Announcing the August Version Update

Good day, adventurers!
Matsui here with your monthly FFXI update.

It’s almost August, the time when summer enters its zenith. Here in Tokyo, the rainy season was exceptionally late and exceptionally long, so I hope that by the time you’re reading this it’s finally come to a close.

For those of you unfamiliar with summer, one of the biggest symbols that summer is here is the watermelon! Watermelons are quite the characteristic fruit, and even someone whose drawing skills are as unrefined as mine can easily draw a recognizable one. After the fruit has been content, it has a lovely contrast of red fruit with a green rind, and black or brown-ish seeds to pick out as you enjoy is cool, refreshing taste—truly, the savior of summer.

And, of course, who can forget their size—big and round like a basketball, such that even buying one and hauling it back is a family event. And yet, when summer finally fades and we are left in the fall doldrums, we’ll always have our memories of sharing watermelon with our friends and loved ones.

But as loath as I am to cut off the summer discussion when it’s just heating up, I’d like to switch topics to the main event—the August version update!

All this talk about watermelons reminded me about a new foe appearing in Ambuscade—a subspecies of mandragora themed after that very fruit! Japanese players will recognize melon-mashing as a traditional summer activity—something akin to what our foreign players may know as hitting a piñata at a birthday party—a fun, comical activity that everyone can enjoy. Of course, the person aiming for the watermelon or piñata may be a little “left in the dark,” so it might help to prepare a “/point <t>” macro to show them where exactly their target is.

We’ve also got another high-tier battlefield coming this update, and your foe this month is Alexander. The strategy you’ll need to employ might be a little different than the one you’re used to, so we hope that you’ll treat him as an all-new foe!

Job adjustments this go around are focused on the red mage and puppetmaster.
Red mages, like their monochromatic brethren, are getting some of their merit point spells turned into scrolls, with equipment adjustments to match.
Puppetmasters are getting adjustments to certain attachments, with some getting their activation conditions changed from consuming maneuvers to generating burden. Coupled with previous adjustments, we expect this to be the last set of adjustments we make of this kind in light of potential balance issues that may arise.

Things are heating up in Vana’diel this August, and we hope you’ll be there to enjoy the latest update with us!

Below is the usual summary of categories for the next version update. As always, last-minute issues may arise that prevent some of these items from making the cut, but we’re working our best to make sure that everything here makes its way live!

Mission and Quest-related

<table width="620" border="0"><tr><td width="15%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Implementation Timing</td><td width="35%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Update Task and Overview</td><td width="40%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">In-progress Task</td><td width="10%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Notes</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">Records of Eminence</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・Update the monthly objectives</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr></table>

Content and System-related

<table width="620" border="0"><tr><td width="15%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Implementation Timing</td><td width="35%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Update Task and Overview</td><td width="40%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">In-progress Task</td><td width="10%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Notes</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">High-tier Battlefield</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・Create high-tier battlefield<br>・Create reward items</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">Ambuscade</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">・Add new notorious monsters<br>・Replace reward items<br>・Adjust entry system</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">Porter Moogle</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・Add to list of supported items</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">Title</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">・Add new titles</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb" align="center">-</td></tr></table>

Battle-related

<table width="620" border="0"><tr><td width="15%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Implementation Timing</td><td width="35%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Update Task and Overview</td><td width="40%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">In-progress Task</td><td width="10%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Notes</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">Red Mage</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・Change Merit Point items</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">Puppetmaster</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">・Adjust effects of certain attachments<br>・Add display for the rate of Overload</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb" align="center">-</td></tr></table>

Item-related

<table width="620" border="0"><tr><td width="15%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Implementation Timing</td><td width="35%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Update Task and Overview</td><td width="40%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">In-progress Task</td><td width="10%" bgcolor="#a8d0d7" align="center">Notes</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">Item</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3">・Add new items<br>・Adjust certain gear stats</td><td bgcolor="#eaf2f3" align="center">-</td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#c6e9ef">August</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">Synthesis Recipe</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb">・Add new synthesis recipes</td><td bgcolor="#f5fafb" align="center">-</td></tr></table>