Hello, everyone. Matsui here.
Thank you for tuning into Freshly Picked Vana’diel 33. This month, we had our broadcast once again the day before the version update, so we could focus on the May version update, as well as bunch of other information.
For those of you who were not able to catch the broadcast live, or just simply want a recap on all the information the archived video is available and I’ve organized this digest.
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Table of Contents
Version Update
Battle Content: Ambuscade
Escutcheons
15th Vana'versary
Version Update
(0:06:16)
This segment of the show focused on the major aspects of the May version update.
Battle Content: Ambuscade
(0:07:31)
Video showed live gameplay of Director Fujito challenging the Ambuscade Primer Volume Two. The new alter ego “Ark Angel TT” can be seen fighting alongside him, so be sure to check out the video.
This time players will go up against Pteraketos tribe. Their HP is higher, but there’s only one boss with no reinforcements. They’re easier to damage as well, so the key strategy this time would be to watch your enmity carefully while fighting. Also, we changed the effects of Angry Seas and other annoying enemy abilities so it is easier to fight.
(0:15:46)
In April, we brought the Gigas tribe back into Intense Ambuscade and the data showed that the win rate was much higher. This may have been because players were accustomed to this enemy. During the broadcast we asked the viewers which monsters they would like to fight against in future. The results showed many requests for the Shadow tribe; therefore, we’ll consider adding them moving forward.
Escutcheons
(0:22:02)
We added a new Escutcheon questline in the May version update. By completing this quest, players will be able to further upgrade their Escutcheons which includes an attribute that will shortens the synthesis motion speed. The “60” in the attribute “synthesis speed +60” refers to the number of frames, so this attribute will shorten the motion by 60 frames (about 1 second). We plan to further increase this value in the future. And of course, we’re planning to attach other attributes as well.
(0:26:21)
Additionally, we have implemented Superior 3 equipment as a new craftable item. In the video we showed the stats on some of the equipment, so be sure to check it out. These pieces have pretty strong stats. As for the key item required for the crafting, this can be earned through the Escutcheon quest.
15th Vana’versary!
(0:30:59)
This year we celebrate the 15-year anniversary for FINAL FANTASY XI. In this segment, we introduced various upcoming events to celebrate the 15-year anniversary.
The theme for this year’s anniversary is to “relive.” We plan to bring various events where veteran players can feel memories of “oh yeah, I forgot this happened before.” We would like those players to relive past moments to feel nostalgia while sharing their past experience with players that may have started recently.
*Please note that the event names are subject to change.
Let’s Go! Vana’diel Day!
(0:34:04)
Every fifteenth day of the month, something will happen within Vana’diel. We’re planning the first one to take place on Thursday, June 15. We hope this can be something that everyone logs into the game to enjoy. We’ll follow up on the details for this at a later day on the official website.
15th Vana’versary Record of Eminence
(0:39:13)
We’re planning a special Record of Eminence which celebrates the 15-year anniversary beginning in July. We’re preparing an objective where players will track footsteps of the adventurers who began their journey from the three nations. Difficulty will range from easy to some that may be a bit difficult, so please choose the one that best fits your play style. Players will collect some “parts” as a reward, and by collecting them you’ll be able to get a mount... for more details, please check out the video. There will also be special 15-year anniversary tickets for the Gobbie Mystery Box as part of the reward. We’re planning to put something good inside these boxes, so please look forward to it.
15th Vana’versary Event “Quiz of the Age”
(0:53:39)
This 15-year anniversary event will commence Tuesday, May 16. In this event players will be quizzed on the knowledge they have gained throughout their adventure. Players will be given crab-themed goods as rewards, so make sure to try it out.
15th Vana’versary Mog Bonanza
(0:57:32)
A special Mog Bonanza celebrating the 15-year anniversary will begin Tuesday, May 16. We have added items such as the Onion Sword II cosmetic item as a reward.
The One I Can Trust
(1:00:17)
We’re planning to introduce an alter ego which will journey alongside our adventurers during the 15-year anniversary. The alter ego which will be implemented will be decided by your vote and can be from any NPC which hasn't been implemented as an alter ego already. We’ll also ask the players what kind of stats the alter ego should have; however, this is a support-type alter ego, so we’ll be asking what type of Sphere effect you would like to see added. Implementation is scheduled further down the road. Details for this event will be announced at a later date through the official website.
May 2017 Login Campaign
(1:05:49)
This event is currently underway. Be sure to login and get the Firetongue cosmetic weapon. Until now we have alternated between equipment and mounts, but as part of the 15-year anniversary, we have also included a very special statue. Even if you miss out on this, you’re able to re-obtain them later, so please don’t worry and play at your own pace.
Previous FINAL FANTASY Equipment
(1:08:29)
In this event we plan to introduce famous weapons from previous FF titles for FINAL FANTASY XI. We’ll go over the details at a later time, so stay tuned!
Dengeki PlayStation – Lightning Brigade Celebrates the 15 Year Anniversary
(1:11:57)
A special article is being added to the Dengeki PlayStation for three months. In the article you can read up on the Lightning Brigade challenging themselves to see how far they can go in 15 hours from character creation.
Famitsu 15 Year Celebration 16 Page Coverage!
(1:14:46)
The latest edition of Famitsu covers a special 16 page article of FINAL FANTASY XI. Various articles are covered, and one includes an interview with the voice actor Yuichi Nakamura, who used to play FINAL FANTASY XI a lot.
Niconico Live “Let’s All Celebrate FFXI’s 15 Year Celebration [Famitsu]”
(1:16:30)
A special broadcast is scheduled for Saturday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m. (JST) on the Famitsu channel celebrating the 15-year anniversary. We invite voice actors Yuichi Nakamura, Emiri Kato, and Yu Asakawa to the show, so be sure to check it out.
Return Home to Vana’diel Campaign and Discount Campaign
The Return Home to Vana’diel Campaign and Discount Campaign will begin Tuesday, May 16. Experience the world of Vana'diel with a variety of new content that has been added throughout the fifteen years of development, along with many system which may come to a surprise for our previous players. We would love to see you return back and try the game out in this special 15-year anniversary.
Mog House Decoration Contest
(1:18:36)
The Mog House has been expanded with the introduction of the 2nd floor/patio so we would like to hold a Mog House decoration contest with this additional area. The Community team has requested that we add a new furnishing item as a reward for the contest, so we’ll try our best to make this possible. We’re planning to hold this event sometime in winter.
Future Updates
(1:23:48)
As mentioned previously, the development team has been reduced, and for this reason we aren’t able to make and systematic changes that would affect the foundation of our system. For this reason, we would like to respond back to our players letting them know that we aren’t able to make those changes and give suggestions on how we may be able to fulfill the request by taking a different approach. We would like to continue to maintain our relationship with the players through forums and such and update you all moving forward.
That being said, this is the 15-year anniversary, so the development team would like to deliver new types of content in which players can enjoy playing as much as possible, so we’re currently preparing development for a new battle content. We’ll update you with further details as they become available.
The next Freshly Picked Vana’diel is scheduled in July. We’ll do our best to bring fresh information worthy of the 15-year anniversary, and we thank you for your support!
Until then, see you!
