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Getsuya posted:http://ffxivrealm.com/threads/official-final-fantasy-xiv-naming-conventions.5077/ The naming conventions let me go full  and give my sun-catgirl's name multiple layers of meaning, and as a complete nerdy RP'er, I love them for it. I sincerely wish other RPG settings did that.Now, if you see a sun-catdude running around with "Nunh" as his surname, the proper response is to target them and /doubt.  ReturnOfFable posted:So I logged on today for the anniversary event and Square did something that I thought was really neat. Not kidding, I got a little misty-eyed at the cutscene for the quest.  As tongue-in-cheek as the game often is, it can also be pretty sweet and earnest. It helps that the dude delivering it is Naoki Yoshida's goofy author insert. Of course, my character's incredulous reaction to the sappy display was a wonderful counterpoint to my own:  Fister Roboto posted:Here's a little touch that doesn't really come across in screenshots and is even hard to miss in video: the guard who "finds" a bag of illegal drugs in the merchant's wares actually pulls the bag out of his own back pocket. Basically the Brass Blades are corrupt as poo poo. Ul'dah, like the other city-states of Eorzea, is a terrible place in it's own special way! We're especially going to see this in the upcoming story quests and a few of the class-specific quests here.
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Aug 28, 2014 07:44
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"Answers" also shows up in ARR in two very notable places in the storyline, but this LP isn't going to be seeing them for a very, VERY long time.
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Aug 28, 2014 07:54
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Is "Answers" the "Distant Worlds" of FFXIV?
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Aug 28, 2014 08:54
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If I'm remembering rightly, "Answers" is the one song on the FFXIV soundtrack that will get your youtube video pulled if you dub it over your gameplay or whatever.
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Aug 28, 2014 09:09
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Captain Bravo posted:Is "Answers" the "Distant Worlds" of FFXIV? Yes, pretty much.
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Aug 28, 2014 09:10
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Mind you, the full version of the song is on the "Before Meteor" album, which is the XIV 1.0 soundtrack. The very last days pre-ARR featured the song in much the same way it's played when you visit the event location right now, albeit with different ambience and considerably more ominous imagery. Mazed fucked around with this message at 09:20 on Aug 28, 2014 |
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Aug 28, 2014 09:17
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Given that it's also relevant to the update, I figured I might as well share the stuff about the end of 1.0 in the LP. CrashScreen posted:Bonus: CrashScreen fucked around with this message at 10:58 on Aug 28, 2014 |
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Aug 28, 2014 10:45
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Chapter 3: The Training Wheels are... still on. Last time, we met the proprietress of the Quicksand and registered with the Adventurer's Guild under the name of Crash Screen. They've not realised it's a pseudo name, and I'm hoping it stays that way. We got a little run down of Ul'dah, but we haven't actually explored it yet. Fortunately, Momodi has a task for us that will also help get us familiar with the city.  As pointed out before, the quest marker with the flame effect signifies that it's a main scenario quest. Without this, we can't progress the story.     "If it weren't for aetherytes, travelin' around Eorzea would be a drat sight more troublesome than it is. 'Course, you still need to attune with 'em before you can use 'em, so be sure to do that with the one in the plaza. You ever attuned with an aetheryte before, Crash? If not, just lay your hand on the thing and you'll see what I mean."More troublesome, indeed. Aetherytes are probably the most frequently used mode of travel for Eorzean adventurers, and it existed in 1.0 too. However, because of the requirements to use it, players were often forced to run around to travel between places anyway. This was before players could use Chocobos or other similar modes of transport.  "Assumin' that sword ain't just for show, you might consider trainin' there." "And finally, I want you to visit the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, over on the Steps of Thal."Ul'dah is split into two different maps. The map we're currently on is the Steps of Nald, which explains why the entrace was named the Gate of Nald. The south side of Ul'dah is known as the Steps of Thal. The main street for the Steps of Thal is the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. "Goods from all across Eorzea and beyond turn up there every day. You'll have no trouble findin' armor, weapons, or anythin' else a fledglin' adventurer like yourself might need." "You might say that everythin's for sale here in Ul'dah-as long as you've got the gil." "Just make sure as you don't pay more than you ought, Crash." "There's plenty as won't scruple to swindle unsuspectin' foreigners like yourself, 'specially if they think no one's lookin' out for their best interests." "Which is why I'm givin' you this letter. When you visit the exchange, find a gentleman named Seseroga and give it to him. He'll be happy to tell you about the markets once he's read it."Momodi then raises her hand out towards Crash Screen, offering an invisible item as before. This item is a key item, and won't take up any of the one hundred inventory slots that a player is provided.  "Oh, but before you go, a word of advice: while there're more than a few unsavory characters out there who'll try to take advantage of you, there are also some with honest-to-goodness problems who you should consider offerin' a helpin' hand to." "A lot of folk are lured to this city by the promise of wealth and power. What many of 'em fail to realize is that instead of chasin' after gil the moment they get here, they ought to be makin' friends." "Let it be known that you're willin' to give as much as you get, and opportunities will come your way."If you haven't figured by now, the protagonists of Final Fantasy XIV are silent protagonists. They won't ever say a word.  Before we go off and learn about aetheryte travel, the market, and the Gladiator Guild, let's talk with the patrons of the Quicksand and learn a little bit more about the place first, and who better to start with than Momodi herself?  "With the chaos left in the wake of the Calamity, the townsfolk'll be needin' the help of my patrons more than ever."Unfortunately, despite being on a quest for her, Momodi offers a very stock response. Characters in this game do remember you and your achievements, but those instances are few at the moment. With each major patch, this is expanded upon.  Next, we'll speak to the Innkeep to the left of Momodi, Otopa Pottopa. You'll notice that there is a player to his left named Ninagi Kiryuin. There's actually a decent amount of information we can learn about the player from this image, but we'll talk about those later. Let's speak to Otopa for now.   "Pardon me, what was your name again? Crash Screen? Hmmm...I've heard nothing from Mistress Momodi about this. Alas, without her express permission, I cannot permit you to stay."That's right, you need permission to stay at the Hourglass. Currently, that pretty much means we're bums. We can't even stay at the Inn!  We're presented with a choice. Let's ask a little more about the Hourglass. "The Hourglass is only the most famous inn on the Merchant Strip."I think he's mixing famous with infamous. What kind of Inn turns down travellers until they get special word from a guild? "We have accomodations to satisfy every client's tastes, from lavish suites to simple rooms." "Were circumstances different, I would gladly invite you to make use of our facilities. However, we have had to enact certain policies in the wake of the Calamity and the unpleasantness that followed. Only those who have proven themselves trustworthy are permitted to stay." "Should Mistress Momodi deem you one such individual, you may enjoy our hospitality at will."I should point out that he means that the Hourglass is free to stay in. When we're finally provided entry, it won't cost us a gil to stay there. The Quicksand is also located right next to Pearl Lane, which is a home to a number of refugees. It's a run down street, and many of these refugees sleep in the streets. I wonder if they have anything to do with these policies?  Before we progress with the quest, let's learn a little bit more about the Quicksand.  Over here is a Lalafell named Papasu. She's a waitress here.  Similarly to Otopa, we have a choice of questions to ask Papasu. Except, this time, we actually have a choice. We'll ask about what they do here, first.  I think that Miqo'te just exploded!  "I also help out in the kitchens on occasion. No one makes buttered crumpets as buttery as I do, you know. Next time I whip up a batch, be sure to try one!" "Of course, you ought to try all of our dishes-everything we serve is excellent. Why not have a bite to eat and rest a spell? I promise you won't regret it!"Alright. Let's ask why it's called "The Quicksand" now. "Have a look around you-all manner of folk get caught in the lure of the Quicksand! They gather here to meet and mingle with one another." "'Course, you adventurers are less like to linger long. Aye, your kind is not unlike sand itself-the more tightly we try to hold on to you, the easier it is for you to slip through our fingers..." Jesus Christ.  One neat thing in this game is that if you approach characters that are already engaged in conversation, you'll be able to overhear it.  These conversations aren't usually very informative, but they can be entertaining and bring more life to the game.  Behind Papasu is a desk with many storage units. These contain leves, which are quests that can be repeated. They're more generic and lack a narrative, but their descriptions also provide a little bit more background information in their areas. Like most of the game's content right now, it's yet to be unlocked.  This kind Elezen Conjurer informs us that there's an Alchemist's Guild here. The Alchemist Guild is known as Frondale's Phrontistery, and it serves as Ul'dah's hospital, as well as taking contracts for produce.  After talking with the other NPCs, there isn't really any other new information. They're either drunk or moaning about being unable to trust anyone and how annoying the sand is. I think it's time to leave the Quicksand and carry on with our quest. We head west along Emerald Avenue, towards the Ul'dah Aetheryte Plaza. I have some conversations along the way, but I'll save some of those for a mini-update. For now, I'm going to focus on the Aetheryte Plaza.  And here it is, Ul'dah's aetheryte!  We attune to it, as Momodi suggested. It only takes a couple of seconds to attune. This prompts another cutscene.   Momodi warned us of this. I barely have more than 100 gil! Bloody Ul'dah!   Oh.   "Perchance you have heard of Return and Teleport? Well, these transportation spells make direct use of the aetherytes and their connection to the flow of aether." "But even if you have no intention of wandering beyond the sultante's borders, it would be prudent for you to attune yourself to any aetherytes you encounter from now on."  With the Return spell, I'll now be able to return to the Ul'dah Aetheryte Plaza whenever I lose in combat. It's also a cost-free teleport to whatever aetheryte is set to my home point (which is the Ul'dah Aetheryte Plaza). We can also now teleport to any aetheryte we attune to, which is how they are used as transport. There's a fee for using them; however. How is there a fee? And how do they actually work? Well... Let's go speak to Nenebaru about it! Warning. This is going to get pretty text heavy, so apologies in advance.   As with the last two NPCs with choices, we'll start off with the top question. What is aetherial travel? "In order to understand the workings of aetherial travel, one must first understand the nature of aether itself." "Aether is an invisible, intangible substance that exists all around us." "It flows through every living being, including you and me. It is what sustains us, and without it we would perish." "Once the spirit departs the body due to death, our remains are reduced to aether and returned to the aetherial river known as the Lifestream." "However, it was long ago discovered that, with sufficient control of one's spiritual energies, a man could deliberately reduce his physical form to aether without severing body and soul. And so the spells known as Return and Teleport were born."So, aether is basically just the lifestream of Final Fantasy VII, although there's a little bit more to it in this game. It's our soul, and anything living has aether. It's possible to travel through the Lifestream. It's also consumable, and as such, a very important part of Final Fantasy XIV's story. We'll get to that when the time comes, though. What are aetherytes? "These crystalline agglomerations of aether, which are a common sight throughout Eorzea, are vital to aetherial travel." "By touching an aetheryte, you can attune your body's aether with the crystal." "Should you fall in battle and your body be reduced to aether, you may awaken back at the aetheryte with which you have the strongest resonance-your 'home point.'" "With the proper training, however, you can resist the pull of your home point and travel to a different aetheryte." "This is the technique commonly referred to as 'Teleportation.'" "But know that you can only travel to an aetheryte with which you have previously attuned. When visiting an unfamiliar area, you will do well to seek out the nearest aetheryte before engaging in any activities." "In essence, aetherytes act as lodestones, which allow us to move contrary to the natural flow of the Lifestream. But be fairly warned: to attempt aetherial travel without these lodestones is akin to suicide."I've already mentioned that aetherial travel was less frequently used in 1.0. This is because of how taxing it is on the player character. A consumable known as "anima" was used when teleporting. There was a fixed total that a player could have, and it would regenerate very gradually. It was far too easy to blow it all at once. Now, you may be wondering why anyone even bothers with Chocobo travel when they have aetherial transportation. Anima is exactly why it's infrequent for NPCs to use aetherytes. Nenebaru will explain. What is the difference between Return and Teleport? "Compared to Teleport, Return is less taxing on our spiritual energies, as we are naturally drawn towards our "home point"-the aetheryte with which we have the strongest resonance." "The spell can be cast quite quickly, making it ideal for emergencies." "By way of drawback, you cannot select your destination at will-Return can only send you back to your home point." "Teleport offers greater versatility, in that you can travel to any aetheryte with which you have previously attuned." "However, it requires a great deal of spiritual energy known as "anima" to safely guide one's body and soul to the weaker aetherial beacon. Do not worry, though-many adventurers recover quickly and are more than capable of frequent travel. That is, assuming they can afford the costs involved." "You see, in the Calamity, many of the aetheryte camps across Eorzea were completely destroyed. Rebuilding these camps came at a great expense, and the money which made this possible was lent by certain wealthy individuals." "This debt is being repaid to this day, and it is for this reason that we must levy a fee upon those who use the Teleport spell."There's actually another possible reason for adventurers having pretty much unlimited anima, but we'd be getting ahead of ourselves there. It's worth noting that the appearance of aetheryte crystals has changed a lot since the calamity.  The aetheryte, itself, used to be a lot smaller. The technology is slightly different, as it was Sharlayan in nature. Sharlayan is the name of two city states in Final Fantasy XIV; although, the city located in Aldenard (the mass of land of which Ul'dah is on) is now abandoned. It's quite clear that the Sharlayans were more advanced in aetherial science. Littered around the city states are smaller aetherytes, for inter-city travel. They're a quick way to get around, but they really emphasise a problem with aetheryte travel in this game. It just makes the world feel so very small, and it makes it so easy to miss interesting things or to not learn the map. I recommend just running about instead of relying too heavily on aetherial transportation. It's worth it!  Next time, we're going to finish this quest. Because I want to pace this so that I'm not overwhelming everyone with exposition, but I still want to hurry along a bit so we can begin with the story, I'll be releasing the next update earlier than usual. Consider them part of the same chapter. Bonus Xenoveritas posted:it's perfectly possible to leave the city before you attune to the Aetheryte, engage in combat, and die. What happens if you do this before you learn Return and before you've attuned to the Aetheryte?  Here's a view of the Gate of Thal from Spineless Basin in central Thanalan.  And here's a view of Ul'dah at night, from western Thanalan. Credit goes to Smart Car for this pretty cool shot. CrashScreen fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Aug 31, 2014 |
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Aug 30, 2014 01:25
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You know, I've got to say that I really like the design of the Lalafell in this game. They seem much more... mature, than the Tarutaru from ffxi. All tarutaru basically looked like little kids, which made some of the scenes with Shantotto hilarious, but also was kind of a limiting design. In this game, they're obviously still the tiny people, but their design actually has some character now, and there's a much clearer resemblance with the other races of Eorzea. Compare the two:  I mean, yeah, better graphics are better graphics, but even taking away the difference in art quality, still a huge change in design, and I think it works out for the better.
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Aug 30, 2014 01:54
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Tarutaru were ridiculous, with their comically tiny cartoon legs poking out of their bizarre pear-shaped bodies. Thank goodness they put a little more thought into making Lalafell look like an actual race that could exist.
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Aug 30, 2014 02:02
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Oh god, I spent quite a bit of time in this game until I got worn out with trying to get good with all the end game content (i didn't even finish the first level of the then hardest dungeon in the game) and I stopped playing around January when i just felt like i didn't have enough time to play it anymore. Not that i didn't have some pretty good times though! (don't have any fun/cool pictures saved though  )
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Aug 30, 2014 02:49
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Captain Bravo posted:You know, I've got to say that I really like the design of the Lalafell in this game. They seem much more... mature, than the Tarutaru from ffxi. All tarutaru basically looked like little kids, which made some of the scenes with Shantotto hilarious, but also was kind of a limiting design. In this game, they're obviously still the tiny people, but their design actually has some character now, and there's a much clearer resemblance with the other races of Eorzea. Compare the two: On the other hand, Momodi looks more mature than most other lalafells. Especially player lalafells.
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Aug 30, 2014 03:07
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Momodi is one of my favourite designs for that very reason. As for maturity, well...
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Aug 30, 2014 11:50
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So do you get benefits while resting at an inn or why do you need to complete a quest first to be able to do it?
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Aug 30, 2014 16:40
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Torrannor posted:So do you get benefits while resting at an inn or why do you need to complete a quest first to be able to do it? 'Resting' happens as you spend time in cities/towns, inns have nothing to do with that. There are benefits to an inn room, but it's not the same as in, say, World of Warcraft where it was more XP.
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Aug 30, 2014 16:52
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Basically, you used to only get a rested bonus in the city states when resting at an Inn. It was the sanctuary bonus I mentioned in the second update that provides 50% exp up to a certain amount. In 2.1, which was last November, the city states also became sanctuaries, so there wasn't as much need for an Inn any more. Now, though, you can use the Inn to call an aesthetician or play mini-games. It's really the only benefit to it at the moment. Currently, there's also only two mini-games, but it'll be a while before I get to either (and the second one is unlockable as part of a seasonal event, so it's available for a limited time).
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Aug 30, 2014 17:23
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Hahaha you got photobombed by a pubbie 
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Aug 30, 2014 18:35
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I've made the character's lodestone page settings completely public, just in case it might interest anyone to see how progress is coming along outside of what has been posted. I'm also probably going to make a small update just to show off all of the dialogue in the Quicksand. There's still a few more NPCs, and it's nice flavour, but it's also a completely optional read in the grand scheme of things. I'll be doing the same for every new area we get to. It should be posted early tomorrow. CrashScreen fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Aug 31, 2014 |
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Aug 31, 2014 03:47
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CrashScreen posted:With the Return spell, I'll now be able to return to the Ul'dah Aetheryte Plaza whenever I lose in combat. It's also a cost-free teleport to whatever aetheryte is set to my home point (which is the Ul'dah Aetheryte Plaza). We can also now teleport to any aetheryte we attune to, which is how they are used as transport. There's a fee for using them; however. How is there a fee? And how do they actually work? Well... Let's go speak to Nenebaru about it! Might as well mention this since I actually tested it out once (during the PS4 beta): it's perfectly possible to leave the city before you attune to the Aetheryte, engage in combat, and die. What happens if you do this before you learn Return and before you've attuned to the Aetheryte? You return to the city's Aetheryte anyway. So you can't run out and unexpectedly perma-die despite it making little story sense.
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Aug 31, 2014 16:30
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Xenoveritas posted:Might as well mention this since I actually tested it out once (during the PS4 beta): it's perfectly possible to leave the city before you attune to the Aetheryte, engage in combat, and die. What happens if you do this before you learn Return and before you've attuned to the Aetheryte? Yeah, you start out automatically attuned to your starting city's Aetheryte precisely so that people can avoid issues like that. The actual attunement to it is just a formality to obtain Teleport and Return.
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Aug 31, 2014 16:34
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Chapter 3.1: Exploring and talking with the locals, also Chocobo travel that we can't use! We're back with a mild distraction. I'm taking a quick break from the quest to quickly show off some of the NPCs in the areas we've wandered so far. This won't be a major update, but I wanted to show off how much attention is going on into the background.  We're in the Quicksand right now, but we've already spoken to both Momodi and Otopa. You'll notice the arms mender to our left, so let's quickly take a look at that before we continue.  Unfortunately, Zuzutyro doesn't have any dialogue at all, but he does provide a service. As you use gear in combat, it will degrade. Speaking to an arms mender will allow you to repair that gear for a fee. Later on we'll also have the option to repair our own gear. The outfit we're wearing is a Hyuran set, and it's (obviously) the default gear that you start the game with as a Hyur. Again, we'll be looking at this stuff a bit later. If you can't tell by it's condition value, I've already used it in a fight. This was all recorded a bit later after the current quest.  Behind Zuzutyro is the entrance to the Hourglass. We won't actually be using these steps, as talking to Otopa will allow you to transition immediately inside your inn room.  To Momodi's left is a lone Lalafell. I wonder what brings him?  "Somehow the ale tastes sweeter when drunk in her presence..."  Hanging around close to the Quickand entrance from Ruby Road Exchange is Botulf. "Three reasons for that-too many trends, too many rivals, and too many lies." Basically, Ul'dah can be pretty treacherous for merchants too. It's hard to too match what's currently in demand, and there are many hired groups that will take out the competition. Hell, even Ul'dah's own policing force, the Brass Blades, are trouble. In the background, we can see a player named Tiger Fox. To the left of their name is an icon, like a film. This tells us that they're in a cutscene right now. They also have a name between arrows, just like Zuzutyro. It's a little different, but it also tells us what group they belong to.  Behind Botulf is Kekezani, dozing off on a barrel. Seems like he's having a nice dream.  Marteire is offering some friendly advice, which is uncharacteristic of someone from Ul'dah. I'm guessing he's not from around here. "Even nature conspires against us here. The heat is unbearable, and the sand-gods, the sand! It finds its way into every crack and crevasse in your body!"  Sitting together across from Momodi is a group of adventurers. There are a few ruins in Thanalan, so it's hard to tell exactly where they're referring to. This could easily be a joke about farming dungeons for loot, though, so that could be a reference to the Sunken Temple of Qarn located in southern Thanalan.  #adventuringlife  This board doesn't serve any gameplay function, but there's a couple of them about in the Quicksand.  Let's take a quick look outside, and check out what's going on in Emerald Avenue. It doesn't show in screenshots very well, but doors and gates will open automatically for the player as they approach it.  It's more populated than it was before, but that was because we were in an instance. Instances don't just purge your world of other players-they also usually remove NPCs from the scene too. Just at the steps is a sellsword and his client. The dude looks tough.  Another adventurer named Emelin is enjoying the water feature outside the Quicksand. He seems pretty unsure about whether to accept a quest. It's worth noting that you can accept up to 30 quests at a time, so players shouldn't have to worry about being in his situation. However, only 5 quests will display in the duty list, which is a list of objectives for each quest that is located under the radar-at least, by default. You'll be able to see this in the previous and next update. Furthermore, the radar will show you any nearby quests that you can accept, but will only show quest objectives for the quests in your duty list. If you open up your journal, you can toggle an option next to the quest's name to give it priority.  Next to the Gate of Nald is Mimigun, the Chocokeep. Mimigun can rent chocobos to players once they've hit level 10. Much like in any other Final Fantasy game, chocobos are giant yellow birds that players can mount. They're a common element in all the Final Fantasy games. Just in case it's not clear: Mimigun is a Lalafell in a chocobo costume. That mask is actually in the game as a level 35 equipment for your head, but it's not currently available to obtain in the game. It was originally an award for an achievement in 1.0, and they're also untradeable, so only player characters from the Sixth Astral Era will be able to equip them currently. It's a shame, because it's got surprisingly really good stats for its level.  We've got two real choices here, so let's learn a bit about both. Chocobo Porter  "If you came looking to hire a chocobo porter, I'm afraid I must disappoint you. Our birds are very fickle creatures and tend to become agitated around those with a certain lack of demeanor. Return once you have proven you can handle yourself, and I will personally see that you are assigned our best bird."The game kindly informs us that we won't be able to mount a chocobo until we're level 10. Let's try renting a chocobo. Rent a Chocobo "You must forgive me, but I am afraid my superiors would deem it inappropriate if I granted someone so obviously and painfully new to adventuring leave to take the stable's bird out beyond the city walls without proper supervision."Anyway, that's enough about a feature we can't yet use.   To the left of the Quicksand is an aethernet shard. By this point, I had found all the aethernet shards in Ul'dah, which unlocked a teleport to just outside the three gates.  The Brass Blade guarding the Gate of Nald has some sound advice for us.  We've also got a merchant getting a little bit of a telling off beside the gate, too.  There's a festival currently going on across the former Eorzean Alliance. Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, and Ul'dah have decorations in celebration of the Moonfire Faire. At night time, there are fire works. The locked quest visible on Ruby Road Exchange is the quest for the Moonfire Faire, but I'll need to be level 15 to unlock it. I'll be showing it off later.  The Ruby Road Exchange is a market place, but it's not one that player's will frequent. We can buy the default gear for any race and gender here, but only the male Hyur gear can be equipped. There are also linkshells and minions, but I'll cover those in the next mini-update. Okay, so at the size of this post so far, it's not really a mini update.  "Those night-blooms are for us, for the living. Shall we scan the sky anxious as smallholders, cringing at every strange light? Or shall we remember what it was to stand tall and breathe deep?" This off-duty officer is part of the current seasonal event. Coinciding with the game's anniversary, and running in tandem with the Moonfire Faire is The Rising. Both the Moonfire Faire and The Rising will end on September 8th, 2014.  There are no fireworks right now, but that's because it's daylight. While we're looking in that direction, though, do you see that gate? In 1.0, that area was accessible. Conversely, the Gate of Nald and Gate of Thal were locked. 1.0 had no separate zones. Instead, it had loading corridors, and there was an entrance just beside the two gates that would lead to this gate and other similar gates. Those corridors are now all sealed off in A Realm Reborn, and a Brass Blade patrols this particular one.  Although rare, there are children for some of the races in this game. It's an interesting way to see how the races develop over time. Lalafells, in particular, don't seem to change very much from when they were children.  Our buddy Wymond is chilling next to his buddy. The steps to the right of the screen lead to the aetheryte. Let's see what Wymond says.  "Keeping that coinpurse bulging, are we? They say the streets of Ul'dah are made o'gold, but it's piles o'gil what pave your way." Hooray!  This is Sunsilk Tapestries, which is run by the Weaver's Guild. Their items are often in high demand, and they export all across the world. Players will be able to purchase equipment crafted by weavers here.  I don't think this offer is available for player characters.  This is pretty absurd, if you think about it. A towering Roegadyn can equip what a tiny Lalafell also equips, and it'll fit fine. Obviously, this is because it's gameplay. This is a nice little reference to that, at least. Also, you'll notice that Rianne bows whenever you approach.  The available equipment isn't very expensive, but it's all between level 20 and 35. We won't be able to equip any of it in a long time.  Lastly, we'll end our little exploration adventure here with a brand new NPC to Ul'dah. The Skywatcher. Introduced in patch 2.35, the Skywatcher serves to predict the weather for players. There is content in the game that relies on specific weather conditions, so this lets players plan ahead. The time is based on Eorzean Time, as displayed in the top right corner of the screen.  Why, yes! Yes, I would!  When you talk to a Skywatcher, this menu pops up on screen. Selecting an area will give you a more in depth description. "In Ul'dah it is currently clear. The forecast calls for continued clear skies, followed by fair. Tomorrow at this time, the area should be rainy." So there we go. This was certainly a lot larger than I was expecting, but we got to check out a couple of new things at least! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm away to enjoy the last day of good weather. Bonus  I waited until night to get a shot of the fireworks, but it's kind of difficult to get a good view in Ul'dah. I also made some dumb video using a dance unlocked through the Moonfire Faire quests while watching the fireworks.
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Aug 31, 2014 19:52
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Xenoveritas posted:Might as well mention this since I actually tested it out once (during the PS4 beta): it's perfectly possible to leave the city before you attune to the Aetheryte, engage in combat, and die. What happens if you do this before you learn Return and before you've attuned to the Aetheryte? Y'know, for some reason it never crossed my mind to try that. It makes sense (albeit, not in terms of lore). I quoted your post in that update. It's an interesting little detail.
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Aug 31, 2014 20:00
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That was not much of a dance. That weather forecaster is a nice idea. I assume you need certain extreme weather to forger special gear? Or is weather important for some quests?
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Aug 31, 2014 20:08
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Torrannor posted:That was not much of a dance. It's a bon dance, a traditional Japanese dance typically done in large groups at festivals. The Moonfire Faire is basically just a Japanese summer festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g58qwUQtoG8
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Aug 31, 2014 20:20
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Torrannor posted:That was not much of a dance. It's related to some achievements in game but that's about it.
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Aug 31, 2014 21:09
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DarkHamsterlord posted:It's a bon dance, a traditional Japanese dance typically done in large groups at festivals. The Moonfire Faire is basically just a Japanese summer festival. That's cool, but seeing it was disappointing after the game called it "explosive."
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Aug 31, 2014 22:18
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It's just a pun, because it's the Moonfire Faire dance. The whole theme for the seasonal event originally was adventurers fighting bombards. The dance itself was also from 1.0.
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Aug 31, 2014 23:50
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/bombdance (or bon odori, whatever) is just the chillest dance ever. Nearly every content patch released thus far has added new dances to the game. This is one of the reasons why FFXIV is so great.
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Sep 1, 2014 00:26
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Gotta say this lp plus the free weekend has got me playing again. Such a solidly entertaining MMO for anyone who at all likes Final Fantasy.
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Sep 1, 2014 01:53
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Torrannor posted:That was not much of a dance. Weather's mostly important for a certain gathering class. It some items can only be gathered under special weather conditions.
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Sep 1, 2014 08:56
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So I know we haven't even seen combat yet, but what made you pick Gladiator for the LP? I was really looking forward to seeing a Thaumaturge in action.
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Sep 1, 2014 12:56
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Arcade Rabbit posted:So I know we haven't even seen combat yet, but what made you pick Gladiator for the LP? I was really looking forward to seeing a Thaumaturge in action. I'll be showing off Thaumaturge too. Once I reach level 30, I'll be letting the thread vote the next combat class to show off, while I progress the main scenario as the Gladiator. I chose Gladiator for Ul'dah, but out of the Ul'dah classes I selected it because it was the one I'm most familiar with, and because it's a popular class for new players to use, but very misunderstood. I also think tank classes get the best view of combat, and make everything the bosses do a lot more relevant, so it's a good way to show off bosses too. It also lets me eat a lot of dumb attacks so I can show them off and their effect as well.
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Sep 1, 2014 13:06
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CrashScreen posted:I chose Gladiator for Ul'dah, but out of the Ul'dah classes I selected it because it was the one I'm most familiar with, and because it's a popular class for new players to use, but very misunderstood. I also think tank classes get the best view of combat, and make everything the bosses do a lot more relevant, so it's a good way to show off bosses too. It also lets me eat a lot of dumb attacks so I can show them off and their effect as well. I'll have you know that Conjurers/White Mages also get a very good view of the combat and the bosses. I mean, when I stand far away, I can see everything perfectly! ...But yeah, I agree that tanks probably can show off the effects of attacks much better than any other class, which is a good thing to do in a let's play.
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Sep 1, 2014 13:54
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I paid much more attention to everything around me as a tank than as a damage dealer in WoW. As a tank you position bosses correctly, look out for additional spawning monsters and take especially great care not to stand in things that one-shot you, because losing a tank is nearly always a wipe. On the other hand, racing with others to be first on the damage meters makes you a bit less attentive to you surroundings. So you can play as every job by simply equipping the relevant weapon? Could you decide to turn Crash Course into a full time healer? Would you be as strong as someone who started as conjurer?
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Sep 1, 2014 14:00
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Torrannor posted:I paid much more attention to everything around me as a tank than as a damage dealer in WoW. As a tank you position bosses correctly, look out for additional spawning monsters and take especially great care not to stand in things that one-shot you, because losing a tank is nearly always a wipe. On the other hand, racing with others to be first on the damage meters makes you a bit less attentive to you surroundings. Yup. Currently in my recording, I've just unlocked the armory system. It shouldn't be very far from where we are. It'll be a few updates away, but if I can keep a decent pace I'll be able to show exactly how it works reasonably soon. Basically, though, your attributes are based on your class. My character can be whatever he wishes.
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Sep 1, 2014 14:07
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I've been PLD tanking for my group of friends. I'm going to have to disagree that tanks get the best view for fights. Especially for bigger fights down the line when you have bigger critters towering over you. Range dps / healers definitely get to see the bulk of everything. But earlier content is nice in the eyes of melee classes as you are currently heading into. Also, this game is grand and thanks for LPing it 
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Sep 1, 2014 23:14
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Tanking has its ups and downs. The "best view" thing certainly applies in the sense that you're the enemy's focus and it can be imagined as a personal battle against them while everyone else is your backup. At the same time, though, lots of fights are arranged so that the tank has little to do but maintain threat, while everyone else gets to deal with all the other, occasionally rather fun stuff going on. By the way, if we get to vote at all on character progression, I suggest that our man Crash drops Gladiator once he hits 34 (where the last useful cross-class ability is learned) and keeps going with Marauder. Or if not that, at least shows off the other style of tanking. 
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Sep 2, 2014 00:00
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Yeah, I definitely at least plan to properly show off each class. Specifically post-50, the plan is to eventually use both tanking classes interchangeably. I really love the quests for the other, so it's definitely getting some spotlight. Whatever the thread favours will come first, though. At level ten, I'll be taking votes for crafting and gathering, too. CrashScreen fucked around with this message at 20:35 on Sep 2, 2014 |
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Sep 2, 2014 20:26
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Chapter 4: The Training Wheels are... still, still on. We've been introduced to the Aetheryte-a crystal that players can teleport to by travelling through the aether. With that off of Momodi's task list, we're off to go visit the Gladiators' Guild.  We begin wi-, oh. It appears someone is whispering to us. One thing to note is that new players attract a lot of attention from Free Companies. What are Free Companies? They're basically just player groups. We'll be talking about them later, so I'm not interested in joining this one and reject them. This person was very polite about it, but most Free Companies will just send an automated invite in the form of a notification with a timer. They won't talk to you, and won't explain their group. Having a larger number of players makes accruing a type of score much easier, so these groups tend to treat you as a number.  We reach outside of the Gladiators' Guild, but there seems to be some commotion outside. The dialogue is read right to left in this instance, but the order varies depending on who starts talking first. We can't really interact with them, since they're kind of busy, but there's an onlooker that we can speak to.  Something tells me that her beloved Fran is the blonde haired one. Anyway, let's head inside.  The Coliseum seems rather popular. Just outside are two characters looking to recruit new members to the guild. I guess they're after people like me. Beside them is what looks like a couple reading tonight's billing. Georg Galleongut doesn't sound like a Roegadyn name, so it looks like they have at least a couple of matches lined up  "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Tonight's main event: the prince of the bloodsands and pride of Ul'dah, the suave southern dandy-Franz the Fair!" Remember when I said that Ul'dah is split into two? Here is what the zone line looks like. Passing through here will lead us into the next map. The Coliseum and Gladiators' Guild are through here, in the Steps of Thal.  In the middle of the Coliseum is the arena. Spectators can watch from the ground floor, elevated above the action. There is also a higher view, though that's out of our reach. Surrounding the room is a number of gladiators and spectators.   These Gridanians aren't impressed.  I feel sorry for this guy. He doesn't know how right he is. Anyway, to his left is the entrance to the Gladiator's Guild.  And there she is: our objective and guild receptionist, Lulutsu.   "Tell me, are you new to the thrills of mortal combat? Well, whether you are or not, you are new to us!" "If you would take your place in these hallowed halls, you must be willing and ready to undergo the most rigorous training. You must endure cuts and bruises beyond counting, and like as not far worse." "A daunting prospect, I concede-but there is no other way if you mean to take to the bloodsands one day. And why wouldn't you? The Coliseum is only the most celebrated place of public entertainment in all of Ul'dah!"Actually, you can't fight in the bloodsands.  It's a feature that isn't in this game. Interestingly, it was available in 1.0, although as part of the original gladiator quests. I suppose, Lulutsu does state you may fight on it "one day", so it may get implemented in a future patch. "Where else could a poor man amass a fortune so vast as to one day allow him to claim a seat on the Syndicate?"This is actually a reference to a character we'll be meeting later on, named Raubahn. Final Fantasy XI players may recognise the name, but there aren't too many similarities there. "Ahhh...there's not an Ul'dahn alive who isn't inspired by the rise of the self-made man." "And there is no truer embodiment of this than the gladiator who wins riches and fame with his sword." "Throughout its long and storied history, this guild has nurtured countless champions." "Our training methods are second to none, and our members ever strive to develop new techniques." "If you desire true glory-to fight and triumph, 'midst the roar of ten thousand voices-then this is where you belong, adventurer." "...Think of it. Think of your legacy. And if your soul stirs...join us." And that's us done with the Gladiators' Guild for now. We're now free to join the guild, but we won't for now. I'll save that for the next update, and we can talk more about classes and such then too. That's when we'll actually get our first piece of combat. For now, we have one last objective to do before we return to Momodi. The next objective is also in the Steps of Thal, so we won't need to change map, but it's certainly not in the Coliseum.  On the way out of the Coliseum, I find an aethernet shard. If you notice, it's much smaller than the aethernet we last saw. This is because these shards only allow you to travel within the city. They'll teleport you to other shards, but will not teleport you anywhere outside the city. You may use them by simply interacting with them, rather than using the teleport menu.  We travel past the Gold Court...  ... through Pearl's Lane...  ... and into the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, where our next objective, Seseroga, is.   "Ah, you would have me teach you the ways of the marketplace? Very wise. As for my fee... What? You expect me to do it for free!? Surely you jest."Haha, good one! We've already had that done to us before, though. "My dear adventurer, when you ask an Ul'dahn for a favor, you should at least try to make it worth his while. Judging by your garb, I rather doubt you could afford my services, but the fact you offer nothing is laughable."He wasn't joking!   This is when the game introduces us to handing items over to NPCs. It's pretty simple really. The tutorial explains that you drag and drop the item onto it's icon in the Item Request window, but frankly, there's no point. Save yourself the hassle and just right click the item icon, and it will bring up the item for you. I didn't capture that here, because I was too busy mashing the 0 key on the number pad (which is like X on the PS3/PS4 controller). That also does the trick, except that you may still need to browse your inventory for it if it's not a key item or you have many key items. You'll probably see the right click method in another screenshot. This key item was also what Momodi gave us. Do you see the greyed out icon at the top right of that window? That brings us back to our usual inventory, which is a similar grid. In the inventory, there will be an icon to swap over to key items as well.  Handing Seseroga the item will result in another small cutscene.  "I shall be brief, and you shall be attentive."He doesn't seem very happy that he isn't profiting out of this. I guess this is an Ul'dahn for you.  "Being advantageously situated in relation to the other city-states, Ul'dah's markets have ever served as botht he literal and figurative centers of Eorzean commerce."This is actually quite true. In 1.0, Ul'dah was the most populated city-state because of how conveniently located it is. It resulted in a lot of server strain and crashing, and Square-Enix had to add the Quicksand's entrance in Pearl's Lane in order to try and reduce that strain a little. This isn't quite so true in A Realm Reborn, as a result of the virtually unrestricted teleporting. Still, it's rare to see Ul'dah empty, even despite that. There is now a more popular city, but it's a long way away yet. "All the great overland trade routes lead to our city, and the majority of maritime trade between Vylbrand and Aldernard passes through our ports."As a reminder, Aldenard is the name of the largest landmass of the Eorzean continent, whereas Vylbrand is the name of an island just off of Aldenard's shore. The only city state on Vylbrand is Limsa Lominsa, the pirate state. Thanalan is located on the south-west of Aldernard, which is directly across from Vylbrand. Besides Airship, the only other way to reach Limsa Lominsa is by taking a ship located at a Thanalan port. "Because of this, countless companies and consortia have chosen Ul'dah as their base of operations. They see to it that this marketplace is awash with merchants and moneylenders, day and night." "Surely there's something you seek, adventurer? A deadlier sword, perhaps, or a shinier trinket? Whatever it is you want, the exchange will have it."We're currently standing in the middle of the avenue, and Seseroga explains the layout of the market.  "To the north, you will find merchants peddling armor and accessories, curatives and crafting materials." "And to the south, you will find weapons, tools, and an assortment of other useful items for sale."  "My regards to Momodi. Now, off with you!" And that's us done with the objective. I can still interact with Seseroga, so let's quickly have a look at what he has to say. "Try not to become too engrossed in shopping, adventurer. While you haggle over some overpriced curiosity, a cutpurse might be eyeing you."Well, I'm certainly glad he didn't charge us for that extra advice. Anyway, it's time to go hand in our objective.  It's certainly a lot busier than the cutscene makes it look. There's a surprising lack of Final Fantasy character names here, but rest assured, there are many players lacking creativity around. Not that I'm really one to talk.  We return to Momodi to finish up our quest. "Aye, well, Ul'dah's a big place with lots to see and do-but wanderin' around aimlessly don't pay the bills. If you're serious about makin' a livin' here, you'll need to remember where things are." "So when you go explorin', explore like you've got a purpose, eh?"  And we're done! With that, we're almost done with the introduction. Next up is comba-... !  Well, I suppose this is as good of a place as any to end the update. Bonus  Ul'dah at night with the remaining moon and symbol of Menphina, the Lover. Before the Calamity, the moon was once seen with a companion-a smaller moon known as Dalamud that was also white in appearance. At least, until the Seventh Umbral Era dawn closer. Progress  Unfortunately, city-state maps will always automatically be completed. Therefore, I can't show you exclusively where I've been. This is a map of the Steps of Nald, in Ul'dah. Any sections of the map that fade are sections that lead into other maps. We've still to see Ruby Road Exchange and anything south of The Rudius. If you click the map, it will reveal the map with all of the icons and text.  This is a map of the Steps of Thal. We've still to actually explore any of it properly, but we've seen the Coliseum and Sapphire Avenue Exchange. Clicking the map will reveal all the names of places. So far, we've just looked at the very edges of both west and east sides. There is also an upper level known as Hustings Strip, but it should be a little while before we get to see it. CrashScreen fucked around with this message at 12:00 on Sep 4, 2014 |
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Sep 3, 2014 10:27
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So, a quick question. I've already posted five different updates. I'm trying to get through the early introduction quickly so we can really get to the game (even if it's still in a tutorial), but I still want to make sure it's good and enjoyable to read. How has it been so far? I also posted an update focusing mostly on exploring where we've been and looking at all the dialogue. Was that interesting, or not really worth it? Some feedback on how it's been so far would be great. I'll be throwing up one of those minor updates for the market place and coliseum, but I'm also sitting on the update with the next quest and some combat. The combat update will likely either be at the start of next week, or the very end of this week. After that, depending on the response to this, I may either continue to do the exploration type post, or skip it and do it how I have without them.
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Sep 3, 2014 22:34
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