In Final Fantasy XIV, players have been working on a major construction project for several patches. MyMMO author Irina Moritz thinks the activity is great because in the end there will likely be a very special reward.
What kind of construction project is this? Since patch 5.1, which was released in autumn 2019, all players of Final Fantasy XIV can participate in a special construction project.
The premise is simple: some areas of the city of Ishgard were severely damaged during a long war and are now being rebuilt. In this process, the NPCs ask players for help.
A large amount of building materials, tools, and other items are needed for the work to progress. These items are collected, processed, and handed over to NPCs by the players.
I must admit that the announcement of the “Reconstruction of Ishgard” activity did not exactly spark joy for me.
On one hand, because I’m not a big fan of the city itself, and on the other hand, because my crafting skills are anything but great. But the activity convinced me through a clever mix of rewards and the cool feeling of collaborating with other players.
What do players need to do? Construction takes place in a special new area of Ishgard called the Sky City. In the initial stages, everything was in ruins, but that is now changing.
The individual stages of the reconstruction proceed roughly as follows:
- Players collect and craft items requested by an NPC with their crafters.
- By turning in the items, a progress bar is filled. Each server has its own bar and progresses at varying rates.
- Once the bar is full, a timer starts. It announces that a crafter FATE will take place on that server.
- If the players successfully complete the FATE, a short cutscene plays showing how a part of the area has been repaired.
In return for their contributions, players receive tons of EXP and specific vouchers that they can exchange for various, mostly cosmetic, rewards.
But what is more exciting is what is likely to happen once the work is eventually completed.
We are building a housing area
And what happens when it’s finished? A clear picture is starting to emerge of what exactly the players are building here. There have been long-standing suspicions and speculations that the developers would finally bring a housing area to Ishgard in Shadowbringers.
Housing in FFXIV is already a scarce commodity and not all players have their own little house. Housing in Ishgard is a special story.
This might be a preview to allow players to see their future accommodation. We will likely find out the concrete answer before the end of the expansion.
Cool mix of short- and long-term rewards
One of the main reasons I enjoy playing MMORPGs with a focus on PvE is that I really like to collaborate with other players. And this aspect was what I enjoyed the most about the reconstruction of Ishgard.
The activity itself is not incredibly exciting. You constantly craft the required items and hand them over in bulk to the NPC who accepts them.
But I think it’s cool how players come together to work on a common project. Especially at the release of the reconstruction, the zone was overflowing:
Of course, the area is not nearly as crowded anymore, especially on smaller servers like the one I’m on. But it’s a good feeling when you enter the Sky City, see the familiar faces crafting, and chat a bit.
I also think that the reconstruction offers a clever mix of short- and long-term rewards. In the short term, players can earn many cosmetic items through turning in the items:
- Mounts
- Companions
- Hairstyles
- Emotes
- Clothing and more
In the long term, we are likely looking at the new housing area in Ishgard. And while I do not plan to move my house there, I will still pitch in and help with the construction.
But if you already own a house in FFXIV, we have 10 cool decoration ideas for you.
It is a feature that has been wished for by players since the release of the Heavensward expansion in 2015. Heavensward is popular for its story and setting. Accordingly, many players dream of being able to live in this city.
What makes Ishgard housing appealing? It certainly looks like they are building their own future homes. I speak in the subjunctive because there is still no 100% statement from the developers that the Sky City area will indeed become a housing area for players.
In the latest interview with the folks at Twinfinite, Yoshida dodged the question of whether the reconstruction of Ishgard will ultimately lead to a new housing area.
However, I would truly be shocked if that were not the case, because so far all developments surrounding the reconstruction point in that direction.
On the one hand, there have been various “winks” from Director Yoshida in previous Producer Letters, who repeatedly asked ambiguously about what sort of HOUSES would be built here.
On the other hand, data miners have taken an interesting screenshot of the area from an overhead view. Its layout strongly resembles the existing housing areas.
You can see the various sizes of plots that players can purchase in other housing areas for building houses.
This is what the area looks like currently: Lastly, players on the Japanese servers Tonberry, Chocobo, Shinryu, and Exion have managed to reach stage 31 of the reconstruction.
This has led to the first completed buildings in the Sky City area on these servers, resembling classic housing houses from other areas. I mean, look at this:
The only thing that makes me suspicious here is the fact that the houses are already standing. In previous areas, the plots were empty before being purchased.
This might be a preview to allow players to see their future accommodation. We will likely find out the concrete answer before the end of the expansion.
Cool mix of short- and long-term rewards
One of the main reasons I enjoy playing MMORPGs with a focus on PvE is that I really like to collaborate with other players. And this aspect was what I enjoyed the most about the reconstruction of Ishgard.
The activity itself is not incredibly exciting. You constantly craft the required items and hand them over in bulk to the NPC who accepts them.
But I think it’s cool how players come together to work on a common project. Especially at the release of the reconstruction, the zone was overflowing:
Of course, the area is not nearly as crowded anymore, especially on smaller servers like the one I’m on. But it’s a good feeling when you enter the Sky City, see the familiar faces crafting, and chat a bit.
I also think that the reconstruction offers a clever mix of short- and long-term rewards. In the short term, players can earn many cosmetic items through turning in the items:
- Mounts
- Companions
- Hairstyles
- Emotes
- Clothing and more
In the long term, we are likely looking at the new housing area in Ishgard. And while I do not plan to move my house there, I will still pitch in and help with the construction.
But if you already own a house in FFXIV, we have 10 cool decoration ideas for you.
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!