The April version update of Final Fantasy XI has arrived! Among the vast number of changes and additions made is the implementation new, hard-mode versions of the Ouryu and Tenzen Chains of Promathia battles. In addition, a number of other battle changes, including changes to maximum HP and MP values for various races, alter-ego adjustments, and Records of Eminence additions have also been implemented!

New weapons and armor have also been introduced, including new gear for Rune Fencers and Geomancers, as well as new synthesis recipes!

Let us know how you feel about this new version update over on the ZAM forums!

From the official Final Fantasy XI forums:

Event-related

A quest to acquire job-specific equipment has been added.

• Prerequisites
  Players must have fulfilled one of the following prerequisites in order to undertake the quest.
  • Have defeated at least one of the following boss monsters appearing in Delve content in Cirdas Cavers [U].

    Muyingwa / Dakuwaqa / Tojil

  • Have defeated at least one of the following boss monsters appearing in Delve content in Yorcia Weald [U].

    Cailimh／Wopket／Utkux

  • Have defeated one of the mission battlefields requiring one of the items listed below on “Difficult” or “Very Difficult.”

    Microcosmic Orb / Macrocosmic Orb

  • Have defeated a high-tier mission battlefield on “Normal” or above difficulty.
    
    • Notes
      • If the player has accepted a relic, mythic, or empyrean weapon repairing quest, they will be unable to accept the job-specific weapon quest while equipped with the weapon that started the repairing quest. Unequipping the weapon will solve this issue.

Accepting the Quest
Players will be able to receive the quest from Oboro in Port Jeuno (E-6).

• Required Items
  Players can check which items are needed to create which weapons by checking with Oboro, who will then craft the requested weapon when the appropriate materials have been traded to him. Note that Oboro will not accept high quality items created through synthesis.

• The following additions and adjustments have been made to Records of Eminence.
  • New objectives have been added.
  • The conditions for acquiring starfall tears needed for the quest “Panta Rhei” have been changed.
    Players are now able to acquire starfall tears even if they are not currently on the quest “To Catch a Falling Star”
  • Following changes have been made to the schedule on the limited-time challenges.
    • Times
      

      Pre-adjustment		Post-adjustment
      5:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. (JST)	→	5:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. (JST)
      12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (JST)	→	12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (JST)
      8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. (JST)	→	8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. (JST)

  • Additional weapons that are redeemable with sparks of eminence and intended for characters level 51 and higher has been introduced.

• The following additions and adjustments have been made to the quest “The Forbidden Path.”
  Players are now able to proceed with the quest even if they trade the Testimony for a job which is not their main job to Writhing Flame.
  Players will now be able to receive the rewards for completing the quest from Velda-Galda even if their main job is Geomancer or Rune Fencer.

Battle-related

Racial HP and MP maximums have been adjusted.

• Maximum HP Adjustments
  The hierarchy of racial HP levels remains unchanged.

  Galka > Elvaan > Hume = Mithra > Tarutaru

  • Races Affected

    Hume / Elvaan / Tarutaru / Mithra

  • Race Unaffected

    Galka

• Maximum MP Adjustments
  The hierarchy of racial MP levels also remains unchanged.

  Tarutaru > Hume = Mithra > Elvaan > Galka

  • Races Affected

    Hume / Elvaan / Mithra / Galka

  • Race Unaffected

    Tarutaru

New high-tier mission battlefields have been added.

Foes Encountered in the Battlefields

★The Savage

Engage in a heated struggle with the fearsome Ouryu!

★The Warrior's Path

Test your mettle against the venerable Tenzen and the troublesome Tarutaru troupe of Makki-Chebukki, Kukki-Chebukki, and Cherukiki!

Joining The Fray
Certain key items are required to participate in these battlefields, which can be acquired from the following NPCs in exchange for merit points.

Trisvain in Northern San d’Oria (J-7)

Raving Opossum in Port Bastok (J-11)

Mimble-Pimble in Port Windurst (L-5)

• Required key items

  Key Item	Number of Merit Points Required
  Savage’s Phantom Gem	20
  Warrior’s Path Phantom Gem	20

  * Players must be level 95 or greater and have cleared the original missions in order to purchase these items.

• Regarding Difficulty Levels
  Each mission battlefield is divided into five levels of difficulty. Boss strength, number and drop rate of spoils, and content level increase in line with difficulty.
  

  Difficulty	Content Level
  Very Easy	113
  Easy	116
  Normal	119
  Difficult	Greater than 119
  Very Difficult	Greater than 119

  * Any player may select a difficulty level, but the battlefield's level will be determined by the first person to enter.
  * Players must have cleared the battlefield on "normal" to select either "difficult" or "very difficult."
  * All party members must be in possession of the required key item to enter.

• Mission battlefield, boss, and entry restrictions

  Mission Name	Required Key Item	Point of Entry	Bosses	Entry Restrictions
  ★The Savage	Savage’s Phantom Gem	Monarch Lynn	"Ouryu"	All Levels
  				Thirty Minutes
  				Six-Person Party
  ★The Warrior’s Path	Warrior’s Path Phantom Gem	Sealion’s Den	Tenzen Makki-Chebukki Kukki-Chebukki Cherukiki	All Levels
  				Thirty Minutes
  				Six-Person Party

• Spoils
  Spoils are rewarded both for vanquishing the boss and clearing the battlefield. In addition, each participant will receive a specific number of spoils for clearing each battlefield.
  
  Included in the spoils are items needed for reforging artifact equipment to level 119 and for repairing relic, mythic, and empyrean weapons.
  
  • Items Required for Reforging/Repairing
    • ★The Savage
      • Rewards for Vanquishing Ouryu
        • Artifact Equipment-related
          If Ouryu is vanquished on any difficulty level, players will be eligible to receive pieces of Maliyakaleya coral (for headgear) and exalted logs (for leggear).
        • Relic, Mythic, and Empyrean Weapon-related
          If Ouryu is vanquished on "normal" or above, players will be eligible to receive items necessary to repair one of the aforementioned weapon types.
      • Rewards for Clearing the Battlefield
        • Artifact Equipment-related
          One type of item from the following list will be distributed to each participant.

          Rem's Tale Ch.6 / Rem's Tale Ch.7 / Rem's Tale Ch.8 / Rem's Tale Ch.9 / Rem's Tale Ch.10

          Difficulty	Number Obtainable
          Very Easy	1
          Easy	1
          Normal	2
          Difficult	3
          Very Difficult	4

        • Relic, Mythic, and Empyrean Weapon-related
          One type of item from the following list will be distributed to each participant.

          Pluton / Beitetsu / Riftborn Boulder

          Difficulty	Number Obtainable
          Very Easy	0
          Easy	1
          Normal	1
          Difficult	2
          Very Difficult	2

    • ★The Warrior's Path
      • Rewards for Vanquishing Tenzen
        • Artifact Equipment-related
          If Tenzen is vanquished on any difficulty level, players will be eligible to receive chunks of hepatizon ore (for bodygear), chunks of beryllium ore (for handgear), or Sif's locks (for footgear).
        • Relic, Mythic, and Empyrean Weapon-related
          If Tenzen is vanquished on "normal" or above, players will be eligible to receive items necessary to repair one of the aforementioned weapon types.
      • Rewards for Clearing the Battlefield
        • Artifact Equipment-related
          One type of item from the following list will be distributed to each participant.

          Rem's Tale Ch.6 / Rem's Tale Ch.7 / Rem's Tale Ch.8 / Rem's Tale Ch.9 / Rem's Tale Ch.10

          Difficulty	Number Obtainable
          Very Easy	1
          Easy	1
          Normal	2
          Difficult	3
          Very Difficult	4

        • Relic, Mythic, and Empyrean Weapon-related
          One type of item from the following list will be distributed to each participant.

          Pluton / Beitetsu / Riftborn Boulder

          Difficulty	Number Obtainable
          Very Easy	0
          Easy	1
          Normal	1
          Difficult	2
          Very Difficult	2

• Battlefields have undergone the following adjustments.
  • Battlefields have undergone the following adjustments.
    The content level of the below battlefields now displays for "very easy," "easy," and "normal" settings.

    ★Tails of Woe / ★The Worm's Turn / ★Steamed Sprouts / ★Dismemberment Brigade / ★Grimshell Shocktroopers / ★Divine Punishers / ★Amphibian Assault / ★Jungle Boogymen / ★Kindred Spirits / ★Legion XI Comitatensis / ★Demolition Squad / ★Brothers D'Aurphe / ★Ark Angels 1-5 / ★Pentacide Perpetrator / ★Return to Delkfutt's Tower / ★The Celestial Nexus / ★The Savage / ★The Warrior's Path

  • The avatar Cait Sith's abilities Eerie Eye and Mewing Lullaby are now listed under the Blood Pact: Ward command category instead of Blood Pact: Rage.
  • Players are now able to use the thief ability Despoil against enemies of the following families.

    Raaz / Dullahan

  • Alter egos have undergone the following adjustments.
    • Tank alter egos now approach even closer to targets when engaged in battle.
    • Many alter ego-specific weapon skills, such as Prishe's Knuckle Sandwich, now possess skillchain elements.
    • Alter egos are now permitted to enter the following battlefields.
      • Spire of Vahzl

        Desires of Emptiness

      • Mine Shaft #2716

        A Century of Hardship

      • Boneyard Gully

        Head Wind

      • Bearclaw Pinnacle

        Flames for the Dead

      • Sealion's Den

        One to Be Feared / The Warrior's Path

      • The Garden of Ru'Hmet

        When Angels Fall

      • Empyreal Paradox

        Dawn

Item-related

• New synthesis recipes have been introduced.

New items have been added.

• The following items have had their item levels removed from the help text.

  Forefront Flute / Filiae Bell / Tardus Grip / Zuuxowu Grip / Lentus Grip / Achaq Grip / Bloodrain Strap / Tzacab Grip / Mephitis Grip
  * Only the item level descriptors have been deleted. The attributes of the item are unaffected.
  * Going forward, all instruments, grips, and handbells will have their item level descriptors removed.
  

• The following additions and adjustments have been made to bonanza kupons.
  • Ra’Kaznar Visages have been added to the list of items available for exchange from the following kupons.

    Kupon I-S1 / Kupon I-S2 / Kupon I-S3 / Kupon I-S5

  • Yorcia Visages II have been added to the list of items available for exchange from Kupon I-S2.

• The following synergy recipes have been added.
  　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　< Rank: Amateur >

  Item	Required Craft	Materials
  Worm Feelers +1	-	Worm Feelers, Worm Feelers
  Worm Masque +1	-	Worm Masque, Worm Masque

  * Worm Masques will become available through the upcoming May 2014 login campaign.

System-related

• A homepoint has been added to Riverne - Site #B01 at the coordinates E-8.

• Alter egos have undergone the following adjustments.
  • Spaces have been deleted from NPC names so that alter egos naming conventions now coincide with those of PC ones, enabling them to be used in parties that include other PCs in the future.
  • The placeholders <p1> through

• The following additions have been made to the auction house.
  • The number of the same type of item that players currently wish to post that is already on the market now displays in their transaction histories.
  • The categories for items players wish to post now display in their transaction histories.
    * Item categories will not display for items that have no successful bids.

• The number of fish players can reel in for one day (fatigue) has undergone the following adjustment.
  • Pre-adjustment
    Characters would become fatigued more rapidly if their main job level was lower than level 20.
  • Post-adjustment
    Characters whose main job is lower than level 20 will become fatigued at the normal rate as long as one of their jobs is level 20 or higher.

• The Effects section of the Config menu has undergone the following adjustments.
  • Battle effects for one's pets are now included under "You."
  • Battle effects for party members' pets are now included under "Party."

• The command /checkparam has undergone the following adjustments.
  • Using the command will now display the average item level of equipment worn.
    • Calculation

      (Weapon Item Level + Armor Item Level) / 2

      • The number used for the weapon item level in the above formula is the highest item level of all weapons equipped in the main, sub, ranged, and ammo slots.
      • The number used for the armor item level in the above formula is the average of headgear, bodygear, handgear, leggear, and footgear worn.
    • Notes
      • Fractions are rounded down to the nearest whole number.
      • Average item levels affect the level of alter egos called forth and the information displayed when using /check on enemies.
      • Players' average item levels will not display if they are not currently wearing any item level equipment.
      • Average item levels do not display for pets.

• The following text commands have been added.
  • /returnfaith, /refa
  • /returntrust, /retr
    Dismisses alter egos.　

  >>Subcommands:
  all 　Dismisses all of one's alter egos.
  Dismisses targeted alter ego if no subcommand is specified.
  

  • PThese commands cannot be used while players have a weapon drawn.

• Measures have been taken to address the issue with Salvage content wherein players would occasionally be unable to equip pieces of equipment even after removing Pathos of Alzadaal restrictions.

• Measures have been taken to address the issue wherein "X" would display in the equipment menu even after Encumbrance had been removed.

The following terms have been added to the auto-translate function.