Check out the hottest topics from the past week of the FFXIV general forum.

It’s been a few weeks since the last Hot Read Thursday, mainly because of the lack of activity surrounding the game following the temporary stoppage of services. However, the development team seems to have been hard at work, for today’s newly released patch seems filled with interesting additions to the game. The future of this game is beginning to take shape, so now seems like a good time to bring Hot Read Thursday out from hiatus.

This week’s HRT highlights discussion topics centered around Patch 1.17. The first thread centers on players’ concerns over shifting to the eight-man party size, and the next thread focuses on one of the great mysteries of Final Fantasy XIV that’s on the verge of being solved. The last thread references a comment from the development team in the Square Enix official forums, hinting at the possibility of getting new genders to certain races. Change is most certainly in the air. Patch 1.17 has some good stuff, but the real changes are still around the corner.

And now, the links:

Title: The 8 man mistake?

Will the playerbase make a smooth adjustment down to eight-man parties, or will the change be so disruptive that it ruins what little there is to do in the game right now? The OP voices some valid concerns about the impact of reducing party sizes, and wonders whether certain jobs will be left in the cold because of the change. Are we about to discover the true “lolpup” of FFXIV, or will the playerbase thrive on this change? Many people who replied in this thread believe the option to alliance will solve any problems associated with small party sizes, to which I fully agree. I guess we’ll see what happens.

Title: Grand Companies of Eorzea Page Live!

For months, we’ve waited for information about what the Grand Companies of Eorzea will be. When the Grand Companies page went live on Lodestone today, many rushed to the official forum to get the new info, only to find more lore and no real answers. Fortunately, some answers to our questions appear to be embedded in the newly released quests. How will these companies shape up, and how big of an impact will they have on the desirability of FFXIV? Players have been waiting a long time for more information on companies, and I predict this could be a HRT topic for weeks to come.

Title: Male Miqo’te/Female Roegadyn

The OP of this thread was kind enough to link to the official forums, where a Square Enix community representative reveals that female Roegadyns and male Miqo’tes may be released alongside the Playstation 3 version of the game. This is big news for two reasons: 1) Since early in FFXI, players have clamored for gender options for Mithra (Miqo’te) and Galka (Roegadyn) characters; and 2) this is an indirect confirmation that, yes, plans for the Playstation 3 release have not been cancelled, as some people seem bent on saying. Good news on both fronts, although I must admit, I’m quite partial to the female Miqo’te character model myself.