Yesterday I downloaded patch 7.3.1 for Final Fantasy XIV and headed off to restock my island sanctuary before venturing out to step foot on Phaenna, the next stop in Dawntrail's Cosmic Exploration content. I did some prep work beforehand but one can't learn lessons without looking back.
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| Heading to Phaenna for the first time |
When I landed I rushed out to explore a little. Besides finding out more about the local currency I discovered two things. First, I really should have topped off all my types of experience before the patch as to get the first upgraded tool faster. The next is, I'm kind of glad I didn't.
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| The beginner's buff also works on Phaenna |
The reason is that the equipment upgrade, including overmelding, I did over the first four weeks of patch 7.3 came in really handy, at least for leveling my botanist skills. I didn't complete the melding of GP materia but with the addition of Nasi Goreng I begin each gathering mission with 1001 gathering points. Combined with the new automatic reset of GP after each mission I am tearing through the content, needing at most to consume one hi-cordial to keep going. Best of all, I am not encountering the long periods of downtime I did in the first phase of Cosmic Exploration.
Next travelling to and staying in Cosmic Exploration zones is much easier than previously. First, players can travel via the Bestways Burrow aetheryte to Phaenna. So I designated the aetheryte my free destination and can now zip to the zone for free very quickly. And I don't have to leave as a summoning bell is present near the merchants. If I ever run out of Nasi Goreng I can make some more on the spot.
Speaking on the merchants, I kind of blew a lot of cosmocredits on shiny new items. The new Star Captain's Attire set cost 30,000 cosmocredits. What I should have done is spend that amount of materia instead. While 1001 GP is great for getting me through the normal missions, I would feel better with a little more GP. Or I could add a few more points of control by overmelding one more Craftsman Cunning Materia XI onto each of my secondary crafting tools. Each one currently has two open slots so I can add a total of 30 more control to each tool. Those 30,000 cosmocredits spent on a glamour set could have purchased 66 materia XIs.
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| The Stellar Hatchet |
Since I decided to improve my botanist first I did the 5 botanist levels to get my first Stellar tool, the Stellar Hatchet. Not very impressive looking but when I got to Cosmic hatchet 1.4 the stats finally exceeded those of my pentamelded Everseeker's Hatchet. The Stellar Hatchet does not exceed the stats of a pentamelded Gold's Thumb Hatchet, but for the type of grind I intend to go on the Stellar tool's +35% bonus to earning Phaenna credits plus proc bonuses that come with the tools will come in more handy.
How much time did it take to go from Cosmic Hatchet to Stellar Hatchet? I needed three play sessions totaling perhaps 6-7 hours. But I did stop my progress to do Mech Ops missions as ground support. Doing so provides a bonus of the next 20 missions completed granting additional cosmocredits. I tend to try to keep the bonus up and running while running through the regular missions. I also managed to participate in one Red Alert event which helps level tools.
I should also add for the second class I intend to improve, miner, the research bonus will be 50% greater than what I earned for leveling the botanist tool. So I'm hoping at the reduced rate I can research 2 tools a week up to Stellar level. My goal is to have all the tools by 14 October, or five weeks from now. Of course, gathering is pretty easy with pentamelded tools and the change to gathering points and the timer for cordials resetting upon the successful completion of a mission. Next week I'll try my hand at crafting.
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