Thread: PvP Changes - 4.0 Patch Notes

The patch notes for 4.0 came out just a few hours ago, and WOW, there are way more changes to PvP than we expected! Not only is there a full revamp to the combat system, but they've also removed several modes, made some horrible design choices, and a few good ones too. Let's get into it.



First up, a small adjustment renaming the two feast modes, likely so that newer players can better distinguish which mode they should be queueing into.



The level cap to be able to participate in PvP has been lowered to 30. Any character that has reached level 30 and has unlocked their job can queue up for ANY MODE. Yes...Even ranked feast. If you thought that the leaderboards were littered with alts and win traders before? Prepare for the Storm.



Let's face it, nobody played The Fold once The Feast came out. The loss of it isn't such a big deal, though it will always have a place in the hearts of those that played it back in the day.

Slaughter has also been removed. While suprising, it speaks to Square Enix's design philosophy when it comes to PvP. There was just way too much killing, and not enough time spent AFK waiting for RNG objectives to spawn.

The Feast (Light Party) has also been REMOVED. Many players have been advocated for the removal of it's rewards, but Square Enix has straight up put it to bed. We have a heavy opinion about this topic, which will be expressed at a later time. For now, just know that events like the Aether Cup and regular team practice just got WAY more frustrating to organize.



Many minor changes here, but some really stand out:

- Several changes to the way combat works, like the removal of AA, parry, and Crits. This is pretty huge, since now you no longer need to worry about RNG screwing you over.
- Spells are no longer interrupted upon taking damage. This is a huge deal, and means that CC will likely be necessary to stop healers.
- The damage penalty on ranged dps was archaic, and we are glad to see it go.
- Silence is now on the diminishing return (though position displacement abilties, like knockbacks, still have no DR)
- Oh, Dimishing Returns are gone. Instead, you are now immune from a specific class of crowd control for 1 minuteTentative - not confirmed (or longer with the trait). Goodbye, 3-time stun lock!



Something the PvP community has been asking for since The Wolve's Den! New players will now be directed to a beginners guide to spell out the basics of PvP. We have not personally looked at this beginners guide yet, but rest assured it will not outclass the guides on PvPaissa!



This change speaks subtle volumes. Since these are listed as the only modes which do not have EXP tied to them, that means...

THE FEAST (RANKED MATCH - SOLO QUEUE) WILL HAVE EXP REWARDS TIED TO IT!

Buckle up, pals. Solo Ladder is about to be more chaotic than ever before!

That's it for the new, relevant information. However, there were some good clarifications to changes that have been announced before.



If you didn't already know, each job will be getting a SEPERATE set of actions when in PvP. As stated recently, each job will have 9-12 specifics job actions, in addition to 3 PvP traits and 2 PvP actions. The patch notes provided a few screen shots for us. In this example, we take a look at the monk.



Simple enough, but a good change for new players. The tooltip of your combo abilities in PvP will display all the abilities in the combo. That still doesn't mean people will actually read the tooltips.



A screenshot of the new PvP additional actions. Once we could have them all, but now only two. It will make for some interesting match-by-match decision making.



The PvP traits are about exciting in functionality as they are in name. It is important to note that these are the same across every role and job.

The last large topic was the changes to Adrenaline Rush:


The old "Tank LB" gave 40% reduction for 10s, while this new one gives 25% for 15s. While it may look to be way worse than it's previous incarnation, we will have to wait and see how powerful it is with the rest of the new combat changes.


With Slaughter, The Fold, and Light Party deleted from the game, it's a wonder how this and Shatter survived...

Jokes aside, it is important to note that base HP has been raised in PvP and the damage of this ability has been slightly reduced, meaning it should technically be less impactful than it is currently.


A really good overhaul. The damage is lower, but the additional effect really makes this worth using. Also, it is instant cast! But...


The caster version is better, minus the cast time.


Healer LB took the real hit here. It no longer removes detrimental effects, just CC.

To finish off the round-up of the 4.0 changes, we've compiled a list of the other, more minor changes:

- PvE actions can no longer be used in PvP areas
- Players will get a seperate hotbar for PvP
- When going between PvP and PvE areas, your hotbar will swap automatically
- The ice in Shatter had it's HP adjusted to facilitiate the changes
- Secure now uses Adrenaline Rush instead of Limit Break
- The Character menu now has a seperate look when in PvP areas
- You can't summon your chocobos in Wolve's Den Pier (ok)
- The rewards for PvP have been doubled (PvP EXP, Wolf Marks, and Tomestones)
- Quick chat is still in the game
- Nice Job!

If you have feedback on these changes, the official forums is a good place to go. We will personally be starting a few feedback topics in the near future, so look out for those!