TheFinal Fantasy 14servers just went back up a few hours ago after being taken down to implement the highly anticipated Patch 7.3 content update, and early reactions are more positive than many fans may have expected. One Patch 7.3 change is seeing particular praise, but the general feel from fans is more hopeful than theinitial 7.3 reactionsseemed to be.
In a Reddit thread,LOCKHARTX7praisedthe update’s new Viera and Hrothgar headgear options, writing:“I cannot tell you how good this feels.“feNRiskechoed that sentiment, writing:“Time to return to the game.“Additional comments praise the patch’s other new additions, like the speech bubbles, enemy visibility, and combat job changes.
FFXIV’s Patch 7.3 Pulled Fans Back In
New Customization, New Job Changes, & More
The patch added all the typicalFFXIVcontent that comes with a new update. New main story quests willend theDawntrailstoryarc, a new alliance raid has been added, a new Treasure Dungeon has been added, a new PvP series has begun, and much more. Viera and Hrothgar hats, though, seem to be the early standouts, withDarkhallows27writing:“It’s so beautiful. As a Viera BRD player I’ve never been more delighted.”
Patch 7.3 was do-or-die for a lot of fans, asfrustrations withFFXIVwere reaching a fever pitch. It seems like, overall, the early general reception is surprisingly positive.
Despite the game still having a long way to go in terms of correcting job homogenization, housing issues, lack of endgame content, and more,more fans seem willing to stay on theFFXIVtrain now.
FFXIV’s 7.3’s Balance Changes Still Need Tweaking
Mostly Good Changes With A Couple Outliers
Along with the new content comes combat job changes. Almost every job listed in theFinal Fantasy XIVofficial patch notessaw some nice changes, like AOE attack potency drop-offs being reduced for many jobs (a buff) and Pictomancer’s hammer attacks being useful again, with potency increases. Viper got a much-needed nerf to its AOE damage, and Summoner finally got a damage buff.
However, out of the jobs that have changed, Machinist is one that still needs some additional help. It got damage potency increases, but the Auto-Crossbow skill still does not charge the Doublecheck and Checkmate skills, a long-complained-about problem.
While there’s always room for improvement, these issues are relatively minor compared to some of the more negative expectations. Overall, Patch 7.3 seems to be a great start toFinal Fantasy 14’s redemption, assuming the story content is enjoyable and there aren’t major bugs.
