Final Fantasy XIV – February Patch to Overhaul Gameplay

Final Fantasy XIV producer, Naoki Yoshida, today released a whole host of information on the game’s latest patch (1.21), anticipated to be released in late February. With the game’s second iteration (version 2.0) expected at the end of the year, it seems that Square Enix is really pushing hard to make Final Fantasy XIV the success it was expected to be.

The biggest change is the addition of seven new advanced jobs. These are improved versions of their predecessors, and are unlocked through leveling up:

-          Paladin is unlocked by the Gladiator.

-          Dragoon is unlocked by the Lancer.

-          Monk is unlocked by the Pugilist.

-          Bard is unlocked by the Archer.

-          Warrior is unlocked by the Marauder.

-          White Mage is unlocked by the Conjurer.

-          Black Mage is unlocked by the Thaumaturge.

Each job has its own set of ‘artifact gear’, as well as a host of new skills and combat mechanics (such as combo abilities). Job switching is also being made a lot simpler.

There are a number of gameplay mechanic changes, too. Players now gain ‘rested’ experience when they log out, and the Guardian’s Aspect element of questing has gone, with all guildleve experience being adjusted to compensate.

Interface changes include the abolition of the sub-target mechanic (having to confirm a target after every spell cast with the Enter key). This change was made to benefit keyboard and mouse users, and make spell casting feel much less irritating (hooray!).

A number of other additions were mentioned, but details remain scarce until a later date:

-          Two new raids (Cutter’s Cry and The Aurum Vale).

-          New seasonal events.

-          Achievement system.

-          Re-playable cut scenes.

-          New food and medicine system.

-          Player housing in each city.

-          Chocobo armor.

Finally, Yoshida mentioned that Worlds were being merged to build populations and encourage more social play (switching back to a subscription model has no doubt harmed their player numbers). This will not happen at the same time as patch 1.21, but in the “near future”.

With hints dropped that Final Fantasy XIV version 2.0 is being tested in-house, it doesn’t seem like long until the game gains the glory it expected.  In the meantime, why not check out OnRPG’s profile page to keep up with all of the latest game gossip, news, and reviews.