New Version Update Announcement! (05/14/2010)

[Corrderio]

Level cap almost makes me want to come back....

[Midnightjade]

I could handle the blurple mage gear but the pink potential COR gear... just wow.

Female taru is going to look adorable in that gear. However, male elvaan wearing that stuff is going to look like a giant animated phallus.

[Malacite]

Just please, let every AF3 armor be original and bad ass - no more recolors.


Set Bonuses that are worth equipping the entire set for would also be much appreciated this time around. I know I'm not the only one disappointed in DRK AF for that... (so sexy... but soooo SHIITY!)

[TummieGaruda]

SE stated that you would be able to obtain all of AFv3 pieces from the first Abyssea set. The current speculation is you will enhance them further probably through magian trials that require kills or items from later Abyssea content.

[Xanthe]

The problem with adding them based on skills is that you want to be able to provide weaponskills for all jobs. Giving new weaponskills to new level/level caps (Such as 80) would leave some jobs out of the running for a new weaponskill. For instance, if Sword got a new WS at 300 skill (following the pattern for an A+ skill, they should get ~301 skill at 80 pre-merits) then jobs like Blue Mage and Red Mage would get left out to obtain the weaponskill naturally. The next option is new weaponskills at 250 skill, but then that's a naturally obtained weaponskill and a lot of 75's would just login after the update with a new weaponskill, and we all know SE likes to make us work for things.

To me honestly, I have a feeling it's going to be either a weaponskill tied into a magian weapon, or a quested weaponskill at level 80 similar to Nyzul Isle weaponskills where the weapon drops from the new endgame area in Walk of Echos or from Abyssea.

Weapon skills aren't consistently awarded at specific skill levels. There are some general levels yes, but there are several exceptions. I won't list everything, but otherwiki has a good layout where you can view the skill levels here. Comparing Club, Marksmanship, Polearm, and Staff progression can give you a good idea on the variation they give to weapon skill acquisition. Going with your example they could easily put the next sword weapon skill at 275 skill. There is also the possibility that the number of points per level will again increase such that an A+ might gain 6 points instead of 5, etc. The system isn't as closed off as you imagine it to be so I don't see why new weapon skills wouldn't be learned naturally.

[BRP]

Walk of Echos = Abyssea right?

[Xanthe]

Walk of Echos = Abyssea right?

Nope, two separate things. Walk of Echoes is the WotG end game area. Abyssea is a new add-on they are starting this June.

[Meian]

Wonder if they'll add new BPs for SMN and spells for jobs at that this new level cap. Unless they want to wait until they cap it out first completely.

[Seanr]

Walk of Echos is more like sky and sea
Abyssea is more like Dyna and Limbus

[BRP]

Nope, two separate things. Walk of Echoes is the WotG end game area. Abyssea is a new add-on they are starting this June.

I have a hard time believing SE will add a new area for these mini-expansions, sounds like too much work than their used to.

[Shenrien]

Abyssea will probably take place in other portions of Walk of Echos that you cannot access without its content code activated.

[Xanthe]

I have a hard time believing SE will add a new area for these mini-expansions, sounds like too much work than their used to.

In Abyssea, concerns such as the over-population of battle areas and the need for large time investments will be a thing of the past. The development team is hard at work creating a world where parties can engage in rewarding battles with powerful foes and collect prized equipment with the least of fuss. The expansive realm of Abyssea will comprise several new areas which will be introduced over the course of three add-ons.

Quoted from the VanaFest 2010 page.

[Alkar]

AFv3 is already confirmed to look unique but we've only seen BLM and PLD.

[BRP]

Hmmm, missed that. Comforting. Hopefully not copypasta, that will be cool. (If they actually introduce fresh areas, I'll buy them).

[KoD]

Based on the current system you get new WS around every 25Skill levels - every 5-6levels about(Not Always, not excat figure) Mystic WS @ 75(275), and Old wounds @ 68, Either if based on this system next ws @ 77(merits) or 80(no Merits)!

[TummieGaruda]

Weapon skills aren't consistently awarded at specific skill levels. There are some general levels yes, but there are several exceptions. I won't list everything, but otherwiki has a good layout where you can view the skill levels here. Comparing Club, Marksmanship, Polearm, and Staff progression can give you a good idea on the variation they give to weapon skill acquisition. Going with your example they could easily put the next sword weapon skill at 275 skill. There is also the possibility that the number of points per level will again increase such that an A+ might gain 6 points instead of 5, etc. The system isn't as closed off as you imagine it to be so I don't see why new weapon skills wouldn't be learned naturally.

While 275 would work, I simply think that SE would want us to "earn" it somehow. Having everyone at 75 with the appropriate skill logging in and having instant access to a new WS just seems slightly off, based on what SE normally does.

[Baelorn]

I hate the magians system so I hope they stay away from that for new WS. If I wanted to stand around for hours waiting to kill something for less than twenty minutes I would do HNM.

[Hyan]

Yeah, would be odd that you had to quest 2(3) weapon skills and suddenly you'd start getting them only by hitting the right skill level again.

Don't fool yourselves!

Also, the Abyssea mobs look like something out of Sea or Alzadaal and I don't think they'd fit WoE very well. Just speculation thou.

[TummieGaruda]

Abyssea will probably take place in other portions of Walk of Echos that you cannot access without its content code activated.

Walk of Echos is supposed to serve as both an Endgame area (Sky/sea) and also the entrance to Abyssea. Walk of Echos itself is a very large area that seems to be separated into 4 smaller sections as noted by the 4 Atmos's. To pay $10 to only access one section of Walk of Echos seems a bit far fetched:

Map from the Walk of Echos thread

Spoiler: show

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9057/19537pt2.jpg


http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...uda/blood2.jpg

[Hanyoko]

Reminder for the above walk of echos pic ; Hydra was added to present a scale of the size of the area.