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Final Fantasy XI previews the end of Wings of the Goddess
The December version update is kicking off the end of many things for Final Fantasy XI -- the end of the year, the end of the level cap from the last update, and perhaps most notably the end of Wings of the Goddess. After a very long and drawn-out storyline and series of missions, it's time for players to finish up their adventures in the past. But as can be expected, it's not going to be quite as simple as walking up to the Spitewardens and politely asking them to pack up shop. After a series of defeats, challenges, and the usual confusion regarding any time-travel storyline, it seems the final movement begins in Grauberg with a rather flustered Cait Sith and moves on to the Walk of Echoes. It's time to face off against the Spitewardens and Lillith, the main villains of the expansion's arc, if adventurers want to maintain any hope of a future controlled by the free people of Vana'diel instead of the beastmen. While the preview only gives us a small taste of what's coming, Final Fantasy XI players had best steel themselves in advance -- this promises to end with a bang.
The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XI and the future
So, I had planned to go back to my soloing experiment from Final Fantasy XI this week, but two things got in the way. The first is named Final Fantasy XIV's open beta, and I'm not going to start talking about that because I won't stop. The second, however, is the September version update and the fast-approaching end of that timeline we saw back at VanaFest. While I'm not wholly qualified to talk about everything in the version update at the moment, I can certainly talk about what comes after. And here's why: This is a significant update for the game. It's the last update before the release of Final Fantasy XIV later this month, it's the second stage in the level cap increase, and it's the second-to-last additional content that we know we're getting. And what it's doing for Final Fantasy XI says volumes about what's going to happen in the game in the coming months, as well as what we can hope for.
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%
