Exploratory Mission

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Exploratory Missions are a type of Duty in Final Fantasy XIV. They are large-scale public duties that allow multiple individuals or parties to share a single instance, generally without role restrictions. The objectives in exploratory missions can vary greatly between each mission, and they often feature mechanics unique to them. Originally designed for both combat and gathering disciplines, the concept underwent several revisions until they were split into separate categories for the respective disciplines— Adventuring Forays and Gathering Forays.

Exploratory missions contain several FATEs that make up the bulk of their content. Under certain circumstances, special dungeons within the mission area may become accessible, called open dungeons or large-scale battles. Similar to Alliance Raids, these areas are large "duties within a duty" that allow multiple alliances-worth of players to enter, with their own time limits to complete separate from the mission which houses them. Much like the exploratory mission themselves, they can be entered by multiple parties of any size without role restrictions.

The original Diadem

Introduced in patch 3.1, The Diadem was the first exploratory mission, and it has undergone several revisions in its history. It originally allowed up to 72 players of any role, and featured activities for both combat and gathering disciplines. Patch 3.4 introduced the Diadem Hunting Grounds, a combat-only version of the Diadem that existed in addition to the original. In patch 3.55b, all prior versions of the Diadem were removed and replaced with the combat-based Trials of the Fury and the gathering-based Trials of the Matron. Despite their focus, players could still freely switch between role in the Trials. The 3.55b version of the Diadem also featured what was called an Emergency Mission that could spawn in either version of the duty, which allowed players to enter a previously inaccessible area to challenge a raid boss, being the precursor to open dungeons.

The Hunting Grounds and the Trials would be a precursor to the split of exploratory missions into adventuring forays and gathering forays, while the Emergency Mission would be the predecessor to open dungeons. The original version of the Diadem was removed in patch 5.1, replaced with a new version that was exclusively a gathering foray.

Banner	Name	Player Limit	Level	Item Level	Open Dungeon	Unlock	Release	Removed
	The Diadem (Easy)	72	60	179		Heavensward	3.1	3.5
	The Diadem	72	60	179		Heavensward	3.1	3.5
	The Diadem (Hard)	72	60	179		Heavensward	3.1	3.5
	The Diadem Hunting Grounds (Easy)	72	60	179		Heavensward	3.4	3.5
	The Diadem Hunting Grounds	72	60	179		Heavensward	3.4	3.5
	The Diadem - Trials of the Fury	72	60	220	Emergency Mission	Heavensward	3.55b	5.1
	The Diadem - Trials of the Matron	72	60	179	Emergency Mission	Heavensward	3.55b	5.1

Adventuring Forays

This section about Adventuring Forays in Final Fantasy XIV is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Banner	Name	Player Limit	Level	Open Dungeon	Unlock	Release
	The Forbidden Land, Eureka Anemos	144	70		And We Shall Call It Eureka	4.25
	The Forbidden Land, Eureka Pagos	144	70		And We Shall Call It Pagos	4.36
	The Forbidden Land, Eureka Pyros	144	70		And We Shall Call It Pyros	4.45
	The Forbidden Land, Eureka Hydatos	144	70	The Baldesion Arsenal	And We Shall Call It Hydatos	4.55
	The Bozjan Southern Front	72	71	Castrum Lacus Litore	Where Eagles Nest	5.35

Gathering Forays

This section about Gathering Forays in Final Fantasy XIV is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Banner	Name	Player Limit	Level	Discipline	Unlock	Release
	Ocean Fishing	24	1	Fisher	All the Fish in the Sea	5.2
	The Diadem	72	10	Disciples of the Land	Towards the Firmament	5.21

Open Dungeons

This section about Open Dungeons in Final Fantasy XIV is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Name	Player Limit	Level	Region	Final Boss	Unlock	Release	Removed
Emergency Mission	72	60	The Diadem - Trials of the Fury The Diadem - Trials of the Matron	Buer	Heavensward	3.55b	5.1
The Baldesion Arsenal	56	70	The Forbidden Land, Eureka Hydatos	Proto Ozma	And We Shall Call It Hydatos	4.55
Castrum Lacus Litore	48	71	The Bozjan Southern Front	Lyon the Beast King and Dawon	The Lady of Blades	5.35