Question for the Devs; will Heavensward include a new STARTER City-State?

[kaynide]

-snip-

Honestly, I think DRK will be a class from the start with 2 classes to pick from. It's just my opinion, but I think those classes will be MRD (some tanky skills) and SMN (and not THM). Again, just me, but I think DRK's mechanics will be in debuffing hte enemy to mitigate damage, rather than overwhelming defense or massive HP. Things that slow the target or reduce their damage output and SMN's miasma/bio stuff fits that bill.

[Terin]

Like I said, it would just be awesome to get a response one way or the other. I want to know whether or not I should bother waiting to create a new character or not.

[Tiggy]

Like I said, it would just be awesome to get a response one way or the other. I want to know whether or not I should bother waiting to create a new character or not.

My recommendation. It's 6-7+ months out. Don't wait either way. Although I'm still convinced based on that quote about rogue I posted earlier that there is no chance in heck of this happening since they'd have to rewrite much of the existing dialogue from 2.0 and the patches in order for it to make any sense. I don't believe they are going to do that.

[polyphonica]

Also, @polyphonica, as I understand it Dark Knight will be played just like any other class from level 1. I got the impression basically that YoshiP did not like the job and class system and just wanted it to be straight Dark knight from start to finish, no secondary nonsense. I got this from the London live feed.

Again, that is what i think YoshiP means by playing DRK right away... It is Drk from level 1 and not level 30.

I guess you could take what was said at London Fanfest either way. What they basically said is that there was no base class and you'd be able to play right away after you buy the expansion. That said, they also made it sound like it wasn't 100% finalized yet, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Saseal]

What could happen is the new classes that aren't already tied to a city-state (like gunner would be to Limsa) are tied to a new city-state.... if a person started out as one of the new jobs (or even as the new race), they would start in that city state and they would be locked into all the quests and and storyline from THAT land (whereas we're locked into the current storyline, having started in Limsa, Gridania or Ul Dah).

So those that start out as a new character as one of those jobs would not see the storyline that we do - but that land's storyline (a 'meanwhile, in ------- city-state' while we have our stuff going on). Those starting in Limsa/Ul'Dah/Grid won't see the same story as those starting in the new city and vice versa... just like how the start and early progression, of when you first start in one of the cities, all somewhat differ before converging into one storyline (very minor differences between them, but same concept). At the early point, no one had normal story-progressed or regular access to the city-states (with exception to a dangerous run from Ul'Dah to Gridania, and so on) before given access to the airships. Whats to say players of the new race/jobs don't start out the same way.... and their part of the storyline merges into the portion of OUR storyline where the refugees arrive at Vesper Bay.... and thats where the storylines converge.
...and then a new ferryline back and forth for current players to access those other guilds/jobs/city.
The players from that storyline would probably be more tied to reporting to Yugiri than Minfillia/Alphinaud/etc.

TLDR; They could do two separate storylines kept apart by continents that eventually merge together (perhaps at the Vesper Bay refugee section since thats at the point that the new race would be pouring in at the ports anyway - and possibly not as long a duration as we have to get to that point...).

Would be nice to see what happened to Doma in storyline, though. I guess it would require to have another character to be made to see it, though.

I believe Doma (even if destroyed) and another nation were mentioned to be on a totally different continent (and not to mention the hinted at floating island that the scholars were from) - so it's possible that Heavensward is more than just added classes, added race and added storyline - but also another continent/island/landmass (not saying specifically Doma, though).

I guess as someone said, people seeing the new race of players that are ahead of the storyline would just have to see them as a 'mysterious race from a mysterious place'. Kind of like if a new player were to start in Ul Dah, then see a SCH/SMN with a summon out, and not know what those are (as they haven't done the arcanist job storyline).

*Derp*

Just some ideas

[Freyt]

Probably considering Yoshida said you'd probably be able to start as a Dark Knight.

Then again I think he said that for Rogue too.

[Terin]

I'm still insanely curious about this. As someone who actually suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, I know that your "City-State" is always present on your character-sheet, and if there *IS* going to be a new STARTER City, then I'd rather hold off, so that my new character will show that one, as well (not to mention, if I remember correctly, the Fantasia potion still keeps track of your starting Job, too, right?).

I mean, I would still *prefer* to have a new Starter-City, but it isn't that big of a deal. I'd just like to know in advance.

[NefarioCall]

I think the bigger question is where will new players start on the storyline? Will they have to go through all of 2.0's story quests before being able to start anything in Ishgard?

This. I would think SE/Yoshi would want for new players to not be deterred by the massive string of 2.0 MSQs. That has been the design philosophy all along. Please everyone and keep stress levels down. I don't know how it would make sense though. If they do wall the expansion behind the 2.0 MSQs, it would contradict this philosophy, but also allow them a little more creative freedom with the system complexities, since there would be no 'new' or 'inexperienced' players in the areas.

Perhaps the city itself and SOME of the content will be walled.
But many open areas and quests for some contents that are started and completed in those open areas, can be accessed without going through the 2.0 MSQs. A sort of compromise.

[Ecks007]

Nice 2 month necro you got going on there.

It is unlikely they will add new starter city states. At least they aren't adding one with this expansion. While they technically are adding a new City State by opening up Ishgard, it's not a starter city and can only be reached if you own the expansion.

Players don't get to pick Dark Knight, Machinist or Astrologian at the beginning of the game. You have to travel to Ishgard, talk to the npc that unlocks the job and then begin the quest and level that job up from then on. The mobs themselves near the Gates of Judgement are in the high level 30s if I'm not mistaken and while I'm sure it will be technically possible for you to get a level 1 character (or in general lower than 30) past that point and perhaps through whatever new zones lead to Ishgard itself, it's not exactly what's expected of players. (though I'm sure it will be possible, I was able to take my lvl 10 Gld alt from Ul'dah to Revenant's Toll going through N. Than and entering through the Garlean outpost section of Mor Dhona)

In short, it's not a city state like the others. I doubt they will have a Grand Company and I wonder about how the new Jobs will actually be presented as quests. I don't exactly picture a "Dark Knight guild".

If anything Ishgard might have it's own factions of knights, which will serve as something perhaps similar to the function of Grand Companies, only perhaps for battling specific dragons or other menaces. We'll see.

Mini Addition/Edit: Actually the new jobs themselves might not even be in Ishgard if you think about it. Astrologian could be, perhaps. Or it could be available at an outpost in one of the new zones, same for Machinist. Dark Knight I could see starting from a solitary "Old Dark Knight" or something secluded in a dark part of one of the new zones. I really don't see the new jobs actually starting in Ishgard to be honest.

[Mishini_Dracoto]

Just to interject, part of OP's desire for answering this questionw as born out of wondering whether to wait or not before creating the character, but I remember being told that it was announced that you needed to have certain classes already levelled in order to unlock DRK. I never read this on anything official so I'm not sure if somebody has a source but, if that's the case, you really want to make your character first, and then swap if you want to play DRK right away. If I'm wrong, then my post is completely invalid.