Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXI Digest (07/14/2022)

[Voltenyne]

We are pleased to present the full digest of the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXI!
If you missed the live stream, or if you just want to watch it again (and again), check it out below!



* Don’t forget to select the 1080p option to watch the video in HD!

Patch 6.18



(00:03:14)

At the beginning of the broadcast, we reviewed what would be introduced in Patch 6.18, which was released on Tuesday, July 5.
See the patch notes for further details regarding Patch 6.18: NA / EU

Patch 6.2 Preview Part 1

Patch 6.2: Buried Memory



(00:05:33)

We began the preview by revealing the title of Patch 6.2, Buried Memory, which is scheduled for late August 2022.

New Main Scenario Quests




(00:07:09)

While we can’t go into detail about the main scenario quite yet, we hope we can whet your appetite with these two screenshots!

New Sidequests





(00:08:51)

The next installment of “Tataru’s Grand Endeavor” will be reflecting back on the Warrior of Light’s adventures thus far, and will feature familiar faces from the Shadow of Mhach series! Completion of The Shadow of Mhach alliance raid series will be required to proceed, so this might be a good opportunity to get caught up if you haven’t already.

“Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures” will continue in Patch 6.25. Stay tuned, as our favorite Inspector appears to be traveling beyond Etheirys!

New Weapon Enhancement Quests




(00:12:27)

As you may have expected, a familiar face will be returning in this latest installment of weapon enhancement quests. In what sort of manner will we be enhancing our weapons this time?

The quests will begin in Patch 6.25, so those of you who’ve yet to catch up on all the Hildibrand sidequests may want to get caught up before then.

New Tribal Quests



(00:16:52)

The new tribal quests will feature the Omicrons and will be for Disciples of the Land. They’ll be quite rich in terms of story, so please look forward to it.

New Dungeon




(00:19:02)

The name of this dungeon doesn’t ring any bells; who knows where it may lie? We hope you’ll look forward to discovering its secrets and the story surrounding it as well!

New Trials



(00:21:23)

We’d like to keep the new trials a secret until Patch 6.2 is released. Until then, we’ll be looking forward to seeing your predictions!

[Voltenyne]

New Raids




(00:22:48)

We went over the new 8-player raids.

This time around, we’d like to make a request of our players related to the release of Savage raids. Over the past nine years or so since A Realm Reborn, we’ve solidified a pattern when it comes to releasing certain content at particular timings. From time to time, however, we’ve received requests to release Savage raids at a different timing from Normal raids. As such, we’d like to make Patch 6.2 a test case where Savage raids will be implemented one week after the patch.

While we’ve been asked to delay Savage by one week to allow players to enjoy the story first, we’ve also seen concerns that doing so would give players too much time to analyze the Normal raids in depth before competing in World First races for Savage. The Development team has simulated what might occur as a result of delaying Savage by a week, but if we were to go all out with taking countermeasures against such side effects, there’d be no going back. As such, we’d like to try the one-week delay this time, then consider feedback to decide whether to maintain the delay for future Savage releases, as well as consider possible adjustments to crafting-related and economical aspects.

We’d like to hear your opinion on this endeavor, so please let us know what you think.

New Unreal Trial



(00:27:25)

The next Unreal trial will be the Sephirot encounter, re-balanced for level 90. We’ve completed the adjustments and tests for the trial, which has turned out to be quite tough. Although we did make minor adjustments to mechanics that didn’t meet our current standards for battle content, such as Earth Shakers that dealt damage based on distance, but even so you may be in for a tough time!

Job Adjustments



(00:29:45)

We went over the job adjustments.

Regarding PvP, we’ll be making changes to the matchmaking system for Crystalline Conflict as well. We’ll also make changes to prevent players from coordinating with each other to end up in the same match.

In previous Letter LIVEs, we mentioned that dragoon and astrologian would receive extensive adjustments in Patch 6.2; however, we’ll be postponing these adjustments based on the feedback we’ve received since Patch 6.1. Making extensive adjustments to a job on a fundamental level would involve numerous changes. The sheer number of changes would make it difficult to fully explain our intentions for each one, so we believe we should wait for an expansion release to make adjustments of that scale. With that said, rest assured we’ll continue to make minor adjustments.

When we publish the 6.2 patch notes, we are also planning to release explanations for job adjustments separately from the patch notes. Our goal is to clearly explain our intentions in their entirety, so please take a look when they’re released. Although we understand that publishing our intentions will not necessarily mean everyone will agree with our job adjustments, but we’d still like to alleviate the current situation where players are completely left in the dark when it comes to changes.

Critical & Direct Hit Adjustments



(00:33:00)

Patch 6.2 will also introduce adjustments to the system of critical/direct hits, which will address instances where certain actions which guarantee critical/direct hits do not benefit from effects which increase critical/direct hit rate. We’re still working on this and would like to share further details on the actual adjustments in the next Letter LIVE.

PvP Updates



(00:34:06)

Patch 6.2 will mark the beginning of PvP Series Two alongside the introduction of new rewards. The adjustments to the matching system are currently planned for Season Three.

Continued Improvements to Main Scenario Quests




(00:35:35)

We’ll be continuing with adding Duty Support to dungeons visited during the main scenario. Certain dungeons will allow you to participate alongside key NPCs.

The Steps of Faith had many unique mechanics that weren't seen in other content, so we've made it into a solo quest battle. Furthermore, Thornmarch is currently the first 8-player duty encountered by players making their way through the main scenario using Duty Support, but its mechanics were also difficult to understand, so the duty has been revamped.

Variant Dungeons




(00:40:45)

We went over the new Variant Dungeons battle content. The strength of enemies is determined by party size, and it’ll be up to you to choose how many members to take with you. The dungeons will have branches of different progression, and sometimes you might even be faced with a decision right at the entrance. There are also times where bosses will feature different mechanics based on players’ actions.

The first Variant Dungeon will be the Sil’dihn Subterrane. Just from the name alone, lore enthusiasts may have understood that the dungeon will be taking place under Ul’dah. Both the story and the lore details you’ll acquire upon completion will vary depending on the path you choose to take. Those of you looking to enjoy the story in depth may want to play through the dungeon multiple times to get a better grasp of the overall picture!

We showed one screenshot during the broadcast, but there are other places with scenic views as well. The phrase “subterrane” might give off the impression that you’ll be underground for the entire dungeon, but there are even some locations we've included to mix things up. We hope you’ll enjoy exploring the Sil’dihn Subterrane once it’s released!

The second and third installment of Variant Dungeons will be added during the 6.x series.

Another Path - Criterion Dungeons




(00:47:46)

We also went over Another Path - Criterion Dungeons, which will be high-difficulty challenges for parties of four level 90 players. Over the years, we’d received lots of requests from our Western players asking for high-difficulty content for smaller groups of players, which we’ve finally been able to address. In terms of difficulty, The Sil'dih Subterrane (Variant Dungeon) is similar to Normal, Another Sil'dihn Subterrane is similar to Extreme, and Another Sil'dihn Subterrane (Savage) is similar to Savage.

We hope Variant Dungeons and Criterion Dungeons will be enjoyable for players of all sorts. Variant Dungeons in particular come with their own story, and will be a worthwhile experience for those looking to discover more lore!

[Voltenyne]

Island Sanctuary






（01:14:10）

Island Sanctuary will offer a variety of solo activities for you to enjoy, such as gathering materials, creating handicrafts, building a base of operations, and watching minions as they freely wander about. You’ll also be able to collect and care for various creatures on the island, and even give them names. Furthermore, certain settings can be enabled if you’d like to socialize with friends and free company members.

We plan on expanding the island's explorable region in future patches. Flying can be unlocked by fulfilling certain requirements, and mounts will have increased speed for convenient travels as you explore. You’ll start off with a simple tutorial that guides you through building the basic facilities and fields. Everything beyond that is aimed at players who are looking to enjoy some laid-back content. We’re currently making adjustments to ensure that Island Sanctuary won’t turn into something that everyone will be essentially forced to play.

In order to foster a refreshing experience on the island, the weather will typically be sunny. You’ll also be able to place an orchestrion back at your base of operations, making for quite the soothing setting.

We’ll be sharing more information on Island Sanctuary alongside gameplay in the next Letter LIVE.

Adventurer Plate and Portrait Updates






（01:29:18）

We went over the official release of adventurer plates and portraits. From Patch 6.2 onward, portraits can be set individually for specific purposes, such as your adventurer plate or different gear sets. Please note that due to major changes to the feature, beta version portraits created before Patch 6.2 will be rendered unavailable.

Furthermore, in Patch 6.2, Doman mahjong will be added to the list of duties which support portraits. We’re also currently testing out displaying portraits in dungeons, though it won’t be ready in time for Patch 6.2. Rest assured, there will be an option to forgo displaying your portrait as well.

Miscellaneous Updates




（01:37:51）

Finally, we covered some miscellaneous updates.

You’ll be able to request other players to repair your gear during duties, which we hope will come in handy.

We also have revamped the Actions & Traits window to display combos and actions which are upgraded by leveling up. You can swap between this new view and the old one, so we hope you’ll use whichever suits your preference!