Details on the Upcoming Version Update
The December version update of Final Fantasy XI is fast approaching, and today, Square Enix has unveiled full details of the content in store. New Seekers of Adoulin quests, several job and battle-related adjustments, the addition of the new "Gifts" system of job augmentation, multiple log windows, and much more are planned!
For a list of the full details, check below the break. What are you looking forward to the most? Let us know over on the ZAM forums.
From the official Final Fantasy XI forums:
Details on the Upcoming Version Update
Hello, adventurers of Vana’diel! Matsui here.
I’d like to give you all a preview of the content coming in the December version update.
In the December version update we’ll be adding quests that continue to explore the lore of Adoulin. These new quests will focus on the witches of the Blackthorn Coven as well as the exorcists, which were only touched on very briefly in the main mission scenario. Look forward to expanding your knowledge on the lore of Adoulin even though the main scenario has concluded!
On the battle-side of things we’ll be adding a system known as “Gifts”.
Gifts are a new element of character growth that is derived from job points. They will allow you to earn various bonuses depending on the total amount of job points that have been spent.
We’ll also be introducing a feature that allows you to create separate log windows as an element to enhance the community. With this feature, you can freely separate the logs into, for example, a battle log window and a chat log window. The opportunity to chat with other adventurers is surely increasing due to Unity Concord, and I hope you are able to put this feature to good use.
We originally planned to implement battle content involving the Xol Triumvirate, the “linkshell 2” feature, and increase the participant cap for Unity Concord chat this month; however, we determined that further testing and adjustments are necessary and we are now aiming to implement these in a future version update. I apologize for making you wait.
With that said though, we will be adding an element known as “Chacharoon’s Support” to the monster rearing system, adding new notorious monsters for wanted battles, and making various other additions and adjustments with one-hand weapon enhancements headlining the list.
The version update is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, December 10 (JST), and I hope you are looking forward to enjoying all the new content.
Among the items scheduled for implementation with this version update, there are still some that are currently in testing. Please keep in mind that we may remove certain items from this implementation list in the event that bugs take an unintentionally long time to fix or balancing issues occur during the development process.
Missions and Quests
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| December | Additional Seekers of Adoulin quest 1 | - Create text - Create cutscene |
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| December | Additional Seekers of Adoulin quest 2 | - Create text - Create cutscene |
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| December | Chacharoon's Support introduction event | - Create text - Create cutscene |
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| December | Celennia Memorial Library | - Add text | - |
| December | Starlight Celebration | - Create related items | - |
| December | New Year's event | - Create related items | - |
| December | Login Campaign | - Set new items | - |
Areas and Monsters
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| December | Unity: Wanted | - Create notorious monster data - Adjust battle balance - Set rewards - Place "Ethereal Junction" in the related areas |
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Content and Systems
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| December | Unity Concord | - Increase Unity chat participant cap from 64 to 128 - Add objectives to Unity: Wanted - Add equipment that can be enhanced - Add areas that can be teleported to |
Due to the need for further adjustments, increase on the Unity chat participant cap has been pushed to a future version update. |
| December | Linkshell2 | - Add system that allows you to equip two linkshells at the same time - Adjust the linkshell UI in the main menu - Adjust chat channel UI - Create related text commands |
This feature has been postponed to a future version update pending further adjustments. Some elements of the UI have been altered but will be unavailable for the time being. |
| December | Monster rearing | - Add the "Chacharoon's Support" system - Set effects - Adjust balance - Set items that are sold through "Chacharoon's Support" |
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| December | Trust | - Change the icons for Trust magic based on roles - Create icon data - Change the sort order of Trust magic when sorted - Add a bonus effect to Galadar, Zazarg, Mihli Aliapoh, and Najelith alter egos when specific alter egos are summoned |
New Trust magic icons are available on the Windows and Xbox 360 versions when the icon type is set to 2. |
| December | Adventuring Fellow | - Address certain event equipment | - |
| December | Records of Eminence | - Add tutorial objective - Add objectives for Unity: Wanted |
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| December | Waypoints | - Add map icons that display the Waypoints in Adoulin areas - Add a system that displays the map of the Waypoint destination for Adoulin areas |
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| December | Survival Guide | - Add "Survival Guides" | - |
| December | Home Point | - Add "Home Points" | - |
| December | Battle content with the Xol Triumvirate | - | Due to the need for further adjustments, this has been pushed to a future version update. |
Battle System
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| December | Job points | - Create the "Gifts" system - Adjust UI - Add gifts for each job - Adjust balance of gift effects - Create the "Superior" system |
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| December | Weapon skills | - Increase the power of certain weapon skills - Increase the TP bonus for certain weapon skills - Adjustments so that certain weapon skills that had bonuses applied to only the first hit will have the bonus applied to all hits |
This adjustment is focused on enhancing the weapon skills of one-hand weapons. |
| December | Adjustments to the calculation of accuracy rates | - Increase the accuracy rate cap of one-hand weapons - Increase the accuracy rate cap of pets called via Call Beast, wyverns, avatars, and automatons |
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| December | Summoner | - Add new Blood Pact for Carbuncle - Add new Blood Pact for Ifrit - Add new Blood Pact for Leviathan - Add new Blood Pact for Ramuh - Add new Blood Pact for Titan - Add new Blood Pact for Garuda - Add new Blood Pact for Shiva - Create effects for new Blood Pacts - Adjust the balance of the new Blood Pacts |
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| December | Blue mage | - Add new blue magic spells - Adjust the balance of new blue magic spells" |
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| December | Puppetmaster | - Remove the animation lock for the job ability "Maneuvers" - Change the type of weapon damage for Harlequin and Stormwaker frames from hand-to-hand to blunt damage |
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Items
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| December | Unity Concord related items | - Add new equipment | - |
| December | Synthesis recipes | - Add new equipment recipes - Add new food recipes |
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| December | Magic maps | - Add more maps that are sold in shops | Certain magic maps that were only obtainable via quests will be sold. |
| December | Superior | - Create equipment that supports the gift effect "Superior" | - |
| December | Furnishings | - Create new furnishings | - |
| December | Porter Moogle | - Add support for event items | - |
UI
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| December | Chat log window | - Add a system to display two chat log windows - Add and adjust the "Window" option under "Config" in the main menu - Add a "Chat Log Setting" option to the "Config" under the main menu - Add a feature that displays a time stamp in the chat log - Add the text command "/timestamp" |
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| December | Linkshell2 adjustments | - Adjust the linkshell UI under the main menu - Adjust the chat channel UI - Add the text command "/linkshell2" - Add the text command "/makelinkshell2" - Add the subcommand "linkshell2" for the text command "/search" - Add the subcommand "linkshell2" for the text command "/nominate" |
This feature has been postponed to a future version update pending further adjustments. Some elements of the UI have been altered but will be unavailable for the time being. |
| December | Gift adjustments | - Add Gift UI to the Job Points section of the main menu - Add item level and Superior sections to the Profile section of the main menu |
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| December | Map icons | - Indicate Waypoints that have not been unlocked on the map | - |
| December | Auto-translate function | - Add to the auto-translate dictionary | - |