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Teaser site opens for Final Fantasy XI's Scars of Abyssea
It's safe to say that the Abyssea add-ons got off to an excellent start in Final Fantasy XI. The first installment coupled excellent rewards with an excellent leveling format, with the June version update's level cap increase coinciding nicely. The second installment in the series of mini-expansions, Scars of Abyssea, is scheduled to go live with the upcoming September version update -- and as the first in what promises to be a string of previews, Square-Enix has put together a teaser site for the add-on. While it's hard to be certain from the screenshots, it looks as if the actual regions of Abyssea are going to continue on to other famous locales within Vana'diel on the Abyssean side of the coin. There are also some menacing new adversaries to face from the looks of it, and further expansion to the storyline of the mirror world. The teaser site also confirms that the add-on may be pre-purchased starting on August 23rd -- good news for the many Final Fantasy XI players no doubt all ready to continue their dimension-hopping adventures.
The Mog Log: The collective jealous community glance
It's a hard time to be playing Final Fantasy XI. On the one hand, it ought to be a great time -- a lot of neat features were included with the June version update (several of which I waxed poetic about in the recent developer tour), and there's quite a roadmap for the months ahead. But that roadmap also has an enormous bump that's shaped like a 14... specifically, Final Fantasy XIV. Or maybe it's just me. All I know is that the next thousand-plus hours can't pass quickly enough. (Although Going Rogue should really take the edge off.) But this column isn't just about me and my hangups -- it's about the community. It's especially about community this week, as we're taking a look at all of the insanity running through various discussions far and wide. Square certainly has given us plenty to talk about over the past month, whether you're avidly playing Final Fantasy XI or just looking forward to Final Fantasy XIV. So let's look at some noteworthy threads while I stare longingly at the promised game.
Our tour through Final Fantasy XI's June update and Visions of Abyssea
One of the weaknesses that players have always associated with Final Fantasy XI is the nature of combat within the game. Not that any fan will avoid telling you how fun it is -- but even the most ardent defender can't avoid pointing out that it does tend to be a bit slow. The actual battles run slower, abilities take longer to recharge, and the process of getting into the combat takes a great deal longer than it does in other games. You can't just jump into the game and expect to be off and fighting within a few minutes. At least, that was the case before the June Version Update. Three of the biggest additions to the game were designed to take that notion and throw it out the window, not only encouraging players to jump into violence but outright pushing you toward faster and more active combat. We had a chance to take a walk through the game's additions, and they were everything that was promised and more, enough to make any Final Fantasy XI player very happy indeed with the changing face of the endgame. %Gallery-97942%
The Mog Log: Hours of entertainment from just one boss
Every so often, column topics fall into my lap. Like when someone mentioned in the comments the other day that they were dreading the 18-hour boss fight from Final Fantasy XI would return in Final Fantasy XIV. For those of you who don't know what in the world that was referencing... well, it's time to take a look back at Pandemonium Warden, and the now legendary story of what it took for one linkshell to bring him down. Although by "bring him down," we really mean "fight him for nearly a full day and finally give up." That's the image that Final Fantasy XI's boss fights have in a lot of people's heads. It's a great and evocative image, and it's also riddled with inaccuracies. That having been said, the nigh-on insanity of some boss fights in the game merits discussion as we get closer and closer to Final Fantasy XIV's release. Whether you're wondering about the warden's odds of return or just still believe that the boss fight properly went on for nearly a day, jump on past the break. There's a lot to go over.
Celestial Nights (and days) coming to Final Fantasy XI
While there are those who might argue that the release of the June version update is celebration enough, Final Fantasy XI isn't the sort of game to let a couple of months go by without some Vana'dielian holiday event. It's time for another fun trip into the celebration of summer, and this year's festivities promise to celebrate everyone's favorite part of the season: young lovers dying unpleasantly. At least, that's what this year's piece of introductory fiction for the Celestial Nights is promising, along with the ever-popular profiteering moogles. Unlike several events in Final Fantasy XI, the actual process of the event over the past two years has remained fairly static, as has the backstory regarding the event. In short, it's a chance for characters to get some unique furnishings and the ever-popular decorative pieces of armor. This year's event will be starting on June 29th, running for two weeks until July 13th. Avid players can brush up on the guide from prior years for a good idea of how this year's festivities will most likely take place.
June version update goes live for Final Fantasy XI
It's a big day for Final Fantasy XI players the world over, as the much-discussed June version update has finally gone live. And with that comes a heretofore unprecedented change, as the level cap jumps once again for the first time in years past the old limit of 75. Unfortunately for those who had been hoping to avoid the process of the Limit Break quests, the patch notes confirm that players will have to undertake a new quest to reach the new cap of 80. Of course, there needs to be something to slow down the rush to all the new content, right? And there's quite a bit of that going around with this update -- even neglecting the raise in level cap, there are new Wings of the Goddess quests, the Walk of Echoes, newly uncapped zones, and new options in Moblin Maze Mongers. Not to mention that Visions of Abyssea goes live with the update, complete with a small update on the official site about the Empyrean Weapons. So if you haven't started patching your copy of Final Fantasy XI, now would be the ideal time -- the patch is large, and there's a lot to be done.
The Mog Log: We interrupt this broadcast for a conversation
The verdict on our Chains of Promathia trial is... postponed for a little bit. (I did warn everyone.) With the revelations of E3 and the new Final Fantasy XIV benchmark, not to mention the upcoming June version update, we've had plenty to talk about in the community of late. There's news about how the game will play, new areas to explore, new cinematics and previews, and the chance to annoy everyone in the months leading up to Final Fantasy XIV's release by posting your computer's score whenever possible. I'll admit to finding the benchmark a bit surprising, actually. The benchmark for Final Fantasy XI didn't come out until it was fairly close to release... which implies to me that the game is more finished than Square-Enix is letting on. That, in my mind, ties into the most interesting part of our interview with Tanaka, where he mentioned that this entire phase of testing was created for player feedback. I'm not saying anything, just speculating. But it's not my place to speculate this week, is it?
Final Fantasy XI reveals new and improved job abilities
Intellectually, Final Fantasy XI players knew that new job abilities were coming with the June version update. Five levels is the traditional interval for new abilities anyhow, and it would be silly not to include some form of upgrade. That being said, there's a world of difference between the vague concept of new job abilities and what's been revealed today in an actual list. The abilities being granted are both far-reaching and significant, including the retroactive inclusion of Dual Wield into a Dancer's bag of tricks at Level 20. The added abilities and traits are rather different from the norm for the game's leveling scheme, coming at several different intervals along the path to 80. Notably absent are any new abilities for White and Red Mages, with Blue Mages having no specific abilities but rather a promise of new Blue Magic over the five-level spread. And the contents of that spread are quite interesting -- new rolls for Corsairs, steps for Dancers, bonuses to damage for Rangers, and bigger Absorbs for Dark Knights are just the tip of the iceberg. Take a look and see what your Final Fantasy XI job of choice will have added to its bag of tricks next week.
Final Fantasy XI walks the Walk of Echoes
Amidst all the changes coming with the June version update for Final Fantasy XI, players will finally be able to explore some of the Walk of Echoes. One of the most iconic and surreal parts of the Wings of the Goddess expansion, this region has only been visited in cutscenes up until now. This would be welcome in and of itself, but the implementation of the area is unique, a mixture of special battlefields and the Campaign battles. To start, players must be at least level 70 and have progressed to the "Cait Sith" mission in Wings of the Goddess. A moogle takes on the role of your transport to the timeless region, wherein adventurers will find several portals to battlefields. Once within a battlefield, players will be subject to a time limit to face off against several enemies, with no limitations on new players entering the battlefield and engaging the monsters. The loot system is poised to work similarly to Warhammer Online's Public Quests, with all participants having a shot at rewards and the highest contributors getting bonuses. Final Fantasy XI players only have a couple days left before they can take part in the new content, but there's still time to familiarize yourself with this strange new region.
Final Fantasy XI rolls out the information on the level cap increase
While we knew that the level cap was going to be raised soon in Final Fantasy XI, we hadn't heard much in terms of official details from Square-Enix. The silence has been broken, and while the official announcement neither confirms nor denies that the world's most insanely fit old man will be coming around for more limit breaking, it does offer a few interesting data points regarding the increase. This first round of increases will expand characters to level 80, complete with new equipment and newly relevant areas to suit those at the maximum level. On the negative side, certain main job abilities are confirmed to be unavailable with the concurrent jump in subjob level. The White Mage "Afflatus" skills and a Ninja's Yonin and Innin abilities will be locked away from use by main jobs. A Ranger's Shadowbind and a Scholar's Accession and Manifestation skills will also be usable, but in a weakened state. Other than these limitations, however, it's full speed ahead for the expanded caps in Final Fantasy XI -- and we can only hope that the silence on a new limit break might mean there isn't one.
Players granted a vision of Abyssea for Final Fantasy XI
Mark the date: June 21st. If you're a Final Fantasy XI player, that's your currently planned patch day, and it promises to be quite a patch day at that. After all, it's the first time the level cap has been raised in almost forever, and the level raise brings with it more story, the uncapping of several Chains of Promathia areas, and more. It also brings with it the first of three add-on scenarios centering on Abyssea -- and to help whet your appetite, the trailer for the first add-on has just been released by Square-Enix. While there are no huge revelations regarding the storyline of the add-on, it would appear that there's a good reason why the pictures we've received for the scenario have so closely resembled existing zones. Could it be that, much like the recently added Voidwalker Notorious Monsters, the first scenario will involve Abyssea coming to the adventurers rather than vice versa? We'll find out in a little under two weeks, with everything due to come together at that point. Final Fantasy XI players can also take the opportunity now to pre-purchase the scenario, with the content automatically unlocking during the June version update.
A preview of the new weaponskills in Final Fantasy XI's June version update
We're in June now, and as the name would suggest, Final Fantasy XI's June version update is on its way to bring food and water and smite our enemies. It also will bring the first increase to the level cap in a long time, which means new subjobs, new areas for leveling, and new weaponskills. The last item on the list is something so obvious that it's almost fallen by the wayside, but Square-Enix made sure to return our attention to the upgrades via a new video on the official site. In the event that you don't feel like waiting on the download, we've taken the liberty of putting the video available for your viewing after the break. Some of the actual weapon animations look a bit standard, but others use the more dramatic animations reserved for high-end attacks (such as Bora Axe). While we don't yet know important tidbits such as which elements the skills will be for skillchain purposes, take a look past the cut to get some impression of what your job of choice in Final Fantasy XI will gain with its new levels. [ Thanks to FusionX for the tip! ]
Final Fantasy XI's new stress relief in Moblin Maze Mongers
We don't yet know exactly when we'll see the anticipated June version update for Final Fantasy XI. We are, however, increasingly aware of what will be contained in said update, and thus far it's looking pretty good. The list of improvements has just been lengthened with an official announcement of an expansion to Moblin Maze Mongers. Although it's billed as the Revitalization Team, and it's meant to help ease the stress of adventuring, the newest iteration seems poised to generate even more stress, unless you find facing off against specially designed difficulty monsters to be relaxing. Lying in wait in the new maze variant is the master known as Sadistiq, whose name alone should give adventurers a fair idea of what a charming fellow he is. He pits teams against a monster for fifteen minutes at a stretch, with rewards handed out based on how well the party does against said monster -- including the possibility of a reward if the party can't quite take down their opponent. While the official announcement doesn't go into details, it looks like fans of the maze system will be getting a new way to enjoy it in the coming version update -- and if killing monsters didn't burn off stress for the players, well, you wouldn't be playing Final Fantasy XI, right?
Final Fantasy XI expands Trial of the Magians
So you have weapons that can take a good year or two to put together, and then the game's level cap and item strength goes up. What do you do? Final Fantasy XI answered this question via Trial of the Magians, allowing holders of Relic or Mythic weapons to upgrade their weapon appropriately -- and allowing everyone else to start a new weapon they can custom-tune. With the first level cap upgrade to the game coming in the June version update, it should come as no surprise that the Trial of the Magians system is getting a concurrent upgrade. The fact that there will be new options to enhance and improve weapons almost goes without saying, as it lets players push their weaponry even further than before. There's also the promise of new trial varieties, and mention of being able to improve one's weapon skills themselves -- certainly an attractive proposition. If you're an adventurer on the go, you can also purchase a set of newly-added Magian Spectacles to check in on your trial status and progress along the upgrade path from anywhere. All told, the changes promise to improve on of the bigger new additions to Final Fantasy XI, whether you're swinging a Lumberjack or a Conqueror.
Final Fantasy XI frees up Chains of Promathia
Final Fantasy XI's Chains of Promathia was a bit polarizing for the players -- you either love it or hate it. No one can argue that it raised the bar considerably on the game's cutscenes and storytelling, but it was also restrictive in many ways and limited player access to new zones (which were the only non-storyline elements added). It's a sign of its nature that there are still many players who want to finish the storyline, even though the option has been there for several years. Lucky for players, the June version update is addressing that. Although the removal of level caps was mentioned in passing at VanaFest 2010, the most recent news gives a specific list of what areas will be affected -- all four Promyvion areas, Pso'Xja, Riverne Site #A01 and #B01, the Phomiuna Aqueducts, and the Sacrarium. The announcement goes on to confirm that mission battlefields will also be uncapped, and the monster layout and strength will be adjusted in some of the areas to facilitate characters at 75 and above. It promises to spark new interest in Final Fantasy XI's most unique expansion and the corresponding zones, which is good news for anyone in the game.
Final Fantasy XI posts previews of the nation quest conclusions
It's a truism of any good story: all good things must come to an end. And it's certainly true of the overarching story for the last Final Fantasy XI expansion, Wings of the Goddess, which is finally approaching a conclusion after two and a half years. The upcoming June version update won't conclude the overarching mission storyline, but it will draw the nation-specific quests to a finale. Square-Enix has given the players a brief peek at what's awaiting them in these final movements of a story that quite literally stretches across a huge span of time. The San d'Orian story forces the nation's forces deeper into enemy territory, investigating rumors of a resurrected Count Aurchiat. Citizens of Bastok, meanwhile, will pursue the would-be assassin Klara Bester straight to Castle Zvhal itself... where Zeid's past is waiting to confront him. And as Windurst nears its final victory against the Yagudo, their final push brings out the true cost that the war has exacted on its people. It's the last hurrah for these stories, and the strength of storytelling is one of the greatest assets within Final Fantasy XI, so players are encouraged to look at the coming ending.
