Lightning Strikes! Again!

Yesterday kicked off the next event in Final Fantasy XIV's one year anniversary round up - which sees one of Final Fantasy's most cherished characters - Lightning, visit the world of Eorzia.  Similar to the other anniversary events, this is a repeat event as well - it first came around in November of 2013, so technically I suppose it should be called Lightning Re-strikes.. or maybe Lightning Strikes Returns Again.. or.. something. Now as I've mentioned before I'm not terribly well versed in Eorzia lore, but I am a fan of the Final Fantasy series, and was quite familiar with the lore of this character. I wasn't playing FFXIV at the time this event came around the first time, so I was really looking forward to participating in it this time. And let me just say, if you're a fan of franchise crossovers and of seeing your character participate in events side by side with a signature series character - the event does not disappoint!

Oh so you want me to investigate...

Participating in the event itself is quite straight forward, provided you know where to start, and follows the same formula as their other seasonal events. That is, there is a reporter in a capital city who's heard of some strange activity going on in the world, and you're asked to investigate. Which means you pop out to a location pretty well indicated by the reporter/quest giver, and wait for the seasonal fate to spawn. You participate in the fate, and are rewarded with a doodad - in this case it's an "Otherworldly Parcel". You return to the reporter, and are treated to some lovely cinematics, and a piece of what is essentially vanity gear for you character. So yeah, very straightforward. But while the Square Enix events may be simplistic in implementation, where they excel is in delivery.  And that, for me, is what makes them so worth doing.

Whoah I've switched games!

For instance, when you take the first quest from the reporter, you know right away something is a little different about this, when you suddenly get a very Final Fantasy XVIII like "Quest Accepted" message, in a completely different font and color scheme. That alone made me smile. And then, as you head out to do the Fate, Lightning shows up, starts talking about how she's as puzzled as you are initially as to why she's there. But then not only do you have this character in your game with her signature gunblade and signature animations, but the music for the fate switches over, and you're fighting with Final Fantasy XVIII's combat music. And all of it ties incredibly well together to really cement the recognition and familiarity with the original game in this MMO.
 

Kayette and Lightning square off against the Aspect of Chaos!

If there is any single area in which I think the event misses, it would only be in the level requirements. That is, if you're just planning on jumping back into the game solely to do the event, and you are relatively low level, you may be disappointed. The event is spread out over four fates, and by the time you get to the fourth fate, the level requirement is level 45. I had literally just made 45 myself, so was able to participate in the entire event, thankfully. But just be aware.

Side by side against some fantastic enemies

However if you are planning on doing the event, the Final Fantasy Wiki has a complete guide here, showing you where to go and who to talk to to get started, and where you can find each of the Fates.  If you use the guide, you can easily complete all four parts and the entire event in a single evening. And in doing so, you are awarded various gear pieces that culminate in what is essentially a Lightning outfit - complete with one Final Fantasy XVIII's themed weapon.  I have no idea if you can use this weapon for a glamour skin, but Oh I hope you can.
 
I also ran a dungeon last night - Stone Vigil, and I'll talk about that soon.  Until then, may your chocobo be forever swift and without lice!

Kayette was born for the Guardian Corps!