[dev1042] Level Cap Increase

[dev1042] Level Cap Increase.

*The following content is in development. Specific details may differ from the release version.

[dev1024] Job Adjustments

[dev1024] Job Adjustments.

The forthcoming version update will feature the following job-related adjustments and refinements:

Road Map for FFXI released!

Finally… we know the score. EPIC thread posted here on the SE forum.

The FINAL FANTASY XI roadmap for the twelve-month period commencing April 2011

The FINAL FANTASY XI roadmap for the twelve-month period commencing April 2011 has been released.

Level cap going to 85….

Wow, I honestly didn’t expect that. I assumed like most people that it would go to 89 or 90 this time…

Let’s take a look at the update notice that was released here today.

The impending version update will usher in the second stage of the level cap increase, bringing players’ maximum attainable level from 80 to 85!

I’m honestly surprised about this one. Does that mean we go 85-99 next time or are they stringing it out further?

To provide a fitting challenge to players who achieve these newfound heights of power, we will be adjusting monster level and placement in certain Treasures of Aht Urhgan areas to create daunting new battlegrounds.

OK, so the answer won’t always be Abyssea. I hope they get these right because honestly right now xp is relatively constructive and fun… Going back to traditional 6 man parties may not be so much unless we get silly numbers etc. If they re-examine how we get xp and make mainstream environments more like Abyssea then this could be interesting. Oh and people might have IS and be interested in the Astral Candescence again…

A host of new abilities, job traits, and spells will also be added for the newly-unlocked levels. Needless to say, these will be designed to provide players with exciting new possibilities while preserving game balance as they achieve even higher levels in the future.

Here – shinies are coming.

Finally: job adjustments, spells, job traits etc

I really can’t deal with all the new JA in detail etc so I’m going to take the Eldelphia focus on the new shinies. So if you have WHM, SMN, BRD, BLM, SCH, RDM, COR and maybe PLD and BST – you’ll be fine… otherwise find a blogger who knows what the hell melee jobs are about.  They’re all mentioned here but with little comment.

Certainly looks like DNC got boosted…

JA’s: some details released about 80 cap

Magian Staff?

I know, I haven’t written much of note recently. Life’s been a bit hectic.

They’ve finally announced some details of the increasing level cap. Notably the 2 NIN abilities Innin and Yonin (sp?) aren’t going to be subbable and neither are the WHM Afflatus JA (/cheer!). They’re weakening Shadowbind when subbed and they’re upping the recast timer to triple on accession/manifestation when subbing SCH.

Restricting Misery and Solace is nice. It means that other jobs can’t get that much out of Cura when subbing WHM. Esuna, Sacrifice and Auspice don’t become relevant so no impact there. The enhancing buff to barspells, the stoneskin effect on cures and the bonuses to Holy (lol, but Holy II maybe incoming!) are only available to WHM, preserving some dignity…

Picture property of Square Enix

Convert has definitely not been protected, picture of BLM converting is there just to ram home the point… So BLM/RDM at 80 gains access to a useful JA to keep them in the game and at 82 eventually will have some form of Refresh. Whether that’s nerfed or not, we’ll have to see.

Prehistoric Horny Turtle!

Looking at what SCH gets out of all this (before we hear about new stuff)…

SCH/RDM: Convert, Barvirus and Icespikes.  Actually, Convert and Icespikes aren’t bad but I’m guessing in merits SCH/WHM becomes a force to be reckoned with now… by subbing WHM until 96

SCH/WHM: aside from Altep/Yhoat and a bunch of stuff SCH gets already… they get haste. I can see SCHs being abused for this right royally unless; WHM and RDM get Haste II.

Apparently SCH also will get Libra and the animation is very shiny!

Anyone subbing SCH will get access to Regen II as well as Accession/Manifestation but BLMs need some form of defensive ability to be able to use SCH as a sub solo/lowman. It may be coming – a bunch of new JA have been found in the .dats and BLM is getting one of them. Let alone what they may add in as new spells.

RDM does pretty well out of /SCH at 40. It gets Erase back again as well as the JA to AoE Haste/Fresh. A decent haste setup is probably necessary to make the most out of but still, a pretty huge boost. Let along being able to occasionally AoE Stoneskin/Phalanx etc.

Magian Club?

Aside from that, there’s a bunch of new Weapons which look like some form of Magian Mythic/Relic and some others which I’m clueless about…

New Seveneyes?

Another video: Hitler learns about FFXI level 99

I know this scene has been used to death but this so beautifully expresses what some people have felt recently and is hilarious at the same time…

And just for Mac

Recent News Part 2: the future of XI and the start of XIV

So, the update news was interesting but no one was really listening other than to the following

ZOMG LEVEL 99 !11!1!!!!eleventyone!!

Yep, that’s right. From June, the level cap will be raised from 75, in stages, to 99. So by the end of the year, if we haven’t all quit, jumped to XIV or whatever, we could all be level 99.

My first reaction to this was pretty much ‘oh’. I didn’t see it coming but it didn’t enormously upset me.  However there has been a huge reaction to it and that’s what stunned me.  One of my linkshell members promptly quit… at least for now. Others were furious, some were excited and the rest of us were a bit ‘Ummm…’

No, this does not negate everything you have done before.  Repeat: it does not negate everything you have already done.