In Final Fantasy XIV, Patch 3.55a is live. In addition to the final chapter of the Anima weapon quest, it also brings delivery requests for NPCs.
The first half of Patch 3.5 “The Far Edge of Fate” – the last patch before the expansion “Stormblood” in June – was released in January for Final Fantasy XIV. Now the second half is here, 3.55. However, it has also been split again because it wasn’t completely finished. 3.55a is already on the live servers, and 3.55b is expected to follow in a few weeks.
Criticism of Proto-Ultima and Anima Weapon Series
3.55a brings the final part of the Anima weapon quest series. Additionally, the fight against “Proto-Ultima” is now regular game content.
There is some criticism of Proto-Ultima from fans, as they expected more. Proto-Ultima was seemingly inserted into the “Dun Scath” instance without much care, and the encounter doesn’t fit well. It replaces the previous fight against the Succubus.
Mechanically, the encounter is likely not of a very high level. Fans refer to it as a “trash mob that you can easily wipe out.”
YouTuber Charles, an expert on Final Fantasy XIV, also criticizes the new part of the Anima weapon series. From his perspective, it seems more like an unnecessary extension rather than a true climax of the quest chain.
After the hype from the fan fest in Frankfurt, parts of the community expected more from Patch 3.55a. Also, that the new emotes will be available in the cash shop (“5€ each”) doesn’t please Charles.
You can read the full patch notes here at Square Enix in German.
NPCs will become your friends when you run errands for them
A new feature is interesting: Delivery requests.
Here you can deliver items to NPCs. In return, you receive red and blue craftsman or gatherer’s certificates, Gil, and certain collectibles. You need to earn the NPCs’ trust first, then the requests and rewards will become more elaborate.
The next patch, 3.55b, is expected to bring the revised “Diadem” before moving on to Stormblood. Hopefully, the community will have less reason to complain then. It is typical for patches before major expansions in MMORPGs to be weaker.
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