Announcing the March Version Update
The March version update of Final Fantasy XI is slated to arrive on March 26th, and the content being brought is certain to excite adventurers! The brand new Vagary battle system is being implemented, allowing players to do battle with the dreaded Xol Triumvirate to obtain items for Empyrean armor reforging and crafting Superior 2 equipment! In addition, several new job adjustments, new Unity Concord Wanted battles, adjustments to Mog Gardens, and more, will be added!
Excited for the March version update? Let us know over on the ZAM forums!
From the official Final Fantasy XI forums:
March Version Update Announcement
Greetings, adventurers! Matsui here with another version update preview.
We're down to the last few days before this month's update, so here's a preview of what to expect.
Players can look forward to "Vagary", an all new battle content featuring the Xol Triumvirate that should challenge even the most experienced adventurers.
Players can face off against the triumvirate through three entraces in Outer Ra'Kaznar, each leading up to a fateful battle with either Balamor, Dhokmak the Brash, or Ashrakk Duskbrood.
Each entrance leads to a different area, monsters, and Xol for adventurers to assault, and players must think carefully when making their battle plans.
Conquering the threats within Vagary will allow players to obtain items necessary for further reforging Empyrean armor, as well as synthesizing Superior 2 equipment, a new item category added in this update. If that's not enough, snag other powerful item level 119 equipment.
As implied, players will be able to reforge empyrean armor to level 109 and further to 119. Geomancers and rune fencers can also look forward to new equipment of equivalent power.
Mages will be happy to know that magic bursts will have an even greater potency.
Additionally, enmity will have an increase cap and enmity gained from damage dealt will be adjusted, making a party's enmity levels easier to manage.
In terms of job adjustments, we're smoothing out damage differences across melee jobs. Some dagger weapon skills will be adjusted to reign in thieves' skillchain damage. The strength of certain enfeebling spells, songs, and ninjutsu will also be tweaked.
In a previous topic we discussed a new spell, "Ardor". After taking all your comments into consideration, we have decided to hold off on its implementation until the next version update.
On the system side of things, we're enhancing the /lockstyle function. Lockstyle should now persist between sessions and when changing zones, and will now also apply when equipping another weapon of the same type.
Check out new Wanted objectives, Mog Garden quality of life improvements, and a bunch of other additions and adjustments!
The March version update will be going live on Thursday, March 26.
Below is a detailed list of features planned for the version update. Keep in mind that this list is still provisional, and any balancing or bug issues we discover during testing may require us to remove an item from the update.
Missions and Quests
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| March | Egg Hunt | - Designing new reward items - Adding new combinations - Adding initial eggs to Adoulin gathering point table - Designing new combination hints |
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| March | Feast of Swords | - Designing new rewards | - |
Areas and Monsters
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| March | Wanted Battles | - Creating notorious monster data - Balancing battles - Designing rewards - Adding new teleport destinations |
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Content and Systems
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| March | Vagary | - Creating event cutscenes - Writing NPC text - Balancing battles - Creating monster data - Creating boss monster data - Designing reward items - Adding time limit info to the UI |
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| March | Records of Eminence | - Creating Wanted objectives - Setting capacity point bonuses when fulfilling objectives for first time. - Setting Achievement objectives |
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| March | Alluvion Skirmish | - Adding current situation gauge to UI - Adding system to enhance pets - Adjusting Escalent spawns based on Eudaemon segments - Adding and adjusting Ars Monstrum features - Adding time limit info to UI |
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| March | Skirmish | - Adding time limit info to UI | - |
| March | Delve | - Adding time limit info to UI | - |
| March | Incursion | - Adding time limit info to UI | - |
| March | Walk of Echoes | - Adjusting selection system of Surge Walks | - |
| March | High-tier battlefields | - Adjusting costs of participating in high-tier avatar battlefields. | - |
| March | Mog Garden | - Changing mood decay rules for reared creatures. - Adding effect to all reared monsters from ""beaming with pure contentment"" and "succumbing to darkness" moods. - Adding ability to scrap unwanted flotsam when inventory is full. |
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| March | Titles | - Adding new titles. | - |
Battle System
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| March | Balance Adjustments | - Adjusting magic bursts - Adjusting emnity system - Adjusting dagger weapon skills |
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| March | Gifts | - Adding Superior 2 category | - |
| March | Red Mage | - Adjusting enfeebling spells - Adding sword weapon skills previously exclusive to other jobs |
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| March | Dark Knight | - Adjusting dark magic spells | - |
| March | Bard | - Adjusting songs | - |
| March | Ninja | - Adjusting ninjutsu | - |
| March | Summoner | - Adjusting blood pacts - Creating data for new blood pacts |
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| March | Puppetmaster | - Changing materials for Automaton frames - Adjusting manuevers - Adjusting spells used by automatons |
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| March | Alter Egos | - Adding new alter egos - Expanding content where alter egos can be called forth - Adjusting alter ego stats - Creating and adjusting behavior logic - Adding related items |
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Items
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| March | New Rune Fencer Equipment | - Creating acquisition quests - Creating equipment graphics - Creating item data - Creating set bonus data - Creating icon data |
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| March | New Geomancer Equipment | - Creating acquisition quests - Creating equipment graphics - Creating item data - Creating set bonus data - Creating icon data |
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| March | Reforged Empyrean Armor | - Creating upgrade quests - Creating item data - Creating events |
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| March | New Furnishings | - Creating item graphics - Creating item data - Creating help text - Designing synthesis recipes |
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| March | Tiamat Drop Changes | - Creating new drops - Setting high-tier mission battelfield loot |
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| March | Superior2 Equipment | - Creating item data - Designing synthesis recipes |
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| March | Mog Storage Slip | - Expanding list of applicable items | - |
| March | Dedication/Commitment Items | - Raising limit of experience and capacity point acqusition bonuses of certain items that grant dedication or commitment | - |
| March | Gathering | - Adding visual effects to gathering points in Seekers of Adoulin areas. | - |
Items
| Implementation Timing | Update Task and Overview | Tasks Being Worked On | Notes |
| March | New /lockstyle Features | - Creating a lockstyle UI - Creating related help text - Implementing new text commands |
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| March | Text Commands | - Adding linkshell/lockstyle-related text commands - Allow /recast to function properly with abilities that consume charges |
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| March | Emote List Features | - Creating emote list UI - Creating help text |
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| March | Log Window | - Adding seconds display to timestamps - Adding new scrolling method |
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| March | Item Help | - Paginating multiple page help text so that arcane glyptic details will always appear first | - |
| March | Linkshell Features | - Adding ability to view Linkshell 2 messages | - |
| March | Auction Houses | - Changing method of sorting level 99 equipment so that superior and item level equipment appears first | - |