New insight on Almighty Apkallu (and other NMs)

[Zelduh]

Okay, I realize this is extremely late, but I've always been fascinated by this NM. Long time reader, first time poster.
Anyway. I've been doing testing on my own FFXI server (that I made with ProjectXI)
On the server, NMs are always up. Regardless of time or spawn condition or placeholders. Argus and Leech King are both up at the same time for example:
http://i33.tinypic.com/2nsaozq.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/2hntdlc.jpg

Jormy, Nidhogg, Fafnir, all spawned NMs, everything is always up.

However, one NM in particular, that has only ever been seen on the Atomos test server, does not appear. Voluptuous Vilma.
This leads me to believe that it was tested on that server, and deemed unnecessary/useless and later removed. The overgrown rose is always in the same spot, and rose garden is off to the side, ready to jump into Overgrown rose's skin/spot when the time condition is met. Vilma is nowhere to be found.
http://i38.tinypic.com/2ypajbk.jpg

How does this relate to Almight Apkallu?
After jumping to the boat zones, all boat NMs are instantly up, except two. However, fished mobs are sometimes hidden beneath the boat zone. Since everything on my server is true aggro unless you're on a chocobo, just zoning into the boat will cause almost everything to aggro you on the manaclipper-style boats. Going belowdecks will cause the same thing to occur on the ferry-style boats.
http://i35.tinypic.com/2mmhkjk.jpg
http://i38.tinypic.com/346szf6.jpg

Almighty Apkallu and Proteus are the exceptions to this.

They never load on the nashmau/alzahbi boats. Ever. This leads me to believe that they are both triggered to spawn by something that a fake server would not able able to have information on. This means it can't be time, weather, day, placeholder, length, force pop, etc.
This also means Proteus and AA are somehow linked.
Yes, Proteus has spawned many times. But no matter now many times I reloaded the zone, checked everywhere in the zone (including underwater, in the air), killed everything, etc... It just wouldn't pop.
Same thing for AA. He just never pops in any regular way.
This would also explain the similarities to Proteus and AA in NPC list. Both of them, go:
Air Elemental
Thunder Elemental
Proteus/AA

There must be some differences making Proteus spawn more often. Or perhaps they're both glitched, the bird being more glitched. Who knows? However... I was thinking the frequency of ships taken from Whitegate -> Nashmau (much, much higher) may have something to do with more frequent Proteus spawns. Since my server doesn't keep track of how many times I ride the boat, it may be possible. The numbers for Nashmau -> Whitegate, as SE stated, are far far less. Could be something like: Ship ride #1000 = spawn

Food for thought.

Perhaps this solves the mystery. Perhaps not. I just hope this helps somewhat, as I am an Apkallu and Blue Gartr fan.

[Liseth]

Interesting post, but it still doesn't give us a concrete answer as to how we can go about spawning AA. <.>

[Zidiane]

I belive someone said it was controled if the AC was there or not, If AC = proteus, no AC = AA. Might be wrong, never tried to hunt the nm myself so no personal experience on it.

[Zelduh]

Interesting post, but it still doesn't give us a concrete answer as to how we can go about spawning AA. <.>

Well, if you believe my theory... All you have to do is constantly ride the boat. This is why SE said he gets lonely if people aren't there (He wants people to ride his boat) Proteus doesn't get very lonely.
Also, because of the large number of boat rides taken, it is extreme luck if your boat happens to have him. (The luck factor SE mentioned)
SE also said something about people never taking the boat, remember?

Basically, you can't pop him by any ordinary means. Just spam the boat. It might be rides taken, it might be people per ride taken. Something to do with that. That's what I believe.

[Marajade]

If its people per ride, maybe he only spawns on the ride back? Since while people take the boat to Nashmaru, since its an easy way to get there, almost no one takes it back

[DAKPluto]

When I first saw the title I was really dreading opening this. But I most say this is actually some of the most relevant information to AA in a long time.

Thanks for the info Zelduh.

[Zelduh]

If its people per ride, maybe he only spawns on the ride back? Since while people take the boat to Nashmaru, since its an easy way to get there, almost no one takes it back

Yes, it's been known that AA only spawns on the ride from Nashmau to Whitegate. Which is part of my point, since no one takes that boat. Like SE said, usually when someone gets to Nashmau, they just warp back to wherever their homepoint is (usually whitegate) instead of taking the ship back, as there is no point unless you want scenery, or are specifically camping the NM. I doubt even all the people camping this NM and random boat takers compare to even 5% of the einherjar linkshells that constantly go Whitegate -> Nashmau or other people going to Nashmau for things like corsair cards and whatnot.

[Zelduh]

When I first saw the title I was really dreading opening this. But I most say this is actually some of the most relevant information to AA in a long time.

Thanks for the info Zelduh.

My pleasure.

[Sonomaa]

a new poster, providing valid and helpful information, I am honestly shocked. Good stuff.

[Freysi]

I don't know how projectXI works, but can you create multiple characters and bot them all at the same time? Make 10 or 20 characters and try riding the boat. Or make 1 character, write a script and have him ride the boat constantly for a month and note sightings.

[Stromgarde]

So something like Proteus and AA only spawning on the same ride with every say... 500th person to ride the boat? Even if you had your entire linkshell riding the boat nonstop, it sounds like a daunting endeavor.

[Viena]

You shouldn't get your hopes up, the information that ProjectXI provides can't really be useful to get any insight on the workings of a NM (nor from anything else that is done server side). Everything that takes place in the private server has been re-created by guessings of the pXI developers. You can change AA's default status just by editing an entry in the MySQL database, and that database was created by pXI developers, which know just as much as we do.

It's like trying to use pXI to get to understand the AI of some mobs, which was already discussed in this thread: http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/ffxi-...st-op-now.html

[Zelduh]

I wouldn't get your hopes up, I don't really think the information that pXI provides can be useful to get any insight on the workings of a NM. Everything that takes place in the private server has been re-created by guessings of the developers. You can change AA's default status just by editing an entry in the MySQL database, and that database was created by pXI developers, which know just as much as we do.

Eh, that doesn't really explain everything. Either way, I was just messing around with it and this helped me come to the conclusion that this is how AA is spawned, if just by coincidence, I'm now pretty confident that the riddle SE gave us has been solved.

Q1: Does the NM, Almighty Apkallu, exist? And if so, where can he be found?

A1: Yes, the Almighty Apkallu exists! This puissant penguin can be found only on the Silver Sea ferry route from Nashmau to Al Zahbi. We believe the reason that none have never encountered him before is that while many adventurers ride the ferry to Nashmau, most either warp back to their Home Points on the mainland, or return to Al Zahbi via the Alzadaal Undersea Ruins. (Actually, we're just glad that to find out ourselves that the NM wasn't some sort of debug monster that we had forgotten to take out!)

Q2: Under what conditions does the Almighty Apkallu appear?

A2: While we don't want to ruin everyone's fun by telling you exactly when and how he appears, because so many at the festival showed interest in the NM, we've decided to reveal a few cryptic hints that may or may not make the hunt a little easier.

* First of all, luck plays a big role in whether he appears or not.
* He doesn't like being left alone, and will wander off if no one is around to keep him company.


Basically, the first bolded part was SE actually giving us the answer. The hints are somewhat useful and they are relevant, but meant to throw us off track. It's just like SE to answer something like that.

[Antithesis]

* He doesn't like being left alone, and will wander off if no one is around to keep him company.

Wtf does wander off mean? God I hate these poor translations. Fuck it. Get like 15 people to constantly ride the boat to Nashmau > WG and hope he pops.

[Tricen]

It means it will depop if not claimed, I would think.

[Indalecia]

This is...shockingly plausible.

[Lyramion]

Boat rides to Nashmau are often crowded with ppl going to Einherjar. Like every 3rd Einherjar someone reports Proteus. But only small groups of people will ride back. Pergo rode the boat back religiously... but on not more than 1-2 people at a time. So the total people in zone might influence it

[Zelduh]

Wtf does wander off mean? God I hate these poor translations. Fuck it. Get like 15 people to constantly ride the boat to Nashmau > WG and hope he pops.

It's probably just to make the sentence sound more complete, but it basically means he won't spawn if people aren't riding the boat enough. You have to be incredibly lucky to be #???? on the boat ride when there's like, 10 rides per day. That's why the second hint says luck plays a big role. It's not likely you're going to spam the boat over and over and over and over just for the NM, so if you hit the right boat ride number from past people riding the boat, it's still luck. Like if you show up and buy something a store and become customer one million and win a million dollars. Even if you knew about it, and showed up every day, someone might be ahead of you in line, or you might not be in that day. Another cryptic way of SE just making everything a dice roll.

[Antithesis]

What's not to say AA spawns exactly the same way Proteus spawns? Maybe all we need is to get a big group of people to constantly ride the boat. I mean im sure we can find a handful of fishermen who need to skill up on fishy's there >.>;

I would really like to know if this things drop the long forgotten Birdman Cape though... Sexy backpiece for Bard.

[Izzy]

So, who is going to make an army of mules and ride the fuck out of the boat with as many people on it as possible until this pops?