3.4 speculation

[Nalien]

Xelphatol is Ixali territory, and it would seem Coerthas Eastern Highlands has fallen to them, given the gate just north of Natalan. I'm fairly certain that will be an entrance to Xelphatol eventually, Gridania doesn't really have a clear path towards Xelphatol... North Shroud might, but that's really unclear IMO, just like a path to O'Ghomoro, early concept maps might indicate a route through the Logging Grounds, but the gate in Coerthas is very obvious IMO... I don't think Coerthas Eastern Highlands (which I suspect we'd skip over just like Central Lowlands) is too far west honestly... If you look at the maps like that, there is no way Thanalan and the Shroud connect...

I would hope 4.0 actually end up being a Grand Company expansion, with Gyn Abania as an endgame "Alliance v Garlemald" area, and O'Ghomoro, Paglth'an and Xelphatol as "Company v Beast Tribe" areas. That would provide some nice potential for new Grand Company content to flesh out new Ranks (Campaign~!), and it would also avoid the issue of locking everything behind the previous story... Gyn Abania might well be locked behind the story, but why would O'Ghomoro/Paglth'an/Xelphatol? Much better way to deliver new content IMO, hope SE doesn't go the same route as Heavensward (where they should have given us a new mid-level Coerthas zone for new Jobs, rather than locking literally everything behind 2.55...) and lock everything behind 3.55 and just provide a skip method for the lazy...

[Enkidoh]

SE admitted they're still trying to find out what to do with the Grand Companies (which is why we haven't gotten new rank promotions yet), so I doubt that very much. Also Nestama is correct that Gyr Abania (the region where Ala Mhigo is), is closer physically to the Black Shroud than Coerthas (remember, Ala Mhigo actually invaded the Black Shroud a century before in the Autumn War, because Gridania was their nearest neighbour).

Plus, there are two currently blocked off paths in the East Shroud that both head in an easterly direction - one in Larkscall that passes groups of Garlean soldiers (thus this one might run to Castrum Oriens), and the other is in the Sylphlands that heads in a northeasterly direction past Goldleaf Dias, which I believe is probably the more likely of the two to head to Ala Mhigo (given Gyr Abania is in the north eastern most point of Aldenard). But I guess we'll find out.

[Nalien]

SE admitted they're still trying to find out what to do with the Grand Companies (which is why we haven't gotten new rank promotions yet), so I doubt that very much.

I think that's quite an old statement, given we're getting new gear and new ranks in 3.4... I think we're also getting the starts of that whole "lead your own squad" thing, too...

Also Nestama is correct that Gyr Abania (the region where Ala Mhigo is), is closer physically to the Black Shroud than Coerthas (remember, Ala Mhigo actually invaded the Black Shroud a century before in the Autumn War, because Gridania was their nearest neighbour).

I wasn't arguing otherwise, I'd say the path through Larkscall would lead to Gyr Abania, almost certainly given the teaser at the end of 3.3 is pretty much located there. I was saying Coerthas Eastern Highlands could easily connect to Xelphatol given the geography and strong Ixali force in the region. There is a clear route through Ixali territory through Coerthas, and I see no reason why it wouldn't connect to Xelphatol (which may or may not connect to Gyr Abania), they came from Xelphatol after all... Arguably they should have a similar route into the Shroud, but the only one I can make out is an air route across a lake... It's possible a new area could provide a more solid route of course, but for now Coerthas Eastern Highlands seems the best bet...

I suppose the Lily Hills area that's in development (based on the preliminary patch notes and correction in the actual patch notes) could provide a route, given it's sitting nicely north of Gridania... I really hope that was a mistake that hints towards new Hamlet Defense style content in 3.4... Works with the squad we're meant to be getting, too...

[KarstenS]

In the pre patchnotes of 3.3 was a picture of a map, that got changed in the final notes (beside some visual differences, one arrow got removed):

[Valenth]

I think that's quite an old statement, given we're getting new gear and new ranks in 3.4... I think we're also getting the starts of that whole "lead your own squad" thing, too...

It was my understanding we'll only get new gear, not ranks. I could very well have remembered this wrong though. I think originally it was supposed to go into 3.3 or 3.35 even, but got delayed. Maybe we will get new ranks after all.

[Nalien]

It was my understanding we'll only get new gear, not ranks. I could very well have remembered this wrong though. I think originally it was supposed to go into 3.3 or 3.35 even, but got delayed. Maybe we will get new ranks after all.

A: There were some setbacks in the planning stage, but we're expecting to have this ready for Patch 3.4 as of the current schedule. However, I cannot make any promises as to whether they will be able to enter dungeons alongside you at the time they are added to the game. We're also planning to unlock the first lieutenant rank for Grand Companies at the same time. These ranks will not be ready for Patch 3.3, although there will be new Grand Company equipment.

* Yoshida mentions second lieutenant rank in the video, however the rank that will unlock at the same time as platoons will be the first lieutenant rank.
* The video introduces a picture of the new Grand Company equipment.

Source

Honestly, I struck me as kind of odd that they would even release gear before new ranks... They already did that with Hunts... From what I recall, we were actually meant to get new ranks ages ago, they just weren't going to have anything interesting with them... I think the <Company> Elite gear was meant to be for the new ranks, given Hunts were not originally planned content, rather just something hastily implemented to appease demand for XI style NMs... For a long time they've said they want to implement something new along with new ranks though, hence the delay, and I'd be willing to bet that whatever Lily Hills is being developed into is involved in the new ranks, given they both seem to be 3.4 content...

I'd hope it's Hamlet Defense... They could do a lot better than what 1.0 offered and improve a lot upon the Besieged/Campaign framework from XI, I suspect our little squad will function like Retainers if this is the case; Rather than us directly trading things in to prepare the Hamlet, we order around our squad to improve various statistics for the defense... That's what I hope at least, I'm entirely ready to be entirely disappointed and get nothing, as usual... I guess the more logical conclusion is that Lily Hills will be involved in that new Housing system we've gotten bugger all information on...

[Elijahshane]

Might be wrong but I could have sworn it was said that Heavensward wouldn't be required for the next expansion... if so wouldn't it not lead into it then?

[Tracewood]

Looking at both the 1.0 map and Eorzea map, I doubt Coerthas Eastern Highlands will be a potential location to Ala Mhigo (it's more to the west) and Xelphatol. Too west.

Where did Coerthas Central Lowlands go?

I have a feeling the northern most area of Gridania will lead us to Xelphatol (or another Gridania zone leading to Xelphatol).

Interesting, I keep forgetting that the Garlean empire is still a far cry from Ala Mhigo. I wonder if we'll even scratch Pagith'an at all... maybe they're setting it up for something in the far future. Guess when NPCs start name dropping certain regions more frequently we'll have our answers.

[Berethos]

Might be wrong but I could have sworn it was said that Heavensward wouldn't be required for the next expansion... if so wouldn't it not lead into it then?

What was said was something along the lines of completion of the 3.x patch series would probably not be required.

[Cilia]

In the pre patchnotes of 3.3 was a picture of a map, that got changed in the final notes (beside some visual differences, one arrow got removed):

Nice catch!

... but if you go to that location and speak to the gatekeeper, he says it's just a high-end residential district for prominent (?) Gridanians. My money is on it being related to the apartments slated to be added in 3.4.