Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXIII Digest (04/13/2021)

We are pleased to present the full digest of the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXIII!
If you missed the live stream, or if you just want to watch it again (and again), check it out below!

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* Don't forget to select the 720p option to watch the video in a higher resolution!

Patch 5.5 Preview Part 2

In this broadcast, we covered some of the upcoming content that will be implemented in Patch 5.5, alongside some gameplay footage.

Death Unto Dawn Trailer

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We began the show by revealing the trailer for Patch 5.5, Death Unto Dawn.
Patch 5.5 will be released in two parts. Part 1 will be released on Tuesday, April 13, and Part 2 is scheduled for the end of May.

Upcoming Content and Features in Patch 5.5

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The Sorrow of Werlyt will be reaching its conclusion in Patch 5.5.
Be sure to check out how the series will conclude!

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As for job adjustments, warrior and dragoon will receive potency adjustments to compensate for where they fall a bit short. Please refer to the 5.5 patch notes for further details.

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The latest custom delivery client is Count Charlemend de Durendaire. Your impression of him may vary depending on the Ishgard-related side quests you’ve completed. His introduction as a custom delivery client is a culmination of the story of post-Dragonsong War Ishgard we’ve built up through this character.

You will now be able to use up to two cards of 4-star or higher (with a limit of 1 5-star card) in Triple Triad. The acquisition rate of cards has been adjusted, and there’s a reward for acquiring all Triple Triad cards, so card collectors will have something to look forward to as they expand their collection!

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Modern Aesthetics - Rainmaker will be added as a prize at the Manderville Gold Saucer. We received many requests for its return, and we previously announced that we were considering adding it to the Online Store as an optional item, but we decided to make it acquirable in-game instead. If you haven’t unlocked this hairstyle yet, be sure to check it out!

Achievement rewards can now be accepted directly from the achievement list. As for achievement certificates, you’ll still be able to exchange them for rewards through Jonathas in Old Gridania.

We’ll be updating the collision detection algorithm for walls and the ground. While hardware technology has greatly improved over the past few years, our collision detection hasn’t changed since A Realm Reborn. Continuing like this could result in problems while playing the game at high framerates, such as slipping through walls or the ground. As such, we decided to optimize the algorithm at this time to allow FFXIV to continue to grow in the future. Should you come across any odd behavior, we’d appreciate if you could send us a bug report with details.

The Cloud Deck

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We showed the cutscene that plays when you enter the normal version of the trial. The trial itself couldn’t be shown since involves many spoilers right from the start, but it’s a meticulously designed encounter and we hope you’ll look forward to it.

Additionally, the appearance of target rings will be adjusted in Patch 5.5 and will feature new arrows indicating the direction the target is facing.

Ishgardian Restoration Update

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With the restoration complete, the Firmament will periodically hold a Skyrise Celebration. These 24-hour events will be held approximately every two days, so you can participate at your own leisure. The starting times of celebration are made so they shift slightly each time, so even those who can only play during a certain timeframe will be able to participate in the Fêtes.

PlayStation®5 Version

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We went over the PlayStation®5 version’s features and showed gameplay footage of the high-resolution UI and fast loading times using teleport. We also showed the new emote search feature, as well as new minions and mounts, which can be seen in the video.

Furthermore, a pricey new mount will be available to purchase in-game using gil, which you may want to consider if you have a lot of gil to spare.

For instructions on how to participate in the PlayStation®5 version open beta test, see here: NA / EU

Miscellaneous Updates

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Loading times will be sped up not only the PlayStation®5, but for all other platforms as well. The Windows version will also have the option to use high-resolution UI assets, which you may want to try if your computer’s specs can handle it.

YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse Chapter 03: The Tower at Paradigm’s Breach

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We showed some gameplay footage of the content and took a sneak peek at the interior and first boss. Other aspects, such as how it looks when you’re moving between encounters, are full of spoilers, so they’re still a secret for now. We took it upon ourselves to try new things when making this content, including certain visual effects, so please look forward to it!

A weekly quest involving YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse will be added, so be on the lookout for that storyline as well. Items that were hard to acquire in the Copied Factory and the Puppets’ Bunker have been adjusted and will be easier to acquire.

After the gameplay footage, we previewed some new music and equipment items, which are included in the video.

The Whorleater (Unreal)

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The current Unreal trial will be replaced with The Whorleater (Unreal) in Patch 5.5. Although Leviathan is quite the intimidating foe, you’ll be armed with actions that weren’t available back in A Realm Reborn, so it should be a refreshing and fun experience. We hope you’ll give it a try!

We’ve received requests to keep The Navel (Unreal) available, but the concept of Unreal trials is to challenge past foes with the strength of current players. Keeping previous Unreal trials available would require continuous maintenance to update them in cases such as new expansions, where the level cap is increased. These trials are meant to be replaced with every patch, and we’d like to ask for your understanding on that.

Save the Queen: Blades of Gunnhildr

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In this section, we went over what’s coming with future Save the Queen updates. Further details will be announced in the Letter LIVE which will be broadcast during the Digital Fan Festival 2021 in May.

The new battlefield, Zadnor, can be entered as long as you’ve completed the prerequisite quests, even if you aren’t Resistance rank 15. We’re preparing elements of progression beyond rank 25, so you could challenge Delubrum Reginae (Savage) after reaching rank 25, if you’d like.

A number of adjustments will be made to Save the Queen before Patch 5.55 in Patch 5.5, to make it easier to play.

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The final step in Resistance weapon upgrades will be added in Patch 5.55. Don’t forget to accept the upgrade quests when unlocking Zadnor!

We also adjusted the difficulty of upgrading weapons so players can make more than one Resistance weapon. The first weapon will take some time, but you’ll be able to skip some of the process for the second one onward, so be sure to try it out if you’d like more than one weapon.

Dragonsong War (Ultimate)

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Here are two screenshots of the Dragonsong War (Ultimate), which is currently in development for Patch 6.1. We’re incorporating many elements of the Dragonsong War as we continue to work on this encounter, so please look forward to its implementation.

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We showed off some new furnishing and glamour items towards the end of the preview. New furnishings to expand your range of housing designs will be added, such as screens that project the outside scenery, and partitions with windows. You can see these in the video.

Digital Fan Festival 2021

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The Digital Fan Festival 2021 (NA / EU) will be held across two days, on May 14 & May 15 (PDT) / May 15 and May 16 (GMT).

We reviewed the previously announced bonus items and introduced the new orchestrion rolls which will be on sale. The Lunar Whale mount will be the first 8-seater mount in FFXIV.

These items will be available starting a day before the Fan Festival kicks off.

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Here we covered some of the stage events.

The keynote address will reveal new information regarding Endwalker.
In the development panel, we’ll be talking about the process of designing high-end duties.

The second day will include the Letter from the Producer LIVE, where we’ll share some information on Patch 5.55, and feature a special guest from the Development team in the second half to answer questions from our players.

During the Live Q&A (Name Pending), Producer and Director Yoshida will be answering questions from players all around the world via a Zoom virtual meeting.

Finally, THE PRIMALS will be performing as a finale for the Digital Fan Festival.
Unfortunately, one of the band members, Tetsuya Tachibana (Drums) will be unable to make it, but the rest of the band is preparing to play in this special performance.

All stage events will be broadcast online, so don’t miss out!
We hope to interact with our viewers in real time during the broadcast as well!

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There will also be digital activities for you to enjoy online and in-game.
The special Group Pose frames and stickers will only be available for a limited time, so be sure to snap some pictures with them to keep as memories!

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There will be Twitter campaigns taking place before and after the Fan Festival!

Our website will be showcasing the wonderful art contest submissions we received from all around the globe.
The community will be able to vote on them, so be sure to check it out!

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We went over the stage events that will have player participation.

The Glamoured to Life event will showcase players’ IRL glamours of their favorite characters. Whether you have a simple outfit or a full-blown costume, you’re all welcome to participate!

We’ll also be gathering questions to be asked during certain stage events. Details will be announced on the Lodestone at a later date.