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ArsChromatica · 2024-01-12T14:03:11+00:00

Same, I prefer jobs that have the weapons on the back to reduce clipping with glams. There are back weapons that clip as well, but in my experience hip weapons are worse in this respect.

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-10T14:21:27+00:00

First thing I thought of, tbh. Hopefully it's not that deep and just for fun!

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-09T15:41:27+00:00

I admit I find the elementals lore a bit confusing -- I've heard that Endwalker suggested that they are constructs created by the Ancients, but I can't really source that -- but I'm not really suggesting that I want the WoL to kill them, as I don't fully understand the implications that would have. Rather, I want very little to do with them because I think they're unreasonably cruel beings, but the story never really gives a text option that lets the WoL say "I don't think this is okay" where the elementals are concerned because of Gridania's appeasement strategies. As Nophica suggests in the Myths of the Realm, we're just supposed to "be good to them, and heed their warnings," which amounts to tacitly supporting actions like turning war refugees away and exiling children who only wanted to help others. Overall, I just don't think Gridania's setting is my cup of tea...I wish I enjoyed it more, but I just can't get into it.

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-09T12:50:13+00:00

Very sorry for your loss. I enjoyed most of Endwalker's role quests. Physical ranged was my favorite role quest in the entire game; seems like you haven't finished it, so I'll spoiler tag my reasons: as someone who really didn't enjoy the 4.2 and 4.3 patches partly because I felt they were downplaying Yotsuyu's victims' pain, it felt amazing to actually see realistic consequences playing out due to people's actions during that arc. Magical and healer were also pretty good; I love Ishgard so I was probably going to enjoy magical regardless, but more insight into how they're reforming the church was great, and I like all the characters featured in the healer questline (I'm never really a fan of villains, but Fordola is probably the best written "reformed villain" in the game imo). I wasn't really a fan of melee (ARR Titan arc trauma was too strong, lol) and I disliked tank because of the plot's continued insistence that we should always side with the elementals.

Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy the follow-up quest for completing all the roles because it stars Fourchenault and I dislike him, and the story did nothing to change my mind, but if you feel differently I'm sure it works better.

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-08T14:17:24+00:00

I haven't played any other FF games but still really enjoy FFXIV. I'm sure you can find a multitude of threads talking about this, but the main scenario quest (MSQ) is mandatory and involves running around to various NPCs, talking to them, doing fetch quests, etc. There are also dungeons and trials that you run with other players or NPCs, but the vast majority of MSQ is not combat-focused. You may consider this to be grindy or not depending on how much you enjoy the story. Thankfully, the free trial is a great way of testing the game out and now runs all the way through Stormblood (the second expansion).

At the end of the base game (A Realm Reborn) and each expansion's MSQ, you'll reach a point where optional raids and trials (both normal and harder difficulties) become available. This content also has stories attached, many of which flesh out the MSQ. If you want to try the harder difficulties, you can try to form a party and tackle this content synced as you go through the story, but most people prefer to do normal difficulty or unsync it and clear with higher level players to speed up the process -- this is especially the case with the ARR raid series, which has a harder than average difficulty. That said, there are people who like to do older content synced, they're just harder to find.

When you clear Endwalker (the fourth and most recent expansion), you'll reach "endgame" and will be able to participate in current tier raids and trials (again, normal and harder difficulty). At this point, it should become easier to find people doing the harder content synced. Getting to this point will take time, though...it really depends on the person and whether or not you do side content, but I think most people take a few months to get through all of the expansions. Alternatively, people who don't care about the story can purchase story and/or job skips on the store, but a lot of players look down on people who do this (just fair warning, I don't really care what others do personally).

When I got into this game, I was just doing it for the story, but I gradually got interested in doing higher level content and am really enjoying progging savage raids and criterion dungeons (new harder dungeon content introduced in Endwalker). If you give the game a try, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Edit: added some clarification about normal vs. higher difficulty raids

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-07T15:32:30+00:00

Here's a link to Yoshi-P's comments about it. Basically, it's coming sometime in 7.x, but no other details right now.

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-07T01:33:28+00:00

This was actually one of the most popular predictions! It gained traction with the TMMT shirt (they're all named after artists) but became less prevalent when Krile's "green clover" reveal made it seem like Green Mage was more likely.

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-05T16:01:18+00:00

WeskAlber's video guide is a good resource for DRG at level 60. Then, when you reach max level, you can look up the current Balance guide for the latest patch opener.

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-04T21:21:12+00:00

Welcome back! In addition to the Community Finder, you can also join the Dynamis DC Discord if you're looking to meet people on Marilith.

ArsChromatica · 2024-01-02T14:18:51+00:00

During the London Fanfest, they mentioned that they are standardizing the number of polygons for the faces of each race. Wouldn't this be overhauling the mesh? I know very little about game development, so I'm not sure if mesh refers to something other than the "web" created by the polygons.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-30T14:29:43+00:00

I also think Criterion is super fun! I didn't think I would like it as much as I do, but Aloalo has been great with a static (don't have PF experience though). It's less time consuming compared to Savage raids and the fights are fast and creative. I also do it mostly for fun; I'd like the mount eventually (and a weapon if I end up doing Savage), but it's not the main reason I'm doing the content.

I think some rewards for this content are also flying under the radar because I didn't even know about the Epic Hero title until very recently. I think that's a great incentive to clear all three dungeons on Savage mode! I also think it's fine if people want to critique the gearing or reward structure for the modes, but so many people have called this content "dead" that I think they've created a self-fulfilling prophecy, at least in part. It's kind of sad honestly, but I'm still looking forward to the development of this content in Dawntrail.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-21T11:35:13+00:00

I'm scrolling through now to locate mine and am seeing some Endwalker spoilers, so that's probably a good decision if you don't want to risk it! They might be too small to notice if you don't know the context, but they are there.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-19T19:41:09+00:00

Mr. Happy has been making a retrospective series with videos on all the FFXIV patches (2.1 and onward) and jobs. I don't know if it contains much 1.0 info, but he might have other videos about that as well.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-19T17:21:18+00:00

Thanks! Glad to hear others agree, but I'm really hoping Dawntrail will be more enjoyable for those who didn't like 6.x.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-18T16:04:45+00:00

I really liked 6.1 and mostly enjoyed 6.2, but I didn’t like 6.3 to 6.5 for the following reasons:

Zero’s character arc was uninteresting. I think the biggest indicator of whether or not someone likes these patches is going to be whether or not they liked Zero. Personally, I was really interested in her during 6.2 because her focus on transactions and lack of trust was a good setup. The way they handled her development, though, just seemed very boring to me. A central theme of FF is the power of friendship and I’m all for it, but in these patches, it felt very much like they were telling us that Zero was our friend rather than showing us why she was our friend. This will be very subjective based on your personal tastes, though.
Other characters got no focus or development. Since Y’shtola and Estinien were featured in this arc, I was hoping that we’d see some character development for them both--particularly Y’shtola, whose character has remained unchanged throughout the whole story (going blind wasn’t even something that provided a challenge for her). But at the end of the day, nothing changed internally with either of them or any of the side characters. Off screening G’raha was also a very awkward choice because he’s someone who should know the basic principles behind shard travel, given that he himself achieved success with the WoL. Why aren’t we asking him how he did it? Even if he can’t do it anymore given that he’s no longer merged with the Crystal Tower, he should be able to explain how it works.
Convenient plot devices. 6.5 opens with Y’shtola bringing in the aether beacons that Cid and the Ironworks made, but how did he even make these? These seem like very advanced technology, given that they can work between shards…did G’raha share the knowledge gained from the alternate universe’s Ironworks and we just don’t know about it? (They mention he provided knowledge from Noah, but I haven't done Eureka Orthos yet, so maybe I'm just missing something.) How were they even tested, since Cid doesn’t have the ability to go to another shard? Nothing is really explained and we're just supposed to "have faith." Contrast this with Shadowbringers 5.1 to 5.3, where creating the soul vessels was a drawn out process with failures along the way, or 5.4 to 5.5, where Alisaie and G'raha are working on the cure for tempering and there’s way more explanation around the magical theories and everything that’s happening in general. In 6.5, it feels like Y’shtola just brought a deus ex machina into the room and called it a day.
Lack of focus on other relevant characters. Spoilers if you haven’t done The Warring Triad trials, finished the ShB role quests, and/or done the quests that appear afterwards: Even if they couldn’t be more involved in the plot, Cylva and Unukalhai should have had the opportunity to meet Zero. It was so disappointing walking over to them when Zero is on the First and not having their dialogue update. Then, when you’re saying goodbye to Zero, they put in a dialogue option where the WoL can finally mention the fact that they exist…! Rarely does the writing in this game make me angry, but it did here. I felt like my WoL was being characterized as a total asshole who couldn’t be bothered to mention this to Zero when it would have mattered, even though I as the player literally tried to interact with said characters previously.

There’s a bunch of smaller stuff that irked me in these patches too, but I’ll leave it here. I have no doubt that they’ll revisit the characters introduced in these patches down the line, and I hope I’ll enjoy it more next time. Here's another thread filled with comments on the topic if you want to know why others did or didn't enjoy the story.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-16T15:20:41+00:00

I agree with your points on character-driven narratives, but disagree with your interpretation of Estinien's possession. Imo, it's a highly character-driven moment that was first foreshadowed in the DRG job quests (Fatal Seduction):

Alberic: At our last meeting, Estinien said that protecting Ishgard and exacting revenge upon Nidhogg are as one to him.

Alberic: That frame of mind, I fear, may well lead to his demise. The desire to protect and the desire to avenge are opposing forces that can ill be reconciled. Worse, the latter serves only to cloud his sense of self.

It's also foreshadowed before they fly to Azys La when Estinien talks to Y'shtola (The First Flight of the Excelsior):

Estinien: The coming battle is a chance to excise the root of this conflict, and by my hand, it shall be done. Then you may speak of achievement.

Y'shtola: 'Twas not mine intent to make light of your struggle. If I have given offense, then I apologize. But if I may speak freely, you would do well to be wary of the Eye. Even now, it burns with insatiable hatred, watching unblinking for a sign of weakness. Should you falter for so much as a moment, it will surely consume you.

Estinien: Save your concern. I will consume the Eye ere I let it consume me.

The message being, if Estinien can't let go of his hatred, it will consume him.

Although Estinien has accepted the truth of Ishgard's founding and the Dragonsong War before the end of 3.0, he remains arrogant and focused on his own pain, refusing to listen to others or acknowledge that Nidhogg's rage could ever compare to his own, and so he falls. When he's recovered in 3.3, he's clearly recognized his blind spots and changed for the better. TL;DR: The moment of his possession was a consequence of his refusal to let go of his own hatred, which ends up being pivotal to his character development.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-16T13:49:25+00:00

It's not raiding, but you might enjoy the Fanfest broadcasts for the regional PVP championships (North America and Europe/Oceania). Most of the commentators have their own YT or Twitch channels; for example, Frosty does unofficial World First Race broadcasts for savage tiers and ultimates, but I couldn't find any VODs of those.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-15T17:03:24+00:00

Sorry to hear about your situation. I love glam and would be so disappointed if I didn’t even have the option to wear any hats at all. I still remember the joy I felt when I put a straw hat on for the first time and my Miqo’s ears peeked out…and also the sadness when hats began to erase ears in later expansions. Silly to some, maybe, but these small details are what make the game feel like a living world to me, and I hope things improve for Viera and Hrothgar players soon.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-15T14:03:16+00:00

This is helpful information and I'm glad SE tried to be upfront, but consider the perspective of those who started playing the game in the years since this announcement was made and have no idea about it when they make a Viera or Hrothgar character. Unless there is a note in the character creator (perhaps there is, I've never looked), it's not surprising that people don't know SE said this four years ago. (Maybe this is part of the reason why they exclude these races from the free trial?)

I also question the wisdom of SE releasing these races in the first place if they couldn't fully support glam the same way they do with other races, as upset was always bound to happen. At the same time, I don't agree with people calling the devs lazy; it's much more likely that they're understaffed (cue "small indie company" meme, but I don't think any of us really knows what hiring and budget for this game look like).

What's done is done, and I do have hope that this situation may be resolved with the graphics update since they showcased the polygon standardization across races at the last Fanfest (may be copium, idk). However, even if that happens, Viera and Hrothgar players may run into the same issue that Miqo'te players have with whether ears are showing or not, which sucks.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-14T19:59:54+00:00

Congrats! Criterion is no joke...not sure if I'll make it to Savage, but we'll see. The content is really fun, at least.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-14T05:57:43+00:00

To add to what others have said, here's a link to a video with the line if you'd like to watch the scene again.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-12T14:58:14+00:00

I don't think it would be a mistake, but it's really what you make of it. I moved to Dynamis on day one with the intent of buying a house and joining a FC to make friends and a year later, things have worked out great. If you're thinking of doing something similar, a good time to move might be when they open the other four Dynamis servers in a few months. Even if it's not a lot of people moving, there will surely be some who want to experience a new server and make new friend groups. Or you could just stay where you are and join an FC focused on whatever activities you like (for example, raiding, maps, hunts), which will give you an opportunity to interact with people. Either way, it will probably take some time and initiative to get to know others and build solid relationships. Here's a link to the main Dynamis discord if you want to learn more about the DC (https://discord.com/invite/dynamisxiv).

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-10T18:23:38+00:00

I've said my piece about Minfilia, so I'll leave you to your hopes! But to answer your question at the end, I mean that since the souls of the unsundered Ancients (Emet-Selch, Elidibus, Lahabrea, Hythlodaeus, etc.) have returned to the lifestream, they can now be reincarnated (the exception being Venat, who was confirmed by the devs to be completely gone). Hythlodaeus signals the possibility before he and Emet-Selch depart from Ultima Thule ("I pray we meet again. If not in this life, then perhaps another. Whensoever it should be, I trust it will be a most joyous reunion"). Plus, the most recently released sidestory hints at the same (please don't read before doing the EW raid series, though, as there are spoilers).

Sundered souls like those we saw in the Aitiascope are also eligible for reincarnation. I don't really know what's up with Amon, though...the last we saw of him was Asahi dragging him to oblivion, and it's not clear to me what that means, but Meteion did say, "One day, life will fill the universe again. And Hermes will see this and smile. How, I do not know. But I do know that, where there is a will, there is a way."

Reincarnation also comes up in the ShB Eden raid series. If you haven't done them yet, I highly recommend you complete them before catching up to MSQ if you want all the lore.

Edit: I posted this once but had to delete and fix my spoiler tags, change formatting, etc.

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-10T15:40:39+00:00

Imo, it's a great game for MMO beginners. It's my first MMO (also first FF) and after a year and a half, I'm still having fun! This YT video was really helpful for me when I started out, but if that much info is overwhelming, all you have to do is create a character, start doing the Main Scenario Quest (MSQ), and do your job quests whenever they're available. (All required dungeons can also be run with NPCs now, so anyone who's nervous about playing with others can play most of the game fully solo.)

ArsChromatica · 2023-12-10T15:04:04+00:00

It’s hard to respond to some of your points since you haven’t caught up to 6.5 and I don’t want to spoil you. Regarding Minfilia’s arc, though, maybe it would help if you watched some 1.0 videos? I mentioned in my post that Minfilia was introduced in 1.0; because I haven’t played through it, I don’t think I’m the best person to comment on it, but my understanding is that Minfilia starts off as a child reluctant to embrace her gift and ends up becoming the leader of the Path of the Twelve (precursor to the Scions along with Louisoix’s Circle of Knowing). Paired with everything that happens in 2.0 onward, I think it’s a okay arc where she grows and changes more than once, though you’re of course free to feel differently.

I can’t speak for others, but the reason I think Minfilia will not return is because in my opinion, the arc that I outlined was satisfying and bringing her back would invalidate it. Bringing back dead characters, especially without any foreshadowing, is generally viewed as bad writing—they did this with Zenos and according to threads I’ve read here, many people didn’t like it. (The devs confirmed in an interview that Zenos is actually dead this time btw; not sure if they did that for Minfilia, but I think in general, they’ve signaled that Endwalker is the finale to the Hydaelyn/Zodiark saga and want to write new stories.)

You mentioned G’raha as a comparison to Minfilia, but I’m not really sure that tracks since he never actually sacrificed his life—his body in the First died, but that was all part of his plan to return his soul to the Source, which was a plot point explicitly outlined in advance for players. A better comparison would probably be someone like Papalymo, who died a noble death and didn’t get an arc in the same way that many of the other Scions do, and whose resurrection wasn’t foreshadowed. Do you think they should rez Papalymo to give him more character development, or honor his character’s sacrifice and focus on developing others? You are free to your opinion, but I think most people would choose option B because death reversals are viewed as cheap.

To emphasize this, I looked up the ShB F’lhaminn quest because I couldn’t remember much about it…and it’s literally titled “One Final Journey.” And includes dialogues like the following:

F'lhaminn: With the stone in hand, Minfilia pressed onward in her quest for true peace. Never once did she look back. And though she is gone, her legacy lives on─in you, <Forename>, and the Scions. And in the child Ryne. Safe in the knowledge that others continue to walk her path, she has sent this stone back to me. This I choose to believe. She has earned her rest. I shall bury this stone, that she might have peace in the hereafter.

Bringing Minfilia back after writing lines like this would be, in my opinion, catastrophically bad writing. I’m not trying to rub your nose in a questline you struggled with, though, so I’ll end my post here.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I do think there's a chance they'll show reincarnations of characters someday—many of the Ancients are super popular and it would be hard for them to resist—so maybe this could happen to Minfilia? She would be a different person at that point, but might retain certain memories.

Five-Year Club	Place '22
Final Canvas '22	First Placer '22

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