New idea for the next expansion

[Luvbunny]

Here is a new idea for the next expansion. This is a general idea, so please do add if you find it interesting.

If there is a new expansion, we probably get a mini expansion instead of a full blown new ones. Knowing that the first one is mission based, and abyssea is battle related, I was thinking the next one could be monster capture based to enhance gears. Let's face it, the game now is all about gears and weapon collection.

What are the outside influence of this idea?
Pokemon, Monster Hunter, Phantasy Star Online, FFXIII-2. All are great games that use the ideas of capturing monster part or killing monster for parts to enhance your gears/weapons. Pokemon and Monster Hunter are two of the most popular games in Japan. FFXIII-2 is an example on how SE incorporate those ideas into their own FF franchise and succeed.

What are the existing battle mechanics we currently have in FFXI that can be reused for this purpose?
Assaults, Moblin Maze Monger, WoTG missions, some newer BCNMs, Nyzul, Einherjar, Limbus, Abjuration gears, Synergy, Pankration, Chocobo racing, mini add ons missions.

Ok, so how does this can work together? First acquire your basic accessories: basic ring, earring, waist, back piece, and neck piece. All these have stats 0 on its own, their sole purpose is a placeholder for your monsters to infuse to.


How it works:
1. Capture monster essences by defeating it with the item equipped (similar to pankration), different type of monsters (sentinel, saboteur, synergist, ravager, commando, medic)
2. Raise them using crystarium type stages, via materials grade 1-5. For example, stage 1 require 200 materials, stage 2 =175, stage 3=150, stage 4=125, stage 5=100. Each stages bestow different bonuses to your monster, you can choose the bonuses from a selection of 20, so you can only choose up to 5 when your monster fully grown (these bonus are additional defense, stats like int, agi, mnd, etc)
3. Infuse the monster and transfer their bonuses and stats to one another, each monster can hold up to 5 bonuses so you can create your ultimate monsters.
Infuse your monster of choice to the basic gears (ring, earring, waist, back piece, neck piece). The infused monster will be destroyed and the master monster will retain the previous one select stats or bonus.
4. Only 1 monster can be infused to your accessories at one time. Your goal is to create a variety of ultimate monsters from each categories (sentinel, saboteur, synergist, ravager, commando, medic) so you can customize your infusible gear accordingly.
For example: if you want to create defense ring, you pick your sentinel monster that you breed for defense purpose (VIT+10, Def:20, Regen+2, AGI+10, Damage reduction:5%) or magic defense (MND+10, Def:20, Magic evasion+5, Magic defense bonus+5, Magic damage taken -5%) etc.
5. Basically you re-infuse different monster to your basic accessories according to your need, similar how you infuse atmas. Your monsters are not destroyed, and you can pick and choose the right one for different situations.
6. So yes you can technically create an ultimate accessories that augment your play style. For example if you go with defense route, the max damage reduction you can take is 25% (5% from each gears), with a max stats bonus of 50 of one category, example VIT+50. Combined with stats from your main gears, you can almost have atma like status outside abyssea. And probably make you even better inside abyssea.


How do you capture monster:
Use the pankration + blue mage ideas, basically defeat that said monster and you have 10% chance of capturing its essence. NPC will keep all your monster collected - this npc will be available in all cities (rabao, mhaura, selbina, norg included).

How do you get the next stage of crystarium:
Have you monster of choice battle it out at colosseum, win x 3 for the respective battle and your monster rank up to the next stage.

How do you get the monster materials:
a. use existing points (conquest, allied notes, cruors, gil, assault, ampoules, chocobo racing points) for certain type materials, all stage 1 materials can be traded this way. Each points will have 1 exclusive materials that gives max bonus so if you are keen for a specific ones, then you amass that certain points.
b. stage 2 materials can be found from monster drops in all areas, depending on the day, firesday for commando (red), windsday for medic (green), etc. Or they can just use existing geode as a trade, one geode = 5 materials.
c. stage 3-4 materials can be found in new repeatable quests and bcnm drops.
d. stage 5 materials can be found in walk of echoes, new NMs, voidwatch, legion, neo nyzul - replacing those useless ores and logs.

What are the new bcnms could be:
a. Kill waves of enemies, similar to WoTG missions, kill 20-30 enemies per waves, get random temp items, repeat till you kill 100-200 of em in under 30 mnts. Reward is random pouches of materials, logs, ores and medicines. Good for small groups of 3-5
b. Assault type bcnms where you have to kill 30 easy prey-decent challenge enemies under 30 mnts. Good for small groups of 2-3
c. Boss type bcnms where you need 6 people to kill, each participant will get their own chest with random pouches of materials, logs, ores and medicines.

Each areas will have their own bcnms of these 3 kinds. For example: Conquest areas will have 9 different bcnms, 3 of each types, same goes for WoTG areas, Aht Ungat areas etc. Certain areas favored certain type of drops more than the others so if you want that particular drops, you know which bcnms to spam. They can do it where you can only do 1 bcnm per one vanadiel day or similar with moblin maze where only 1 person need to have the KI to do it but you are limited to 1 KI per 24 hours, so you can go 6 per day or more if you keep bringing in new people in.

How do you infuse monster:
- Once you have your 2 monsters to combine, speak with the NPC, pay 1000 gils and infuse them, select which bonuses to apply, only 1 stats/bonus/traits can be applied at a time. So it may take several monsters to create your ultimate one.

[Luvbunny]

What other future add ons + micro transaction they can come up to expand this idea?
- They can come up with a monster pack, $2.99-4.99 per pack.
- They can sell materials upgrade pack for people who do not want to farm, $4.99 per package
- They can create boss monster type from previous FF games, defeat them in colosseum, if you get their essence, you can breed them and do it over and over to get your best stats, $1.99-3.99 per package.

The possibilities are endless

[Luvbunny]

This just in from the road map 2012:
Two new battle systems and are also scheduled to be introduced and expanded during this time. One system will involve dungeon exploration, while the other will allow PCs to play as monsters.