News from Final Fantasy XI.

Winners Announced for the Shantotto Fan Art Contest!
 (11/20/2009)

 

Ladies and gentlemen! At long last, the winning entries for the Shantotto Fan Art Contest have been decided! The staggering amount of entries and the love that evidently went into each are a testament to the good doctor's enduring popularity, and this made the task of selecting winners that much more difficult for the judges. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who took the time to join in this celebration of one of Vana'diel's most distinguished citizens.

Which of the entries have been deemed to best capture the indomitable spirit that is Doctor Shantotto? Proceed here to find out!

News from Final Fantasy XI.

Wedding Bells Ring—Unveiling the New Wedding Support Service! (11/18/2009

Today, we are proud to announce the launch of the new wedding support service, packed with features sure to delight adventurers across Vana'diel looking to exchange eternal vows with their beloved!

Responding to player demands for greater customization, the new service will grant brides and grooms freedom in choosing location, timing, dialogue, and more for their ceremony, allowing them to create a truly memorable event all their own. Information on all the features, including in-game item vendors and wedding certificates, can be found on the new wedding support site, so head on over and get started planning the wedding of your dreams!

The new wedding support site can be found here.

News from Final Fantasy XI.

FINAL FANTASY XI Update (Nov. 13)

A version update of FINAL FANTASY XI was performed at the following time.

* This update consists of a version upgrade of the client program. When you press the play button after the time stated below, the version upgrade will begin automatically. Please follow the instructions on the screen.

[Date & Time]
Nov. 13, 2009 at 0:00 (PST)

[Affected Services]
FINAL FANTASY XI

[Important Update Details]
- Corrected an issue within the quest "Songbirds in a Snowstorm" where the game may freeze and prevent the player from being able to progress during an event in Beaucedine Glacier [S].

* Please note that this issue is with the Japanese version of the game and will not have a visible effect on the North American version of the game.

News from Final Fantasy XI.

FINAL FANTASY XI Update (Nov. 12)

A version update of FINAL FANTASY XI was performed at the following time.

[Date & Time]
Nov. 12, 2009 at 11:00 (PST)

[Affected Services]
FINAL FANTASY XI

[Important Update Details]
- An issue was addressed where too many bard songs could be in effect while the job ability "Avatar's Favor" is in effect.

News from Final Fantasy XI.

A version update of FINAL FANTASY XI was performed at the following time.

[Date & Time]
Nov. 10, 2009 at 11:00 (PST)

[Affected Services]
FINAL FANTASY XI

[Important Update Details]
The following issues have been addressed:

- The mission "That Which Curdles Blood" from the additional scenario "A Shantotto Ascension" may not have progressed depending on the progress status of the Windurst mission "Vain."

- The quest "Waking the Beast" may not have progressed depending on the status of missions from the additional scenario "A Shantotto Ascension."

- There was an issue with the effects of "Carbuncle Mitts."

- During Chocobo Raising, the HP of chocobo would unintentionally recover by taking care of it under certain conditions.

News from Final Fantasy XI.

The Version Update Is Here! (11/10/2009)

The November major version update, starring the third and final add-on scenario, "A Shantotto Ascension—The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born," is now available for your downloading pleasure! With compelling new Wings of the Goddess quests, more heart-pounding action with the Moblin Maze Mongers, a host of job adjustments, and throngs of game-enhancing tweaks across the board, there is bound to be something for adventurers of all stripes!

Drool over the details here.

News from Final Fantasy XI.

Version Update Preview (11/06/2009)

The fast-approaching major version update will usher in auspicious adjustments spanning a wide range of in-game elements. Today, it is our pleasure to introduce the changes that are scheduled for the Chocobo Circuit, the fishing quest "Inside the Belly," and more!

Chocobo Circuit

- Bigger Rewards
The amount of chocobucks rewarded to first, second, and third place winners in chocobo racing will be significantly increased.

- Revised Race Schedule
The Chocobo Circuit schedule has undergone a full review. The C2 Chocobo Race and C1 Crystal Stakes will be held with greater frequency, and races will take place at the same time each Earth day, making it easier for players to participate than ever before.

 

*The red and blue race attendants above will alternately conduct races.

 

- New Rewards
The dashing racing silks dutifully worn by jockeys will be added to the list of reward items obtainable in exchange for chocobucks. With each color offering unique beneficial effects for its wearer, there is bound to be something for every chocobo fan!

Quest: Inside the Belly

Players will be able to turn in more varieties of fish to the quest-starter NPC. Rumor has it these fishes have a penchant for swallowing up new equipment whole...?

Past Vana'diel

- Xarcabard [S]
Monster distribution will be adjusted to allow adventurers to safely arrive at their destination when using the teleportation service requiring Allied Notes.

- Eldieme Necropolis [S]
A number of gates within the necropolis will be adjusted to remain open at all times to allow players to find their way to union treasure chests at the end of a Campaign Battle.

All this and more is coming to you in the soon-arriving major version update!

News from Final Fantasy XI.

Unveiling the New Synergy System! (11/05/2009)

Ladies and gentlemen! Coming to you in a version update scheduled for as early as late November is "Synergy"—the new in-game system that will add a whole new dimension to synthesis!

What Is Synergy?

Synergy is an advanced form of synthesis wherein up to six players, each with unique skills, cooperate to create a single item via an apparatus called the "synergy furnace."

There are numerous differences to be noted between synergy and traditional single-player synthesis, one of them being the maintenance of elemental balance within the abovementioned synergy furnace. Synergists-to-be, take heed! Being a new field of science with numerous theories yet unverified, synergy is not a risk-free undertaking, and practitioners are advised to steel themselves for the occasional mishap.

Communal synergy furnaces will be made available in certain cities, and "synergy engineers"—your guides into the fascinating world of synergy—will be posted beside them to teach beginners the ropes. Furthermore, by completing a new quest, players will gain access to a handy new item that will allow them to summon their very own private furnace for use in field areas, eliminating the need to wait in line to use a public one.

Synergy Skill

Synergy skill determines your ability to safely handle synergy furnaces, and can be raised by applying synergy techniques used to manipulate elemental concentration levels inside the furnace. Proficiency in these techniques, too, can be raised to a degree corresponding to your synergy skill level. We recommend all players prioritize improving their skill, because when it comes to synergy, experience is synonymous with safety.

Certain synergy recipes demand expertise in specific synthesis disciplines, but synergy will be possible so long as a participating party member possesses the requisite skill in question. No single character needs to have all skill sets, and the supplier of ingredients is not required to possess any whatsoever. Each participant in synergy plays an equally significant role in the process.

Synergizing via a Communal Furnace

1) Obtain the "synergy crucible" key item.
The synergy crucible serves as the receptacle for different varieties of elemental "fewell," the source of power for furnaces. Characters need only acquire the crucible once by completing a new quest.

2) Prepare ingredients for the recipe.
Recipes corresponding to a character's synergy skill level can be learned by talking to a synergy engineer.

3) Recruit party members.
Synergy is a joint activity that requires the cooperation of other players. The party leader should seek fellow synergists with the right skills needed for a particular recipe and invite them to join a party.

4) Fill up on fewell.
Synergy engineers can inform you regarding your crucible's current supply of fewell and, if required, also provide you with a top-up in exchange for gil. Alternatively, it is also possible to directly replenish the crucible using either crystals or the new synthesizable item version of fewell (alchemy skill required).

5) Claim usage over a synergy furnace.
To use a communal synergy furnace, you must first lay claim by examining it. At this point, you will be allocated a period of time to deposit the ingredients and commence the synergy process. When this has been done, your group will have exclusive access to the furnace until the synergy process is complete.
*Private synergy furnaces summoned using the aforementioned item can be used only by you and your party members.

6) Deposit the ingredients.
Only the claim-holding character may deposit ingredients into the furnace. Similarly, at the conclusion of synergy, the resultant product will be obtainable only by that character.

7) Operate the furnace.
Now comes the most invigorating and rewarding part of the process: the operation of the synergy furnace itself. Throughout the course of synergy, players must keep a close eye on the balance of elemental concentration, internal pressure, the build-up of impurities, and furnace durability. Seamless teamwork and timely application of synergy techniques is the key to success.

Potential Complications

In the hands of the untrained, synergy may prove to be a painful exercise. For instance, if left unchecked, the swelling of elemental forces and the accumulation of impurities inside the furnace are surefire recipes for explosions and leakages. Synergy participants should not be surprised if the furnace literally detonates in their faces. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and the best way to prevent is to improve your synergy prowess

Success!

The successfully synergized product will be entrusted to the supplier of ingredients, while all participants will be awarded with "cinders," a synergy by-product. Cinders act as points that can be accumulated and traded to synergy engineers in exchange for items that will aid you in your synergistic endeavors.

The Joys of Synergy

Synergy will play a central role in the recently announced Evolith system by allowing players to add and remove slots on, as well as attach evolith to weapons and armor. There will also be a host of new items that can be had exclusively through synergy.

Prepare yourself for a synthesis revolution when the Synergy system arrives!

News from Final Fantasy XI.

The Latest Evolution in Equipment—Announcing the Evolith System! (11/04/2009)

We're pleased to announce a new system that promises to offer adventurers unprecedented customization options for their equipment! Named the "Evolith" system for the curious stones whose powers must be harnessed to reap the benefits, it will be introduced in a version update coming as early as late November.

Introducing Evolith

Little more than nondescript rocks at first glance, the substance known as evolith has long escaped the notice of the inhabitants of Vana'diel. Closer investigation, however, has revealed that these ancient stones harbor elemental power to rival that of crystals. With advances in the emerging discipline of synergy*, the time has come that their latent potential may at long last be tapped...

*Synergy is a new form of synthesis conducted using a "synergy furnace."
This system will be introduced in detail in a future Topics article.

This system will be introduced in detail in a future Topics article.

With each piece of evolith possessing unique properties (*see example screenshots), adventurers may mix and match them in various combinations to bolster compatible equipment with the exact combination of attributes they desire.

*Development screenshot—subject to change.

Evolith 101

Adventurers may enhance their equipment with evolith through the following procedure:

1. Acquire evolith
- Evolith can be obtained by completing new NM hunting regimes accessible from "Hunt Registries" that will be introduced to certain areas alongside the Evolith system.
- Note that each piece of evolith is defined by a unique shape, size and elemental affinity.

 

 

 

 2. Choose the base equipment you wish to enhance
- A vast assortment of equipment will support evolith, from several hundred existing items spanning a wide range of levels to new equipment slated to be introduced alongside the Evolith system.
- You may check whether or not a particular piece of equipment supports evolith by trading it to one of the "Synergy Engineer" NPCs that will be dispatched to certain cities.

 

3. Prepare your equipment
- A maximum of three evolith-holding "slots" may be etched into a given piece of equipment via synergy.
Note that each slot will have its own shape, size, and elemental affinity, to correspond with the evolith itself.
- The etching process will require the use of dedicated items.
- Similar to augmented items, etching evolith slots into a piece of equipment will render it untradeable and unauctionable.

4. Confirm compatibility
- Ensure that the slot is of the same shape and elemental affinity, and is large enough to hold the piece of evolith you wish to attach.

5. Attach evolith
- Evolith may be attached to a compatible piece of equipment via synergy.
- It is possible to outfit a piece of equipment with as many pieces of evolith as slots it contains.

*Development screenshot—subject to change.

The Finished Product

Should your synergy be successful, congratulations! The help window for your newly evolith-enhanced equipment will appear like this:

*Development screenshot—subject to change.

- Evolith Replacement and Slot Removal
Should you wish to replace an attached piece of evolith with one offering different benefits, this may be done at time via synergy. It is also possible to remove evolith slots entirely—thereby returning the equipment to its original state—through synergy using a dedicated item. Note that in both cases, the previously attached piece of evolith will be lost.

With countless varieties of evolith in existence, the possibilities are endless. Seek out the combination that best suits your playing style, and the equipment of your dreams can be yours!

News from Final Fantasy XI.

Introducing the Add-on Trilogy Bonus Gift! (11/02/2009)

To commemorate the release of the third and final add-on scenario, we are proud to introduce the "Nexus Cape," an in-game bonus item for players who have purchased the entire trilogy. All characters under a single player account registered for all three add-ons will be eligible for this gift.
Owners of the FINAL FANTASY XI ULTIMATE COLLECTION, scheduled for release on November 10, can also shout with glee, as the gift will be available to them also.

Read on for the juicy details.

March 2nd marked the date of the SQUARE ENIX Premier Summit at their studios in Santa Monica. Members representing several leading community sites, including Stratics, were flown to Los Angeles to speak with key members of the Community and Development teams including the President and Chief Operating Officer of SQUARE ENIX, INC.

Many topics were discussed mostly centering on the fostering of greater communication lines and strengthening relations with the player base. The big announcement on everyone's lips is of course the much anticipated addition of an officially supported window mode for FINAL FANTASY XI. A release date is, as of yet, not official but word from the source is, it is coming...

Be sure to read the full story here.