Late-December Version Update (12/20/2010)

[sruon]

The final version update of the year will introduce the item search function, which players may use to search through retainer bazaars in market wards to locate specific items. The date and time of the version update are as follows.

◆Date and Time
Tuesday, December 21, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

◆The Item Search Function
This version update marks the first of several that will introduce improvements to item-based searches. The features to be added this time are listed below.
A search option that tells players how many items of a certain type are being sold in the market area with which that item type is associated.
Retainers returned by a search now have a distinguishing icon displayed above their head.

* Searches can be conducted by selecting the item search option at the entrance to any market, or from within any individual ward, row, or den.

With the introduction of the item search feature, it will now be significantly easier for players to locate specific items. We will continue to improve this system with further enhancements such as keyword-based searches, the ability to show the retainers selling an item at the lowest prices for searches returning numerous hits as with synthesis materials, and more. Concrete details regarding such information will be released in future Topics posts here on the Lodestone as they become available.

http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl/index.html

At the following time, we will be performing maintenance on FINAL FANTASY XIV. During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV will be unavailable.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

* Starting the FINAL FANTASY XIV client after the version update will cause the software to update automatically.
* Please be advised that users may experience a delay during the update process due to congestion.
* Details on the version update will be posted separately on the day of the update.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

[Date & Time]
Dec. 21, 2010 from 13:00 to 15:00 (PST)

* The completion time may be subject to change.

[Affected Service]
- FINAL FANTASY XIV

Eh, tomorrow... faster than expected.

[Balb]

Great Monday morning news! But a huge meh at implementing a lowest price search option... are you serious?

[Biggie]

Lets just hope you don't have to have the item to search for it.

[sruon]

Lets just hope you don't have to have the item to search for it.

don't give them ideas

[CasualPlayer]

Great Monday morning news! But a huge meh at implementing a lowest price search option... are you serious?

I must be missing something. Lowest price search function across any ward sounds like an AH to me.

[miokomioko]

Slightly underwhelming, but at least you don't need to rummage much anymore if the item you're after isn't very abundant.

[Hiroishime]

No to the lowest price please ;( i liked the idea of less undercuttings, great news either way for search function, was expecting something more interesting to read though.. I guess they really try to push the update before holiday starts.

[Corrderio]

Great Monday morning news! But a huge meh at implementing a lowest price search option... are you serious?

This is one thing that boggles me to. Isn't this just going to promote undercutting? Which was the exact reason the team was against an AH? Or am I missing something?

[miokomioko]

Let's hope for something like it only indicating a "lower" price if it's a certain % less, instead of simply 1 gil less.

[The Q]

Content?

Don't get me wrong search is nice and all but fairly pointless when there's nothing to strive for to get ahead in the game.

They could have, and should have, delayed the mid-december update a week and put everything in in one go.

[Balb]

@ Coord: Yea it'll do that, but they also got away from the AH to limit price gouging and fixing of specific items.

It's definitely a convenience move more than anything else, but it just seems to go against what they originally intended for this system: to allow players more freedom in their price listings to earn more of a profit. Just gotta wait to see how it's implemented I guess.

[Purrrfect]

Lets just hope you don't have to have the item to search for it.

That is EXACTLY what I'm expecting.

[The Q]

Honestly sounds like they're moving towards an idea I had for a hybrid AH/Retainer system. Lets players search wards for items but only shows items in the right wards and then either lets you find and buy yourself or buy from the "AH" for a fee.

I mean it's nice they got this out so quick I was just hoping for more content wise this year.

[Crizto]

Lets just hope you don't have to have the item to search for it.

[Izzy]

Just give me an AH and stop fucking around with me Q_Q.

[xopher]

Content?

Don't get me wrong search is nice and all but fairly pointless when there's nothing to strive for to get ahead in the game.

They could have, and should have, delayed the mid-december update a week and put everything in in one go.

Here's how they see it. They would rather build up from a fixed game than add content to a game with underlying issues.

[Arximiro]

Lets just hope you don't have to have the item to search for it.

I think the negative response to something like that would be so bad it would make it to the mainstream gaming media, surely they won't be that fucking stupid. Hopefully this new system not only let's us search for items we don't have but let's us set items to buy that we want but don't have in our bazarrs. I'm not getting my hopes up by any means, just hoping they read this.

[Drako]

I think the negative response to something like that would be so bad it would make it to the mainstream gaming media, surely they won't be that fucking stupid. Hopefully this new system not only let's us search for items we don't have but let's us set items to buy that we want but don't have in our bazarrs. I'm not getting my hopes up by any means, just hoping they read this.

im also expecting that we will need the item to be able to search, only after the keyword based search that we will be able to search for itens we dont have.

[Arximiro]

If we need the item to search the system would be a huge fail ass piece of shit and would cause a mass outflow of anger from the community.

[The Q]

Here's how they see it. They would rather build up from a fixed game than add content to a game with underlying issues.

I agree with this. However at the same time they need to give incentive for people still playing to keep playing beyond the hope of new things on the horizon. The new NM's feel like a quick stop-gap solution to keep max rank players complacent but there's still a lot of issues hurting those who aren't.

Here's to hoping for the new year.

Also from what I can make of the exceedingly vague wording I expect the item search feature to currently work like this: We will not have the ability to search for specific items. We'll get a list of certain item types and rank ranges, say for example body armor rank 10-15 or mining tool rank 20-30. It'll then spit out how many items of that criteria are located where and mark the retainers holding those items.

This all remains speculation til tomorrow evening however.