Square Enix’s first huge update for Final Fantasy XIV: Heavansward, patch 3.1, arrives on November 10th the publisher has announced. Alongside the announcement of the release date Square also provided a Q & A during the most recent Letter From The Producer Live and a very informative 7 minute trailer giving players a rundown of everything that will be included in 3.1!
Patch 3.1 As Goes Light So Goes Darkness brings with it a lot of brand new content. The story threads left hanging after the completion of FFXIV: Heavansward will be continued in the new main story quests, New exploratory missions for free-companies (guilds) will be available, the first of which is known as The Diadem. One brand new dungeon will be added for level 60 players as well – Saint Mociane’s Arboretum. Possibly one of the most exciting additions, which we detailed previously when it was unveiled is the new 24 man raid known as the Void Ark.
Make sure you check out the trailer I’ve included in the embedded player before the jump. I’ve also included some of the details from the official Q&A thread from the Letters From The Producer Live that I thought would be of interest for returning players. I know that I’ll be re-subbing for the new raid content, and hey new story quests are always welcomed 😀
If November 10th sounds familiar – it is also the same day that Fallout 4 and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void are released. It’s going to be a big day for games!
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Exploratory Mission Info From The Q&A:
Regarding the new exploratory missions that allow free companies to embark on airship missions for fantastic loot.
Q: Are there any daily or weekly reward or restrictions related to challenging the content?
A: There is no restriction on entering. This content will allow players to explore without worrying about clearing the content. The maximum time you can remain within the area is 90 minutes.
There is a 120 minute interval since you first entered until you can enter again. For example, you explored the full 90 minutes, then there will be 30 minute cooldown time. We can adjust this cooldown based on player feedback, so please try it out and let us know through the forums.
Another question came from players asking if there will be a lock-out on the rewards for exploratory missions:
Q: Are there any lotting rules for the items that are dropped?
A: It will be possible to select from loot master, regular loot, and all greed when departing for exploratory missions from your free company’s workshop. When departing from the landing area in Ishgard, it will be limited to greed only. It will also be limited to greed only when entering as a party.
Not everyone who is going to come on exploratory missions is going to want to battle monsters. What kind of stuff is there for gathers to do on exploratory missions?
Q: You mentioned that gatherers can take part in exploratory missions, but do we gather existing items, or special items?
A: The majority of the items will be materials, so just think of this as gathering in a new area. The gathering (stat) needed is set pretty low, so you should have no problem gathering with the gear you have once when you first hit level 60. However, if you start gathering while others are fighting, it may cause problems to other party members, so make sure to communicate with other members before gathering.
Changes will also be coming for content from Realm Reborn also known as FFXIV 2.0 Content:
Difficulty adjustments to certain dungeons and trials
We will be re-adjusting various 2.x dungeons and trials, such as Garuda, for new players.
Players will be able to try on several different pieces of gear at once. With this feature, players will be able to coordinate their gear easier.
As long time players should know – the really awesome loot that comes from the new raids & encounters are usually locked behind a reward currency that has it’s own weekly lock out or limit. Regarding the void-ark Yoshi P had this to say:
Void Ark (Raid) – Reward Currencies:
Void Ark
It will be possible to purchase enhancement materials with an item known as ancient coins (name pending). While it’s a bit difficult at the moment to confirm this for sure, we are planning to start off by implementing the enhancement items for armor and accessories that can be purchased with Allagan tomestones of esoterics. Weapons will be a bit in the future.
During the Letter from the Producer Live we got some updates on Quest Changes in 3.1. As provided by the official Q & A thread:
Quest Changes
– New beast tribe quests for the Vanu Vanu
– Level Adjustment Feature – Monster strength will be adjusted according to the level of the quest. Rewards can only be received with the job you accepted the quest with.
– The requirements to undertake Thok Ast Thok (Extreme) will be changed.
– Originally you needed to clear the The Limitless Blue (Extreme) first, but it will be possible to challenge this battle without clearing it.
– Certain portions of the Aether Current quest will be changed so that they can be obtained by progressing through the main scenario quest line.
The official Q&A Thread is absolutely filled with huge amounts of small pieces of information on 3.1: As Goes Light So Goes Darkness. If you want to read about some of the finer minutia make sure to read up before the 10th of next month. For returning adventurers it seems like there is going to be a lot to do in Ishgard!