All About Patch 2.3 And Beyond For Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Players of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn are looking forward to patch 2.4 now that the Rogue and Ninja class/job have been announced for it. However, there’s still patch 2.3, which producer and director Naoki Yoshida shared a lot more on during a second E3 edition of Letter from the Producer.

 

The Square Enix Presents: E3 2014 Live stream started off with talks about the anticipated massive PvP (player versus player) feature, called Frontlines.

 

Frontlines:

 

• The new PvP mode, Frontlines, is aimed more at casual PvP players. Frontlines can go up to 72 players consisting of three teams of 24. These fights can take up to 30 minutes.

 

• As a result of the large number of players, more casual players won’t have too much to worry about minor screw-ups. Square Enix want players of all different levels to enjoy this mode.

 

 

• Once you drop off the ledge from the outpost (seen above,) you’ll have to keep fighting at the Frontline, and will return to the outpost once your character falls.

 

• Think of this as a larger version of Crystal Tower, in terms of having three groups communicating and strategizing amongst their respective parties.

 

• Unlike the regular PvP at The Wolves’ Den, Frontlines will be set at level 50 only.

 

• There’s an item level sync that will be at something like ilvl 80 or 90, so if you have something higher, it won’t matter. However, PvP gear is where you’ll have the advantage.

 

• There will be monsters in Frontlines that can be taken out, but you might want to watch your back so you don’t get taken out by other players. Killing these monsters might reward you in one way or another.

 

• There aren’t any Job role restrictions in Frontline, and you can even switch Jobs at the outpost.

 

• There are areas with flags, that are kind of like a “King of the Hill” type feature that gives you points for staying in it, which is the main way of winning.

 

• Rather than waiting for a full 72 players for teams of 24, the Finder can put it at 16 or 8 players per team, depending on how many people are looking to play.

 

Chocobos:

 

 

• Chocobo breeding can be done at a Free Company’s housing. Players who aren’t part of one (a Free Company) won’t be able to use the feature, but will be able to use parts of its features at Chocobo stalls later on.

 

• Players will be able drop off and pick up Chocobos at the Free Company stall.

 

• The Chocobo’s parameters will also have a use for a certain something at the “Golden something,” according to Yoshi-P.

 

• A Chocobo skill reset feature will be introduced in 2.3, players will get their points back upon doing so.

 

• Changing the Chocobo’s color will be possible in patch 2.35, but there will be some restrictions. You won’t be able to change it to any color you want like a painting on canvas, but there will be a decent amount to choose from.

 

Housing and Personal Rooms:

 

 

• House sizes don’t matter for personal rooms, as sizes S to L will all allow for the same amount of rooms.

 

• The requirements are simply just to be in a Free Company and having a certain rank in the Grand Company. It’ll go for about 300k to get a personal room.

 

• Players will enter personal rooms through a door that will show up on the first floor of the FC house, come patch 2.3.

 

• All furniture that can be placed in the Free Company house can also be placed in the rooms, including the Garuda couch.

 

• A personal room is about the size of about “one wall” (in length) of an S-size house.

 

• Players can’t hear what you say from your own room, similar to the inn, so if you want, you can shout out “YOSHIDAAA!” to your heart’s content.

 

New Crystal Tower:

 

• The new Crystal Tower, called Crystal Tower: Syrcus Tower, is being made for a more casual crowd of players, rather than Coil that is aimed for the hardcore players.

 

• Most of the functions will remain the same as the first Crystal Tower and will have a similar flow.

 

• The items dropped in Syrcus Tower will be around ilvl 100, for now.

 

• Similar to the first round of Crystal Tower, the drops will focus on armor.

 

• There won’t really be any features that will split parties into their own groups as much. Instead, it’ll be more like everyone trying to climb up the tower, together.

 

• There will be a new story for unlocking the Syrcus Tower.

 

Quests and Story:

 

 

• Gilgamesh won’t appear 2.3, but he will appear later on with more arms.

 

• On the subject of Gilgamesh, there will be other similarly fun fights. As far as who it is, Yoshi-P says that it’s one he previously teased.

 

• When asked whether past quests that didn’t have any voice acting can have some added later on through patches or updates, Yoshi-P says that it’s something they didn’t want to do, but when considering new players, they might be able to do it later, after patch 2.4.

 

• Patch 2.3 will also introduce a new line of sub-story quests. It involves having you deliver letters to a bunch of characters you’ve met until now.

 

• Yugiri’s face won’t be shown in 2.3.

 

• It was actually unexpected to have a new class and job prior to the expansion, but Yoshida says to look forward to the new main quest for more.

 

• 2.3 will have more guest(s) to appear, and in a way where they fit the world of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Rerborn. This will likely be for some sort of fight similar to Gilgamesh.

 

Miscellaneous:

 

 

• After some more work is done, they will consider releasing an art book, which will be quite voluminous with all the concept art that we’ve seen for the game.

 

• Same sex marriage will be possible in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Yoshi-P says that the wedding represents a love between one character to another. So, if a player changes their gender through Fantasia, that love is something that should also still be there. according to Yoshida, it’s more of a symbolic thing than anything.

 

• As far as end-game content for light parties (parties of four players,) it’s something that is in consideration, but there’s nothing solid as of now.

 

The above is a look at some artwork for some new PvP gear.

 

Yoshida also showed some more artwork for the new Ninja Job. You can also see a female Ninja character.

 

 

And a special something for the Leviathan weapon. Yoshi-P was very hesitant about showing the “top secret” chair, but he decided to do so while covering the name. Could it be a furniture based off a certain new Primal that we’ve yet to see?

 

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s Patch 2.3 is expected to launch on July 8, 2014.

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