Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood

Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood is the second expansion pack of Final Fantasy XIV, announced at the 2016 Fan Fest, being released for PC, Macintosh, and PlayStation 4. It was released on June 20, 2017. It officially marked the end of Final Fantasy XIV on PlayStation 3, with support for the platform being discontinued coinciding with the expansion's launch.http://kotaku.com/ffxiv-announces-stormblood-expansion-new-jobs-zones-a-1787808376
The expansion sees Adventurers heading to the Gyr Abania region in eastern Aldenard and beyond to the continent of Othard, liberating both the city-states of Ala Mhigo and Doma from the Garlean Empire.
==Story==
Shortly after the events of the finale of the Heavensward expansion, the Warrior of Light and their comrades make way to the war torn region of Gyr Abania, home to the city state of Ala Mhigo, which is under the control of the Garlean Empire. After tragedy strikes in the wake of the Adventurer's efforts to help the Ala Mhigan resistance at the hand of the Imperial Viceroy Zenos yae Galvus, the Warrior of Light makes their way to the land of Othard to the east to help liberate the Kingdom of Doma from the Empire. What follows is a quest that revolves around the liberation of both Ala Mhigo and Doma.
==Features==
The expansion increased the level to 70 for all disciplines, while also introducing two new disciplines: and . The battle system was revamped and introduced the Job Gauge gameplay mechanic, giving every job a unique gauge to eliminate the complexity of managing important buffs or to introduce more unique job elements. In addition, the cross-class system was removed from the game and replaced with a new cross Role system. Certain stats were reworked, replaced, or became exclusive to certain roles. Inventory space was expanded to 140 slots.
New locations were introduced in Gyr Abania and Othard. In Othard could be found the Ruby Sea, home to pirates and the Kojin beast tribe; Yanxia, home to the Garlean-occupied Doma; and the Azim Steppe, ancestral home of the Au Ra. In Gyr Abania, oppressive imperial structures towered over the Fringes and the Peaks, while the city-state of Ala Mhigo resided in the Lochs. Two new cities were added in the Resistance headquarters of Rhalgr's Reach and the merchant port of Kugane, which housed a new housing district, Shirogane.
Eight new dungeons were included at launch, ranging from a ship graveyard to Ala Mhigo itself. Three trials were also also added, including Extreme mode battles against the kojin and ananta primals Susano and Lakshmi. Patch 4.01, was launched shortly after release adding in the first wing of the raid series, , while patch 4.05 added a new treasure hunt dungeon, .
==Development==
==Major updates==
Note that the below version updates also added features and adjustments to A Realm Reborn (2.x) or Heavensward (3.x) content.
====The Legend Returns (4.1)====
Released on October 10, 2017, The Legend Returns was the first major patch released for the Stormblood expansion. The main scenario saw a conference on the future of Ala Mhigo, while the Warrior of Light, Alphinaud, and Arenvald plumbed the for the hidden treasures of the Mad King Theodoric to help fill the nation's coffers.
The patch debuts the Return to Ivalice alliance raid series with . was added as a new Extreme difficulty trial for players. was added in patch 4.11 as the first ultimate difficulty raid, intended only for the most advanced players. A new treasure dungeon was added in .
The Grand Companies' Adventurer Squadrons system was expanded to feature exploration of certain instanced dungeons as party members. A new introductory quest for the Hildibrand Manderville questline was implemented, as well as the Kojin beast-tribe quests. In addition, several new gear sets were added into the game through dungeons and recipes. Lastly, the new housing area of Shirogane also now allowed for players to purchase housing and apartments in the facility and the housing relocation feature was added into the game.
Patch 4.15 introduced the new Frontline map , which featured a new game mode called Rival Wings, allowing teams to create Illuminati machina to fight each other with. 4.15 also introduced Performance Actions for s, allowing players to create their own music using a variety of instruments.
====Rise of a New Sun (4.2)====
Released on January 30, 2018, Rise of a New Sun saw the Scions travel once more to Doma, to investigate rumors that Gosetsu and Yotsuyu had survived the collapse of Doma Castle, only to receive an unexpected proposal of peace from Garlemald.
Along the way, the Warrior of Light travelled to and got tied up in the affairs of thee Four Lords, facing off against the auspice Byakko at . was introduced as a additional dungeon, while the Omega raid series would continue in the Sigmascape. and were adjusted such that players could no longer skip cutscenes within them in order to improve the experience for new players running them for the first time.
A new system called the Duty Recorder was added, allowing players to record their experiences in certain duties. The Adventurer Squadrons system was expanded to include more playable dungeons. Some other things were also implemented, such as the Ananta Beast Tribe quests, updates for the inventory, glamour, performance, and plot purchasing systems, Subaquatic Voyages, and adjustments for the Lost Canals of Uznair and for the EXP rates for crafters. The Feast PvP mode also received a new map in the Crystal Tower Training Grounds, as well as rule revisions and ranked team matches.
Patch 4.25 included a new chapter for the Hildibrand Manderville questline. It also introduced a new sidestory in , which players can explore to upgrade their Eureka Weapons.
====Under the Moonlight (4.3)====
Released May 22, 2018, Under the Moonlight saw the peace talks in Doma continue with a prisoner exchange at , while the Scions learned that the Ascians may be pulling strings behind the scenes.
The Return to Ivalice raid series continued in , while the Four Lords storyline introduced . Normal difficulty raids were added to the Duty Roulette. 4.31 saw a new Ultimate raid added in , 4.35 introduced a new Deep Dungeon in , and 4.36 continued the Eureka storyline in . 4.36 also included a crossover with Monster Hunter: World, as players participated in for Rathalos.
The Doman Reconstruction storyline was added, allowing players to donate unwanted items to the Doman Enclave to aid in its restoration. New beast tribe quests were added with the Namazu, focused on crafting and gathering. Other additions included ew sounds and animations were added for the Performance action, guestbooks and mannequins for housing, and a new custom delivery client in Kurenai. Patch 4.3 also introduced cross-world Linkshells, allowing players to create Linkshells with players from other servers, and 4.35 continued the Hildibrand storyline.
====Prelude in Violet (4.4)====
Released on September 18, 2018, Prelude in Violet saw the Eorzean Alliance make preparations for war as Garlemald moved to reclaim Ala Mhigo. The Scions searched for a missing compatriot and found themselves grappling with a mysterious illness.
 was added as an additional dungeon, and the Omega raid series ended with the Alphascape. The Four Lords storyline continued on , and the final treasure dungeon of Stormblood was added in . 4.45 saw the continuation of the Eureka storyline in , as well as the Hildibrand storyline.
Additonal adjustments were made to role actions, PvP, the Ceremony of Eternal Bonding, the Manderville Gold Saucer, and the Doman Reconstruction. Players could now be promoted to the rank of Captain in their Grand Company.
====A Requiem for Heroes (4.5)====
Much like the final patches of previous versions of the game, A Requiem for Heroes was split into two major releases on January 8 and March 26, 2019, in addition to smaller patches. The main scenario saw all-out war break out between the Alliance and the Empire in , as more Scions fell to the ailment imploring them to "throw wide the gates".
The final duties of the Return to Ivalice and Four Lords storylines were added in and , respectively. 4.55 concluded the Eureka storyline in the , ending in a raid in the first open dungeon, , allowing up to 56 players to enter solo or with a party. 4.56 saw the finale of the Hildibrand storyline, as the Warrior of Light faced a familiar foe on .
 was introduced as a limited job designed for solo play, along with a new activity known as .The World Visit system was introduced, allowing players to travel to other servers in their data center, with some restrictions. 4.55 introduced , a new Rival Wings map.
==Behind the scenes==
As with his / teases for Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, director Naoki Yoshida wore a shirt to the announcement event to tease a new upcoming class. Scarlet Witch is a synonym for Red Mage. At another event he wore a shirt to tease a different class, which was a much more obscure connection - namely the similar spelling between film director , who directed the , and Samurai.
==Production credits==
===Voice cast===
Character 	Japanese 	English
Lyse Hext 	Aya Endo 	Laura Aikman
Alphinaud Leveilleur 	Shinnosuke Tachibana	Colin Ryan
Alisaie Leveilleur 	Rie Murakawa 	Bethan Walker
Raubahn Aldynn 	Hiroki Yasumoto 	Nick Boulton
Pipin Tarupin 	Nobuyuki Hiyama 	Adam Howden
Conrad Kemp 	Kenji Hamada 	Philip Jackson
Hien Rijin 	Katsuyuki Konishi 	Andrew Koji
Yugiri Mistwalker 	Rina Satoh 	Eleanor Matsuura
Gosetsu Daito 	Yosuke Akimoto 	Nigel Betts
Yotsuyu goe Brutus 	Shizuka Itoh 	Naoko Mori
Soroban 	Yuichi Nakamura 	
Fordola rem Lupis 	Marika Hayashi 	Annabel Scholey
Zenos Galvus 	Kohsuke Toriumi 	Luke Allen-Gale
Y'shtola Rhul 	Ai Kayano 	Robyn Addison
Krile Maya Baldesion 	Yoshino Nanjo 	Gemma Lawrence
Urianger Augurelt 	KENN 	Timothy Watson
Tataru Taru 	Mariya Ise 	Carina Reeves
Thancred Waters 	Yuichi Nakamura 	Peter Bramhill
Tansui 	Ryouta Takeuchi 	Nigel Pilkington
Rasho Mastbreaker 	Daichi Endo 	Matt Stokoe
Carvallain de Gorgagne	Riki Kagami 	Luke Allen Gale
Cirina Mol 	Marie Miyake 	Jaimi Barbakoff
Temulun 	Yuka Keicho 	Rachel Atkins
Magnai Oronir 	Taku Yashiro 	Dan Fraser
Sadu Dotharl 	Rie Tanaka 	Beatriz Romilly
Isse Shibunuri 	KENN 	Stephen Hoo
M'naago Rahz 	Runa Onodera 	Hannah Arterton
Meffrid Noward 	Kenichirou Matsuda 	Matt Stokoe
Arenvald Lentinus 	Masato Ishihara 	Stephen Hoo (Patch 4.0)Joe Dempsie (Patch 4.1+)
Bunchin 	Itaru Yamamoto 	James Goode
Hancock Fitzgerald 	Masato Ishihara 	Ciarán Owens
Grynewaht pyr Arvina 	Itaru Yamamoto 	James Goode
Aulus mal Asina 	Riki Kagami 	Robert Vernon
Estinien Wyrmblood 	Kenji Hamada 	Robert Vernon
Asahi sas Brutus 	Junichi Yanagita 	Matt McCooey
Varis zos Galvus 	Jouji Nakata 	Michael Maloney
Gaius van Baelsar 	Akio Otsuka 	Michael McElhatton
Nanamo Ul Namo 	Mariya Ise 	Joanna Ruiz
Kan-E-Senna 	Rie Tanaka 	Hannah Arterton
Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn 	Atsuko Tanaka 	Tracy Ann Oberman
Aymeric de Borel 	Tatsuhisa Suzuki 	Blake Ritson
Maxima quo Priscus 	Ryouta Takeuchi 	Gunnar Cauthery
Matoya 	Yu Sugimoto 	Sheila Steafel
Lolorito Nanarito 	Hisashi Izumi 	Simon Greenall
Enigmatic Figure 	Yuma Uchida 	Jonathan Bailey
Solus zos Galvus 	Hiroki Takahashi 	René Zagger
==Gallery==
;Artwork
StormbloodJapaneseCoverArtwork.jpg|Promotional artwork.
FFXIV SB Concept.jpg|Concept art.
FFXIV SB Area Concept 1.jpg|Concept art.
FFXIV SB Area Concept 2.jpg|Concept art.
FFXIV SB Area Concept 3.jpg|Concept art.
FFXIV SB Area Concept 4.jpg|Concept art.
FFXIV SB Armor 1.jpg|Armor concept art.
FFXIV SB Armor 2.jpg|Armor concept art.
FFXIV SB Armor 3.jpg|Armor concept art.
FFXIV SB Armor 4.jpg|Armor concept art.
FFXIV SB Zenos Concept.jpg|Zenos artwork
FFXIV SB Zenos.jpg|Zenos.
Prelude in Violet logo FFXIV Patch4.4 00.jpg|Prelude in Violet logo
;Screenshots
Yshtola Hien and Yugiri FFXIV Patch4.4.png|Main Scenario Prelude in Violet
Main scenario questline image Patch4.4.png|Main Scenario Prelude in Violet
Dungeon armor rewards Patch 4.4.png|New dungeon armor Patch 4.4
Domain reconstruction image2 FFXIV Patch_4.4.png|Prelude in Violet image
Domain reconstruction image1 FFXIV Patch 4.4.png|Prelude in Violet image
;Locations
FFXIV SB Area 1.jpg|A new area.
FFXIV SB Area 2.jpg|A new area.
FFXIV SB Area 3.jpg|A new area.
FFXIV SB Area 4.jpg|A new area.
FFXIV SB Area 5.jpg|A new area.
FFXIV SB Area 6.jpg|A new area.
XIV Kugane 01.png|New city area.
XIV Kugane 02.png|New city area.
XIV Kugane 03.png|New city area.
XIV SB Field 01.png|A new area.
XIV SB Field 02.png|A new area.
XIV SB Field 03.png|A new area.
XIV SB Field 04.png|A new area.
XIV SB Field 05.png|A new area.
XIV SB Field 06.png|A new area.
XIV SB Dungeon 01.png|A new area.
XIV SB Dungeon 02.png|A new area.
XIV SB Dungeon 03.png|A new area.
XIV Shirogane 01.png|New residential district.
XIV Shirogane 02.png|New residential district.
The Burn_dungeon image2 FFXIV Patch4.4.png|The Burn - Prelude in Violet
The Burn dungeon image1 FFXIV Patch4.4.png|The Burn - Prelude in Violet
Saint Mociannes Arboretum (Hard) FFXIV Patch4.4.png|Saint Mociannes Arboretum (Hard)
Saint Mociannes Arboretum (Hard) FFXIV 4.4 02.png|Saint Mociannes Arboretum (Hard)
;Merchandises
FFXIV SB Collectors Edition.jpg|Collector's Edition.
==Etymology==
The Japanese subtitle of the expansion is , which translates to "Liberators of the Crimson Lotus". However, the kanji is meant to be read as in accordance with the furigana provided.
==External links==
*Official site (Japanese)
*Official site (English)
==Citations==
pt-br:Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
Stormblood
4.0