Impatient altermaniacs, gather ‘round! As
for those who would like the future to remain unspoiled, skip this post as it
OOZES SPOILERS EVERYWHERE.
In this post we’re going to pan over the all
the wonderful additions to look forward to in the upcoming FFXIV patch, Through
the Maelstrom, that is scheduled to grace us on March 27th. It’s
been a busy year for the development team, from the Japanese release of the PS4 version to the beta testing for the upcoming April14th release, the next phase of which to commence on April 4th, and the Steam release to the upcoming F.A.T.E. convention in Sapporo, Japan (If you’re looking for a
winter vacation this year, that would be the place to go.) and yet the good
folks spared no effort in teasing us with previews of what’s to come. So, in
the same spirit, this is aimed for all those who haven’t yet set foot in Eorzea
as well as those who dared abandon it (I’m looking at you, Tanky) so there was
never a better time than now to get into the game. Below is a brief summary of
said attractions.
-
Lord of the Whorl: Leviathan Primal Battle
Behold his majestic grandeur! The all-too-familiar esper is to be added
to the list of primals to fell, along with a Hard and Extreme mode. Summoned by
the Sahagin tribes of the Indigo Deep, there’s no telling how the battle will
take place and we’re left with a whole lot of speculation. What is known is
that the battle will require a party of 8 and we will be rewarded with pretty
decent weapons, sneak-peeks of which and more details can be found ove~r yonde~r.
-
Hildibrand’s Side Story
Our beloved detective of unbound charm and charisma and his endearing sidekick,
Nashu, seem to have gone off on a plot tangent of their own after an evidently
successful addition to the storyline last patch. Case of the Thieving Duelist
will be the next episode of the duo’s epic misadventures and I am clueless as
to how ex-zombie-Hildibrand will outdo himself after his last grand endeavor of
helping a random old citizen remedy his tragic baldness…
-
New Dungeon: The Lost City of Amdapor
An entirely new dungeon is set to be added! The Lost City of Amdapor
will require a light party of four at lvl50 (avg. item min.lvl55) and having
completed “The Ultimate Weapon” as a prerequisite. Whether or not it relates to
the beautiful Amdapor Keep dungeon and how is, again, open to speculation.
-
New Hard Mode Dungeons: Halatali & Brayflox’s
Longstop
Pretty self-explanatory; Halatali and Longstop have been added to the
list of pimped-up dungeons that are now available in hard mode. They have the
same requirements and prerequisites as the Lost City of Amdapor, in addition to
having completed the original difficulties, of course.
-
New Beast Tribes & Quests
Praise the Twelve, we will longer be restricted to the rough desert
terrains of the Amalj’aa or the frustrating deliveries of the ever-stoned
hippies of the Sylphlands in our quests to amass tomestones and reputation. We
will, in fact, be running trivial errands for not one, but two additional beast
tribes. Yay! Both settlements located in La Noscea, the new beast tribes will
be the Kobolds of the 789th Order Dig and the Sahagins of Novv’s Nursery.
As for the level requirements, the former’s will be 41 while the latter’s will
be 44 and both can be unlocked in Limsa Lominsa. They’ll also have their own
sets of rewards and designated vendors. Sneaky-peekies here.
-
Glamour Prisms
I’m sure I speak for the majority when I say this is a much needed additional
feature to the gear system! Glamour Prisms are the new items that will enable
the long-awaited vanity feature, in which you will be able to don your favorite
pieces of gear while preserving the stats of another. Producer/Director Yoshida
was nice (and perverted) enough to demonstrate how this will work in a series
of screenshots.
According to the guide, the Base Item will be the currently-equipped gear
whose attributes you want to keep while the Mirage Prism Item will be the gear
that you appear to wear. After you’ve projected your mirage gear you will not
need to keep it in your armory and can stash it away. However, it’s required to
be at the same or a lower level than your base gear. I imagine, if implemented
strategically, this will be greatly beneficial for PVPers who like to play
dirty at the Wolf’s Den and put on a misleading disguise.
-
So Much More!
“master recipe books for
crafters, gardening for free company estates, new hair styles, retainer
ventures, big fishing, a challenge log, new mounts, and more. Disciples of War
and Magic may also want to dust off their relic weapons if they aren't still
using them, as an opportunity to unlock their true powers will present itself.”
So exciting! More details on the patch and future development plans can be
viewed in the script to the latest Letter from the Producer. Players should go
ahead and finish up their current quests, get their relics and their affairs in
order and prepare for a host of new content come the 27th. I for one
have tragically fallen behind and only recently managed to get my first Allagan
swag…so here’s to a weekend of hardcore dungeon raiding!
Cheers
and happy gaming,
your fellow maniac
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