Some items in Final Fantasy XIV tend to accumulate in the inventory or are simply discarded. This was also the case with one item until the new patch came and suddenly made it super important.
Which item is it? With Patch 7.3, the Phoenix Down in the depths of your pockets received an upgrade that significantly pulls it out of its insignificance. With the update, the following changes were made to the item:
- You can now finally carry more than one Phoenix Down and stack up to 999
- You can now use the Phoenix Downs in all 4-player contents and in the open world, even in combat
- You can now use them on players outside of your group to revive them
- The range has been increased from 5 to 15 yalms
- Now has a shared cooldown with other healing items of around 360 seconds
What was the problem before? Until now, you could only carry one Down per bag/summon for over 10 years and could only revive outside of combat. This made it quite useless for most players, as one could simply switch to a healer class outside of combat and revive (see Reddit).
Many seem to be gradually noticing the change, as more threads are appearing on Reddit where players discuss this change – as it suddenly made the Phoenix Down super powerful and indispensable.
“Welcome to the Run-Saver Club, my friend.”
Why does the change make the Phoenix Down so important? Because the item can now be used in combat and stacked up to 999 times, it is an absolute game changer for the following contents and the open world:
- Dungeons
- Guild Heist
- Trials for 4 players
- Secret Hoards
- Deep Vaults
- Field Expeditions
- Unstable Vaults
Because it especially gives tanks and attackers the opportunity to turn the tide when the healer is already down. Runs that were otherwise doomed or dragged out by ambitious tanks can now be given new chances.
How is the change being received by the community? On Reddit, there are several threads (Example 1, Example 2) where players express their joy about the innovation and discuss the various advantages and possibilities:
- mattw891 is happy via Reddit: “Approved in Red Mage. Welcome to the Run-Saver Club, my friend.”
- SMC540 notes via Reddit: “I’ve had one in my bag since the beginning of ARR. I’ve never had the chance to use it.”
- Southpaw_AZ describes via Reddit: “As DRK, I used Shadow Veil twice yesterday during the Rouls and revived our healer. Both times they just said: ‘OH! THANK YOU?!’ – really funny.”
- Isanori celebrates via Reddit: “I am totally thrilled. Now the party will not be stopped just because today is ‘Puddle are Attractive’ day and we have to repeat until I am back in the puddles.”
While this innovation is uniformly well received by fans, another, actually popular feature seems to have been shamefully neglected in the latest patch. Players are therefore showing disappointment and annoyance and are calling for a bit more love: Players of Final Fantasy XIV celebrate new patch, but a coveted feature deserves more love
