Announcements from Letter from the Producer Live Part LXXXV (85) - 7 February 2025

[Iscah]

Using the Reddit Discord translation channel as a source for this.

Upcoming patches:

• 25 February = 7.18 (lift restrictions on weekly tomes and Savage, possibly add Echo)
• Late March = 7.2

Patch art

Work is being done to counter stalking issues (I am not going to summarise this as I don't want to deliver the information incorrectly, and it has already been discussed elsewhere by people who understand it better than I do.)


New content:

• MSQ 7.2 with dungeon (The Underkeep) and trial (Recollection)
• Mamool Ja society quests for gatherers - looks to be taking place in Mamook
• more Hildibrand
• new Cornservant sidequest
• duty support added for Sunken Temple of Qarn
• new PVP series, and Frontline Secure mode is back
• Arcadion part 2: Cruiserweight Tier
• Suzaku Unreal

Cosmic Exploration

• collaborative for crafters and gatherers
• a new planet to explore in each major patch
• first project appears to be the Moon
• looks like we get a mecha thing either as mount or gimmick
• new glamour (sleek uniform thing)

Field Operations - Occult Crescent

• wilderness/jungle setting
• large-scale raid (48 players)
• requires level 100 to enter
• separate "Knowledge" levelling system
• Phantom Jobs - "when equipped, they will grant players new actions that can be used with their main job" - appears to be a mix of existing and new jobs: freelancer, monk, bard, geomancer, ranger, berserker, time mage, chemist and cannoneer are shown. It is noted that some of these jobs wouldn't fit well into FFXIV but doesn't definitively rule them out.
• Relic weapons can be worked on through either field operations or existing content

Other:

• polaroid camera emote as a collab with instax - not clear whether this is free for all players or something you have to earn
• upcoming discount campaign for 30 days of FFXI subscription
• JP collaboration with Don Tacos brand
• Black Milk clothing collab - previews of some of the outfits
• Primals concert Blu-ray and merchandise
• Scions will appear in the artwork for upcoming events, even though they're not going to necessarily be in the events
• apparently they are "thinking about" making rewards from past PVP seasons available again.

[Iscah]

I've seen other people complaining about the trials being merged into MSQ again, but personally I'm happy for it to be handled this way if it means it gives them more room for one big-scope story rather than two smaller ones. I think it will depend on what stories they want to tell, rather than rigid storyline-to-content type links - perhaps sometime we'll get wild things again like the dungeon for the patch going to a side story again like the Four Lords handled it.

[TaleraRistain]

I've seen other people complaining about the trials being merged into MSQ again, but personally I'm happy for it to be handled this way if it means it gives them more room for one big-scope story rather than two smaller ones. I think it will depend on what stories they want to tell, rather than rigid storyline-to-content type links - perhaps sometime we'll get wild things again like the dungeon for the patch going to a side story again like the Four Lords handled it.

I enjoy it just for the fact that you actually see these trials in roulettes since everyone has them unlocked. I can't tell you the last time I got a Weapon trial in roulette. People just don't do that series it seems.

[Iscah]

I enjoy it just for the fact that you actually see these trials in roulettes since everyone has them unlocked. I can't tell you the last time I got a Weapon trial in roulette. People just don't do that series it seems.

That's a good point too. It's always nice when higher-level duties come up in roulettes.


Well, usually nice anyway.

[SongOfTheWind]

I've seen other people complaining about the trials being merged into MSQ again, but personally I'm happy for it to be handled this way if it means it gives them more room for one big-scope story rather than two smaller ones. I think it will depend on what stories they want to tell, rather than rigid storyline-to-content type links - perhaps sometime we'll get wild things again like the dungeon for the patch going to a side story again like the Four Lords handled it.

As if 6.x was not a padded for the sake of padding underwhelming story.
It’s impressive how less content is met with “at least it can be less but better, right? Right?…”
The answer is no, ofc.

[Arrius]

Hey, Cornservant sidequests - Enjoying the little one, so its always good seeing more of that.

[Iscah]

As if 6.x was not a padded for the sake of padding underwhelming story.
It’s impressive how less content is met with “at least it can be less but better, right? Right?…”
The answer is no, ofc.

As I said, I'd rather have one solid story than two weaker ones, if that is indeed the choice. I want them telling stories when they have ideas worth telling, and if not then I'd rather the resources go elsewhere.

[Exmo]

+1 to tying patch trials to the MSQ. I still remember lunar bahamut being hyped up in msq only to be killed off unceremoniously as a dungeon boss. Allowing major msq threats to be trials better suits the dramatic cadance of the story.

[CNitsah]

I've seen other people complaining about the trials being merged into MSQ again, but personally I'm happy for it to be handled this way if it means it gives them more room for one big-scope story rather than two smaller ones. I think it will depend on what stories they want to tell, rather than rigid storyline-to-content type links - perhaps sometime we'll get wild things again like the dungeon for the patch going to a side story again like the Four Lords handled it.

My problem with that is that it give a weird pacing to patches, where things feels more like a checklist than being there for a good reason. I don't argue for only having one msq trial in X.3, but it would be nice to have a side story quest where they could put a dungeon or a trial when needed. You could have only have a trial, a dungeon or both in the msq, while the other (if there is) goes in the side story. It would also break the predictability some are complaining about. In the end, we would still get both during a patch. I mean Lapis Manlis and the Aetherfront felt like they were there because the patch needed a dungeon rather than being relevant to the story.

[Iscah]

My problem with that is that it give a weird pacing to patches, where things feels more like a checklist than being there for a good reason. I don't argue for only having one trial in X.3, but it would be nice to have a side story quest where they could put a dungeon or a trial when needed. You could have only have a trial, a dungeon or both in the msq, while the other (if there is) goes in the side story. It would also break the predictability some are complaining about. In the we would still get both during a patch. I mean Lapis Manlis and the Aetherfront felt like they were there because the patch needed a dungeon rather than being relevant to the story.

That's fair, and I'm all for the things getting shuffled around to whichever story thread they work best for. Perhaps even a stand-alone dungeon questline instead of wedging it in where it doesn't fit?

Actually the biggest thing where I feel like this should have been done was Endwalker's finale. The dungeon unfortunately feels like it's there because it had to be there, and I think the story might have flowed better if it subverted our expectations and leapt straight to the final showdown.