Square Enix showed a first look at Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s upcoming new class and job with the Rogue and Ninja during their special edition of Letter from the Producer during last week’s E3. Famitsu shares a few extra details, including another look at the reveal trailer.
The Japanese name for the Rogue is 双剣士 and roughly translates to “Dual Fencer”. They’re based off a group of people who were once known as “Thieves” but after getting accustomed to the battlefield, they’ve established themselves as the Dual Fencers, or Rogue.
Unlike the dual-wielders of Final Fantasy XI, Rogues will equip their weapons similarly to the Monks, so one weapon will act as a set of two blades. Once they turn into Ninjas as the advanced job, they’ll still use poison as part of their main skills, to go with Ninja Seals. There are different types of Seals, which can be mixed for various effects, as previously reported.
In order to keep up with other DPS (Damage Per Second) characters, Ninjas will need to use their Seals and poison attacks to the fullest to be most effective.
Additionally, here’s a brief history lesson from Square Enix behind the new class and job:
These agile fighters pride themselves on their skills with knives and daggers to make quick work of enemies.
Lurking in the shadows, adhering to no laws but their own, they punish the wicked, pilfering their ill-gotten gains and delivering them to the downtrodden masses. Thought by many to be mere common criminals, some would say they play an unseen hand in maintaining order in the buccaneer’s haven of Limsa Lominsa.
Hailing from the war-torn lands of the Far East, the secret arts of the ninja were born of necessity, and have since given rise to a unique breed of highly-trained combatants.
Able to manipulate the vital energies of the land, the air, and living beings, they manifest their power through the weaving of signs, unleashing a wide array of attacks against their foes. Master the arts of the ninja and learn to bend the tide of battle to your will.
And for those of you who missed out on the trailer, here’s a look:
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s patch 2.3 launches on July 8, 2014. Meanwhile, the Rogue and Ninja will become available on patch 2.4, prior to the game’s first expansion.
Food for Thought:
1. Naoki Yoshida previously mentioned that they’re looking to release the first expansion to the game within two years of launch, and it’ll be as big as the base game itself. With its first year anniversary coming this August, that gives them about a little over a year to work on it.
2. Final Fantasy XI featured two to three new jobs per expansion. If that ends up being the case for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, which jobs/classes would you like to see for its first expansion?