As FFXIV Shadowbringers Patch 5.11 arrived recently, fans have begun exploring the new additions to Eorzea that Square Enix have implemented just days after the NieR: Automata crossover event began in earnest with Patch 5.1: Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty. The latter added some highly anticipated content in the form of a genuine NieR raid that awarded customization items to help characters look more like that universe’s android models, alongside updates to the Main Scenario quests that continue the narrative that was such a highly-praised element of the Shadowbringers expansion - an expansion many believed to be one of the greatest in MMORPG history.

In fact, FFXIV Shadowbringers became one of the highest rated Final Fantasy games in history - although the claim to being the highest rated of all time still remains with Final Fantasy 9. Coupled with a consistent commitment from the development team to address the fan base’s concerns and produce unique content that pushes the boundaries of what crossover events can become in MMORPGs, FFXIV Shadowbringers has renewed interest in a game that some had speculated might be on the downswing heading into 2020 and beyond. Instead, Square Enix rekindled the passion of an already dedicated fanbase and assured those still playing that a new Final Fantasy MMORPG wasn’t likely to arrive any time in the near future, with extensive content plans still being worked on.

With FFXIV Patch 5.11, Square Enix is taking the opportunity to address one of the forgotten elements of the game world in crafting. The Ishgardian Restoration effort has gotten underway, tasking players with reconstructing a district in Foundation. Players can deliver large amounts of materials specific to the project, and can even work in tandem as gatherers and crafters work to rebuild an element of the area that had been thought lost. It’s finally given those who love the non-combat elements of the game’s progression system something to do in new content, and it’s been well-received thus far.

The other major addition in FFXIV Patch 5.11 is, of course, the high-end duty known as The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate). The raid will be availabe to those who have completed Eden’s Gate: Sepulture (Savage). It’s yet another homage to the NieR universe after a fashion, featuring a mechanical god that has been let down by mortals - similar to the machines in NieR: Automata. It’s also an exciting addition in its own right, with many guilds streaming attempts at it already.

FFXIV Patch 5.11 is yet another high quality addition to a game that has staked its reputation on churning those out with each update. As FFXIV Shadowbringers gets further away from its torrid summer of critical praise and player growth, Square Enix will inevitably be faced with the question of what comes next for its game. Until then, however, players can rest easy knowing even smaller updates like FFXIV Patch 5.11 bring with them an incredible amount of content - and it caters to different kinds of players, too.

Next: Don’t Expect A New Final Fantasy MMO Soon

Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers is available now on PC, Mac, and PlayStation 4.

FFXIV 5.11 Patch Notes

Playable Content

Quests

  • [3.x] New side story quests have been added. Ishgardian Restoration: Towards the Firmament

Housing

  • [2.x][3.x] New furnishings have been added. [2.x][3.x] New orchestrion rolls have been added.

Miscellaneous

  • [2.x][3.x] A new emote has been added. [2.x][3.x] A new hairstyle has been added.

Battle System

  • [5.x] The Samurai PvE action Shoha’s hotbar icon is now clearly indicated when the action is ready to use. [5,x] The high-end duty The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate) has been added. Level Requirement: Disciple of War/Magic level 80. Party Size: Eight players. Time Limit: 120 minutes.

Items

  • [2.x][3.x][4.x][5.x] New items have been added. Items added in patch 5.11 will be listed at a later date. [3.x][4.x][5.x] New recipes have been added. Recipes added in patch 5.11 will be listed at a later date. [3.x][4.x][5.x] Ishgardian Restoration has been added. Requirements: Towards the Firmament. [3.x][4.x][5.x] New miner and botanist gathering points have been added. [2.x][3.x] New mounts have been added. [2.x][3.x] New minions have been added.

System

  • [2.x][5.x] New achievements and titles have been added.

Resolved Issues

The following issues have been addressed:

  • An issue in certain instanced duties wherein defeating enemies causes the music that plays when entering the duty to play again. An issue in the Copied Factory wherein the Dying Dragon NPC from the dark knight quests appears under certain conditions. An issue wherein auto-attacks fail to execute after performing the tank role action Reprisal or the monk PvE action Rockbreaker. An issue wherein the effects of the bard PvE actions Mage’s Ballad, Army’s Paeon, and The Wanderer’s Minuet are not applied to the pets of party members. An issue wherein the graphical effect for recipients of the white mage PvE action Plenary Indulgence is not displayed correctly. An issue wherein players may be disconnected from the server while interacting with mannequins under certain circumstances. An issue wherein the conditions for selling the first-stage replicas of Eureka weapons from Hydatos, such as Replica Antea was incorrect. The vendors were designed to offer these replica items once the Eureka weapons have received the maximum number of upgrades from Eureka Hydatos. However, the replicas became available for purchase by completing the upgrade process from Eureka Pyros. In accordance with this fix, the corresponding items can now be sold to the vendor for the same price that they were purchased for. In the interest of fairness, we ask that players who had previously purchased any of these replicas without first fulfilling the condition described above to sell the items. We apologize for any inconvenience. An issue wherein, under certain circumstances, the experience awarded for Temple leves was incorrect. An issue wherein certain alchemist levequests gave an incorrect number of experience points or requested an incorrect number of items. An issue wherein a section of the Nabaath Severance in Amh Araeng was displayed incorrectly. An issue wherein the game launcher for the Windows version did not display download progress correctly during maintenance.

Other various issues have also been addressed.

Known Issues

  • An issue in The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate) wherein the HP gauges in the enemy list are not displayed correctly. An issue in The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate) wherein, under certain conditions, the white mage’s Healing Gauge would retain its charge after a reset. An issue in the Firmament wherein an NPC appears to be floating.

Source: Final Fantasy XIV NA