New Windows Version User Interface

[Twille]

Looks awesome!

[SleepStudy]

Im liking all of this

[Mirage]

Sort of annoying that Blue Magic, songs, and ninjutsu aren't being changed... they don't really feel like they'll fit in with these cool HD icons for White and Black magic. Otherwise those are neat.

Well, I think ninjutsu and songs will eventually get new icons too. Blue magic might not get one icon for every individual spell, because there are quite a few of them. They might still get icons based on more general attributes, however, such as spell element, mob ecosystem, multitarget/singletarget and/or offensive/defensive.

You could have an icon with a white explosion-like thing (light elemental, offensive magic), a star in one corner (multitarget) and maybe a third thing that would let you identify if it was magical or physical, or maybe which ecosystem it's from. This "generic" icon would then be used for all spells that have these qualifications.

The icon should perhaps not have all these pieces of information in them though, because that could make them too complex to easily recognize them. A person who actually has blue mage leveled might be better qualified to select which 2-3 pieces of information would be the most important to incorporate in the icon.

[Zerich]

o.o
so beautiful

[Chilloa]

• White Magic
  Attachment 2434
  Starting from the top-left:
  Line 1: Cure, Cura, Curaga, Dia, "Bar-" spells (Barblizzara, etc.), Banish, Banishga, Esuna-type spells (Paralyna, etc.)
  Line 2: Protect, Protectra, Shell, Aquaveil, Raise, Reraise, Slow
  Line 3: Hate, Paralyze, Silence, Stoneskin, Blink, Invisible, Sneak, Deodorize
  Line 4: Regen, Erase, Teleport, Repose, Holy, Recall, Auspice
  Line 5: Sacrifice, "Boost" Spells, Addle, "En-" spells (Enthunder, etc.), Phalanx, Refresh, "Gain" spells (Gain-STR, etc.), Reprisal

Typo.

[Lienn]

Static icons for special abilities as well as white and black magic spells have been temporarily implemented on the test server with today's update, but are still undergoing adjustment because they are designed to be displayed in the new in-development macro palette rather than the current list interface, which does not afford the icons enough space.

The following icons have been added. (*Appearances may differ depending on system environments.)

• White Magic
  Attachment 2434
  Starting from the top-left:
  Line 1: Cure, Cura, Curaga, Dia, "Bar-" spells (Barblizzara, etc.), Banish, Banishga, Esuna-type spells (Paralyna, etc.)
  Line 2: Protect, Protectra, Shell, Aquaveil, Raise, Reraise, Slow
  Line 3: Haste, Paralyze, Silence, Stoneskin, Blink, Invisible, Sneak, Deodorize
  Line 4: Regen, Erase, Teleport, Repose, Holy, Recall, Auspice
  Line 5: Sacrifice, "Boost" Spells, Addle, "En-" spells (Enthunder, etc.), Phalanx, Refresh, "Gain" spells (Gain-STR, etc.), Reprisal

• Black Magic
  Attachment 2435
  Line 1: Stone, Stonega, Stoneja, Poison, Blind, Bind, Drain
  Line 2: Aspir, Fire, Firaga, Firaja, Water, Waterga, Waterja, Flood
  Line 3: Thunder, Thundaga, Thundaja, Blizzard, Blizzaga, Blizzaja, Freeze, Aero
  Line 4: Aeroga, Aeroja, Tornado, Bio, Warp, Escape, Retrace, Rasp (Frost or Drown)
  Line 5: "Spikes" spells (Shock Spikes, etc.), Sleep, Sleepga, Tractor, Dispel, Stun, Burst, Flare

Numerals such as II and III will appear in the bottom right corner of the icons, while a star in the top left corner will denote "-ga" spells and two stars will denote "-ja" spells.
Other icons for categories such as weapon skills, summoning spells, and abilities, will be added in the future along with other aspects of the user interface.
Blue magic, songs, and ninjutsu use generic icons as per usual.

Nice icons! Just would be nice having at least one sample if a higher tier icon to see how the tier would look like. ^^

I liked the "crystal" tier style used at FFXIV original icons and think a similar style would look good here as well...but i didn't like the stars for -ga ans -ja...they not only look too simple for this icon style, but also resembles too much the current FFXIV icons.

[JiltedValkyrie]

Very sexy.

[Antanias]

I thought Tanaka left o.O

[Arcon]

I can also imagine BLU spells just being too many and too different to get an icon for every single one, but they could be grouped somehow. Maybe differentiate icons by element and target? Ninjutsu should definitely be doable.

[Dragoy]

I thought Tanaka left o.O

People tend to still work until certain point in time after such announcements.

After receiving over 150 heart-felt posts thanking him for his hard work on FINAL FANTASY XI, Producer Hiromichi Tanaka took some time to write his thank you to all of the adventurers of Vana’diel.

Thank you all so much for the warm words. It was due to all of you that we were able to successfully put on VanaFest 2012 and I deeply appreciate all of you adventurers who have been supportive.

Despite my resignation announcement, the following day was the regular run of the mill busy day filled with preparations for the next version update and organizing data for succession and it all hasn’t really sunk in yet. I am sure that up until the last day of next month I will be working just as usual.

As for my illness which everyone has been so kindly concerned about, it is not something that is curable with modern medicine, but neither is it something that will worsen, so it’s an illness that I will have no choice but to deal with.

Finally, I would like to once again introduce my successor Akihiko Matsui and the rest of the development and operations staff who will be working hard together to develop the new expansion as well as the next version update.

Thank you all very much!

By the by, good job on them icons!