GamerEscape

While the receipt of the information that was released over the last few weeks was greatly appreciated by all, the speculation about what it all means is perhaps even more interesting.  Methusaleh, one of our community members, has come up with a theory that ties together a lot of otherwise disjointed statements made by Squre Enix since E3.  So without further ado… the theory…

We start with Guildleves.  According to SE:

Guildleves, also referred to as just “leves,” are small, rectangular plates made of stained crystal set into a frame of precious metal, each depicting a virtuous deed of one of Eorzea’s patron saints, also known as ‘guardians.’

We also know that there are (at least) 8 of these virtues – and each virtue could correspond to an attribute, discipline, or possibly a stat like in FFXI.  So for comparison we can take some guesses on new “skills” or mission types, or take some guesses and assign some known attributes from FINAL FANTASY XI – either way the names of the attributes would likely just be the names of the virtues themselves.  It doesn’t really matter what these skills or attributes are for right now – but the hypothesis is that these are the virtues you are are “skilling up” or advancing.

So according to the Guildleves information, we know that the leaves are associated with quests (“When issuing tasks or quests, guilds will often provide adventurers with these plates”).  We also know that the leves are provided by the guilds, and that:

[u]pon assessing an adventurer’s skills, a guild master will provide a selection of several different leves, taken from the guild’s stock. After weighing risks against rewards, fame against fortune, adventurers may then select the leves that they feel best suit their needs.

Notably, the Guildleve information was released along with the races and jobs, suggesting that it is a very significant part of the game and gameplay.  Speaking of gameplay, we also know that there is no XP system as there is in FINAL FANTASY XI and that SE is trying to make the game more flexible, and appeal to both the solo player and the group player.

So let’s bring this home and put it all together.

A new player (let’s call him Leeroy), approaches a guild (let’s say the Valor-associated guild) and is presented with 3 available leves:

1. Leve One grants +5 Valor for successful completion, and requires slaying of 25 rabbits – which are able to be defeated solo by new players.
2. Leve Two grants +15 Valor for successful completion, and requires slaying of 10 tigers – which are able to be defeated with difficulty by 2-3 players, or more easily with a larger group.
3. Leve Three grants +25 Valor for successful completion, and requires slaying of 1 dragon – which can be defeated with difficulty by a party of 12.

So now Leeroy can choose any of the three depending on play style, time available, etc. And upon completion, he receives the reward, which doubles as attribute advancement, opening up more advanced quests/rewards.  So let’s say Leeroy selectes Leve two – he can easily get help since:

Adventurers are free to call on their companions to join them, as only one leve is required to take advantage of the benefits and privileges provided to its bearer.

Now when Leeroy completes Leve Two he will have +15 Valor total.  Now, under this theory, he can use the new, slightly stronger, sword that requires +10 Valor to equip.

So we have a leveling system not based on experience, which has maximum flexibility allowing for solo or group play at any point and allowing for players to advance in one (or more) of 8 different virtues/play styles.

What do you think?  Are we (and Methusaleh) on to something?  Join the discussion and let us know what you think about the theory.