Rhostel

It doesn't. Early access is for pre-orders and people who participated in the Legacy campaign only. Free copy is just PR-speak for 'you already bought the game, it's the same game even though we've changed everything, you don't need to buy it twice'. That said, phase 4 of beta is pretty much earlier access, since there shouldn't be any character progress wipes. Early access is just a few extra days to keep playing in between beta and launch.

Hrm. This is where it gets tricky. You see, the way the game frames it, all PCs, old and new, are supposed to be from 'somewhere else'. They're seeking their fortune in Eorzea, but are not from there. Where they are from is left intentionally unexplained, which I think is a sort of callback to the original Final Fantasy's Warriors of Light. Because of that, the Warriors of Light didn't leave any family behind in Eorzea, going strictly by lore. Of course, that's completely garbage for roleplay, and we're left with which problem has no canonical solution. Could there be bonds strong enough to thwart the memory loss entirely? I don't know, and I don't think the game will give an answer. In any case, as I said, it's only the identity that's forgotten. Names falter on tongues and faces cannot be pictured, but deeds, emotions and objects connected to those who vanished linger in the memories of those left behind. This is made quite clear. If you left behind family, they'd remember you, they just wouldn't be able to give you a proper memorial.

I had the impression that people assume that those who were "lost to us" died and were named Warriors of Light for that reason/their sacrifice. But then there's the whole fuzzy memory thing, so based on what they're currently giving us, I think that's a great way to RP it. Exactly. There's no reason for anyone left behind to have any inkling that those who are missing were sent through time, until they start showing up again. Obviously the GC leaders have some idea since it happened to them, but there are very specific reasons for Kan-E confiding this; the player character being touched by the Mother Crystal, and then doing some stuff important enough to be made an envoy between cities. It's certainly not something I've seen any other NPC hinting at any knowledge of, and I've been looking for all the NPC dialogue I can. That said, the only way I can think of for someone to have been at the battle but survived without being thrown forward is for them to have fled and gotten out of range of both Louisoix's spell and Bahamut's attack. That's more or less what happened with Gaius Van Baelsar, I think, though he didn't flee so much as leave since he knew there was no point staying. That wasn't forgotten. The only, only thing that was forgotten was the identities of those who were sent forward.

While the game's story will treat 1.0 characters as ones who were at the battle and sent forward through time, many of us choose not to roleplay our characters as such. Rhostel was not there, so there is no reason she'd be sent through time. Likewise, if someone wants to make a totally new character and claim that they were at the battle and were sent forward for RP's sake, there's nothing wrong with that. As far as anyone has been able to tell, the only requirement for being sent forward is to have been at the Battle of Carteneau Flats, and to still be alive when Louisoix cast his final, last ditch spell to save the survivors.

I think we should wait and see. It may turn out that once we get our 1.0 characters back that NPCs will suddenly remember them on meeting them again. Alternatively, it may turn out that the Echo (new PCs do in fact get it as well) clears it up. Besides, as it turns out, the Grand Company leaders were in fact all sent forward, they just apparently reappeared sooner than the rest. They didn't have any trouble resuming their old roles.

Nahctgeim Abar (now has access to all cities) Rhostel Evenhand (just Ul'dah for now)

They were saying 'eggy' in the Live Letter.

The second benchmark (should be released between phase 3 and 4) has been promised to include a character creator. Also there's the thing where phase 4 is open beta, so you automatically get access just by applying. Also, people can now share screenshots, so I'm sure there'll be galleries galore to pour over, to figure out what your character might look like.

Ahem. I think you mean Midlander. Not all Hyuran are Boring McDefaults.

The poll was just for mains. This is my alt: And frankly, the terms main and alt are rather fuzzy for me. There's every possibility that she could take over. (Also my main is a Highlander. She's cool too, right?)

Luvverly style you got, and good technical skills to boot!

Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. They updated the lodestone post and changed it back to official launch instead of phase 4. Well crap. I don't even know what I'm gonna do in phase 4 then. All my characters I have planned are gonna be recustomised from existing ones. I suppose I'll just have to play 1.0 Rhos, and trot out stand-ins for RP.

If I had to put money on it, in the gap between Phase 4 and the release, the only other time I could see would be between 3 and 4, but I don't think they'd put up the pre-order bonus between test phases. Lure in the people who haven't had the chance to experience it with the 4th phase beta, reap the pre-orders and then reward them the week previous to release? I'd think the weekend before plus a couple days, they seem to favor the weekends for the Beta (and rightly so), I would guess that they'd continue with that pattern. Too far awaaaaay ;_; I need a new rp scene Pssst! There should be no wipes for phase 4, meaning all character progress will carry over, meaning there's no reason not to roleplay. It's also open beta, meaning everyone who applies gets in. Early access is just 'you get to play even in the gap between phase 4 and launch'.

Even when we get Balmung back, I'll probably be playing on new characters for the most part to see the introductory content for the other two cities. It wouldn't feel right to be stuck playing 1.0 Rhostel when there's the option to make her from scratch with the right clan and surname. And there's always phase 4 for that, once I can fix her.

Stability. I've been bouncing around between games for a long time now, checking them out but never getting too attached. Because I've been waiting for this game. Even my time in the legacy game (that's what I'm calling the older FFXIV from now on) was spent fixated much more on ARR than experiencing what was there. Finally, I'll be able to settle down in a game and community that suit me very well. *averts eyes from WildStar* You'll have your turn.

Rhostel is well-spoken and reads well enough to get by, but can't write much more than her own name. I'm honestly shocked that level of literacy isn't more common. Alts are both superbly literate in all ways.

I still say Mtoto Wamoto is the name of a Plainsfolk man.

That is a gorgeous dress.

I'm not changing Rhostel's clan so much as making her the Highlander she always was. I'm also probably going to take two alts, who I never, ever roleplayed, not even having strong ideas about backgrounds for them in fact, and change them into the two alts that I do have ideas for. I'd start from scratch, but I got those two their own goobbues, and that's awesome. (For the record, Dunesfolk female and Keeper of the Moon female (who was originally created with the intent of being turned male) into Sea Wolf female and Elezen (not deciding on clan until I get to the character creator) male. Probably in respective order, because the Lala was a 30 PUG, a class I want for the Roe, and the Miqo was a 30 ARC, a class I want for the Ele.) I don't care what anyone else does. I'm always ready to roll with the punches.

I think it's just that he loves playing dress-up with them.

Black Dahlia for Nahctgeim maybe?

281, which is better than I expected for Australia.