Still going strong since its release here in 2003, Final Fantasy XI has added lots of new content this year and recently implemented some new features and class tweaks. I got the opportunity to jump into Vana'diel to check out all of the recent additions.
Final Fantasy XI's most recent add-on is A Shantotto Ascension: The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born, released in November. This add-on, like the two previous ones released this year, A Crystalline Prophecy, and A Moogle Kupo d'Etat, doesn't unveil new terrain or jobs, but focuses on storyline content and a series of quests and battles. On top of that, completing each arc rewards an exclusive piece of equipment upon which the player can customize the buffs.
Shantotto, a well-known eccentric professor and heroine who has been involved in many aspects of FFXI's story, is the central figure in this episode. Kicking off the plotline is a cutscene that shows her experimenting and implies a case of magic gone wrong. Others actively worry about the professor's unusual behavior. It's up to the player character to sort out just what's going on and to stop the threat to Vana'diel when Shantotto reappears after a mysterious disappearance only to declare herself Empress.
In addition to scenarios like A Shantotto Ascension, the storyline from the 2007 expansion pack Wings of the Goddess is still ongoing. Quests in WotG take players via a mysterious magic 20 years into the past, during the time of the Crystal War and the battle against the evil Shadow Lord. Alongside these missions are a series of quests taking place in the same time period, but in different locations with scenarios unique to each nation. These Past Nation Quests, as they're commonly known, often involve NPCs we meet in modern Vana'diel, and show us some of the feats they accomplished that were otherwise previously only hinted at. A player must complete quests from at least one nation to proceed through the Wings of the Goddess storyline, but optionally, can also complete quests from the other nations. Completing all these quests expands the perspective on the history of the world available to players by a great deal.
In one of these past quests, "Songbirds in a Snowstorm", taking place in the snowy mountains of San d'Oria, I got to fight alongside a regiment trying to hold off an invading enemy army. There was a challenging battle against an enormous Orcish Bloodletter, and after he went down, the cutscene showing the turning of the tide and climax of the entire battle was pretty epic. I won't spoil it for anyone here, but it fits right in line with the Final Fantasy legacy.
But epic quests only go so far if you're frustrated. Certain job changes have recently been implemented, meant to make certain classes more balanced, more of an asset to their parties, and even more fun to play. During one of the battles I fought, a change in the Summoner's arsenal was demonstrated. As we buffed up for battle, our Summoner had Ifrit out as his pet, or avatar. Previously, I was informed, keeping an avatar out for battles wasn't done very often since there was no incentive to do so, since it just drained the player. However, now a Summoner has the option of a skill called "Avatar's Favor," which enables an avatar to grant a buff on the entire party for a limited time as long as members stay in proximity to it. The buff grows stronger over time until it reaches its cap. Ifrit granted all of us a Double Attack that would eventually cap at a 12% bonus. Other avatars grant different buffs, including HP regen and Haste.
Rangers had an almost opposite problem in that they were almost too useful in parties. They use up a lot of ammo and their high damage rates mean that they draw a lot of the Hate from targeted monsters, which make them the prime targets. The new skill "Camouflage" acts as a cover from which they can shoot invisibly for a random period, lowering the amount of Hate they draw to themselves and making party balance easier. "Unlimited Shot" allows them to fire without using ammo until actually connecting a shot, minimizing waste.
Beastmasters also got some attention when they were given the ability to use their charmed creatures in ways of their own choosing. Where previously, these pets attacked using one of their abilities at random, the new command "Ready" lets players choose their next move. I saw this firsthand in the Orc battle when our Beastmaster used a Sabotendar to blast the powerful 1000 Needles toward the monster.
Around the time these changes went live, there was also an update that introduced a host of new community and customization options that will let players have more control over their gear and characters. For example, player events are also now easier to plan, including character weddings. After various player requests, the wedding process is now handled via NPC and previous heavy restrictions have been eliminated. Players can set guests, decorate a location, and even leave special messages via event items. Besides weddings, player events may include parties and other gatherings in almost any location. But one of the most promising new additions is to crafting, with an emphasis on community participation as well. It's even in the name.
Synergy lets players craft items with special buffs on them and allows the creation of slots on weapons for special crystal pieces with inherent bonuses. These crystal fragments are known as Evolith stones, and the new weapon customization system is a cousin to the Materia system of Final Fantasy VII. Evolith stones drop from fights with tough Notorious Monsters, which you can take on by starting a hunt. These battles scale in difficulty and can require a full alliance to defeat, depending on which monster you're after.
These Notorious Monster battles are difficult, but after defeating one and recording the fight, each participant will get evolith. Bonuses on each stone vary, with some more suitable to certain classes than others, and evolith can't be traded, so it might take some time in order to get exactly the bonuses you might find most useful. Aside from the relative toughness of some of the battles, this seems to be the only other downside to the process.
I participated in a battle to take on Lugh, one of the stronger baddies. During the battle, he leveled up and got even stronger, so there are definite surprises to be had. The team is also using these named monsters to display some of the new gear options available. Weapon drops from named monsters form the base for those craftable weapons. Both Lugh's armor and his sword were all pieces that players can now create for themselves through Synergy.
The actual process of creation through Synergy is handled like a minigame. The existing crafting system, known as Synthesis, operates much more simply. With recipes in hand, players go to a Synergy Furnace and claim it, depositing items and evolith and then playing a game between feeding the furnace fuel and letting off some of the pressure that builds up. The goal is to achieve elemental balance in the creation process to produce a quality item. This process can be accomplished by one person with certain recipes, but more difficult recipes require teams of up to six people all working together.
Since this process is new, there's definitely still a learning curve. I asked how the community had received this new system and response so far has been positive. I've played several games that made my character look like she got dressed in the dark just to have useful buffs, so the Synergy system is a feature that I really liked, since it allows for a more personalized experience. The tough method makes sure players earn it, but there is one forgiving aspect; if a player fails to create an item and the furnace blows up (something that happened to me during my test run), the items required aren't consumed. With the relative difficulty of obtaining evolith and the complex synergy process, this is a welcome inclusion.
While the game has always had a large degree of player influence and social features, with both player-run events and the expansion of customization, Final Fantasy XI reenergizes the community experience with some of these additions. It's not always easy to maintain an MMO audience's interest after several years, but the FFXI team has put forth a solid effort. The new Synthesis system was perhaps the most impressive thing I had the opportunity to experience, but overall I saw a game still in good hands, with continued depth and promise.
Subject: Final Fantasy XI: A Shantotto Ascension Hands On Report 
Mon Dec 28, 2009 9:07 pm)
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