Astrologian Speculations! How will it fit in?

[Kuwagami]

can't play AST if you haven't finished 2.55 main scenario quest. this issue will NOT exist at all.

How do you figure this? Everything I have seen only says that you must own the expansion and only be level 30 to be any of the new jobs. Completing story is only for accessing the post level 50 content.

If I am wrong though i'd love to know the source @_@ I thought I was as on top of the info I could get as possible.

The info about being able to access Ishgard without 2.55 MSQ was a mistranslation, clarified a bit after by SE

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/...d-new-details/

@PlayStation Will we have to finish the main campaign or reach a certain level to access Heavensward's main content?

Editor’s Note: After publishing this story, we received clarification from Square Enix for this question. The updated answer follows, but we’ve left the original answer in the story for transparency’s sake.

Naoki Yoshida: You will have to already own A Realm Reborn, plus complete all of the main story quests up through Patch 2.55. After that, an introductory quest for Heavensward will become available; accepting that quest will then guide you through the gates of Ishgard. All of the job quests related to the new jobs will be in Ishgard as well, so the condition to access those will be the same. If a player had stopped playing around Patch 2.2 or 2.3, it would be best to revisit the A Realm Reborn main story quests to get back into the groove as you head towards Heavensward!

Original Answer: If you already own A Realm Reborn and you get Heavensward, you’ll be able to at least enter Ishgard. The new jobs added in Heavensward are not tied to the main story, so those are accessible as well. In terms of the story, if you want to enjoy the Heavensward story arc, since it’s tied to the upcoming 2.55 patch, it’s a prerequisite to have finished that content. If a player had stopped playing around patch 2.2 or 2.3, I’d recommend choosing one of the new jobs and leveling that up while catching up on the story, then transitioning into Heavensward.

[KisaiTenshi]

The info about being able to access Ishgard without 2.55 MSQ was a mistranslation, clarified a bit after by SE

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2015/...d-new-details/

It sounds like
"You have to own Heavensward", point blank, as in you can't select those jobs without owning it. However it seems odd that there would be a requirement to complete the storyline first while still having a "level 30" requirement. This is probably incorrect. The level 30 requirement probably relates to having reached level 30 in one or both healer classes (eg the same point you would be told to continue onto a Job.) Eg they are mutually exclusive requirements. Since the quests to get AST would be in the Heavensward added areas, obviously you wouldn't be able to pick these Jobs as starting options. If there is an "unlocking" quest in the storyline to actually get into these areas, then that's probably to play the storyline, not actually enter the area. Think about what actually stops you from going into places in the game currently. If you don't play the storyline, the dungeons aren't added to the Duty Finder.

IMO, what this means if you own the expansion pack, and have (I assume one) of your classes at level 30, then you should be able to just find the NPC that hands it out (similar to how the Job NPC only appears after you hit that level,) since it's unlikely they are main storyline-unlocked. Without completing the main storyline, you probably will have to hike there on foot, or hitch a ride with someone who has.

Just speculating based on how everything else has worked so far.

[Kuwagami]

snip

that would be ignoring this part :

You will have to already own A Realm Reborn, plus complete all of the main story quests up through Patch 2.55. After that, an introductory quest for Heavensward will become available; accepting that quest will then guide you through the gates of Ishgard. All of the job quests related to the new jobs will be in Ishgard as well, so the condition to access those will be the same.

Which is the official statement for now. New jobs won't be for fresh 30 people.

The lv30 thing is related to the equipment requirements of the soul crystals. You have to be at least lv30 to be able to equip it. Nothing more.

[LycorisSelunis]

You have to be at least lv30 to be able to equip it. Nothing more.

But the info they have currently also states that there is no 'base class' for these jobs, which brings enough issues imo with wondering how the skills work....do you just get like ten skills fresh at lvl 30 ast/drk/mch, and do they gain any skills with just leveling or do they have to do a quest for each skill? If you are level 50 then are you ast/drk/mch 50 since there is no base class? Does no base class mean you tack these skills onto ANY other class? They have unique weapons so will it be that equipping that weapon changes your class via the armory system is all, since a soul crystal wouldn't be necessary to differentiate it form a base class because it has none? I'm not saying any of these necessarily make sense, but since we have so very little info to go off of, anything is up in the air.

I am wondering then why state the lvl 30 though since to complete the main storyline you have to be lvl 50. Seems stupid, and superfluous.

[Krr]

I am wondering then why state the lvl 30 though since to complete the main storyline you have to be lvl 50. Seems stupid, and superfluous.

To push tanks and healers into the woefully underpopulated 30-50 dungeon bracket.

[LycorisSelunis]

To push tanks and healers into the woefully underpopulated 30-50 dungeon bracket.

Makes sense I guess. It's just the phrasing bugs me.....simply state that the jobs start at level 30 not that 30 is the requirement, seeing as how the real prereq includes level 50.

At any rate, if AST is supposed to switch between a SCH like stance and a WHM like stance I wonder if they will have any hots for the WHM side, or if only WHM and Eos will have hots. Or maybe the WHM stance is just direct heals and the SCH stance is shields and hots with NO normal direct heals. That could be interesting, though unlikely.

[KisaiTenshi]

Which is the official statement for now. New jobs won't be for fresh 30 people.

The lv30 thing is related to the equipment requirements of the soul crystals. You have to be at least lv30 to be able to equip it. Nothing more.

That's the point my post and the last few posters were questioning.

The side note about how to actually enter the area seems specific to the storyline (as in you won't get the storyline quests without completing it.) Wouldn't it be absolutely ridiculous for some one to want to play with their friends in the 3.0 area but can't because they haven't completed the 2.x storyline yet, even though they bought the Expansion? Yeah something tells me that wouldn't go over well with new players one bit. There's probably an introductory storyline for Heavensward that actually kicks off the V3.0 main storyline, that is ONLY available after completing the 2.x mainstream storyline, because otherwise it wouldn't make logical sense. But artificially blocking players from getting to the new three Jobs without completing the 2.x storyline seems like some kind of miscommunication when they mention level 50 and level 30 in the same breath. Are players really going to want to level one class all the way to 50 just so they can start the Job they really want? Something is missing in that communication, be it not wanting to spoil it, or being intentionally vague.