4th Starting City-State in 1st Expansion

[CatholicFan]

Ishgard and Ala Mhigo is most likely the higher level content for 1st Expansion ranging from lvl 51+ content with Ala Mhigo being the Final Story Dungeon for 2.0 Main Story Quest.

Currently 2.1 has set Sharlayan as a important story point that we will need to go to eventually to discover the Fate of the Circle of Knowing and for information about this new White Ascian who could be the Main Antagonist for 1st Expansion Storyline.

If you watched through the final cutscene of the 2.0 main-story, then I'd say what the Ascians reference in that scene is much more likely to be the boss for the first expansion. This White Ascian business comes off as just being a build-up to something much bigger. Sadly, I don't think we're going to get any major storylines until said expansion hits.

Why dont we just worry about 2.2 for now, and not something that isnt even close to being here yet.

Based roughly on Final Fantasy XI's expansion release schedule, coupled with comments by the dev team that they're already working on the expansion, it's reasonable to discuss this. Also, given the major-update schedule, It's likely we'll be seeing it in about a year. I expect we'll get 2.2 in March, 2.3 summer, 2.4 in fall, 2.5 in winter, and then the first expansion will drop roughly in spring of 2015. So, realistically, there's only going to be 4-5 more story content updates before the next major release, and the seeds of what that will be are likely being laid out in the current content.

[Macka]

You're looking at 2.1 far too much. Any new Starting area Story will have to be set during 2.0 story for new characters to build their character through 2.0 storyline then move into 2.1 story once they're level 50 like all new characters then 2.2 story, 2.3 , 2.4, 2.X and then move into 3.0 story.

I meant 2.0 storyline a new starting city means a new 2.0 story needs to be written the current 3 stories are different until you fight Ifrit and pick a GC which means new Cutscenes, new opening scene, new voice acting, and New Grand Company. As for the New Race they can just throw them in give them some lore like they did male Mo and Female Row.

[Lucke]

I don't like "Well, XI didn't do it so XIV can't!" arguments. Sure XIV may have the same races and jobs as XI, but it's its own game. I hope XIV has lots of cities to go to. I wanna see the Far (Near?) East continent!

Remember though, if we can start in a new city-state, that area needs guilds, which means new classes. So, I doubt we'll see Ishgard or Ala Mhigo until we get new classes/jobs. People starting there need guilds to join.

[Enkidoh]

Again, given all the lore information, and what Yoshi-P has said in the past, it's highly likely we won't see a 4th starting city:

Ishgard was mentioned a while ago in a Live Letter as being a level 50 zone when it's finally added to the game that will not even be open - the player will instead have to do a questline just to gain access to the place (probably the gate will be closed and thus to enter the player would have to speak to a npc to enter and exit). Sharalyan is stated as having fallen before the Calamity and is now overrun by the Dravanian Horde (so in more likelihood would probably be a future dungeon), which leaves Ala Mhigo. A city that despite the Empire losing their claws in Operation Archon, is still under Garlean control and is sealed off from the rest of Eorzea.

So yeah, unless a new city is suddenly and inexplicably added to the game in the centre of Eorzea, which would require a massive retcon, I think we're stuck with the original three starting cities I'm sorry to say.

[Baxter]

It's never going to happen. Why would they go through the trouble of reworking Grand Company, Storyline, and starter classes just to add a new starting hub?

They made it a point to usher you quickly along to 50 to play their endgame. Everything from this point on will revolve around lv 50+. I can see them adding small details to 1~49 over the course of the years, but I bet heavily that itll pretty much remain unchanged.

[Kikosho]

Sharalyan is still around. You have to remember that there were two Sharalyans. One is the main City-State which we can see on the world map and the other was an island nation created by Sharalyans and also named Sharalyan. The island nation is the one that was essentially destroyed, the main City-State still lives on.

Aside from that, ARR is the base game that all players must complete. Expansions are just add-ons that has add content for various level ranges but still require the player to play the base game. It's how almost all MMOs work.

[EdwinLi]

I meant 2.0 storyline a new starting city means a new 2.0 story needs to be written the current 3 stories are different until you fight Ifrit and pick a GC which means new Cutscenes, new opening scene, new voice acting, and New Grand Company. As for the New Race they can just throw them in give them some lore like they did male Mo and Female Row.

Only thing different has been the lvl 1- 15 main story since those are events that lead to the New Adventurer getting access to Airship and the other city-states.

from lvl 16+ it is the same thing with only a few dialogues affected by where your starting city-state is but the starting story is still the same in their own way.

You join the Adventurer Guild

You help some people

You meet the Scion Member investigating the area.

Important people take note of your actions.

You help fight off enemies and then fight the Mysterious Mask person and his pet.

You are now famous in the City-State and is invited to a Party.

You get sent on a mission to deliver a message.

You still leave the city-state to deliver a message.

You Still go into the three dungeons.

You still go in a pattern from Limsa, Gridania, and Ul'dah before joining the Scion

You still meet the Scion member from your City-State in Ul'dah

You still join the Scions with Minfilia saying you already know "this" member of the Scions while introducing the rest.

You will always go with Thancred to investigate Camp Drybone and fight Ifrit.

The 3 grand companies get word of your actions and want you to join.

The pattern is the same no matter where you start out. Only difference is what task you help people with during lvl 1 -15 that lead to the fight with the Mysterious Mask person.

Sharalyan is still around. You have to remember that there were two Sharalyans. One is the main City-State which we can see on the world map and the other was an island nation created by Sharalyans and also named Sharalyan. The island nation is the one that was essentially destroyed, the main City-State still lives on.

Aside from that, ARR is the base game that all players must complete. Expansions are just add-ons that has add content for various level ranges but still require the player to play the base game. It's how almost all MMOs work.

Ya it has been the City-State I've been mentioning since the Circle of Knowing is located there and has remained perfectly fine until 2.1 story.

I don't like "Well, XI didn't do it so XIV can't!" arguments. Sure XIV may have the same races and jobs as XI, but it's its own game. I hope XIV has lots of cities to go to. I wanna see the Far (Near?) East continent!

Remember though, if we can start in a new city-state, that area needs guilds, which means new classes. So, I doubt we'll see Ishgard or Ala Mhigo until we get new classes/jobs. People starting there need guilds to join.

Ya that kinds of push me the wrong way as well since FF14 is not FF11 so SE can make content anyway they want. Also Expansions are not only bound to high/Mid level content but contains content for various levels.

Also the Far East is called Far East because it is so far away from Eorzea it is not on the Map. The Far East is located East of the Garlean Empire just across the Sea of Jade outside of the current Eorzea Map. It is where the City-State called Radz-at-Han is located and you should know them as the ones who make the oil you need for your relic called Radz-at-Han Oil.

Based roughly on Final Fantasy XI's expansion release schedule, coupled with comments by the dev team that they're already working on the expansion, it's reasonable to discuss this. Also, given the major-update schedule, It's likely we'll be seeing it in about a year. I expect we'll get 2.2 in March, 2.3 summer, 2.4 in fall, 2.5 in winter, and then the first expansion will drop roughly in spring of 2015. So, realistically, there's only going to be 4-5 more story content updates before the next major release, and the seeds of what that will be are likely being laid out in the current content.

Well currently the Major Update Main story is not only to answer questions left unanswered but to lay the foundation for 1st expansion storyline. 2.1 Main story has already introduced a few figures and events such as what happened to the Circle of Knowing in 2.1.

[Jennika]

The expansion will include an increase in level cap and most likely all content will be level 50 and increase from there.

[Jynx]

So if SE decided to add a 4th starting area

Or they could instead of continually spreading the story thin as rice paper, focus on the current cities and characters we have established.

We don't need a convoluted story that introduces a city worth of new characters everytime the game expands leaving them all unsinspired and weakly developed. Let's just focus on what we have.

[TeraRamis]

I'd personally prefer Ishgard (and have them just add a zone or two north of Ishgard for low character) because the associated housing would be so cool.