From Matsui in the official forums announcing Jan update:
Matsui said:
Equipment earned from this content can be improved further based on the difficulty level on which you’ve beaten it, so seasoned veterans will experience greater rewards for tackling these difficult battles.
Looks like it's just new equipment that can be farmed easier according to higher difficulty levels.
Last year was a very challenging one for many of us. In the first half, we had growing pains as we adjusted to a new working-from-home environment, with difficulties in commuting to work causing us to create content for FINAL FANTASY XI on the fly. We also had to cancel several in-person events that we had scheduled, which pained us as much as it pained you.
However, we feel incredibly lucky to have been able to continue providing game updates to you despite the hurdles we faced. The Development and Operations teams, as well as all the other behind-the-scenes staff supporting the FINAL FANTASY XI service, are able to provide you the same quality you've come to expect from a much different working environment, and although some items came out a little bit slower than we would have liked, we're proud that we were able to bring you the first several entries in The Voracious Resurgence, our all-new storyline that will carry us from August 2020 through the 20th Vana'versary. We were also able to bring you Mandragora Mania, a new twist to the Harvest Festival event, and a variety of other seasonal activities, which we hope that you have enjoyed to their fullest. In addition, we're proud of the work we did on Ambuscade and Odyssey over the past year. Thank you so much for taking the time to enjoy our latest content.
2021 rings in the 19th year of operation for FINAL FANTASY XI. As we countdown (count up?) to the 20th Vana'versary, we're planning a variety of activities that'll make your adventures in our humble world more exciting than ever before.
First, we will continute to periodically add new entries to The Voracious Resurgence. We're just about to start sinking our teeth into the main course of this new offering, so we hope you're looking forward to seeing what's in store. Additionally, we're looking to expand storage options and implement new character growth options for all jobs.
The Development and Operations Teams continue to work tirelessly to provide you with wonderful experiences in the world of Vana'diel, and we hope that you will continue to enjoy FINAL FANTASY XI.
While we are all hoping for a swift end to the coronavirus pandemic, we are unfortunately still in it for the long haul. Let's work together to keep each other safe and to conquer this threat in the same way that our adventurers have toppled the various challenges facing Vana'diel. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for the medical and frontline workers who have given selflessly in these most trying of times.
I look forward to the next time that we can share smiles and laughter together in person.
All jobs update incoming, time for that sweet #BLUPDATE
I'm all for new storage options, but I reallllllllly dont want any longer zone loading times. It's already ridiculously long.
Agreed.
They should remove the mog house repositories (Mog Safe, Mog Safe2, Storage, Mog Locker) from being loaded in EVERY *** ZONE.
They should add like 2 more repositories (Mog Safe3, Mog Safe4?) and make them MogHouse exclusive.
Not sure if it's even feasible for them to change their tech, but it would do wonders if they could remove those repositories from being loaded when outside of MH.
I do not need my moghouse to be viewable unless I'm in it. I know not everyone feels that way, but I promise you'd be cool with it for more spaces.
Yeah, I understand you always forget if you have (item) in your moghouse and you NEED to be able to impulsively search it every 5 minutes. You'll be ok, It's worth it for another 80/160/240/1000 spaces.
Now that I think about it I think the MH repositories could in theory be perfectly accessible even from other zones, it's just a game-design choice limitation that you cannot access any except the Wardrobes and the Mog Satchel/case, no?
So, given they don't want to give us access to them when outside of MH and towns, then *** stop loading all of the content? Change the purpose of the "View Mog House" menu.
Really, having 4 less repositories loaded would make zoning so much faster, wouldn't it?
Unless I'm totally wrong, but maybe people more expert with FFXI tech will correct me then.
I dunno, if they were to ask me "Do you want 160 more inventory space, but at the cost of even slower zoning?" I'd be seriously seriously torn on what to choose.
On one hand I truly need more inv space, I'm so *** packed with stuff I can't mule because they refuse to make those items sendable to same account characters.
On the other hand though zoning takes so *** time already that making it even slower would be... I dunno, way too much.
I would 100%, no questions asked, take an extra 20 seconds to load my inventory if it meant 80 more spaces. If Emp gear ever gets released with no extra inventory options, I have no *** idea where I can put more gear.
You don't want an extra twenty seconds of screen loading time, especially when you have to get KI after ambu clear and you are required to zone 3x to get to the appropriate area. That's like 5 minutes for a two minute task. Super nope.
New character growth... incoming Master Points. Points you can only accumulate on mastered jobs. Probably will need about 100k to complete one jobs worth?
They should remove the mog house repositories (Mog Safe, Mog Safe2, Storage, Mog Locker) from being loaded in EVERY *** ZONE.
They should add like 2 more repositories (Mog Safe3, Mog Safe4?) and make them MogHouse exclusive.
Not sure if it's even feasible for them to change their tech, but it would do wonders if they could remove those repositories from being loaded when outside of MH.
Stopping Safe/2, Storage, Locker from being loaded on the fly is 100% doable.
Though it's possible (probable even) that it would limit lockstyle to stuff in the sack/satchel/wardrobe/etc.
From a FrePiVana months back, it looked like they were wanting a sort of "set wardrobe"ish. Basically a place that only holds Artifact, Relic, and Empy pieces. Didn't look like they had much beyond the basic concept down before Covid19 hit. (iirc it sounded like they wanted it so you could equip it anywhere but not have it accessible, e.g. withdraw stuff, from anywhere.)
But it was so much in the concept stage that they hadn't made anything to show of it beyond "here's a box with only RF stuff".