Alongside the third phase of beta testing, Square-Enix is also testing another aspect of Final Fantasy XIV’s relaunch — the new and improved Lodestone. The original Lodestone served as a combination community site and data aggregator, but it had some system issues and deserved a revamp along with everything else connected to the game. Players are encouraged to log in to the site now and try out its improved functionality, as well as explore the things that can be done from the site with and without fully logging in.
The new site features all of the functionality of the original incarnation, including character blogs and a surfeit of information about your character even when logged off. It also allows players to search for characters, linkshells, and free companies freely. And it features a mobile version for times that you want to check your character data while you’re on the road. Anyone in the game’s test (which includes all former players of the first incarnation) are invited to test out the improvements for themselves.