It’s really happening, isn’t it? As we enter December, there’s a new holiday incoming, as Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is set to release into early access on December 3. The rest get to join in on the journey on December 7, as we seek to save our star and end the Hydaelyn-Zodiark storyline.
Last night, Square Enix released the full patch notes for Patch 6.0. As with any expansion patch, it’s a lengthy list of changes, many of which have already been covered in previous Live Letters from the Producer. Despite that, there are still errant, important details that you might’ve missed. Below is a list of some of those details worth highlighting.
What Are The Reaper and Sage Starting Unlock Locations?
One way certain players prepare themselves for an expansion launch is to park themselves wherever they can unlock the new jobs. Now we know where you’ll be able to take up the Soul Stone of the Sage and Reaper.
If you want to become a Reaper, you’ll be able to start the quest “The Killer Instinct” from the Flustered Attendant in Ul’dah – Steps of Nald (X:12.8, Y:8.6).
If you’re looking to take on the mantle of the Sage, you’ll want to start the quest “Sage’s Path” from the Sharlayan Maiden in Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks (X:9.4, Y:12.9).
Reaper and Sage won’t have duties in the Hall of the Novice, but Square Enix has added gear for both jobs to duties and certain merchants. Both jobs start at level 70 and will also get new weapons for the Deep Dungeon content. Note that you’ll have to level them up to 80 before being able to use them to progress through Endwalker.
What Kind of Tomestone Rewards Do We Get for Duty Roulettes?
The new tomestones for Endwalker are the previously-revealed Allagan Tomestones of Aphorism. Tomestones of Poetics remain as your secondary reward for roulettes, with Allegory, Revelation, and the long-dead Phantasmagoria all going away with Patch 6.0. Any outstanding Allegory and Revelation tomestones you have can be traded in for Poetics.
As another slight shift, the existing Duty Roulette: Level 50/60/70 Dungeons and Duty Roulette: Level 80 Dungeons categories have been combined into the new Duty Roulette: Level 50/60/70/80 Dungeons. The new list of duty roulette categories and rewards:
| Duty Roulette | Allagan Tomestones |
|---|---|
| Duty Roulette: Expert | 80 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
| Duty Roulette: Level 50/60/70/80 Dungeons | 100 Allagan tomestones of poetics 120 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
| Duty Roulette: Leveling | 100 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
| Duty Roulette: Trials | 60 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
| Duty Roulette: Main Scenario | 300 Allagan tomestones of poetics 100 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
| Duty Roulette: Alliance Raids | 120 Allagan tomestones of poetics 120 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
| Duty Roulette: Normal Raids | 80 Allagan tomestones of poetics 60 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
| Duty Roulette: Mentor | 30 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
| Duty Roulette: Frontline | 50 Allagan tomestones of aphorism |
The Belts Are Gone
As announced previously, belts are completely gone. They didn’t have a visual component and given some change to our overall inventory space, the team at Square Enix decided removing belts was the best option to make space. You won’t be able to buy them, craft them, trade them, or receive them from quests and duties.
The new text on every belt states: “Before becoming obsolete due to advancements in tailoring, belts such as this were used for holding up trousers and the like.” What is this tailoring revolution? Probably elastic waists from Old Sharlayan.
You can retrieve old belts from the Calamity Salvager in order to remove any affixed materia. And for one specific item, the Speed Belt from Eureka Pagos, players can exchange it for the new Speed Ring. Speaking of rings, the number of Ring slots in the Armoury Chest has been increased to 50.
Role Quests Will Involve Classic Supporting Characters
As stated previously, the Job Quests are still not returning in Endwalker. Instead, the team at Square Enix is sticking with the Role Quests structure established in Shadowbringers, with a different questline for Tank, Ranged DPS, Melee DPS, and Healer.
The first major change is Ranged DPS will now be split into Physical Ranged DPS and Magical Ranged DPS, giving players five available role questlines. The second is while the Shadowbringers role quests involved new characters, the Endwalker role quests will involve classic supporting characters. The patch notes list an unnamed “Gridanian Delegate” for the Tank quest or “Doman Delegate” for Physical Ranged DPS, and the pictures show the characters Kan-E-Senna, Prince Hien, and Yugiri.
The other quests list unnamed delegates for Limsa Lominsa, Ishgard, and Ala Mhigo. My guess is these delegates are the various leaders of those cities, meaning Chief Admiral Merlwyb, Ser Aymeric, and Raubahn. The delegates are probably opposite counterparts to the Job role, with the healing power of Kan-E-Senna backing up Tank players.
Gatherers and Crafters Deliver to the Studium
As I surmised in our Endwalker preview, the Studium in Old Sharlayan will be the new focal point for Disciples of the Land and Hand. This region is where crafters and gatherers will undertake a new delivery quest series. Like the role quests, these quest lines will be separated into five groups:
- Faculty of Archaeology (Blacksmith / Armorer / Goldsmith)
- Faculty of Astronomy (Carpenter / Leatherworker / Weaver)
- Faculty of Medicine (Alchemist / Culinarian)
- Faculty of Anthropology (Miner / Botanist)
- Faculty of Aetherology (Fisher)
At the end of these five questlines and completion of the Endwalker main scenario, there will also be a final questline available.
The quests will reward players with White Scrips and the new Purple Scrips. (Red Scrips will be removed entirely, and Yellow Scrips can be traded in for White Scrips.) Given these rewards, players have to have completed the Level 50 quest “Inscrutable Tastes” to unlock the Collectables feature first.
You Can Dye Artifact Gear After Some Quest Completion
As the community always says: “Glamour is the real endgame”. Part of finding the right glamour is being able to get the perfect dyes to go with your great outfit. And part of the issue is that not every bit of armor is dyeable, especially in the case of the very cool artifact armor.
According to the patch notes, “A new system has been added allowing players to dye artifact gear after progressing to a certain point in role quests and the main scenario.” This probably only applies to the new artifact gear in Endwalker, but it’s a great change. There are no further details though, so we’ll see exactly how you unlock the dyeable status for this gear.
There Are More Gender-Neutral Clothing Items
If you’re looking to perfect that glamour, Square Enix has also removed the gender-lock on certain clothing items. Items intended for male or female-presenting player characters can now be equipped by both genders. The list of items this change applies to is as follows.
- Spring Straw Hat
- Spring Dress
- Spring Skirt
- Spring Dress Shoes
- Thavnairian Headdress
- Thavnairian Bustier
- Thavnairian Armlets
- Thavnairian Tights
- Thavnairian Sandals
- Housemaid’s Brim
- Housemaid’s Apron Dress
- Housemaid’s Wristdresses
- Housemaid’s Bloomers
- Housemaid’s Pumps
- Loyal Housemaid’s Brim
- Loyal Housemaid’s Apron Dress
- Loyal Housemaid’s Wristdresses
- Loyal Housemaid’s Bloomers
- Loyal Housemaid’s Pumps
- High House Justaucorps
- Rainbow Justaucorps
- Butler’s Monocle
- Butler’s Jacket
- Butler’s Gloves
- Butler’s Slacks
- Butler’s Gaiters
- Loyal Butler’s Monocle
- Loyal Butler’s Jacket
- Loyal Butler’s Gloves
- Loyal Butler’s Slacks
- Loyal Butler’s Gaiters
Healer Limit Breaks Get a Longer Range
Have you ever popped a Level 3 Limit Break on your healer, only to find that some of your party was beyond the range of that sweet, sweet 100% heal and Raise? Well, maybe it’ll happen less often now, as the healer limit break range has been increased from 30 yalms to 50 yalms.
There will still be a Black Mage, Dragoon, or some other DPS outside of the range, I’m sure.
Coffers Are The New Rewards From Some Older Content
Has the Random Number God decided against your favor, despite you taking on some of the harder content available in FFXIV? Square Enix is alleviating some of your burdens. First, certain Hard, Extreme, and Minstrel’s Ballad content will now drop a Weapon Coffer. This coffer will automatically give you an assigned weapon for your current job when you open the coffer. Open the coffer as a Warrior, and you get an axe, for example.
The affected content is as follows:
- The Howling Eye (Hard)
- The Navel (Hard)
- The Bowl of Embers (Hard)
- Thornmarch (Hard)
- The Whorleater (Extreme)
- The Striking Tree (Extreme)
- The Akh Afah Amphitheatre (Extreme)
- The Limitless Blue (Extreme)
- Thok ast Thok (Extreme)
- The Minstrel’s Ballad: Thordan’s Reign
- The Minstrel’s Ballad: Nidhogg’s Rage
- Containment Bay S1T7 (Extreme)
- Containment Bay P1T6 (Extreme)
- Containment Bay Z1T9 (Extreme)
- The Pool of Tribute (Extreme)
- The Minstrel’s Ballad: Shinryu’s Domain
- The Jade Stoa (Extreme)
- The Minstrel’s Ballad: Tsukuyomi’s Pain
- Hells’ Kier (Extreme)
- The Wreath of Snakes (Extreme)
- The Dancing Plague (Extreme)
- The Minstrel’s Ballad: Hades’s Elegy
- Cinder Drift (Extreme)
- The Seat of Sacrifice (Extreme)
- Castrum Marinum (Extreme)
- The Cloud Deck (Extreme)
Likewise, certain older raids will offer Gear Coffers rather than specific gear drops. These raids are The Binding Coil of Bahamut, The Second Coil of Bahamut (Savage), Alexander (Savage), and Omega (Savage). Accessories still drop like they normally do.
All Hail The New Omega Mount
While the Omega Model O mount has existed in-game for quite some time, it’s possible that you’ve wanted to instead ride on the other form of Omega. The floating TV monitor with a tail that taunts you throughout the Omega raids will finally be available as a mount. Players ride inside the monitor as if they are trapped within. It also looks like the mount hops on its tail in the ground mode. Very cool.
The Midlander Hyur Gets the Cover Art Face
It’s no secret the standard Warrior of Light featured in the cinematics for every Final Fantasy XIV expansion is just a vanilla Midlander Hyur. What has changed over the years is that Hyur has gone from a fresh-faced adventurer to a weathered, hardened god killer. That means the starting face available in character creation no longer captures the energy of the stand-in Warrior of Light.
That’s changing, as there’s a new Midlander Hyur face, featuring the distinctive stubble you see on the Warrior of Light in the Endwalker trailer. It’s the only Midlander Hyur option for stubble, so if that’s what you’re looking for, Square Enix has you covered.
DualShock and DualSense Controller Features Come to PC
If you’re a player that’s become so used to FFXIV’s controller options that you prefer to use them on PC, there’s good news! If you connect a PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller or PlayStation 5 DualSense controller to PC, Square Enix has enabled controller-specific features. On the DualSense, haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and speaker sound effects will work as they do on PlayStation 5. Likewise, rumble and speaker sound effects will work on the DualShock 4.
Speaking of the upcoming expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is coming to PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 on Dec. 7, 2021. Early Access begins on December 3 for those that pre-ordered, however. Be sure to check out all of our preview coverage related to it in the run-up to the launch of The Linkshell, our Final Fantasy XIV vertical coming soon! A small bit of that coverage can be found in the links below.
