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Final Fantasy XI's newest update offers up artifact armor... again
There was a time when Final Fantasy XI's Artifact Armor was the best equipment you could have on a high-level character, but that was ages and ages ago. Still, the iconic looks are coming back in the game's newest version update, which adds new quests for players to reforge their Artifact pieces as well as Relic, Mythic, and Empyrean weapons. It's not an easy process, but it's a chance to make the old hotness the new hotness all over again. A pair of new zones has also been added to the Seekers of Adoulin regions with this update, complete with new monsters for players to hunt and kill. Players can also acquire new abilities, including weaponskills that were previously exclusive to certain weapons. And there are updates to Mog Gardens, magic maps, Monstrosity... in other words, the usual kitchen sink of content you expect from a Final Fantasy XI version update. You can take a look at the full list of patch changes and start playing now (or as soon as the patch finishes downloading).
Trailer for Scars of Abyssea surfaces for Final Fantasy XI
While there's quite a stir around the new open beta for Final Fantasy XIV, there are some very big additions coming to Final Fantasy XI as well. Scars of Abyssea is due to be released with the September version update, and lest players forget about it, Square-Enix has updated the teaser site. Not only does it include previews of the new Empyrean armor sets and a new trailer for the mini-expansion, it also offers us a predicted launch date for the update of September 8th. Although the chest pieces are not shown and it's a bit early to be sure, it does appear that most of the Empyrean Armor sets are the new Artifact pieces (an upgrade from the previous Relic Armor). Combined with the coming upgrades to Trial of the Magians, this armor set may become the norm for quite some time. Players can take a look at all of the coming attractions on the official teaser site, and the Final Fantasy XI update should be available early next week.
Trial of the Magians expands in Final Fantasy XI
It was a good plan for Final Fantasy XI to allow players to keep their relic and mythic weapons relevant even after the recent level cap increase. Trial of the Magians as a system has allowed players with the intensely rare weapons to continue upgrading them, or players without to acquire new weapons of impressive power levels. With the coming September version update, there will be a concurrent update to the quest system, allowing players to predictably improve weapons even further. But that's not the least of what will be added with the next version update -- armor is next on the block. While there are no armor sets that require the time investment as top-end weapons, there will be new Abyssean armor introduced with the update that can be upgraded via trials. Although it's not explicitly referred to as Artifact Armor 3, it's mentioned as unique to each class, which makes it the most likely incarnation of the marquee sets. And, of course, weapons will also be getting a big boost for players who can brave further trials -- including unlocking new weapon skills. The high-end game of Final Fantasy XI is getting to be a very interesting place, so players should be happy to see they'll get the upgrades they need.
