Welcome back to another edition of The Eorzea Prospect!  Last time we looked at the current state of the game, along with some questions that needed an answer from Tokyo Fan Fest.  That time has come and gone, we’ve gained some insight on some things, while still speculate on others.  Today we’ll touch shortly on gearing up for the expansion, and at the end get into the juicy details that were released at Tokyo Fan Fest over the weekend!

Gear is essential, while some would argue that it doesn't matter at this stage, I beg to differ.  I like going into new expansions fully geared and ready for anything the content can throw at me.  Sure, some of the gear will likely be replaced relatively quick, but why gamble and struggle?  We have almost three months to prepare, what better way to spend time than gearing up your character?

A fresh level 70 has a plethora of content they need to complete, primarily the MSQ.  Not only does this catch you up in the story, but several dungeons are locked behind these quests. Afterward, you're stuck to grinding out side quests, gearing your character, or farming glamour items.

Gearing up isn't as hard or as bad as it seems.  Yet for a new player, it can be a daunting task.  The first step is the most apparent, finish your MSQ.  This will unlock more content to farm for gear. Next, you merely farm by running your daily duty roulettes, random dungeons, Alliance Raids, and Trials.  Your goal is to reach the Omega: Alphascape and Orbonne Monastery raid, as these give the highest item level gear available in Savage mode, such as level 400 armor and 405 weapons.

Getting to those raids will require a bit of farming, or a lot of gil as they are locked behind higher item levels.  The quickest and easiest method by far is to buy the gear off the Marketboard or craft it yourself. You can purchase crafted gear with an item level of 380 that is easily upgraded to 390 with Tomestones of Mendacity. Obviously, this is the quickest and easiest method but requires a substantial amount of gil.  The last time I checked on my server, Leviathan, a single piece was running around 400,000 gil. Meaning this might not be the best for new players.

Luckily, there’s more than just dungeons you can do to earn gear.  While doing the daily roulettes and raids will quickly get you gear and gil, you can also do Clan Hunts. Clan Hunts were introduced in Heavensward where they replaced the old Marks Bills system. This system tasks players with hunting down and defecting key mobs to gain Centurio Seals and EXP. The system was expanded with Stormblood, so you now have two places to get these Hunts, Foundation and Kugane.  They come as Daily and Weekly quests.  The only catch to this system is you need to be a Second Lieutenant in your Grand Company before you can unlock it.  The Centurio Seals turn-in will net you with item level 330 gear, which is just enough to get you into the Sigmascape raid, which will, in turn, get you into The Ridorana Lighthouse. Getting drops from these raids won’t be your only source of gear. 

All-in-all, gearing isn’t a hard thing to do at this stage.  Some would call it moot, but it will make your progression into Shadowbringers that much easier.  But enough of gear talk, let’s look at what we learned from Tokyo Fanfest!

Last time I talked about my prediction/hope of the Dancer job to be announced at Tokyo Fan Fest, and I wasn't let down.  Dancer was indeed announced, but not as a healer as most had hoped/speculated.  Instead, it will be the new Ranged DPS class that has the potential to provide buffs to the party.  Which buffs, however, are yet to be seen. Even still, I am super excited for the Dancer job and think I will be leveling one very quickly after launch.  I may even ditch my AST and play it as my main, but that's still to be determined!

Players eagerly awaited news of male Viera to be announced.  While they are indeed part of the lore, they will not be part of the game.  Yoshi-P has made it clear that while they are part of the lore, their lore makes it clear they cannot be a playable race as they are never seen in public.  FFXIV has had a rocky history with gender locked races but was changed with a Realm Reborn, and for the better.  Yet now we have not only one new gender locked race, but two.  The Hrothgar, an exclusively male race, was announced as the last and final race being added to FFXIV.  While some praised this, there was a substantial outcry of displeasure from the community regarding the gender locking of both the Viera and the Hrothgar.

We were given a look at three new locations, new dungeons, and a new beast tribe, the Dwarves. We were also introduced to some new enemies called the Sin Eaters, described as the opposite of the Voidsent. All in all, the new areas are looking pleasant and interesting.  Can't wait to climb my way through the Crystal Tower and look out across the land.

Don’t forget to stay tuned to the official website for news on how to order your Omega Smart Home Assistant! 

What are you looking forward to so far?  Are you excited about the Dancer job?  Looking forward to the new races? Disappointed in anything?  Leave a comment down below, let me know!

Congratulations to Yphanh2002 for winning the Starter Edition key!  I hope you enjoy FFXIV and continue playing through the expansions! 

Keep informed and keep active, more giveaways possible in the future.  What do you want to hear from me regarding FFXIV?