Raiders of the Lost Patch

Forum trolls joke of white knights waiting for a "Golden Patch," but what if it's real?

Darkness surrounds you, perilous traps await you and spiders crawl all over your back. You’re in a dark cave somewhere in the Black Shroud, mindful that the slightest misstep could be your last. And you’re in this cave for one reason, and one reason only -- to find the mythical Golden Patch, the most coveted treasure in all the land.

After overcoming numerous obstacles -- including swinging on a whip across a spike-filled pit (good thing you brought your whip, because you can’t jump) -- you find yourself face to face with your gleaming bounty. The Golden Patch sits unguarded on an alter, ready to be taken if you dare to take it. You approach the pedestal, and then kneel down to behold the treasure's beauty. You reach for it, but you stop just short. Your hand is just a breath away.

And that’s when you ask yourself: “Do I believe in the Golden Patch?”

 

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This is the question many fans of Final Fantasy XIV will be asking as we edge closer to the largest version update this game may ever see. And if this update is all it could be, then I’m going to proclaim it as the coming of the Golden Patch.

What exactly is this Golden Patch which I speak of? Honestly, the first time I saw this term mentioned was about a month ago in our FFXIV General Forum. Players have debated the origin of the term, but critics of the game were saying “the Golden Patch” in reference to the massive content patch that everyone hoped would be implemented when the game was launched last September.

The term has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Just say it: “The Golden Patch.” After so many tweaks and minor changes to Eorzea over the past several months, a Golden Patch sounds like just what this game needs -- never mind the fact that the term was probably invented by forum trolls just to pick on White Knights. I never heard anyone specifically mention the Golden Patch as the game’s servers went live. I didn't believe in the legend.

Now, though, I can’t help but wonder -- is the Golden Patch real?

And will it come this month?

In his tenth Letter from the Producer, FFXIV producer Naoki Yoshida unleashed an updated grid of updates planned for the game. All of these changes would constitute nothing short of an overhaul. There’s auto attack, the company system, the addition of materia, auto attack, traditional Final Fantasy jobs, instanced dungeons and more. And the most amazing thing is this could all be implemented by the middle of June.

Keep in mind, the timeline is far from set in stone, but Yoshi-P bolded in his letter that these changes were what were planned up “until summer 2011.” A community representative on the Square Enix official forum later confirmed this meant changes would happen through the end of summer, but we still don't know exactly which changes will be doled out when. In the past, Yoshi-P has told us we could expect at least the new battle system, new dungeons and new jobs to be released around the same time.

Just think. In two weeks from now, there’s a chance you may be able to join a party in Ul’dah, hop on a mount (let’s hope mounts in this game are covered with feathers and “kweh” frequently) and ride to an experience points camp anywhere on the map. Once you’ve reached your camp, you may have dedicated tank, healer, support and damage-dealing jobs. Or, if you don’t feel like partying, you could solo, do storyline quests or participate in company quests -- that’s if your linkshell isn’t about to run one of the new instanced dungeons.

If all these changes are implemented simultaneously -- or even in the span of a few weeks -- how could that not be the manifestation of the mythical Golden Patch?

Most players will not expect the development team to pull off such a game-changing patch, and with good reason. After spending hundreds of dollars on computer upgrades to play an unfinished game, we’ve had to endure several months of tweaks and small content additions as the development team worked behind the scenes on larger, more important changes. We entered a five-star restaurant expecting an exquisite steak dinner, but instead we’ve been fed ground beef after being forced to buy our way in. It’s no wonder why some people are so angry with Square Enix.

Plus, the game needs revisions that aren't listed in the upcoming patch notes. We desperately need a party search function, linkshell management tools and a mailbox system. We need more quests with cutscenes, and the small amount of lag still in the user interface needs to be completely gone. Square Enix should also continue working to reduce the game's burden on PC hardware. My computer has two dual-core graphics cards, and one of my cores recently stopped working. I can't help but wonder whether FFXIV is to blame.

That said, the new development team led by Yoshi-P has done nothing to betray our trust. They’ve done everything they said they would. And now, Yoshi-P seems to be telling us that all of these game-altering revisions could be implemented sometime this month. These changes will profoundly and positively change the way we interact with Eorzea. This game has been taking shape for months, but this is the patch that could finally give this game an identity. Although the launch of Final Fantasy XIV turned out to be a colossal letdown, this development team has given me no reason to be pessimistic about the game’s future.

If FFXIV dies, it will ultimately be because Square Enix rushed the game out in an unfinished state. In the months that followed, too many players lost faith (or patience) in Square Enix’s ability to turn things around. When people started talking about "the Golden Patch," they were conjuring a symbol of what the game has needed since launch -- an impossibly successful patch to spark a seemingly impossible comeback. I don't think even the Whitest of Knights took the notion of a Golden Patch seriously. It was such a ridiculous notion, which is probably why so many trolls lached onto it.

Yet now, here we are. We’ve come this far, and now we’re at the alter, and the mythical Golden Patch seems finally at our fingertips. It’s so close, we could reach out and take it. Is it wise to put our faith in this patch, after so many months of turmoil? Will we finally be rewarded for our months of perseverance, or will we be crushed by a cascading boulder of disappointment?

What do you believe?

Comments

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wishlist
# Oct 05 2011 at 5:50 PM Rating: Decent
honestly i was impressed when i first started but then i saw all the **** this game dont have. i love the new patch, it's what the game needed. i only once every so many months cos i get bored after a day of playing... unlike xi... which i stopped playing after i pretty much did all there was to do. in any case... here's my wishlist

- automate passive and active mode.
- provide an interective menu for targettable things when you run around.
- kill the leves, that ****'s stupid.
- bring back the AH and sort your bot inflation out a different way cos market wards are horrible.
- when we search for items in market ward, it shows us who is selling and for how much... would it kill them to let us purchase the item from that menu instead of havin to zone and run to the guy?
- overhaul the battle system that only lets you add a set amount of abilities to your ********** that is ******* retarded, you should be able to use everything you learnt, and use macro sets to narrow it down for different situations... macros are pointless at the moment, i only use them for changing jobs >.>
- the equipment gets difficult to manage, bazaars are horrible and we wouldn't need them if there was an auction house... mog house in XI made item management very very very very very very easy.
- they should make job changing operate through it's own menu cos weapon classes are pretty retarded. what's with having to re-equip and re-set all my actions and traits whenever i change jobs????
- holy ****... there is no real party search system... i can't level up ><
- can we have a summoning job please...
- can we just have... jobs? ACTUALLY!?

ah... ****... i could go on.... i wont though. i expect a lot from this game over the next year.
- leves are more boring than grinding would be.
- gear condition should be taken out...
September?
# Sep 15 2011 at 2:36 PM Rating: Decent
So we finally have Auto attack. Perfect that's great S/E you did something right good job, someone should give you a cookie. But The rest of this so Called Golden Update has yet to be implemented. I'm grinding all over after my Rank 35 GLD got erased. I'm on a new server, new job, new everything and really haven't seen a good reason why I came back. I hope that the Golden Patch 1.19 Is released soon. Or honestly I have no reason to play. Diablo3 is getting closer and closer to release. If it drops before this game has enough playable content to be fun I'm sadly over FFO. Granted 11 was pure genius and I can never take that away from S/E. I dedicated years to that game and many many many sleepless nights. But 14 is no 11. Honestly I feel S/E isn't even trying. 14 is still very sloppy and honestly. NOT FUN... Why do I play then? Convenience. I spent $80 USD on this might as well run it and give it a shot right?
All rant aside I heard rumors of 1.19 dropping by the end of Sep(31?). Has anyone else heard this or any clues as to when it will actually drop?.
I still have Faith that S/E will deliver. I do, but as of now it looks grim...
MMOs as a Whole...
# Aug 30 2011 at 1:13 AM Rating: Decent
Believe it or not, the supposed Golden Child of MMOs (World of Warcraft) suffered from a terrible year one build. Why, for the first 10 months, the game was barely playable. It's massive fandom came from the existing franchise, and the fact that it was a drag and drop MMO with beautiful paper graphics.

XIV was undoubtedly the worst launch in gaming history. However, it's replacement staff has been fiercely loyal to the game, and the changes have been slow coming but valuable. 1.18 in Early August 2011 made for a base change that made the game playable.

1.19/1.20 Promise to strip of the layer of paint and stain the wood with a deep, Final Fantasy colored varnish that won't peel away or disappaear when you look too close.

The best advice I can give, is to simply wait a bit longer. If the IP doesn't do the 180 on it's one year anniversary, what fandom remains will abandon it, and S|E will have no choice but to call it a failure.

I for one was fiercely loyal up until November of 2010 when I realized it wasn't improving. And have only recently stuck my head back in to see it. And am pleased with the 10% of the game that has been fixed. The 75% they have promised are enough to make anyone drool.

If all good things must come to an end, then it will have to be good before it can be dismissed. Perhaps the trolls will have a set of new topics soon. But I think a lot of talent is about to show through in a game which was hollow and worthless.
The Golden Patch
# Aug 21 2011 at 7:38 PM Rating: Decent
With or without major upgrades, I think there are enough loyal players to survive a community through at least a few server consolidations ;)
patch or just progression?
# Jun 21 2011 at 5:14 PM Rating: Decent
all have to remember: even ff11 in all of its glory, (which im a big fan of, played 7 years)was very similar to ff14 when it first come out! we didnt get it in the united states till one year after released in JP!in that first year ff11 was very limited lvl cap 50. very limited jobs think it was whm/blm/rdm/war/thf/mnk and very limited gear. wasnt till the first expansion (now otherwise known as a patch because of easy download ability and faster internet speeds)"the rise of zilart" till the subject content was better and advanced jobs pld/drk/drg/nin/ came available along with AF and 60 cap. then the adition of COP (which was very challenging at lvl 30 cap) a year or two later was even more appealing to the brain. needless to say ff11 didnt have to deal with 50 other MMORGP's coming out of the woodwork to compete with, i think was everquest and wow in the begining stages. yes ff14 has had it downfalls with the lack of an item search system for the wards, no party search option, lack of content, the anima sytem for telaporting which doesnt reproduce fast enough!i think the game was thrown out there a little early, but all in all i think it will surpass ff11 in the long run with the abuilty to equip lerned abuiltys from any job too any job is awsome. pluss the level progression is mutch faster on 14 than ff11, in ff11 if you were a moderate player it would take u 6 mounths to reach 60+ in 14 u can do in a matter of weeks which is a big pluss in my book!not to mention the crafting system is alot better too! anyways i just think people need to step back a min a see the bigger picture, this game has alot of potential and im sure the end result will be satisfaction, SE has always come threw for us! DRK for life :P
What do i believe?
# Jun 08 2011 at 7:16 AM Rating: Decent
I would still be playing this game if they bloody asinine gear repair/degradation system was tossed out the window.
Sticking with it
# Jun 05 2011 at 3:16 PM Rating: Decent

Im playing pretty religiously right now on my laptop, but the game crashes almost everytime I play, the connection is fine and im useing a quad core computer with a Nivida Geforce graphics card, but it doesnt seem strong enough to support the graphics, This computer cost me 1200, And im hoping this game doesnt burn it out cause i need this computer to run Maya flawlessly.


I played ff11 on the ps2 for three years and it was fairly addictive, but its harder for me to get into ff14, Im waiting paitently for the ps3 version to come out so i can switch from the pc.

-I have faith in you Square!-
Golden Patch
# Jun 04 2011 at 9:07 PM Rating: Decent
my eyes moistened up reading this..... I truly hope it is golden...
wait and see...
# Jun 03 2011 at 7:51 PM Rating: Default
Personally, I'm just gonna wait and see. Though honestly, I find it difficult to imagine SE ******** this up, given what they've said is coming.

But at the same time, even if this patch does deliver everything that was promised, I still wouldn't call the game "fixed" afterwords. It'll be a huge step in the right direction, but the journey has only just begun. There's still a long, hard road ahead before FFXIV can be called "up to par" with the current competition, even after this patch is implemented.
I think no one really expects a single golden patch.
# Jun 03 2011 at 2:02 PM Rating: Decent
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136 posts
Since the games launch the individual patches haven't been anything too spectacular, but looking back the game is significantly more enjoyable then it was at release. Now if we take this idea one step further and comprise all of the patches we've seen since launch and released it at once I still wouldn't qualify that as a golden patch.

I think the june patch is going to give everyone 1 instanced dungeon an as we already know 1 job per class, as well as implementing the basics of the materia system. The game is still going to primarily be a grind with little end game rewards and not something you'd suggest to your friends.

The feeling i get on the forums is everyones isn't expecting anything that spectacular, but we'll probably get a more clear idea of whether or not FFXIV stands any actual chance and if future content is going to deliver the kind of refreshing depth, complexity, and innovation we got in FFXI's updates. The lack luster quest and NM updates didn't really get anyone all that jazzed up about FFXIV's future.
Content content content...
# Jun 02 2011 at 2:16 PM Rating: Good
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107 posts
At this point all I am hoping for is a turning point where when we look back we can say 1.18 is when things changed for the good. I do hope it is the start of many more content patches in the future, where by September/October then can then start focusing on balancing and fixing bugs and planning for the first expansion.

I never really thought the game was that bad it just lacked content!
#REDACTED, Posted: Jun 02 2011 at 12:13 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) If my newly-upgraded PC dies because of FFXIV, I'm sending Square-Enix and Yoshi-P the bill for repairs. I'll write in the memo for the bill this message: "Because you didn't improve the graphics engine's performance, my computer is dead. You are hereby liable for damages. Bad software programming resulting in hardware destruction has no excuse in a retail environment."
If my PC dies, Square Enix MUST pay the repair bill.
# Jun 03 2011 at 10:59 AM Rating: Decent
KatoArabel wrote:
If my newly-upgraded PC dies because of FFXIV, I'm sending Square-Enix and Yoshi-P the bill for repairs. I'll write in the memo for the bill this message: "Because you didn't improve the graphics engine's performance, my computer is dead. You are hereby liable for damages. Bad software programming resulting in hardware destruction has no excuse in a retail environment."


Hardware doesn't care what kind of Software that is on it. It is all the same. How the software preforms on the hardware because it is not optimized is a different story.

But you can't blame the software for making your hardware fail. Hardware fails from use and a component of it fails because it wears out. Your hardware would have failed just as easily by running Windows7 all day long playing MP3's as it would running FFXIV.

If you are referring to how FFXIV runs your PC at 100% all the time it's because you don't have adequate hardware to run it. Could FFXIV be optimized so that it doesn't do this? Sure!
But it's not the cause of hardware failure because the hardware is doing what it was designed to do.
If my PC dies, Square Enix MUST pay the repair bill.
# Jun 05 2011 at 5:06 PM Rating: Decent
Except for manufacturing flaws, hardware fails due to being under load for a period of time. More stress (in the case of most hardware, heat) increases the chance of failure. Hardware "does" care what software is running; if that's not the case, I invite you to run the folding@home GPU client, Furmark, or an unpatched release copy of Starcraft 2 stuck on the title screen, plus Prime for CPU tests, for days on end and see how confident you are in Furmark not having artifacts/Prime or folding@home not returning corrupt results.
PC burden
# Jun 02 2011 at 9:20 AM Rating: Good
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405 posts
Quote:
Square Enix should also continue working to reduce the game's burden on PC hardware. My computer has two dual-core graphics cards, and one of my cores recently stopped working. I can't help but wonder whether FFXIV is to blame.


That would be my golden patch right there. I invested in a custom built, water-cooled system last September and I was amazed at the sound coming out of my pc when playing FFXIV. The fans were so loud you could hear them running through closed doors and a floor away in the house. Everything was so hot and so stressed that I got pretty worried. No other application or game even caused my pc to break a sweat, but fire up the stinkin' load screen for FFXIV and I thought a plane was landing in the backyard.

No amount of content or fun is worth trashing a $1200 system, so even if it becomes fun to play I won't be back until they optimize the game. I really hope they do because I want to play.
PC burden
# Jun 02 2011 at 11:01 AM Rating: Decent
Loris wrote:
Quote:
Square Enix should also continue working to reduce the game's burden on PC hardware. My computer has two dual-core graphics cards, and one of my cores recently stopped working. I can't help but wonder whether FFXIV is to blame.


That would be my golden patch right there. I invested in a custom built, water-cooled system last September and I was amazed at the sound coming out of my pc when playing FFXIV. The fans were so loud you could hear them running through closed doors and a floor away in the house. Everything was so hot and so stressed that I got pretty worried. No other application or game even caused my pc to break a sweat, but fire up the stinkin' load screen for FFXIV and I thought a plane was landing in the backyard.

No amount of content or fun is worth trashing a $1200 system, so even if it becomes fun to play I won't be back until they optimize the game. I really hope they do because I want to play.


Very well put.
PC burden
# Jun 03 2011 at 8:09 AM Rating: Decent
2 posts
*Redacted Message*

Edited, Jan 31st 2018 12:23am by ShikigamiRose
summer of patches
# Jun 02 2011 at 8:24 AM Rating: Good
i keep reading that all the stuff thats going to be added will come before or at the begining of summer now i do hope it all comes with the mid-june patch but from what most of my japanese friends tell me summer isnt considered in their minds of starting until the rainy season in japan is over which is around mid july and the dev team could also mean by summer as in the summer vacation which is at the end of august in japan but again i do hope they mean the offical start of summer in june and that 14 sees all the things added and/or changed then

Edited, Jun 2nd 2011 10:27am by likusora
The patch is a lie
# Jun 02 2011 at 6:39 AM Rating: Good
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362 posts
I think the 'golden patch' helped create the problem of the game as it is now. During alpha/beta there were *so many* white knights that if anyone said the slightest thing negative about the game they were drowned out and called trolls, told to 'go back to wow', etc. Even when the game launched it was the same thing. People were told 'stop complaining it will all be fixed!' And now we look back and almost everyone is in agreement that the game was released in a shoddy, unfathomable state. All the shouting got the dev team replaced, and now we're seeing progress. Sometimes, people complain out of love, not because they need to 'go back to wow'. :) That's what testing is for, right?

I don't think this will be the 'golden patch', but I do think this could go a long way to earning a significant amount of trust back, and will be a good sign as they eventually ramp up marketing towards a PS3 release (and hopefully new, justifiably positive reviews.)
Camping The Golden Patch Nearly A Year Now
# Jun 02 2011 at 4:28 AM Rating: Good
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I think 'The Golden Patch' was believed to exist by beta testers more than anyone. We watched the game crawl along throughout the beta testing process with so few changes, we all believed there was going to be some giant patch the last week of testing. I mean, it just wasn't possible they were going to release it the way it was, right? When it didn't come, we believed it would be before release. Shocked when the game was released and most of the issues remained, we were sure it would happen the first month. And then... well, the downward cycle of despair as we watched, and never saw things drastically improve.

I think these next couple months will be make or break time, but especially patch 1.18. Yoshi-P has set some high expectations with all this info. I hope he can deliver.

As I've done since closed beta, I remain vigilant. And I camp the mythical Golden Patch, waiting for it to pop. And when it does, please let it drop phat lootz.
____________________________
FFXI: Selyne, White Mage
Hume - San d'Oria - Rank 8 - Siren World

FFXIV: Rowyne Moonsong, Conjurer
Wildwood Elezen - Gridania - Balmung World

Free Company & Linkshell: Kindred
[ffxivsig]330455[/ffxivsig]
Typo
# Jun 02 2011 at 2:08 AM Rating: Decent
You mentioned auto attack twice there.
What do i believe?
# Jun 02 2011 at 1:08 AM Rating: Good
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200 posts
i believe that thread pic is full of win, good sir.
What do i believe?
# Jun 02 2011 at 2:08 AM Rating: Good
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138 posts
Like the post Thayos.

I hope you're right.

I want it to be true!

An exp party, at a proper camp, with a fully balanced setup.

I'd play for hours on end if that happened, with no surplus!
What do i believe?
# Jun 02 2011 at 1:47 AM Rating: Excellent
Vlorsutes did it, he's the man!
____________________________
Thayos Redblade
Jormungandr
Hyperion
What do i believe?
# Jun 02 2011 at 5:12 AM Rating: Good
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4,148 posts
In FFXI i waited for the "Golden Patch" for about 2 years (the first I played in blissful ignorance).

FFXIV got a couple months out of me, although I still poke my head in every now and then.

In FFXI's defense it is way better now than it was three/four years into its development (technically four at the time of NA release).
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