Letter from the Producer LIVE XX Summary

[Andromeda]

This morning, Yoshida had another LIVE Letter talking in greater detail about what to expect going forward in the expansion. There was a lot of new information, so much so that they were unable to actually get to the questions asked.

• The Au Ra have two clans like all other Races
  
  • Raen
  • Xaela
  
  
• There is no requirements for unlocking level 51, so no Genkai quests like XI.
• There is about 50 hours of new main story for Heavenwards, which they're saying is equal to the A Realm Reborn
  
  • Further updates and story will naturally come in 3.1-3.x patches.
  
  
• The in game time from the 2.55 to 3.0 story events are a few days to few weeks apart
• There are 9 new zones
  
  • Each zone is 50-100% bigger than current areas
  • Flying in the new areas will requiring attunement in each zone
  • Ishgard is the only no fly zone in Heavensward
  • 2.0 areas won't be open to flying, but are considered for later
  
  
• Flying will start when you either jump or go off a cliff
  
  • The companion chocobo will be able to fly
  • The Bomb and Ahriman mounts will be able to fly as well
    
    • But won't be ready for 3.0
    
    
  • There won't be enemies in the air
  • But you can be attacked and escape into the air
  
  
• The new jobs will start at level 30
• All jobs going from 50-60 will learn new job skills through quests, there is no new skills gained through leveling
• Crafters and gathers will learn new skills through leveling from 50-60
• There are two new tomestones for the expansion
  
  • Allagan Tomestones of Law (No Weekly Cap)
  • Allagan Tomestones of Esoterics (Weekly Cap)
    
    • Esoterics will not be available until a month after the launch of the expansion
  
  
• Crafters and Gathers will have new systems and features that will be similar to the combat classes
  
  • The Specialist role can be selected for up to three crafter classes
    
    • Unique skills will be available only while in this Specialist role
    • Designed to give people the option to focus only on one or two classes rather than forced to get all
    
    
  • Scrips are the crafter and gather's Tomestone
    
    • There are Red and Blue
      
      • Red is the No Cap
      • Blue is the Weekly Cap
      
      
    • Scrips will be used to gear up your crafter or gathered like any combat class
    • Scrips are gained from making Collector grade goods, which are a step above High Quality
    • Gathers likely have a method to gain Scrips, but it was not outlined
    • Scrips can be used to change Specialist role
    • This unlocks at lv 55 and will be with Rowena
    
    
  • Tier V Materia is coming, but may not be ready for 3.0
  • Gathers have a two new features
    
    • Favor
      
      • Special buffs that are selected
      • Once selected they unlock different materials from nodes
      • Different favors will be needed to get different materials
      
      
    • Regional Lore
      
      • The End Game content for gathers
      • Can be thought of as Master Books that crafters have
      • Learning the lore will unlock new nodes and items
  
  
• The new expansion areas will come with new content of what is already available
  
  • New Levequests
  • New FATEs
    
    • High Level like Behemoth or Odin
    • Large Scale
    
    
  • New enemies
  • New marks
  
  
• Alexander will using a new system
  
  • There is Alexander and Alexander (Savage)
  • Both raids will have unique loot systems
    
    • Reports are saying that normal Alexander will not have a weekly lock out, but the loot will
    
    
  • Alexander normal starts two weeks after launch
  • Alexander (Savage) starts four weeks after launch
  
  
• New Primals will have new mechanics
  
  • Was mentioned that players can fall like with Titan, likely referring to Bismark as an airship battle
  
  
• New Frontlines area with new rules
  
  • Opens in a month after launch
  • New PvP gear
  
  
• New Free Company Housing features
  
  • Airship crafting
  • New Housing items
  • The new workship will be bought with gil
  
  
• New adjustments to existing content as well
  
  • 20 new Triad cards
  • More sightseeing logs
  • New retainer ventures and leveling
  • Ishgard will have a Market Board
  • 2.0 content adjustments, echo and other changes
  
  
• Duty Finder changes
  
  • It will be possible to run dungeons with less than 4 players
  • New roulettes and conditions
  • New option to level sync to min level for dungeon for challenging old content
  
  
• Loot changes
  
  • This for premade parties only
    
    • Lootmaster allows the leader to hand out the loot
    • All Greed removes Need as an option
    
    
  • Passing on already Needed or Greeded items will be an option
    
    • The reverse will not be an option
  
  
• Dx11 client will be separate from the main game
  
  • Free download, but it is a different client to run

Source: Letter from the Producer LIVE Part XX - Summary Digest