1.19 - The "Monster Patch"

[Mirage]

Seems like SE is too stubborn to let a numbered FF installment die without having been profitable. It would be the first time in history after all!

[nirojan]

Has the patch been dated yet?

[Loony BoB]

Late September "at the earliest".

[Rostum]

Here's a list of updates announced in release order:

List of changes

Synthesis Recipe Revisions
Materia crafting system
Abolition of Physical Levels / Attribute Point Revisions
Changes to Claiming and Engaging Enemies
Repair system problems
Letter from the Producer, XVII (09/01/2011)
Guildleve Revisions
UI Adjustments
Beastman Strongholds
The Direction of Armors, Equipments, and Weapons
Caravan Security
Chocobo's in action!
Letter from the Producer, XVIII (09/21/2011)
Materia Slots and the Future of PVP
Video of Beastmen Strongholds
Upcomming Jobs on Famitsu's front cover
Chocobo and Airships

[Mirage]

Cool if you like ecort quests i guess

[Rostum]

Well, it's just small content in a sea of what is to be the Grand Companies. I think I read somewhere that the more supplies delivered, the more it helps with events like Hamlet.

[Mirage]

Hamlet defence sounds a bit like besieged, I guess. I like besieged.

[Rostum]

I liked Besieged as well, except for the lag. Always took forever for players and NPC's to load though.

[Mirage]

Well, it's not as bad nowadays because it's usually just at most 80 lv90s rather than 300 lv75s doing it. It's still sort of a challenge now and then though, cause I've got a feeling they buffed some of the NMs. A few days ago there was a lamia NM towards the end of a fight that had 4 elementals with her, each of them hit me for 400 damage regular attacks when i was a 90sam. And I had a bit of trouble evading gurfurlur on 90thf today too, ate quite a few skull snatchers for around 1000 damage each

[Rostum]

Updated the list with a new video they released of the chocobo's in action - FINAL FANTASY XIV: Chocobo - YouTube. Pretty cool, but it would have been much cooler if they had the chocobo run from the side of the screen up to the player and then the player climbing/jumping on to the bird. Rather than it just fading in. Hell, even throw in some smoke or magic dust particles for the transition. Everyone loves particles.

[Loony BoB]

Updated the list with a new video they released of the chocobo's in action - FINAL FANTASY XIV: Chocobo - YouTube. Pretty cool, but it would have been much cooler if they had the chocobo run from the side of the screen up to the player and then the player climbing/jumping on to the bird. Rather than it just fading in. Hell, even throw in some smoke or magic dust particles for the transition. Everyone loves particles.

I think it would have to materialise too far away for that to work, as that could mean stampedes of chocobos all over the map. In some places, mobs can appear pretty far away, so I imagine chocobos would have to appear out of an equivalent range. I do agree, though, that it would have been really cool. How did it work in FFXI? I can't even remember.

I look forward to all this stuff but the game will never feel complete for me until we can access Ishgard. It's been ages! They still saying we're not cool enough to enter? C'moooooooooon.

[Rostum]

Yeah, I'd hope they'd surprise us with something like Ishgard.

In FFXI the chocobo's worked the same way, except when you got off your character actually jumped off and the chocobo ran off as it faded out. I'm guessing it'll do the same thing here.

Oh another thing that'd be cool is if there were emotes you could do whilst on the chocobo that also involves the chocobo.

[Loony BoB]

I always really really hoped that they would set up two-person emotes like hugs and high fives, but I guess it would be pretty difficult considering the insane size difference between races.

[Mirage]

I wish there were some two-person emotes too, but not the ones you mentioned...

[Rostum]

Despite the racial size differences, it still could be done. It'd be a lot of animating though, which does take time. It would be really cool though.

Update: Looks like a 30th release date for patch 1.19. Updated the list with the next Letter from the Producer.