FFXIV: FC’s Revenge on the Diadem

It was little over a year ago when our Free Company first attempted a run of the Diadem. We went in on Easy mode just to check it out, and got our tails handed to us. Granted, we were trying to fight things there with only 6 people, only one being a healer, when it was meant for a full party. But I think that run discouraged some of us from trying it again… until last night.

Dungeon Blahs

I want to note that I’ve had a case of the dungeon blahs in FFXIV for quite a while. Even though gearing up only requires me to run an Expert 4 times a week, and the dungeons are both easy enough, I still feel my interest waning.

Aside from that, I’m on a terrible grind for Umbrite on my first Relic. I’ve been earning Sands through fishing for Blue Scrips, which is a RNG thing in itself. Sometimes I have a great fishing session, sometimes I barely reel in enough to re-purchase my bait. And every time I do earn a Sand, it just feels like I’m still miles away from finishing it.

Yesterday was a day when I logged in, fished a bit and just went Blah at the whole thing. But then, someone in the FC suggested, “Hey, we’re interested in trying the Diadem!” And that turns things around.

Into the Diadem

I’m kinda sad that the Diadem didn’t catch on in FFXIV. I understand why it didn’t, but if it had been done the right way, it could have been some of the open-world content I would have enjoyed.

It’s the open-world stuff that FFXIV really suffers the lack of, and for players like me, who long to do stuff outside of a dungeon, it can be a bummer sometimes. FATEs are a nice try, and I enjoy doing them, but so few people run them in Heavensward areas. I know there is going to be a rework for the Diadem in the future, and I hope that it’ll be a change in the right direction for open-world end-game content.

But, anyhow, back to last night.

We got together a full party this time around, and decided to do a Normal mode run in the Diadem. Most of us had either not been there before, or only been there once (like me). So, my memory was pretty rusty on how it all worked.

It seems to me there have been several changes to how the Diadem works. I could be wrong, but I remember having to attune to more Aether-whatevers before our group could fly. Now it’s only two?

Having a full party with far better gear than a year ago, we went inside and really cleaned house! I even got to try mining there a little bit to see what I could find in the zone. I did discover some Steel Sky Pirate Spoils, which I was able to trade for a bunch of Brute Leech bait for my Sands fishing. So that was a win.

Boss Battle Win

We did trigger a boss fight while we were there, which happened to be the exact same creature that beat our party senseless the first time we played the Diadem last year. This time, we took him down without any trouble at all.

REVENGE!

What a difference being geared up can make, I guess. It did feel nice to go back and defeat something that left us defeated last time. We also opened the map for several folks in the FC, completed objectives, earned a few spoils and had an overall interesting time.

After that, we decided to do a few treasure maps, and ran through the Aquapolis a few times. We didn’t get anything amazing, but I can always use the gil and the items to sell, that’s for sure.

Not to mention the neat little FC totem we made.

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