The December version update for Final Fantasy XI has arrived! The new, higher level Salvage areas, which have been on the drawing boards for many months, have been added, bringing a series of new challenges and new rewards for those that dare to plumb the depths of Alzadaal. Not to be outdone, Meeble Burrows have also seen upgrades, allowing players to participate in expeditions more frequently and expand upon the customization of the event.

 Bards saw several changes to their spells and abilities, as a number of single target spells were changed to Area of Effects, duration of spells cast on enemies were adjusted based on certain equipment used, and Pianissimo's effect halfs the casting time of spells used with it.

 For more information of these changes and much more, check below the break, and let us know what you think of this new version update over on the ZAM forums!

From the official Final Fantasy XI forums:

December 13, 2012 (JST) Version Update

Event-related

• New quests have been introduced.

Salvage Additions and Adjustments

• The Following high-level remnants have been added:

  Zhayolm Remnants II / Arrapago Remnants II / Bhaflau Remnants II / Silver Sea Remnants II

  Differences from Previous Salvage Content
  • Entry is restricted to adventurers level 96 and above.
  • Players will no longer be able to obtain temporary items.
  • Pathos of Alzadaal restrictions may no longer be removed by imbued items, but by the following methods:
    • Defeating certain monsters in specified areas will randomly remove a Pathos of Alzadaal restriction from participants.
    • Examining the Runic Lamps within each remnant will allow players to remove restrictions of their choice.
  • Embrava (castable only while Tabula Rasa is in effect)
    • Effect duration has been reduced from five minutes to ninety seconds.
    • Haste potency will now increase by 1% for every twenty points of one's enhancing magic skill instead of for every fifteen points.
    • Embrava now grants the effect of Refresh instead of Regain. The value of the effect, however, remains the same.

Meeble Burrows Additions and Adjustments

• Players will now receive wizened worm items upon completion of expedition goals.
  • There are three types of worms to receive: Wizened Tunnel Worms, Wizened Morion Worms, and Wizened Phantom Worms.
  • Speak to the NPC Utrig in Sauromugue Champaign (J-7) to exchange these worms for random items.
• Palimpsest items have been added that bestow beneficial effects upon players.
  • Trade a palimpsest to the Speleological Handbook in the burrows to receive its corresponding effect.
  • Palimpsests may be obtained randomly by trading wizened worms to the NPC Utrig in Sauromugue Champaign.
• Trading a grimoire to the Burrow Investigator in Upper Jeuno will allow players to view the status of the expeditions they have undertaken.
• Players may now speak to the Burrow Researcher NPC to record previously accomplished feats in blank grimoires.
  • Any boons recorded will be level one.
  • This service requires gil.
• The number of Moblin pheromone sacks that may be stored has been increased from five to ten.
  *Speaking to the Burrow Investigator NPC or Burrow Researcher NPC and following the prescribed process will increase a player's stock to ten, regardless of how many are currently in storage.
• The item Pherobarrier Box, which increases one's maximum stock of Moblin pheromone sacks, has been introduced and can be obtained by expending research marks.
• Research Mark Adjustment
  The amount of research marks obtainable will now increase depending upon the number of players in one's party, with parties of three receiving the same amount as in the past. However, the amount of research marks players may receive from boss battles has been decreased.

*New Meeble Burrows expeditions were also scheduled to be introduced, but have been postponed for approximately one month so that they can undergo more thorough testing.

• Assault: Nyzul Isle Uncharted Region Adjustments
  • The largest number of floors one may randomly teleport has been increased from nine to eleven.
  • For the objective “activate all lamps,” the waiting period between when simultaneously activated lamps deactivate and can be reexamined has been reduced from thirty seconds to fifteen.
  • For the objective “activate all lamps,” the amount of time players must wait before learning if they correctly activated lamps in the specified order will be reduced from twelve seconds to seven.
  • The number of times players must defeat bosses to earn an astrarium has been reduced from twenty-five to five.
    *The number of astraria already in one's possession will be adjusted in the following manner:
    

    Pre-adjustment		Post-adjustment
    0	→	0
    1-6	→	1
    7-12	→	2
    13-18	→	3
    19-24	→	4

• Legion Adjustment
  • Enemies' HP have been reduced.

• Einherjar Adjustments
  • The enemy Odin that appears in Odin's Chamber II has had its HP reduced.
  • The waiting period for reentry has been reduced to twenty hours.

• Limbus Adjustment
  • The waiting period for repurchasing the key item Cosmo-Cleanse has been reduced to twenty hours.

Battle-related
Job-related Adjustments
Bard

• • • The level at which Pianissimo is learned has been decreased from forty-five to twenty.
    • An additional effect has been added to Pianissimo that halves the casting time of the next song.
    • The following bard songs have been changed from affecting a single target party member to affecting all party members in an area of effect centered on the caster, and their casting time has been changed from four to eight seconds.

      Enchanting Etude / Spirited Etude / Learned Etude / Quick Etude /
      Vivacious Etude / Dextrous Etude / Sinewy Etude / Bewitching Etude /
      Logical Etude / Sage Etude / Swift Etude / Vital Etude /
      Uncanny Etude / Herculean Etude / Hunter’s Prelude / Archer’s Prelude /
      Foe Sirvente / Adventurer’s Dirge

• The recast time for all special job abilities has been reduced from two hours to one.

• Status effect duration timers will now continue to progress even during cutscenes.

• The issue wherein pet movement speed was unintentionally fast has been resolved, and the maximum movement speed of pets has been increased to twenty-five percent of the average speed.

• Paralysis and killer effects are now effective against more notorious monsters' attacks.

• The conditions under which the Abyssea- Tahrongi NM Quetzalli spawns have been alleviated.

Item-related
New items have been added.

• New synthesis recipes have been added.

• The following synergy recipe has been added.
  <Rank: Artisan>

  Item Name	Required Craft	Materials
  Orchestrion	Alchemy	Doll Gizmo, Loudspeaker II, Goblin Doll, Scintillant Ingot, Aht Urhgan Brass Ingot, Steel Sheet, Molybdenum Sheet, Mahogany Lumber
  	Goldsmithing

• The synthesis level required to craft the following item has been decreased:

  Dweomer Bullet

• The prices at which the following items may be sold back to vendors have been changed:

  Burdock / Walnut / Butterpear

• The following items are no longer considered Rare:

  Olde Rarab Tail / Fossilized Fang / Fossilized Bone

• The stack size of the following items has been changed from one to twelve:

  Olde Rarab Tail / Seasoning Stone / Fossilized Fang / Fossilized Bone

• The following items may now be harvested through Gardening:
  

  Seed Type	Harvestable Items
  Fruit Seeds	Walnut, Butterpear
  Herb Seeds	King Truffle
  Vegetable Seeds	Burdock, Winterflower
  Cactus Stems	Flame Geode, Snow Geode, Breeze Geode, Soil Geode, Thunder Geode, Aqua Geode, Light Geode, Shadow Geode, Nopales, Dragon Fruit

• The following items have been made storable with the porter moogle service:
  • Moogle Storage Slip 11

    Dream Mittens / Dream Mittens +1 / Ahriman Cap / Pyracmon Cap / Orchestrion / Janus Guard / Tender Bouquet

  • Moogle Storage Slip 14

    Ares' Mask +1 / Ares' Cuirass +1 / Ares' Gauntlets +1 / Ares' Flanchard +1 / Ares' Sollerets +1 / Skadi's Visor +1 / Skadi's Cuirie +1 / Skadi's Bazubands +1 / Skadi's Chausses +1 / Skadi's Jambeaux +1 / Usukane Somen +1 / Usukane Haramaki +1 / Usukane Gote +1 / Usukane Hizayoroi +1 / Usukane Sune-Ate +1 / Marduk's Tiara +1 / Marduk's Jubbah +1 / Marduk's Dastanas +1 / Marduk's Shalwar +1 / Marduk's Cracows +1 / Morrigan's Coronal +1 / Morrigan's Robe +1 / Morrigan's Cuffs +1 / Morrigan's Slops +1 / Morrigan's Pigaches +1 / Ker's Mask / Ker's Cuirass / Ker's Gauntlets / Ker's Flanchard / Ker's Sollerets / Sigyn's Visor / Sigyn's Cuirie / Sigyn's Bazubands / Sigyn's Chausses / Sigyn's Jambeaux / Omodaka Somen / Omodaka Haramaki / Omodaka Gote / Omodaka Hizayoroi / Omodaka Sune-Ate / Nabu's Tiara / Nabu's Jubbah / Nabu's Dastanas / Nabu's Shalwar / Nabu's Crackows / Fea's Coronal / Fea's Robe / Fea's Cuffs / Fea's Slops / Fea's Pigaches / Ate's Mask / Ate's Cuirass / Ate's Gauntlets / Ate's Flanchard / Ate's Sollerets / Idi's Mask / Idi's Jerkin / Idi's Gloves / Idi's Trousers / Idi's Ledelsens / Genta Kabuto / Genta Sune-Ate / Genta Gote / Genta-no-Hakama / Genta Sune-Ate / Namru's Tiara / Namru's Jubbah / Namru's Dastanas / Namru's Shalwar / Namru's Crackows / Neit's Crown / Neit's Coat / Neit's Cuffs / Neit's Slops / Neit's Pigaches

• Ex Item Delivery Revisions
  The list of undeliverable exclusive items has been updated.

System-related

• Players can now change the background music of their Mog Houses by furnishing them with an Orchestrion.
  • Music selections can be made via the Symphonic Curator that appears to the side of one's Mog House's entryway after placing an Orchestrion.
  • Possible music selections depend upon the sheet music key items in one's possession.
    Orchestrions only come equipped with the sheet music for Mog House and Vana'diel March.
  • Should their Mog House be furnished with a Spinet, players may also choose music from it via the Symphonic Curator.
  • Any background music alterations made in this manner are also audible to PCs who are invited to a player's Mog House.

• Adjustments have been made to the RGB bars in the Config menu with which players can change font colors.

[Windows and Xbox 360 Versions Only]

• An option to change the menu icons for magic spells, job abilities, and weapon skills has been added.
  Selecting option "2" under "Icon Type" within "Misc." in the Config menu sets the icons that were introduced with the July 24, 2012 version update to display, while selecting option "1" switches to the icons that were used previously.

[Windows Version Only]A new graphics stabilization option has been added to the Etc. tab of the FINAL FANTASY XI Config program.

*The order in which abilities and spells are displayed have been reset as of this version update.


Resolved Issues

• The following issues have been rectified:
  • The issue wherein the visual effects for the Abyssea – Grauberg NM Assailer Chariot's spells did not display correctly.
  • The issue wherein the Abyssea – Grauberg NM Azdaja's spell Dispel would affect players even if they had evaded it.
  • The issue wherein Dark Seal did not enhance the accuracy of the following dark magic spells:

    Drain II / Absorb-Attri

  • The issue wherein the following items' "Increases song effect duration" attribute did not activate for enemy-targeted songs:

    Aoidos' Hongreline + 1 / Aoidos' Hongreline + 2 / Aoidos' Matinee / Daurdabla

  • The issue in Walk of Echoes wherein incorrect titles were given for completing the sixth through eighth walks.
  • The issue wherein the maximum fishing skill level that catching the following beasts allowed players to reach was incorrect:

    Dorado Gar / Crocodilos / Pelazoea

Known Issues

• The confirmation message text that displays when removing restrictions in Salvage via Runic Lamps overflows for certain categories.