Since August 23, Patch 6.2 has been online in Final Fantasy XIV, bringing new content to the game. Part of it is the Island Paradise, which according to the head of the MMORPG, Naoki Yoshida, should be slower and more relaxed content. Not at all.
This is the Island Paradise: Starting with Patch 6.2, all players who have completed the Endwalker expansion will gain access to a private instanced island that is supposed to serve as their refuge.
There, you can grow vegetables, care for animals, gather materials, and have your Mammet workers build structures. As a reward, there is EXP for the Island Rank and blue or green Kauris. This is an island-specific currency that you can exchange for a variety of cosmetic items like mounts and companions and materia.
Already at the announcement of the island during the reveal of the Endwalker expansion, the director of FFXIV, Naoki Yoshida, emphasized that this is slow and relaxed content.
There is no reason to rush, and there are no elements that would put players under pressure. Our goal here is for players to enjoy the slow life by playfully interacting with their companions, taking screenshots in their favorite locations, and so on.
Naoki Yoshida in an interview with MeinMMO
However, some FFXIV players understood this statement as a challenge. Since the release in the Island Paradise, they have done a lot, but relaxing was definitely not one of them.
Players completely escalate, reach max level within 24 hours
This is what happened: The Island Paradise generated great excitement among FFXIV players after the announcement, so much so that the team even postponed the content to meet the high expectations. Accordingly, what happened at the actual release was inevitable.
Just 24 hours after the launch of update 6.2, the first players reported that they had reached the highest level on their island.
At this point, the FFXIV community had just begun to compile information about the content on Reddit and social media to gradually create guides. Much about the optimization processes and gameplay mechanics on the island was still completely unknown.
The players reached rank 10 through pure grinding (via twitter.com). They ran from one gathering point to another for hours, collecting materials that only gave them 10 EXP per gathering point.
However, over 100,000 EXP is needed for level-ups, and they increase even more with each rising rank. The increase from rank 9 to 10 requires 41,000 EXP, for example.
Content for casual players and business magnates
What it’s about: In general, the island seems to be much more complex than Yoshida allowed to leak in his statements.
The YouTuber Cole Evyx, who creates guides for FFXIV, stated in one of his videos that while the Island Paradise was marketed as relaxed content, it nonetheless has a lot of depth. Efficient players who love min-maxing and want to get the most out of their gameplay will find a lot to enjoy here.
I see the [Island Paradise] as the exact opposite of relaxed casual content. I see it as a little automated business with a lot of potential for optimization, intricacies, and mechanics, and I find that incredibly enjoyable. […] Basically, you build a business here to get some of the most expensive materia in the whole game.
Cole Evyx
The content is relatively flexible. On one hand, it can be played as Yoshida explained in his statements about the Island Paradise, but on the other hand, efficient players who enjoy planning and Excel spreadsheets can also have fun here and build an export empire.
What have your experiences been with the Island Paradise so far? Did you complete the content leisurely, or did you rush through it like some other players? What level is your island? Let us know in the comments.
By the way, a large part of the new mounts and cosmetic items can be found on the island:
Final Fantasy XIV: Locations of new mounts and companions from Patch 6.2
