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Chapter III: I'm in Love with my Carbuncle It's time to get this show on the road. I've got a lot of cute, innocent critters to murder. But first, here's a quick overview of my abilities so far.  Level 1 arcanists start with this spell. 80 potency means that it's slightly stronger than a loud fart. To put it in comparison, the level 1 gladiator weaponskill is 150 potency. That's not entirely fair, because casting classes have a much larger damage to potency ratio than fending classes (like gladiators), but it's still the weakest single target attack in the entire game in terms of total potency. It's meant to be a "filler" spell that you only cast when you have nothing better to do.  Fortunately, if you do only a few sidequests in your starting city, you can easily reach level 2 without even thinking about combat. This gets you a much more powerful spell. Bio is a damage over time, or DOT spell. The potency value is how much damage it does on each "tic", and DOTs tic every 3 seconds, so Bio will deal 240 potency over its entire duration. After 6 seconds it will have done the same damage as a single cast of Ruin, so it's almost always worth the global cooldown (GCD) at this point. As a sidenote, both of these abilities deal "unaspected" damage. This essentially means non-elemental, but this distinction is functionally meaningless in this game. Enemies don't have elemental resistances or weakness at all. A thaumaturge could cast a fire spell on a fire sprite and do just as much damage as if he had cast it on an ice sprite. Resistances and weaknesses are fun and cool in single player games, but they have a tendency to be terrible in the MMO genre. Just ask all the fire mages that raided in World of Warcraft back when it first came out. Anyway, time to get killing.  Freddie does a sweet anime pose while he's casting Ruin. The rats and ladybugs, being only level 1, go down without issue. The aureliae are slightly tougher.  These big stupid jellyfish can cast a line area of attack which can apply paralysis if it connects. Paralysis is a particularly nasty status effect for casters, because it can interrupt any and all of your spells. Fortunately, this one can be avoided with ease.  This big ugly fellow is a goobbue. At level 12, he'd make quick work of me, but fortunately he's non-aggressive and will only attack in self-defense.  Of course, as I took the screenshot, I accidentally right clicked on him and slapped him with my book. Notice the huge chunk of HP it took off. One of the nice things about playing a caster class is that, since you don't need TP for anything, you can make liberal use of the sprint ability.  After narrowly avoiding death, I run into a giant bat named Barbastelle. This is the B-rank hunt mark for Lower La Noscea. B-rank marks are non-aggressive, which is quite fortunate, because this thing is level 50. It could kill Freddie just by looking at him.  Killing all those aureliae gets me to level 4, which is a very important level for arcanists.  First off, I get Physick, which is a basic healing spell. Arcanists aren't technically a healing class, but this can be useful in a pinch. But the real prize is this:  My first summoning spell. Arcanists are a "pet" class, which means that a large portion of their damage comes not from themselves, but summoned, mostly autonomous pet.  Say hello to Emerald Carbuncle. He's going to be my best friend for a while.  Carbuncle starts with two abilities of his own. Gust is his primary means of damage. It's slightly more powerful than Ruin, but has a longer recast timer. Combined with Bio, the arcanist-carbuncle team does a respectable amount of damage.  There's also Backdraft, which throws the target back quite a ways. While this can be useful if you're alone and in danger, it's also a good way to annoy people that you're grouped with. Fortunately, you can prevent your carbuncle from using it automatically by setting it to Obey. If left on Sic, the default state, your carbuncle will use it whenever he thinks it's appropriate, which is literally all the time. Pets are kind of dumb if left to their own devices.  I've killed all the critters I need for my arcanist quest, but there's also a sidequest up north in Middle La Noscea.  Up here is a flock of adorable, fuzzy, and unfortunately delicious lambs. A true adventurer should have no qualms with such a morbid task. With that out of the way, it's time to return to Limsa and collect my rewards. First stop is the Arcanists' Guild.  Thubyrgeim: I suggest you continue your forays into the wilderness and keep the pages of your grimoire turning--there is no finer teacher than the harsh mistress of experience. Thubyrgeim gives me a hunting log and a handful of raisins (uh, thanks) and tells me to come back at level 5. Fortunately, because I've done all the side quests available to me, I am exactly level 5 now!  I've been here the entire time. Do carbuncles cause memory loss or something? That would be crazy. Anyway, she tasks me with killing dodos and mandragoras in Lower La Noscea. Before I leave, I make sure to buy a pair of linen tights. The sidequests in your starting city will reward you with all the level 5 gear you need, except for pants, for some reason.  Lookin' good!  These are dodos.  These are mandragoras. Now they're dead.  This is enough to bring me to level 6, which grants me a new ability in Aetherflow. Right now, this is completely useless to me. I barely use 5% of my MP killing an equal-level mob. Eventually it will become a core part of my arsenal, though.  For the second half of the quest, she tasks me with inspecting some practice crates. Exciting!  Here they are. What could possibly be inside them?  Giant slugs! Practice giant slugs, I assume.  After dispatching the foes, a catgirl falls out of the sky, apparently.  I do not like this character.  I really don't.  Ugh.  Stop talking.  She is just the worst.  K'lyhia: Acting Guildmaster Thubyrgiem elected me to oversee your training, and provide necessary guidance and instruction in the field of arcanima. From what I have observed thus far, you have an admirable grasp of the fundamentals. I do, however, wish to confirm one small detail. Regarding your choice of arcane geometries, what factor most influences your actions during battle?  Freddie wants to have himself a real good time.  Lady, I'm not a statistician, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way. K'lyhia: Yes, the certainty is quite high. After all, I only know of one other practitioner who responded to my question in the same manner.  K'lyhia: While our inscrutable leader is, as I'm sure you've heard, on an indefinite leave of absence, he did leave us with his most notorious saying to date:  K'lyhia: No matter how gifted you and I might be, however, the instantaneous manipulation of reality that might cause us to suddenly become mighty arcanists is beyond our present abilities. Discipline and experience is the finest strategy in this case. I suggest you continue to focus on refining your aptitude with Carbuncle. Mastery with an arcane entitity will greatly improve your success as a wielder of arcanima! Here ends your lesson for today. Pray return directly to the guild--I believe Mistress Thubyrgeim is awaiting some inspected cargo.  I hope I never see her again. Spoilers: I will.  Thubyrgeim: Yes, everything seems to be in order--relatively clear of blood and other gore. That can be something of a problem in our profession, you understand. I also had word from K'lyhia regarding your performance. She seemed eager to continue your training. An odd lass, I'll admit, but the guild can boast no finder mind for tactics. You would do well to heed the instruction she offers, particularly that which touches on the dillgent approach to our art. Did you perhaps notice the battered tome K'lyhia carries? That initiate's grimoire has served her from the day she entered the guild. She has her reasons, but it's admittedly strange to see it kept all the way to her present position as foreseer. I fear such an intense focus on arcanima has led her to overlook other important aspects of life... As our master strategist guides your arcanist training, I hope that you might return the favor and help to boraden her own persective, somewhat. But enouygh of such matters for the moment. You have done well this day, Freddie. Continue your practice with Carbuncle, as K'lyhia has bid. I will be here when the time comes for your next lesson.  For his troubles, Freddie gets a nice new grimoire. It gives a significant boost to magic damage over his starting book. Magic damage (a misnomer, since it affects healing magic as well) is the most important stat in the game by a wide margin. Always be looking to upgrade your weapon.  He also gets a sweet new robe from the quest. Fister Roboto fucked around with this message at 21:34 on Sep 5, 2016 |
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Sep 5, 2016 20:51
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A couple fun notes: All DoTs and Heal Over Times (HoTs) will do their damage/healing (tick) at the same time for everyone. This is also, I believe the same time that HP and MP bars will refill, and is often called a Server Tick. What this also ends up meaning is that when your DoTs as an Arcanist deal their damage, it appears as one unified number, rather than three to four at once, which can be a little confusing at first. Also, I like K'lyhia.  Then again, I like most of the characters for the classes, other than Leatherworking, and someone much, much further down the line.
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Sep 5, 2016 21:58
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Technically it's based on the mob's internal timer, which itself is based on when the mob spawned, but since most mobs spawn on server tics it's functionally the same. There are edge cases though. And the leatherworking guild master is the best because she's the only one who doesn't suck your dick for making a bronze ingot or whatever.
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Sep 5, 2016 22:19
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I like K'lyhia too and it is hurting me a little bit seeing you be so hard on her. Really the only job or class quest NPCs I've met I don't like are... well, I'll not say since someone else will probably get to them, but they exist and so far none of them are related to any of the caster classes.
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Sep 5, 2016 22:27
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SkyTalon2314 posted:Also, I like K'lyhia. It's interesting that K'lyhia is talking in regular old percentages in English. In German, she calculates all her dumb little chances in "Prophezent" (as opposed to "Prozent", which is percent in German), which gives it that neat little arcane touch of being a cross between maths and, well, magic. It makes her ever so slightly more bearable, or at least interesting.
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Sep 5, 2016 22:42
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Jandelaine followed by the Arcanist battle poses is a good way to JoJo up the thread. Also, count me among the count for people that like K'lyhia, though that may be because of later on.HenryEx posted:It's interesting that K'lyhia is talking in regular old percentages in English. In German, she calculates all her dumb little chances in "Prophezent" (as opposed to "Prozent", which is percent in German), which gives it that neat little arcane touch of being a cross between maths and, well, magic. It makes her ever so slightly more bearable, or at least interesting. I wonder how it was in the Japanese version.
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Sep 6, 2016 00:15
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Don't worry Roboto, you're not alone in finding K'lyhia annoying. I'm surprised to find so many sympathizers to such an obnoxious old personality gimmick.
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Sep 6, 2016 00:33
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Her personality is annoying in the beginning but towards the end of the Arcanist questline, when it starts getting really dark, I got over it really fast.
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Sep 6, 2016 02:34
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I just really hate the "all according to plan" anime trope and she embodies it so terribly. I kind of like the autistic savant aspect, but then she opens her mouth and says poo poo like "hrm yes I calculate a 32.78% chance of success" and I roll my eyes. Like what does that even mean. Fister Roboto fucked around with this message at 02:39 on Sep 6, 2016 |
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Sep 6, 2016 02:37
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For what it's worth, in German her introduction is slightly different. Instead of going "this was all a master plan to test you btw your tactics leave much to be desired!!!!! look at my pseudobabble calculations" she instead goes: *reads in book* "Wait a moment, i'm just getting to a good part!" <- an actual kinda joke to break the ice?!?!? "Guess i messed up my calculations, 'cause you can calculate everything but you're outside all my expectations... but i thought i'd calculated it all" <- Actually takes the blame herself instead of belittling the WoL??? "Gotta cross-reference the mathemagical variables of table 777.07c with the hypno-hypotenuse, cube it with the abracadalgebraic product..." <-- doesn't just throw out a groan-worthy power level!?!? "And my calculations are back on track!" <- Instead of insinuating you've got work to do. And then she turns around and somehow gets more asinine and calculates your chance to become a famous arcanist at exactly 89.98 prophecent.
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Sep 6, 2016 02:54
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You know, Final Fantasy 8 Carbuncle actually did cause memory loss. You might be onto something.
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Sep 6, 2016 03:26
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I think K'lyhia is one of those characters that you are either going to love or hate, and since the translations seem to vary judging by what we see here, some of that could be influenced by language too. Personally, even knowing what happens later (spoilers: I've played this game a lot), she is a nuisance right now and there's not a whole lot that ends up making me forget that later on. Even re-reading her remarks gives me a headache. There are a few others that either make me groan or want to smack a nuisance to the floor among the other classes, but I'll only go into that if it comes up (since there's always a chance for this to just end up being some XIV LP megathread if others join in with other classes). Foulques needs to get the stick out of his arse and try using that as a weapon though, frankly. It might be more effective. Fister Roboto posted:
I believe the main reason for that is the gear check quest that everyone runs into along the main storyline. The starting quests give you gear except for pants, which is basically ensuring that the player has successfully managed to use one of the vendors to buy some (since there is no alternative, save for having someone else make them for you, typically). No idea why they would put you through that though, since honestly, this is the only time you ever need to do that if you're chugging out all the quests as you go along (which isn't hard to do, honestly). Fister Roboto posted:I fear such an intense focus on arcanima has led her to overlook other important aspects of life... As our master strategist guides your arcanist training, I hope that you might return the favor and help to boraden her own persective, somewhat. Missed a few typos. I almost missed them too. Sorry about that.
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Sep 6, 2016 06:55
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HenryEx posted:I hope you don't mean the leatherworking guild master, because drat, is it ever a breath of fresh air to not get fellated on your incredible skill in every class quest from 1 all the way to 50. The other extreme, isn't exactly better, though I understand the sentiment. I think it was the level... 10 quest that made me want to punch her out. She's very much like how Gordon Ramsey is edited for US TV, just without the screaming. As I recall, she's basically nothing but constant insults until around the 30-35 mark, and it's mostly not because of your skill that she stops.
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Sep 6, 2016 13:29
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I thought she was very The Devil Wears Prada.
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Sep 6, 2016 15:29
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e: I need to stop posting after I should be sleeping. Basically, there may not be an update this week because the internet is poo poo right now but I may at least have a seasonal event for something to show off.
CrashScreen fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Sep 7, 2016 |
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Sep 7, 2016 01:06
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Chapter XXII: Rising Up to a Different Challenge Unfortunately, there's some risk when LP'ing an MMO. Some connection issues on my end means that tanking a dungeon is a little bit of a bad idea right now, but there's still something that can be done that only has a handful of days left.   Click to play: Final Fantasy Theme You see, the Moonfire Faire is now over, but a new festival has taken its place and will be ending next week. The Rising celebrates the anniversary for A Realm Reborn, and also celebrates the memory of those who perished during the Calamity in canon. Unlike the previous two Rising events which I plan to show off much later into the game, this one feels appropriate at around this point in the story. A theater troupe known as the Crystal Caravan are in Ul'dah to put on a puppet show. Let's hope it's as sick as Thunderbolt Fantasy turned out to be.  To begin the seasonal event, Aggro will need to speak to the Crystal Caravan Leader. Unfortunately, don't expect any Crystal Chronicle references beyond that. The play itself is about The Calamity, as you'd expect given the nature of the event.  I reckon you've already taken part in your fair share of daring deeds, exciting escapades, and astounding adventures! A worldly lass such as yourself might even make an audience swoon, if only you were to try your hand at theater! Who am I, you ask? Why, I'm the leader of the Crystal Caravan, the realm's premier puppet troupe. As it happens, I was just looking for an adventurer like you. You see, my leading man is having trouble finding the proper inspiration for his role. I was wondering if perhaps we might draw upon your worldly experience to give him a push in the proper direction.Aggro nods to agree that she'll help, and the leader calls out her troupe.  The group then introduces themselves, one by one. It's worth also pointing out that the elezens are labelled ventriloquists, and the roegadyn as a carpenter.  'Tis an honor to meet you, m'lady, and I hope our time together is fruitful. On the anniversary of our realm's rebirth, our troupe shall depict the tragic events of the Calamity. I shall play the role of the legendary adventurer - the Warrior of Light! You are doubtless thinking, "But I thought you were a puppet troupe!" Indeed we are, but we strive to set ourselves apart from the rest. I urge you to try and find another troupe as lively as ours! Of course, the puppets still play a vital role. My partner and I provide the voices, endowing even the most crudely carved piece of wood with a personality of its own. I only hope you are able to provide our actor here with the inspiration to keep up with us. Aye, a soulless performance is a shame to behold, but there'd be no show at all without puppets - or a stage! You can go ahead and thank me for those two indispensable elements.The audience may not see my face, but I appreciate their applause all the same. It has been our dream to perform a play which lingers in the minds of its viewers long after the curtain falls!So, now we know the crew, but what about the writer of the play?  I wonder who that might turn out to be? In fact, I'm not sure if I would call it a script at all. It's more of a...general outline of events. The others insist it's a work of genius, but I just can't see it... Madam, you must look past the words on the page! Stirring dramas are born from the reactions of the crowd, the passion of the actors, and yes, even the weather can make a performance more lively.Basically, treat this as an excuse for the play to have multiple endings. We'll be getting to it soon, but there are eleven possible endings for the play in total. First though, let's go back to the task at hand. The leader was wanting someone's real experience to help inspire the lead actor. I understand the proprietress of the Quicksand, Mistress Momodi, has a soft spot for adventurers like yourself. She likely has a wealth of stories to share. Good madam, if you could ask her to regale our star with but a few, the Crystal Caravan would be in your debt.Oh. They don't want to hear about Aggro's own personal experiences.  Aggro agrees to this anyway.   Along the way to the Quicksand are two Rising NPCs. One of them is just there to explain the background for the event, but the Rising Vendor is a little more interesting. Her character model is Minfilia from 1.0, who you might remember from the recap. It's nice of her to offer a helping hand for this event. It's not actually her. She'll be showing up for real soon, though.  Click to play: Adventurers' Guild Theme Over in the Quicksand, the Actor introduces himself the Momodi. I don't think anyone in this quest actually has a name. Momodi explains what she remembers from The Calamity. The thing is, we already know what she remembers. She told us in the very first update that nobody remembers the Warriors of Light after Dalamud hatched Bahamut. A lot of the chatting with the Adventurers' Guild members will be retreading old ground, but there will be a couple of things that hasn't actually been shared in the LP yet.  Momodi suggests Baderon in Limsa Lominsa, so let's head back to him. He'll probably wonder why we're back so soon.  Since Aggro hasn't spoken to Baderon about the Calamity before, he actually has some new information. While the Eorzean Alliance (comprised of the three Grand Companies Aggro was introduced to prior to the dungeons part of the story) were facing off against the Empire, the denizens of Eorzea were expected to pray to the Twelve. Baderon doesn't really elaborate on it further, but the reason everyone was to pray was that a group known as the Circle of Knowing were planning to maybe summon the Twelve into this realm. Summoning is pretty bad though, and they were strongly opposed to it. The threat of Dalamud was just too great.  After sharing all that he could, Baderon suggests speaking to Miounne for more information. This is the last stop before we can return to Ul'dah and get back to the play, so let's go do that. I hope she doesn't ask about Tam-Tara. I always feel guilty when I have work pending for someone and I'm doing something else.  Archon Louisoix was the leader of the Circle of Knowing. He's the old elezen in the opening video, and also plays a key role in the End of an Era video. He passed away around the same time that Bahamut mysteriously disappeared, after summoning the Twelve's power failed.  Oh, he had worked closely with the Warriors of Light, even before Carteneau, and on that fateful day he took charge of the Alliance forces, they did not hesitate to fight under his command. Alas, in the end, both the Archon and those brave heroes gave their lives in our defense. To honor the bond that Louisoix and the Warriors of Light shared, and to commemorate their brave deeds, I pledge to bare my soul on the stage! Just as they risked their lives in the fighting, so too shall I act as if my life depends on it! Then I am certain you will receive a standing ovation!The work is done now. The Actor has finished speaking to the three Adventurers' Guild leaders, and now it's time to go back to Ul'dah. It won't be long until the play will begin!  Click to play: Final Fantasy Theme After a brief Airship journey, I quickly realised that there was something I forgot to do. First, Aggro talks to the Delivery Moogle.  I haven't been checking my mail and let it overflow. After clearing it out a little, Aggro receives this message from the Moogle. Since I've now been subbed for over 1080 days, I receive the next tier of Veteran Rewards. Veteran Rewards are items you obtain for being subscribed for a set period of time. This one is fairly appropriate right now. It's the Tantalus set.  The Tantalus attire is based on Zidane's outfit from Final Fantasy IX. In that game, he's a thief who also works for the Tantalus Theater Troupe. I've only just started reading Mega64's LP of the game, and it's got me adoring it all over again. FFIX is probably my favourite in the series.  Anyway, back to the play. It sounds like the actor is rehearsing away. I can't wait to see it! Soundtrack ends.  Of course, this is a Final Fantasy game and things are never that simple. The troupe sans the actor come running in with some urgent news. Click to play: Fracture Chief, the bloody beam, it fell right on top of him! Gods be good! Him!? What beam!? Our lead was rehearsing the Battle of Carteneau when he knocked one of the puppets into an unstable beam, which then fell over and knocked him off the stage. He'll recover with time, but only the Twelve know when he'll be fit for theatrics! I think we can all guess which direction this is heading. Click to play: Return of the Hero  Yes, you can channel your own experiences and bring the heroics of the Warriors of Light to life! The more I look at you, the surer of it I become! Can we really expect a novice to move the audience? Still, I must admit I would rather not disappoint our fans.The female ventriloquist then cheers. And I suppose greatness does sometimes spring from improvisation. Yes... Perhaps we have a chance after all! Besides, our voices should be able to carry the performance. So, what say you? Will you take the stage? Aggro then nods and the group all begin to cheer together. After the group cheer, the carpenter and ventriloquists depart. Feeling a bit of stage fright, eh? Worry not, my friend, my troupe is more than capable of bringing even the most wooden performance to life. Just act from the heart, and I'm sure you'll impress. Well then, whenever you're ready, just let me know! Until then!For accomplishing all that work so far, Aggro receives an Orchestrion Roll with the prelude theme that's been playing. Orchestrion Rolls allow her to play that music in an area with an Orchestrion - like the Inn. We'll get into that later though, for now, she must become an actor! Click to play: Final Fantasy Theme  The play itself is actually part of a quest that can be repeatedly done - at least until the seasonal ends on Monday, 12th September. There's a reason for that, and I've already basically mentioned that reason before, but we'll get to it shortly. The first task is to go speak to the Carpenter to get on the stage.  Aggro decides to pose on the stage on the way.  The Carpenter then hands Aggro over an outfit. Sadly, she will not be taking to the stage in her Tantalus attire. Now, the rest of us will be following your lead, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. We're professionals, after all. Just act from the heart and we'll make the best of it like we always do. Now go on, and good luck!Screen fades and soundtrack ends. The stage fades in with an audience clapping.  Recommended Viewing Click to play: the Play  Click to play: Imperial Will It was the year 1572 of the Sixth Astral Era. A terrible catastrophe known as the Calamity threatened to bring untold destruction to Eorzea.  The leader steps aside as wind-up machines step on stage.  Dalamud then pops down from above. At the same time, the Garlean Empire overran the Carteneau Flats. The three great city-states formed a grand alliance, that they might repel the aggressors and see their peoples through these dark times. Three Grand Company branded Mammets run on stage.   The audience applaudes Aggro when she takes her place.  The ventriloquists will voice characters throughout the play, as ventriloquists do.  The puppets start fighting among themselves. Aggro stands there shadow boxing on the side. She doesn't want to damage the carpenter's puppets. Eventually the red, Maelstrom mammet drops to the ground. They fought on until flagging and weary. The moon of Dalamud waxed ever fuller, at last bursting open to reveal the terrifying truth of what slumbered inside. A new dialogue option pops up, giving Aggro the choice on how to progress the play. I'll show all of the alternative options after, but for now what's slumbering inside is The dreadwyrm, Bahamut!  Click to play: From the Ashes Dalamud breaks apart, revealing Bahamut amidst the smoke of the firecrackers.  Aggro dashes forward and begins shadow boxing with Bahamut in front of her. Freed at last from his prison, he unleashed his seething rage upon the land, engulfing Eorzea in flames! But just as the sun was to set on Eorzea's fate, a voice called out, saving our brave champions from certain doom! We're given another choice. Like before, Aggro supplies the correct answer and says It was the voice of the Archon Louisoix!  The Louisoix puppet walks over on the top of the stage. Indeed, it was the Archon Louisoix's voice that called out over the endless battlefield. The erudite scholar and compassionate commander, who came from far-flung Sharlayan to deliver us to salvation. Twelve above, I beseech Thee! Lend me Your strength, and seal Bahamut within Dalamud once more! But lo! Bahamut's power was too great, and Louisoix's ritual failed!The Louisoix puppet collapses.  Hearkening to his plea, They imbued the Warrior of Light with Their divine strength. Once more, our hero rose, and stood unflinching against Bahamut!Aggro gets up on this cue.  Like before, there's two choices and Aggro says correctly that Bahamut was slain with a single blow! Click to play: Defender of the Realm  Brave champions, I leave the rest in your hands! If I can but see you to a new future, I should want for nothing more. With the fate of the realm resting on her shoulders, our hero lashed out with one last desperate attack, imbued with the power of the gods themselves. The crowd then starts cheering. Eorzea is saved! Warrior of Light, the realm is in your debt! The threat has been vanquished, and hope can return to the hearts of the people! The bravery of our hero shall illuminate the future of the realm! I knew you'd be a success up there! Even so, I didn't expect you'd do that well! You have our thanks, adventurer! They're still clapping! Well, what're you waiting for? Go back out there and give your adoring fans what they want!Aggro nods and then walks back to the center of the stage. Would you listen to that? How long do you think they would clap if she remained on the stage? For as long as she deserves, I gather. It is not often one has the opportunity to be in the presence of such a radiant actor. It is as if the Warrior of Light herself was standing there.  Anyone who did this year's (2016's) Moonfire Faire would recognise the uniform that Aggro had to put on. It's the same outfit as the Posing Rangers. I guess that outfit has become the "hero" outfit in the way that Japan has a style of hero outfits in sentai. Anyway, with the play over, Aggro should speak to the leader about her reward.  Click to play: Final Fantasy Theme And it would seem you have one particularly passionate fan that would offer you his personal thanks. He has left a message just for you.She reveals that the playwright himself admired Aggro's fine performance, and wants to talk. Unfortunately, he's leaving Ul'dah by airship soon. Aggro will have to wait for him where they can meet.  For some reason, Aggro takes that to mean that she should wait outside of the lift on the Ruby Road Exchange, as opposed to the actual airship landing bay. She's left waiting for quite a while, and it's starting to look like it might be too late. Soundtrack ends.  Who could the playwright be?!  He reveals himself to be the Wandering Minstrel - a recurring NPC from as far back as 1.0. The Wandering Minstrel is based on Naoki Yoshida, the replacement and current director of Final Fantasy XIV. He's also the main NPC for The Rising events, showing up often to give a cryptic message about what the future may hold for the player character (read: what the next expansion may be like).  My travels have been rife with innumerable trials, and often have I found myself indebted to the adventurers who saw me safely through them. It is to honor the selflessness of these heroes that I write my songs, and 'twas for the selfsame reason that I penned the play in which you performed. And as much as I would like to see you take the stage time and again, I am certain you will be of more use to the realm as its protector. As an adventurer. For my part, I shall continue to regale others with songs telling of your deeds. Fireworks start to fly and both characters begin to watch them. The road ahead will be fraught with hardship - of this I am certain. If ever you find yourself in the midst of a crisis, remember the events of the Calamity. Remember how hope was born from despair, and continue your fight, that I might someday hear of your heroics.  Click to play: Final Fantasy Theme The Wandering Minstrel departs after he watches the fireworks' finale together with Aggro. It's now time for Aggro to say goodbye to the Crystal Caravan troupe.  Click to play: Where the Heart Is It's true that we haven't seen the actor since we traveled Eorzea by airship with him. I wonder how he's doing?  The actor seems to be doing well, and walks over to meet with Aggro.  But alas and alack! I was confined to a bed in Frondale's Phrontistery, unable to witness your stunning performance with my own eyes!Frondale's Phrontistery is also the name of the Alchemists' Guild. It's also kind of the hospital for Ul'dah. The actor then declares that he must heal before Aggro's next show, and the leader chimes in. To prove how eager we are for you to join us again, I'll add a little bonus to your payment for this performance!  And so ends 2016's version of The Rising. It's a pretty fun, cheerful event and I appreciate the effort behind it. It's not over yet, though. Completing the event unlocks a new ending for the play, and there were already nine randomly selected alternative endings before - three for each decision. I'll split the bonus into an extra post because this one is long enough. As for the rewards? We'll, they're kind of spoilers so I won't go into them right now. I'll drop a little bit of info on them when we get to that time. Whenever the hell that may be.  All Cutscenes - All of the cutscenes from The Rising event. I didn't get a chance to mention it, but all of the puppets in the event are actual minions in-game. The Imperial machines need to be crafted, and the Louisoix one is from an end-game raid in A Realm Reborn. I'll discuss the Mammets another time, but the only remainder is Dalamud.  The Dalamud minion isn't accessible anymore, but you used to be able to get it from a code provided with the soundtrack for 1.0. This is probably one of the most offensive wind-up toys in Eorzea.  Bahamut is also available, though is often found in his
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Sep 10, 2016 13:19
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Chapter XXII-2: Letting amateurs on the stage can lead to a Calamity It's possible to redo the play as many times as you want - at least, until the 12th of September. Aggro is going to redo it because she really enjoyed the fame. There are eleven endings in all, and we've seen only the first one. I'll just montage some highlights in terrible gifs and share a video of them compiled. However completing the seasonal event actually unlocked the last one, which leaves a hint about where the next expansion after Heavensward will lead us. I'll be showing at least that one fully.  You see, the second dialogue choice actually has a new option. Aggro can declare that the voice calling out and saving the Warrior of Light was when The wandering minstrel sang out for them! Stray seeds quicken in ash's grey embrace. Valiant blades forged under the Twelve's good grace.Click to play: Prelude - Rebirth   What say you, friend? Do you find despair in these words, or hope? More often than not, the meaning of prophecy lies in the hearts of those who hear it. So close your eyes, and envision the future you desire.He starts to strum on his tiny harp. Warrior of Light, to save Eorzea, you must pray fervently for a brighter tomorrow! Unfetter your heart and embrace hope, and adventurers far and wide shall add their voices to yours! As Bahamut's flames lay waste to the land, thousands cried out, certain that the end was nigh. But the Warrior of Light rose from the ashes, unburnt and unbroken. And she prayed. Although none can know what is to come, I swear that you shall always have my support. I entrust the future of Eorzea to you, brave hero.The minstrel bows and leaves the stage. Click to play: Defender of the Realm   Aggro then charges up, and the finishing scene from the first playthrough begins.   Unto chaos and despair came hope,a dawn to banish the night. A hero is come to our realm. Hail the Warrior of Light! The minstrel sings the last few lines, so in the game it's also in italics with notes. So long as this hero stands with us, the future of Eorzea shall ever shine bright.Click to play: Return of the Hero  The scene swaps to Aggro walking off stage. Instead of the crew being there, the Wandering Minstrel waits for her.  Eorzea has suffered countless hardships, and will doubtless suffer many more. I hold no dread in my heart, however, for I believe you shall lead the way to a brighter tomorrow.The minstrel then sings a short song as a prophecy. Soundtrack ends.    Like I said in the actual update, the wandering minstrel is an in-game representation of Director Naoki Yoshida. It isn't meant to be him directly, but he will show up on each anniversary and sing a new prophecy about upcoming content. This will probably mean nothing now, but it might be nice to be able to look back on this at some point.  The minstrel bows, and then has one last thing to say. Tell me true, friend - were my words to your liking? It is a poem of gratitude and hope. Gratitude for the past and for the present, and hope for hte future. A hope which I am certain you shall help fulfill.Aggro nods and smiles, before looking up to the sky.   And so ends The Rising. It's a neat event, with possibly too many endings for an extra update on the side. I've compiled them into a video instead. Click to play: Alternative Endings I only show off the post-performance ending for the Minstrel's ending, and for the very first one. Besides the original and Minstrel's post-performance ending, the rest share their scene. It's kind of funny in some contexts, like when the Carpenter runs on scene. Some of the endings are especially neat, so I've dropped some gifs down too. Consider this a montage of scenes I originally transcribed.      This one especially surprised me. I first saw it when recording footage and I honestly thought for a moment that it was Aggro. This was well played. It's a quote from Zidane in Final Fantasy IX - the person Aggro is cosplaying as when she's not in her hero gear. If you want to see what I was originally working on for any reason, you can find it here. I stopped adding the soundtrack when I realised that it was becoming too much.
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Sep 10, 2016 13:19
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The Rising is still my favorite event that XIV does. The music, the nostalgia, everyone in the player base seems to mellow out and celebrate. It's just nice all around.
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Sep 10, 2016 23:45
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I find it amusing that one of the "joke" endings is actually how the events of the Fall of Dalamud went down. As shown in the End of an Era video, Louisoix teleports the Warrior of Light away from the battle. No one would know this, and since Bahamut was defeated, everyone assumes that it was the Warrior of Light who did the deed.
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Sep 11, 2016 06:06
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Chapter IV: It's a Hard Life When we last saw our hero, he had just finished ruthlessly slaughtering the cute, innocent wildlife of La Noscea, gained a new pet manifestation of magical math, and had an encounter with a socially stunted catgirl.  This time, he'll be following a lead that will take him to the northern half of Lower La Noscea, and the farming town of Red Rooster Stead. In this case, Niniya tells me that the guards watching the road from Limsa could always use some help. Onwards!  As it turns out, though, when the Yellowjackets need help from adventurers, they go through the Adventurers' Guild. Even though I'm a member, I guess this is a bit of a breech of the chain of command, so this means any assistance I render will be strictly off the books. In any case, Ancreta wants me to gather rivertoad livers for her grand dad. Shouldn't be too hard.  I spoke too soon. And these are the smaller variety of toads in Eorzea. These ugly things, like most other wildlife, are known to prey on hapless lalafells. But for me, they're only level 4 so they go down easy.  Onward to Red Rooster Stead. To the north you can see the great volcano O'Ghomoro. The volcanic soil of Vylbrand is quite rich, and the island is well known for its prosperous farmland. It's quite similar to the big island of Hawai'i. Here in Cedarwood, they grow oranges, lemons, and kukuru beans. Citrus fruits are of course important for preventing scurvy, while kukuru beans are the main ingredient of chocolate.  To the south you can see the drydocks of Moraby Bay. Those odd, sharp spires are from where a fragment of Dalamud fell. I'll be visiting there soon. Anyway, there are plenty of exciting sidequests to do here. Such as...  Combing sheep for lice!  Getting rid of a mole infestation!  Fetching lost dodos!  And squashing ladybugs! Interestingly, the point of this sidequest is to collect the ladybugs' guts.  It's an early form of pesticide. Neat!  Now I have to deliver a sack of wool to the Grey Fleet, an array of massive windmills along the coast. In addition to milling grains into flour, they can also press wool into felt.  There are more sidequests to do here. Someone has been stealing the flour!  The thieves are none other than galagos, these large lemur-like critters. Freddie delivers swift justice to the flour thieves.  There's also this odd fellow, clearly hard at work inside the millhouse. We'll be seeing more of him much later.  While cheeky monkeys are certainly irritating, the real concern on everyone's minds are the increasingly aggressive kobolds. Kobolds are one of the three intelligent beast tribes that inhabit Vylbrand, and lately there have been reports of raids on human settlements.  Unlike most other quests, this one offers a gear upgrade for disciples of war, but no equivalent for disciples of magic. The ethers are nearly worthless, so I opt for the bronze piece instead.  Freddie ascends to level 8, and learns his first passive trait.  This makes my aetherflow ability useful by granting me a single charge which can be used to cast powerful spells, the first of which has also been learned.  Compared to the rest of my arsenal, this is quite potent. Unlike Ruin and Bio which are classified as spells, this is an ability, which means that it doesn't trigger the global cooldown that affects all spells and weaponskills. Since it consumes my single stack of aetherflow, and Aetherflow itself has a 60 second cooldown, this effectively means that Energy Drain has a 60 second cooldown as well. Although, I have some flexibility in when to use it, and I can save a stack until Atherflow is off cooldown, and fire two Energy Drains in quick succession for some relatively impressive burst damage. The HP drain effect is useful in a pinch, but the MP restoration is only icing, as I still don't have an effective means to actually use my MP. Aetherflow is an arcanist's central mechanic, and later on I'll receive even more powerful abilities that make use of it, and the ability to stack up to three charges.  Wow, after that long lecture, the sun has begun to set. Have I mentioned how pretty this game is?  One of the watchmen at the Stead is equally concerned with the kobold threat, and bids me investigate a wain that has yet to arrive at its intended destination. "Wain" is an archaic word for a wagon, and a person who builds wains is known as a wainwright. There's your trivia for the day.  Within the Blind Iron Mines, I find the overturned cart. Upon investigation...  The kobold bandits return! Carbuncle keeps them busy while I struggle to get a good screenshot. The lighting is terrible in here!  I report back to Anaoc, the de facto leader of the Stead. Time for some backstory.  Anaoc: The mines of O'Ghomoro aren't enough for the native nuisances of northern Vylbrand anymore. They've come to claim what is ours. Long ago, our war-weary forebears struck a short-sighted peace with the kobolds: what lay beneath the sea was to be Limsa's, what lay underground was O'Ghomoro's. Yet what resolved one conflict created another, as the sea cannot fully feed, clothe, and shelter the children of land. Realizing this, the kobolds tacitly condoned the Lominsan settlement of La Noscea. We shared an unspoken agreement. But now, the kobolds aggressively assert their dominion, threatening our very survival. Adherence to to a pact is meaningless if it means our demise. It comes time for us to take a stand. Seek the wisdom of Arenlona to learn how.  Freddie gives a stoic nod and sets off to defend these poor, innocent farmers against the dastardly kobold menace. Before I started doing this, I thought I would keep track of how many times your character nods stoicly, but I've already lost count.  Arenlona's plan is simple: bait the kobolds out with food, and clobber them when they show their faces.  Freddie sets the bait...  ...and waits.  Sure enough, a trio of kobolds appear. Freddie and Carbuncle dispatch them with extreme prejudice.  Anaoc congratulates me on a job well done. The Stead is safe for now. He tells me to return to the Drowning Wench and report the goings-on to Baderon.  On the way back, I notice that the stars have come out. In the night sky are several constellations that can easily be seen by the similarly colored stars that comprise them. This green cross-shaped constellation is known as the Bole. A bole is another word for a tree trunk. Back at the Wench...  Baderon: 'Twas wishful thinkin' to believe the mine rats would stay put in O'Ghomoro. Any barkeep can tell ye as rodents're wont to spread. This wave comes sooner than reckoned. The pact was a farce--no 'andhsake ever solved a blood feud. We just needed to lick our wounds a while is all. Well, I s'pose they're all 'ealed up. Even the Maelstrom's taken note of 'ow the rascals run rampant. Ye can be sure they're 'oardin' crystals to summon Titan, an' gods 'elp us if they do.  An' there won't be a Company of 'Eroes around to answer our prayers this time, neither! Five years ago, a band of adventurers known as the Company of Heroes defeated Titan. With their task fulfilled, they went their separate ways. Rumor has it that one of their members is employed as a miller at the Grey Fleet...   My reward for this sidequest branch is a cowl. This is the first appearance of multi-slot equipment. Cowls take up both the body and head slot, and have the combined stats of both. It's a neat idea, but poorly implemented in many ways. If I wanted to replace it, I would need a better hat and chestpiece. Fortunately, the dev team realized how dumb the concept was, and there haven't been any multi-slot pieces since 2.0.  It also looks like a raincoat.  Next time, I'll be heading to Summerford Farms to continue the main story, as well as the arcanist quest line.
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Sep 11, 2016 19:49
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Fun fact: the rivertoads depicted in this update are not native to Vylbrand. They were introduced as a method to curb the population of many pestilent insects (or vilekin as they're known in Eorzea). Unfortunately, since the toads have no known predator, their own population has exploded. Whoops!
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Sep 11, 2016 19:55
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Energy Drain is such a good ability. Since it doesn't have a cast time, you can use it while moving. It's extremely useful when your dodging a ground targeted move and you want to keeping DPSing.
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Sep 11, 2016 20:05
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I had no idea this game had constellations in the sky. This game is amazing. There's always something tucked away in the corners. I mean, granted the sky is hardly a secret, but I've never looked up there.
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Sep 11, 2016 23:51
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The skybox is one of the prettiest things in this game, and it's pretty detailed. It's actually only recently that we've been told what some of the constellations are, but since you have the expansion I figure you can probably guess the job that teaches you about them.
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Sep 12, 2016 00:46
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The remaining moon, Menphina, also goes through phases. One lunar cycle is 32 days (the basis of the Eorzean calendar), or about 38 hours in real time.
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Sep 12, 2016 04:19
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SonicRulez posted:I had no idea this game had constellations in the sky. This game is amazing. There's always something tucked away in the corners. I mean, granted the sky is hardly a secret, but I've never looked up there. In fact, in a later Job's storyline, the constellations are actually explained and such. It's really nice.
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Sep 12, 2016 05:42
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I've never played the job in question, but I did recognize the constellation name and put two and two together. I'd still say that's pretty cool.Fister Roboto posted:The remaining moon, Menphina, also goes through phases. One lunar cycle is 32 days (the basis of the Eorzean calendar), or about 38 hours in real time. Now you're just seeing how gullible I am. Next you'll tell me the game has solar eclipses or something.
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Sep 13, 2016 07:46
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SonicRulez posted:Now you're just seeing how gullible I am. Next you'll tell me the game has solar eclipses or something. Unfortunately, they don't go that far, but there's a lot of background to the calendar system in Eorzea. Keep your eyes on the sky and you'll notice the e: Fixed a dumb mistake. CrashScreen fucked around with this message at 01:46 on Sep 16, 2016 |
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Sep 13, 2016 08:30
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Arcanist poses are the best  If you use the right gear, your clothes get super swooshy, since this game has some wind and cloth physics. It was great playing as an arcanist in a certain windy arena and my party was like "drat look at Neoman's coolass mage robe" Energy drain is also great for when you're recovering from getting rezzed. Pop aetherflow, use energy drain, maybe an ether and you're back in the game. Being at 0 MP is a bad place to be. 'Course the prostrat is not to die in the first place so.
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Sep 15, 2016 22:58
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So a highlight nearing the end of events tonight that I couldn't really hold back: New Thread Title: Final Fantasy XIV: It's All About Gay Marriage
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Sep 16, 2016 03:48
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Chapter XXIII: Terror of the Deepcroft After unlocking the challenge log and aesthetician, it's time for Aggro to return to the main storyline. After she cleared out the Sastasha Seagrot, Baderon of the Adventurers' Guild has another lead on work for her. Click to play: Limsa Lominsa Theme (Day) It turned out I was wrong and the Adventurers' Guild theme is more of a bar theme. It only plays in the Quicksand and a handful of other places, but the city music plays in the guild for Limsa and Gridania. Also, I think this is the first time we've heard the daytime track.   ...An' that's all I know. But whatever it is ye get asked to do, I some'ow doubt it'd pose any trouble fer a 'venturer as survived the bedlam in Sastasha. If ye think ye might be interested, ye'll want to 'ave words with Mother Miounne, me counterpart in Gridania. Good luck, lass! The easiest and cheapest way to get to Miounne is probably by airship. You can teleport to the same map that she's in, but the airship also takes you there for less gil.  Click to play: Gridania Theme (Day) Miounne is straight up the stairs from the airship landing bay. This is also the first time that Aggro has spoken to her, so introductions are expected. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Miounne, and the Carline Canopy is my place. And good morrow to you too, Bowlord! Your need must be pressed indeed for you to honor us with a visit. The good news is: your journey hasn't been wasted. I'm pleased to report that we have a volunteer at last, and one who comes highly recommended, at that. Lewin walks into the scene. He's the First Bow of the God's Quiver, which is the military organisation for Gridania's archers.  Now, time is of the essence. We wish for you to nip a potential threat to Gridania in the bud. Beneath the Central Shroud, there lies an underground burial site called the Tam-Tara Deepcroft. The place was once a Gelmorran settlement, but we Gridanians have long interred our dead there.Gelmorra was the pre-Gridania settlement. After the world was ruined by what is known as the War of the Magi, the Black Shroud became inhospitable for the settlers. They were forced underground, hiding away from the wrath of the forest's spirits - the Elementals. Of late, however, shadowy figures have been seen skulking about the Deepcroft, and with ever-increasing regularity. Ordinarily, I would have dispatched my best men to scour the Deepcroft with orders to flush the cultists out. Alas, the Calamity decimated our ranks, and the limited forces at my disposal are constantly required to keep the Ixal at bay. The situation so being, we must turn to others to deal with the Lambs of Dalamud. Can we rely on you to undertake this task, friend?Aggro nods. You have my gratitude. Once you've seen to your preparations, pray make your way to the Deepcroft, and identify yourself to the guard posted at the entrance. He will apprise you of the latest developments. Be careful out there, you hear? May the Crystal guide you and keep you! Aggro is now on the job, and quickly stops off by the Inn to get her hair fixed back up before leaving the city of Gridania. I'll do an additional update for exploring Gridania, but the rest of it doesn't really matter now. It's a straight line from the guild to the exit.  Click to play: Black Shroud Theme The Black Shroud is the name of the region Gridania is situated in, and directly outside the gates is central Shroud. It's also possible to enter north Shroud from the Old Gridania map. The Black Shroud is predominately a large forest. It used to be very thick in 1.0, leading to a maze-like structure, but that was absurd for one of the first player accessed zones. The Calamity saw a lot of devastation in the shroud, and a lot of the forest had to be replanted.  Following the path west, Aggro finds herself in Bentbranch Meadows, which is home to Gridania's chocobo breeders.  As usual, Aggro makes sure to grab the aetheryte while she's here. I haven't mentioned these before, but there are more options than just setting a Home Point. Aggro can make Bentbranch Meadows one of three favourite destinations, which makes it cheaper to teleport to. Also, because I use a one-time password to secure my account, Aggro is also able to register one aetheryte as a free teleport.  Tam-Tara Deepcroft is just south-west of Bentbranch Meadows. It's easy to find, as stone walls start to show up along the way.  The path is littered with Diremite, which are like a cross between spiders and scorpions. Their society is actually kind of more like ants, where Diremites are specifically the combat breed, so expect to see different but similar creepy vilekin later. They're aggressive, so Aggro has to fight the occasional one to reach the Deepcroft. This gives me the opportunity to talk about a new weaponskill.  To capture footage of Sastasha, I actually ran it twice. At some point, Aggro reached level 18 (and in fact, reached level 19 too). This unlocked Shield Bash, which is a fairly weak attack with a total potency of 110. It also costs double the TP refresh rate, but it does have a benefit. Shield Bash gives Aggro the ability to stun her opponent.  Right now, the Stun only lasts for 3 seconds. That's enough time to get an extra hit in, and can buy a healer a little bit more time in a dungeon. It's not the most useful thing right now, especially when it only does 10% more damage than an auto-attack, but it certainly has its uses. Aggro will use it a little bit in this dungeon to reduce the damage she takes, because things do get hairy, but it's too easy to overuse it. That 120 TP cost stings.  Outside the Deepcroft are a couple of adventuring groups. Edda, the Conjurer who has to rely on potions, and her party is suspiciously missing, but that just means that they may currently have the lead on Aggro. She'll need to get in there soon, but let's see how the other two groups are doing first. Gathering information from our rivals may help Aggro with her own venture inside.  As probably the most experienced adventurer out of everyone here, Isildaure is alarmingly wounded. Were it not for the fruit that Alianne found, my adventures may well have ended in this forbidding place. Always look before you leap... In my haste, this most fundamental rule of adventuring slipped my mind. <sigh> I do believe I shall rest here awhile. I shudder to think what might have happened to Isildaure had I not thought to pick the fruit I stumbled across on the way here. Sometimes he has too much vigor for his own good. Age is supposed to mellow us, but if anything it has made him more impetuous. I understand his desire to make use of the time left to him, but one misstep, and there won't be any.Tam-Tara has some wandering enemies that can very easily get your party into trouble if you're not aware of them, so it's worth having some caution if you're new. Fresh tanks will particularly stumble in here if they're not careful.  Next up is Dolorous Bear's group. Aggro beat him to the punch last time and then had to listen to his slightly over-enthusiastic lecture about having goals, but it looks like he was in the lead this time.  Gods, I hate mausoleums... It's not right to disturb the dead in their slumber...Inside are wandering skeletons, so we'd be hardly interrupting their slumber. Think of our goal, sister! One day, our adventures will be the stuff of song, and it will all be worth it! So we meet again! I cannot say I'm surprised to see you here. You took the prize back in Limsa, but this time we will give you a better sport, or I am no true adventurer!Then why are you not inside already? Aggro better take advantage of this situation to get the lead on Dolorous. Hopefully she can catch up to Edda's party.  Aggro has to dodge the Magicked Bones to reach the Gods' Quiver. With the Bones at level 13, they'll pretty much collapse under the swing of her sword, but they're all fairly close to each other and are quite aggressive. It wastes less time to just hang around next to the wall and run around them.  In case you're unfamiliar with them, the cult emerged shortly before the Calamity put an end to the Sixth Astral Era. The cultists took the lesser moon, Dalamud, for their god, believing that it would deliver them from devastation.The cultists were an enemy from 1.0, but they still have a little bit of a presence in this game. I think they show up at least one more time, in optional content, before disappearing for good. Watching your god blow up from the inside would probably not do your belief any good, but for some reason this had the opposite effect on some of them. Now, having seen their god turn to ash, one would think that the cultists might feel moved to question their faith. On the contrary, it served only to stoke the flames of their fanaticism. The Lambs of Dalamud are convinced that "heretics" - that is to say, everyone but them - interfered with the coming of their lord and savior, and that it's now their sacred duty to avenge him. Who knows what these bizarre cultists could be up to inside the Deepcroft, but it's easy to see why Gridania would feel anxious about it.  In any case, talking to the Gods' Quiver Bow will unlock access to the dungeon through the duty finder. Joining me in this duty is thread poster TiamosLoren, who'll be playing as a Lancer. I'll be making the *ahem*...bold contributions here. Just...imagine me waving a little about this point. Click to play: Tam-Tara Deepcraft Opening Click to play: Tam-Tara Deepcroft Theme  The introduction cutscene shows us around, which will be the common thing in any dungeon. There's some orbs guarded by imps that seem to be shooting a beam into the sky, and if Hollywood has taught me anything then this is very bad. Plus they're black, blue and purple, which makes it far worse.  The beams are actually concentrating on a single spot, and it looks like the lambs may be attempting to create their own Dalamud. Since the Deepcroft is also packed with voidsent, it's a real wonder what might be cooking inside there.  The duty finder queues us up with a Conjurer and Arcanist. The Conjurer has a particularly interesting symbol next to their name.  Players with a crown are mentors, and are there to help support new players. I hate being that person, but I really do want to say that you should take what they say with a pinch of salt. If my experience in the Novice Network - where mentors and new players are given their own chat channel - has anything to say about this, they often tend to believe they're absolutely correct about the game even when they're also misinformed. I've read so much bad info in that channel that it's not funny anymore. Hopefully the other servers have a better one. This was a thing that was added in the patch 3.2 update too, so to hear that it's not actually helping those people out who are genuinely new is rather disappointing. When it first came about, I was looking to become one myself, though if that is the kind of reputation they are getting, I think I will stick to just being advisory and helpful in my own way.  One last time before I simply call this procedure just a "pull"; Aggro uses Shield Lob to initiate an attack on the enemy group and casts Flash as she passes between them. The enemy group is also turned away from the rest of the party, and a target is selected for the rest of the party to assault. Zombies like the above are one of the predominant enemy types in this dungeon. There are actually three kinds. The Varlets are Lancers, and I don't believe they have any noteworthy attacks. If they do, then they were killed before they could even get to use them. Spoilers: They don't.  Click to play: Dungeon Battle Theme There are also disgusting Fleshfly Swarms buzzing around inside. Every enemy is aggressive, meaning they won't just lay eggs in any of your wounds - they'll make you their new breeding ground. Something actually happens with this group that I'd like to point out, because it's a little bit obnoxious for anyone in the melee range.  Conjurers and Arcanists have the ability to inflict Knockback on an opponent. An Arcanists' Emerald Carbuncle will use their Backdraft ability on a whim, which can knock enemies outside of the melee range. You can avoid this by simply sticking the Carbuncle on Obey. In this case, though, it was actually the Conjurer. Fluid Aura is an off-cooldown spell that deals 150 potency, knocks back the opponent, and then Binds them. Bind will prevent the enemy from moving or changing direction until they're hit, making it an effective offensive-defensive spell. It's actually a DPS gain to use it, and the Conjurer was careful to aim the Fleshfly Swarm at the wall before casting it. If you're on a role with a knockback, make sure to watch how you use it, because it can really gently caress the formation up for the tank and make the DPS mess up their rotation.  The outer path is broken, so Aggro's party has to reach lower levels through some tight corridors. This happens on every floor. Inside the corridors are a mix of enemies, and a new Carrion Beetle. Carrion Beetles are A Thing and that's all that can be really said about them.  There are also rooms that often contain treasure connected to those corridors. You'll usually find Croftlights in them. They're just voidsent that emit light, but they only cast magical damage instead of physical damage. Don't expect to block or parry here, and any defense-specific buffs won't do a thing. Fortunately, Rampart mitigates all damage by 10%. The treasure chests will usually only contain items like Potions or Ethers, but you'll occasionally find aetherial gear.  At the end of the corridor and through a broken wall is a boss room. It's as much of a boss battle as the Captain Madison fights, though.  Click to play: Dungeon Boss Theme The fight is just basically any regular pull. The Dalamud Priest casts Fire, and the Gravediggers cast Blizzard, and that's all there is to them. They have small HP pools.  Killing the enemies in that group will spawn a Void Soulcounter. On spawn it'll cast Enthunder to add 50 potency of elemental damage to the auto-attack. It's got just over 4,000 HP, and isn't immune to anything, so they're kind of easy to beat. You could probably stun Enthunder to make it easier, though it'll likely attempt to recast it.  The Soulcounter doesn't really pack too much of a punch either, especially if you have an attentive healer. Its strongest attack is the Dark Orb, which isn't dangerous in the slightest.  Besides Dark Orb, Soulcounter also has Condemnation. You should never see what it does, because simply side stepping it is all you need to do. Tiamos would usually hit them with his lancer's off-cooldown stun ability, which is significantly more convenient than Aggro's own Shield Bash for the same stun duration currently. The only problem is that Tiamos will have to wait some time for it to be available again, while Aggro can use it anytime the global cooldown is over. I will probably cover why this is a problem in my own mini-update later.  Click to play: Tam-Tara Deepcroft Theme Once the deed is done, Aggro interacts with the Cultist Orb to disable it. Tiamos opens up the treasure coffer as well.  Unfortunately, Aggro already has the cuirass inside it. Another thing to point out here is that if you already have a unique item (be it equipment, minion or a Phoenix Down) owners of that item (in this case, Aggro) cannot actually roll on this at all. And since it's not currently effective for anyone else in the group, it goes to a greed roll among the rest, since their classes do not need it (they can't use it). Notable tidbit, the healer wins the roll.  Going ahead, we're introduced to two new enemies. The Deepcroft Mitelings are similar to the Diremite, but they exist for labour. There's nothing else to note about them, but between them is an Ak-Mena Groundsman. The Groundman are Marauders, so expect them to use Overpower, which we've seen other Marauders use before as a conal AoE.  The next set of corridors are where it's possible to get ambushed. The Ak-Mena Varlet patrols this particular path, and will attack when you're within their range. If the tank isn't prepared for this, then it can get hairy.  Especially when you Shield Lob them and forget that they're thaumaturges. They're happy to stand back and throw Thunder on Aggro, and they're not within range of her Flash.  Fortunately, Aggro is able to keep the top enmity for everyone despite the sudden extra work. Sadly, the healer wasn't quite prepared for the sudden increase in damage, and Aggro drops dead. It's just one of those things. That's two tutorial dungeons that Aggro has died in now. The duty finder is scary.  On the way deeper into the dungeon is an optional room known as the Tomb of King Galvanth the Dominator. What treasures do the tomb of this now long dead Gelmorran King hold?  An aetherial brass gorget. This may have even been a necklace that was once worn by the Dominator. They're also an upgrade for Aggro. Sadly, someone else wins them. I never did take note of who. Just checked the tape back, it was the Arcanist who won it.  The next boss fight is exactly the same as the last, but there are three Gravediggers instead. This doesn't change the fight.  Please be careful with those knockback abilities. This is when it gets obnoxious. And I caught a great angle of this one, so look forward to the highlight reel!  The last enemy encounter that we've not seen are the Yarzon Feeders. There is nothing to really see about these creepy things.  Beating up that last batch of Yarzon Feeders also levels Aggro up. Since she's now higher than level 19, the duty syncs her down. As it's an even number level, she also gets an extra attribute point to feed into Vitality.  Leveling up also grants her the Enhanced Flash trait, which means Flash now inflicts a 12 second blind on any enemy within its range. It's a nice little passive bonus, since some enemies will hit less, but it usually doesn't make too much impact. It has its niche in boss fights too.  A group of enemies lurk outside the final area, which is also sealed by a barrier. Defeating them won't open it, but they also block progress. Aggro and her party murder them, and take the corridor beside the sealed barrier.  Guarding a Cultist Rosary to unlock the sealed barrier is the Ak-Mena marauders and thaumaturges. The thaumaturges are in the back row of this group, so the best way to deal with them is to run through and Flash right between them all. If you're wondering about the naming scheme for the zombies in here, these zombies belong the noble Ak-Mena family of Gelmorra. The previous Ak-Inik zombies were also from another noble Gelmorran family. You can find their tombs round about the place, and in the original but blander Tam-Tara Deepcroft from 1.0.  The pull can be a little bit dangerous if the healer isn't prepared, as I learned when Aggro's own potion saved her life. That was close. Aggro was brought to 15 HP in the middle of that, and the enemy's auto-attack landed on her for 20 before she actually received a Cure. I'll never take potions for granted again. Also this is likely the one time that potions will save the day, but oh boy, when it does save the day, eh? Sadly my recording stopped at the start of this fight, so I didn't get any of it.   The party must use the now acquired Cultist Rosary to undo the sealed barrier. Inside is the same fight as the previous boss battles, but the group formation is a tiny bit different. There are two Cultist Orbs this time, instead of one, and a group of two Gravediggers guard the second. Really, this only adds one more Gravedigger to the fight that wasn't in the last one, so this isn't anywhere near as bad as it might look.  Contrary to the two orbs, this fight also spawns only one Soulcounter. I actually didn't know it was wielding a scythe until just now. Click to play: Tam-Tara Deepcraft Final Boss  Activating the two orbs will call up a bridge to get into the final area.  The floating orb still remains, and begins to float on down. Something is moving inside it.   You seem surprised. Did you not cross our gates in search of blood? Come hither, children of the dawn. The undying master will drink deep tonight!So, it looks like the cultists managed to summon a mindflayer from the void using the corpse of the old Gelmorran King. Oh, dear.  Click to play: Dungeon Final Boss Theme Matching the common theme of the dungeon, Galvanth the Dominator relies on magic to do his damage. He can also occasionally use Life Drain as an instant cast ability, which will do damage and absorb a portion of the damage as HP. Fortunately, he's got 6,300 HP so the small portion he heals is really small. When he hits Aggro with it, he only deals about 59 damage.  Some more enemies will spawn into the fight when Galvanth is at 80%, 60%, and 30% of his max HP. The first round is a single Inconspicuous Imp, which will grant him invulnerability. Each wave will have at least one Imp that must be killed before the party can resume their offence on the boss.  In the second wave, a bunch of Skeleton Soldiers and a Deepcroft Miteling will join the Imp. Without any muscle, the soldiers don't really hurt and go down fairly easily. The DPS will typically take care of the trash.  Galvanth will start throwing in Mind Blast once his HP hits the 50% mark.  It's a pretty large circular AoE that'll paralyze Aggro if she gets hit. Paralysis isn't too awful for melee fighters, but it'll sometimes interrupt them trying to move out of AoEs. For casters, it's pretty imperative that they dodge this, because paralysis has a habit of interrupting most of your casts. It's best to just wait it out. Unfortunately, this boss can resist stuns, so you can't prevent the Mind Blasts either. Also, if you're a caster, you shouldn't be trying to get within range of this AoE anyway, so there's that too. This is mostly to keep the close range classes on their feet.  After the 30% mark, the last wave will spawn. This time, two imps will need to be killed in order to resume damaging the boss. It's actually a solid strategy to ignore the remaining monsters if you have a caster or ranged DPS in your party, since they can use the Limit Break to combine kill the stragglers and do damage to the boss.  Sadly, that doesn't happen here, and both the boss and the adds gradually go down one after one. And it went too quickly to let me use the second level Limit Break!  Click to play: Tam-Tara Deepcraft Final Boss  Like everything else from the Void, killing it makes it explode into black smoke.  Click to play: Victory Fanfare And that's Tam-Tara Deepcroft complete. It's not a hard dungeon, and the mechanics are still straight forward and simple. There's nothing too creative or interesting in the fights yet, but we're getting there. Tune in next time to see how the other groups got along, and when we get asked to do something horrible for glory. I'll probably do a little something of a highlight reel of things that I could point out from this run in the next few days. But for now... All cutscenes  The map for Tam-Tara Deepcroft in A Realm Reborn.  This is the map of what Tam-Tara Deepcroft was like in 1.0. You can also find a video of what the original Tam-Tara Deepcroft looked like here.
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Sep 16, 2016 23:34
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Fluid Aura is great if you have a stray add on you and need to get it off. Use it, get the tank to grab it, keep going. Don't make it part of your rotation.
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Sep 17, 2016 05:20
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You know, I think the thing that's kept me from having any real interest in playing MMORPGs is the interface. Just look at this loving mess.
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Sep 17, 2016 06:03
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Hahahahaahahaha oh my sweet summer child I hate that I can still see the light of day in this.
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Sep 17, 2016 07:17
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Schwartzcough posted:You know, I think the thing that's kept me from having any real interest in playing MMORPGs is the interface. Just look at this loving mess. It looks more messy because that UI is designed for a different resolution. There's not actually too much more there than what's in, say, final Fantasy XII, if you break it down. I've considered removing the flying text for the LP, but it sometimes gives useful information. I'll see what more I can cut to make it all easier to digest.
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Sep 17, 2016 07:37
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CrashScreen posted:It looks more messy because that UI is designed for a different resolution. There's not actually too much more there than what's in, say, final Fantasy XII, if you break it down. Oh no, don't change your setup for me; I can mostly follow what's going on. It's just not something that appeals to me, trying to keep track of everything going on all the time while playing. I see a big difference between these two:   and as people are pointing out, the latter isn't even a bad example of an MMO interface, or even bad for XIV I'm sure, since it's still so early and your abilities and buff/debuffs are probably limited.
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Sep 17, 2016 08:28
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Schwartzcough posted:Oh no, don't change your setup for me; I can mostly follow what's going on. It's just not something that appeals to me, trying to keep track of everything going on all the time while playing. Nah, changing it is fine. It's probably already been noticeable over the LP, but I've been playing around with the UI for a while. A lot of the clutter is surprisingly not that bad when you're playing it (I was on the same boat as you with MMO UI bloat), but I don't think it's particularly great presentation in the LP. There's a few that I'm keeping because of their importance for the role (like the enemy list), but there's still some more things I can try doing with it.
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Sep 17, 2016 23:59
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Schwartzcough posted:and as people are pointing out, the latter isn't even a bad example of an MMO interface, or even bad for XIV I'm sure, since it's still so early and your abilities and buff/debuffs are probably limited. It gets a bit more cluttered, but honestly not by that much. You'll have a max of 4 hotbars, of which you'll prob use like 2-3 in regular runs. Maybe a pet bar if you're an arcanist. You can also adjust the UI as well. Yoshi did a lot to trim the fat from typical MMO interfaces. He took the better ideas from things like WoW (multiple hotbars, bag menus) and its modders (Deadly Boss Mods, the multi-party poo poo) and got rid of poo poo that poisoned the genre (DPS meters. Seriously. Good loving riddance.) It's honestly not as bad as it looks at all, and different classes need to pay attention to different parts of it. It's honestly quite good. My only gripe is the top right health/SP/Hate bars. That's important info and those need to be bigger and better.
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Sep 18, 2016 05:03
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SSNeoman posted:It gets a bit more cluttered, but honestly not by that much. You'll have a max of 4 hotbars, of which you'll prob use like 2-3 in regular runs. Maybe a pet bar if you're an arcanist. You can also adjust the UI as well. Top right bars? Maybe you meant the top left bars. But that is an important point to note: Each piece of the UI is a requirement, one way or another, for different classes and circumstances. The top left health/MP/TP meters are useful for healers to get a gauge on how the party's health is doing and if any action is necessary (I find myself watching that a lot as a healer class, moreso than the rest of it). The enemy gauges (that's the thing on the middle-left) is important for tanking classes to know if the enemy is on you, so they need to pay some attention to that and watch the battlefield for additional threats. As a Damage class? Most you have to worry about is not getting hit or drawing in more than can be handled (oh, and killing the enemy, where the top center bar is important to judge that one). The rest of the UI is honestly semi-important in other circumstances: The chat box is a requirement simply in case someone has to go AFK or there's someone who needs to learn the strategy of certain bosses (which comes important in later areas), the action bars are important to have set so that you have the abilities ready to use and as a check on cooldowns on said abilities, the map is useful to ensure you don't get lost, and the rest of it is either out of the way or removed, yet becomes important one way or another (such as the Gil counter in the bottom right, at the end of the menu selection orbs). You'll see in my screenshots to come that there's quite a bit of difference between Crash's UI setup and my own beyond the change for controller-based action bars, with some UI elements even removed. I guess you could also see that in my videos, but...eh. Also need to check if the next video is clear for LP, too... Edit: Just checked, Video 5 is clear for viewing. I go into both dungeons with randoms, also run a little bit of Marauder for...reasons. I also get a racing chocobo and take it for a spin. TiamosLoren fucked around with this message at 11:51 on Sep 18, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 11:36
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You know what, let's just move this off this page.
Fister Roboto fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Sep 18, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 18:58
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