The Final Fantasy XI Team Answers Your Questions! (01/20/2011)

[Krazy]

*FINAL FANTASY XI will see more frequent version updates in the future, with the introduction of small-scale patches to complement the major releases seen thus far. The first of these is scheduled to take place in mid-February, with further details to be made known via Topics in the coming weeks.

Q: Are there plans to lift level restrictions placed upon battlefields for nation of allegiance missions?

A: Yes. To begin with, we are planning to lift level restrictions currently in place for the battlefields listed below, the implementation of which is expected to take place ahead of the next major version update.
- San d'Oria: Journey Abroad / The Ruins of Fei'Yin
- Bastok: The Emissary / Darkness Rising
- Windurst: The Three Kingdoms / The Final Seal
The lifting of level restrictions is also being considered for certain other quests in the future.

Q: Very few items are being auctioned at each of the three nations, making it difficult to acquire what I need.

A: An auction house merger is in the pipes for the next major version update, which will make it possible for players to bid for and sell a particular item at all auction houses. As this change may profoundly impact the in-game economy and flow of items and gil, due consideration will be given to all aspects of the merger leading up to its implementation.

Q: Will the item awarded for completing the Treasures of Aht Urhgan missions be made reobtainable in the future?

A: Yes. Players will be given the option of reobtaining the reward item ahead of the next major version update.

Q: I'd like to undertake Fields of Valor training regimes more often than once per Vana'diel day.

A: We are moving to abolish the per-day training limit imposed upon Fields of Valor, and expect to be able to deliver this change ahead of the next major version update. The gil and tab reward allocated for the completion of each regime, however, will be issued no more than once per day.

Q: The area surrounding the Port Jeuno NPCs Joachim and Horst is constantly overcrowded. Are there any plans to alleviate this congestion?

A: In the next major version update, we intend to make the popular services offered by these two NPCs available across the three nations and places beyond. In so doing, we hope to resolve the issue of overcrowding in Port Jeuno.

Q: Atma infusion and traverser stone issuance are really bothersome procedures. Can't anything be done to simplify things?

A: For the next major version update, we are considering ways to streamline the atma infusion process, such as introducing a feature whereby players can edit and save their favored atma combinations for later use. With regards to traverser stones, we intend to make them available for collection in bulk. This adjustment we expect to be able to implement ahead of the next major version update.

Q: The WHM job trait Divine Benison sometimes fails to activate for characters equipped with certain combinations of gear. Will this issue be rectified in the near future?

A: Following testing, it has been determined that the above issue occurs for players simultaneously equipped with a Magian trial-enhanced Lv.90 Yagrush and either Orison Pantaloons +1 or Orison Pantaloons +2. This problem will be rectified in the next major version update.

Q: I can't seem to obtain the Shadow Sachet item...

A: Following testing, it has been determined that the Shadow Sachet was not being dropped by certain enemies as intended. This problem will be rectified in the next major version update.

Q: Of all the items used to enhance Empyrean Armor pieces, the Card of Wieldance alone seems rather elusive to obtain. Are there any plans to increase its drop rate?

A: Following testing, it has been determined that the drop rate for the Card of Wieldance is lower than intended. Alongside other cards in the series, this item will be made into a guaranteed drop come the next major version update.

[Massimo]

No questions about Apademak or Dragua? lol

[Julian]

Except for the fact that they're just responding to the JP ones and completely ignoring the NA ones, this is pretty cool. Smaller patches just to change stuff (for the better) are also welcome, imo, as long as the regular big patches aren't affected.

I wish more people would complain about the 5 trial limit so they'd respond to that

[Julian]

edit: laaaaaaaaaaaag

[Kaisha]

A: Yes. To begin with, we are planning to lift level restrictions currently in place for the battlefields listed below, the implementation of which is expected to take place ahead of the next major version update.
- San d'Oria: Journey Abroad / The Ruins of Fei'Yin
- Bastok: The Emissary / Darkness Rising
- Windurst: The Three Kingdoms / The Final Seal
The lifting of level restrictions is also being considered for certain other quests in the future.

Looks like I'm coming back for a month to grind my RDM from 80 to cap, and just solo'ing the Bastok missions.

Been wanting to do it for years now, but fuck finding people for M5-1. Guess I should get WoTG out of the way too as I got a couple missions before final fight in that, and then I've done all the bloody missions in the game. Stupid OCD ticks....

Removal of FoV day-requirement makes me wonder if they'll just remove the books and instead let us summon them whenever with an item, like the Magian trial thinger. Would make BST solo all the more accessible not having to run a mile from camp just to get RR/Refresh enchants.


Not subscribed since the first month of the first Abyssea, would be nice to do some clean-up as I honestly don't care for Abyssea and how it kinda wrecked the levelling process for the rest of the game.


[EDIT] Also for some reason, I'm expecting SE to nerf the gil reward in the nation quests as an onslaught of trial accounts start running through nation quests with a lvl90 solo'ing it all for them.

[Cesaria]

I think it would have been much more funny if they cast Ultima-ga on everyone around Joachim who hadn't moved for the last hour and watch him slowly disappear in a pile of corpses. Wouldn't have cured the lag - but would have been hilarious.

Was planning on running my mule up to Rank 10 Bastok and Windy - makes that a lot more of a potential goer at least.

[Kaslo]

Q: Very few items are being auctioned at each of the three nations, making it difficult to acquire what I need.

A: An auction house merger is in the pipes for the next major version update, which will make it possible for players to bid for and sell a particular item at all auction houses. As this change may profoundly impact the in-game economy and flow of items and gil, due consideration will be given to all aspects of the merger leading up to its implementation.

Q: The area surrounding the Port Jeuno NPCs Joachim and Horst is constantly overcrowded. Are there any plans to alleviate this congestion?

A: In the next major version update, we intend to make the popular services offered by these two NPCs available across the three nations and places beyond. In so doing, we hope to resolve the issue of overcrowding in Port Jeuno.

Back to having my HP in Bastok!

[Tavjon]

I'd keep my HP in Port J just to show off my cool town gear

[ringthree]

Except for the fact that they're just responding to the JP ones and completely ignoring the NA ones, this is pretty cool. Smaller patches just to change stuff (for the better) are also welcome, imo, as long as the regular big patches aren't affected.

I wish more people would complain about the 5 trial limit so they'd respond to that

There is going to be an inherent amount of lag between NA responses compared to JP responses. This sucks, yes, but man this is WAY more responsive than anything we have ever seen before. Keep in mind that this post is just a few days after they opened the twitter. I am willing to see where this goes before I start worrying about an NA/JP bias.

[Shenrien]

really? people complaining about lag in Port Jeuno? I lag more in Whitegate then I do in Port Jeuno..

[Guitarman]

Q: Atma infusion and traverser stone issuance are really bothersome procedures. Can't anything be done to simplify things?

A: For the next major version update, we are considering ways to streamline the atma infusion process, such as introducing a feature whereby players can edit and save their favored atma combinations for later use. With regards to traverser stones, we intend to make them available for collection in bulk. This adjustment we expect to be able to implement ahead of the next major version update.

Holy fuck THANK YOU.

[Absolutely Virtue]

I haven't been following the feed all that closely, but it's awfully emo to suggest they're 'ignoring' the NA player base. Plenty of NA players were complaining about xp pre-Abyssea.

I don't understand the big deal about the ToAU rewards. Was it that if you tossed the ring you couldn't get it again? I never even knew that, but then again I only got off my ass and finished them recently.

[Xavier]

Better late than never -- I don't know what's going on here but I'm running out of complaints, bravo.

[Siatdiat]

In addition to taking limit off of fovs for xp, I'd like to see it become impossible to get xp in Abyssea until level 60-65 or so. I don't really have a purpose in joining Abyssea pick up xp, but have done +1/+2 emp items with WHM/BLM who leeched their job to 90 and think that their sub makes it viable for them to come for DD. Just overall tried of meeting people who leeched like 10+ jobs to 90 and suck terribly at all of them, having an attitude that you could understand from someone who just started playing below level 30, but not from someone who has 10 level 90 jobs... I don't blacklist people, but I am getting an incredibly long list of people who I will never do any actual events with ever again.

I'd like to see someone bring up a good reason for getting xp in Abyssea at lower levels. Besides wanting to leech xp.

[Zirael]

Except for the fact that they're just responding to the JP ones and completely ignoring the NA ones, this is pretty cool. Smaller patches just to change stuff (for the better) are also welcome, imo, as long as the regular big patches aren't affected.

I wish more people would complain about the 5 trial limit so they'd respond to that

Hurray for weekly 2 hour update in EU prime time (17-19GMT). So looking forward to it.

[Classikmage]

Q: Will the item awarded for completing the Treasures of Aht Urhgan missions be made reobtainable in the future?

A: Yes. Players will be given the option of reobtaining the reward item ahead of the next major version update.

FTFMW! I can finally get rid of my Balrahn's!

[Massimo]

In addition to taking limit off of fovs for xp, I'd like to see it become impossible to get xp in Abyssea until level 60-65 or so. I don't really have a purpose in joining Abyssea pick up xp, but have done +1/+2 emp items with WHM/BLM who leeched their job to 90 and think that their sub makes it viable for them to come for DD. Just overall tried of meeting people who leeched like 10+ jobs to 90 and suck terribly at all of them, having an attitude that you could understand from someone who just started playing below level 30, but not from someone who has 10 level 90 jobs... I don't blacklist people, but I am getting an incredibly long list of people who I will never do any actual events with ever again.

I'd like to see someone bring up a good reason for getting xp in Abyssea at lower levels. Besides wanting to leech xp.

Fuck off. If you don't wanna do shit with idiots, get some friends. Pickup people always sucked and they always will suck, there's nothing you can do about it.

[Manque]

The ability to get into Abyssea from other places is all well and good, but I wonder how /sh will work now... will things become too sparse? I hope the community decides on a "main" area for such /sh to happen in.

[arus2001]

All the "Nerf Abyssea!" crap with a higher level cap or blocking EXP needs to just die, too. Did people forget that EXP beforehand basically boiled down to people (paying for) Astral Burning or competing for limited camps in Ron[S] or Bhaflau? I don't miss that shit (or perpetually losing my food effect, for that matter).

[EDIT] Also for some reason, I'm expecting SE to nerf the gil reward in the nation quests as an onslaught of trial accounts start running through nation quests with a lvl90 solo'ing it all for them.

Seeing how later stuff can require going into Zilart areas, at best they'll be able to hit Rank 6. I'd think to do this with any level of haste, you'd need to be position hacking, have people stationed to farm/kill shit, and otherwise be stupid obvious you're trying to exploit. I wouldn't worry about it, personally.

[calinz]

All this talk about "ahead of schedule" and "the next major version update" leads me to think that maybe we're not gonna see a big update until late March >_> And instead we'll be getting a small adjustment update with this stuff...