The FINAL FANTASY XI roadmap for the twelve-month period commencing April 2011 (Woo!)

[Karbuncle]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/4937-The-FINAL-FANTASY-XI-roadmap-for-the-twelve-month-period-commencing-April-2011

LINKY^.

So Confirmed is a Test Server(!!), NPC Fellows getting level 99, That the "Voidwatcher" is likely a VNM or ZNM Type System (First picture is one of these new NMs clearly in Dangruf Wadi), Awesome Furnishings, New Armor for specific types (A Mage set, a Light Set, and a Heavy Set). etc etc

New Armors look nice though. Epic looking Concept Art, Those zones look Boss...

[Runespider]

The Last Stand

Not the best name for content added near the end of the planned year.

From this it seems no new expansions either, not even mini expansions.

[Karbuncle]

Not the best name for content added near the end of the planned year.

"The Last Stand" Is actually the name of a zone in the .dats if i remember correctly. It looks like Horutoto Ruins. Its been there for a very long time. I remember reading about it some time ago on BG.

It would be neat if they're finally releasing it. GD i'm so excited about these updates now its making me shake.

[ShadowHeart]

i have to say thanks to SE for releasing a road map this is a new step for SE they haven't typically laid out in the past clearly what kind of direction they were taking this is a great post from SE and a nice start for communications with their player base wish they had started this forum 5 years ago lol guess better late then never XD

[Lushipur]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/4937-The-FINAL-FANTASY-XI-roadmap-for-the-twelve-month-period-commencing-April-2011

LINKY^.

So Confirmed is a Test Server(!!), NPC Fellows getting level 99, That the "Voidwatcher" is likely a VNM or ZNM Type System (First picture is one of these new NMs clearly in Dangruf Wadi), Awesome Furnishings, New Armor for specific types (A Mage set, a Light Set, and a Heavy Set). etc etc

New Armors look nice though. Epic looking Concept Art, Those zones look Boss...

finally they reskinned the globe furnish to be cool....too bad i must have dropped that or stored on a deactivated pg...

[PizzaTheHut]

No level increase until August? Meh

[Kogenta]

Don't care about what ppl have to say, thanks SE for this brave step in the right direction!

[Elexia]

No level increase until August? Meh

What can't you do at level 90 still?

[Karbuncle]

Don't care about what ppl have to say, thanks SE for this brave step in the right direction!

I think almost all the responses are positive :)

[Kiba]

I like the new designs http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/attachment.php?attachmentid=54&d=1302265353 very aztec-like ^^

[Chiibi]

The new monsters concept art looks amazing. preying mantis and harpie... HELL YES

[Neofire]

the void watcher system looks like it is a tack to try to claim people down about not having much to do outside of abyssea. The lvl increase and armor is the only that interests me out of all of that. That new content isn't going to bring old players back and I don't care who says it might.

[Chiibi]

doesnt matter if it does or doesnt, its to keep the current players playing.

[Karbuncle]

Eh, They save 12.95 a Month, Its probably better if they dont come back anyway. Life outside of FFXI can be pretty entertaining :)

[Fiarlia]

Anyone notice a somewhat similar feel to the new gear and the Bison/Brave Jacket Set (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Bison_Jacket_Set) for BST?

I recall somewhere reading that it was based off a culture to the west, but I'm not sure where I read that. =/

[Chiibi]

those 3 armor sets remind me of the aztec dresswear

[Fiarlia]

Ah, I found it... well, kinda. I found the info on the wiki, but it doesn't list a source, and I'm certain I've read about it in-game or in one of the flavor stories SE's done over the years.

Regardless, here's the tiny bit I found; linky. (http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Ulbuka)

[Karbuncle]

I know what you're looking for...

Its in the Update notes, or Launch Site for Chains of Promathia. It was flavor text back when it was first introduced. I think along with the Barone set.

[Andevom]

You had me at glowing weapons.

[PizzaTheHut]

What can't you do at level 90 still?

It's not what you can't do...it's about having something TO do. I'm done almost everything I cared about doing in Feb. Almost every jobs gear is +1 and stored. Jobs I care about have +2 (same with linkshell members) except a few on hands big deal. No quests or missions to do all done. Most agree Aby is drying up. Maybe not for the new players but us veterans who've been supporting the game since day one are waiting for the next big thing.

Adding some new battle (Void) just to keep people paying isn't gonna cut it. Yet more battle, more equipment to gather to no end. I'm not getting any more than what Aby had unless they add trials to them(which they no doubt will)

People were expecting a real expansion/add-on(new jobs, areas, continent, story line) outlined. They claim zone cap because of PS2 but I'm sure they can work around it.

Most players are just sticking around to see level 99 and have some fun with that. Not like the player base can significantly climb, only drop. People getting bored is not a good thing for the games future.

Oh well, I'm sticking around for May update then probably canceling for June and July.

[Karbuncle]

While the prospect of a full Blown Boxed-Expansion is nice, I really hate to say it cause it invites flames, but its very very unlikely.

Adding New Events, Enemies, Activities and Content without new zones is the best they can do right now if you ask me. I hope maybe some day in the future we see another Expansion, but i won't hold my breath :X

[Runespider]

If they have ANY plans to release some kind of expansion they should really get a clue and tell us, thats as big if not a bigger deal than telling us about these updates.

The problem is as was said many people are now bored and if all they will do is the small updates that really won't cut it at all... Not hard for them to say we plan to add more downloadable (or more?) content in the future but would be a major boost to the players and looking forward to new stuff.

Some big games coming out soon, I would assume they made some nice profits off abyssea so I cant understand why they wouldn't try to add more. If number of zones are a problem delete some >.> there are tons of useless ones in FFXI.

[Unctgtg]

Anyone like me, and drooling over the new armor, and the sky zone, that looks awesome. Love the new xmas stuff. Also new areas, kinda like the way they are going. Still don't understand why people are saying confirmed they have a test zone. Everyone has known that it was Atmos for YEARS.

[Fiarlia]

While the prospect of a full Blown Boxed-Expansion is nice, I really hate to say it cause it invites flames, but its very very unlikely.

Adding New Events, Enemies, Activities and Content without new zones is the best they can do right now if you ask me. I hope maybe some day in the future we see another Expansion, but i won't hold my breath :X

I somewhat agree. I'm kinda hoping that once they get XIV to not suck, they'll be a bit more relaxed around the office (so to speak), and perhaps give XI some more manpower and/or brainpower. Obviously not much, but hopefully it'd be enough to work around some of the technical limitations being experienced, and perhaps work towards creating a boxed-expansion (even if it's in downloadable form, hell, even episodic in nature).

They've gotta be (at least somewhat) hurting for money right now. With FFXIV generating literally zero revenue, the team working on it, and all the costs of maintaining the servers, they probably don't have the extra funds to feasibly do a full blown expansion. Hopefully after they start making money of FFXIV, this will change. The money part obviously will, but hopefully they'll use some of that to continue this games story and world, as it should be fairly obvious that this is something a large portion of the playerbase wants.

Hopefully. :(

[Karbuncle]

I think people are more interested in the fact they're going to allow us to use the test servers now too, not that its there :P

(not directed at Fiar)

[CrystalWeapon]

I don't think it's too unfeasible to hope for a new expansion. The game still has a large playerbase (we'll find out how large when the census is released.) I think most of them would pay for a full expansion. Personally, I'd throw down $30~40 in a second for a new continent to run around in.

On a side note, those floating landmasses looked like a more crystallized version of the floating landmasses in CoP.

[Cerelyn]

I wonder if anyone can access test server or it just selected groups, ie a beta phase like they chose the ones for closed beta on XIV

[Fiarlia]

I think people are more interested in the fact they're going to allow us to use the test servers now too, not that its there :P

(not directed at Fiar)

Fia, preaze, not Fiar.

[Karbuncle]

Fia, preaze, not Fiar.

Fia it is.

You can call me Krabnuckle.

[Fiarlia]

wut




0123456789

[Karbuncle]

I guess inside jokes work better inside.

[Fiarlia]

I guess inside jokes work better inside.

That from BG, or in-game? I may post on BG somewhat often but I don't keep up with a lot of that stuff, mostly there for the media/official forums and the new super mathy stuffs.

If it's from in-game then yeah, totally lost.

Also, I don't like Fiar because it sounds like a retard trying to say Fire. >______________>

[Karbuncle]

One of my friends mistyped my name as krabnucle once. And i was like ... Crab Knuckle? and thus Krabnuckle was born. I would also have accepted Krab uncle.

[JiltedValkyrie]

Awesome stuff. Opening up brand new areas without add-ons or expansions is pretty cool. I can't believe how much this game is changing even in the face of all of the past systems in place. It feels like an entirely new game.

[Kagato]

I think this is the end to the FFXI storyline and the birth to an equipment grind game.

Was kind of hoping for at least one more epic story to blow everything out of the water. Sadly it seems more like "big monsters are coming. KILL THEM" much like Abyssea fashion.

[Karbuncle]

Hey now, Abyssea had some Story. Did you do all the Quests/etc to get Atma of the Savior? Some of the Story-lines on those are actually pretty decent.

[Olor]

I wish they would drop PS2 support so they could add tons of new areas... /dreamy sigh/

That said, I haven't actually seen most of the game or completed ANY storyline... so I am far from being bored with what we have... it is funny - people saying they have nothing to do... most of the players I know haven't completed more than 1/2 of what is available in the game. I think the people who have done everything are a small minority... but then again maybe I just hang out with people who don't have the ability to play 24-7 and never have had that ability

[Miiyo]

I think this is the end to the FFXI storyline and the birth to an equipment grind game.

Was kind of hoping for at least one more epic story to blow everything out of the water. Sadly it seems more like "big monsters are coming. KILL THEM" much like Abyssea fashion.

People were doing level 75 endgame for years. You can't honestly say people were doing that merely for the storyline.

[Bubeeky]

yea, there's always gonna be tons of stuff to do :)

<huggles Miimii>

[Fiarlia]

yea, there's always gonna be tons of stuff to do :)

<huggles Miimii>

Completely unrelated, but I pronounced your name in my head as "Boobie Key."

Heh.

[JovialRat]

wow lots of new stuff coming up for ffxi ,
but no mention of the new merit system ... i wonder if they forgot or hoping we forgot xd

[Elexia]

wow lots of new stuff coming up for ffxi ,
but no mention of the new merit system ... i wonder if they forgot or hoping we forgot xd

Pretty sure they said this would be @ level 99, why would we need new merit system when we'll still be leveling through the next year?

[Leonlionheart]

SE If you read this I want you to know, you've done me right proud.


As long as there aren't 21~ hour repops on ANYTHING.

[Zaknafein]

Well as someone who vehemently desires a new boxed expansion ($40 sign me up!!!) I was best case scenario hoping for something outside abyssea, and some revisions to existing content. Worst case was just more blah blah Abyssea crap+TOTM. I honestly didn't expect a full on expansion for this update. A full expansion really only makes sense at 99. Or possibly for the 96-99 stage.

What this update has actually I am pleasantly suprised :) It has some good revisions. Some much needed tweaks to the mailing, the AH consolidation, and the abyssea warp from home nations. Those combined with something new to do outside abyssea (that is meaningful battles hopefully with decent rewards) and I'd say we are doing well.

The fact that Japan just went thru it's worst disaster in 6 decades, and continues to struggle with the repercussions on an everyday basis, yet they're getting these improvements out to us less than two months after it happened... is fantastic in my opinion. Excellent job Devs your hard work is appreciated.

PS: Did I mention I'm happy to lay down $40 for a full expansion for 96-99 ~wink wink~

[blowfin]

Pretty sure they said this would be @ level 99, why would we need new merit system when we'll still be leveling through the next year?

No, they said it would be next update. At least for the merit system update, if that`s what you guys are talking about.


[dev1006] Merit Point Adjustments
The upcoming version update will see an increase to maximum limit for point allocation in certain merit point categories.

[Elexia]

No, they said it would be next update. At least for the merit system update, if that`s what you guys are talking about.

That's an update to the current system, not a "New Merit System".

[Karbuncle]

No, they said it would be next update. At least for the merit system update, if that`s what you guys are talking about.

I believe they're talking about the "New level 99 Merits" SE mentioned back at Vana'fest when they announced the 99 cap.

[blowfin]

That's an update to the current system, not a "New Merit System".

Oh right, that`s a year away or so *snore*

[Zeroth]

I'm confused, where exactly does it say when they plan on making the previously announced changes to relics and mythics?

[CrystalWeapon]

I'm confused, where exactly does it say when they plan on making the previously announced changes to relics and mythics?

It's a rough outline. I assume with the dynamis changes they'll adjust the relic requirements. If not the major update then in the minor to follow.

They may work mythic changes into the second large update coming, at least that's what I'm hoping.

[blowfin]

I'm confused, where exactly does it say when they plan on making the previously announced changes to relics and mythics?

Nowhere in the roadmap, however...


The development team is aware of the difficulties involved with obtaining Mythic weapons. Though it will take place some time after the next major version update, similar to how Dynamis is receiving tweaks and adjustments in the next version update, the development team is also planning revamps in regards to Salvage, so that players can continue to enjoy this content.

Please look forward to the road map that we will be releasing very soon, which outlines what the development team has planned!
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/453-Mythic-optaining?p=65235#post65235

It might fall under `quest adjustments` in any of those planned updates.

[Amanie]

october 2001 - march 2012

skip some text and the pictures

Version Update Highlights

* Level cap increase to 99
* New adventurer growth elements
* Job adjustments
left out everything else

the bold sounds like new t3 merits to me

[JovialRat]

well okay /em slaps himself in the face,
lol, yay for if that is new merit system :D

[Chronofantasy]

I'm really glad they're giving the fans some things they want with fellows especially and making them reach 99 cap eventually to just like our 99 players, rather than making them 85 or 90 cap only. Duoing with our same lvl capped NPCs will be a lot of fun if they happen to tweak them to make them almost as powerful as any other 99 job. I know it'll be until the end of the year/beginning of next year until we see 99 cap but everything else that SE has planned looks exciting. I hope the merit system will be tweaked this update too. I didn't see it anywhere on the road map but since the rest just seem like the main highlights I'm guessing the merit system is just a little extra and nothing major for the updates.

[Jackastheripper]

I like what i see!

[slakyak]

Not even 50 yet and I like the look/sound/feel of this stuff.

[Flunklesnarkin]

lvl 99 by october.... imma be busy this xmas @.@

[Unctgtg]

SE can't please everyone but they can please the masses like they are currently doing.

[Cerelyn]

SE can't please everyone but they can please the masses like they are currently doing.

Well said, it's sad to see so many people QQ about this and screaming game is dying.

[Zumi]

I don't like that they are dragging out the level cap increase. Already finished my af3+2 for abyssea so was ready for new stuff.

[blowfin]

I don't like that they are dragging out the level cap increase. Already finished my af3+2 for abyssea so was ready for new stuff.

We're getting new stuff in the update, how is not being 99 going to stop you from playing the new content they're putting in?

[Airget]

october 2001 - march 2012

skip some text and the pictures

Version Update Highlights

* Level cap increase to 99
* New adventurer growth elements
* Job adjustments
left out everything else

the bold sounds like new t3 merits to me

The bold caught my eye to though I wonder if it's something more then just a new "merit" system. I think if it was they could just say New merit system.

For me personally I think it would be interesting if there was a new way in which we could obtain abilities and traits for jobs. Once we hit 99 or even from 90+ with the Void system, the interdimensional NMs that invade our land could have KI that allow us to obtain JA or JT augments to allow us to customize our characters in the mog house with special ability or traits. Kinda like a BLU spell system where we would have a set number of points to work with but could only set them in our MH.

To keep it simple as an example I"ll use that 4 handed NM that is seen in the Screenshots. Let's say this NM can drop a KI called:
Chaotic Samurai Soul.
By having this KI and talking to the proper NPC they would be able to unlock one ability hidden within the soul and you could obtain one of the follwing:
JT:Quadra Attack=1% (5 points)
JA:Perception:Allows you to dodge 1 mob TP move duration 2min, recast 5mins (3 points)
Combat SKill:Great Katana Skill + (20 points)
JT;Enhance Hasso Effect (10 points)
JT:Enhance Seigan Effect (10 points)
JT:Increase Third Eye counter rate (15 points)
Hasso=Bushido:Changes JA Hasso to Bushido
Bushido: Slow 100% Regain 100/tick Duration 30 seconds Recast 20 mins.
---
That's the general idea at least, by fighting the NM and turning in it's soul you unlock new JA/JT/etc that you can then augment your job with to increase the customization and strategy of a party dynamic.

WHen you consider how much good gear has come out from abyssea it would seem somewhat redundant to continuously create new NMs and mobs of increased difficulty that just drop marginally better gear so why not change it up and create drops that allow us to augment the abilities and traits of our characters. The above ideas are just ways you can change up the abilities we have or maybe even change one ability for another to give us a whole new effect. Basically the ideas above are just an idea of how you could change it up or give us slight variations to add some flavor and give the opportunity to allow more customization between players/jobs.

[Juri_Licious]

What does it mean by "Abyssea: Balance Adjustments" ?

[Sagian]

What can't you do at level 90 still?

Northland Campaign lol

Really, though, I was under the impression that 95 level cap was slated for March and 99 for June. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but I think I read somewhere that the level cap was to increase every quarter.

[Crocker]

Speaking of Campaign Battle wheres the updates for that? If all they add is skill ups and more exp no one will still do it.
I think they should lower the unions from 5 to 2 and add better rewards (alexandrite and more dynamis currency.) and remove a few stupid ones (gnole claw, slug eye, and silk thread, stuff like that.)

Making exp like bastion exp would be great. This would also stop the few select idiots from pulling a monster across the zone making everyone wait hopefully. Could give everyone with Allied Tags Widescan to atleast find the jerk doing that also.
Maybe even add treasure throughout the battles and not just at the end even if your solo monsters could drop stuff even if its only crystals.

[blowfin]

I think I read somewhere that the level cap was to increase every quarter.

Yeah it sort of appeared that way. Pretty sure it was announced a while back that there wasn't going to be a level cap increase for this next major update though.


Speaking of Campaign Battle wheres the updates for that?

Campaign sure could use a major overhaul. I think the shadow lord BC is a good example there of untapped content too. I think it was available for all of about 2 conquest rounds on my server and I never had the chance to do it after changing countries and losing my rank.

[LeaderofAtlantis]

I don't think it's too unfeasible to hope for a new expansion. The game still has a large playerbase (we'll find out how large when the census is released.) I think most of them would pay for a full expansion. Personally, I'd throw down $30~40 in a second for a new continent to run around in.

On a side note, those floating landmasses looked like a more crystallized version of the floating landmasses in CoP.

I was thinking they more reminded me of the area you go to when you go inside the Crystals to fight the Avatars.

[LeaderofAtlantis]

For those wishing for more zones, I would hope they could find a way around the "PS2 Limitations" if that's the case for why they aren't adding any new zones. I'm going to guess they are continuing to look into ways to make better use of the Disk space on PS2 and XBox 360 so, if we want, we can expand the size of the partition that the game sits on eventually. As of right now, their current method of updating the game seems set. Now whether or not this is the space limitation for the "PS2 Limitations" comments regarding zones on these forums, I don't know.

Now that I have typed this though, there is 1 possibility. Some zones, such as Halvung, are massive compared to other zones, like Qulun Dome, that aren't so much. Now I'm not saying expand Qulun Dome necessarily (though perhaps the Quadav might have added a bit more in the past 250 game years or however many it's been since the game went live), but they do have the potential to create "new areas" without creating a whole new zone. "Reactivating" the hidden passages in Castle Zvahl Keep in the present (the ones that are there in the past that have the Vampyr inside) for example could be a way to give mid level players the experience of fighting a Vampyr sooner than us veteran players had. With a relative peace existing in the land, the cliff sides we can see, like in Gustaberg or Xarcabard, could have new structures, barely built for 1 update, then, as they closer to finishing the monster distribution in those areas, increase these structures leading up to these spots slowly. In the case of Xarcabard, you are on the same level as some cliffs you can see in the distance, but can't reach - so why not have the Duchy bring nations together to build structures to these spots "in the hopes of finding new resources" or something. The story reasons for these new structures doesn't have to be overly impressive, but it could be a way of expanding, without expanding.

Also, on the subject of expanding older zones like I stated above - why not the addition of newer monsters. For example, in Ronfaure in the past, Colibri and Ladybugs exist, but they aren't there in the present. Why not create low level equivalents and place them there? Same with Wivre in Gustaberg. As for Ruszor, Gargouille, Corpselights and Amphiptere in the Northlands, perhaps these could be pushed into Uleguerand Range and the lower level imps could be scarce in Xarcabard and the castle only. Obviously they couldn't hinder the Lv1 run through of the A Moogle Kupo d'Etat mission, but they could exist inside keep.

For those upset by the delay in the level cap increase - it's probably because at Lv90, everything outside of Abyssea is pretty easy. I challenged myself and was able to make it all the way to the 4 man door in Halvung before Gurfurlur solo as a THF/NIN and I can easily get to Gulool Ja Ja's door solo. I haven't tried Arrapago Reef yet, but I assume it's only slightly more difficult. Those 3 things, at Lv75, would be mostly unheard of to do solo. So content that's non-Abyssea needs a rework before we continue onward. From the look of your posts anyway, you've already fully accomplished what you wanted to inside Abyssea, so what would you do - rush to Lv95 then complain more until Lv99 came out? What will you do with yourself once there is a Lv99 cap?

Finally, in reference to the road map - it looks like a really good start and honestly, far more than I was expecting. I was mostly expecting to rehashing and adjustments made to old systems with maybe some palette variations made on old monsters and gear. Once again though, the development team, under this current management, has impressed me. I do long for new stories to unfold, even if they are stories within the current zones we have access to.

[Izzybella]

I think this is the end to the FFXI storyline and the birth to an equipment grind game.

Was kind of hoping for at least one more epic story to blow everything out of the water. Sadly it seems more like "big monsters are coming. KILL THEM" much like Abyssea fashion.

Voidwatch discription is: 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.

Sounds like a storyline to me.

[Elexia]

Abyssea has a storyline too but it's clear what it's for.

[svengalis]

Nice looks like this will keep me busy for awhile.

[svengalis]

I think this is the end to the FFXI storyline and the birth to an equipment grind game.

Was kind of hoping for at least one more epic story to blow everything out of the water. Sadly it seems more like "big monsters are coming. KILL THEM" much like Abyssea fashion.

Abysea does have a story line are you just not following it?

[Ravenmore]

If the adjustments are to the level cap for abyssea, i'm glad I got snm to 15 and unolock cor. Wonder how much exp that would get now with the increase to exp.