New Assault Area (03/01/2007)

[Spira]

just like those ship fights not requiring a tag but still being 'assault' i guess.

the more i read the update the more interesting it looks. there wont be unlimited floors because it says you will need many tokens to get to the highest floor. it also says you'll do average of 5 floors per run. so you may do a few runs get to the 3rd block and have to farm that block for awhile just to get to the 4th block.

they also arent exactly mentioning what these tokens are...
each block of floors may give u different types of tokens

if they end up being tradeable or bazaarable, they may become in effect like ur sky/sea triggers. with people farming the first block (tier 1) to reach the 2nd and the 2nd to reach the 3rd.. maybe after u hit a particular block of floors, u hit the unique new monsters that drop the paydirt loot lol

sky/sea/tower? lol

[Sagacious Sundi]

I don't recall the limbus update notes, but did those have Fafnir, Behemoth, and Aspid pictures? Just wondering if they showed those pictures and if people had the same idea that they were going to drop king gear.

When they first announced, it was some people by a crag I think.
On the update notes, it was a picture of Temenos with some tigers and Apollyon (can't recall if any monsters were shown there).

EDIT: From the sounds of this, I personally don't think it's going to be considered by players the endgame zone of ToAU (especially since there's practically 0 requirements). Rather, it has the potential to be past endgame content merged into one. I'm still cheering for Hazhalm as the sky/sea. \:D/

[Demitrius]

"HAY GUYZ WE MADE IT TO THE TENTH FLOOR!!!"

"Nowai, what'd you find?"

"Tom Tat Tits {Found it!}"

If it randomly pulls NMs out of all the areas of the world, this is going to get hysterical really fast. Maybe the last boss IS Bubbly Bernie.

[ringthree]

Difference? You dont have to stand in one spot for 3 hours to camp it if you dont want. Its the same concept, but your effort isn't measured in camping hours, its measured in REAL effort and work @ assault.

This is the real brilliance if it works as we all hope.

Look, they aren't going to start handing out the best gear in the game, so forget that. You think the Divisor Ring drop rate is bad?

Think of it this way, you get how many Ridill's in a week of FFXI? Maybe 1 if your lucky? Now it will just be two chances of getting that Ridill. It's just an alternative to getting those items IF they are even available. So stop thinking this is your grand opportunity to get that gear you have been waiting in line for months for, its not your salvation, but it is a chance. And that chance comes without standing in the same place for three hours just to be out-botted.

[Dammerung]

For reference, here's what they said for the Assault-style quests:

Participation Requirements
Players can participate regardless of mercenary rank once having progressed to a certain point in the Treasures of Aht Urhgan storyline (Aht Urhgan missions).

Level Restrictions and Member Requirements
In the current Assault missions, it is possible to impose a voluntary level restriction on your mercenary party. However, the new quests based on the Assault system are all unrestricted, with no option for setting level limits.
Member requirements will remain the same, with 3 to 6 mercenaries required to undertake these quests.

Rewards
After defeating a notorious monster, a treasure chest will appear. The contents of this treasure will differ depending on certain conditions.

No mention of tags there either...

Well, I didn't care much for salvage anyway.

[Ninjiz]

I'm not sure why everyone is talking about Fafnir being in here when they specifically said that only a max of 6 peopel can enter, lol.

Anyway this sounds like pure fucking win, I can't wait to try it.

B/c the real deal is definitely 6-man-able? Especially w/ an instanced, non-zerg form, you could probably do it with less.

Certainly not by MOST groups of people. It's possible by a small number of extremely well equipped endgame groups. This is supposed to be for everyone >.>

umm shouldnt that be the point????? By doing that it gives everyone ACCESS, but keeps the things RARE by adding workable difficulty with very strong mobs. Thats how it shoulld be.

And what do you mean access to all? It HAS access to all... doesnt mean it ENTITLES "everyone" to easy King lvl drops. The super powerful stuff should be harder, while alllowing "average" players to still get other goodies.

[Pacha]

I'm really excited about this.

Sounds like how far you can go in these new assaults isn't determined by what assault rank you have reached. On the other hand, it would be cool imo if you have to be the highest assault rank to reach the upper lvl's. This would finally give an incentive to rank up in assault and it would seperate the players a bit. Hopefully, if these assaults aren't affected by rank, some reward will be given in the future for ranking up besides just being able to do higher lvl assaults.

[Ninjiz]

I don't recall the limbus update notes, but did those have Fafnir, Behemoth, and Aspid pictures? Just wondering if they showed those pictures and if people had the same idea that they were going to drop king gear.

When they first announced, it was some people by a crag I think.
On the update notes, it was a picture of Temenos with some tigers and Apollyon (can't recall if any monsters were shown there).

EDIT: From the sounds of this, I personally don't think it's going to be considered by players the endgame zone of ToAU (especially since there's practically 0 requirements). Rather, it has the potential to be past endgame content merged into one. I'm still cheering for Hazhalm as the sky/sea. \:D/

Whats Hazhalm??

[Ryko]

Not holding my breath.

[Matricide]

And what do you mean access to all? It HAS access to all... doesnt mean it ENTITLES "everyone" to easy King lvl drops. The super powerful stuff should be harder, while alllowing "average" players to still get other goodies.

Yeah. They wouldn't do this without making the difficulty of obtaining it = chance of claiming. Similar to LoO and KC BCNM now. So, take out the claim bottleneck, and you have left with difficulty and ldrop rates. I'm hoping if this is what we think that it's just the difficulty that's been adjusted (but obviously possible or what would be the point? lolAV). Similarly, LoO isn't a difficult fight, nor is the BCNM, they just made it similar by really lowering the drop rate.

[Ashira]

I sort of see this Assault as a sort of "Holodeck," it says you walk in and the area will change every time you go in; so it like puts you in whatever area the mobs you end up fighting are from - thus answering why Fafnir or Behemoth, etc, are in ToAU. And doesn't thorougly discount sky gods (they're the Zilart expansion too, just like Kings) from being there, though a six person Seiryu/Byakko will certainly be interesting. 6 person Kings doesn't entirely frighten me, I've seen it done.

What if you walked in and it was King Ranperre's Tomb and you found yourself face to face with Vrtra.... :D

Also, I recall Salvage also said "There are no requirements" in the update announcement, and then we found you had to be past Black Coffin, so obviously there is something off in translation or what they are considering "requirements," if they mean tags/points/rank etc vs actually being at a certain point in missions.

EDIT: best possible fight to walk into - finding yourself in an instanced Ru'Avitau with Ullikummi wandering around. I would possibly cry in happiness - except my static Assault group is 5 people from one HNMLS and then me from a separate.

[Heian]

If it randomly pulls NMs out of all the areas of the world, this is going to get hysterical really fast. Maybe the last boss IS Bubbly Bernie.

If this is true then I'm coming back. Seriously.

[Sagacious Sundi]

I don't recall the limbus update notes, but did those have Fafnir, Behemoth, and Aspid pictures? Just wondering if they showed those pictures and if people had the same idea that they were going to drop king gear.

When they first announced, it was some people by a crag I think.
On the update notes, it was a picture of Temenos with some tigers and Apollyon (can't recall if any monsters were shown there).

EDIT: From the sounds of this, I personally don't think it's going to be considered by players the endgame zone of ToAU (especially since there's practically 0 requirements). Rather, it has the potential to be past endgame content merged into one. I'm still cheering for Hazhalm as the sky/sea. \:D/

Whats Hazhalm??

An area where alchemists fused the parts of various organisms to create new creatures known as chimeras. Lamiae, Merrows, puks, Mandragora, hydras, and khimairas were created here among many others, with khimairas being the originals. It is also supposedly where the earliest blue mages were created and thus likely the home of many flan and soulflayers. The Halvung Moblin employer Megomak currently has an interest with the testing grounds' contents.

(Yes, I stole that from the FFXIclopedia's Hazhalm Testing Grounds page, but I'm pretty sure I added that to the wiki.)

Also, note that Hazhalm is similar to Hall of the Gods and Sealion's Den in that the areas are unique. Hall of the Gods is a battlefield-like area with a map (it's closest to the Altar Room I would guess) and Sealion's Den is a battlefield with NPCs and a map but can't be searched. Hazhalm seems to be a gigantic battlefield area but it can be searched, unlike BCNM/ENM/ISNM/Assault areas (which would put it closer to Dynamis/Limbus/Salvage, though.)

[Damane]

if SE decides to let ridill/D.ring abjurations drop in this new assault areas, then it will be very difficult. I doubt that they scale the Kings extremly down so you can beat it with 6 people easy and pimp your 6 man group out in a matter of 2-3 months by repeating repeating repeating. I think theese fights will be the same as the normal kings, just with 6 people instead of 18. I mean honestly kings are fuckign easy to beat with 18 people, even with 6 if you have just unlimited time (the SSJ mode blocks the 6 man fights or makes them alot more risky). Maybe they will just adjust a bit their maximum HP slightly. You want astonishing gear? Be victorious in an amazing fight.

[Sagacious Sundi]

I sort of see this Assault as a sort of "Holodeck," it says you walk in and the area will change every time you go in; so it like puts you in whatever area the mobs you end up fighting are from - thus answering why Fafnir or Behemoth, etc, are in ToAU. And doesn't thorougly discount sky gods (they're the Zilart expansion too, just like Kings) from being there, though a six person Seiryu/Byakko will certainly be interesting. 6 person Kings doesn't entirely frighten me, I've seen it done.

What if you walked in and it was King Ranperre's Tomb and you found yourself face to face with Vrtra.... :D

Also, I recall Salvage also said "There are no requirements" in the update announcement, and then we found you had to be past Black Coffin, so obviously there is something off in translation or what they are considering "requirements," if they mean tags/points/rank etc vs actually being at a certain point in missions.

EDIT: best possible fight to walk into - finding yourself in an instanced Ru'Avitau with Ullikummi wandering around. I would possibly cry in happiness - except my static Assault group is 5 people from one HNMLS and then me from a separate.

While that would be pretty cool, the picture clearly shows a behemoth, wyrm, flan, and soulflayer chilaxin' in an Alzadaal-like area. Doesn't mean they can change it mid-development, though! >_>

[Ashira]

While that would be pretty cool, the picture clearly shows a behemoth, wyrm, flan, and soulflayer chilaxin' in an Alzadaal-like area. Doesn't mean they can change it mid-development, though! >_>

True, but it could be like... ToaUized. Or something. I dont' know, it just doesn't seem right to just completely take them out of their element. The similars in Limbus aren't named the same so can instead be like an empty reflection; but this sounds like these would be.

[TsingTao]

Let's hope they cut the tag cooldown from 24hr to 12-18hr. Salvage entry, Assault gear, and now this will seriously bottleneck with a 24hr timer.

In general though I'm cautiously, "I've been hopeful before then wound up shat on" excited. At the very least it will be fun simply due to the randomly generated nature and more open ended design. Both are unique, new twists from SE and I want to see how they implement it.

[levish]

Lots of potential :D

Kinda like the BCNM battles for High End items we've been asking for.

Especially nice with the "complete" memory and being able to restart next time from the last floor you completed.

[divisortheory]

What about the fact that only 1 person gets the data "recorded"? If I'm reading it correctly, it means only one person's progress will be saved, whiel the rest can just go fuck themselves and be forever stuck to Floor 1.

If only 1 player in your group has Floor 5 recorded, can everyone warp to floor 5? Or is this their way of lengthening the time, to make it so that groups have to repeat these assaults for everyone in the group to get them higher before they can actually continue where they left off?

[Seraphise]

XXXX Defeats Fafnir.
You find a ??? Box on Fafnir.