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Final Fantasy XI celebrates 11 years with high-level presents
Final Fantasy XI has been running continuously for 11 years now and just released its fifth expansion earlier this year. There are only a handful of other games that can boast that sort of longevity, so it seems only reasonable that the game would do something to celebrate. And it is celebrating... by granting every player several major high-level prizes as part of its Abyssea and Atma Axtravaganza. Aside from alliteration, that should give you an idea of what the prizes entail. Every player who does not already possess the three Abyssea add-on scenarios will receive all three free of charge. All players will also receive a free Lunar Abyssite, 11 different Atma, 100,000 cruor, and a major bonus to your traverser stone stock in Abyssea. Those who haven't played the scenarios might be looking on with confusion, but if you have played these before you know that this is a whole lot of power for free. So don't miss out -- the event is running until October 11th, after which point you'll just be celebrating missing out on a big giveaway.
Square Enix unveils Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection: Abyssea Edition
Final Fantasy XI is one of the longest-running MMORPGs still going strong, weighing in at nine years of ongoing adventures in Vana'diel. Now, in the interest of drawing even more adventurers into the fray, Square Enix is releasing the Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection: Abyssea Edition. For the price of $19.99, players get the original Final Fantasy XI, all four expansion packs to date, and all add-on packs such as A Shantotto Ascension and the new content introduced in Vision of Abyssea, Scars of Abyssea, and Heroes of Abyssea. If this sounds like a sweet deal to you, just slow down for just a minute and hold your Chocobos. Final Fantasy XI is also renowned for its rather steep leveling curve, so in order to ease new (or returning) players into the grind, Square is including in the Ultimate Collection the in-game item Destrier Beret, which provides a multitude of buffs for the aspiring adventurer, including HP and MP regeneration, boosted experience gains, and even an auto-resurrect for when things go awry. So if you're looking to step into the shoes of an incredibly adorable Tarutaru (or, you know, any of those others), just hop and skip your way on over to the official Final Fantasy XI site.
Another batch of Final Fantasy XI answers for players
The times in Final Fantasy XI are changing, it seems, with the advent of an early February mini-patch serving as a sign of same. That's hardly the only thing players have questions about, but the most recent dispatch from the development team focuses primarily upon what the mini-patch will bring. Still, the improved communication goes across the board, discussing details of future updates and other system changes as well as some requested features that will have to remain omitted. New auto-translate phrases, for instance, are something that the team would like to implement but can't due to PS2 hardware limitations. The pattern for version update files, however, is being changed to better accommodate the same hardware limitations, saving the machine from having to download the full update and then apply the files one by one. Perhaps most heartening to veteran players, experience gains will be adjusted outside of Abyssea to try to ease the gap between the add-on scenarios and the rest of the world. Final Fantasy XI players can take a look at the full list of questions and get ready for the version update in early February.
The Mog Log: The year that was
Last year around this time, people were saying that 2009 had been a terrible year and 2010 could only be an improvement. This year, people are saying the exact same thing. Maybe those of us in the MMO-sphere are just perpetual downers -- I don't know. It's certainly been a pretty significant year for players of Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV -- heck, it's been outright impossible for a Final Fantasy XIV player to exist before now, if you want to get hung up on pedantry. Whether or not you enjoyed the launch, of course, is another story altogether, one that Square-Enix itself doesn't seem to have closed the book on just yet. And over in Final Fantasy XI, we got an announcement that had been about seven years in the making, not to mention a plethora of new additions to the game -- some stunning, some lackluster. So let's take a look back at the year for both games, since the new one is starting right about, well, now. (OK, it's been started for a few hours, you get the idea.)
The Mog Log: Stare too long into the Abyssea
The first of two December version updates has hit the community, and as a result I'm torn. On the one hand, this means that Final Fantasy XI has seen another major upheaval in the form of more levels and new content, which is really significant... if you're up at those levels. I am not, and consequently a lot of what I can say about those high levels is pretty darn speculative. Most of the concrete information I have heard about the update seems to concern problems with console installations rather than substantive information. But I do feel fairly confident in talking about Abyssea. The second trilogy of mini-expansions has come to an end, with a very different focus than the previous unconnected addons. I'd say that it's been both a good and a bad thing for the game as a whole, both in the way that leveling has become tied to the new areas and in what it might mean for the game in the future. So with the whole setup out of the way, let's talk about what's been done and what might be coming as a result.
Final Fantasy XI's December version update goes live
It's hard not to be overshadowed by the arrival of a certain expansion tomorrow, but Final Fantasy XI players are getting their own major update today. Aside from unlocking the content in the new mini-expansion Heroes of Abyssea, the update brings with it the long-awaited boost to level 90 and a host of new abilities, not to mention new job emotes, a new form of storage, and adjustments to high-end battlegrounds across the game, giving the update something new for players of nearly any level. Aside from the many larger changes, the patch also features several improvements to quality of life, such as dropping the price of Instant Reraise/Warp scrolls to almost trivial values. The stealth spells (Invisible, Sneak, and Deodorize) have also all been given a longer duration and less variation in their effect length, a boon to any players planning on sneaking from place to place. The full patch notes contain a piece or two of rather cryptic information, as always, but they should be enough to bring a smile to any Final Fantasy XI player.
Final Fantasy XI gets an Abyssean trailer
The highly anticipated December version update for Final Fantasy XI looks to be going live on December 6th. That's not quite certain yet, but considering that the newest update to the Heroes of Abyssea site lists that as the activation date, it's reasonable to assume the game's next major patch will be going live then. It also comes with a trailer showing off the new monsters listed under the bestiary, as well as the landscape for players to explore. Orthrus, Alfard, and Khrysokhimaira are the three headlining notorious monsters for the add-on, with the trailer giving some sense of just how large the monsters are in comparison with players. Combined with the extant previews of the completed Empyrean Armor sets and the option to pre-purchase the mini-expansion, Final Fantasy XI players will have plenty to whet their appetites until the forecasted release date in a little less than two weeks' time.
Heroes of Abyssea teaser site opens for Final Fantasy XI
The third and final portion of the Abyssea trilogy is poised to hit Final Fantasy XI along with the other components of the December version update. We've known that the update will bring the conclusion to the tale of Vana'diel's dark mirror, but very little beyond that was known until today. Square-Enix has pushed the teaser site for Heroes of Abyssea live, and it contains more of the mini-expansion's lore as well as tantalizing glimpses of the new areas mirrored in the other world. Although it's hard to be sure, it appears that at least one of the new areas will be in the frozen north, with a further hint being that Rise of the Zilaart and Wings of the Goddess are listed as the requisite expansions. Players can also peek at the completed Empyrean Armor sets, the third iteration of powerful class-based armor. Final Fantasy XI's last update of the year will have a lot to do all around, but Heroes of Abyssea should prove to be an interesting expansion to the popular series of leveling and gearing add-ons.
Final Fantasy XI December update is on track
Rumors of the death of Final Fantasy XI have been greatly exaggerated. Even with the game having celebrated eight years of operation earlier this year, there's a lot of life left in the world of Vana'diel, and the update cycle is continuing apace. We knew we were due for another version update soon, and the most recent news from Square-Enix confirms that the December version update is on track for early next month. It's an end-of-year treat for the game's many devoted players. And it should be quite a treat, at that. Along with the next installment of level cap updates -- complete with improved and added job abilities -- the update will feature the conclusion to the storyline of Wings of the Goddess at long last. It will also likely include the last installment of the Abyssea expansions, and it will definitely feature the job-specific emotes that were advertised at the beginning of the year. Final Fantasy XI players should keep their eyes open for more reveals on the next update, as it seems to be just around the corner.
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.
September version update live for Final Fantasy XI
It's a good day to be in Vana'diel, as Final Fantasy XI's much-awaited September version update is now up and running on the live servers. That means another increase in the level cap, new missions for Wings of the Goddess, and many other improvements to the game. The full list of changes may be found in the official patch notes, which also include a few pieces of information not previously disclosed. As expected, the majority of the changes center around the increase of the level cap to 85, complete with levels for the previewed new abilities and traits. There are also several smaller quality of life improvements, and the usual array of bug fixes across the board. Players waiting for the update to download (which can take quite some time, as any Final Fantasy XI veteran can attest) can peruse the full list of changes and get ready for some interesting new experiences.
Broadened improvements for Final Fantasy XI
The September version update marches toward Final Fantasy XI, bringing with in a variety of new shinies to keep players happy for quite a while. (Or at least until the Final Fantasy XIV launch, either one.) While we've heard about most of the big updates, Square-Enix has shared a last little batch of improvements that won't change the world, but will usher in several much-appreciated boosts to quality of life. An additional search tag will be added for players looking for Trial of the Magians parties, to make enhancing equipment that much easier. Players will also have the option of teleporting to Abyssea-linked Cavernous Maws throughout Vana'diel, assuming that the player's character has previously encountered the maw. There will also be a variety of improvements to the Walk of Echoes, and even more updates to the infamous fishing quest Inside the Belly. With the update due out in the very near future, there's plenty for players to look forward to in Final Fantasy XI, even beyond the launch of its sister game.
Further job adjustments en route for Final Fantasy XI
Due out next week, Final Fantasy XI's September version update is going to increase the level cap once again, giving jobs access to a plethora of new abilities. But the development team isn't stopping there. Several existing job abilities will also be seeing improvements and refinements, with a number of the upgrades targeting the many pet classes in the game. Even the smallest upgrades are notable improvements to quality of life, such as blue magic remaining set when the job is changed out as a main job, rather than forcing players to re-select their abilities. Summoners can look forward to more effective Blood Pacts and reduced sustain costs past level 76, while beastmasters gain additional jug pets, as well as changes to pet food to tier the existing types and make them more effective. Dragoons will receive a wyvern that levels up in Abyssea; puppetmasters gain a new way to call their automaton and a faster recharge for the summon; and several other class abilities see their negatives removed and positives enhanced. Nearly every player will want to take a look at the full list of changes, which should help ensure that even with Final Fantasy XIV on approach, Final Fantasy XI will remain engaging.
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.
The Mog Log: Community watch
The summer slump is just about over, and those who have enjoyed an entire summer away from school are going to have to get back into the swing of it in the very near future. The rest of us will simply have to acclimate ourselves to the decrease in the temperature, the decrease in big-budget movies, and the increase in game release schedules. But there's one last gasp of summer to be had, and let's spend it watching our favorite ongoing entertainment: community forum discussions. There's no shortage of topics for discussion lately, what with Final Fantasy XIV stampeding ever closer to launch, Final Fantasy XI's September version update stampeding ever closer, and various other stampedes taking place somewhere. (I kind of started that sentence without a conclusion prepared.) September is going to be a busy month in general, and even with a couple weeks to go there's a lot of talk being flung around. So let's get right into the meat of the community, shall we?
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%
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.
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.
