Update details (November 25, 2010)

[Kylin]

The details for the version update have been fully released on the Lodestone:

 

http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/topics/detail?id=159e4a58b58fd0214620ec8d64ddd138d5ab599e

[Satisiun]

I'll gloss over my thoughts on the technical changes, since by and large everything is gravy (it's funny because it is Thanksgiving and I am referring to gravy).

 

However for role playing, all you really need to know is this:

 

-They added "motion", which is awesome times infinity.

-They did not change the text limitations, which is not awesome at all.

[Smiling River]

Smallclothes no longer suffer wear, and therefore no longer require repairs.

Smallclothes which suffered wear prior to the version update have been restored to pristine condition, and all unsightly stains removed. This includes smallclothes within bazaars marked as "seeking repairs," which can be equipped as normal after they are removed from the bazaar.

 

SE has humor? Awesome.

[Kylin]

Patch is now available for downloading. Though even if you get through it all, maintenance time of completion won't change. I'm currently stuck at 5 hours for the download >.>;

[Merri]

New synthesis recipes have been added.

 

Please let that new shield be in this update.

[Kylin]

After playing around a bit (keeping in mind that this is NOT a content update but rather a technical update), I personally am extremely pleased with this update. UI lag is vastly improved. Chat functions are better.The game is just overall much more playable and less frustrating. I'm looking forward to the mid-December content patch now more than ever

 

Of course, there are always going to be people who complain and nit-pick about every single update. But ignoring them, I definitely believe this update was a HUGE step in the right direction. Now we just need some more content ^^

[Freyar]

Click To Embiggen, and for Lossless Version

 

The UI updates not only makes the critical step towards moving Final Fantasy XIV away from feeling like an emulated console title, but also helps critically reduce the amount of time spent in menus. What used to take literally four to seven minutes in gear swaps and unequipped, is now literally 15 seconds. UI lag is most definitely down, though some wait is still noticeable in high traffic areas. This is probably because there is a significant reduction in server-authenticated actions.

 

Custom chat tabs are now available, though only two will be able to be "typed in", which are the two set on the first bar (IE: "General", and my re-designed "Whisper" tab). So, the second set will have to be used entirely for logging things. This makes stuff much better in the long run though, making it easier to sort out chats with vital combat information.

 

The SP and XP bars at the bottom make for a much-needed method to track progression without having to always go to the menu. This is most useful during Synthesis and Gathering (such as fishing).

 

As far as the changes to magic, this has made my (what feels like) neglected Thaumaturge discipline feel like something I can use. Spells are potent, they actually hit and while still have a chance to resist aren't prone to it. Combat feels much more fair in that respect than it used to be. Thaumaturge characters were at best used for spam-healing and Punishing Barb "Lalabombs".

 

It seems they've done a bit of optimization too. Performance on my machine using the old "max" quality for rendering has gone up while giving those with even stronger CPU and GPUs than mine a chance to really kick in environment lighting up another notch. It sure does look pretty.

 

Only complaint is that with the XP/SP bar at the bottom, I'd REALLY like to see a "borderless windowed" mode, or at least the ability to alt-tab without crashing.