Birthday in game gift! can we have it?

[Gilraen]

There was an interview around 2.0 release that discussed the choice of deity. The answer was that deity choice will gain some significance later on when the Twelve become central to the story and that there would be some revelation about who/what they are. We've heard nothing more about it since then and I have no clue where the interview is now... Just gotta wait for an expansion on it I guess.

I remember that. Thing is, the Twelve have only been referenced a couple times over the story so far, but each time it was in reference to primal summoning. We haven't had a full-blown act to call on the Twelve since the final quests of 1.#. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the expansions as something invoking the Twelve sounds like a plot you base a much larger story on than what we've been getting from the patches.

[ErikMynhier]

Since most players use their real birthdays, at least for their main, I usually sent friends a little gift on their birthdays. The dates are for Lore I believe. We don't need square to give us birthday presents though. If you want to get stuff, start giving gifts like I did. People will gift you back and it won't require a programmer that is already busy with other stuff.

[Embercrisp]

Birthday minion would be fine.

[Kanadiana]

Lets see... my birthday wish is High Allagan weapons... "blows candles"

Is that you Jiraiya?

[Pandastirfry]

I think they may be purposely keeping away from dates as a whole with a couple of notable Earth-annual exceptions. NPC's will directly reference holidays being the year before for instance, but that will be one of our years, not theirs. I'm curious if they'll start referring to the calamity as being more than 5 years ago come August or if it'll be another of those vague dates that don't really fit once you start poking it.

They probably won't, and I'm glad they don't let us know what day/month/year ingame it is (and in fact years get wobbly as the Astral/Umbral periords, which are the basis of the year order system in Eorzea, aren't a set number of years, in lore one Astral Era lasted 300 years and an Umbral that lasted 50 and the events of 1.0 were the tail end of the 6th Astral Era, and the 7th Umbral Era lasted only 5 years and we're currently in the First Year of the 7th Astral Era)

It was one of the things that bugged me about XI, all the NPCs would and still do go on about the Crystal War being "20 years ago" and gave a specific date for when it happened(Which, really, That was a long time ago. Stop bringing it up like it happened yesterday.) But bring up the in game clock and "NO IT WASN'T IT WAS NEARLY 2000 YEARS AGO NOW!!" (the "War" that they bring up as happening "20 years ago" was in 862-864 C.E. and when I quit playing it was like 2113 C.E.)

[Felis]

Eorzea calendar: http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Time

They probably won't, and I'm glad they don't let us know what day/month/year ingame it is

During 1.0 it showed us the day and the month, but never the year

The 5th day of the 5th month in this picture

[Sheri]

While I dont think this is a bad idea, I do think the OP's suggestions are a bit over powered.
Maybe like a "birthday cake" food item and 5 or 10 free teleport vouchers would be better. Something that doesn't break the game but is kind of a pleasant thing to get on your characters nameday.

It would be great to receive cake & teleport vouchers!

[Nicobo]

Some games have a birthday reward system(in-game date) will be nice if in future updates,Yoshi-P can inplement this feature... you can't believe this but... this system can motivate even more all eorzeans! some example of rewards is....

-Special outfit
-Gil(like 150,000)
-1 LV up for all classes or a item pack with 5 itens that you can use and gain 1 lv but yes, limited per class(i know some games with this)
-Annunciation in a special board( something like hunt board but for birthday system)

I hope we can have this ^.^ if you have ideas please say it!

Like this idea but don't give exp boost! I am pretty sure I will have everything cap before my birthday..^^;

I like to receive a cake or birthday minion as others suggested,
In addition, I think this idea can be implemented in Gold Saucer, npc will give you some MGP as birthday gift,
this will be very reasonable, in Japan many arcade centers will give free game coins(non refundable) to customers if it is his/her birthday.

Moreover if it is implemented only in Gold Saucer then it could be treated as Gold Saucer's content so it doesn't affect what "game play" that some ppl concern. Imagine when you enter Gold Saucer on your birthday, their staff welcome you again (CS) like the first time you visit there, and reserved a table in the restaurant with a bithday set available only to you (or your PT), It would be fun ^^;

[Gilraen]

Thal's Balls that was some kind of necromancy there... by the Twelve why?!

[syndicategamer13]

A birthday minion definitely would be cute, but apparently culinarians can now make a "Nameday Cake" from the new recipes.