Version Update Details (9/8/08)

[Toth]

For DNC, all four of these merits are very nice and it will be hard to choose. Depending on how much Haste Samba is improved, I am thinking 3 BF, 2 RF, 3 Haste Samba, and 2 Step Accuracy. For SCH, I am thinking 3 Grimoire Recast, 3 Helix Magic Attack/Accuray, 3 Sublimation, and maybe one in MV duration or another on one of the above three.

With those choices, the DNC merits will approve the party enhancement of DNC and the overall DD power of DNC's weaponskills.

SCH will hopefully see improved Helix damage and more MP per sublimation.

[Lyla]

What the fuck is with the change to Mandies/Lizards/Crawlers? lol

I think everyone old school from windy knows what this is about lol... How many times haven't you not died from Poison with your Lv 3-9 (or more) job while fighting around Saruta and such?

Might happen in other areas as well but, in Saruta this is so common, lol...

[Not Kuno]

Pretty sure the update is up, downloading 2083 files right now (had a few gui changes, but not 2083 files worth)

It's not letting me connect at all.

[Kenji]

An introductory tutorial NPC teaching players the fundamentals of game-play has been added to each of the three nations.

Enemies which check as "easy prey" and "decent challenge" now yield more experience points when defeated.

The combat skill required to learn the first weapon skill for each weapon type has been lowered from 10 to 5.

The levels of certain monsters in the following areas have been adjusted:
West Ronfaure / East Ronfaure / La Theine Plateau / Valkurm Dunes / Jugner Forest / Batallia Downs / North Gustaberg / South Gustaberg / Konschtat Highlands / Pashhow Marshlands / Rolanberry Fields / West Sarutabaruta / East Sarutabaruta / Tahrongi Canyon / Buburimu Peninsula / Meriphataud Mountains / Sauromugue Champaign / Qufim Island / Behemoth's Dominion

The potency and frequency of special attacks for certain monsters in the following families has been adjusted using a low-level standard. PCs at lower levels will now find these monsters easier to fight:
Mandragora / Funguars / Crawlers / Lizards

Taken all together, it basically sounds like more newby friendly gameplay. Regarding the last bit, a mandy's counterattack, Funguar poison, crawler poison, and Lizard petrify always made these annoying to fight. If these effects are shortened and weakened, it'll mean less newby deaths and easier kills. Wonder tho, if it extends to mandy sleep, which is annoying to jungle parties, but not to a solo (since you get woken on the next hit). If mandy sleep won't last as long now...

Chocobos are now available for rental in the following areas of past Vana'diel:
South San d'Oria (S) / Bastok Markets (S) / Windurst Waters (S) / Jugner Forest (S) / Pashhow Marshlands (S) / Meriphataud Mountains (S)

Recall spells just gained more value; very nice.

The locations of the following NPCs have been changed:
Port San d'Oria: Teilsa / Bastok Mines: Arva / Port Bastok: Dulsie / Windurst Waters: Jack of Hearts / Windurst Woods: Jack of Spades / Port Windurst: Jack of Clubs

What were these NPCs? The ones you give adventurer coupons to?

The HP of the following monsters in areas introduced since the release of the Treasures of Aht Uhrgan expansion have been adjusted:
Mamool Ja's Lizard / Mamool Ja's Raptor / Fomor's Bats / Goblin's Bat / Goblin's Bee / Goblin's Beetle / Goblin's Crawler / Goblin's Rarab / Goblin's Dragonfly / Goblin's Ladybug / Gigas's Tiger

I believe these all had much more HP than other beastman pets. If they are being lowered to the same as the rest, then that opens up more pet leveling.

* The evaluation method and maximum points allocated for certain actions taken during Campaign battles have been adjusted.

Hopefully this means things like curing will get you more xp now. Though the cynic in me says this is just their way of saying that they are curbing the /brd bot issue.

* The drop rate of relic armor in Dynamis has been adjusted. Rates for the following areas in particular have been increased:
Dynamis – Beaucedine / Dynamis – Xarcabard / Dynamis – Valkurm / Dynamis – Buburimu / Dynamis – Qufim / Dynamis - Tavnazia

Thought it was just gonna be icelands. Nice to see they are upping dreamlands as well.

Adjustments have been made to Jailer of Love, Absolute Virtue (and pets), and Pandemonium Warden (and pets) in areas such as HP value and behavior. Absolute Virtue and Pandemonium Warden will now vanish two hours after their appearance, automatically ending the battle. In addition, the spawn rate for Absolute Virtue has been increased to 100%.

So no rage mode; it just goes [have stuff to do, gotta go!] and poofs? AV being 100% pop should make testing easier. That was one of the things the playerbase was whining about.

The strength of Zeni NMs will now gradually be adjusted after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed following their being claimed.

They'll slowly get stronger? I can't imagine they'll slowly get weaker. But sounds like you can't solo a ZNM over the course of several hours now, and cockblock others.

The sale prices of the following items have been changed:
Remedy / Crab Sushi / Crab Sushi +1

Cheaper? I wasn't aware an NPC sold any +1 food.

The following 5-piece set items (4-piece where applicable) can now be traded to the item storage NPC in exchange for a key item voucher:
Mirage Jubbah / Commodore Frac / Pantin Tobe / Mirage Charuqs / Commodore Bottes / Pantin Babouches / Mirage Keffiyeh / Commodore Tricorne / Pantin Taj / Mirage Bazubands / Commodore Gants / Pantin Dastanas / Mirage Shalwar / Commodore Culottes / Pantin Churidars

The names of the new Relics, nice. Mirage for BLU, Pantin for PUP (I can see the jokes forming already), and Commodore for COR.

Additional effects other than those affecting damage and attack speed ratings of relic and mythic weapons do not trigger when those weapons are equipped in the offhand slot.

Bug FU to those hoping they could dual wield relics and Mythics. Pick one onry!

* You leave the Level Sync party.

Get a link? Drop party and go super on it's ass. No need to even try to stay alive for 30 seconds. Pretty nice.

The amount of experience lost when rendered unconscious will be based upon the player's level after Level Sync is in place.

Take a few lv10 characters into Dynamis. If your'e about to wipe, quickly have these lv10 characters engage level sync. Everyone loses xp as if they were lv10. Proceed with R1 spam? Might be too much work for Dynamis, but there are probably other areas where this can be abused.

Items consumed through usage of the beastmaster ability "Call Beast" are determined by the character's level after the level restriction is in place.

No lv10 Courrier Carrie for you!

Attributes affected by level restrictions
The above attributes will be adjusted to the level of the character after the level restriction is in place, while all other attributes will become invalid. Also, negative attributes will not be adjusted, but will retain the same value.

Negative attribute gear will now doubly suck.

And of course, no new news on Summonable Avatars. But overall, not bad. A lot of good fixes.

[Guitarman]

i cant even log onto pol. error 0206 o.O?

[Reapz]

Pretty sure the update is up, downloading 2083 files right now (had a few gui changes, but not 2083 files worth)

Huh? Can't even get on POL lol

[SamanosukeShiva]

DAT mining gogogogo!

[Telamond]

For DNC, all four of these merits are very nice and it will be hard to choose. Depending on how much Haste Samba is improved, I am thinking 3 BF, 2 RF, 3 Haste Samba, and 2 Step Accuracy. For SCH, I am thinking 3 Grimoire Recast, 3 Helix Magic Attack/Accuray, 3 Sublimation, and maybe one in MV duration or another on one of the above three.

Would depend on how big the effect is in each merit... But I'm going for Helix Magic Atk/Acc and Sublimation effect from what I read.

[Katlan]

seems like a fun update, but the meat of it is the lv sync feature. I hope everything scales correctly

[Faithe]

For DNC, all four of these merits are very nice and it will be hard to choose. Depending on how much Haste Samba is improved, I am thinking 3 BF, 2 RF, 3 Haste Samba, and 2 Step Accuracy. For SCH, I am thinking 3 Grimoire Recast, 3 Helix Magic Attack/Accuray, 3 Sublimation, and maybe one in MV duration or another on one of the above three.

Yeah, its way too hard to decide.

Looks like on scholar if you want to nuke more, you can go with helix. But if you want to support more, grimoire and sublimation is the way to go.

Depend on sublimation too, if they mean extra tick then that's good. If it means just max mp return then meh.

[Orchyre]

It's not letting me connect at all.

I did the check files option on the first screen on playonline.

[Lordwafik]

If subli is only 5 mp per merit x 5 , it'd be nice for a nifty situation, but would still suck kinda considering how much xp is put into that.

I'm most likely going to cap grimoire recast immediately before thinking of anything else. Shortened grimoires? ALL of them? Amazing. I'd have expected them to separate them all.

[Demonic]

Adjustments have been made to Jailer of Love, Absolute Virtue (and pets), and Pandemonium Warden (and pets) in areas such as HP value and behavior. Absolute Virtue and Pandemonium Warden will now vanish two hours after their appearance, automatically ending the battle. In addition, the spawn rate for Absolute Virtue has been increased to 100%.

HOLY SHIT LOL.

[Maxxthepenguin]

Well, it wasn't rage timers.

[Guyverarmor]

I think everyone old school from windy knows what this is about lol... How many times haven't you not died from Poison with your Lv 3-9 (or more) job while fighting around Saruta and such?

Might happen in other areas as well but, in Saruta this is so common, lol...

QFT! As much as I loved killing crawlers Saruta, I never touched em lvl 7 and lower...god damn poison breath pissed me off

[Not Kuno]

If subli is only 5 mp per merit x 5 , it'd be nice for a nifty situation, but would still suck kinda considering how much xp is put into that.

I'm most likely going to cap grimoire recast immediately before thinking of anything else. Shortened grimoires? ALL of them? Amazing. I'd have expected them to separate them all.

Making light/dark arts 40 or 50 seconds doesn't seem too great for me, even though there are times I'd like it shorter.

[Ophannus]

Hey look on the bright side: if AV is made killable now, moar Ninurta Sash!

[ronin sparthos]

Taken all together, it basically sounds like more newby friendly gameplay. Regarding the last bit, a mandy's counterattack, Funguar poison, crawler poison, and Lizard petrify always made these annoying to fight. If these effects are shortened and weakened, it'll mean less newby deaths and easier kills. Wonder tho, if it extends to mandy sleep, which is annoying to jungle parties, but not to a solo (since you get woken on the next hit). If mandy sleep won't last as long now...

I wonder if this carries over to Lycopodium because they never used Dream Flower. If that is the case, the areas outside Jeuno have become alot more viable. Not that it wasnt viable before the update anyway.

Regarding Funguars, do they mean Queasyshroom or the effects of those breath attacks? Because this may make EXP on the WoTG Funguars more viable as well.

[Lordwafik]

Mandragora counter attack weren't as annoying as dream flower for parties. That's probably what they're going to swipe off them.

[Valyana]

I'm most likely going to cap grimoire recast immediately before thinking of anything else. Shortened grimoires? ALL of them?

All two? Grimoires are just Light Arts/Dark Arts, right?