Massively

The official Final Fantasy XIV site has been largely quiet, save for the official trailers... but that silence has been broken as of now. In a large content update, the flash-based site has been expanded to include a preview of several of the game's classes, monsters, and even a generous chunk of the upcoming game's flavor.

The game breaks its classes down into four "disciplines", roughly grouping by their aims and (presumably) playstyle. Disciples of War and Magic look to make up the game's melee and caster classes, respectively, while Disciples of the Land are the gathering professions and Disciples of the Hand are crafters. It looks as if there will be quite a bit of diversification within each of these fields -- the currently expanded-on disciplines, War and Hand, each feature five listed classes, ranging from the traditional series staples (Lancer) to the far newer (Marauder).

In addition to the class descriptions, the update features a number of bestiary entries covering the various denizens of Eorzea, complete with pictures of the creatures in their natural habitats and in-game lore regarding their behavior. These, too, range from series staples such as the cactaur to new creatures such as the aldgoat. For the more pragmatic among the populace, it also includes information regarding what can be harvested from the beasts for the Disciples of the Hand.

Everything seems to be ramping up quickly for the new game, and it seems like it might be nearer on the horizon than we would expect. Take a look at the official site to see all of the new content, and keep your ear to the ground regarding what might soon be a watershed of new Final Fantasy XIV information.