FFXIV Random Speculation/Question thread III: Where's my beta invite?

[Thiefami]

They are 2 hours for a reason. It's your fault if you do not take full advantage of it. Waiting for a perfect moment when the moment never comes. I'm quick to pop up Trance. If I have an event of course I wouldnt waste it unless it was absolutely worth it at the time, but for the days I am doing absolutely nothing i'd rather live than die.

[Shadowcatt]

why the assumption that they're not going to be in the game? Most abilities have re-use timers, why wouldn't each class be able to get a super-powerful ability with a 2-hour timer. Just because it's not in the alpha doesn't mean it won't be available.

[Kaylia]

There is a max number of ability you can asign. Unless 2h are free, there is a good chance you will go for skill and trait used all the time the occasional oh shit skill. Unless you unequip it right after using that "oh shit" skill and replace it with another.

[nekoshoonen]

i loved two hours but i'm not feeling like it would suit the game's playstyle.

[Jinko]

Wasn't it asked in an interview if 2 hours would be back and Tanaka said no, maybe i imagined it :S

[Kachi]

The real problem with 2hours was the way they effed up the game balance. The combination of powerful but long recast doesn't work well. When you end up with event fights like BC's and missions that people start to lean heavily on their 2hours, that means you have to balance those events according to the 2hours. If you don't, they're too easy WITH 2hours.

But then when you do balance it for 2hours so that it's difficult even with them, you also prevent people from attempting the events without them. Frequently for an important event people will wait for someone's 2hour, just to be safe.

Waiting 30 minutes, maybe even an hour, is fine. 2 hours for an ability that isn't particularly strong is fine too (though what's the point of that?).

No thanks to 2hours.

[Kaylia]

The real problem with 2hours was the way they effed up the game balance. The combination of powerful but long recast doesn't work well. When you end up with event fights like BC's and missions that people start to lean heavily on their 2hours, that means you have to balance those events according to the 2hours. If you don't, they're too easy WITH 2hours.

But then when you do balance it for 2hours so that it's difficult even with them, you also prevent people from attempting the events without them. Frequently for an important event people will wait for someone's 2hour, just to be safe.

Waiting 30 minutes, maybe even an hour, is fine. 2 hours for an ability that isn't particularly strong is fine too (though what's the point of that?).

No thanks to 2hours.

Instead of a long recast, it could be a debuff that disappears when you die or zone in the instance. It prevents you from spamming it, but doesn't lead to huge downtime. I agree 2 hours is too long though, no reason to make it more than 30 minutes, no matter how useful it is.


I had nothing against 2 hours for self contained events like Salvage with multiple fight. Using it poorly could hurt the race against the chrono. For everything else, it was stupid.

[BlackheartX]

That sounds like what they're doing. Their goal is probably to let people change, but not switch every hour to create an optimal build for every single situation.

It will probably take 10-15 minutes to respec just because you'll have >1000 skill points at level 50.

Seems like a lame mini-game if that's all it is. This will lead to the same cookie cutter mini-maxing as before. However that's all stats were ever about for the most part.

[Squeaky]

Reading the manual, a few things have been added from I can tell:

* Successful completion of a regional levequest will earn you an amount of faction credits based on your performance, as well as contribute to factional influence over a region. Players can possess a maximum of 200 faction credits which can be exchanged for access to an additional type of levequest known as faction leves.
* You will gradually earn “favor” with your Guardian (10 every twelve Eorzea hours up to a maximum of 200). When this has reached a certain amount, you can petition the god or goddess to bless you with a temporary boost to the development rate of various skills.

As well, the world map changed slightly:
EDIT: images removed.

Under the Journal section, it looks like they improved Class Quests (that annoying intro quest). The following line was added:

Clicking the Map button found with each quest entry will bring up a map indicating your destination and the NPC you should seek out next.

Partying details:

Recruiting Party Members
It is possible to recruit adventurers whose skills and objectives are compatible with your own to join your party.

1. From the main menu, select Party and then Recruit.

2. Set your recruitment details and conditions including purpose, location, class, and duration.

Seeking a Party
Individual players can also perform a search for a party that suits their needs and objectives.

1. From the main menu, select Party and then Search.

2. Review the recruitment details and conditions of parties currently recruiting members and select the one you wish to join.

Details on Return and Teleport:

Players can expend anima-their character’s spiritual energy-to instantaneously travel to aetheryte crystals and aetherial gates. Select either the Return or Teleport command in the main menu, and your character will proceed to break his/her body down into the aetheric form needed for teleportation. Upon the conclusion of this 30-second process, you will be transported to your registered destination. Inputting any other command during this time will cancel the action.

<Return>
At the cost of two anima points,Players can return to their previously set home points at any time by selecting the Return option from the main menu. However, if a player is participating in a levequest, selecting this option at that time will result in teleportation back to the aetheryte crystal or aetherial gate used to activate the quest. The Return command can also be used at no cost while KO’d to revive your character.

<Teleport>
By selecting Teleport from the main menu, a player can teleport their entire party to any aetheryte crystal location they have already visited. When one party member uses the Teleport option, a confirmation button will be sent to all other members, allowing them to decide whether or not they also wish to be teleported.
The amount of anima required for teleportation will vary based on the distance to your destination.

*Please note, both the Return and Teleport options can only be used when in passive mode.
*Anima recovers gradually over time up to a maximum of 100 points.

[Loaar]

The EU guildleves section is a repeat of the synthesis post, admins who copy/paste and don't check their work FTL....

The faction points and deity favour sounds interesting.

[omegaB]

Looking at the new info, if they have some sort of two hours, or limit break type skills, im thinking maybe it will use your anima points, kind of wierd if anima is solely for teleports. Of course it could have something to do with gods too.

And yeah two hours were pretty fun, was nice to have special abilities for a short time, i hope that some sort of overpower skill returns. As far as never using them, people are honestly a bit anal about them, could be used so much more. people still sit on two hours even in situations when they might get recharged. (dyna gobbi gambles, revitaliver misssions, campaign selling revitalizers, corsairs) just a bad habit i think

[Hyan]

Hm, so conquest confirmed?

That additional levequest sounds cool. Kinda hoping it's harder than the rest.

It sounds better than grinding some CP to get new items at least. Doing a leve for items sounds more fun.

[Cureslime]

The real problem with 2hours was the way they effed up the game balance. The combination of powerful but long recast doesn't work well. When you end up with event fights like BC's and missions that people start to lean heavily on their 2hours, that means you have to balance those events according to the 2hours. If you don't, they're too easy WITH 2hours.

But then when you do balance it for 2hours so that it's difficult even with them, you also prevent people from attempting the events without them. Frequently for an important event people will wait for someone's 2hour, just to be safe.

Waiting 30 minutes, maybe even an hour, is fine. 2 hours for an ability that isn't particularly strong is fine too (though what's the point of that?).

No thanks to 2hours.

2 hours are stupid for exactly these reasons and I will be visibly upset if they are included in the final game.

[Loaar]

Hm, so conquest confirmed?

The faction thing sounds less like conquest and more like the ability to get class specific leves.

The factions aren't the cities this time, they are guilds I think (or thats what it looks like to me).

At a guess, I'd say you can complete leves that give you points towards certain factions (i.e guilds), and once you have the points you can get a leve that is specific to that guild, and hopefully a reward specific to that class. The normal leve rewards (in the alpha, could possibly change for the beta) were so random I still didn't have a single medium armour reward from the level 20 leves or a level 20 pug weapon after doing almost 40 level 20 leves over 6 or so weeks.

[Hyan]

Yeah could be like that too. Would make guilds a bit more important.

I wonder what the deal with factional influence is? More leves available to you maybe?

[Loaar]

Yeah could be like that too. Would make guilds a bit more important.

I wonder what the deal with factional influence is? More leves available to you maybe?

I wonder if its somehow linked to the companies. Something SE said recently made me think companies would be competing for ownership of zones, so maybe the faction points tie into that somehow.

It could also be something similar to the FFXI setup, where if a certain NPC faction gains control of a zone from players doing thier leves in the area, then NPCs from that faction are able to sell regional items for crafting etc.

[Hyan]

It could be some kind of company thing, true.

I'm only hoping it'll play a larger role than conquest did in XI.

Something like besieged or campaign without it being too complex would be cool. Maybe no large scale battles (initially at least) but things like rescuing NPC's from beastmen forts (with sufficient rewards this time) or saving 'astral candy' type things.

[MoogleAura]

The new teleport feature seems pretty cool, you have to accept the teleport before it takes effect. I hope that every party member can teleport as soon as they hit accept and don't have to wait for people who are afk to come back and accept too. =/

What's changed in those 2 maps excluding the colours? Has there been a physical change to the zone or just to the map's appearance?

I browse the FFXIV section occasionally when SE reveals new info and to look at some of the Beta in-game videos posted a while back. I missed the crafting ones, can anyone give me a quick overview of how it worked in Beta?

[Loaar]

The new teleport feature seems pretty cool, you have to accept the teleport before it takes effect. I hope that every party member can teleport as soon as they hit accept and don't have to wait for people who are afk to come back and accept too. =/

That part of teleporting is the same as it was in the alpha. What has changed is the fact that it now costs anima, and is therefore no longer unlimited.

You don't have to wait for everyone to accept, when you accept, it teleports you, even if everyone is afk.

[Kaylia]

That part of teleporting is the same as it was in the alpha. What has changed is the fact that it now costs anima, and is therefore no longer unlimited.

You don't have to wait for everyone to accept, when you accept, it teleports you, even if everyone is afk.

I was wondering, can you teleport to unexplored crystal in party? Or you need to find it on your own, then you can teleport with everyone,