I am a sucker for a spiral staircase.
It’s the one thing I always thought I’d want in a house I lived in. I remember going on a spree when I first discovered CC in The Sims 4 to find the perfect spiral staircase. Back then, though, they didn’t function as staircases, and were just statues that baffled Sims who couldn’t teleport.
So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw the Patch 5.55 notes included a functioning spiral staircase.
Stair options have always been pretty limited in FFXIV. I remember when I was learning how to build, there were no stairs at all! Instead, I got to figure out the old technique of putting zabuton cushions on top of a series of floated riviera wall shelves.
It was…painful.
The wooden steps were a revelation when they came out, but much like Sims stairs, they limited me to linear flights of steps. I can’t say I was honestly expecting them to change that up for us, though!
Square Enix has been getting progressively more impressive when it comes to the designs of housing items. This is no exception. As I explored the spiral staircase I arbitrarily placed in the middle of the foyer in Shane’s house, I couldn’t help but notice all the detail.
Like for example, the supports on the bottom of each step are designed to look like they’ve been carved; there’s a slight lip on either side of them. The same goes for the balusters; they look like the design team intentionally gave them the most intricate carved details instead of leaving them plain, like they do with so many wooden furnishings in this game.
I was also incredibly happy with how the staircase dyes; it colours the treads of the stairs and the top of the railing to match. It looks sharp!
I think my one gripe with the design of this furnishing is that it’s just too tall to be useful in most houses. It’s pretty clear that the design team wanted the top and bottom steps to be parallel to each other; the staircase starts and ends on a perfectly straight line. But for that to work, the stairs are about two steps too tall, by my judgment.
It won’t be a massive deal for hardcore designers who use large houses for their designs, because they can dictate the heights of their floors in the massive two-storey foyer. But for any other house, where you’re limited in the height of your rooms, the steps come too close to the ceiling. It left just enough room for my character to walk, let alone build any kind of a useful room.
I may be able to fuss with it by floating the staircase up through the floor, but I’m worried with how the railing is designed, it will cut into the floor. It’ll be a challenge, at least!
Quick facts
Where to get it: Craftable by a level 80 carpenter
Dyeable: Yes!
Glitchable: Yes! It works with the lofting glitch and can be floated through floors.
