FFXI: Wings of the Goddess and The Version Update take flight

Wings of the Goddess, FFXI's fourth expansion hits desktops today. It's out there waiting for a corner on your sad lonely desktop that could use a wallpaper update. Salivating FFXI players can wait along with the expansion because all that fabulous new content isn't accessible until the 22nd. (The official site says the 21st, but they are on some weird funky-town time.)

Xan and other FFXI aficionados must be shaken and distraught over this unbearable conundrum. (whut) We very few at Massively feel their pain, and I believe it is my duty to offer few tips to help pass the time until the expansion opens its gates: Step 1. Cut a whole in a box. Step 2. Register the expansion, this will come in handy when it comes time to play it. Step 3. Put your e-junk in that box. Done? Sift and drool through all the patch notes on the official FFXI website. Ta-da! What's that? 'How about removing a pound of flesh from your cold dead corpse instead." Get in line, people -- no need to shove. More disappointment after the jump. I can't hog the whole page.

Alright a real genuine tip: If you are having problems with FFXI's performance after installing The Version Update, unplugging all USB devices and restarting before plugging them back in. Some players are reporting that their computer performance actually improved -- I am being 100% serious. The Version Update is a behemoth, all that new content, jobs, battle systems, toys, stuffed-chocobos. Good stuff, ya know? One last thing, I hate to sound like a broken-record, but if you played FFXI before and your precious characters were deleted and you refuse to play FFXI ever again unless Square Enix restored said characters. It turns out there's a possibility Square Enix did, so be sure to double-check. Massively reader, Awakendx, also reports that directly contacting customer service may yield better results when attempting to reinstate inactive characters.

So, what are you FFXI fiends most looking forward to in Wings of the Goddess? Besides, you know... playing.