Aetheryte Help Tome

[Malacite]

Re: Aetheryte Help Tome

Great info! LMAO @ "PIE" omg... nice to see they are keeping the stats very simplistic for once. No more "evasion, evasion skill, AGI" crap, just one evasion stat in your menu... and VIT & MND are back to working how they originally did, as is DEX.

This is so much better than XI, as going for a "PLD" build (Gladiator + Conjurer skills with a focus on VIT & MND) will be way easier, since you don't have to worry about your INT stat like in XI...


Interesting that they switched some of the elements around though... WTF @ Fire being weak to wind now? That makes no fucking sense. Yes, a strong gust can put out a fire, but wind can also spread fire. Whatever. At least the explanation for Water > Earth makes sense.


They've also removed TW and IT... interesting. I really like how you can just see the color now, without having to /check every time

Not a MAJOR change, but it saves a bit of time and minimizes chat log clutter. So, 15 players is the new cap instead of 18, but you can all be joined into one massive PT? That's going to make classes like BRD very, very powerful (and we'll need less of them! At the very least no more retarded party rotations like in XI)

[TheGrandMom]

Chapter 1 – Modes

When your weapon is drawn, you are in what is known as Active Mode. Conversely, when it is sheathed, you are in Passive Mode.

Section 1 - Active
You can only attack a target while in Active Mode. However because attacking involves focusing all of your senses on the singular purpose of battle, movement speed is slightly reduced and the natural healing of wounds slows to a stop.

Section 2 – Passive
Though you cannot engage a target while in passive mode, this relaxed state of activity allows you to free your mind, accelerating the natural recovery of lost strength.



Chapter 2 – Character Development

Your progress is measured by the number of skill and experience points you have earned over the course of your adventures.

Experience points are earned by defeating targets and completing certain tasks, and when enough are earned your physical level will increase.

Using actions during battle increases your proficiency in the corresonding skills. At the end of each battle this increase in proficiency is converted into skill points. When you have attained a certain number of skill points, your class rank will increase.

Section 1 – Class Ranks
As you become increasingly proficient in a certain skill, you will learn new actions which can be used while in Active Mode. These actions can be selected and set to our Action Bar via the Action & Traits option located in the Main Menu. Each action requires a pre-determined number of points in order to set, and once those points are used up, you will no longer be able to add any more actions to your Action Bar.

Section 2 – Actions
Actions include abilities, weaponskills, and magic. Most of these are not class-specific, and once learned, can be executed freely, though they may be less effective when not used in conjunction with their original class.

Section 2a – Abilities
Abilities can be used at any time, but due to the mental or physical exertion required to carry one out, you may need time to recover, or "cool down", before repeating the feat.

Section 2b - Weaponskills
During the course of a battle, you will earn tactical points (TP) for each hit landed, as well as each hit taken. When enough TP has been stored, special techniques known as weaponskills can be exectued. These potentially battle-turning techniques require no casting or recovery time and can be unleashed repeatedly so long as you have sufficient TP.

Section 2c - Magic
Casting spells draws on your spiritual reserves, also known as magic points (MP). In addition to MP cost, spells all have casting times (the amount of time required to cast a spell) and recast times (the amount of time one must wait before casting the spell again, regardless of remaining MP).

Section 3 – Physical Level
When you have earned enough experience points, your physical level will increase. At this time, you may choose to meditate, and thereby focus the fruits of your past training on improving selected physical, mental, and elemental attributes.

Section 3a – Attributes
Your physical and mental attributes fall into six different catagories:

STRength determines physical attack power.
VITality determines your physical defense.
DEXterity determines attack accuracy.
INTelligence determines magical attack power.
MiND determines magical defense.
PIEty determines magical accuracy.

Section 3b – Elements
Aether manifests itself as the six elements which make up all matter on Hydaelyn - fire, ice, wind, earth, lightning, and water - with each element possessing its own strengths and weaknesses.

Fire melts ice, but is extinguished by wind.
Ice obstructs wind, but is melted by fire.
Wind extinguishes fire, but is obstructed by ice.
Earth grounds lightning, but is eroded by water.
Lightning boils water, but is grounded by earth.
Water erodes earth, but is boiled by lightning.

Attuning yourself to a certain element increases both your attack power with, and defense against, spells of the same aspect.



Chapter 3 – The Art of Battle

To begin a battle, you must first enter Active Mode, then target an enemy. The direction you are facing and the distance from the enemy combine to determine whether or not your attack will be successful.

Section 1 – Locking On
While "locked on" to a target, you will continue to face it, regardless of your direction of movement. Locking on to a target can make it easier to find the optimal position from which to launch your assault.

Section 2 – The Stamina Gauge
Each action performed in battle requires a certain amount of stamina, displayed in the Stamina Gauge. While stamina is depleted, certain actions will be impossible to execute.

Section 3 – Target Strength
A target's relative difficulty can be discerned from the color of its aura (displayed next to its name). The color will change depending on whether you are fighting alone or as a member of a large party.

Blue: Easy Prey
Green: Decent Challenge
Yellow: Even Match
Orange: Tough
Red: Very Tough

Section 4 – Engaging a Target
Once a target has been engaged, its display name will turn red. While red, only the person who originally engaged the target, or her party, will be able to attack it.

Section 5 - Defeat
In the event your health points (HP) fall to 0, you will lose consciousness and be unable to act. At this time, you have one of two options - either wait for a passerby to resurrect you with magic, or return to the last aetheryte (or aetherial gate) with which you attuned. To return, select the Home Point option from the Main Menu.

For a period after revival, your body will remain in a weakened state. It is recommended that you refrain from any dangerous activities while in this vunerable condition.



Chapter 4 - Guildleves

Guildleves are special passes issued by Adventurer's Guilds across Eorzea. Aetheryte can be used to activate guildleves, initiating the corresponding levequests.

Section 1 – Levequest Basics
Guildleves can be divided into three different types - battlecraft leves aimed at those trained in the martial disciplines of War and Magic, fieldcraft leves aimed at the Disciples of the Land, and tradecraft leves aimed at Disciples of the Hand. Battlecraft and fieldcraft levequests often require trips into the wild, and are therefore called "regional levequests". Tradecraft leves can usually be completed within the confines of a city-state or hamlet, and are therefore called "local levequests".

A regional guildleve can only be activated once. If you wish to challenge the same levequest again, regardless of whether you completed or failed the task the first time, you must return to the Adventurer's Guild and have the leve reissued.

Section 2 – Guardian Aspects
The Twelve smile upon those who concentrate their energies on helping others in need. By making the most of your Guardian deity's boon, you can accelerate the rate at which your various skills develop.

With each day, you will earn favor with your Guardian (up to a maximum of 200). When you have reached a certain amount, you can petition the god or goddess to bless you with what is called the Guardian's aspect - a celestial "boost" which will last the duration of a levequest.

Section 3 – Regional Levequets
Regional levequests can be initiated by traveling to the aetheryte camp or aetherial gate indicated on the leve.

Section 3a – Levequest Difficulty
The difficulty for some levequests can be adjusted when activating the guildleve. For battlecraft leves, difficulty most often refers to the strength of the targets indicated in the quest objectives.

The class rank listed on a guildleve is a recommendation for adventurers planning on undertaking the levequest alone. Those wishing to complete the quest as a party should adjust their party makeup accordingly.

Section 3b – Participants
Any party members present at the time of initiation are allowed to participate in the levequest. If another party member has the same leve in their possession, that leve will be activated as well. This is known as leve-linking.

If a party member is too far from the levequest location, or is already participating in another quest, that character will not automatically join.

However, if the total amount of current leve participants does not exceed 15, the party member in question meets the conditions for participation, and arrives at the activation aetheryte in time, that character may still join the levequest, even if it has already begun.

Section 3c – Levequest Objectives
From mineral veins to monsters, levequest targets are not visible until the corresponding guildleve has been activated, and even then can only be engaged by those participating in the quest.

Hints on the location of levequest targets vary with guildleve type. Battlecraft leve targets can often be found on maps, while fieldcraft leve points can be located using class-specific scan abilities such as Prospect and Dowse.

Section 3d – Success
When a levequest is successfully completed, a temporal rift known as an aetherial node will appear. The aetherial node can be used to return to the aetheryte or aetherial gate where the quest was initiated, but it will not last long, so be sure to enter it quickly.

Your reward for completing the levequest will be presented to you the moment you access the node. Of course, if you have no wish to make use of this temporary temporal displacement phenomenon, you may alternatively take receipt of your reward by visiting any other aetheryte camp or aetherial gate in the realm.

Section 3e – Failure
There are many factors that can lead to the failing of a levequest, the most obvious being the inability to complete the quest objectives within the alloted amount of time.

Other factors include abandoning the quest via aetheryte or aetherial gate, wandering too far from the area indicated in the quest objectives, and logging out.

Section 4 - Factions
Various factions in Eorzea work in conjunction with the Adventurer's Guilds, sponsoring certain levequests. By completing these sponsored levequests, you will receive credits, wihile the faction will gain standing in the area the quest was conducted.

Faction credits can then be used in exchange for special leves which offer new challenges and the opportunity to receive fame, gil, and possibly even rare items.



Chapter 5 - Parties

Parties are recommended when taking on a particularly challenging levequest or going head-to-head with formidable creatures.
Use the Party option located within the Main Menu to search the World for adventurers with similar ambitions and invite them to join you.