Check out the hottest discussions from the previous week in the FFXIV General Forum.

The summer is all but over, but the world of Eorzea is still heating up! Just this week, we've learned even more about upcoming improvements in Patch 1.19, as described in three threads on our General Forum. It is these threads I will highlight in this Hot Read Thursday. As you read through these threads, keep in mind that the one-year anniversary of this game's launch is just around the corner. These improvements would have been fantastic had they been implemented a little sooner, but at some point, you've just got to shrug your shoulders and say, "Better late than never." Or, I suppose you could go back to WoW. I think I'll stick around though.

Anyway, on with the links!

Title: Yoshida wants to give you a shining rod

Awhile back, Yoshi-P made a comment about how he only sleeps a few hours per night. If you doubted him then, you won't after you read this thread. The purpose of this thread is to discuss the development team's stance on diversifying gear between both stats and appearance, and finding ways to let players feel like they can wear what they want without being pigeon-holed. Yoshi-P seems to support replenishing the game with new endgame gear on a fairly regular basis. Unlike the early years of Final Fantasy XI, I doubt we'll see the same pieces of gear ruling the endgame scene for long periods of time.

Title: "Future of the Repair System" Letter from Yoshi-P

The repair system of Final Fantasy XIV has been a lightning rod of debate since the game launched. While some players enjoy the immersion and realism of caring for the quality of your gear, other players were constantly annoyed by having to find players to repair your gear at bad times -- and for increasingly long hours as the game's population dwindled. With the most recently announced changes planned for Patch 1.19, seems like the repair system will be fading into the background of the game. The fact that I don't care too much shows just how important the repair system really is. However, I do feel sorry for anyone who leveled crafts solely for the purpose of repairing their own gear.

Title: Caravan Security

Looks like Behest is about to get a new friend! Square Enix announced this week that a new PvE feature called "Caravan Security Duty" is planned for Patch 1.19. In this company-centric event, players will sponsor caravans from each camp to a final destination, with company seals as a reward. I'm happy to see this event coming to fruition, but I'm already curious to see how well this will be executed. Final Fantasy XIV still has chances to impress new gamers, especially when the PS3 version goes live. More events such as this will be needed.