Playlog: FFXIV Dawntrail Patch 7.4 Thoughts (spoilers)

Playlog #1

This is primarily focused on the content of the patch, not so much the features they’ve added.

Story

• Mistwake Dungeon was a good difficulty. Although I’m not a fan of the electricity star AOEs, very hard to read for no apparent reason. Please just stick with the old one.
• Cutscene quality def. got better. As in animations and uniqueness.
• Love the look and feel (Treno). There’s a ton of good spots for “gpose-ing”. Music is nice too.
• Seriously Krile? You parents were the ones who dropped you into the Source. I don’t think they’d care if you wanted to stay in the Source (just make up your mind) -> well glad that got sorted out
• “Hell on Rails” Trial (Doomtrain) is very nicely designed. Its got some nice unique mechanics, the “sucking” mechanic definetly trips you up the first time because the distance to move back + timing has been tuned so that you need to pre-position for it.
• The transition from inside the engine to outside was really cool!!! This is probably one of my top normal trials now.
• The instance battle was well done too. The roleplaying part was on point, and when it was finally time to fight a real boss you get to play as yourelf (I think this is the best flow). Love the idea using the spriggan to avoid Behemoth’s meteor.
• Cool so we just get to keep the key. If this were any bit realistic, we’ve surely learned that no one this powerful should be allowed to keep the key on themsleves 24/7. Because surely the WoL being the most powerful being will never run rogue with a interdimensional travel capable tool. Then again, seeing how stuff gets stolen all the time in the story… Well I guess it can go either way.
• I’m guessing this key is gonna be how the writers justify being able to travel to new worlds for post-Zodiark/Hydaelyn story. Its fine I guess, but a little disappointing it isn’t something more unique.
• And what do you know. Ascians. I hope we get something unqiue for 8.0… I guess thats fine but please lets not have it just be SHB all over again.

Raid

• “Feral Fandom” -> Yep thats FF14 NA playerbase for you.
• Heavyweight 1 (Vamp Fatale) Raid was cool and unique, but a bit too flashy imo. That Half Moon is needlessly large, wish we’d stop with mechanics that are designed to trick people even when read correctly.
• Heavyweight 2 (Xtremes) I take it back, this is the one with the blinding effects MY EYES. Fire and water one after another. This is a pretty hard normal fight actually (the first time you run it blind). Really punishing for bad AOE placement positions since you can effectively be cut off from the team.
• Holy wow these cutscenes are in serious need of voice acting. Its a good story but so dry and awkward without it.
• Heavyweight 3 (Tyrant). Really? Behemoth again, double dipping from the instance battle. There’s so many other cool FF monsters. I like the arena, it fits the guy well, all about history of the Arcadion/tradition. Fight is underwhelming and too easy imo, apart from 1 single trick mechanic that can cause a wipe…
• Heavyweight 4 (Lindwurm). EVERYTHING BURNS. This fight was honestly too easy, zero deaths everything can be read. 2nd phase was underhelming.
• Overall the story here while not as in depth and relevant to the story as Endwalker raids, still had a nice little twist at the end I def did not expect. Enjoyed it!

Misc

• The new Frontline map is “dangerous”. Overall the new capturing point system is far better than a non-interruptable interact like in Onsal Hakir. The snowman and aurora events are also good, and I think they come in right when they’re needed too (to spice things up/allow for a turning point).
• The map design however is far too complex, all these bridges and everywhere and invisible walls. It does add a lot of chokepoints but also makes it difficult to navigate from point A -> B (but partially I guess this is done cause the map does feel smaller than Onsal).