no delays the Welcome Back campaign is expected to go live today at 11pm EST/8pm PST. Live now! (For info on NeoGAF's FFXIV community look below)
Making use the Welcome Back campaign is as simple as logging onto the game with your old account. It seems the Lodestone (and thus the forums) won't recognize your account until you've subscribed with characters again.
SE has put out this message on the Lodestone addressed to returners concerning configuration options and presents a list of version updates similar to the one posted below. Might be worth checking out.
State of the Game
It's expected that someone might ask "What has changed since the last time I've played?", so I will quickly over over some the recent major changes that stick out in my mind. This could be useful for those on the fence for the Legacy campaign instead of just waiting for the relaunch. Here is the history of version updates if you want a fuller picture (or just have a weird thing for reading patch notes like I do...). You could also check out Kurokikaze268's YouTube videos which has covered patches in the past in video form (unfortunately not in playlist form, so don't mind the unrelated stuff). (You might need at least a very basic understanding of FFXIV's mechanics to get what I'm saying.)
Battle
-Classes have been entirely restructured and the system of abilities/traits have been adjusted so that there is less freedom in what abilities you can choose (for the sake of cleaner design I imagine). Now you automatically equip everything you learn from your class and are given a number of slots to equip abilities from other classes.
-Jobs are unlocked through quests which require a level 30 in one class and 15 in another. You can freely change between them as if they were classes. Abilities tied to your jobs are unique to them and are learned by completing quests instead of leveling. Jobs restrict the what other class abilities you can use, trading versatility for a stronger centralized role.
-Battle Regimens have been (temporarily?) removed from the game and combat has shifted focus away manual AoE attacks towards an auto-attack system compounded by direction-focused abilities which can combo into each other. Each weapon skill has a condition which will add a bonus to the attack if fulfilled (e.g. top of hate list, from behind) and enable it to combo with a particular attack. Comboing off of a properly executed weapon skill makes the next one free and will activate an additional bonus effect. What ends up happening is that you are constantly shifting positions to get full combos in the middle of combat.
-Gear which has been used often enough can be converted into "Materia". Materia can then be permanently bonded into other gear to provide stat bonuses. This mainly applies to crafted gear and not notorious monster drops.
-Naturally content has been added over time. In addition to stuff like Hamlet defense and Beastmen strongholds, here are trailers for the "end-game" content SE has put out (and one random fan "tour" video):
System
-There is an achievement system now (which unlocks titles and items for the rare ones). Naturally only some quest achievements will only be accessible before 2.0.
-The game's bazaar economy system has been shifted more towards a hybrid which functions more or less exactly like Final Fantasy XI's Auction Houses once your bazaar NPC has been put into place (this shift toward familiar FFXI mechanics is common throughout recent changes). Items can be search and bought from a menu with a price history. They've also added NPCs which allow you to purchase from bazaars from other cities.
-The fatigue system has long since been removed and recently so has "Guardian's Favor" (Guidleves cover the gap by giving more exp). In its place is an "resting" exp bonus not unlike the one found in most MMOs since WoW. Players receive this by retreating to their inn rooms (sort of like XI's "Mog Houses", but with no customizing furnishings).
-Exp parties, a la XI, are now a significantly improved method of gaining exp and levels come relatively quickly. Search is now much more functional. Guidleves are mainly employed with a solo perspective in mind.
-Chocobos and airships have been added to the game, along with being able to set multiple homepoints. This makes traveling around much less of an ordeal. It is also worth noting that there is a goobbue mount which will only be obtainable before the launch of 2.0.
-Crafting has been changed greatly, with the number of recipes required to make something shrunk significantly. To be honest I don't know shit about crafting or gathering, so ask and someone who knows more about it can fill you in.
-The UI has been steadily improved, but most will find it below standards for a PC game (as they likely would XI's). I personally find it to be quite usable, as I would maybe a JRPG's, but there is some residue laggy stuff going on with inventory management (but nowhere bad as it used to be, FFXIV at launch had one of the laggiest menus I've seen).
World
-The game's original main quest line hasn't really advanced and the focus has instead switch to "Grand Company" quests in order to continue the story. The storyline presented here mainly focuses on the events which will lead to 2.0 (the "coming of Dalamund", a.k.a. Meteor, and the impending invasion of the Garlean Empire).
-If you don't know, upon 2.0's launch the world of XIV as we know it will change radically and we are not sure just how great the change will be. Along with the terrain itself being reconstructed, many storylines and quests (all of them?) will no longer be accessible. If you are familiar with FFXI then you know that the care and attention to detail put into the setting of FF MMO games rivals (or surpasses) those put into SE's single player games. What you have here is a prequel of sorts to a new FFXIV which will only be accessible for a short amount of time. I mention this because it might matter to people who really dig FF settings. Personally Eorzea is my favorite FF setting to date (I also like that it is uncharacteristically vulgar in dialogue).
-In addition to what are essentially temporary storylines, there have been several events (or random GM-controlled roleplaying character appearances) that go hand and hand with the new GC quests as they build towards the big shift in setting. One example of this occurring now are large Garlean raiding parties rotating between the camps closest to the main cities.
-I thought I should mention that Eorzea's second moon, Dalamund, has turned red and been steadily getting closer in an ominous "Majora's Mask"-like fashion. It is now bigger than the other moon.
Performance
Final Fantasy XIV on NeoGAF
-Here is the (very outdated) OT which houses our regular players and most of the discussion on the game.
-NeoGAF's official linkshell (clan/guild/chatroom) "Red Dot II" is located on the Sargatanas server and always welcomes new players from NeoGAF. Dudes checking back in for the 10 days only should be no exception.
2.0
-The Lodestone's Final Fantasy XIV Version 2.0 teaser site
-This is likely what SE was referring to when they recently trademarked the name "A Realm Reborn".
-We expect to get at least a trailer for E3. Not much else has been said otherwise, but I think we'll see a strong showing at TGS at the very least.
-As I alluded to earlier, a beta of some sort is expected to be rolled out on September for PC and PS3. Going by the outline they put out we can expect a short return to a free trial period soon after that before they finally release 2.0 into retail January 2013.
-To prevent any confusion: Characters and their levels will not be deleted or reset upon the relaunch.
-Here is a pretty huge thread which collections information on 2.0. Might be worth reading if you want to wet your appetite.
I encourage asking questions or going out of your way to show your disinterest, anything to keep the thread bumped. Thanks for reading and hopefully current, former, or potential FFXIV players found this useful.
EDIT: Amazon is selling a PC download version of Final Fantasy XIV for 8 dollars. This appears to be the cheapest way for new players to get in, assuming they can't nab themselves an unused friend code from the Limited Edition release.
"Letter from the Producer" concerning this
SE recently announced two "campaigns" in anticipation of the "2.0" relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV. The first being the Legacy campaign, which rewards those who play now with a reduced fee in the next version of the game. The other is the Welcome Back campaign which will allow players to reactivate their accounts and characters for free for a short period of time. Be sure the at least skim through the OP, as it will probably answer most of your questions and concerns.
Clarification: Your account must be registered by MAY 31st in order to be eligible for the Legacy Campaign.
Players who take part in the Legacy campaign will only have to pay $9.99/30 days (closer to current reduced fees), lowered from $12.99 for a partial subscription and $14.99 for the equivalent subscription when 2.0 launches. They will also get a unique chocobo mount(Akihiko Yoshida approved) on 2.0's launch and can request to have their name in the credits. (Does this sound like a kickstarter to anyone else?)
A 90-subscription is around $27~.
The 2.0 beta is dated for September, which gives you a few months. As I understand it if you purchase the 90-day subscription plan at any time during that period you will immediately qualify, but I could be wrong. Even if you are unable to play or are waiting for the PS3 launch (which is said to coincide with 2.0) you could still jump on this if you are absolutely sure you'll be a long time player. (One might make the gamble of waiting for the "inevitable" switch to f2p. However SE really likes its monthly fees (FFXI is still p2p after 10 years and DQX is launching p2p) and these guys seem particularly stubborn on the idea of making a successful p2p MMO. Your call.)
(Pictured are the jobs in their "Artifact" armor: Bard, Black Mage, Warrior, White Mage, Dragoon, Monk, Paladin)
Making use the Welcome Back campaign is as simple as logging onto the game with your old account. It seems the Lodestone (and thus the forums) won't recognize your account until you've subscribed with characters again.
SE has put out this message on the Lodestone addressed to returners concerning configuration options and presents a list of version updates similar to the one posted below. Might be worth checking out.
State of the Game
It's expected that someone might ask "What has changed since the last time I've played?", so I will quickly over over some the recent major changes that stick out in my mind. This could be useful for those on the fence for the Legacy campaign instead of just waiting for the relaunch. Here is the history of version updates if you want a fuller picture (or just have a weird thing for reading patch notes like I do...). You could also check out Kurokikaze268's YouTube videos which has covered patches in the past in video form (unfortunately not in playlist form, so don't mind the unrelated stuff). (You might need at least a very basic understanding of FFXIV's mechanics to get what I'm saying.)
Battle
-Classes have been entirely restructured and the system of abilities/traits have been adjusted so that there is less freedom in what abilities you can choose (for the sake of cleaner design I imagine). Now you automatically equip everything you learn from your class and are given a number of slots to equip abilities from other classes.
-Jobs are unlocked through quests which require a level 30 in one class and 15 in another. You can freely change between them as if they were classes. Abilities tied to your jobs are unique to them and are learned by completing quests instead of leveling. Jobs restrict the what other class abilities you can use, trading versatility for a stronger centralized role.
-Battle Regimens have been (temporarily?) removed from the game and combat has shifted focus away manual AoE attacks towards an auto-attack system compounded by direction-focused abilities which can combo into each other. Each weapon skill has a condition which will add a bonus to the attack if fulfilled (e.g. top of hate list, from behind) and enable it to combo with a particular attack. Comboing off of a properly executed weapon skill makes the next one free and will activate an additional bonus effect. What ends up happening is that you are constantly shifting positions to get full combos in the middle of combat.
-Gear which has been used often enough can be converted into "Materia". Materia can then be permanently bonded into other gear to provide stat bonuses. This mainly applies to crafted gear and not notorious monster drops.
-Naturally content has been added over time. In addition to stuff like Hamlet defense and Beastmen strongholds, here are trailers for the "end-game" content SE has put out (and one random fan "tour" video):
System
-There is an achievement system now (which unlocks titles and items for the rare ones). Naturally only some quest achievements will only be accessible before 2.0.
-The game's bazaar economy system has been shifted more towards a hybrid which functions more or less exactly like Final Fantasy XI's Auction Houses once your bazaar NPC has been put into place (this shift toward familiar FFXI mechanics is common throughout recent changes). Items can be search and bought from a menu with a price history. They've also added NPCs which allow you to purchase from bazaars from other cities.
-The fatigue system has long since been removed and recently so has "Guardian's Favor" (Guidleves cover the gap by giving more exp). In its place is an "resting" exp bonus not unlike the one found in most MMOs since WoW. Players receive this by retreating to their inn rooms (sort of like XI's "Mog Houses", but with no customizing furnishings).
-Exp parties, a la XI, are now a significantly improved method of gaining exp and levels come relatively quickly. Search is now much more functional. Guidleves are mainly employed with a solo perspective in mind.
-Chocobos and airships have been added to the game, along with being able to set multiple homepoints. This makes traveling around much less of an ordeal. It is also worth noting that there is a goobbue mount which will only be obtainable before the launch of 2.0.
-Crafting has been changed greatly, with the number of recipes required to make something shrunk significantly. To be honest I don't know shit about crafting or gathering, so ask and someone who knows more about it can fill you in.
-The UI has been steadily improved, but most will find it below standards for a PC game (as they likely would XI's). I personally find it to be quite usable, as I would maybe a JRPG's, but there is some residue laggy stuff going on with inventory management (but nowhere bad as it used to be, FFXIV at launch had one of the laggiest menus I've seen).
World
-The game's original main quest line hasn't really advanced and the focus has instead switch to "Grand Company" quests in order to continue the story. The storyline presented here mainly focuses on the events which will lead to 2.0 (the "coming of Dalamund", a.k.a. Meteor, and the impending invasion of the Garlean Empire).
-If you don't know, upon 2.0's launch the world of XIV as we know it will change radically and we are not sure just how great the change will be. Along with the terrain itself being reconstructed, many storylines and quests (all of them?) will no longer be accessible. If you are familiar with FFXI then you know that the care and attention to detail put into the setting of FF MMO games rivals (or surpasses) those put into SE's single player games. What you have here is a prequel of sorts to a new FFXIV which will only be accessible for a short amount of time. I mention this because it might matter to people who really dig FF settings. Personally Eorzea is my favorite FF setting to date (I also like that it is uncharacteristically vulgar in dialogue).
-In addition to what are essentially temporary storylines, there have been several events (or random GM-controlled roleplaying character appearances) that go hand and hand with the new GC quests as they build towards the big shift in setting. One example of this occurring now are large Garlean raiding parties rotating between the camps closest to the main cities.
-I thought I should mention that Eorzea's second moon, Dalamund, has turned red and been steadily getting closer in an ominous "Majora's Mask"-like fashion. It is now bigger than the other moon.
-FFXIV has steadily be gaining new music from the pantheon of SE composers. Here are two examples: 1.19 and 1.20. (I find a few of songs which remind me of Chrono Cross and The Last Remnant. Gives quite a range compared to only having Uematsu on board.) Something for long time fans of these composers to look into even if they have no interest in the game itself.
Performance
-For high end screenshots you can check out this blog from NeoGAF member Buttons.
Final Fantasy XIV on NeoGAF
-Here is the (very outdated) OT which houses our regular players and most of the discussion on the game.
-NeoGAF's official linkshell (clan/guild/chatroom) "Red Dot II" is located on the Sargatanas server and always welcomes new players from NeoGAF. Dudes checking back in for the 10 days only should be no exception.
-One can't simply transfer servers yet and the Welcome Back campaign might not apply to new characters. You may be unable able to join us with characters reactivated on a different server, but that shouldn't be too much of an impediment if you are most interested in just experiencing the new content. (If someone manages to make use of the Welcome Back campaign to make a new character on a new server (e.g. Sargantanas) please say so.)Make sure to roll on Sargatanas!
Then msg either Eithne Rain (me!), Rin Morikaze, Calm Wind, Jinko Jinko, Eight Corova, Nagisa Kamiya, Kyudo Kyohon, Firon Veleth, oor Mjunter Elhunter for a pearl into the GAF Linkshell
2.0
-The Lodestone's Final Fantasy XIV Version 2.0 teaser site
-This is likely what SE was referring to when they recently trademarked the name "A Realm Reborn".
-We expect to get at least a trailer for E3. Not much else has been said otherwise, but I think we'll see a strong showing at TGS at the very least.
-As I alluded to earlier, a beta of some sort is expected to be rolled out on September for PC and PS3. Going by the outline they put out we can expect a short return to a free trial period soon after that before they finally release 2.0 into retail January 2013.
-To prevent any confusion: Characters and their levels will not be deleted or reset upon the relaunch.
-Here is a pretty huge thread which collections information on 2.0. Might be worth reading if you want to wet your appetite.
I encourage asking questions or going out of your way to show your disinterest, anything to keep the thread bumped. Thanks for reading and hopefully current, former, or potential FFXIV players found this useful.
EDIT: Amazon is selling a PC download version of Final Fantasy XIV for 8 dollars. This appears to be the cheapest way for new players to get in, assuming they can't nab themselves an unused friend code from the Limited Edition release.
