May 10, 2011 (JST) Version Update Follow

They mention the old news right under battle adjustments. It seems instead of restating things they've already told us, they just tell uys to look for it ourselves.

"NPC vendors will now buy and sell the following items at reduced prices:

Cracker / Twinkle Shower / Little Comet / Konron Hassen / Kongou Inaho / Meifu Goma / Airborne / Popstar / Brilliant Snow / Sparkling Hand / Air Rider / Ouka Ranman / Papillion "

-Yay, more ways to make my 98.9 alchemy even more utterly useless!

Edited, May 9th 2011 10:10am by Hemphogg

Certain teleporters located in the Shrine of Ru'Avitau will now send players to a fixed location.


LOL, sneaked that one in there.

Back in the day i managed to go 1/8 before getting to kirin's room. I know someone who did 1/10

Typically, "adjusted" means nerf. Will usually be more specific when it's a buff, or at least say "increased".

This and a graph with no context. WTF does this even mean?



Finally SE is making some adjustments to the client.



Augments to old endgame gear require seals and abjurations, and I bet Salvage stuff when it's added will need the base pieces too. The QQ from people that quit their old einherjar and salvage shells and have to start over from the bottom again is going to be epic.

Edited, May 9th 2011 2:18pm by Lobivopis

That graph is the exp loss with level, before and after. I don't know why they showed it and didn't annotate it.

These update notes seem out of place for some reason. Where is the Last Resort notes? Why does it seem unpopular jobs such as RDM and SCH got nerfed judging by SE's "adjusted" comments? I don't get the augment system for SKY gear yet, but I'll pass on that until I see the mess up there. I thought SE said it wouldn't take any skill to make them in the furnace though. I hope I'm wrong, but so far this update reeks of fail.

They might be putting caps on how much they can be enhanced like how haste has caps.

EDIT: You go SE, get the percent playing RNG down to zero for the next census, we know you can do it.

Edited, May 9th 2011 2:26pm by Lobivopis

[dev1007] Voidwatch Emerges!

What Is Voidwatch?
In Voidwatch, bands of six to eighteen members will square off against “Voidwalkers,” savage entities that have breached planar bounds to invade multiple landscapes spanning past and present. By slaying these manifestations of terror, you and your stalwart comrades will gradually come to discover the true nature of the threat that has all of Vana’diel up in arms.

The May 9, 2011 version update introduces the first installment of this new challenge, and readies eighteen fields whereupon you will duel the dreaded Voidwalkers. The battle will expand to yet more areas in ensuing releases.
*Accessing this content requires the purchase and registration of the “Wings of the Goddess” expansion.
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Participation Requirements

Level 75 or above.
Possession of the following key items:
Adventurer’s Certificate / Stratum Abyssite / Voidstone
Affiliation with the Allied Forces of Altana.



Progressing Through the Ops
Voidwatch Ops are broken down into three distinct jurisdictions as follows:

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
San d’Oria East Ronfaure Ordelle’s Caves Jugner Forest King Ranperre’s Tomb
East Ronfaure Jugner Forest
Bastok North Gustaberg Gusgen Mines Pashhow Marshlands Dangruf Wadi
North Gustaberg Pashhow Marshlands
Windurst West Sarutabaruta Maze of Shakhrami Meriphataud Mountains Outer Horutoto Ruins
West Sarutabaruta Meriphataud Mountains



[1] Acquiring the Key Items
The “stratum abyssite” and “voidstone” key items can be acquired by speaking to one of the Voidwatch officers posted at the following locations:

Southern San d’Oria (L-9) / Bastok Markets (G-5) / Windurst Waters (G-5) / Southern San d’Oria (F-9) / Bastok Markets (D-11) / Windurst Waters (G-5)

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Stratum Abyssite
Stratum abyssite are permanent key items and need only be obtained once. There exist three types, each corresponding to a jurisdiction as follows:

San d’Oria: Crimson Stratum Abyssite
Bastok: Indigo Stratum Abyssite
Windurst: Jade Stratum Abyssite

Voidstones
These magicked stones find use across all jurisdictions. Information regarding voidstone stock and issuance can be confirmed by speaking with a Voidwatch Officer NPC.


[2] Undertaking Voidwatch Ops
Voidwatch Officer NPCs will assign you an operation based on your current progress, after which you must make your way to the designated operation site. Players may choose to utilize the teleportation service offered by the nearby Atmacite Refiner NPC in exchange for cruor (the same substance as that found in Abyssea).
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[3] Battling Voidwalkers
Each Voidwatch operation takes place at one of three predetermined “planar rifts,” weak points in the fabric of space. Enemy strength and spoils obtainable will not be affected by the choice of rift.
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To spawn a Voidwalker and initiate battle, simply examine a planar rift while in possession of the requisite key items. Combatants have thirty minutes to dispatch their foe, after which time the Voidwalker will disappear and the operation will be deemed a failure.
*A single voidstone will be expended for all who possess one, and not only the character who initiated battle. While those without a voidstone can still participate, their reward will be limited to experience points and cruor.
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The “Voidwatcher” status will be bestowed upon players for the duration of a Voidwatch operation.
*Players will be unable to benefit from the effects of Signet and Sigil during this time.
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[4] Obtaining Spoils
At the successful completion of battle, a mysterious “riftworn pyxis” will manifest from the planar rift and remain for three minutes. All combatants may examine the pyxis, the contents of which will differ for each person. Players can improve both the quantity and quality of their spoils as well as obtain rare atmacite and periapt key items by manipulating “spectral alignment” values as outlined below.
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Spectral Alignment
There exist five lights in the existential spectrum. Their alignment values can be enhanced to produce the following benefits:

Blue: Increases reward quantity.
Red: Increases reward quality.
Yellow: Increases experience yield.
Green: Increases cruor yield.
White: Increases chances of atmacite and periapt obtainment.

The alignment values for the above can be enhanced via the two methods below.

(1) Trading “ascent items” to a planar rift ahead of battle. Doing so will enhance alignment values for that player only.

Ascent items can be obtained in the following ways:

Purchased with cruor from a Voidwatch Officer.
Purchased with Conquest Points from a Conquest Guard.
Purchased with Imperial Standings from an Imperial Guard.
Purchased with Allied Notes from an Allied officer.
Found in a treasure casket.

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(2) Striking Voidwalker weaknesses.
Doing so will enhance alignment values for all combatants.
*Alignment values increased via ascent items are reset when the player opens a riftworn pyxis.
*Alignment values increased by striking enemy weaknesses are reflected in pyxis content and reset at the end of battle.
*Enhanced values will not benefit combatants who did not expend a voidstone at the commencement of battle. In this case, the portion of alignment enhanced via ascent items will be carried over.
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Atmacite and Periapt

Atmacite
By infusing yourself with atmacite using a specific key item, it is possible to enhance your fighting prowess during Voidwatch Ops. Furthermore, atmacite can be upgraded in stages by enriching it with cruor. Detailed information on the infusion, purging, and enrichment of atmacite can be obtained via Atmacite Refiner NPCs and planar rifts.
Periapt
These talisman-like objects bestow myriad benefits upon their bearers, such as reducing waiting time for voidstone issuance and enhancing the bonuses granted by ascent items.

[dev1000] Dynamis Reborn!

[dev1000] Dynamis Reborn!
Various aspects of Dynamis will be overhauled in the next major version update and beyond.

Applicable Areas:

Dynamis - San d'Oria / Dynamis - Bastok / Dynamis - Windurst /
Dynamis - Jeuno / Dynamis - Beaucedine / Dynamis - Xarcabard

Adjustments:

Reservations will no longer be required to enter the above areas.
New key items will replace the "Timeless Hourglass" and "Perpetual Hourglass" items needed for entry.

The key items need only be obtained once.
It will be made available at an affordable price via the Goblin NPCs presently dealing in hourglasses.

Time restriction for entry will be changed to once per Earth day.

Duration of stay will be initially set at 60 minutes, extendable to a maximum of 120 minutes.
*Leaving the area will render you ineligible for reentry, regardless of time remaining.
Time extensions will be granted via key items obtainable by defeating certain monsters.
*Only one of each individual key item may be possessed at a given time.
*These key items will be lost upon leaving the area.

Monster distribution will receive drastic revisions.
Standard monsters will respawn at set time intervals after being defeated.
Monster groups will each be assigned a specific home territory. Enemies lured outside these designated regions and disengaged will disappear, then respawn back in their home territory after a short time.
Trigger items will be introduced as a new spawn condition for certain notorious monsters (NMs).

Battling attestation- and fragment-yielding NMs:

The format will change to standard battles in which a maximum of 18 players face a single foe.
These NMs will no longer use Warp.

Battling boss NMs:

Battles will be conducted in Confrontation format, with a maximum of 18 players able to participate.
*Confrontation: A unique battle format in which the combatants are isolated from all non-alliance players and monsters for the duration of the battle.
Key items obtained from boss monsters will be awarded to all alliance members.

Monster claim and item drops will work the same way as in regular fields and dungeons.
Monsters will yield experience points (excluding certain NMs).
Treasure:

There are no plans to change the drop rate of Relic equipment.
Along with the reduction of the entry time restriction, the amount of Ancient Currency earned per session will be lowered. Overall, this change should increase the Ancient Currency distributed across the World.

SE said all the job trait adjustments would be positive, no negative to them.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/5969-dev1010-Job-Adjustments-VIT-Adjustment-and-THF?p=83082&viewfull=1#post83082

"Additionally, in regards to the note about "certain job traits will see their maximum level of effectiveness adjusted by equipment, magic, and/or job abilities" have no fear as no negative adjustments will be taking place. Instead the limits on these will be increased, making players even stronger."

[dev1010] Job Adjustments

The forthcoming version update is scheduled to feature the following job adjustments:

Dark Knight

The effect duration of the job ability Last Resort will be increased from 30 to 180 seconds.

Ranger

The recast time of the job ability Bounty Shot will be reduced from 5 minutes to 1 minute, and a successful hit will occasionally enhance the effect of Treasure Hunter.
The job ability Barrage will launch an additional projectile at level 90.
Accuracy calculations for Barrage will be eased in proportion to the maximum number of shots.

Puppetmaster

The following automaton attachments will be added:

Name Description
Heat Capacitor A fire-based automaton attachment.
Functionality: Erases all Fire Maneuver effects to restore TP.
Power Cooler An ice-based automaton attachment.
Functionality: Reduces MP cost in proportion to the number of Ice Maneuvers in effect.
Barrage Turbine A wind-based automaton attachment.
Functionality: Erases all Wind Maneuver effects to occasionally grant a Barrage effect.
Galvanizer A lightning-based automaton attachment.
Functionality: Increases chance of countering in proportion to the number of Thunder Maneuvers in effect.

The following weapon skills will be added for the Valoredge and Sharpshot frames:

Skill Name Frame Effect
String Shredder Valoredge Delivers a twofold attack.
Critical hit rate varies with TP.
Armor Shatterer Sharpshot Delivers a fourfold attack.
Additional effect: Weakens defense
Additional effect duration varies with TP.

Job Traits

The following job traits will be added:

Job Trait Level Obtained* Effect
Tranquil Heart WHM Lv.21
RDM Lv.26
SCH Lv.30 Reduces enmity gain when casting healing magic.
Stalwart Soul DRK Lv.45 Reduces HP consumption when using Souleater.
Dead Aim RNG Lv.50 Improves power of critical hits for ranged attacks.


*The level indicated is that at which the trait will initially be obtained. Trait effectiveness will subsequently increase at higher levels.
Certain job traits will see their maximum level of effectiveness adjusted by equipment, magic, and/or job abilities.

Other Adjustments

VIT will play a role in calculating damage taken from critical hits.
Experience point penalties when KO’d will be eased for characters level 75 and below.
At levels 1–30, the penalty will be removed entirely. At levels 31–75, the amount of XP lost will be lowered as indicated in the chart below.

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[dev1014] New Battlefields

[dev1014] New Battlefields

The NPC Shami in Port Jeuno will accept Kindred’s Crests and High Kindred’s Crests.
New Burning Circle Notorious Monster (BCNM) battlefields will be added.
These battlefields may be accessed by trading a set number of crests to Shami in return for one of the orbs from the list below.

Orb Type Cost Location Battlefield Name Restrictions
Phobos Orb Kindred's Crest
× 30 Horlais Peak Kindergarten Cap Level: Any
Time: 15 min.
Members: 3
Waughroon Shrine The Palborough
Project Level: Any
Time: 15 min.
Members: 3
Balga's Dais The V Formation Level: Any
Time: 15 min.
Members: 3
Deimos Orb Kindred's Crest
× 50 Horlais Peak Last Orc-Shunned
Hero Level: Any
Time: 30 min.
Members: 6
Waughroon Shrine Shell Shocked Level: Any
Time: 30 min.
Members: 6
Balga's Dais Avian Apostates Level: Any
Time: 30 min.
Members: 6
Chamber of
Oracles Dragon Scales Level: Any
Time: 30 min.
Members: 6
Sacrificial
Chamber Whom Wilt
Thou Call Level: Any
Time: 30 min.
Members: 6