In my (seriously) opinion this was a very good update. As you can see below on my signature BLU is my highest and I have also struggled a bit with crafting.
Getting 2 new spells and one of them a paralyzing spell was fantastic. To roam new areas with an alliance searching the new mobs a few hours after maintenance was giving flashbacks to the days we used to go waste dahaks in Aht Urghan areas. The new allied notes body pieces may not be too much to put on my BLU 75 but I still got good use for all my Allied Notes. Necklace that gives +25 STR in campaign, or another with +25 vit, a book with +macc. Got some complicated macro-setups but that really changed my campaign-experience (I'm hoping for a +25 DEX piece next update...).
But especially the crafting has been harder and harder lately. Getting Smithing and Goldsmithing to 60 has been thougher than the last levels of Alchemy. There has not been enough materials on AH and the typical ones pointed out in craft-guides as the best to skill on has been quite expensive compared to the results. The last stages of smithing could bring gil back but it seemed to take weeks to sell.
In comes drops from campaign! Ores and stuff that can be used for new weapons and some of them in my skill-range. I got a lot of those svamp ores before ppl realized what they were for cause I was the only one lotting. Making a ingot from a free lot and skilling and making it into a weapon that sells for 200k almost immidiately, and skilling up on that too, surely beats buying a ore for 10k, making it into a ingot without skill and then destroying it in another synth, and another, and hopefully you sell after weeks to maybe get your money back. Ok, prizes will probably go down on both svamp ores (they were up at 30k today! hurray) and dweomer ingots and the weapons made from them but for a moment it was just as exciting to sell stuff like when you got a NM-drop 3 years ago.
And all of a sudden you can find odd things on AH that at least I have been looking for. Several times before I have been searching for Gnat Wings, kind of hard even for a BLU 75 to farm, but they have been very rare. Now they also drop in campaign.
This update was like a fresh wind over Vanadiel. At least for me.
Thank you, SE. Awesome.
Edited, Jul 23rd 2009 7:17pm by Aljesaf
July Version Update is Here!
The long wait is finally over, as the July Version Update is finally here. Not only did we see new content such as brand new Wings of the Goddess missions, expansions on popular in-game events such as Moblin Maze Mongers and Fields of Valor,and the addition of new spells and abilities, but today also marked the official content launch of the second add-on scenario "A Moogle Kupo d'Etat". Read on to find out the details of today's updates.
From Playonline.com:
The July version update, starring the second of three add-on scenarios, "A Moogle Kupo d'Etat—Evil in Small Doses," is now ready for your downloading pleasure! Prepare to be blown away by a veritable deluge of exciting new content including:
- The continuing episodes of Wings of the Goddess missions.
- The new Campaign element, "Unions."
- An expanded Moblin Maze Mongers.
- Job-related additions and improvements.
...And a whole host more!
This version update contains the game data for the add-on scenario "A Moogle Kupo d'Etat—Evil in Small Doses." After downloading the update and purchasing a registration code, the scenario will become playable.
* Players must be level 10 or above to participate in the add-on scenario missions.
* After purchasing a registration code, a period of time may be required before the in-game content becomes accessible.
* If the "A Moogle Kupo d'Etat" logo remains faded even after purchase, please wait a few minutes and exit to the PlayOnline FINAL FANTASY XI main page. After this, return to the game title screen and examine the logo again.
Note: After the release of this version update, the missions of "A Crystalline Prophecy" will also be restricted to players level 10 and above.
Event-related
New areas are now accessible in past Vana'diel.
New missions have been added for the Wings of the Goddess expansion.
Several new quests have been added.
The following changes have been made to fellows:
Adventuring fellows can now be fitted with a wider range of attire when called by a player character equipped with certain items.
The following additions have been made to Moblin Maze Mongers:
A new Maze Voucher has been added.
Maze Voucher 05: Assist in the training of a young Goblin adventurer.
New Maze Runes have been added.
The following changes have been made to the Mog Tablet quest:
The search range for mog tablets has been increased.
It is now possible to search for mog tablets while remaining mounted on a chocobo.
Battle-related
The following additions have been made to Campaign:
Campaign battles may now occur in the following areas:
Beaucedine Glacier [S] / Xarcabard [S]
*These areas, however, will not host offensive and defensive operations such as Aegis Scream and Smokescreen.
New decorations have been unlocked, and items obtainable with Allied Notes for players in possession of these decorations added.
The new "Union" system has been added.
- What are Unions?
Unions are optional regiments that players may participate in when engaging in Campaign battles. After fighting in a Campaign battle as a Union registrant, players will be eligible to cast lots for Union-specific spoils based upon their contributions to the war effort.
- Registering for a Union
To register for a Union, players must speak to a Campaign Arbiter while in possession of Allied Tags, and choose their desired regiment from the list presented. Players are free to join any Union regardless of factors such as their nation of allegiance.
- Resigning from a Union
Players may resign from their Union by speaking to a Campaign Arbiter, by leaving the area or logging out, or by performing any action that causes them to lose their Allied Tags, such as undergoing evaluation.
- Lotting for Union Spoils
To be eligible to lot for Union treasure, a player's contributions to the battle must be evaluated at a certain level or higher.
*If you undergo assessment before the battle has ended, your evaluation will automatically revert to zero.
[Concerning Item Drops for Parties/Alliances Including Union Registrants]
•Please be aware of the following conditions that apply when a Union registrant joins a party or alliance, or when a member of an existing party/alliance registers for a Union.
- Items remaining in the party/alliance's current treasure pool may be automatically distributed randomly among members.
It is highly recommended for parties/alliances to finish distributing all items in their pool before inviting a union registrant or allowing any of their members to register for a union.
•Please be aware of the following conditions that apply when a lot-eligible Union registrant joins a party or alliance, or when an existing party or alliance member becomes lot-eligible for Union spoils.
- The lot-eligible Union registrant will be unable to obtain items from the party/alliance's current item pool.
- Party/alliance members in the same area as the lot-eligible Union registrant will lose the ability to obtain item drops from standard battles and non-Union activities.
*The above conditions will cease to apply and item drop eligibility will be restored to normal should the player in question lose their Union lot privilege for any reason.
New monsters have been added.
Additional monsters will now appear in the following area:
Batallia Downs [S]
The following changes have been made to Fields of Valor:
Additional elite training regimes can now be accepted in the areas listed below.
Cape Teriggan / Eastern Altepa Desert / The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah / Ro'Maeve / Yuhtunga Jungle / Yhoator Jungle / Western Altepa Desert / Valley of Sorrows / Ru'Aun Gardens
The rate at which combat and magic skills increase during low and middle levels has been adjusted.
The following Circle-type abilities have had their effects adjusted and will now grant enhanced resistance, defense, and attack against the specified monster family to party members within their area of effect.
Holy Circle / Arcane Circle / Warding Circle / Ancient Circle / Killer Instinct
The following adjustments and additions have been made to the ninja job:
Two new job abilities, "Yonin" and "Innin", have been added.
- Yonin
Increases enmity and enhances "ninja tool expertise" effect, but impairs accuracy. Improves evasion and reduces enemy's critical hit rate when in front of target.
- Innin
Reduces enmity and impairs evasion. Grants a bonus to accuracy, critical hit rate, and ninjutsu damage when striking target from behind.
*Yonin and Innin have a shared ability delay and therefore one cannot be activated while the other is still in effect.
The effect of the ninja job ability "Mijin Gakure" has been adjusted.
In light of this change, the latent effect granted by the ninja mythic weapon has also been changed.
When dragoons with the job trait "Empathy" use the job ability "Spirit Link," wyverns under the effect of sleep will be healed of that status even if no hit points are regained.
Two new blue magic spells have been added.
The characteristic of the following Notorious Monsters in which their strength changes over time after being claimed has been adjusted:
King Arthro / Simurgh / Roc / Serket / Capricious Cassie / Lord of Onzozo / Behemoth / King Behemoth / Adamantoise / Aspidochelone / Fafnir / Nidhogg / Sandworm / Dark Ixion
Item-related
Several new pieces of equipment have been added.
Various new furnishings have been added.
Several new synthesis recipes have been added.
The following item has been added to the list of goods purchasable from linkshell distributor NPCs:
Pendant Compass
* The compass is an equippable item for characters level 20 and above which, when used, will display one's current positional coordinates within a given area.
* This coordinate information may be used with the upcoming "Player Event Support" service. Detailed information will be made available via a special site for the service in the near future.
The following items may now be handled by the special event storage NPC:
Adamantoise Statue / Behemoth Statue / Fafnir Statue / Egg Buffet
The attributes of the following item have been adjusted:
Ebisu Fishing Rod
System-related
New terms have been added to the auto-translate dictionary.
Category Term
Job Ability Yonin
Job Ability Innini
Place Names 2 Beaucedine Glacier [S]
Place Names 2 Xarcabard [S]
Place Names 2 The Fauregandi Front
Place Names 2 The Valdeaunia Front
Game Terms 2 Mog House Invitation
Game Terms 2 Mog Satchel
Game Terms 2 Augmented Item
Game Terms 2 Adder Union
Game Terms 2 Bison Union
Game Terms 2 Coyote Union
Game Terms 2 Dhole Union
Game Terms 2 Eland Union
Expansions Rise of the Zilart
Expansions Chains of Promathia
Expansions Treasures of Aht Urghan
Expansions Wings of the Goddess
Expansions A Crystalline Prophecy
Expansions A Moogle Kupo d'Etat
The text command /bell (number) whereby players can ring a bell sound has been expanded to cover two octaves.
Using the command "/bell #" (for example, "/bell A3+") while equipped with a Dream Bell, Dream Bell +1, Lady Bell, or Lady Bell +1 will sound a bell noise. The assignable values are as follows:
*The values 1-8 implemented in the previous version update can still be used.
*If no value is indicated after /bell, the C4 note will be played.
Resolved Issues
The following item's actual damage value no longer differs from that indicated in its help text:
Noble Himantes
The "Enhances 'Random Deal' effect" bonus granted by the following items is now functioning as intended:
Commodore Frac / Commodore Frac +1
The wyvern damage reduction effects granted by the following items are now consistent with the value indicated in their help text:
Wyrm Finger Gauntlets / Wyrm Finger Gauntlets +1 / Wyrm Brais / Wyrm Brais +1
Known Issues
The requisite condition for the following Super Kupower is not mentioned in the in-game explanation:
Artisan's Advantage: The chance of losing ingredients in a failed synthesis attempt is drastically reduced.
Players must receive synthesis image support from their respective guilds in order to benefit from this Super Kupower.
Tags: FinalFantasyXI, News