Final Fantasy XIV is chock-full of interesting little mini-games designed to whisk us away from the status quo of constant battle and complicated raids, but they often become quickly outdated and borderline irrelevant in a matter of weeks.
Ocean Fishing is the outlier here. It might not be as popular as the day it launched, when everyone rushed for its unique mount rewards, but it’s still by far the most efficient way to quickly level grind to level 80 fishing. Even without an objective in mind, it’s a timeless Hydaelyn pastime that offers a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of daily life in Square Enix’s premium MMORPG. Here’s how to make the most of it.
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What is Ocean Fishing?
Ocean Fishing isn’t the same as diving below the waves to ram a spear through big shrimp and sharks. That was so last expansion. Instead, it’s a short voyage on a purpose-built boat where 24 players work together to reel in all kinds of rare fish.
If you haven’t warmed to fishing just yet, that’s no problem. The feature can be unlocked and explored as soon as you pick up the class at the Fishing Guild in Limsa Lominsa (more on that here). You’ll have the odds stacked against you when it comes to its lucrative rewards at these lower levels, but Ocean Fishing doubles as a great way to power level, too.
You can’t just jump off the boat and hop back on for another ride, though. Unlike battle classes in Palace of the Dead, Ocean Fishing adheres to a strict schedule. The boat sets off every two hours for a round-trip, so you’ll have to level the conventional way between each if you’re looking for the quickest route to level 80 Fisher.
FFXIV Ocean Fishing rewards
Depending on your level, the rewards for Ocean Fishing can differ. Before reaching the level 80 cap, the main allure of Ocean Fishing is the ludicrous amounts of experience points it awards not only with each catch, but when the points are tallied up at the end.
For those already a master of their craft, Ocean Fishing dishes out scrips — the end-game currency of the three gathering classes. How many points you manage to score ultimately relates to how many Yellow Scrips you earn at the end, but small amounts of White Scrips can be had by catching rarer fish.
Beyond that, most players in the early days of the activity will be aiming for two specific rewards: The Hybodus mount and the Major General minion, more on those down below.
But no matter your reason for going, every fish caught through Ocean Fishing can be framed and displayed in your in-game house. Bigger fish need bigger frames, and these can be bought with the yellow scrips earned during each run by chatting to the vendor on the dock.
