Sharlayan Dropouts: A Final Fantasy XIV Podcast Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, Mike Williams

It's Part V of our ongoing retrospective and that means it's morphin' time! Join Victor, Nadia, and special guest Sena Bryer (Wuk Lamat) as they explore the perfection of the Job System, our favourite "ladies who dress like men", and what clues might be in plain sight for the future of FFXIV. All while strictly maintaining the integrity of non-disclosure agreements!

Music In This Episode:
The Day Will Come - Endwalker
Clash on the Big Bridge - Sekizima Takeo
The Battle - Final Fantasy V OST
Pirates Ahoy - Final Fantasy V OST
Clash on the Big Bridge - Ryu Kawamura


Further Reading:
Final Fantasy V - Chris Kohler
https://bossfightbooks.com/products/final-fantasy-v-by-chris-kohler
Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Special Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B-iw8qhZbQ
AGDQ 2024 - Final Fantasy V Speedrun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amyuJjTe5gk

Hello, Dropouts. It's just Nadia today, and the gods know she's not smart enough to keep the students warm, fed, and entertained. She can, however, talk to the masses about the art of writing Final Fantasy XIV fanfiction. Plus, she provides tricks and tips for developing your Warrior of Light's "home map" so that it becomes a world unto itself--not just a mere collection of loose landmarks!

Music Used in This Episode:

Shadowbringers theme (FFXIV)

Crush Crawfish's Stage (Mega Man X3)

Serenity (FFXIV)

The Dark Star (Secret of Mana)

Wailers and Waterwheels (FFXIV)

Dedicated to Moonlight (FFXIV)

A Land Long Dead (FFXIV)


Spoiler Level Alert: Green
No major story spoilers, just fanfic talk!

Our first steps into Tural are fast approaching and the official benchmark is here to whet our appetites. Victor, Nadia, and Mike discuss the 14-hour livestream, what the graphics update has done to our Warriors of Light, the many exciting teases in the benchmark trailer, and more on this episode of a very good Final Fantasy XIV podcast.

Also:
- Stranger of Paradise was really good
- A tribe consisting entirely of Rob Paulsens
- The Archons play Who's That Minion? (name pending)

Music In This Episode:
Dawntrail Benchmark BGM

Ahoy there Dropouts, and welcome to a lengthy in-depth study about Final Fantasy IV's influence on Final Fantasy XIV! Final Fantasy IV first came to the Super Famicom in 1991, and is still regarded as Final Fantasy's first instance of getting deep into narrative. Unsurprisingly, many of the characters, locales, monsters, and lore Final Fantasy IV introduced us to has been given ample representation in Final Fantasy XIV. Black Chocobos! The Dragoon Pose!™ Troia! Tall men in black armour! And gee Zero, how come Hydelin lets you have TWO moons? Nadia, Victor, and Marc Duddleson from My Life in Gaming tally up the references.

Music Used in this Episode:

Zeromus Phase 2: The Red Wings [Final Fantasy XIV]

Baron Kingdom/The Lunar Subterrain [Final Fantasy XIV]

Another Moon [Final Fantasy XIV]

Forged in Crimson [Final Fantasy XIV]


Spoiler Level: Red. We talk about all the story content in the game up through the end of 6.x!

Stock up on shuriken because this episode is all about the hugely influential (if only in Japan) Final Fantasy III. And the fact we don't even mention the naming differences between FFIII for SNES vs. FFVI vs. the ACTUAL FFIII means maybe the world has moved on!
Join Archons Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, and special guest Retro Ali as we take a deep dive into the Crystal Tower, the Warriors of Darkness, Eureka, and more!

Music in this Episode:
Battle 2 - [Final Fantasy III]
Battle 2 - [Final Fantasy III - Four Souls -]
Shattered - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn]
The Reach of Darkness - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn]
Eternal Wind - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn]

The wait for Dawntrail continues but to tide us all over the talented Sena Bryer (the voice of Wuk Lamat herself!) stops by Dropouts HQ to talk about her experience as both a fan and cast member of Final Fantasy XIV. We discuss the excitement in the lead up to her Fan Fest reveal, her ongoing pacifist run of FFXIV, the 1.0 days, her history with FFXI, and more on this very special episode of Sharlayan Dropouts!