FFXI Fan Festival Report and Pictures!

[Apelila]

So I've got some stuff coming, today was very, very epic. After I finish dinner for the second announce thingy I'm going back.

My connections being crappier than normal, so I was only able to upload a pictures. I'll let it speak for itself.
New directory is http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...x/Fanfestday2/
Edit: I left shitty connection going, I can only upload 100 pictures at a time. Its doing that right now. I'll finish when I get back, so go to that URL and see stuff. But note, that the better pictures are later. :D

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...stday2/omg.jpg.

Scholar looks like it just made RDM a sub job. Seriously. Dancer seems kind of broken since all their abilities are based off TP, and apparently they're main weapons are daggers. Not exactly something we've seen put in the front lines @ endgame. I have yet to play the demo they had setup, because their line system @ this festival was dumb. Lets get the bitching about that out of the way since I don't have alot of time and its the small, only real complaint I have.

Remember the 2 hour line from hell from day 1? That really couldn't be avoided unless you know, you registered on day2 when no one else was doing it. But then you missed bonding. Uh...guess what i'm doing next time?

The store and the WOG display are another story. The WOG display has a line, a waiting area, where people wait to play the game. After the previous group is done, people go through this line and hand out tickets for the next group, 72 total. You know those lines at six flags like this and how gay they are? Thats how gay this is. You wait around for a chance to wait in line, and if you don't make it you wait for the chance to wait in line NEXT TIME but garunteed to make it. An easier system would have been letting 72 people wait between shifts, and closing the line after its full until the next cycle, avoiding tickets which can be hoarded all together.

Of course, I'm just a bit pissed off because after the mornings announcements I was 10th in line and then they announced that only people who got tickets from a random employee out in the crowd outside could play. Its just as well, I spent the rest of the day with some awesome people, and my team is in the atomos challenge (#13).

On to the store. Ah, the store the store the store. They had a 4 wrap around section for the store roped off. After this was full, and the line was well backed up behind the games and out the doors, they announced they where locking the line and that if you weren't behind the ropes to fuck off. Guess who was RIGHT AT THE FUCKING GOD DAMN ROPES? I was told to GTFO by a staff member (not a merc) while trying to check out what they had on display before they where alllowing people in, so I said meh and noted to come back shortly. Then a staff member made a big fucking deal of me getting out of there while I was trying to ask questions about the items being sold online from a merc. Dude was suffering from little man complex so I'll just look back at it and laugh.

Short story: Nov 19'th everything (Rings, Key chains, Love) will be on sale on square-enix.com. There was no mention of limited quantity like the JP sale.

Those are the ONLY Negative things that happened today, and they definetly DO NOT make it any less awesome that it was and continues to be since i'm heading back very shortly. I just wanted to get less smelly, being squished together doesn't do alot for body heat. Also, one more picture (Finally) uploaded, so I leave you with it.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...day2/wdoor.jpg

[Khamsin]

How early on Thursday did they run out of tickets to sell at the door? 7am? 8am?

[Skeetaru]

I would so be there if I wasn't on the East Coast right now, I'd get in fights I'm sure.

Church, seriously... next year if we are still playing this game lets go to Fan Festival. Ill call Heian and if he isnt busy combing his 'fro or something he will come too, ill make him.

[Shiroken]

Fucking cheese sandwitch.....

Oh, if u don't get it. Somone asked the dev pannel if cheese sandwitch would ne put in the game.

[Kysmet]

Short story: Nov 19'th everything (Rings, Key chains, Love) will be on sale on square-enix.com. There was no mention of limited quantity like the JP sale.

I don't care if I'm from Windurst, I'm gettin' myself a wannabe astral ring. YES!

[Chicomagiko]

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...o/IMG_0051.jpg

lol though i did see some folks here and there.

The line to play WoTG was epic phail.

EPIC PHAIL

I have some Sundi pics that would probably make some awesome macro'd images but i gotta upload them.

Props to whoever kept shouting "wut" whenever he spoke.

Edit: here's the Rapidshare to all the pics that i took.

http://rapidshare.com/files/70278535/FanFest1.rar.html

EdIt #2:

Here are the pics of sundi for those who dont want to waddle through a bunch of pics:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...o/IMG_0083.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...o/IMG_0073.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...o/IMG_0072.jpg <~~ took this from like 40 ft away **cough stalker cough**

[Lordwafik]

I would so be there if I wasn't on the East Coast right now, I'd get in fights I'm sure.

Church, seriously... next year if we are still playing this game lets go to Fan Festival. Ill call Heian and if he isnt busy combing his 'fro or something he will come too, ill make him.

I'm coming to the next fan fest for sure <_< Was planning to go to USA again next year, what better time than Fanfest

[Apelila]

SELECT pictures first, then the update. Jesus, the update. One here, one in my LJ tonight.

I took 240 pictures today, and that was because my camera died at the start of the dev panel. If you look in that link @ the top of this page 3, there are a metric shit ton of potentially juicy WOG hints.

Like this:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...DSC00321-1.jpg

I apolgize for the blurriness, it was hard at first to get my camera to capture text until I got the hang of it. This shows the Elvaan, Tarutaru, and Galka Migrations.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00324.jpg

This shows Hume, Elvaan, Galka Settlements before the Tarutaru took over the world. Yes, they took over the world. I believe elmer's pointy history says this, I want to go to sleep so I don't really want to go through that and see if they retconned this. I unfortunatly didn't get pictures of the windurst campaign, but there was a picture where windurst controls both continents 90% and the other nations are just tribes.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00334.jpg
Shows nations as they developed their first borders. Also shows beastmen issues, Taru's where always fighting yags.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00335.jpg
RDM? Hat looks off.

Also, anyone looking @ the pictures in the folder wondering what the swirly lights are i'm taking pictures of: the announcer who wouldn't stay still. This is the closest I could get to a stable picture of him.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00313.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00346.jpg
The world after the building of Jeuno. Note the beastmen flags, I don't recall having ever seen these in game before.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00350.jpg
The world after the start of the Crystal War

And then they showed dancer/scholar, I wasn't taking pictures because I was paying attention becuase of the deluge of information about the 2 jobs.

Costumes:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00388.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00382.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00378.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...ay2/garuda.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00412.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/hotlusaf.jpg
this is a bad picture, this guy was taller than me (i'm 6'4") and hot. But he was with a fat chick.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...y2/ohjesus.jpg

I met map
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...stday2/map.jpg
I stalked indelica
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00233.jpg
I found a protest
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00224.jpg
OMG CAIT SITH
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00435.jpg
Sundi was around alot actually.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00415.jpg
I know one person from ingame on this.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00420.jpg

[Tomiko]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00346.jpg

Target: Proud sponsor of WotG.

I met map
-Map Pic-

Taller than I expected. Kudos for the lolsash though :D

[Lordshin]

:O

The beastmen flags have been in the game since the strongholds xD

theyre in there

but wow... those maps look kinda cool
and lol at the garuda cosplayer xD

[Apelila]

Todays write up is brief, explained @ the end. More tomorrow. ^_^
Things I learned today:

Nynja should never, ever come to one of these and announce who he is. 2 people in my party @ the live event asked if he was there. If your reading this Nynja, I don't have a beef with you. In fact, I respect whatever the fuck you did so that half of the people across all servers know you, good or bad.

There is probably alot more around here to do than just this, there's like a million hotels and I always see people walking around outside. Hell, I saw a group of fully uniformed marines with ladies dressed up tonight. I don't know where they where going, I was just like 'ok, hot, hot, ok, no no no'.

The body builder convertion next to the ffxi convention = oh god, I walked into the bathroom when they're all changing? There is a god and he loves me today.

Some japanese people shouldn't smile. It makes you wonder 'is that woman....or a man'.

Pregger Mithra: DO NOT WANT.

If your actually attractive, cosplaying with tights is an INVITATION for EVERYONE to stare at your ASS. If this might bother you, then DON"T WEAR TIGHTS.

Cell phones don't work in the hilton unless you have AT&T.

Going to a convention alone has advantages. So does going with your signifigant other. Hanging on your SO like your are 4 and need boobie cuddle time though, makes everyone feel dirty. Stop doing it. (This is for a chick, btw).

Cait sith is a girl.

Blue mages are mad because they get nothing till next year.

This guy should not be listend to for multiple reasons:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00247.jpg

This IM confused me (Also, nice IE7 404 error) until tonight.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00304.jpg
Yes, they're actually pretending like someone acted surprised that a friend was in FFXI and an instant messenger @ the same time. (lol)

I want to have an entrance like this guy:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00295.jpg

A much better picture of the Valefor people from last night:
Ninja edit: An actually better picture. Sorry your eyes are close kritz, but uh.... look at this one
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y163/x ... C00393.jpg
and tell me which you'd prefer people to see.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00392.jpg

Quick write up because I have to be awake in 6 hours:

There was a massive line and no one knew what to expect when going in. There where tables with like, 8 chairs for each server. Yes, this resulted in lol.
The initial windower announcement had people more happy that the 19'th update was going to be an update update instead of just the WoG preinstall, and no one noticed the lol in with the messenger window. Or if they did, it was forgotten because right after that someone who I forget had a kick ass intro. So many people who matter in the game got named today, you'll forgive me if i don't remember them.

He then proceeded to tell us about the history of vanadiel. I think this was to establish a timeline officially on the english side, since all we've had is elmers wonderful translations until now. (I mean that to, i almost fell asleep at this because I knew most of it already and they where skipping crap).

Then they got to the new jobs.
Scholar looks like RDM with pimp sauce sprinkled on top.
Dancer looks....well, fun until HNMs. Then it looks god damn useless. But I can see it having its place in events where melee thats a WHM would be good.

Then they let us free to the events, and I completed the live event. Everyone who does so gets another, as of yet unannounced ingame item.
There was a vast majority more then that that happened throughout the day, but I hope you'll forgive me and let me sleep for right now, my pain meds are kicking in. Since i've done the major time sucking events tomorrow I'll write up more and more and more. And take more pictures. <3

[Senoska]

how has no one punched Map in the face yet? From the looks of sundi, someone already got to him.

[tyven]

holy shit @ garuda

[Carmi]

holy shit @ the Puppetmaster duo costume... Damn nice job on that...

[Cjskater]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00382.jpg

So this is why Ryko never updates his LJ.

[Indalecia]

The guy with the Nerf Utsusemi is actually Achika. Can't see it all, but it is a funny shirt.

Map and a few of my friends did the Serpent generals quest when the line cleared out.

Btw, where was tekki on second day? I didn't see him anywhere.

Edit: oh yeah, Aspidbagelone is taller than just about anyone there...with a white guy afro...scary.

Edit2: Talked with Pikko dont know if she posted yet, she asked Dev's about Almighty Apkallu...they had no clue what the fuck she was talking about. GG

[Kriz]

Ah glare, the bane of existence.

I think the shot with my eyes closed makes me look fine as compared to the glare!

[Thistle]

Everyone who does so gets another, as of yet unannounced ingame item

Hmm.

http://ff11creatersvoice.cocolog-nifty. ... hoto_5.jpg

http://ff11creatersvoice.cocolog-nifty. ... hoto_4.jpg

Hope those aren't it, because I want the blue one!

[Nirokun!]

YES ELVAAN DUDE

YES YES

WHERE ARE THE SILLY EARS?

BUT STILL YES

[Apelila]

Ok, A better write up Go. I've got an couple hours to kill, i'm gonna let the WoG line dissipate and recover some.

So yesterday started out foggy. God, I love weather other than SUN SUN SUN. Like anyone cares. Walked over to the hilton, trying not to loose a lung on the way.
Got there, took a couple pictures of the crowds milling around (thats why there's pictures of random people standing around in my photobucket). Then they let us into the entryway next to the carnival games, but they hadn't opened the doors yet. Unlike other events i've been to, this was a very calm procession. People where excited but not rushing to be first or anything.

Here is the area outside the doors before they where opened. The running of the nerds:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00256.jpg

I met imperial ninja from Allah and got a picture outside in the line.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00261.jpgI want a moggle cap

When I got in, the first thing I saw was all the WOG computers. Then to the left, the stage and all the tables/chairs.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00263.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00262.jpg

Also, the atomos challenge computers. Also, the heros thingy computers. More on those later, my teams in the Atomos challenge (and we're going to fucking loose horribly) So Going through the tables, they had server names on them. I started on the far right, and by the time I found my server it was the last table I tried. I can now say i'm 1/32 on claim in real life.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00264.jpg

People showed up, and lots of people stood on the chairs to hold the signs higher.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00268.jpg

The Tables though, we we're asked from refraining from. Blah blah safety. A video started with all the people from SE who work on the game saying thank you in various languages, saying thank you for playing. And then the windower announcement. Like I said earlier in this thread, they showed someone in an IM window being confused as to how they where on IM and in FFXI at the same time. Had this been announced @ the dev panel I think it would have gotten more lol's, but being the first announcement it was greated with applause and wonderment. Seriously, being in the room for this and what came next was something awesome.

Also: old guy, shut up. Yes, your a fan. Your a fan like the drunken guy @ the ball game, we don't want to get arrested so we don't beat you, but that doesn't mean your not annoying everyone within a 20 foot radius.

Now the stage was hidden by a curtain up to this point, all the videos where on 4 giant screens on the left and right of the curtain. I honestly don't remember who was behind the curtain, but the had a god damn impressive entrance. Everything was dark and the announcer was saying who it was, and the curtain fell:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00295.jpg
And they where standing there in the middle of lazer lights and fog, like 'hell yes, i'm awesome.'I THINK it wasTanaka, but I'm not sure. Kenichi Iwao was after him,I was taking pictures (obviously) so I missed some names.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...2/DSC00296.jpg

Note the standing ovation. This was an awesome entrance, and it got better from there. He basically went over the history of vanadiel, which to anyone who doesn't read this site was new and incredibly interesting. I was trying to spot any differences between the histories, the only thing that seemed new was the beastmen bliztkrieg through the world overtaking it before the foundation of the nation's alliance. (Yes, they used blitzkrieg when describing the campaign).

After the history lesson, they demoed dancer. Other people have better summaries of this, i was trying to wrap my head around it while watching. I noticed most TP moves didn't take any more than 10. I also noticed that there are a metric shit ton of job abilities. Same with scholar. No information was given about abilities and levels, so its still very possible scholar wont be the super awesome infinite mage sub people are predicting. It WILL be good, and its obvious that they designed it with sub capabilities AND main capabilities in mind, but there are still a lot of questions that need answering.

When demoing the jobs they where running XI in debug mode. They had a macro that swapped from dancer to scholar, and accedentally showed a bunch of the // comands before that (lol).

While they where finishing up scholar, I noted the time and made my way over to the WoG side of the room. When I got there, they where asking for our red tickets, and told us someone outside was handing them out. I was told without that I wouldn't be let in, and many people behind me had one, so I left to go do other things. I found out this morning from someone else that they actually forgot to put the tickets in our gobbie bags, and that if I'd stayed I could have played. (insert sound of someone kicking me in the balls here). So yea. I'm not that butt hurt about it, I'll get to play it today. I'm going to wait for the store to open, which will thin all event lines out a lot. I also think that the line for the line debacle I described yesterday kept many people from going through because they didn't want to wait around.

Walking away I got a part invite! LOL. There where people all around forming live quest groups, and I walked by one that needed one last member. I spent the next 5 hours doing this.
Good things: It was entertaining and didn't feel too dumb (circle the bomb! What does cure do! Explain enmity and -enmity and how provoke does both!) but at the same time, some parts of it where....interesting. One of the first quests was a crossword with all the drinks from besieged/salvage, and the hints where the effects. WTF? No one in my party had a clue, i was one of 2 75's. Thats when the xp jokes started :D But 4 people had never even been to besieged. And when I use stuff in besieged, I just look @ the effects because I play on so many jobs.

Other quests included the reciepe for baking soda (Wow, nice low kick there SE)
a Mine sweeper type thing with 6 puzzles that where status effect icons (you had to do 4)
a map of wajaom woodlands where you had to draw enemies and where they spawned.
and the steller constalation map (your welcome moggles guy)

So to say that some where unbalance isn't stretching it. Assuming a party got put together of low level players, they'd have been fucked without the internet. I WAS fucked without the internet, I had to go look up spellings for the crossword, the fill in the blank, and the constalation drawings. There we're also fetch quests.

This is part A, because I just got a call from Mr. T, and I wanna go run back to the hilton and watch the fun @ the wikia booth. More later!