News
Hidden Artifacts Event Reveals More Concept Art for 2.0
by Orophen , 2012 May 16
Can’t wait to get your hands on more information about the upcoming version 2.0? It just so happens that the dev team has been talked into sharing more concept art with us. But only if you like puzzles. Specifically quizzes. That’s right, the concept art is hidden behind a series of panels, and the players will be given a series of questions on the official forums. It’s up to the players to answer each question, and for every question that’s answered correctly, another panel will be revealed. Already one question has been answered at the time of writing this, but what’s been revealed doesn’t tell us much.
The dev team is such a tease, no? All kidding aside, this is an actual official event, and you can read all the details about it below.
UPDATE #6 – 5/19/12 – 12:49 AM PST
All of the English forum questions have been answered, and most of the panels for all of the artwork have been revealed. As far as the other language forums go, all but Question 9 in the French language forums have been answered.
Get Yourself A Job With The FFXIV Dev Team
by Orophen , 2012 May 14
The FFXIV Dev Team is currently hiring English Localization Team Members for the development of Final Fantasy XIV. More or less a dream job for most players, localization involves the translation of the game content into other languages. With the release of the beta version of FFXIV 2.0 right around the corner, it makes sense that the Dev Team is ramping up their pace in order to get the game’s relaunch out on time. Additional localization team members could be a part of this push.
So for those of you whose only wish was the chance to rub elbows with the saviors of FFXIV, here’s your chance. Of course, the job doesn’t come without requirements:
Requirements
A firm but loving grasp of the English language
Do you wield the centuries-old lexicon like a snake-fearing archaeologist wields a whip? Is your wit as sharp as a Tonberry knife after a few hours on the whetstone? Do your turn-ons include semicolons, gerunds, and Is before Es (except after Cs)?
Predict the Fall of Garuda: Winners Announced!
by Orophen , 2012 April 27
It’s a confirmed kill! Garuda has officially been toppled from atop her roost in the Howling Eye, her wings clipped and her plumage plucked! The time of death has been released, and we are happy to announce the winners of the Predict the Fall of Garuda contest!
Results
Garuda, primal of wind and fury of the storm, was bested in battle 7 hours 59 minutes and 44 seconds after her descent to Eorzea by the cunning and valiant adventurers of Durandal!
And so the correct answer to the Predict the Fall of Garuda contest is 7 hours and 59 minutes! Due to the three-hour emergency maintenance that occurred, we are also recognizing 10 hours and 59 minutes as a perfect prediction.
Winners
★Perfect prediction winners:
Beneath Garuda’s Shadow
by Orophen , 2012 April 25
High above the Twelveswood, the raven circles, evermore seeking out truth hidden amongst the shadows of the trees. In today’s edition, field correspondent Oliver Goodfellow reports on the threat presented by the appearance of Gridania’s sworn enemy, the primal Garuda.
Garuda, Capricious Empress of Birds
Eyewitness reports of a “great winged monster” haunting the outskirts of Quarrymill have sent the Order of the Twin Adder into a flurry of preparation. It appears that the upper echelons of the Order believe the feathered beast to be none other than Garuda herself, and have placed the Grand Company on high alert.
With the ominous change that has befallen Dalamud, it is tempting to believe rumors heralding the Seventh Umbral Era’s imminent arrival and give in to crippling despair. But no, I cannot indulge such selfish desires while a threat most real and solid exists within arm’s reach. I shall steel my nerves and see for myself just what manner of being this Garuda may be. It must be noted here that this article could not have been penned without the invaluable cooperation of Bowlord Lewin and his extensive knowledge of Ixali history.
Garuda Takes To The Skies in Primal Battle Preview (Video)
by Orophen , 2012 April 24
During a recent Final Fantasy XIV contest released by SE for the introduction of Patch 1.22, a big deal was made about the upcoming Garuda Primal Battle not just being your average Primal Battle. Big claims were made and fighting words were spoken. Well, today, we got a taste of what that battle will be like for the adventurers of Eorzea, thanks to a video preview released earlier this morning. The battle is aptly named The Howling Eye and just from looking at the video you can tell that Garuda means business.
That and the fact that Garuda is credited with defeating the Lord of Snakes, consuming his mortal flesh, and now has a taste for land-bound creatures. No wonder she looks at you with those creepy eyes.
This is coming on the heels of a claim by the lead developer of the Primal Battles, stating that “…Garuda is going to be quite a bit stronger than Ifrit and Good King Moggle Mog XII!” This is good news for a number of players in the community that have been complaining that there just isn’t enough challenge in FFXIV to hold their interest. With numerous adds, the need to take cover behind objects, a couple of 2.5K+ damage moves, and the ability to split herself into three different copies that all attack the party at the same time, it certainly looks like the gauntlet has been thrown down by the devs.
Garuda Weapon Rewards Sneak Peak (Video)
by Orophen , 2012 April 23
Greetings, fellow adventurers of Eorzea!
Today, the submission period for “Predict the Fall of Garuda!” has come to an end. We would like to thank all of you who have participated.
Since the submission came to an end, we assume that many of you are anxious to know what the actual Garuda weapons will look like. Yes, yes, we know what you want next.
In response to your expectations, we would like to give a special premier on the video footage of Garuda weapons, which you can obatin by slaining the primal Garuda.
Hopefully, we should be able to introduce the battle against primal Garuda in the topics along with the video tomorrow but for now, please see the gallant figure of the seven mighty gales ready to gust through Eorzea.
New Weapon Recipes for Patch 1.22 (Video)
by Orophen , 2012 April 23
Some very… unique, all-new weapon designs are set to appear with the release of the upcoming patch 1.22. I say unique because, whoever designed these puppies didn’t spare any of the old imagination juice to create them. The new weapons range from blocks that grow into giant square bricks that glow with molten-colored lines when you put them on your fists, to a long cane with spinning orbs that seem made to resemble the world Hydaelyn and her moons. If you can call these weapon designs anything, they are certainly interesting. All of the designs have at least some sort of extending action or mechanical moving parts when you whip them out. They’ve included just about everything but kung-fu grip.
These weapons are just part of a new batch of new crafting recipes for weapons, armor, and accessories being prepared for patch 1.22. According to the lore released with the announcement, some of the weapons seem as though they will be crafted with materials like darksteel ore and gryphon hide, so Disciples of the Land classes may also get something out of this update too. Although weapons have been planned for all classes, only weapons for gladiator, pugilist, marauder, and lancer are set for the release of Patch 1.22. Weapons for other classes are planned for release sometime after patch 1.22a. As for the weapon designs, well you’ll have to see those for yourself in the preview video below.
FFXIV on the Campaign Trail for 2012
by Orophen , 2012 April 20
It looks like the machine behind Final Fantasy XIV has finally began to churn as we’re beginning to see the first attempts to promote the game and win back customers. FFXIV has changed a lot since it’s beleaguered release back in September 2010. Those changes have marked a decidedly different turn for the concept of the game, culminating in the upcoming revamp labeled Version 2.0. In order to get the word out about how much the game is changing, SE is pushing forward with a two pronged attack: the Legacy Campaign, and the Welcome Back Campaign.
The Legacy Campaign
The Legacy Campaign is all about rewarding the current players who have stood by the game through the various patches. But in order to be eligible for these rewards, you will need to have paid for at least 90 days of consecutive service between January 6, 2012 and the start of Version 2.0 beta testing. Are the rewards worth it? I’d say they are, since the linchpin of the Legacy Campaign is all about the subscription fees. When 2.0 rolls around, subscription plans will be revamped, with an entry level plan that allows for one character per world for $12.99, and a standard plan that allows for 8 characters per world for $14.99.
Letter from the Producer XXVII
by Orophen , 2012 April 20
Hello again, all you FFXIVers out there! Yoshi-P here, back today with my twenty-seventh missive.
To begin with, I’d like to apologize for the server issues that have occurred following the World Merge. The increase in server load caused server memory to deteriorate, which in turn brought down the data cache server. This led to a host of problems, one of them being the rollback of certain data. I’d like to stress how sorry I am for the inconvenience this has caused our players. We understand that higher levels of service are expected of us, and will continue in our efforts to beef up and stabilize our servers. Please bear with us in the meantime.
Next, I’d like to thank all of you who participated in the third FINAL FANTASY XIV Players’ Poll. We received an overwhelming number of responses, which we’re poring through even as work continues on the game. I’m planning to compile your feedback for analysis in the next letter.
