New Notorious Monsters (06/04/2008)

[Stromgarde]

No, it's just a spiked staff. You can tell from the directions the spikes are pointing that it's curved, not flat.

[Attila]

lol that's what I figured. Stupid little monitor.

Anyway, isn't SE notorious for mis-equipping models in SSs anyway? I could be wrong, but that sounds like them

That does look like SAM armor though, I have to say.

[Gwynplaine]

Wow, it's like theres a party in my mouth, and everyone's doing blow. Is this going to be another one of those epic updates that floods BG and cripples the bandwidth?

theres a possibility they scrapped the colosseum entirely because it was both too ambitious and not something that was really in demand based on the response.. I think they mentioned something to this extent in an old jp interview just b4 pankration was released, but i may be wrong..

I doubt it. My best guess would be they are putting it off until SCH and DNC have their merits and are finished being evaluated like PUP COR and BLU had been. After all what's the use of having a pvp event if some jobs are unfinished. In that interview they stated the Circuit would be released within the year, but the Colisseum was on hold. Along with the Colisseum, there's still the new avatars, and the last serpent generals quest then I guess that's the end of AU's content.

This sounds pretty cool. If this really is for new AF2 sets I guess I picked a good time to level COR. Hopefully the NPC will offer some sweet items too like Colossal Skulls or Lancewood Lumber for a few thousand points. Most people have put 2 and 2 together that the monument islands will be used. I'm wondering though if the 2nd Mount Z. island behind the lever gate will be involved now or if it will continue to be a random pointless area.

[ronin sparthos]

just wondering, does SE use the term HNM or just NM for anything?

When Hydra was released they called him a high-level notorious monster so they also use the term HNM though it has been used interchangeably with notorious monster.

SE is lazy, why would they bother to make two models and two sets of animations, one of which is only used sparingly?

Alexander...they'd better give him to us, 3 Dark Avatars is a little much with just a blue rat as the sole light...

I just dont see why they would give one but not the other seeing as that would be biased towards one summon in an expansion that tried to make you view things from both summons point of view. At times they made Odin out to be the bad guy, then other times Alexander looked like the shady avatar - it was completely up to players what side to choose up until a point so that same attitude would be taken over to usable avatars.

3 dark summons.... Fenrir is the support, Diabolos is the magical DD and Odin the physical attacker? Seriously, before this game was Fenrir ever a dark based esper? I could have swore he was earth-based in previous FFs.

Is there anyone that can zoom in on this a little? Maybe the top is actually a flat blade type thing. (Hard to see on work computer, sorry)

It looks like a 2handed mace, perhaps a new weapontype? C'mon 2handed hammers - JUST STEAL THE TROLL DESTROYER model. >.>

[Trigun]

Yojimbo prz

[Seigfried Of Pandy]

ive never fought odin but from what i read on the other wiki, odin seems to use alot of ice based spells. I'm pretty sure they would just make odin dark cause well thats what he is, but if they are really concerned with having 3 dark avatars they could make him ice maybe?

[Gilthas]

Depending on the accessory equipped Fenrir could use a wind elemental attack in IX, though his standard attack was earth based.

Since the only reason Odin uses Ice spells is because Dark elemental doesn't really have any direct damage nukes, I think it would be kind of crappy to make him Ice elemental based.

[Elesar]

It's funny, when I woke up today and read this update note I thought it was some kind of BG joke but then I clicked on the playonline link and actually read it on playonline. What the ehell they are actually doing something with old content that isn't just fixing glitches or adding holiday events? This looks pretty exciting and hopefully RMTs don't figure out some sort of way to ruin it. I guess only time will tell if the end game community will actually enjoy this or if it is going to be another set of beastmen kings that drop crappy items. Either way, it will be something new and exciting to kill.

[Kenji]

Odin would be easy enough and that portal in Alexanders chest seems like the perfect place to threaten Alexander for a pact >.>.

As I've said before, I'm certain we're at least getting Odin. There are two models of him: one riding a horse, and a second of just him, floating all Avatar-like. The floating version is, as of right now, used in two cut scenes:

[spoiler:3uz9wcqj]The moment Luzaf reveals himself as Odin, and the Alexander vs. Odin CS at the end of ToAU.[/spoiler:3uz9wcqj]

SE is lazy, why would they bother to make two models and two sets of animations, one of which is only used sparingly?

Alexander...they'd better give him to us, 3 Dark Avatars is a little much with just a blue rat as the sole light...

To put a bit of a squash on your enthusiasm, I don't think we're getting Odin. Reason why, is if you look at his attacks:

# Casts Sleepga II, Breakga, Blindga, Bindga, Blizzard IV, Blizzaga III, Slowga, Paralyga, and Dread Spikes(cannot be dispelled).
# Sanngetall: AoE dispel that dispells all buffs.
# Gagnrath: AoE damage and Terror.
# Valfodr: AoE damage and Curse + Silence.
# Geirrothr: AoE damage similar to 10,000 Needles and Bind. Used each time 25% of its HP is lost (3 times total).
# Ofnir: AoE damage. (Might be magic damage)Verification Needed
# Yggr: Gives Odin the ability to Intimidate players.
# Zantetsuken: Astral Flow like ability, will use just as hp is ~5%. Deals death to everyone in range.

Everything here is AOE, and vastly OP. All the other avatar attacks are pretty much the same when you fight them, and use them (there are some small differences). So we can assume that we'll get all this? Zantetsuken, really? Either it'll be so OP, or it will be nerfed as to be useless. Some of this stuff we get already (dispel, Sleepga, Blizzard IV).

Alex looks more likely. And my other bet is still on Phoenix, though that might not happen until we get access to the far east. For giggles, Alex's moves:

# Draw In, when the target is beyond 20'.
# Casts Holy II, Diaga III, Dia III, Banishga III, and Banish IV.
# Radiant Sacrament: Targeted AoE physical damage (200-400 damage) and wipes Utsusemi and Additional Effect: Magic Defense Down.
# Void of Repentance: Single target Terror for several seconds.
# Gospel of the Lost: Heals Alexander for around 900-1100 HP and removes debuffs. Very short casting time, but can be stunned.
# Divine Spear: Low Damage single target move which has an additional effect of attack -25%. This is a conical attack and he only seems to use it if his target is directly in front of him.
# Divine Judgment: AoE 1000+ damage and clears Utsusemi. Alexander will use this ability at 50% of his HP and possibly several times again at 5% like an Astral Flow Blood Pact. He will give a warning the chat log including "???????." Divine Judgment is radial around the target, not radial around Alexander.
# Mega Holy: Area of Effect light damage.
# Perfect Defense Complete immunity to either magical, physical, or ranged attacks for a short period of time. Uses this from around 10% and can use multiple times, each time resulting in a new immunity.

Quite a few of these, I can see us getting. His Astral Flow being Divine Judgement, which would be a ranged AoE centered on target.

[Lacus]

This is what i think the new SAM weapon looks like.(lousy resolution i know)

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/newSAM-1.jpg

[Tsuji]

*repeating to self*

I will not be optimistic about the update... I will not be optimistic about the update...
I will not be optimistic about the update... I will not be optimistic about the update...
I will not be optimistic about the update... I will not be optimistic about the update...
I will not be optimistic about the update... I will not be optimistic about the update...

[Shassira]

Everything here is AOE, and vastly OP. All the other avatar attacks are pretty much the same when you fight them, and use them (there are some small differences). So we can assume that we'll get all this? Zantetsuken, really? Either it'll be so OP, or it will be nerfed as to be useless. Some of this stuff we get already (dispel, Sleepga, Blizzard IV).

Fenrir's AoE dispel is nerfed to hell on the avatar version, Nightmare's DoT is nerfed horribly too on the avatar version (try it out, it sucks >>), Ruinous Omen sucks completely and in general all the avatar moves that could be considered overpowered are reduced to an almost useless point.
I'm not saying i think we'll get Odin, Alex, both or none, just saying that this train of though isn't as valid as it sounds since it's been done with other avatars already :O

[Seigfried Of Pandy]

have any the avatars been giving bp's that the prime versions didnt have?

[Faithe]

Odin is ice based, not dark.

Surprising, but true.

[A-Chaos]

It's like SE heard me IRL about my lust for pop NM's and stuff.

Eee, this update actually interests me now. (Not too much an Einherjar man, since it seems no one invites RDM's to recover buffer...)

Here's to the finest update, in a long, long while. (Also predicting a -Not- Seiryu's Sword that BLU's can equip that doesn't hit twice)

[byte]

Fuck you, SE.

Fuck you for adding all this shit and fixing it all after I fucking quit.

Fuck you. -.-

But who's to say I still can't play anymore?

Same lol. I'd pretty much given up on FFXI and just kept my account open for the Mog Bonanza...

However, since this update, idk I might have to give it another go. Give me an obtainable multi-hit sword (That's better than Joyeuse) and I'll keep playing. The way it is right now, I have to join a top LS that bots Aery every day and then wait for 15-20 Ridills to drop before I can get one. Chances are the LS will break before I get it, then I'll be back at the beginning again. It's basically the thought of this that made me quit. Why invest so much time in something which hinges entirely on "luck"? I want to make progress in the game and my job without being held back by crappy, broken 6 year old systems.

[Maxxthepenguin]

Odin is ice based, not dark.

Surprising, but true.

where the hell did you pick that up?

A weakness to Fire or something? Because weaknesses often differ from elemental affiliation (and he's probably weak to light too, just lol though). He has always been the celestial avatar of darkness, look at your star chart.

http://images.wikia.com/ffxi/images/...tellar_map.png

[Faithe]

Odin is ice based, not dark.

Surprising, but true.

where the hell did you pick that up?

A weakness to Fire or something? Because weaknesses often differ from elemental affiliation (and he's probably weak to light too, just lol though). He has always been the celestial avatar of darkness, look at your star chart.

http://images.wikia.com/ffxi/images/...tellar_map.png

Full resist on blizzard. Black mage can nuke thunder which is okay. Fire doesn't get resisted at all. Burn sticks.

Can't test drain spells, Odin is a former.

[byte]

and hopefully RMTs don't figure out some sort of way to ruin it.

Over fifty new types of equipment will be made available as exclusive drops for defeating these new NMs. Here are just a few samples to whet your ravenous adventurer's appetite

The way I read this was that all the new drops would be r/ex.. Let's hope so.

[Maxxthepenguin]

Resistances don't mean shit for elemental affiliation. There is a tendency to correlate, but it's not a rule. Also, most undead/dark stuff does have a tendency to be weak to fire.