The Celestia Citizen (Here Comes The (Little) Sun Edition)

Hello, fellow Celestians! Welcome to yet another edition of the Celestia Citizen newsletter! We are coming into the home stretch for a few things this month: Isolationism from our fellow friends and family, winter, time lost due to illness or seasonal effect, and of course the end of Endwalker’s 6.0 patch. This whole last month has yielded some substantial information coming for the game, giving us more detail in what we can expect for the future. Within the last month, we have had not one but two Live Letters air. The second one occurred just recently, which is why the wait in publishing this newsletter was necessary.

And now here we are, March 2022. The start of the second year into a new decade is well behind us now. But not the start of the second year’s warmer weather. As we see with each new year, it takes some time to get going. But eventually, spring comes, followed by summer, then diminishes with fall and ends with winter. It is an annual cycle that carries symbolism and meaning. As human beings, we take to the idea of beginning and end. Spring represents the start of a new cycle, new life. It grows and matures into the summer, peaks, and then begins to gradually wither down during the fall until we come to the ‘winters’ of our lives. And Endwalker represents the ‘winter’ of a long cycle that began nearly a decade ago. And as the 6.0 patch closed out the end of this epic story’s cycle, so too must it acknowledge the coming of the spring, the coming of the new dawn, the ‘sun’. And with the next patch comes a new dawn, the sun…the spring that heralds a new cycle and a new tale.

In opening, please enjoy the theme of this month’s newsletter: The Beatles’ classic “Here Comes The Sun”, and the fact that Y’shtola can be ruthless towards little suns.

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Final Fantasy XIV News

The first order of business is to discuss what to expect for the game in the coming months.

As you have no doubt heard or seen, there were a total of two Live Letters that had occurred within the past month. The first was dated for February 18th, and the second had occurred on March 4th.

Detailed bits of information can be located via the Discord server, under the #ffxiv-updates channel. Please be certain to check there for the capture of information streamed live from both Live Letters, as made possible by our Officer Harliqyn Mave, and our FC leaders Scura Darkangel and Blessed Darkangel.

In addition, a site has gone up to detail when to expect the first major patch, and the summary of what is coming therein. It is located here: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/endwalker/patch_6_1/

The ETA on the patch is due for mid-April of 2022. Expect a more exact date to be announced within the next couple of weeks. But here are some significant bullet points to look over:

1. New MSQ, new side quests, new Beast Tribe quests…and new Hildibrand quests!
2. Adjustments to ARR duties/dungeons/trials/fights (Note that with how well received the Trust system was for Shadowbringers, and Endwalker, and a recognized desire for some players to enjoy the story without being completely restricted to playing with others, this option is going to be expanded upon with 6.1. This will result in virtually all of the ARR duties, dungeons, trials, and fights getting reworked so a single player can enjoy them without concern. Whether this will extend to Heavensward or Stormblood remains to be seen, but it is likely such changes will be entertained in future patches based on how well this is received).
3. New Housing area will be live (Ishgard is the central location of the new housing area)
4. New custom deliveries
5. New high level duties
6. New feature that will allow players to ‘try on’ FFXIV store items before buying (Yes, you will be able to see how outfits look on your character now without having to Google images or gamble your money on something mediocre)
7. And more!!!

Again, please refer to the Discord server > #ffxiv-updates channel for details. For those who are interested in jumping onto Discord for the FC, please use the invite link here ->: https://discord.gg/A5qFuR667J

Next, we have a double whammy of in-game events hitting us. These were announced just as the newsletter was due to go live, and have been captured for direct reference here.

The first in-game event is Little Ladies’ Day, an annual event devoted to all females within Eorzea. It is a brief event that allows acquisition of some unique items and to participate in a fun day for the ladies. Details listed here: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/2022/Little_Ladies_Day/jsuk7gn8z4

The second in-game event is the return of Moogle Tomestones for a new event. This involves running various duties, dungeons, raids, and fights to accumulate Moogle Tomestones. These Tomestones can be exchanged for uncommon and rare goods that are normally locked behind performing other, standardized content. It is an annual event, which gives players opportunities to collect items that are hard-to-get, even unique (one event yielded a rare mount that was available for a limited time to specific players, the Falcon). Details listed here: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/special/mogmog-collection/202203/dceh8sj926

One other important bit of news is the resumation of automatic demolition. Please understand that due to the congestion and accessibility issues that plagued the game for the last couple of months, the automatic demolition was shut off. However, with vast improvements to the game’s systems and servers, and with continual improvement to resolve the game’s accessibility for all interested players, this has led the development team to re-evaluate the current state of automatic demolition. It was originally scheduled for March 9th, but has been delayed back again due to real life circumstances in the world today. Link to article: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/news/detail/edc73335fc4cf73645af505e0c8b104d6a595126

Periodically, FFXIV performs system maintenance to accommodate both minor and major patches. The next maintenance for all worlds is scheduled for March 7th at 400pm PST to March 8th at 200am PST. Details located here: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/news/detail/0da93ab6eb5f0a2295b153f7d0196977a3172ba8

Now, for some merchandising news. In the coming months, there will be a series of FFXIV themed merchandise releasing. These include: soundtracks, detailed information about the Eorzean world, short stories available for personal ownership, and posters!

Encyclopedia Eorzea, Volume 1: https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopaedia-Eorzea-World-Final-Fantasy/dp/1646091426/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1LMGLVP7EGFL0&keywords=final+fantasy+xiv&qid=1646597009&s=books&sprefix=final+fantasy+xiv%2Cstripbooks%2C55&sr=1-2

Encyclopedia Eorzea, Volume 2: https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopaedia-Eorzea-World-Final-Fantasy/dp/1646091434/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1LMGLVP7EGFL0&keywords=final+fantasy+xiv&qid=1646597009&s=books&sprefix=final+fantasy+xiv%2Cstripbooks%2C55&sr=1-4

Final Fantasy XIV, Poster Collection: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-XIV-Poster-Collection/dp/1646091450/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1LMGLVP7EGFL0&keywords=final+fantasy+xiv&qid=1646597009&s=books&sprefix=final+fantasy+xiv%2Cstripbooks%2C55&sr=1-16

Final Fantasy XIV, Chronicles of Light (Short Stories): https://www.amazon.com/Final-Fantasy-XIV-Chronicles-Light/dp/164609185X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1646597044&sr=1-27

NOTE: The collection of short stories above combines a mix of stories that were available on the FFXIV site to read, as well as some new ones from the development team.

Final Fantasy XIV, Endwalker Soundtrack: https://sqex.to/5FeNr

NOTE: In addition to all of the upcoming items above, you may also try your hand at ordering available FFXIV artbooks and even cookbooks that are available to buy now. Note that many of these items, upcoming and available now, will also feature in-game bonuses in the form of different minions to collect!!!

And lastly, we are now in the last few days of the current FFXIV Online Store’s sale! It is due to end on March 10th, at 1100am PST. There are numerous mounts on sale, including the Lunar Whale and the Cruise Chaser mounts, as well as prior releases such as the Chocobo Carriage, the SDS Fenrir, and more!!! Note that numerous mounts on sale are ACCOUNT-WIDE; but there are some that are single character, so be mindful of what you buy! There are also some costumes on sale as well, including many of the recent ones released in the last few months (one of which is the Ryne outfit, which alas is NOT dyeable). The link to the Online Store and the current sale’s details are here: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/topics/detail/5a0226acfab3191d83bc39c696120734f0f658d2

That is all that we have right now for major FFXIV news. Stay tuned over the next month to find out what else might be in store!!!

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Free Company Updates and Social Events

Things were nice and quiet on the Free Company side this past month.

The most recent event held pitted our glorious Officers at the mercy of being paid to do whatever their fellow FC mates wished…within reason, of course.

The Officer Auction saw a slew of our Officers bid upon by willing patrons to do whatever one sought for a short amount of time.

Regarding the summary of the Officer Auction event, here are the Officers and the winning bidders:

BIDDER = OFFICER

Grey Rat = Mct Windsor
Sticky Buns = Blessed Darkangel
Kipdi Kipp = Ivy Leaf
Carletta Deremora = Simera Yeep
Aminore Vespertine = Blackhawk Slater

The next social event scheduled will pit RNG against TFC (the FC) in the form of Celestia Bingo! Signups are on the Discord server via the #social-event channel. Be sure to sign up there, as the event is scheduled March 19th at 800 EST.

Also, as a general notice to our fellow Free Company members, please understand this special message. With circumstances in real life regarding certain political or military movements, please be sure to keep respectful and considerate of any of our fellow members that may, or may not, have any ties to those elements. As a Free Company, we need to be bigger and better than what the world allows for. We aim to be a respectful, considerate, and open community that welcomes all FFXIV players to join the fold on Hyperion server. Understand a very simple saying: Treat people the way you want to be treated. Always aim for the best out of people. And when all else fails, be nice.

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The Spring Equinox, and Daylight Savings Time

Beginning in March, there are two significant events to keep in mind.

The first is Daylight Savings Time. It is due to occur on Sunday, March 13th at 200am EST. This will result in clocks going forward by 1 hour, and will remain that way until Sunday, November 13th at 200am EST. At that point, clocks will go back by an hour. Per the saying “spring forward, fall back”. The concept of Daylight Savings Time is listed on the official Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time

The whole concept of Daylight Savings Time is a very interesting read, and there are movements right now to eliminate Daylight Savings Time with regard to the continued shifting of clocks. Currently, all but two states in the United States observe the annual changes (Arizona and Hawaii do not formally recognize and use DST; the former does observe it within Native American nations), and most of Europe observes the annual changes. To date, many places in the world that used to observe Daylight Savings Time have retired the concept. Some places, such as numerous parts of Africa, many countries in the Asia and Oceania regions, have never observed Daylight Savings Time.

The other major event is the Spring Equinox (aka Vernal Equinox), due to begin on March 21st. This is when the sun moves across the equinox (the separating line that cuts from east to west on the global map AND separates the Northern hemisphere from the Southern hemisphere), and brings warmer weather to the Northern half with cooler weather in the Southern half. This usually leads to longer days and shorter nights. The next transition of the seasons will be on June 22nd, when the Summer Solstice occurs.

The reason why this is being brought up is as warmer weather opens up and allows people to interact together and go out into the world again, this will affect one’s availability to play the game. Understand that while many events are weekly and many are monthly or annually, know that you are under NO obligation to attend every event. Pick and choose the ones you want to participate in, and focus on your real life first. Our FC is very understanding. 🙂 And also know that if you ever need to abstain from the game for a period of time, be sure to let one of our Officers/Magistrates know so that you are given a fair shake on returning to the game.

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Reminder: 2 Factor Authentication/Multi Factor Authentication

This is being revisited in another newsletter. And it will be vital for us to keep beating our FC members over the head with this critical news, for it is for their security that this is being done.

Please ensure that you safeguard your Final Fantasy XIV account, and your Discord account. Below is a copy-and-paste of my prior announcement made on our Discord server:

I am making a general awareness announcement to the FC in regards to security and safety for both your FFXIV accounts and your Discord accounts. With all of the rampant account hijackings occurring in the Discord world, you may have seen other servers stressing to avoid clicking on ‘sus’ (suspicious) links and downloads, especially from fellow server-mates. We are encouraging the same behavior in Discord so nobody has their Discord accounts hijacked and endangers others. If a member from the FC here does provide suspicious links or downloads directly to you, please reach out to one of our Magistrates ASAP. But what of the FFXIV front?

It turns out that ‘Yes’, you CAN have your FFXIV account get hacked. If a hacker gets your SQEX login that has a XIV account and sub attached to it, they could log in and give you a bad day. Do your diligence and safeguard yourself through the glory of 2-Factor Authentication in both Discord AND in FFXIV.

In Discord: Follow the safe link listed here for how to setup 2FA for your Discord account (this will just require you to download a free authenticator such as Google Authenticator, or Authy): https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/219576828-Setting-up-Two-Factor-Authentication

In FFXIV: Go to your Mog Station page (where you can manage your licenses, go to the shop for buying stuff, etc) > Square Enix Account Settings > “One-Time Password” > Select your choice of “token” or authenticator (per the image attached):

Security Token (key ring type, physical token): Retails for $14.99, no software on phone to juggle

Software Token (smartphone app): No cost, and uses Square Enix’s official Software Token app

Software Authenticator (smartphone app): No cost, offers flexibility on choice of authenticator app (Google, Microsoft, IBM, Authy, etc)

As always, be safe and keep yourselves secure for full enjoyment of these wonderful services, everyone!

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Upcoming Newsletter Changes

This section warranted its own, in light of a couple of upcoming newsletter changes I am going to look into.

To expand the social reach of our Free Company, and give our members some interactivity with the others, one big change I am looking into will be a new section: Behind the Light

The goal of this section will be to provide our FC some social outreach at the embarassment willing participation of our officers and members.

This month, and for future months, a raffle of sorts will be held between our officers, and our FC members. At random, one officer and one member will be picked.

Note: This will currently be restricted to those on Discord, to allow for ease of communication and documentation of exact answers to avoid any hearsay (or embellishment of genuine answers)

This Officer and this Member will have carefully vetted questions posited to ask them about their experiences both as a FFXIV player, and as a Free Company member. Do NOT expect such spicy questions as favorite underwear color or choice, or their thoughts on politics. Instead, expect more reasonable questions such as: Their general history with the game, and the FC; Their favorite jobs with simple ‘Why’ questions, as well as many others. The goal of this will be show that irregardless of one’s role within the FC, we are all fellow players and we have our own lives in-game too.

More details will follow in the next newsletter.

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Conclusion

Here’s the conclusion of our newsletter. As you can tell, we’ve had quite a bit to cover with this month. New FFXIV content finally arriving with a juicy patch or two, a new Spring, the absence of sleep for an hour, new social events and newsletter tidbits, and more. I want to thank everyone for their continued support of this wonderful game and wonderful Free Company. As we venture into warmer times of the year, and we start returning to some normalcy with real life, understand that there will always be something to look forward to on the horizon.

Whether it is a new job, a new car, a new place to live, a new plan for the year, a new family, a new friend (or friends), or more, there is always room for discovery within one’s self and without. Be sure to use this year to meet new friends, reunit with loved ones, improve your life for the better, and keep things always going towards the greater good for yourself.

Have a song about bright sunshiny days. And see you, Space Warriors of Light!!!