FFXIV: Playing the Alt Game

Despite focusing mostly on my new Nintendo Switch this weekend, I also spent some time burning through quests and leveling my little Lalafell alt, Hedge Mouse.

I know that I don’t really need yet another character in FFXIV. I keep rolling and deleting Lalafells, though. I want one, but I’ve been fighting with myself to justify yet another character. Last week, I decided to take a plunge and just do it.

Part of this was encouragement from Xaa, the new playdead emote, and a little to do with Syp’s experiences leveling an alt Hobbit in LOTRO. I know that Lalafells and Hobbits have little in common aside from size, but it’s nice to know that I’m not the only person who just enjoys going back to the early zones to experience a more laid-back game.

All low-level melee must endure the subligar right-of-passage.

Guilty Pleasures

For a long time, rolling an alt has been a guilt trip in FFXIV. I am an alt player at heart. But the game goes out of its way to discourage alt gaming, mostly at end game. I’m still struggling to find purpose for poor Tai (though I did dust him off and unlocked PotD for him this weekend).

Despite this, I still get the inspiration to roll alts. This is mostly because something in me desires a laid-back experience, and I don’t often get that at end game. I also like to try out different character races and styles just for the fun of it. So this is something I’ve been sorely missing in FFXIV.

But why? The game doesn’t prevent me from rolling an alt, afterall.

I guess it’s all in my head. I know that I’ll never be able to sustain alts at end game. I’ve tried. It’s just stress-out city.

That’s when I stop myself and ask, “So what’s changed so much in my gaming mindset that endgame overshadows the fun of rolling a random alt?”

Ah.

Here’s Mouse

So, I did it. And I’m enjoying it. But I’m not taking my time at all. XD

Firstly, I wanted to get Mouse to level 15 so she could unlock the path to all the different city-states. This is important because it allows me to do seasonal quests, such as the current Little Ladies’ Day, that require a level 15 character and the ability to travel to all the cities.

Second, it also unlocked the Aesthetician. I really wanted to use the Samsonian Locks from the PotD on Mouse, but you can’t access it (funny enough) through Fantasia. You can only do that at the hairdresser.

Yes, I did break down and Fantasia her once (I still have another free in the storage), because I finally figured out how I wanted her to look. It turned out vastly different from my original character roll.

I decided to go for darker skin tones for a more brown, mousey look. I also gave her subtle whiskers. 🙂

My ultimate goal for her? Depending on how it works, I’d love to make her a Samurai once Stormblood releases. So, I’m leveling monk, aiming towards 50, hoping that makes the unlock.

Right now, though, she’s just hit her first trio of dungeons, and I’m working through that towards a chocobo. This has all gone fairly quickly since I’m no stranger to the leveling path in any city in this game.

It’s kinda nice to sit back and do my own thing while I see the rest of the FC hustle and bustle around me. I don’t know that most of them realize that Mouse is my alt yet. Maybe that’s a good thing! XD

Tai Time

This also encouraged me to bring out Tai a little this weekend. He’s stuck in a dead zone of ilvl 220-something. Not quite high enough to take on the new content. Part of this is because his weapon is still i210. Part of it is because I have no desire to farm for Tomes while struggling through Relic on my main.

So, I decided to unlock PotD for him to work on the glowy blue Dragoon spear (and earn Tomes on the side). I really like the way it looks (not so much the red upgrade), so I think I’m going to keep it that way once I get it. I don’t really need to upgrade it all that much more since my only goal is to get him through the final story content.

I figure that he’s close enough to being done (just a few patches behind) that it doesn’t make sense not to at least finish out Heavensward with him. Once Stormblood hits, I know I’ll probably be able to either buy or quest for gear that’s just as good or better than what’s dropping at end game now. So, I’m not going to work too hard on him.

It may end up that Tai becomes my main Dragoon character, though, depending on how much I like Red Mage when that’s released. We’ll have to see how it goes.

But for now, I’m content to work on my alts a bit here and there again. It feels pretty good.

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