VanaFest Coverage (now with actual LiveBlog)

[Reapz]

Elde'narche would be a good counter for Shanttoto.

I am hoping he is, can't think of anyone better, shadowlord and promathia are a bit hueg

[Sho]

Who's gonna be opposing shantotto though? I haven't looked into dissidia much but isn't it 1 good and 1 bad person per title?

I'm hoping shadowlord and hoping they don't do something stupid like make naja or Zilart twins their baddy.

Onion Knight or Bartz will fuck a Shantoto up.

[Elesar]

Found an image of Shantoto's rival from dissidia.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...y_bob/6624.jpg

LMAO at that image.

[BRP]

It seems the mini-expansions will be a disappointment. At first it seemed like it would be a tiny piece of an expansion... new music, new areas, maybe new monster models, and a new mission. All things you would find in an expansion only cut in size. What I am hearing now is just opening up a bunch of a missionline in old areas. It could mean it will not be worth the 10 dollars.

Unfortunately for me, I will purchase it either way.

Field of Valor and Private Dungeon sound absolutely fantastic though so no reason to be gloomy.

[Gwynplaine]

Yeah, what I'm thinking is they're going to be a string of extremely entertaining but not terribly important quests and missions with some great cutscenes. Probably like serpent general quests, and wings nation line etc. Meaning the hardcore fans will love it, and the more casual players will not care unless or until there's an award that brings their status down a peg.

[LD]

Even if they're really only story and nothing else, I can forgive that as long as they eventually add real stuff again. These mini-expansions seem like they'll take up the entirety of 2009, meaning there will have to be something for 2010...

Anyway, even if they don't add new areas, they'll have to add new models (or at least new animations for old models), so they may also throw in more monsters.

[Corrderio]

Anyway.... is VanaFest happening again tonight?

[Naash]

Maybe it's really "leaves of tabu".
What are the conquest points called in Japanese?

I've looked up the English name for "tabu" and it's "Machilus thunbergii'" (a type of tree). So it's just leaves of that tree.

Conquest points are called 個人戦績 (indiivdual military record).

[Sumy]

Even if they're really only story and nothing else, I can forgive that as long as they eventually add real stuff again. These mini-expansions seem like they'll take up the entirety of 2009, meaning there will have to be something for 2010...

Anyway, even if they don't add new areas, they'll have to add new models (or at least new animations for old models), so they may also throw in more monsters.

...or it could be just like they said on the website, each mini expansion will introduce story-line starting at level 35 and going up to level 75 with a end game gear reward at the end. (I'd quote it, but I'm posting form work and websence hates me.)

Edit: Found it!
"Target Levels?
Though the quests can easily be started by a solo player somewhere in the vicinity of level 30, they will tend to become more difficult as the storyline progresses. By the end, completion of the quests will likely require a party of level 75 characters, with the rewards being geared towards high-level players as well."


and just for clairification, this is where I stop my quote response to LD. ^^

It also states the team working on the mini-expansions is NOT the same team working on WotG. It states it's a NEW group working under the guy who originally worked on RotZ. So I doubt this will take away from WotG or other real expansions.

I'm looking forward to them, although, I'm all for new story.

One more thing I'm personally hoping for is the long rumored DX9 (DX10?) upgrade. Since they wont be putting out as much NEW content, maybe they can spend some time making the old more pretty? Shantoto looks a lot better in Dissidia then in FFXI.

[LD]

So I doubt this will take away from WotG or other real expansions.

I'm sorry, did I say that it would at any point and forget?
Good job, you contradicted something I didn't say.

[Sumy]

I'm sorry, did I say that it would at any point and forget?
Good job, you contradicted something I didn't say.

Nah, you didn't. Someone else did. Sorry if it sounded like I was quoting you on that one.

[Gwynplaine]

One more thing I'm personally hoping for is the long rumored DX9 (DX10?) upgrade. Since they wont be putting out as much NEW content, maybe they can spend some time making the old more pretty? Shantoto looks a lot better in Dissidia then in FFXI.

Didn't they do that? I thought it only dealt with window mode and Wings but now I guess I'm not sure. I had assumed that's why some of the FX in Wings looked a lot more polished, like Lilisette's expressions. I know that when wotg was released the zone program, EWH, began requiring dx9 to run it.

[Sumy]

Didn't they do that? I thought it only dealt with window mode and Wings but now I guess I'm not sure. I had assumed that's why some of the FX in Wings looked a lot more polished, like Lilisette's expressions. I know that when wotg was released the zone program, EWH, began requiring dx9 to run it.

Maybe they did? I hope that's not the extent of it though ; ;

[Corrderio]

Didn't they do that? I thought it only dealt with window mode and Wings but now I guess I'm not sure. I had assumed that's why some of the FX in Wings looked a lot more polished, like Lilisette's expressions. I know that when wotg was released the zone program, EWH, began requiring dx9 to run it.

No, SE didn't do it. They said in an interview it was taking too much time to code/debug.

SOURCE: RPGamer > Feature > Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess Interview

[Midnightjade]

I love the storylines in the game, one of the main reasons I still play. If the mini-expansions are heavy on story and light on gameplay, honestly I'm not even going to notice.

[Melios]

it will be Lady Lilith to promote WotG

Damn... i need a PSP

You mean this:

http://blog.square-enix.com/ff11/ima...5%A5%B3web.jpg

SE is bringing the sexy back alright.....

[Sumy]

that pic excites me... <.<

[dejet]

i know it is made to be "hidden" but how the hell did they think we would find this out without being told? se just needs to come out and tell us the effects of gear we have no clue of. all this time and some people dropped it(they prob still fine with dropping it lol) but come on!

[LD]

DEEEEEEEEEEEEFINITELY

Spoiler: show

Lilisette. I suspected it when they mentioned the name Lilith due to the strongly similar names and that borad looks exactly like an adult Lili.

[Kaylia]

Could be her daughter or something along those line tho.