Out of Beta, into Early Access

The online Action RPG Wayfinder is almost ready for Early Access. After a handful of beta events, Digital Extremes announced Wayfinder will be hitting Early Access on August 15. Founder's Packs will be available in several tiers with each offering access to Wayfinder as well as two seasons of unique rewards. Of course, each founder's pack has its own separate cosmetic rewards as well. The ARPG will launch on both PC (Steam) and PlayStation with full cross-play and cross-save support.

Publisher Digital Extremes and developer Airship Syndicate also unveiled an all-new playable sharpshooter class called the Venomess: here's the trailer showing off the new class and announcing the upcoming Early Access.

https://youtu.be/0TdDWdfhAMU

An interactive Battle Pass that never expires

Each founder's pack will also grant you access to the Season 1 and 2 Reward Towers. This unique battle pass will allow you to choose your own path toward earning unique seasonal rewards. Unlocks from the Rewards Tower include exclusive characters, Sprays, Charms, pets, and other cosmetics. Interestingly, each season's Battle Pass in Wayfinder never expires allowing players to grind it out how they want and when they want.

I had the chance to play in the Wayfinders beta and it definitely shows some promise. The fast-paced combat felt quite satisfying. Also, the varying playstyles of each class provide the potential for true class identity and agency. Overall it was way too mission-based for my liking, but that's exactly what Waframe fans are accustomed to. The ability to team up with friends and blast through high-intensity action in an online setting is great, even if it's not quite MMO-like. Even Warframe opened up into the more traditional MMO experience over time, so perhaps Wayfinder will do its own twist with Airship Syndicate at the helm.

Wayfinder hits early access on PC (Steam) and PlayStation on August 15.

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It's on the Epic Games Store now

The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is free on the Epic Games Store right now, and it's a pretty fantastic way to spend this semi-lull gaming period if you aren't getting Pikmin 4.

In case you were wondering, this is considered the "standard" edition of ESO and includes both the base game and the Morrowind chapter for $20. The "Necrom" version is $60 and adds in "all previous chapters," which at this point includes: High Isle, Blackwood, Greymoor, Elsweyr, Summerset, and Morrowind.

You can grab Elder Scrolls Online for free right here. This freebie promo will run through July 27 at 11AM ET, so you have time!

Is ESO worth playing?

Absolutely! Especially for free. Although it had its issues at launch, I thoroughly enjoyed running through and exploring this version of the Elder Scrolls universe, and it's only expanded since then with numerous quality-of-life patches. Although, you will have to buy/acquire the expansions that deal with content beyond the base game.

Does ESO have a mandatory subscription fee?

Nope! That's where this free offer comes in handy.

There is, however, an "ESO Plus Membership" that you can buy, which has become increasingly popular since Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) helped usher the scheme into the mainstream MMO scene ages ago.

Here's what it includes:

• Access to all DLC game packs
• Free crowns for the in-game Crown Store [read: microtransactions]
• Access to the Craft Bag
• Double bank space
• Bonuses to progression
• Increased Furniture placement limits
• Costume dyeing
• Double Transmute Crystal capacity
• Exclusive access to unique Crown Store deals

The post You can’t go wrong with getting the $20 base Elder Scrolls Online for free appeared first on Destructoid.

Palia gameplay first look shows off fishing, hunting, gardening, and more

The term "social MMO" is always a scary one for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea. But in practicality, many games have tried but none have quite succeeded in creating a fun social MMO. I've been following Palia since it got announced a couple of years ago. The developer, Singularity 6, is made up of industry veterans from companies like Blizzard, Riot, Zynga, and Sony. With that sort of track record, it seems like this team is well-set to pull off their goal.

Earlier today Singularity 6 gave the world an official first look at the gameplay in Palia. And while I certainly still have some questions, I can at least say I'm excited to move into Kilima Village and explore the world of Palia.

[caption id="attachment_392344" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Singularity 6/YouTube[/caption]

Did you say fishing?

There's an old saying, that an MMO is only as good as its fishing system. Not really, but there's clearly something really fun about a well-done fishing mechanic in an MMO. Even Destiny 2 recently added fishing with their Season of the Deep. The fishing in Palia looks very chill and relaxing, especially when you add the social component.

You see, fishing with friends isn't just for the camaraderie in Palia. Fishing near friends causes you both to receive a buff to angling over time. Furthermore, if you spot someone struggling to reel in a tough catch, you can literally cheer them on, helping them successfully bag the fish. Apparently, more than one person can offer encouragement. I can't wait to have a crowd around me cheering me on as I wipe the sweat from my brow and hoist a small sunfish over my head.

[caption id="attachment_392353" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Singularity 6/YouTube[/caption]

It's not all about the fish

As excited as I am to get the friends together and go fishing, that's not all Palia showed off in its first gameplay reveal. Palia isn't your traditional MMO where you slay monsters for experience while leveling up and acquiring loot. Instead, you will enhance a variety of life skills like fishing, hunting, gardening, cooking, crafting, and more. All of this, while in a social setting where you can play in a world of up to 25 total players.

The gameplay reminds me a lot of games like Animal Crossing and even Stardew Valley, with the player tackling mini-games to successfully complete tasks like cooking up a new recipe or crafting a new piece of furniture. As you continue to practice your craft you will level up and unlock new things to do as well as more efficient methods of completing such tasks.

Look, I know Palia isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's certainly not the next World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV. But is that really such a bad thing? If World of Warcraft Classic or FF14 has taught me anything, it's that the social aspects of an MMO are often what makes the experience so great. And in a game focused on that exact thing? All I can say is sign me up. I'll meet you on the pier with a rod in hand.

If you're interested in checking out Palia, PC players can sign up to join their closed beta test on August 2. An open beta takes place on August 10.

The post Social MMO Palia’s gameplay reveal left me excited to fish appeared first on Destructoid.

The Old Republic could be under new management as BioWare shifts focus

It sounds like things are shifting at Electronic Arts and BioWare. A new report from IGN says EA is nearing an agreement to hand development and operation of Star Wars: The Old Republic to a third-party studio.

According to IGN's report, Broadsword Online Games—developer of Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot—would take the reins. The deal is expected to be final as soon as this month.

Over half of the 70 to 80 people on the core Old Republic team are expected to move to Broadsword. Those remaining with EA will reportedly have an opportunity to look for other roles in the company, but could otherwise see layoffs.

Star Wars: The Old Republic will keep getting updates, including the upcoming 7.3 patch, and EA would remain publisher.

On the BioWare side, the team will focus its resources on current single-player efforts. This includes both Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next entry in the Mass Effect series.

We reached out to Electronic Arts for comment, and a spokesperson provided the following response:

“Almost 12 years after launch, Star Wars™: The Old Republic remains a success and continues to grow its dedicated and passionate community. We’re so proud of the work the team has done, and the future of the game and the community continues to be very bright. We’re evaluating how we give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specializes in delivering online, community-driven experiences. Our goal is to do what is best for the game and its players.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb8M5P1QKX8

A new era for the republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic has been running for quite a while, having launched back in 2011. It added free-to-play options a year later, and has since rolled on with expansions and content updates.

It's not surprising that EA wants to keep its Star Wars MMO running. But moving it from BioWare does draw some attention back to the developer.

Both Dreadwolf and Mass Effect are in development, though we haven't heard much recently from either project. The new Dragon Age has passed an alpha milestone and received a subtitle, while we haven't heard much about the new Mass Effect since its reveal.

Some senior talent has also left the company, though former executive producer Mark Darrah has returned as a consultant to work on Dreadwolf. Additionally, EA reportedly told VentureBeat that the Mass Effect team is helping with production of the new Dragon Age.

All this seems to point towards a push to get something out the door for BioWare. Hopefully The Old Republic can at least find a good home for the players still adventuring in it.

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Anyone else getting Souls-like vibes?

In early April, South Korean developer Npixel started posting a piece of concept art each day on their Twitter showing off their upcoming open-world action MMO Chrono Odyssey. Now they have released their first-ever gameplay trailer for the new title, and wow, it's looking pretty epic so far.

Built from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5, Chrono Odyssey takes place in the vast open-world wilderness of Setera. According to producer Samuel Seo via a post on Playstation Blog, the world of Setera will feature a living and breathing environment that transforms with dynamic weather and seasons. Based on the video it looks like there will be plenty to explore within its massive world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSPUHJqNrqY&t=10s

The combat system looks pretty incredible, albeit ambitious for an MMO. Unlike most titles in the genre that utilize tab-targeting mechanics, the game utilizes a real-time action combat system. The game will have six distinct classes: Swordsman, Ranger, Sorcerer, Paladin, Berserker, and Assassin

Overall the action on display in this trailer gave me heavy Dark Souls vibes, which could be a lot of fun to experience in an MMO. If I had to compare what we're seeing here to an existing game in the genre, I'd say it looks most similar to Black Desert Online which also has similarly fast-paced action.

Manipulate time and space

Furthermore, a unique feature of the game will be the "Chronotector" system. A force called "Chrono" will be a big part of the storyline and also allow players to manipulate time and space in combat. Teamwork also seems to be a big part of the game. In the trailer several scenes depicted large-scale battles in which hundreds of players took on a single colossal enemy.

We still have a ton of questions about the game but this first gameplay trailer is certainly promising. Last year the game had a target release date of 2023, but we're not sure if that's still the case. The game looks quite polished at this point so hopefully we will now get more information over the coming months.

Npixel has confirmed Chrono Odyssey will launch on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.

The post Chrono Odyssey showcases combat in new gameplay trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm blue, da ba dee

The first Live Letter for Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.4 aired today, spotlighting what's to come in the big update for Square Enix's MMORPG. With each successive patch post-Endwalker, we eke closer to the next major expansion, and the storyline continues to escalate.

But today's Live Letter felt a little more focused on the newer additions to side content. While we got a name and some teasers for what's to come, there were also some confirmed updates to different pieces of side content that are pretty exciting. Let's take a look at the full rundown of news, with assistance from unofficial translations over on the Final Fantasy XIV Discord.

The Dark Throne

• Final Fantasy XIV will be called The Dark Throne, as we head toward the next big thing in the world of Eorzea. Not much more was discussed about what's in store, though we got confirmation of a new dungeon and Trial. It's expected to arrive in late May.
• Tataru's Grand Endeavor continues, and this time follows up on the Sorrows of Werlyt quest line. You should probably knock that out now, ahead of the patch. (They're very much worth doing, for what it's worth.)
• Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures are continuing, though those will arrive in Patch 6.45.
• That also includes more Splendorous Tools and Manderville Weapons updates, also arriving in Patch 6.45.
• The new Unreal Trial will be Containment Bay Z1T9.

Pandaemonium Anabaseios

• The eight-player raid series Pandaemonium continues, heading into a cluster called Anabaseios.
• Savage difficulty will be delayed by a week.

Mount Rokkon

• A new Variant and Criterion Dungeon will arrive in Patch 6.45, dubbed Mount Rokkon.
• It will be similar to the Sil'dihn Subterrane dungeon, but will not require completion of that dungeon to unlock.
• Three levels of difficulty will be available: Normal, Criterion, and Criterion (Savage).

Stormblood Duty Support

• The Stormblood expansion is getting Duty Support added for the following: The Sirensong Sea, Bardam's Mettle, Doma Castle, Castrum Abania, Ala Mhigo

Job and PvP updates

• Unspecified job adjustments are coming to both PvE and PvP.
• PvP Series Four will start in 6.4, alongside Season Seven of Crystalline Conflict.
• Frontline is also seeing some adjustments, including a new UI element for match time and score. The Borderlands Ruins (Secure) will also be temporarily unavailable.

A brand new Blue

• The Blue Mage class is getting an update, raising the level cap up to 80.
• New spells and special Blue Mage gear are being added, and new enemies are joining the Masked Carnivale.

Assorted extra updates

• Raid fishers rejoice, as a new Ocean Fishing route is being added that will head toward Kugane.
• Island Sanctuary will get some new updates, including new ranks, visions, gathering sites, rewards, and construction plots.
• Additionally, outdoor furnishing support is being added to the hideaway on the Island Sanctuary!
• Allegan Tomestones of Comedy are on the way, and maximum gear sets will be increased to 100 (available to all characters, regardless of quest progression).
• Job icons will now be displayed in the chat log and on player nameplates.
• Transaction fee for the items sold on the market board can now be incorporated into the total price.
• Glasses and wing accessories will now display during battle. Fairy glamours are also available for Scholars.

From here, the Live Letter closed out with a preview of all the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest items that wil go up for pre-sale. If you want to take a look, check out the VOD here.

Today was a fairly chill Live Letter, but as a fan of Island Sanctuary, Blue Mage, and the Criterion Dungeons, I'm very excited for what Patch 6.4 holds for our adventurers. A second Live Letter for Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.4 is expected to go into more detail at a later date.

The post Everything shown in today’s Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.4 Live Letter appeared first on Destructoid.

Alliance and Horde, together at last

World of Warcraft is getting its patch 10.1 "Embers of Neltharion" as part of the Dragonflight content rollout. And when it arrives, it'll add a feature that should bring the World of Warcraft a little closer together through cross-faction guilds.

Though guilds had to stay within faction lines previously, the new patch will allow guilds to exist across the barriers of Alliance and Horde. The faction binary has long defined World of Warcraft, as the war of Alliance v. Horde raged on. But in years since, that has loosened; patch 9.2.5 for Shadowlands introduced cross-faction instanced content to the MMORPG. Now, Blizzard is bringing guilds into the togetherness.

"We see this as a conservative step in the same vein as cross-faction instances," World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas said in an interview with Gamespot. "This is still opt-in. We want to make sure the focus is not on tearing down Alliance and Horde as entities in Warcraft, or making complete unity the default experience, but making sure players who have real life or other out-of-game bonds with folks on the opposite faction can play with them and experience WoW together, because at the end of the day, that's the prime value here."

Why can't we be friends?

Other pieces of the World of Warcraft pie are still being cordoned off into factional divides, though. Matchmade content and open-world quests still won't allow opposing factions to group up. As Hazzikostas tells it, those situations are built on the premise that Alliance and Horde would never play together.

But as the years have rolled on since World of Warcraft launched, it feels like that divide has diminished. In some ways, you have to wonder if the war in Warcraft may ever come to close. At the very least, this should make hanging out with your guild buddies a little easier, no matter which banner you go to war under.

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight patch 10.1 does not have a release date at this time.

The post World of Warcraft is introducing cross-faction guilds in patch 10.1 appeared first on Destructoid.

Uh-oh, other people

Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG. I knew this before I started playing it, and I also knew that the second "M" in that acronym would represent a problem for me. I don't play a lot of MMOs specifically because they require a team. A party of other players is necessary to run dungeons and make meaningful progress. I don't have many friends willing to commit to an MMO, so that party is almost always comprised of strangers. And when strangers are relying on me, I tend to get really anxious really fast.

The basic idea of an online game isn't what stresses me out. I play plenty of online games. I don't mind trying something like Magic the Gathering Arena or Halo Infinite's FFA Slayer mode, where I only have myself to worry about when I inevitably faceplant. I'll even occasionally dip into Guilty Gear Strive's online modes despite being one of the worst Guilty Gear Strive players in the world. The second I'm responsible for someone else's success or failure, though, I'm a mess.

That's where the Final Fantasy XIV Duty Support system comes in.

[caption id="attachment_361395" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Lonely little me

Final Fantasy XIV's third expansion, Shadowbringers, introduced a system called Trust, which would allow players to run dungeons from the Shadowbringers Main Scenario questline with a party of NPCs. The Trust System was well-regarded and led to the frequent refrain that FFXIV was now a "great single-player game," which is a questionable claim at best.

Trust made its triumphant return in Endwalker, but more importantly for me, Endwalker introduced Duty Support. The Duty Support System is very similar to the Trust System. It lets the player run pre-Shadowbringers MSQ dungeons with a party of NPCs. Duty Support dungeons are a bit less involved than Trust dungeons since those dungeons weren't designed with the system in mind, but they're still massively important.

[caption id="attachment_361399" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

When I started playing FFXIV, I was at my absolute most anxious. It was my first MMO ever, and I was pretty much lost. When it came time to run dungeons, I nearly walked away from the game entirely. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was sincerely scared to play the game with other people.

Alleviating anxiety

By the time I started FFXIV, Duty Support was already available for dungeons in every expansion except Stormblood. This meant that I had the chance to run dungeons in A Realm Reborn on my own. So that I did...and, honestly, it wasn't very fun. I found the combat remarkably bland and clunky in the overworld, and my gripes only got worse in the dungeons. But I never would have done these dungeons at all with other people, so the Duty Support system got me to experience something I otherwise wouldn't have, and that's worth something.

[caption id="attachment_361397" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

They also let me actually progress through A Realm Reborn. I think the entire campaign is basically terrible, but if I hadn't stuck with it, I never would have discovered the things that I actually like about FFXIV. I never would've picked up crafting or gathering classes if I wasn't already invested in my character, and I never would've gotten invested in my character if I couldn't run dungeons.

Duty Support also is also handy for learning new jobs. Some classes are very confusing, and I find that dungeons are a good place to learn your rotation. Even if the combat isn't all that fun on its own, a lot of jobs have very interesting questlines associated with them. It's worth learning the ropes, and having a place to do just that without worrying about other people judging your single-pulls is nice.

[caption id="attachment_361402" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

A sociable future

After I ran my first few Duty Support dungeons, I actually felt empowered to start engaging with the game on its social terms. Some dungeons and encounters are multiplayer-only, but even when I had the choice, I started actively opting for random party match-ups during the MSQ. I found myself enjoying the game a lot more. Like I said before, Final Fantasy XIV is not a great single-player game–combat feels really weird unless it's executed in conjunction with other players. Sure, the NPC companions will do the task, but being able to talk through strategies with other players and see how they approach problems really highlights the strength of the Tank/DPS/Healer combo.

I've found that other FFXIV players are actually incredibly friendly. This is something I had been told before I started playing, but it didn't do anything to make me feel much better. Once Duty Support finally convinced me to run dungeons as they were designed, I found an uncommonly kind community. Generally, suboptimal play isn't chastised; it's corrected, and I found myself getting better at the game because of that. I never would have ended up discovering what's actually fun about FFXIV without Duty Support. In fact, I probably would have dropped the game entirely.

[caption id="attachment_361396" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Duty Support does not turn Final Fantasy XIV into a good single-player game. When judged on those terms, it will always come up short next to actual Final Fantasy games that are designed around a single-player experience. However, Duty Support does turn Final Fantasy XIV into a better multiplayer game. By providing a low-stakes environment where players can practice, or where they can simply progress when they don't feel like interacting with other people, the Duty Support system makes socializing a choice rather than a chore. It makes every interaction automatically more pleasant. It's a very simple addition to a very complex game, but it might be my single favorite mechanic in FFXIV.

The post I love Final Fantasy XIV’s Duty Support system appeared first on Destructoid.

The clear of a new ultimate has re-opened some old issues

The use of third-party tools in Final Fantasy XIV has been a hot-button issue for a while, and a recent clear of the MMO's newest Ultimate content has breached the topic once again. Producer Naoki Yoshida published a letter today, addressing information surrounding "concerning instances of unfair play" within the XIV community.

In the letter from the producer, Yoshida cites the controversy surrounding the recent world-first clear of The Omega Protocol (Ultimate). Ultimates are Final Fantasy XIV's highest tier of content, and the race to be the first to clear it is intense, much like in other MMOs. The Omega Protocol (Ultimate) introduced in 6.31 is the latest, and saw top-level groups competing for days to try and get past the hurdles and see the fight through.

Team Unnamed was crowned as the world's first clear. But soon after, footage emerged of team members allegedly employing the use of third-party tools, including a zoom hack. The video appeared on a YouTube account and soon spread around forums and social media, with plenty of ensuing memes.

"We are aware of information that is being spread regarding the use of third-party tools within The Omega Protocol (Ultimate)—we are conducting an investigation on the matter, including reviewing of reports we have received, as well as self-confessions and other information," said Yoshida. "In the event that we confirm the use of third-party tools through this investigation, we will enact penalties such as temporary account suspension or permanent account bans to those involved."

Details on those punishments will not be publicly released, Yoshida says. The producer does confirm that penalties were doled out as part of investigations into previous ultimate raids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVQtvBIdv4Y

Looking for outside help

Yoshida himself has said it before, and reiterates here again, that the use of third-party tools is strictly prohibited. "This has always been the case and will to be so," said Yoshida. "And unless announced otherwise, there are no plans to enact any changes."

He also goes on to address an illicit access of the post-clear cutscene for The Omega Protocol (Ultimate), using a specific exploit, and says penalties have been enacted in those cases too.

Yoshida closes the letter by expressing disappointment in seeing this happen again, after similar issues surrounded the clear of Dragonsong's Reprise (Ultimate). Support for an official raid race is something Yoshida says needs to be discussed internally, but in the meantime, the producer reiterates Square's stance against third-party tools.

"The ultimate raid series is the most difficult battle content within FFXIV, and we release this content after testing that it can be cleared without the use of any third-party tools," said Yoshida. "However, if the presumption is that this content will be tackled and cleared with the use of third-party tools, then any reason to develop high-difficulty battle content seems to be lost. It’s very difficult for me to understand as a gamer what the meaning behind using numerous third-party tools to compete to clear first would be."

The post Final Fantasy XIV producer addresses more third-party tool drama appeared first on Destructoid.

The Steam store page has also disappeared

Zombie survival MMO The Day Before was due to launch fairly soon. But now its developer Fntastic has pushed the launch back into November and delayed a gameplay showcase, citing concerns over the trademark of the name.

In a statement from the developer, Fntastic says that Steam has blocked The Day Before's page at the request of a "private individual" because of the game's name, The Day Before. Fntastic claims that sometime after The Day Before was announced, someone filed an application to register the trademark for The Day Before in the United States, linked here.

Fntastic and publisher Mytona claim they were not aware of this, and only found out on January 19, when they received a complaint from the trademark holder.

"As a result, we have made the difficult decision to postpone launch to November 10, 2023," the statement reads. "We understand this may disappoint many of our fans, however we want to ensure we release the best possible game. Our 100% focus remains on the game itself and how to deliver you the best game possible."

Additionally, the gameplay video meant to arrive later this month has been indefinitely pushed back. "For the gameplay video, we will consult with lawyers first, and then we can publish it," said the developer.

https://twitter.com/FntasticHQ/status/1618113906878337024

The days before it all happened

The Day Before had been fairly popular in the overall Steam wishlist charts. However, it's also run into some controversy. Developer Fntastic was pressed over its use of volunteer work.

"Anyone who is open to life can become a volunteer with Fntastic, and there are two types of volunteers," the developer said in a statement to Eurogamer. "Today we have over 100 full-time internal volunteers (employees) from Singapore, Russia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Ukraine, Finland, Kazakhstan, and Belarus who work as engineers, artists, HR professionals, etc. We also have 40 external US and worldwide volunteers (supporters) who help with testing and reviewing our products at a very early stage."

The Day Before is now aiming for a November 10 launch date.

The post Survival MMO The Day Before launch pushed back over trademark issues appeared first on Destructoid.

Tales of loss, and fire, and faith

The critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. Maybe you've heard of it? It's a massive undertaking, stretching across years and expansions, containing huge comeback stories and legions of followers.

It was around this time last year that I first wrote about Final Fantasy XIV. Friends had tried to put me on to it for ages, and I even made a character once before promptly quitting out after seeing all clutter on-screen. But hearing about the sheer fervor, as servers buckled under the weight of new and old users striving to play Endwalker, finally got me to give it an honest try.

I played some Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. And then I journeyed to Ishgard, and Heavensward. Then onto the deep-seated conflicts of Stormblood, the sorrow of Shadowbringers, and finally, the edge of all things in Endwalker. I played some XIV, and then played a lot, lot more of Final Fantasy XIV.

[caption id="attachment_358169" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Destructoid[/caption]

So, rather than what it's like to play Final Fantasy XIV at the height of its popularity, I'm back with a one-year later. Here's what it's like to fully be in the Final Fantasy XIV frenzy, and why I think you should give it a shot too.

Two-toned echoes tumbling through time

Starting out in A Realm Reborn, I wasn't sure what to expect, as I'm not an MMO person. I've given a few some chances here and there, but they weren't my thing; something about standing around, hitting singular abilities from a massive lexicon of skills laid out before me, as shuffled to-and-fro didn't really do it for me.

The funny part is that Final Fantasy XIV doesn't really skew far from that. Most of my fights are hitting my skills in rotation, stacking on damage and dodging the puddles of doom as they pop up. What impressed me over my year of XIV was how it felt like I got to the good stuff so fast.

[caption id="attachment_358172" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

It wasn't long until my Lancer was offering me cool opportunities to do more damage, by maintaining a set combo and positioning well. Soon I was swapping between combos, utilizing one for its damage boost and effects while another output more damage. Once I hit Dragoon, I was given a bunch of Jumps to work into my rotation, finding little cracks in the rotation where I could add more damage.

Everything felt like it was taught to me, over time. Rarely did I feel the need to search for what a mechanic did, or feel lost when running content.

Storm of blood

It helps that Final Fantasy XIV's community is, for the large part, one of the most positive communities I've seen in a game, ever. That's not to say I haven't seen some grief or trolling. But it's been an absolute outlier to otherwise overwhelming positivity; most players tend to forgive mistakes, teach newcomers, wait patiently for cutscene-watchers, and share in a communal joy rather than drag each other down in frustration. It's genuinely energizing to wipe in an encounter and see everyone laugh and joke about what happened, rather than leap for each others' throats.

[caption id="attachment_358168" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The community and game isn't just combat and quest content, either. While there is a bevvy of high-end battling to be had, if you really want to strive for glory, there's also a ton of Final Fantasy XIV to be seen that encompasses other talents. The Island Sanctuary, added last year, is a completely combat-free zone where players can farm, craft, and create their own island, with some Animal Crossing vibes.

Disciples of the Land and Hand can get deep into mining and crafting, getting both tailored story content and profit from it. Fishing is a more recent venture for me, and I've adored it. Finding new fishing holes lets me retread past locales for new spots, and the ocean fishing adventures (nautical raids, I like to call them) are really fun to do. And when all that work gets tedious, the Golden Saucer awaits.

That's not even counting all the player-created ventures, either. I've attended in-game conventions and meet-ups. I've waited in line for a nightclub's grand opening, where a DJ streamed their set over Twitch and players danced in-game. Somehow, inexplicably, I found a fight club. It ruled.

Heart of ember, autumntide

That's not to say the main story isn't good, either. In fact, put all together, Final Fantasy XIV as a whole might be one of my favorite stories in games. A Realm Reborn starts slow, but lays out all the foundation and world-building needed, and has some really good stories hidden away in sidequests and activities.

Then, of course, Heavensward arrives and blows the doors down. Stormblood feels like a Tactics-era tale, largely foregoing the usual evildoers in favor of a grounded and moving story about generations of war and conflict. Then Shadowbringers arrives, turning the wheel the opposite direction and crafting an absolutely incredible campaign, easily my favorite of them all, before Endwalker ties everything together.

[caption id="attachment_358170" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

I played through all of them over the course of 2022, in a marathon sprint that I hope would make Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi proud. Amid all of that, I ran raids and tackled extra story content, bouncing between high-end content and neat side adventures that expanded the world. I Fantasia'd my Warrior of Light into a new character, making them feel like my own JRPG protagonist that I've led through each expansion. (Don't worry, my original hastily-made Geralt knock-off is still around as my trusty retainer.) Triple Triad has dominated my time, and I'm just now starting to get into some of the Extreme content.

Forge ahead

Every day, it's felt like I've uncovered some new piece of content. I'm not sure just how large Final Fantasy XIV is, but I know I've yet to even glimpse the boundaries. It's made Square Enix's approach to maintaining old content a joy; while some ongoing games might vault or silo away certain content, the XIV team has been actively updating past work and making the on-ramp smooth, even in the most recent patch.

I can't make any guarantee that another year from now, I'll still be playing Final Fantasy XIV. Fits and spurts come and go, and I've played and eventually dropped enough never-ending forever games to know that the honeymoon phase will fade. Final Fantasy XIV does feel built to accommodate dipping in and out, though. Updates are fairly regular but the regular story content is easy enough to play through, while harder content drips in for the more hardcore base.

[caption id="attachment_358173" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Final Fantasy XIV is an MMO that finally won me over on the concept, mixing in a fantastic RPG story in the process filled with incredible story beats and characters. But what's kept me attached to Final Fantasy XIV isn't just the glut of content or a fondness for the series, but how it's fostered a world that doesn't feel quite so hostile. Sure, I could ram my head against the wall on some difficult fights. But if the day's been long and I just want to go ocean raiding or vibe at the Golden Saucer with some pals, those activities are actively rewarding.

So, one year later, I've played entirely too much Final Fantasy XIV. I'll probably keep doing so, too. I've walked to the end in Final Fantasy XIV, and I still feel like I've only scratched the surface. But now I can at least confidently say: it's a journey worth taking.

Related: FFXIV: How to Get Coral Pink Dye on Prima Games

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Gods revel, lands tremble

Final Fantasy XIV isn't waiting too long in the new year for its next update. Patch 6.3 for Final Fantasy XIV is due to arrive on January 10, 2023, bringing new story and raid content, as well as many other changes and additions.

The trailer shown off today during the Live Letter spotlights what the protagonist, or Warrior of Light, will be getting up to as the main story content continues. We see newer addition to the cast Zero a fair bit, but it also looks like Alisae and Alphinaud will be involved too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVQtvBIdv4Y

We also see some of the new raid content coming to Final Fantasy XIV's current 24-player raid series, Myths of the Realm. Seems the gods will continue to test players, and I'm really digging the bits we saw of their arenas.

Home sweet Island Sanctuary

Of course, a Final Fantasy XIV patch is a grand affair, and there's much more on the way too. As outlined on the Patch 6.3 site, there are updates to Tataru's Grand Endeavor, additional Duty support, and both a new Unreal Trial and Ultimate Raid. It seems like XIV players who like the high-end content will have their hands full with the new update.

But if you prefer a quiet life, in the sanctity of a peaceful island, there's something for you too. The Island Sanctuary is getting an update, which will include a new landmark, and some big quality-of-life changes that Square Enix's Naoki Yoshida outlines during the Live Letter. Picking up all leavings and yields in one fell swoop is going to be a game-changer.

While the holidays may just be getting started, Final Fantasy XIV looks poised to ring in the new year with a big patch. We'll see where the MSQ goes, and maybe head back to our islands for a little maintenance, on January 10, 2023.

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Vibing: the expansion

With few execeptions, World of Warcraft expansions generally deliver at launch. This is the honeymoon period. The part where you're just getting to a new theme park for the first time, all the rides are fresh, and the food tastes good: before you start to get bored, and you realize they use too much salt.

WoW: Dragonflight takes a long time to get to that point: perhaps longer than most expansions in the series' history. It's a great direction for WoW, and it'll be interesting to see if they keep it up.

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight (PC)
Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Blizzard
Released: November 28, 2022
MSRP: $39.99

Dragonflight's big gimmick involves flying mounts: but with a twist. After the initial hour intro, you're given the opportunity to command your own dragon, which can be used to fly immediately in the expansion. There's a catch though! You can't just fly freely everywhere: as mounts contain charges of momentum, which can be used to gain height or dash forward quickly. This entire concept is integrated with the new zone of the Dragon Isles.

Although there is urgency in the narrative, nearly everything is bright. It's fun to explore, and you can go pretty much anywhere in the Dragon Isles as soon as you have your mount. The ability to customize it and level it up (notably, to add more flight charges) to the point where you're flying around like a master is genius, and a great way to ensure that you don't see the same mount flitting around hundreds of times.

The locomotion of flight is handled really well in the expansion to boot, as you can dive to recover charges and gain momentum to the point where efficient flight feels like a learnable skill. Taking a page out of Guilds Wars 2, I completely ignored the main story for around 10 straight hours over the course of a few sessions: flying around and trying to locate random scavenger hunts and oddball sidequests.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT36HGP5V0Q

One big running theme throughout Dragonflight's release is that it doesn't beg you to log in to do busywork. While a few keystone expansions were built around dailies and weeklies at their core (or borrowed power): the entire appeal of Dragonflight is free form messing around. Discovering hidden objects or races, sans guides, was a big pastime of mine.

While the narrative doesn't take a backseat, it does feel like more of a slow buildup: which works for me. A few past expansions have really gambled with trying to introduce a new big bad right off the bat, and not all of those approaches land. Here, the world is the main focus, which is uh, kind of important in the MMO genre!

There are, of course, cracks in the seams, which is more of an overlying World of Warcraft problem. A lot of old systems are still inelegant (including a few of the ho-hum dungeon layouts, which, like Final Fantasy XIV, is a hard habit to break for designers), and there will be plenty of daily and weekly events to come. It's give and take, which is always the case with the genre.

Of course, the other big draw of the expansion is the Evoker class, and Dracthyr race (which are one and the same). Think of it like a hero class (it even starts at level 58, which is expansion-ready): with the power to flex into ranged damage or healing. While I'm focusing on my main right now, the Dracthyr are a neat addition, despite my qualms with the overall art style of the designs themselves. Interestingly enough, Dracthyr have a lot of moment-to-moment gameplay decisions, including the raw power of flight. Plus, there's some race-specific dialogue to be had. I'm definitely going to work on maxing out one over the course of the expansion.

All this is accompanied by a rework of talent trees (the results are positive so far, based on my time with my alts), as well as a mix-up of how professions work. While I can confidently say that beyond raid-ready items I'm not a big purveyor of professions, I have been dabbling in them more and more in this expansion: possibly more so than I ever have in the past.

In WoW expansions, I generally make it a point to get to max level (here it's 70) at a decent speed, so I can get to the "good stuff" (while this isn't an all-encompassing statement, it is generally true for many mainstream MMOs). In Dragonflight, I stopped often to smell the roses. That's kind of how an MMO should feel, and while WoW has accomplished that at various points in its history, it's done well for itself here. It's a windfall of a reinvention of many top-down processes, which is good news for the future of the game.

As was the case with Legion taking us out of the dour mood of Warlords of Draenor, WoW has risen from the ashes once again. The theme park roteness has eroded in the era of Dragonflight, and it came at the perfect time: at one of World of Warcraft's lowest points following the mid-to-late Shadowlands period. While there's a chance that this expansion could drop the ball, so far it's looking good. I'm still having fun flying around by myself, while interacting with the MMO bits as I see fit.

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This is My Dune... So clear off.

You wait decades for a brand-new Dune video game, and then two come along at once! Yes in addition to the 2022 strategy title Dune: Spice Wars, Funcom has released pre-alpha footage of an upcoming MMO set within the arrid planes of Arrakis: Dune: Awakening.

As demonstrated at yesterday's Game Awards, Dune: Awakening will see players the world over attempt to thrive, or merely survive, in the cut-throat dystopian world of Frank Herbert's iconic sci-fi series. Starting out as a desperate survivor wandering the hazardous horizons, players will guide their custom characters in a quest for shelter, water, defense, companionship, and the ultimate desire of the Arrakian world: Spice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixq-y_r-lkE&ab_channel=Funcom

From there, savvy survivalists will be able to build and trade among their local community, gain favor of the Great Houses, build and equip an arsenal of weaponry, work with spice harvesting corporations, and build themselves up among the corporations and nobility that holds fort over the lucrative lands. Of course, you might just get eaten by a sandworm on your first day — which honestly sounds like less work and perhaps the better option.

Funcom notes that it will roll out further trailers and gameplay overviews over the coming months, giving players a general overview of Dune: Awakening's gameplay, options, and features ahead of its official beta launch. A date for the beta was not announced, but we do know that Dune: Awakening is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. So you'd better get your house in order.

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Looks like there might be an MMO on the Horizon

The Horizon games have been one of the most well-loved series of recent memory, and for good reason -- the phrase "robot dinosaurs" alone should be enough to get even the most stubborn curmudgeons on board. While the mainline games have been of the third-person open world stealth/action varieties, now it looks like Guerilla is looking to diversify the franchise by way of an MMO set in the Horizon universe.

As per a news story from a South Korean outlet called MTN (and relayed by GamesRadar, Sony has partnered with a studio called NCSoft, best known for their title Guild Wars. According to sources close to both parties, the project is under way under the title "Project H," further confirmed by job listings on NCSoft's website.

Guerrilla Games, along with the PlayStation studio in Amsterdam, also have some job listings on their own sites for mobile developers, leading to speculation that the potential Horizon MMO would be a mobile title. This certainly isn't the first time job listings have given us a peek at a studio's hand, like listings for multiplayer designers and testers at Naughty Dog hinted at an upcoming multiplayer project.

Horizon has garnered a reputation on multiple fronts, from its enthralling gameplay to gorgeous facial capture to compelling characters, the foremost of them being the protagonist Aloy. The game's full, vibrant world has always been party of its brand, so it makes perfect sense, in my opinion, to expand upon it in the form of an MMO.

It'll be interesting to see what the gameplay might entail, but I could imagine players forming or joining their own tribes, building their own base, and teaming up with other players to take down large enemies. There are also plenty of monetization options (as would be inevitable for a mobile release), including mounts, outfits, and possibly upgrades for weapons and armor. I'm just spitballing here, but obviously there's a lot of different directions they could go with this. I guess now we'll just have to wait and see.

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Dragonflight is out on November 28

The time has come for the World of Warcraft pre-Dragonflight expansion patch, much to the delight of lapsed players everywhere. Let's talk about the broad strokes before the actual expansion launches on November 28.

Here's a quick rundown of the pre-Dragonflight expansion patch:

• The talent system has been revamped, and here's the biggest change: "Change your talents anywhere, for free. Switching talents no longer requires being in a rested area or using tomes. However, you can’t change talents during combat, Mythic+ runs, and active PvP matches."
• You can play Mage, Priest, and Rogue classes with all races
• Full UI/HUD customization is in, by default, without the help of mods
• Season 4 ends this week, with a "post-season" lull until the expansion arrives

After all this, the "second phase" of the pre-expansion patch will launch on November 15. At that point the Evoker class will be available, as well as a new zone (Forbidden Reach), the Uldaman: Legacy of Tyr dungeon (just in time for the new God of War), and the typical pre-expansion in-game events.

Shadowlands, the current WoW expansion, had a number of things working against it. A lot of the playerbase was fed up with WoW, fed up with Activision-Blizzard (especially when all this came out)...and of course, it was also at a time when Final Fantasy XIV was really, really good. Maybe Dragonflight can turn things around, leading into the Microsoft aqusition. Or maybe not. With modern Blizzard, you never know what's going to happen.

If you want to dig further, you can find the full patch notes here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXefWvv4-LE

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Pick your path through a subterranean venture

Final Fantasy XIV received patch 6.25 today, which adds a surprising amount of content to dig into on the MMO's peripheries.

The variant and criterion dungeons make their debut in patch 6.25. These activities offer both new challenges and rewards for players, as well as a deeper dive into the lore behind one of Final Fantasy XIV's starting areas, Ul'dah.

Variants and criteria

You can start the quest chain in Old Sharlayan, by starting the Keys to the Past line by the docks. I won't go into too much detail on where it goes from there, but longtime players will likely be pleased to see a certain character take the focus on this adventure.

The actual variant dungeon itself is a forking encounter, which you can complete with anywhere from one to four players. Different class combinations are also permitted. I ran it this morning with another player, both on DPS. The system lets you compensate by allowing players to use extra variant skills, so you can have a healing ability or barrier on stand-by.

These quests offer plenty of rewards, like the new emote and glamour set, as well as different branches within the dungeon. Basically, there's good reason to comb back over this content, and I've enjoyed what I've seen so far.

Criterion dungeons, meanwhile, offer more challenge compared to the casual experience of the variant dungeons. These require a configuration of one tank, one healer, one melee DPS, and one ranged DPS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK9T8jBmebc

New relic weapons in patch 6.25

New Hildibrand quests have been added. And there's the Manderville weapons quest, for this expansion's special weapons.

Add on the new tribal quest line, more furnishing options, and some changes to the Pandæmonium raids, and it's a big patch. Between all of this, and island care that some of you might need to get back to, there's quite a bit to explore in the post-Endwalker phase of Final Fantasy XIV.

You can find the full notes for Final Fantasy XIV patch 6.25 here.

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Fan Fest was a blast, I'm glad it's back

In-person Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festivals were on hold, but Square Enix has triumphantly announced that they're back on as of 2023.

By way of a new YouTube video, the publisher is ready to bring back the convention series to in-person events, starting with a kickoff in Las Vegas, Nevada (a prior Fan Fest site in the US) in July of 2023. Several months later the team will move to London in October of that same year, followed by a concluding Fan Fest in "early 2024" in Japan.

For those of you who aren't aware of Fan Fest, it's a two-day celebration of Final Fantasy XIV, complete with merch to buy, hands-on events and challenges (some of which are unique to the convention), meet and greets, and even full-on concerts and performances. Typically, we also get content teases and reveals, including new jobs and features of upcoming updates and whatever future expansion is in store at the time.

If you're remotely a fan of Final Fantasy XIV, I highly recommend attending. Given the cooperative nature of the game itself, and the positive reputation of the fanbase, it's a great way to meet people or just enjoy the game on your own.

You can find the full landing page for Fan Fest here.

Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2023-2024 dates:

• Las Vegas, Nevada: July 28-29, 2023 (Las Vegas Convention Center)
• London, UK: October 21-22, 2023 (ExCeL London)
• Japan: Early 2024 (no venue selected yet)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plryox-p6SU

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MM(n)O

Publisher Atlus has taken the somewhat brutish step of filing suit against a party of Shin Megami Tensei fans who allegedly created an unofficial server for the now-defunct SMT MMO, Imagine. In related news, a fan server, titled "ReImagine" has been operating since 2020, but has now, understandably, been taken offline. The suit was initially spotted by Twitter user "Marsh".

According to the lawsuit, (viewable here at CourtListener) Atlus is seeking around $25,000 per copyright violation, citing the "irreparable damage" that the Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine recreation has caused to the publisher. The defendants are identified "Rekuiemu" and "COMP_Hack" which the suit alleges are responsible for the creation of the unofficial MMO, its engine, and its front end. The suit also alleges that Rekuiemu attempted to pass off the game as their own creation, "copyrighting" the new build and attempting to profit through both its distribution and its in-game activities.

As reported by VGC, a swiftly removed message on the ReImagine Discord saw a mod stated that it was a "competitor" that was served the lawsuit, and not ReImagine itself. But, fearing further reprisal, the ReImagine team has chosen to shut down the ReImagine servers and website to protect its developers. The lawsuit itself only refers to the defendants, and does not explicitly reference "ReImagine". The veracity of this statement cannot be clarified, and the ReImagine site is no longer operational.

ReImagine was, in essence, a full replication of the Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine client, which first launched in Japan way back in 2007, but was eventually taken offline in 2016, following the closure of developer Marvelous' PC department. The ReImagine server featured the worlds, characters, and U.I. of the original MMO.

While this is not the first example of a defunct MMO being recreated and ultimately shut down by its official publisher, often it is merely a case of a simple Cease & Desist order, rather than the full-blown serving of a lawsuit, whisking users off to the courtroom to face a string of five-figure fines. Ultimately, the alleged money-making here is probably the deciding factor that led the publisher to immediately settle the matter on stringent legal grounds

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World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic launches globally today and Destructoid sister site Icy Veins is here to tell you all about it, including an assortment of guides.

Global Release Times

Wrath Classic launches in the Americas, Europe, Taiwan, Korea, and Australia/New Zealand simultaneously. Check the details below for the exact time you can log in to the game and explore all that the new expansion has to offer.

What's New?

• New Continent: Northrend - Heroes will begin their journey in one of two zones in Northrend -- Borean Tundra or Howling Fjord. A vast new continent awaits!
• New Hero Class: Death Knights - Available to both factions at Level 55, Death Knights harness the powers of darkness to help combat the evil that threatens Azeroth. In Wrath Classic, Blizard is bypassing the requirement for a player's first Death Knight character, unless they decide to pick a fresh realm.
• New Profession: Inscription - Scribe mystical glyphs that modify the properties of spells and abilities or create powerful trinkets and off-hand items.
• Achievements - Show off your accomplishments and earn various rewards in WoW Classic!
• Dungeons & Raids - Multiple new dungeons and 3 raids will be available during Phase 1.

Wrath of the Lich King Classic is included with existing World of Warcraft subscriptions. If you subscribe to World of Warcraft, you can also play Wrath of the Lich King Classic at no additional cost.

New Hero Class: Death Knight

Death Knights are a new Hero Class available in Wrath Classic. They start at Level 55 in Ebon Hold and have 3 specializations to choose from: Blood, Frost, and Unholy. You do not need an existing Level 55 character on the same realm to create your first Death Knight in Wrath Classic. Fresh start realms are an exception to the rule. Any Death Knight created after your first one must be on a different realm, and requires an existing Level 55 character on the same realm. Completing the Death Knight intro in Wrath Classic rewards the Frostbrood Proto-Wyrm mount on live servers.

If you're playing a Death Knight in Wrath Classic, we have a set of guides specifically tailored to help you with leveling, gearing, talents, addons, and macros.

Inscription is a new Profession that lets you craft powerful items called glyphs that enhance spells and abilities. Scribes can create various trinkets and off-hand items.

Rankings in Wrath Classic Phase 1

Dungeons

Professions

The new maximum skill cap for all professions is raised to 450. In Wrath Classic, professions offer various bonuses to your character. Our profession guides provide you with clear instructions on how to effectively level up your professions and reach the max cap.

The post Wrath of the Lich King Classic global launch times and guides appeared first on Destructoid.

"Journey"

A new World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic trailer is out on Blizzard's YouTube channel, and it comes from an unlikely source: a fan and content creator.

Fresh off of their unofficial Black Temple trailer in 2020, Blizzard decided to give Hurricane a shot for an official trailer spot. It showcases the encroaching threat of the army of the dead nicely, while showcasing a ton of in-game Wrath of the Lich King expansion locations that are fitting for an after-the-fact re-release trailer. A lot of key players are present to give the trailer that official feel, and frankly the war itself looks more urgent than it does in the actual game. Lich King players (the millions out there) will likely enjoy seeing some of the nostalgic locations, too.

And it seems like it took a lot of work! For their previous video, here's how Hurricane did it: "The trailer took 10 months to make and it's been made entirely in Cinema 4D (meaning no in-game footage has been used). Its development has been made possible due to the extensive use of the Marlamin's Export Tools and Jeromnimo's WoW Model Viewer).

The actual World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic expansion is out on September 26, at 3:00PM PT exactly (which sets the pace for the worldwide launch).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-__XX2HEkA

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Star Citizen passes yet another impressive milestone

It's a known fact that it takes a long, long time to make games, but Cloud Imperium Games is testing gamers' patience with their in-development title Star Citizen, which began pre-production all the way back in 2010. The game was officially announced in 2012 with the launch of a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for development, and while it was anticipated to release in 2014, the game was delayed multiple times... and still is yet to receive any sort of official release window.

Ten years after the launch of the Star Citizen crowdfunding campaign, the game has reached an incredible milestone by raising over $500 million — the official count as of today is $500,075,150 from 4,096,384 backers. (Thanks, Eurogamer.) I'm not sure if I'm more impressed by the numbers, or whether fans are still holding out hope a decade later.

I get that huge MMOs like that are insanely difficult to develop, but at this point, I'm amazed things haven't shut down yet. I guess they have the funds to keep going for a while. The project is known for being the highest-funded video game of all time, and it actually won a Guinness World Record back in 2014 for being the highest crowdfunded project when it had raised $39,680,576.

Cloud Imperium started releasing small gameplay snippets called "modules" so that players could get a sense of the game (and probably to slow the complaints for a while). The last module was released in 2015, but it still receives regular updates.

A side project called Squadron 42 was also announced with the initial Star Citizen crowdfunding project and was intended to be the story mode. Now it's supposed to be a standalone project, and Cloud Imperium is already discussing plans for multiple sequels before the game is even finished.

It's nice that fans are still excited for Star Citizen after all these years, but man, knowing what I know about game development, I'd be shocked if players get a fraction of what they were promised all those years ago.

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The last time we heard about this port was roughly three years ago

Three years ago, Xbox boss Phil Spencer gave us hope that Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox was a distinct possibility. But it's still in limbo. I even reached out to Microsoft and Square Enix in 2020 to see if any movement had been made, and was given a "no comment" response from both parties.

Yet, Japanese site Game Watch spoke to Spencer at TGS 2022, who gave a brief comment on the situation. The short of it? There's still no major progress on Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox, but talks aren't completely dead yet. Here's what he had to say:

"We certainly announced that (laughs). Naturally, we haven’t given up yet. This is a commitment from both Microsoft and Square Enix to gamers and we will continue to coordinate our efforts."

It's not much to go on, to be sure! But at the same time, it's comforting that Spencer, in 2022, isn't willing to throw in the towel yet. Back in 2020, Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki "Yoshi P" Yoshida noted that it would take a lot of resources to make that happen, so perhaps the wheels are still being greased: "we have to think about long-term planning with additional platforms, we need additional testing for that particular platform. So it kind of exponentially grows the amount of resources that needs to be allocated."

There's also the consideration of Microsoft and Sony working in tandem, given that they need to cooperate for the game to function cross-platform. Currently, Final Fantasy XIV is available on PC, PS4, and PS5. With the move to the Xbox platform, with full cross-play and cross-progression intact (this is something Square Enix has been hardline on), it would be an even more formidable MMO force to be reckoned with, with a bigger audience.

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We need more "offline-ifications" of MMOs

It feels like forever ago that I was clamoring for Dragon Quest X offline, and it's finally coming out: in Japan only!

You can find the trailer below, which refreshes the 2012 MMO original for its new offline packaging. If you're interested and want to pick up the Japanese version, Square Enix has a website dedicated to pre-orders. In classic Square Enix fashion there's some extras to be had, as well as the opportunity to pick up the PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch editions of the game.

As for details, it's still being billed as a single-player RPG, which kind of goes with the territory of the offline pivot. Dragon Quest X offline will arrive on September 15, 2022 in Japan, but there's also going to be an "ultra large expansion" coming in spring of 2023. The standard edition will run you roughly $60 US, while the special edition is about $115 US, and includes the expansion, physical pins, a slime mug, and a spoon for said mug. The list of in-game items can be found here.

You can also go for the digital deluxe edition that nets you the core game and the expansion for about $95 US. Options! Well, for folks who want to pick up the Japanese edition of the game, at least.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHAYsq3Uuk8&t=45s

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How to build a beautiful island and, also, profit

The latest update for Final Fantasy XIV went live yesterday, bringing a host of new content. Part of the update is the Island Sanctuary, a cozy and deceptively deep island living simulator. It can seem overwhelming to start, but I've got some tips to help you get your Island Sanctuary up and running.

While it's easy enough to unlock, the list of things you can do quickly piles on. Don't worry, though. I've spent roughly the last 24 hours tearing through the mode, figuring things out along the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5vqrKfADW4

If you want to figure it out for yourself, no worries. This isn't intended as a de facto starter guide or anything. Rather, these are some little ways I've found to both maximize profit and pleasure on the Island Sanctuary in Final Fantasy XIV.

Without further ado, let's run them down.

Save your blue Cowries

This might be the biggest piece of advice I can give in my list of tips for the Island Sanctuary. Blue Seafarer's Cowries are one of the two island-specific currencies, alongside green Islander's Cowries. These function as the main currency of Island Sanctuary, as Gil will not buy you anything here. (You can, however, make stuff to export, but that's all a bit further down the road.)

Seafarer's Cowries can be traded in for the special Island Sanctuary duds once you've built up your Cozy Cabin. I would implore you to hold off on that, however.

Blue Cowries are also the currency used for a number of other expansions. This includes making your crop fields and pastures larger, expanding to new build sites, and even funding foraging expeditions. Saving a little now will save you a lot of waiting in the long run.

Build a second Workshop

As part of the tutorial sequence of quests, your helpful Mammet friends will help you build a Workshop. This fills one of your two available building sites, and you might be tempted to leave that second plot open for a different building.

Plopping down a second Workshop here was invaluable for me though, as it essentially doubles the potential output of Workshops. Workshops eat up resources that you've gathered and export them as final consumer products, which then net you more Seafarer's Cowries.

Establishing an early bevy of production means netting more Cowries in the long run. This makes it easier to work towards building up your Island Sanctuary faster.

Utilize Efficiency

Speaking of Workshops, make sure you pay attention to how you schedule out your Workshops' output. As your island helpers explain, Workshops will produce more if they continually produce items in the same family.

An early way to maximize this is to have a Workshop alternate between making Potions and Firesand. Both fall under the Concoctions category, so they'll pick up an Efficiency bonus. The same applies to Foodstuffs, Woodworks, Accessories; anything that shares a category can carry it forward.

Keep an eye on deficits

One helpful tab in the special Island Sanctuary menu is the Material Allocation menu, which shows you stats on what your Workshops need. Each real-world day is a Season, broken into Cycles.

There are tabs on this menu that let you see what materials are needed for the current Cycle, current Season, or both Current and Next Season. They also let you see how many Island Sanctuary resources you have stockpiled, and if there are any deficits.

This last number is crucial. It's basically a shopping list for every time you run out to gather more supplies. Before you return home to do more, it's always worth opening this tab to ensure there aren't any deficits, especially if you're spending those resources on crafting and upgrading too.

Mounts can get you anywhere, fast

One nice part about the Island Sanctuary is the ability to essentially have Perma-Sprint on, making running between resource nodes a little less time-consuming.

Say you know you need Island Copper Ore, though. A good spot for farming that is all the way in the bottom-right corner of the island. One Island Sanctuary tip I actually got from a friend is that not only are mounts usable, but they go real, real fast.

Just hop on your mount and marvel at the Mach-5 speeds you reach. Seriously, your face may melt. No Chocobo was meant to go this fast.

Find a good loop

While mounts will get you to a place fast, I also highly recommend just getting in the habit of picking things up as you run along.

Eventually, you'll be venturing out only for certain items. At this point, it's good to find a loop. Resource nodes will respawn with more to gather after a set amount of time, so finding a good loop like the copper one can make for better farming than running around, looking for the right resource.

Build the landmarks

Landmarks are different from other early buildings, like Workshops or Granaries, in that they don't produce anything themselves. Rather, they provide passive benefits.

That said, you should make sure to build these when you can. Establishing a landmark doles out a hearty serving of Island XP, crucial for ranking up the Island Sanctuary, and adds passive effects.

Plus, why wouldn't you want a tree fort? (Feel free to choose what you want, by the way. From what I've seen so far, the difference between early landmark options is purely cosmetic.)

Keep an eye out for rare animals

While you can catch and tame a bunch of the wildlife on the island, there are special spawns that only happen at certain times or under certain conditions.

Given we're only about a day into this new patch, players are still figuring all the particulars out, myself included. I've already got one special version, an Ornery Karakul (a.k.a. black sheep) in my Island Sanctuary pasture. I've also seen a few special spawns, like a Gold Beak, that I could not capture yet due to not having a high-enough level net.

It's unclear at this moment what the benefit of these are, but hey, at the very least, they look cool. It's a great way to show off when your friends visit your Island Sanctuary.

Take in the sights

Yes, the Island Sanctuary can be slowly and gradually transformed into a humming, healthy machine for constant Cowrie production. But as Tataru notes, the pursuit of profit doesn't necessarily exclude the potential for finding some relaxing peace on the island either.

As your island grows, you'll add more vistas to visit, beautiful areas to explore, and tons of natural beauty in the wilds. So for my final Island Sanctuary tip, I recommend you take some time between gathering runs to just hang out on your island. It's a great place to take a load off, put on your favorite Orchestrion roll, and /gpose away.

And for all that island gathering, I highly recommend a second monitor with some good shows or videos on in the background. Maybe some of Sakurai's new YouTube content?

The post Some helpful tips for starting out with Final Fantasy XIV’s Island Sanctuary appeared first on Destructoid.

Spice world

Funcom lifted the lid on Dune: Awakening, an open-world survival MMO, at Gamescom Opening Night Live. While the trailer is cinematic, the first details sound like devious fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anZtoPo2Fpw

According to Funcom, you'll be able to "hunt for spice blooms and deploy your harvester, then protect it from opportunistic raiders and rival factions," with battles shifting "seamlessly from foot to vehicles and from ground to ornithopters in the sky."

The all-important Arrakis will be shared with "thousands of players." Expect player-led factions, shelters, and even fortresses, set against the backdrop of spice and sandworms.

And in terms of source material, Funcom says this game "takes inspiration from both Frank Herbert's novels and Denis Villeneuve's Academy Award-winning film while exploring exciting new possibilities in the franchise." As someone who left the theater sad that it was already over, I'm ready for Dune: Part Two, and I'd be into a good video game adaptation, in theory. Survival MMOs can be a tough sell, though. That said, I'm far more open to this than, say, Conan Exiles. I can picture having a good time with the right group.

If you want to start scheming, there's a beta sign-up on the official site.

Dune: Awakening is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

The post Dune: Awakening is a survival MMO set on Arrakis appeared first on Destructoid.

Oh give me a home, where the chocobo roam

Update 6.2 dropped today for Final Fantasy XIV with an exciting new piece of content, the Island Sanctuary. Nature's getaway from the worries of the mainland is now open to players, letting you while away the day gathering and crafting.

To get your very own Island Sanctuary in Final Fantasy XIV, though, you'll need to do a few quests. We've laid them out in plain steps below, so you can head right to the right blue quest marker.

But before we get there, you'll need to make sure you've checked the right boxes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK9T8jBmebc

Final Fantasy XIV Island Sanctuary requirements

The nice part is that any class, at any level, can access the Island Sanctuary. No need to be a certain class, crafter or gatherer, of any level.

The catch is that you need to have finished the 6.0 Main Scenario Quest (MSQ) content. In layman's terms, you need to finish Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker.

There are some tiny story reasons why this is the case, but hey, it's also good to wrap up that MSQ. It's a good time!

Unlocking the Island Sanctuary

Once you're ready to set off, look for a level 1 quest in Old Sharlayan called "Seeking Sanctuary," being given out by the Clueless Crier (roughly X: 11.9, Y: 11.0).

If you're doing this on patch drop day, you'll know what you're looking for by the crowd gathered. Just chat with the crier to kick things off.

After a conversation, there will be a follow-up with Baldin in Lower La Noscea. Just follow the quest marker and you're set.

Finish talking with Baldin, and you'll get the unlock. Speak with him again, and you can set off for your very own Final Fantasy XIV Island Sanctuary.

Once there, you won't need to worry too much about needing any skills or abilities. All Sanctuary progress is metered out and contained within the island, and you don't need any new class or anything to start things off.

Just follow your helpful new friend's instructions, and get to work building your home away from home. Once the Island Sanctuary reaches a certain point, you'll even be able to have friends over and hang out. Or maybe let your minions roam about the island.

The Island Sanctuary is a pretty cool addition to Final Fantasy XIV that I've only just begun exploring. But adding something new to do between raids, roulettes, and more rounds of Triple Triad is already a plus for me.

The post The Island Sanctuary has been added to Final Fantasy XIV, here’s how to unlock it appeared first on Destructoid.

Featurin' a freakin' hammock!

If you like worlds, warships, and legends, then today's contest is for you! Our friends over at World of Warships: Legends have put together this limited physical prize pack — featuring a hammock, I must stress — to give away to celebrate the game's recent third anniversary. And it's your job to read this article, enter to win, and ultimately (hopefully) receive said prize pack. Simple enough, right?

I promised Jordan I wouldn't make any poop deck or seamen jokes, so grab your fellow ocean travelers and swab each others' floors on the upper level of the ship to win this hefty package!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGBlGRuBzaY

World of Warships: Legends

I hate the ocean (too big, too many giant squids) so read all about the game from someone more qualified.

In World of Warships: Legends, engage in naval battles while commanding destroyers, cruisers, aircraft carriers, and battleships; find the perfect balance of firepower, maneuverability, and tactics.

You will rise through various tiers of ships, trying out various legendary vessels as you go and training your Commanders to get the most out of the available sets of weaponry and ships' hull characteristics. Choose between two types of shells, launch torpedoes, and outsmart your opponents. Decide which tactics are best for you: employ blunt force, a measured approach, or stealth.

Wargaming, the publisher and developer of the popular game World of Warships, is winding down the summer with some last minute birthday festivities for World of Warships: Legends with the ultimate VIP gift package giveaway for one lucky winner.

The VIP gift package includes the following custom World of Warships: Legends gear:

• Custom Legends Hammock
• 20 OZ Yeti Tumbler
• Bespoke Anniversary hat
• Exclusive Warship sticker set
• World of Warship Game Code (PlayStation or Xbox), containing:
  • HMS Belfast (Tier VI)
  • 20 Camouflage Type 4
  • 1 Legends community Symbol and 1 Legends community base layer.

Whew! Just look at this stuff!

How to Win

To enter to win your prize pack, use the contest widget below! Just leave your name and email address and you're set. Feeling saucy? Check out the ways to earn bonus impressions, and be sure to share our contest with your friends/relatives/pets so they can get in on the fun.

We have one physical prize pack to give away; you must have a United States shipping address to win. The download code is for NA World of Warships accounts only.

Destructoid cannot and will not guarantee the hat will fit on your head. We do have a very comprehensive headwear FAQ elsewhere on site, but to break down the 172-page document into a few words, we all have different head sizes and I'm sorry Paul but your head is effing huge and normal hats simply will not fit upon it.

World of Warships: Legends is free to play on consoles and PC.

Contest: Win this World of Warships: Legends physical prize pack

The post Contest: Win this World of Warships: Legends physical prize pack appeared first on Destructoid.

Like, in terms of literal size, this thing is huge

The Final Fantasy XIV Island Sanctuary mechanic, in which players are gifted a huge zone to play around with, looks radder by the update. This newest one comes straight from the game's official Twitter account, showcasing how gigantic this area is by looking down on it from a grand mountain, then swooping down on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK9T8jBmebc

The only requirement for unlocking the Island Sanctuary is completing the Endwalker (6.0) main story (MSQ)

While the sequence for the Island Sanctuary is really brief in the official 6.2 trailer above (it's at roughly 20 seconds in), the below tweet gives us a lot more to work with.

Operating a lot like a player housing zone (but not quite, as there's no traditional housing there), the Island Sanctuary will have independent controls and menu options, and serve as a relaxing respite between dungeon dives. It's framed heavily after farming simulators, with crops to manage, and the ability to drop minions on your island.

All of this will arrive on August 23, when Final Fantasy XIV patch 6.2 is live. That's just one day away from the massive Genshin Impact 3.0 update. It'll be a busy week! Long-term games like these are doing a good job keeping up on updates to help with some of the delay droughts.

https://twitter.com/FF_XIV_EN/status/1558071523931561987

The post Final Fantasy XIV’s Island Sanctuary mechanic looks like a game-changer appeared first on Destructoid.

Turns out the true endgame is cleaning my hotbar

Final Fantasy XIV has no shortage of content. Raids, dungeons, trials, mount farming, or just good ol' fishing, there's always something to do. But between every activity, I find the one thing I keep on doing in Final Fantasy XIV is messing around with the interface.

Since starting the game back in December, I've managed to go from A Realm Reborn all the way to Endwalker, the most recent expansion. (Yes, that pace was pretty fast, though sadly not on par with Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi.)

In the time since, I've learned a lot of lessons: eat food to buff your stats, use retainers to sell unwanted items, and know which ledges are not safe to Dragoon-backflip next to. But in all of it, I keep on messing with my hotbars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTTtd6bnhFs

A little fine-tuning

It's not that the interface of Final Fantasy XIV is clunky; far from it. It's actually incredibly customizable and malleable, able to do a lot with very little. Actions (read: abilities) can be set to your hotbars, and your hotbars can be laid out in a multitude of ways.

For a long time, I was partial to the long rows of abilities. It feels really good to look at a big lineup of sick moves, and watch them all tick away on cooldowns. It reduced the vertical clutter on my screen too, in exchange for some horizontal space.

While the default interface (on mouse-and-keyboard) puts the rows right dead center with big icons, I found myself slowly eking that lineup further to the right as time went on. As I got more comfortable with my combo timings and rotations, I made the icons smaller and shoved them off to the right, away from the precious center of the screen. Can't have big buttons blocking the AOE markers, right?

Soon, I was using Ctrl- and Shift- modifiers to spread my growing arsenal of options out, and forcing me to reach across the keyboard less often. Eventually, my Dragoon layout looked something like this:

That was nice, with a good progression I knew. Core abilities that I used often were on the farthest left, near my WASD, while less frequent skills hung out in the 5-7 key range. This was the layout that got me through raids, trials, and Endwalker.

But then a funny thing happened: I picked up a new class.

New lease on life

With Endwalker in the rear-view, I thought it was finally time to shed my selfish DPS ways and learn to heal. Sage seemed like a rad choice: it's a healer that uses lasers. Who doesn't like lasers?

But while Dragoon was all about progressive combinations of abilities and sneaking long cooldown attacks into constant strings, Sage required a bit more awareness. My cooldowns didn't just affect my damage, but the tank's likelihood of living through that next big axe swing.

So I went online to see others' take on their interfaces, and learned way too much in the process. Soon I was binding abilities to my letter keys, eschewing my pristine number line, and contorting bars to fit some Tetris-shaped monument to unnecessary buttons. Did you know you can just have a giant button sitting on the side of your screen, to help you know when that cooldown is off? It's useful!

Anyways, here's what my Sage bar looks like, as of this writing:

Cleaning the mess

I know that's not a final product, but this journey sparked some curiosity for me. I started asking other players what their hotbars looked like, or how they organized their layouts.

Controller players largely scoffed, as they are committed to the special crossbar layout they get to use. But for the keyboard players, I found some interesting little nuances in the way people laid out their skills. What, for example, they kept close and at-hand, and what they could shift off to other keys. How they used special buttons, hardware-specific ones sometimes, to make their rotations a little more comfortable.

I'm getting closer to being more comfortable with my new healer layout (don't ask me how the healing is going though). But I'm not sure I'll ever fully stop nitpicking the bars. Across multiple expansions of Final Fantasy XIV I kept altering my interface to better optimize my Dragoon play. And now that I'm branching out even more, chances are I'll keep on going.

Feel free to share your own interfaces, Final Fantasy XIV or otherwise, down below!

The post My new obsession is perfecting my Final Fantasy XIV interface appeared first on Destructoid.