Thread: Patch 3.4 - Soul Surrender

Originally Posted by Fenral

EverQuest expansions were individual installs that you could mix-and-match for a very long time, before they gave in and adopted the WoW distribution model. Final Fantasy XI expansions are also (technically) independent, with occasional caveats like Abyssea requiring Rise of the Zilart and Wings of the Goddess, but not the other two in between. Star Wars: The Old Republic lets you skip to the current expansion and has never required the previous expansions. And so on.

The usual marketing assumption is that you'll want all of them, so they make it as easy as possible with discounts and combo packs and such, but seeing as the FFXIV launcher is set up for individual expansion installs and version updates, I'm guessijng they'll be independent for at least a little while longer. At the very least, it wouldn't surprise me.

Fair enough, though in this case it wouldn't make much sense to allow them to be installed independently. With Heavensward covering all of the 50-60 content and 4.0 presumably covering 60+ someone buying 4.0 without Heavensward wouldn't really be able to do much with the new content. The only way that might work is if 4.0 adds new 50-60 regions as well but the majority of the playerbase would see that as a waste of resources developing content that would be dead on arrival.

Independent expansion installs for EQ1 and FFXI worked largely because the expansions introduced new regions for all level ranges. I just don't see 4.0 following that pattern.

Originally Posted by Alberel

Independent expansion installs for EQ1 and FFXI worked largely because the expansions introduced new regions for all level ranges. I just don't see 4.0 following that pattern.

The Old Republic has more linear continuity than FFXIV (since not a single side-story arc is ever forgotten), and does it by allowing a one-time skip to the latest expansion's minimum level (a la WoW). Yoshida talks like they have something similar planned, but it's hard to say. I'm just talking in terms of what the current architecture indicates, not whether or not it's a good idea.


...

But on the topic of harmony and the schism between Light and Darkness, I think the wording is still vague enough to allow either interpretation. The creation of man could be either the result of the schism, or the cause of it. If it's the result, restoring what was means erasing mortal life, which is a "sorry but no." If it was the cause, we need only restore the universe to as it was before Hydaelyn tried to protect mortalkind from Zodiark.

Another full potential region made into a linear instance dungeon... this games world is just getting smaller and smaller. I really hope Xelphatol is also opened up into an actual zone even if that doesn't happen until 4.0.

Looks like the Demon is finally stepping out of the Book.

But did they say that Xelphatol is a MSQ dungeon?

Originally Posted by Frederick22

But did they say that Xelphatol is a MSQ dungeon?

Well it certainly isnt accessible by foot like say st mochians or the library or any of the previous dungeons, so I'd also assume its probably a part of msq.If not though, interestingly enough theres another area that borders northern lominsa that we cant access(you can se the volcano area from hermits hovel off in the distance near camp overlook) would be cool to see that region as well.

Originally Posted by Cilia

No; I get the feeling that Gubal (Hard) is going to be the MSQ dungeon this time around and Xelphatol is going to be the first 3.x "patch" new dungeon that isn't MSQ.

I feel it's the opposite. Hard mode dungeons are never linked to future stories in the MSQ.