FFXIV Cosmic Exploration - An Oizys Update And Token Grind

Over in Final Fantasy XIV I'm hearing speculation on whether patch 7.45 for Dawntrail will launch on 3 March or 10 March. Time to look around at the progress players have made building up Oizys as a base.

Aether is far ahead of the other logical data centers

For this segment of cosmic exploration North America is far ahead, with three worlds already finishing building the base on Oizys and three more close to doing so. The only world outside North America close to finishing is Tonberry over on Elemental. 

The spread of progress is really wild, with worlds on the newer logical data centers like Dynamis (North America) and Materia (Oceania) still on level 12 of the 28 step journey. I think the shorter cosmic tool grind on Oizys has had a greater impact than before. But as patch 7.45 is still 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 weeks away all worlds are still on track to finish the third segment of cosmic exploration by the time patch 7.51 rolls around this summer.

On a personal note, I've only managed to get 36 of the 60 Oizys Token Booklets needed to get the Cosmic Armored Weapon mount. One of the rare mounts that hides the rider, I like the idea of running around in a mechanical spider. But that's for outside cosmic exploration. Inside the content I still like my Cosmoboard.

In the token booklet grind I learned something about how to do two time-restricted missions, EX+: Survey of Rare Aetheric Flora for botanists and EX+: Survey of Rare Aetheric Minerals for miners. Each requires collecting 100 items. Each mission has 3 groups of 2 nodes, one with a duration of 5 and one with a duration of 6. I've learned to do the three 6 duration nodes first because the mission action Greater Reach is guaranteed to proc at least once, returning 200 gathering points per proc. Before gathering from these nodes I either activate Blessed Harvest II (botany) or  King's Yield II (mining). That way I only spend 300 GP at each of the nodes. If I don't have the 100 items gathered yet the next node usually gets me to the mission's goal.

I also learned to do two weather restricted missions that grant token books. The EX+: Rare Alchemical Reductions (botanist) and EX+: Crucial Initiative Reductions (mining) require gathering collectables and reducing them to 45 items. I use the Collector's Stellar Standard mission action as the first action for the first two collectables. I usually have enough GP to use Scrutiny twice on the third collectable and once on the fourth collectable. Usually by this time I have between 10-12 collectables gathered. I then reduce the items and, depending on the random number generator, I usually succeed with a Silver result. Eating Nasi Goreng gives the most GP, which is the stat I most look for now that I have all my cosmic tools up to iLevel 775 and my gear fully pentamelded.