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Lydia Lightfoot · **11-09-2015, 09:39 PM**

If you're a new player, you may be looking at the patch notes for 3.1 and feeling a little lost. How much of this even applies to you? I have some friends having this problem, so I thought I'd help them out - and maybe this will be helpful to some others out there, too.

So without further ado...

3.1 Patch Notes for Sub-50 Players

The number of items players would like to exchange for company seals at your Grand Company can now be specified.
The items in your inventory displayed in the Supply and Provisioning Missions window will now display as either normal quality or high quality.Â
Free Company names can now be changed.Â
The following symbol options for class and job icons have been added to Company Crests:Â Rogue / Ninja / Dark Knight / Astrologian / Machinist
Lord of Verminion is a new game has been added to the Gold Saucer. It's pretty complex and might be a lot of fun, so read the actual patch notes for the full details on that if it interests you.
The Gold Saucer area also got some new minigames, new prizes, new Triple Triad cards, and some Challenge Log entries that award MGP. If you liked Gold Saucer before, this will be exciting to you. If you didn't, then you probably still won't.
They added some new hair styles.
They added some new emotes and character poses. You might not know this, but you can change your idle pose when standing, sitting, or with your weapon drawn, by using the /cpose chat command. Your choice persists, so if you have one that you really like, it'll remember the one you left it on and your character will routinely strike that pose.
A few combat skills were adjusted, but you'll notice it a lot less than veteran players. Depending on your level, you may not even notice it at all. Don't worry over it.
They made potions and ethers more potent and with shorter cooldown times.
Some of the dyes that used to be untradeable will now have tradeable versions. A few holiday cosmetic items that used to not be able to be dyed can now be dyed.
A search function has been added to your crafting interface to look for specific recipes.
Some new features were added to let you take screenshots of your character in new ways.
When you Try On equipment, you can now do it with multiple items at once, making it easier for you to figure out a total outfit that you like.
Some new config options have been added to the game.

Think I missed something that would be relevant to newer players? Let me know!

Kestrael · **11-09-2015, 09:45 PM**

Thanks for posting this!

***Teadrinker*** · **11-09-2015, 09:48 PM**

Can anyone confirm/deny if they've made the MSQ grind less painful for new characters/alts?

Lydia Lightfoot · **11-09-2015, 09:56 PM**

(11-09-2015, 09:48 PM)Teadrinker Wrote: Can anyone confirm/deny if they've made the MSQ grind less painful for new characters/alts?

I don't believe 3.1 has made any change to this, as far as pre-Heavensward content goes.

In 3.0 they doubled the exp rewards for MSQ, as far as I know (I began playing at 3.0, but this is what I've gathered from others). My experience on new characters is that I can reach the mid-30's in level by doing almost exclusively MSQ and Hunting Log completion - that's without doing roulettes for the daily bonus, without pursuing fates, and so on.Â

If you do actually do some fates while you're out questing, hit up your daily dungeon and guildhest roulette, and try to complete your weekly Challenge Log entries for dungeons, fates, and guildhests, it's pretty smooth to get to 50, and the oft-besmirched "Patch MSQ" isn't as bad as people say. It's basically a couple hours of running around, if you click/esc through the dialogue/cutscenes, with several dungeons and trials to complete (none of which have had very lengthy queue times for me as either DPS or Tank).

***Teadrinker*** · **11-09-2015, 10:03 PM**

(11-09-2015, 09:56 PM)Calliope Cloverbloom Wrote:
(11-09-2015, 09:48 PM)Teadrinker Wrote: Can anyone confirm/deny if they've made the MSQ grind less painful for new characters/alts?

I don't believe 3.1 has made any change to this, as far as pre-Heavensward content goes.

In 3.0 they doubled the exp rewards for MSQ, as far as I know (I began playing at 3.0, but this is what I've gathered from others). My experience on new characters is that I can reach the mid-30's in level by doing almost exclusively MSQ and Hunting Log completion - that's without doing roulettes for the daily bonus, without pursuing fates, and so on.Â

If you do actually do some fates while you're out questing, hit up your daily dungeon and guildhest roulette, and try to complete your weekly Challenge Log entries for dungeons, fates, and guildhests, it's pretty smooth to get to 50, and the oft-besmirched "Patch MSQ" isn't as bad as people say. It's basically a couple hours of running around, if you click/esc through the dialogue/cutscenes, with several dungeons and trials to complete (none of which have had very lengthy queue times for me as either DPS or Tank).

All the crap to get to Ishgard is suffering.

Lydia Lightfoot · **11-09-2015, 10:12 PM**

(11-09-2015, 10:03 PM)Teadrinker Wrote: All the crap to get to Ishgard is suffering.

Tedious, once you've already seen the linear story of it before, but hardly the worst an MMO has subjected players to endure.Â

Given the void of MSQ in the late 40's, though, it'd be logical to shift the 40-50 MSQ into being 40-45 MSQ (with the two 8-man dungeons being 45 then instead of 50, Westwind at 44, and Garuda at 42), and then scale the Patch MSQ into being level 45-49 quests which award appropriate exp (with the dungeons and trials adjusting in level based on their progression).

But, that's off-topic for the thread. Smile

TheLastCandle · **11-10-2015, 12:18 AM**

Whatever woes new players have in this game post 3.0 (and I have leveled a character to HW since then) it still doesn't compare to the sense of dread one feels upon realizing that you must now subject yourself to TBC Outland content in World of Warcraft.

Please kill me now.

Kurt S. · **11-10-2015, 12:35 AM**

(11-09-2015, 09:39 PM)Calliope Cloverbloom Wrote:

The number of items players would like to exchange for company seals at your Grand Company can now be specified.

THIS. OH MY GOD YES. No need to click coke 198 times to turn Seals into gil.

Unless I misunderstood that.

Lydia Lightfoot · **11-10-2015, 12:38 AM**

(11-10-2015, 12:35 AM)Ramen S. Wrote: THIS. OH MY GOD YES. No need to click coke 198 times to turn Seals into gil.

Unless I misunderstood that.

It's my interpretation of it, too.

Cassandra · **11-10-2015, 01:19 AM**

(11-09-2015, 09:48 PM)Teadrinker Wrote: Can anyone confirm/deny if they've made the MSQ grind less painful for new characters/alts?

Mr. Happy mentioned in a recent video the devs apparently will be shifting to only a level lock come 4.0. This means Heavensward will be entirely skip-able, though he didn't say if ARR's content will be equally so. Unfortunately, we still have to endure a grind until they do implement something like this. If you can stomach the hours needed, Coerthas and Northern Thanalan have daily fate parties. I managed to level Dragoon from 35 to 50 in roughly 10-12 hours.

And thank you, OP. Didn't know about a few of these features. Big Grin

mongi291 · **11-10-2015, 02:00 AM**

If someone actually puts some effort in leveling to 50 (which means, doing Roulettes everyday, keeping up with dungeons and guildhests, and doing FATEs while in queue), the only time you'd ever need to grind is between 46 and 49. And even that can be done in an afternoon.
I just ran through the whole 2.0 MSQ with Ume, and it took me barely two weeks, playing 3 hours everyday, even considering the fact that she was supposed to be ah entirely different character at first, and thus I leveled her to 30 as an Archer, before picking up Rogue.
I think making this even faster would just contribute to creating bad players.