Board 8 > FFXIV Topic Part 2 - Yes, People Are Playing

(+) Yeah! (+)

For dps keeping poetics gear until 60 is probably fine, but if you keep it as a tank you'll be quite squishy by 59

---

There's that VA switch.

Already not happy about Alphinaud!

I'm sure it will grow on me.

---

Alphinaud's new voice is good too, but it's hard to compete with Sam Riegel

---

The ending of ARR is what made me go "oh shit, I can have expectations now?" Game rewarded that trust in spades since then.

In one of my posts earlier, I mentioned in a spoiler bar that Alphinaud was one of the VA changes I missed the most. His new guy actually does a great job, but yeah, Sam Riegel nailed him.

---

Finally got around to farming 180 clusters in Bozja



Time to force people to do some MATH or be exterminated...!

---

I maintain that the MATH mechanic was super poorly explained and no one should feel bad about dying to it!

Still love that fight though. And that raid. The Ivalice storyline was easily the high point of Stormblood.

---

yes belts will be gone in about, uh, 7-8 months? so you should probably keep using them for now.

Yeah the Stormblood alliance raids are fantastic

---

LordoftheMorons posted...

For dps keeping poetics gear until 60 is probably fine, but if you keep it as a tank you'll be quite squishy by 59

Yes but the best way to gear up is to simply run the dungeons anyways, and poetic gear is good enough to do so.

---

https://twitter.com/ZelErohcir/status/1360770862346035200?s=20

I approve

---

Making my way through Shadowbringers for the first time. Up to Level 76 MSQ content.

This is really, really good, guys. Every scene with Ardbert is the best and reminds me so much of the Dark Knight questline in terms of tone.

---

some might call it the best game of 2019

---

I miscalculated by finally rushing to Heavensward last night, because I didn't realize how antsy knowing Machinist, Dark Knight, and Astologean just sitting there waiting for me was gonna make me at work.

Also I did go unlock every job I could...weapon slots sure fill up with all these Hand and Land jobs <_<

I'm glad gear that doesn't fit just goes to your inventory, though. What a nightmare that would be otherwise.

---

Feel free to discard equipment you don't like the look of that are inferior in stats to something else you have. No real point in keeping them. If you like the look and think you'll want to glamour it in the future, buy some Glamour Prisms on the market and shove it into your dresser in your inn room.

---

Ah, gotcha. I've been meaning to confirm the specifics of that system.

Though even if you have one of every weapon type that's still almost every slot in your weapon inventory, but there's really no reason to have more than one weapon for each class at a time so I guess it's not really a big deal?

---

There are a total of 29 classes I believe (not counting unpromoted ones) so with all jobs you have 6 extra slots

Were getting 15 more weapon (and ring) slots next expansion in exchange for the death of belts, though

---

My roomate just started but couldn't get into Jenova (didn't want to wait), is the only way they'll be able to change worlds gonna be that $18 fee?

---

LordoftheMorons posted...

Were getting 15 more weapon (and ring) slots next expansion in exchange for the death of belts, though

All my homies hate belts.

---

UshiromiyaEva posted...

My roomate just started but couldn't get into Jenova (didn't want to wait), is the only way they'll be able to change worlds gonna be that $18 fee?

Unless Jenova at some point has low relative population to the server they do join, then they can transfer for free.

That said, it shouldn't matter so long as they're on the same data center unless you want to be in a FC together or something.

---

You can still add him to your Friends list and queue up with him even if you're not in the same world.

---

The Mana Sword posted...

some might call it the best game of 2019

Definitely the best JRPG released in July 2019

---

So Natsuko Ishikawa is supposedly lead writer for Endwalker. Nice.

---

By the way @UshiromiyaEva , do you know about:

1. The difference between GCDs (moves on the 2.5 global cooldown) and off-GCDs (moves you can use anytime and are optimally used in-between GCDs)
2. The Cross Hotbar that pops up a hotbar if you press L2 and R2 at the same time (very useful for controller players)

Both are really good to know at this point in the game.

---

I definitely know the first (like Fleche, right?)

The second I did NOT, definitely need to figure out how to do that.

Also this first field map in Heavensward feels like it was designed to make you as upset about not being able to fly as possible <_<

Loving the consistent leitmotif throughout these areas.

---

That's the disadvantage of starting after they made ARR flying so easy to get...
---

Character Configuration -> Hotbar Settings -> Cross -> Enable Cross Hotbar (and play with the settings in this menu area)

Then go to the 'Custom' tab right next to the 'Cross' tab and choose where you want the Cross Hotbar to be taken from. I have it set to Cross Hotbar 3 - Left, which means the moves I put in the left half of the third Hotbar will appear as the Cross Hotbar when I hold L2+R2.

The lack of flying in each new area is a good thing even if it can be a jarring. Forces you to take in the sights. Better collect those Aether Currents though..

---

KamikazePotato posted...

Better collect those Aether Currents though..

I take it I haven't been introduced yet? I see it on the menu but it's grayed out.

---

Here's a quick Level 50 Machinist guide for newbie interested in picking up the class.

Machinist is simple at its core but can be tricky to play as you have to press buttons very quickly to get the most damage out of it that you can. Currently has the 2nd-highest APM for optimal damage, last time I checked. Luckily the tradeoff is that it has probably the least-amount of unique buttons to push in the game, if you struggle with keeping track of bloated hotbars, this is a nice job to use.

Machinist has two bars: the Heat Gauge and the Battery Gauge. Both of them have one specific function.

1. When the Heat Gauge reaches 50 (out of a max 100), Heat Blast becomes available to use.
2. When the Battery Gauge reaches max 100, use Rook Autoturret.

Not too complicated. Key moves are:

Split Shot -> Slug Shot -> Clean Shot: Your basic 1-2-3 GCD combo. Increases the the gauges as well.

Hot Shot: A GCD with a cooldown that does decent damage and increases the Battery Gauge by 20. Open with this and use it pretty much whenever it comes up.

Reassemble: Off-GCD that guarantees your next weaponskill crits. Use this before Clean Shot, at least until you learn Drill at Level 58, then use it before Drill.

Gauss Round and Richochet: Off-GCDs with low damage but low cooldowns. Use them pretty much whenever they're up.

Drill: GCD with a 20 second cooldown that does a buttload of damage. Use this...wait for it...pretty much whenever it comes up, HOWEVER if Reassemble is available or is just about to be available, make sure to use Reassemble before Drill. That does a lot of damage.

Rook Autoturret: Does damage. Use this when the Battery Gauge reaches 100. The game will make it obvious when the gauge is maxed because it plays a loud sound effect as well.

Hypercharge and Heat Blast: So here's where the fun begins. Whenever your Heat Gauge reaches 50, you can spend 50 (by activating Hypercharge) to make Heat Blast available for the next 8 seconds. Heat Blast is one of the main reasons Machinist has such a high APM, because it has a 1.5 second cooldown and reduces the cooldowns of Gauss Round and Richochet by 15 seconds every time it's used. So for the next 8 seconds you're going:

Heat Blast -> Gauss Round (or Ricochet, whichever comes up first, then alternate)
Heat Blast -> Richochet
Heat Blast -> Gauss Round
Heat Blast -> Richocet

Each Heat Blast -> Off-GCD combo can be done within the 1.5 second window. If you mash efficiently, you can get four combos off before Hypercharge's 8 second duration ends.

Wildfire: Here's where the other fun begins. This is an off-GCD with a very long cooldown. When activated, Wildfire delays its damage by 10 seconds. During that 10 second window, any weaponskill you use increases the final Wildfire damage by 150. So you want to spam as many weaponskills as you can in those 10 seconds, and Heat Blast is a weaponskill.

Optimal Wildfire usage looks something like:

Wildfire -> Hypercharge
Heat Blast -> Gauss Round
Heat Blast -> Richochet
Heat Blast -> Gauss Round
Heat Blast -> Richocet
Heat Blast no longer available, finish with any other weaponskill (Split Shot, Slug Shot, Clean Shot, Hot Shot, or Drill)

This does so, so much damage. Also, never activate Wildfire unless Hypercharge is also available. Not worth it

--

That's the gist of it. Basically, learn to spam efficiently. Always be pressing buttons and make sure you keep attacking even while moving.

---

UshiromiyaEva posted...

I take it I haven't been introduced yet? I see it on the menu but it's grayed out.

Main Story Quest will give you the compass eventually.

---

Definitely saving that.

Oh, right, so I unlocked machinist...and there was no bar or gauges at all. Does it not get then until later or did something somehow mess up in my settings?

---

I think you get the heat gauge at 35 and the battery gauge at 40?

---

I honestly don't remember, but not all classes give you their gauge stuff at the beginning, so you're probably fine.

One side note about Machinist that I enjoy: it's basically the same class at Level 50 as it is at Level 80. At least as far as single-target rotation goes. In those thirty levels, the moves you learn that are relevant for Boss Fights are Drill and two off-GCDs. That's it. The class defines what it is early on and never deviates significantly from that. What it does do as you level is take your core abilities and give them damage boosts and fancy new animations. I honestly greatly prefer this to classes that change all over the place on the road to max level (hello Summoner). Too many classes suffer from ability bloat. Plus, it lets Machinist still be fun in Level 50+ rouletters, while many other classes can feel miserable at that level.

---

I am curious what Machinist used to be, since from what I understand it was rebuilt from scratch?

---

I vaguely remember that you did a jillion damage in the first 20 seconds and then putzed around for the rest of the fight. That and unreliable turrets. Mostly I just remember the class not being fun at all.

---

It was basically "unload all of your damage into one buff window and then try and get that buff window up ASAP again with chance-based mechanics."

And yes, not-autonomous turrets, that could get killed by AoEs, same as every other pet.

---

Messing around with the cross hotbars stuff now, almost there I think? My problem now is this. I have it set up for testing purposes now with Hotbar 2 as my WXHB when I do L2+R2 and vice versa. Working fine. Problem is that what actually DISPLAYING on my WXHB when I'm walking around weapon drawn is hotbar 8, which is my general use town hotbar, and Not hotbar 2.

https://ibb.co/album/zGXJz7

---

Earthshaker posted...

It was basically "unload all of your damage into one buff window and then try and get that buff window up ASAP again with chance-based mechanics."

And yes, not-autonomous turrets, that could get killed by AoEs, same as every other pet.

Yeah, Wildfire was the big change - currently it counts number of gcds and you just fit 6 in and get max damage. It USED to track all your damage and then deal a percentage of it again (I wanna say 25%?) so you would do truly outrageous damage with it. You also had self-buffs and a dot to keep up, that kind of standard stuff that's been streamlined out of most jobs. I didn't play it back then but I know people who miss it. It was very complicated but apparently satisfying to do, especially at high levels where it was one of the best jobs in the game.

Stormblood MCH was the real disaster, where they tried to simplify it but made it complicated in different ways. You had way less control over the Heat meter, but your Heated GCDs were tied to it, so you had to keep it above a certain level without going to max because that will overheat your gun, except you do want to overheat your gun sometimes, but no one was sure when because they kept changing how it worked. It was a mess.

---

Machinist was the hardest Job to play effectively in the game by far with the only real competition coming close being Summoner (mostly because Summoner required you to not die or mess up ~ever~ or else it screwed your rotation, and thus DPS, for the entire rest of the fight even if you revived).

And yeah mechanically you pretty much nailed it. It was super tight burst windows on Wildfire timings, and also had an 'ammo' mechanic they got rid of that let you store 1-5 bullets that caused your attacks to do extra damage. Also the heat gauge existed but it used to debuff your damage instead of buff you when you overheated. Oh, and gauss barrel was a thing, which caused your regular attacks to have cast bars.

The Shadowbringers rework was not only a mechanical rework to what it is now, but a thematic one as well. Machinist before really kinda just felt like a 'Gunslinger' that popped turrets down at the beginning of fights. Now they actually use gadgets like the drill, flamethrower, bio blaster etc in addition to the gun, so they feel more like how say Edgar did in FF6 (which a lot of people were kind of expecting when it first came out).

So...is there some convenient guide like that for dragoon? <_< Not that I'm fully kitted-out yet, still a couple hundred thousand exp from 60 (and only in the 52-53 zone so it'll be awhile before I can start doing the 61+ quests), but it'd be nice to have on hand...assuming Endwalker doesn't change it all anyway.

---

The only Dragoon guide you need is to find the nearest AoE circle, step into it, then proceed to lie down face first lul. Alternatively, find the nearest edge of the arena and backflip off it (Red Mage can use this technique too!)

Seriously though Dragoon is the melee DPS I'm least familiar with so someone else will have to handle that if they know. There are probably youtube guides or infographics for it though if nothing else.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Messing around with the cross hotbars stuff now, almost there I think? My problem now is this. I have it set up for testing purposes now with Hotbar 2 as my WXHB when I do L2+R2 and vice versa. Working fine. Problem is that what actually DISPLAYING on my WXHB when I'm walking around weapon drawn is hotbar 8, which is my general use town hotbar, and Not hotbar 2.

https://ibb.co/album/zGXJz7

The WXHB is accessed by double tapping R2 or L2. The one that's L2+R2 is called Extended Cross Hotbar

---

Oh and if you don't want to clutter your screen, you can make it so the WHXB only displays when triggering it.

---

Ohhh gotcha. I didn't even have the double tapping turned on, so didn't realize that's what I was looking at.

---

JonThePenguin posted...

So...is there some convenient guide like that for dragoon? <_< Not that I'm fully kitted-out yet, still a couple hundred thousand exp from 60 (and only in the 52-53 zone so it'll be awhile before I can start doing the 61+ quests), but it'd be nice to have on hand...assuming Endwalker doesn't change it all anyway.

https://saltedxiv.com/guides/drg

This is for level 80 but should help. This site has a bunch of guides you can use, though I can't speak to the individual quality I think it's mostly maintained by The Balance people who do high-end content so it should be good.

I only have DRG at 50 so I can't really say much about how it plays at 60, but I do know from doing POTD you get the 4th hit of your combo and Blood of the Dragon, another timed self-buff that's extremely important to keep up.

---

:/

---

That's one of those fights that inexplicably gets skipped over in roulette, unfortunately. Best bet is asking in shout in Limsa or by the Quicksand for people to queue, or beg the party finder.

---

which is a shame, I love that fight and would be stoked to get it on trial roulette. I get its 'harder' than normal trials, but its still a step below even an extreme imo.
---

It's really not harder than like the end Stormblood or Shadowbringers trials (or heck even Titania which I still see groups wipe on occasionally), which are in Trial Roulette!

It's really weird its not in it imo

Mother fucker is in the opening movie for ARR, let me fiiiiiight.

The worst thing is right now I'm sitting at 2/2 for healer and tank but a dps is missing

---

tcaz2 posted...

It's really not harder than like the end Stormblood or Shadowbringers trials (or heck even Titania which I still see groups wipe on occasionally), which are in Trial Roulette!

It's really weird its not in it imo

I agree, I think its a legacy thing at this point. Hope they randomly remember it exists and add it at some point
---