Stormblood (4.0) General discussion

[Hafa Nana]

i think you lost me at how you calculate a content cycle.

It's two major patches, like 2.0+2.1; 2.2+2.3; 2.4+2.5; etc.

Each content cycle introduces a new tier of usual content, such as:
– new 8-man and 24-man raids, with the 8-man raid setting a goal as the hardest relevant endgame content;
– a new gear/weapon tier (raid, tomestone, relic, primal) that can be used to beat the relevant raid tier;
– a new Allagan tomestone currency to get relevant gear/weapons, etc.

Why are content cycles in FFXIV 7-8 months again?

Each major patch in most cases has been 3.5 months long. Two major patches, that a content cycle consists of, make it 7 months log. The last major patch in ARR (2.5x) has been longer, so we've got an 8-month content cycle at the end of ARR as a result. The first major patch in Heavenward (3.0x) has also been longer, so we've got an 8-month content cycle in the beginning of Heavensward as a result once again.

[haroldsaxon]

Stop giving them excuses. Stormblood was delayed because they didn't have enough dev's. Just like every other delay.

[Destinye]

It is an interesting thought when you think about it.

Stop giving them excuses. Stormblood was delayed because they didn't have enough dev's. Just like every other delay.

Yeah, but we all know it comes down to: "Let's stretch things out, people will pay us even if we give them no content or terrible content, not to mention our mogstation sales are through the roof." Since SE gets nothing from my crysta I actually save money every 6 months.

I think I'm most interested in 4.0 > 4.1 to see if we get a repeat of 3.0 > 3.1 and see if the masses will be forgiving about it like they were. I also wonder if they'll finally fix the damn raid format, it was understandable Coil/Crystal Tower got swapped and delayed as it was relaunch and they were scrambling, but you think 4 years later it would be fixed by now. (4 years considering I doubt SB will be out before Anniversary)

[Spira]

im not so sure about the content cycle thing. my assumption was that each expansion cycle is essentially a content cycle.. because 3.0 and 4.0 will be a lot more asset creation heavy than all the 3.x and 4.x in between. To say 3.0 and 3.1 is one cycle and 3.2 to 3.3 is another is to essentially disregard the amount of time and resources put into zone creation, job quests from current to new level cap, abilities, animations, leveling quests, which you simply do not get in the in-between patches.

The scale and quantity of dungeon areas in non-base patches pales in comparison to the content that was added before it, and those subsequent patches don't actually offer more or anything in lieu of that.

[Ragns]

I'm not having very high expectations in term of drastically new content for 4.0.

According to the Square-Enix LinkedIn profile a lot of the dev team moved to either SE's R&D or FFXV after 2.0, 2.1, 3.0 then 3.1.

Considering how no one outside of the core SE team seem to understand how their Luminous engine work I assume FFXIV will have more resources available to them once FFXV and Luminous Studio Pro are released.

So I guesstimate more of the same content cycle until 5.0.

[Fiye]

How likely do you think it is that they'd pull a rejoining for 5.0 and do another calamity rather than just expand on the world map.

[Spira]

seems unlikely imo because theres absolutely no need for them to do it. the current zones work fine as they are, unlike 1.0 areas, which needed to be redone for various reasons, like to be playable, or for flavor, etc.

I'm also of the opinion that changing existing zones completely to make them "new" is bad game design. if they're already properly utilized (for fates, quests and the like) theres no real need to "redo" all that work just to give it a fresh coat of paint, and is a huge waste of development time/resources.

[Kaisha]

Majority of the 2.0 zones were designed with some blockades/dead-ends in mind with room for expansion anyhow, be it adding to the zone, or making new zone lines from them. No need to redo existing areas other than perhaps pretty them up some if they go in and add more real estate

[Alkar]

We still haven't left Eorzea, there's so many possible locations they can add. I really don't want a WotG, I'd rather visit new places altogether.

[Hafa Nana]

im not so sure about the content cycle thing. my assumption was that each expansion cycle is essentially a content cycle.. because 3.0 and 4.0 will be a lot more asset creation heavy than all the 3.x and 4.x in between. To say 3.0 and 3.1 is one cycle and 3.2 to 3.3 is another is to essentially disregard the amount of time and resources put into zone creation, job quests from current to new level cap, abilities, animations, leveling quests, which you simply do not get in the in-between patches.

The scale and quantity of dungeon areas in non-base patches pales in comparison to the content that was added before it, and those subsequent patches don't actually offer more or anything in lieu of that.

The game’s updates come out at regular intervals, so you can consider them to be cycles (‘major patch’ cycles, for example).

However, every two patch cycles happens something more significant, than a regular addition of new content,– the game’s vertical progression is reset. This is signified by the release of a new gear tier (raid, primal, relic, tomestone, crafted, etc). Any item from the next gear tier has better stats than any item of the same kind from a previous gear tier. But gear doesn’t come alone, it has content associated with it (content that drops gear of this tier and is supposed to be beaten using the gear of this tier). At the same time with a new gear tier release, gear from the previous tier becomes easily available (no more time gates). This allows new and returning players to start their progression in the new tier of content alongside veteran players (e.g. join the same statics), because they have equal possibilities to get gear from the new tier (and if they need some gear from the previous tier for a start, they can farm it quickly).

Odd major patches provide new ways and make it easier to get gear that belongs to the same gear tier, that has been introduced in the previous even major patch (it doesn’t have higher ilvl).

Such vertical progression resets happen in this game regularly – every 7 or 8 months – with the release of every even major patch, so you can also call them cycles (“content cycles” or “progression cycles”, for example).

This is also not a coincidence that expansion packs are released on even patches in this game. Expansions also bring progression reset (even more significant than usual content cycles do), so they are scheduled to be released at the time that is due for such a progression reset – with an even patch. I think that an optimal length of content/progression cycles is calculated by SE based on player behavior and market research, and they are not going to break it with an untimely expansion pack release.

The thing is that smaller cycles (patch cycles) comprise bigger cycles (content/progression cycles), and the latter in their turn comprise even bigger cycles (expansion cycles).

[Destinye]

We still haven't left Eorzea, there's so many possible locations they can add. I really don't want a WotG, I'd rather visit new places altogether.

Story aside, the only reason we got what we did in WoTG and later Abyssea is because of XIV 1.0, so unless FFXVI is an MMO that'd never happen again lol. I highly doubt we'll step outside of Eorzea if they truly do intend to stick with the same formula because thanks to Xelphatol, they can make other areas into instanced dungeons if they felt inclined. With XI for example new regions introduced new concepts in a sense. They were the same base systems, but the Assault system for example was something exclusive to the aradjiah continent much like Delve, Naakuals etc was exclusive to the ulbuka continent and so on. Yoshi is against having "new" systems since what we have now "works."

So if we do fan out eventually, whatever lies beyond Eorzea will be the same:

-Fates
-Rowena wanting 450/week tomes of some kind
-1 - 2 Dungeons
- "Brand new exclusive primals probably resigned from FFIV/V/VI/XI"
- Crystal Tower like content.

So in all reality, I'd enjoy a "WoTG" if it means actually changing what the game offers since with current design, there's plenty of areas they can introduce, true, but it'd just be a new location to re-experience 2.0 for the 2nd - 4th time ya know? Least with going into the past it was a kind of interesting take on experiencing something we always heard about in vanilla/zilart FFXI (crystal war.)

I'm still waiting for Omega even if it'll be a throw away primal fight like Odin or Ultima.

[haroldsaxon]

im not so sure about the content cycle thing. my assumption was that each expansion cycle is essentially a content cycle.. because 3.0 and 4.0 will be a lot more asset creation heavy than all the 3.x and 4.x in between. To say 3.0 and 3.1 is one cycle and 3.2 to 3.3 is another is to essentially disregard the amount of time and resources put into zone creation, job quests from current to new level cap, abilities, animations, leveling quests, which you simply do not get in the in-between patches.

The scale and quantity of dungeon areas in non-base patches pales in comparison to the content that was added before it, and those subsequent patches don't actually offer more or anything in lieu of that.

Conversely, the amount of money you pay to go from 2.x to 3.0 is more than you would going from 3.1 to 3.2. I think you're both right to some extent - there's a content cycle, and an expansion cycle.

[Spider-Dan]

I highly doubt we'll step outside of Eorzea if they truly do intend to stick with the same formula because thanks to Xelphatol, they can make other areas into instanced dungeons if they felt inclined.

What do you mean by this?

[octopus]

Xelphatol was supposed to be an area (like Thanalan, La Noscea, Black Shroud), but it's made into a dungeon in 3.4 for whatever reason.

[Destinye]

Xelphatol was supposed to be an area (like Thanalan, La Noscea, Black Shroud), but it's made into a dungeon in 3.4 for whatever reason.

^

So instead of "expanding" in a sense, they can turn regions for storyline dungeon purposes..since I guess it takes less work/"can do more" with it?

[Fiye]

They could still call the area Central Xelphatol.

https://i.imgur.com/6Q7Lv.jpg

Though the two big subzones we'll get will likely be Paglth'an and Gyn Abania with the true north shroud, whatever place includes the hamlet outside of Ala Mhigo, and then the desert of paglth'an along with maybe one of those islands just to give us our Sea part.

They probably couldn't make Xelphatol work unless we got a XIII like map.

[solracht]

Yoshida already said "there's nothing to see in Xelphatol except for the Ixali Stronghold". What they did with the region was honestly one of the biggest recent disappointments of XIV for me.

Expecting to never see the Amal'jal region either.

[Spider-Dan]

You guys are overthinking this way too much.

If Yoshi decides to make Xelphatol a region in 5.0 (or whatever) then they will just rename the dungeon (e.g. Xelphatol Stronghold), as they have renamed many things since 2.0 retail.

[Fiye]

Have they renamed a dungeon?

[Shenrien]

No but they've renamed monsters so they could use them in other dungeons.