Kotaku game diaryThe latest opinions from a Kotaku member about a game we are playing.The first thing I did was set up Foundation, the nerve center of the world Final Fantasy XIVThe Heavensward expansion enrolled in the Astrologian and Dark Knight working class. To me, this is extremely unsatisfactory because I only play damage dealers in MMOs, and Astrolgian and Dark Knight are classes of healers and tanks respectively. But it is part of the beauty of Final Fantasy XIV is that you can play all classes in one character; no need to make a new character and start the game again as you would in other MMOs. I thought I would fire the tank and heal, and if I didn’t like it, I could go back to any of my three kinds of damage. But now, I think I will remain an astrologer forever.
It happens often: the damage dealer crosses to see how the other roles live and finds a world full of wonder and excitement. In that sense, my experience trying a healing class for the first time it is not out of the ordinary. But what has been so interesting and fun for me it’s how changing class has become not only a pleasant gaming experience, but also a narrative experience.
I play Final Fantasy XIV to enjoy its history. While I’m not on a server known for role-playing, nor am I in a free role-playing company, I enjoy my role. After the events of A reborn kingdom, my miqo’te is angry, depressed and lonely. (Yes, Tataru and Alphinaud are there with her, but one she hates and the other has never been more than the adorable administrative assistant working in a completely different department, so they are only slightly known.) To get answers, trying to see some meaning in all the fucking shit that has had to happen. His mentor mag magician offered no advice. All their bard teachers did was make resignations while secretly making distinctions behind the chocobo stables. And his samurai sensei only seemed interested in correcting past mistakes with his best impression of Robin Hood. At every step, my character was not offered any consolation until he stumbled upon the Athenaerium Astrologicum.
After a series of missions, my character was on his way to becoming a powerful astrologer, and at every step his teachers taught him to look at the stars for guidance when things were difficult or clear. For such a wounded character, becoming an astrologer and having the ability to find the answers he needed to the stars was personally satisfying. I’m not one of those real life astrology types. I don’t know my birthday cards and I have no idea what my ascendant sign is: I’m a Leo, that’s all I’m interested in knowing. But since I was little, I’ve been completely fascinated by stars. Most of my tattoo ideas are star. I chase Etsy for star art, even my twitter name “adashtra” is a mix of my name and the Latin “for rough, ad astra” or “through hardships, to the stars”. The stars are my thing, so it made me happy to see that something I enjoy in real life comforts my character.
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From a game standpoint, astrologers are cursed. They fight with ornate-looking devices called star balloons that hover in their hands as a deck of tarot cards magically orbits it. It’s so creative and unexpected and I love it. None of that tired Harry Potter or lord of the Rings shit, fighting with wands and staves, we are doing the shit of extreme fantasy, fighting with the power of the Tarot. I mean look at me, I don’t look like a whore at all!
The prospect of healing was and still is full. My brain with DPS cable finds it hard to adapt to the mindset of a healer. Before, I barely had to know the strata of a boss, just don’t stop at the “X” where “X” is the fact that a damage spell occurs that a boss generates on the ground. Now, from the lowest level dungeons to the highest raids, I need to know everything or people will die. I ran through the Stone Vigil dungeon as a damage dealer maybe a dozen times without knowing anything other than “don’t stay on the ice.” I learned that you only needed to use cannons to kill the dragon during the second boss. Going from damage to healer was like asking me to learn Carl Sagan’s astronautphysics as a teenager just out of Algebra I.
The stress of being in charge of a successful dungeon race was murderous. And with me, people died a lot. Although I am a healer, I am still expected to lend some of my damage to help kill people. But sometimes, as I damage, I will notice that the health of the tank decreases. I will cast a healing spell and will continue to cast healing spells wondering why they do not improve until I finally notice that I had not changed my target: I was casting these healing spells on the mobs. I will quickly change aim, but it is too late: the tank is dead. This happened once at Haukke Manor and I felt so embarrassed that I faked a disconnect and closed the session right there.
I got much better. Being a healer is great if you want to develop your leadership skills. I’ve progressed to the point that I’m the one who guides new players to the lower dungeons, directing people not to attack the explosive plugs of the Copperbell mines and jumping at the right time fighting Titan. It’s as if the stars, in their knowledge of cosmic power, have invested my character in the knowledge and confidence they need to guide others.
The truth is, I had never dedicated myself more Final Fantasy XIV since I have been acting as a healer. I was on autopilot for 50 levels and now that I have to use my brain, I don’t want to go back. I understand that my damage classes become more complex the higher my level and I look forward to the challenges they offer, but I am thinking of turning my astrologer into my main class. It adapts to my character’s story, it’s fun to play and I never have to wait more than two seconds in a dungeon queue. Oh yeah, I never give up.