Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.1 Highlights Featuring Yoko Taro, NieR:Automata Collaboration Raid

Square Enix had a special TGS 2019 edition Letter from the Producer that featured Yoko Taro for the upcoming NieR: Automata collaboration raid, and more for what’s to come in Patch 5.1 next month.

 

The title of Patch 5.1 is “Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty. It will begin a series of new Main Scenario Quests following the conclusion of the Shadowbringers story in 5.0.

 

Here are some highlights for what’s to come in Patch 5.1 that includes a revamp for gathering and crafting jobs, New Game+, Fellowships, and the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse raid:

 

Blue Mage Updates (Continued)

• Blue Mage Log
  • Form a party with your fellow Blue Mages to complete specified duties
  • Receive various rewards including allied seals and Allagan Tomestones

 

The above is a look at a new Frontlines map.

 

Crafter and Gatherer Revamp

Summary of Crafter and Gatherer Revamp

• Changes planned for Patch 5.1 and Patch 5.2
  • Increasing ease of entry for new players
    • Adjustments to more complex systems and actions
    • UI changes to be more informative and easily accessible

 

Crafting System Updates

• Actions will be adjusted
• Additional actions will be removed
• The Japanese  kanji used for collectables has been changed for ease of reading
• Certain items will always be gathered as collectables
• Adjustments to Quick Synthesis success rates
• Adjustments to Desynthesis

 

 Gathering System Updates

• Actions will be adjusted
• Actions used to locate unspoiled nodes will be adjusted
• Items at unspoiled nodes will not appear as unknown or be out of reach
• Stealth action will be replaced by Sneak
  • Can be used while mounted and will not affect movement speed
• Quick Gathering will be added
• The Japanese kanji for collectables has been changed for ease of reading
• Adjustments to gathering rates and item yields
• Elemental shard yields will be adjusted

 

One interesting piece shown was a new screenshot clip mode that allows you to clip screenshots using Win + Shift + S

 

Ishgard Restoration

• Content designed for crafters and gatherers
• Players must work together to build the Firmament
• Contribute through a number of tasks including item deliveries
• Progress of restoration will differ between worlds

 

Fellowships

• Form casual communities similar to Free Companies and Linkshells

Gold Saucer Updates

• New GATE: Features Yojimbo
• New high resolution Doman Mahjong layout

 

The new GATE featuring Greg Yojimbo at the Gold Saucer.

 

Performance Updates

• Ensemble feature will be added
  • Enables you to use performance actions more easily when in a party
• New horn instruments
• A performance assistance feature will be added

 

New Game+

• Revisit previously completed quests to enjoy cutscenes, dialogue, and battles not available in the Unending Journey
  • Replayable Quests as of Patch 5.1
    • Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers Main Scenario Quests
    • *Quests for A Realm Reborn main scenario, classes, and jobs, roles, Chronicles of a New Era, and side story quests will be made available in a future update

 

• 1. Switch to New Game +
  • While enabled, you can only progress through quests specific to New Game+

 

• 2. Select a Chapter
  • Each chapter must be played from the beginning
  • Below is an example of how chapters are divided:
    • Heavensward [Part 1] (Patch 3.0)
    • Heavensward [Part 2] (Patch 3.0)
    • Dragonsong War (Patch 3.1 to Patch 3.3)
    • Post-Dragonsong War (Patch 3.4 to Patch 3.5)

 

• 3. Relive your adventures!
  • Instanced battles will be level synced
  • You will receive no quest rewards
  • You have one auto-save slot to record your progress

Fellowships

What are Fellowships?

• Fellowships are loosely knit communities of players who share similar interests, which can accommodate up to 1,000 players!
• A single player can make or join up to 10 Fellowships with no World restrictions so long as they’re within the same data center.

 

• Whether it’s to announce events or seek others to run dungeons, they’re a quick and easy way to exchange information.

 

• 1. Name your Fellowship
  • Open the Fellowships menu under Social in the main menu. From there you can name your Fellowship.
• 2.Choose your main activities
  • You can specify your Fellowship’s main interests or activities by selecting the icons next to each entry.
• 3. Recruitment Settings
  • A separate settings menu provides further options.
  • In addition to your Fellowship’s main activities, you can add a comment, specify the number of players you’re recruiting, and the primary language.
• 4. Fellowship Finder
  • Once you’ve finalized your settings a listing will appear in the Fellowship Finder menu.
  • To join a Fellowship, you need only pick one and select Yes on the confirmation prompt.

 

Fellowship Features

• Fellowship Board – Used for notifications to all Fellowship members
• Questionnaire – Create polls with up to five options. Votes are anonymous.
• Notices – A space to leave brief messages or reminders for the Fellowship.
• Message Board – A space for all Fellowship members to freely communicate. Only the 100 most recent messages will be saved here.

YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse

• A familiar vending machine

 

New Alliance Raid

• The Copied Factory

 

• Enemy (That looks too strong for its own good, according to Yoko Taro)

 

• A box, with way too many details

 

• It has “extends” written on the notes. These will do bad things to you.
• Yoshi-P was amazed at just how much detail went into these designs.

 

• There are three circles there, that could have something to do with the number of parties there are in a raid.

 

• There’s someone there that looks like 2B from NieR: Automata, but if you look closely, it’s actually “2P” and it appears that she runs by your side in the raid.

 

• When Yoko Taro first met up with the Final Fantasy XIV team he said they were afraid he was going to do something horrifying. He wasn’t planning on it, but the expectation made him want to rewrite it into something terrifying, and joked about making a story about taking down one of the Data Centers, or just stop paying for one in order to save money for less fortunate children around the world as part of the story.
• Yoko Taro says that the collaboration started when he went to a steakhouse with Naoki Yoshida, who made the offer for a collaboration. Yoko Taro jokingly said that he thought the Final Fantasy XIV team didn’t like him because he was never asked for a collaboration until then.
• As for the NieR raid, Yoko Taro says that he wants it to be something that anyone can enjoy, including those without much experience in NieR: Automata or Final Fantasy XIV.

 

• Important screenshots

 

It was also confirmed that the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse raid will have NieR music. Check out a sample below:

It’s an absolutely amazing theme composed by Keiichi Okabe. It’s an original composition, but with leitmotifs from the Final Fantasy Prelude and the NieR: Automata credits theme.

 

Lastly, here’s a key visual for the update:

 

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.1 “Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty” releases in late October 2019.

 

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is available on PlayStation 4 and PC. NieR: Automata is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

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