More important for fans of the game as it stands was the live letter, which had all sorts of future plans outlined. Players can look forward to the Deep Dungeon releasing at some point in July, along with a /cpose function for sleeping animations (it’s been in the works for some time). Meanwhile, the developers already know that 3.4 will feature a more efficient tool for removing RMT spammers and the new apartment-style housing, which is targeted at addressing a variety of player concerns vis-a-vis housing plots.
More details on the Deep Dungeon were revealed. The dungeon has a randomized layout each time you enter, with two “save slots” that track your progress every 10 floors. The dungeon can first be accessed at level 17, although for lore purposes it’s recommended that you first clear Tam-Tara (Hard), which is a pretty big hint about what you’ll find therein. Items inside of the dungeon will power up your weapon and armor within the dungeon, and a sufficiently upgraded weapon can be brought out into the open world complete with its glowing appearance. Items may also be found to transform players into monsters, and some treasure chests will be mimic traps just the same; it’s meant to be exciting and unexpected.
Those who are already groaning from all of the items being stored in the game may rest assured that the next expansion will bring an increase in storage space, supposedly a “significant” one.
In an interview with Gamer Escape, Yoshida further clarified that in addition to the weapon reward, players will also be able to earn experience within the Deep Dungeon, which will be converted to experience for your chosen job. However, due to the independent leveling nature of the Deep Dungeon, it won’t simply be a straight conversion; players will be able to retain some of the experience earned therein, but not all of it. The content is also not aimed at specifically casual or hardcore players, as the final version will feature 200 floors that will challenge even the most hardcore players to reach the bottom. The goal, rather, is to create content that new and veteran players could both enjoy with an equal level of proficiency, even if the newer player doesn’t have the levels of the more experienced player.
This carries over to the plans to allow more content of the next expansion to be available before finishing the 3.x storyline. For Heavensward, none of the expansion content is available to characters who have not yet finished the storyline from the 2.x series, meaning that the new jobs of the expansion are locked away for some players. While the team still feels that the continued experience of the full story is important, having everything locked behind that story wall can leave players out in the cold, so it’s a safe bet that more of the next expansion will be available immediately no matter what. (New jobs are a likely bet.)
Last but not least, the details of this year’s Fanfest were revealed; players will be given special codes to purchase Fanfest tickets earlier than they would be available to the general public, although it’s quite possible that the tickets will sell out before they’re available to everyone. Streaming options will also be available for those who cannot attend in person. Players who attend or purchase streaming options will be given special in-game items, including a glamour outfit and minions styled after the lady protagonists in Final Fantasy X.
