Dawntrail

Crossroads of Hype

FINAL FANTASY XIV Patch 7.1 – Crossroads

Fair warning that this game, and series is general has been in my heart for many years. I could ramble off for hours about how great Final Fantasy XIV is and provides so much. I’ll hold off the best I can from detering from the main focus of this article. I won’t spoil anything from the past to present of the series. I hope that anyone that hasn’t already ventured into this game. May take that gamble at some point. The small plug is that they offer a free trial. That many, and I mean a generous amount of the community ride along on. You can even find guides on how to make the most of it, especially down the road of Reddit.

Moving on, I’ll only be making some mentions and hype towards the recently released patch 7.1. Mostly things that have already been mentioned to anyone and everyone. It’s the first release of new content to the recent expansion of Dawntrail. It’s been out for roughly 5 months so far. The road to progress has finally begun. Some big changes to old content have been addressed, progression to the expansion’s main story quest has been added. The first allied society settlement with quests, a new dungeon, new extreme trial and of course the start of the new alliance raids.

Other than the allied society getting its start and having some tie-in to Final Fantasy X. My major hype has been for the alliance raid. My first MMO attempt was Final Fantasy XI for obvious reasons. It didn’t go well for me. Not a bad experience, I just had no understanding of what to do. It had already been out for some time and the starting areas weren’t populated. So I didn’t progress at all. I still hear great things about it, and I am aware that it still has a big community.

Mentioning all this, a lot of FFXIV has tie-ins to previous series. Alliance raids are some of the major noticeable ones. This current one is the start into venturing into Vana’diel, and apart from the actual raid. We’re given the chance to explore some of the actual city area. It’s very exciting the freedom they’ve given the player to venture through the area. The story connection they’re providing to make it possible to be in the same realm of FFXIV from FFXI. 

Earlier I mentioned that the new season of PVP has begun. With that, a new battlepass has been added. I’ve been calling it that anyway. Which it is, but isn’t one you have to pay for. You just partake in one of the various options of PVP and gain experience to unlock the crystal currency, which has some gear for glam, and frame kits. Surprising that this store option didn’t get any additions.

I’ve only begun playing 2 months ago again, and nearly have been able to buy all the things i’ve wanted from that particular currency shop. I’m also a PVP spammer. Regardless, there hasn’t been any mention of new items through it. Back to the battlepass, the previous had a mount in the mid progression of it. This time, it’s clothes that the 90’s Looney Tunes would sport. There is a minion, and a couple frame kits to chase too. I think most are and will be chasing the clothes cause glam is the true end game.

If PVP is your cup of tea, or have or haven’t dipped into it. The new patch also brought us changes to the battle systems. Previously, the fields were dominated with Dark Knights. These new changes have made a major difference in what classes you’ll be facing off against. The healers have finally begun to make their stand. Lots of the ranged classes have become a terror again. It’s a very welcoming change from being Salted constantly, if you know you know. The other major change to the scene. Damage now calculates only after the animation completes. Some praise this, are confused a little, and handful are worried. Having the basic enemy of lag or desync can get people riled up over it. It’s a rare situation to find oneself in, but it can and probably does happen. 

Like I said, there is plenty to mention. You can check more of the overall additions and changes over on the Lodestone. A full list with all the information one could want is available there. More content to look forward to is coming in December. The first chaotic alliance raid, featuring the Cloud of Darkness. I think they’re doing big things with this. It has so much to offer in the sense of trying to get new people who don’t do savage/extreme/ultimate content. For those unaware, savages are the harder difficulties of raids. Extremes are the hardest of trials, which are usually based on summons and the like from the Final Fantasy series. Then you have ultimates, which are the absolute hardest of any other content available in the game.

All these offer the best of rewards for those looking to chase and grind for them. I believe the chaotic alliance raid is going to be on par to the ultimate style. Info dump for those in need, alliance raids are 24 player raids. 3 teams of 1 tank, 2 heals, 5 dps. They can get very wild and are usually some of the most interesting dungeon experiences. Anyway, they’re doing big things to make this new experience a welcoming one to incentivise players that are usually off put from the challenge. Which they’ll be doing a point system. So you’ll have a better chance at rewards. They’ll have “happy hours” for more points earned. Bonuses for all, when first timers enter. The live letter previewed exciting rewards, including a Cloud of Darkness mount and a disappearing platform mount. Cloud of Darkness mount, and the disappearing platform mount. 

To close this out. I know this is all general info already available. My intention was to hype up Dawntrail and highight the exciting journey it has just begun. There have been a lot of controversies with some petty situations. Some even don’t feel like this expansion is that great. Me personally, from the start of A realm Reborn, to now. Everything experienced. It’s awesome. I look forward to all it has to offer. It’s a new beginning in some sense. It doesn’t need to explode off rip to make itself stand out.

We have plenty more to receive in content to let this start be the deciding factor to the new journey ahead of us. I hope you check Final Fantasy XIV out if you haven’t already. Briefly said at the start, they offer a free trial that offers just about everything including multiple expansions for free. This is literally the first game that is a cross play for almost every platform, Nintendo when!? You can play FFXIV on PC/Mac, Steam, PS4/5, and Xbox. (All platform links are to the free trial versions.)

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