Live Letter XXIX has concluded and as promised, Yoshi-P has divulged the masses with new details on the upcoming patch content for the MMO. Titled Revenge of the Horde, this patch will bring new and exciting features such as two more new expert dungeons, a second 24-man raid to follow up from Void Ark, the triumphant return of Moogles as a Beast Tribe quest series, Hildibrand, a strange collaboration with the bizarrely popular Yokai Watch franchise, and more.
New Dungeons and Raid
The weekly quest to cap Allagan Tomestones of Lore continues, as does the standard two dungeons per patch formula that has existed since 3.0.
The new "hard mode" dungeon this time will be Hullbreaker Island Hard Mode. When we last visited this uninhabited island, a Kraken waited for us at the end with its tentacle poised to throw players from platform to platform. This time, the Maelstrom has occupied the island and transformed it into a training camp. I suppose someone has to discipline those unruly Limsa Lominsa rogue pirate types for fit military service.
The original new dungeon this time is Sohr Khai, which is ostensibly located in The Churning Mists. Fans of outdoors dungeons will feel more welcome here.
As for the 24-man raid to follow up from Void Ark, we have The Weeping City of Mhach. Its initial appearance will seem deceptive. While Void Ark's visual atmosphere stays consistent throughout, Mhach will see its environment drastically change the deeper you explore this Twelveforesaken realm. Prepare to go from the outskirts all the way up to a pyramid reaching the heavens.
But it's not all about ordinary Duty Finder raids for the usual rewards of tomes and upgrade items. Treasure map dungeons were promised and shall be delivered in the form of The Aquapolis. While not procedurally generated like the upcoming Palace of the Dead deep dungeons, these treasure skin maps will require a little bit of luck and presumably skill to proceed further. Within its depths shall you and up to seven other party members come across fortunes untold. Supposedly. To enter these dungeons, you can do so using Timeworn Dragonskin treasure maps.
The Palace of the Dead will debut a little later than Patch 3.3 (but prior to Patch 3.4) and were previously first discussed at PAX East. Located under the Black Shroud, think of The Palace of the Dead as a dungeon crawler with changing rules as you go along. The goal, either solo or as a group, is to brave its increasingly difficult levels. Its level and item level systems will be independent from that of the rest of the game, so newer players need not feel pressured into clocking up an item level of 230 first before being able to dive in.
PvP
Frontlines will not be ignored. It receives a new map set somewhere in the dreary plains of Coerthas. Titled Field of Glory (Shatter), it will follow the same rules as Seal Rock (Seize) and for the PvP fans who feel the toxic ranked PvP environment of The Feast is too much to handle.
...Yokai Watch collaboration
Others
For those still homeless, Patch 3.3 will bring in new housing lots, with adjustments to housing prices. You will be able to grow flowers in flowerpots and vases for...reasons. It's not an extension of the gardening feature, mind you.
In addition, the promised Raid Finder will start to come into fruition. This will allow for cross-server raid finding, with players able to set various requirements to join, e.g. practice, clear or farm run. Hopefully this will be the first major move towards easing that requirement to server transfer to Gilgamesh for cutting-edge raid content.
Most importantly: HILDIBRAND CONTINUES!
Patch 3.3 will come live sometime in June.
Nova Crystallis
