Grading the July Update.

Initial reactions are never a good grade of how good anything really is, and this update is no exception. Iceblazek went from hating the update as he was downloading it, to absolutely loving it when it appeared that we may have been killing the first Amphiptere on Odin and maybe even the whole game.

After an enjoyable night testing out new mobs and the new Union system even I have to admit I was much more pleased with this update than I thought I was going to be. To evaluate this update though, we need to look at other updates and juxtapose this one with those to get an idea of just how good it is. The last update was on-balance pretty disappointing, in fact, I didn't really remember what was added in the last update, so I had to check. There were some significant additions, but nothing really said "new" like we have had in the past. There were four significant additions in the April Update. 1) The new WHM JA's (and the RDM and SMN additions), 2) ANNM's and Augmented Items, 3) Gobbiebag expansion. There was definitely more and people will love pointing out the things I missed, I am sure.

Compare that to this update and we can see that this update is probably a little better overall. We got two new zones, which is something we really haven't gotten in almost a year and a half. Included in those zones are three new mobs and several potential melee and BLM XP areas. We got new JA's for NIN, which I believe was sorely in need of some kind of improvement to balance them with PLD. Now, I still believe that those improvements don't fix what is really needed for NIN, which is a bit more survivability.

The Union system is definitely interesting and rewards doing Campaign even if you have to be lucky to get those rewards. It definitely spices up Campaign a bit. We got the long awaited Campaign bodies which were about as good as I expected, the tanking body is great but the rest of them are pretty mediocre. Finally, we have a little bit of a surprise in the large number of Wings missions that were added. There are other things that still need to be determined, like the quality of the Fairy weapon quests and if this FoV stuff is even worth it.

Overall, I would have given the last update about a C- and this update was a little better than the last, that being said, and even considering the positive things I have said so far, this update doesn't really have that much going for it either. New zones are nice, but you need to have a reason to be in those zones besides just doing Campaign. New JA's are good too, but why do they share a recast and have diminishing effects? Union is decent, but the rewards are pretty weak and will soon flood the market and crush the cost of all of the items, except for the ancient currency which don't drop very much at all. One of the Campaign bodies is good, the rest are in line with the "mehness" of the other parts of the set.

I am holding out hope for the Fairy weapons, the packs of mobs you have to fight to get the rewards looks pretty difficult. I am thinking it will take more than a party to handle these and it looks like at least some of them resist sleep. The additional effects for these looked pretty good in the preview, but so did the FoV ones and we all know how they turned out.

So far I am giving this update a C+, but I still have my pen out and I am willing to improve the grade if things turn out to be better with the Fairy weapons. This update still has the problems that I had discussed before. It is tiny, it is uninspiring, it is flawed and it feels like there isn't anyone at SE that is motivating the forward momentum of the game right now. I can't wait until this cycle of crappy scenarios is over, but we still have at least one more coming before we get a regular update without all of this fluff. We can only really judge the direction of the game at that point.

<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Beau_Distance.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Beau_Distance.png" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 172px;" /></a>Initial reactions are never a good grade of how good anything really is, and this update is no exception. Iceblazek went from hating the update as he was downloading it, to absolutely loving it when it appeared that we may have been killing the first Amphiptere on Odin and maybe even the whole game. <br /><br />After an enjoyable night testing out new mobs and the new Union system even I have to admit I was much more pleased with this update than I thought I was going to be. To evaluate this update though, we need to look at other updates and juxtapose this one with those to get an idea of just how good it is. The last update was on-balance pretty disappointing, in fact, I didn't really remember what was added in the last update, so I had to check. There were some significant additions, but nothing really said "new" like we have had in the past. There were four significant additions in the April Update. 1) The new WHM JA's (and the RDM and SMN additions), 2) ANNM's and Augmented Items, 3) Gobbiebag expansion. There was definitely more and people will love pointing out the things I missed, I am sure. <br /><br />Compare that to this update and we can see that this update is probably a little better overall. We got two new zones, which is something we really haven't gotten in almost a year and a half. Included in those zones are three new mobs and several potential melee and BLM XP areas. We got new JA's for NIN, which I believe was sorely in need of some kind of improvement to balance them with PLD. Now, I still believe that those improvements don't fix what is really needed for NIN, which is a bit more survivability. <br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The Union system is definitely interesting and rewards doing Campaign even if you have to be lucky to get those rewards. It definitely spices up Campaign a bit. We got the long awaited Campaign bodies which were about as good as I expected, the tanking body is great but the rest of them are pretty mediocre. Finally, we have a little bit of a surprise in the large number of Wings missions that were added. There are other things that still need to be determined, like the quality of the Fairy weapon quests and if this FoV stuff is even worth it. <br /><br />Overall, I would have given the last update about a C- and this update was a little better than the last, that being said, and even considering the positive things I have said so far, this update doesn't really have that much going for it either. New zones are nice, but you need to have a reason to be in those zones besides just doing Campaign. New JA's are good too, but why do they share a recast and have diminishing effects? Union is decent, but the rewards are pretty weak and will soon flood the market and crush the cost of all of the items, except for the ancient currency which don't drop very much at all. One of the Campaign bodies is good, the rest are in line with the "mehness" of the other parts of the set.<br /><br />I am holding out hope for the Fairy weapons, the packs of mobs you have to fight to get the rewards looks pretty difficult. I am thinking it will take more than a party to handle these and it looks like at least some of them resist sleep. The additional effects for these looked pretty good in the preview, but so did the FoV ones and we all know how they turned out.<br /><br />So far I am giving this update a C+, but I still have my pen out and I am willing to improve the grade if things turn out to be better with the Fairy weapons. This update still has the problems that I had discussed before. It is tiny, it is uninspiring, it is flawed and it feels like there isn't anyone at SE that is motivating the forward momentum of the game right now. I can't wait until this cycle of crappy scenarios is over, but we still have at least one more coming before we get a regular update without all of this fluff. We can only really judge the direction of the game at that point.</span>

POL News: What You See Is What You Get.

The Update Notes are out and there really isn't anything more than what they have told us about already.

The Union System is in there, but there are still no details on what it entails and what it means. It looks like you just join an alliance, then join the Union and then lot on the rewards when things drop. This does look like it could be abused a lot though. Will people try to Ninja lot things? Is this supposed to be something you only do with people you trust? Do the items drop from Campaign mobs? Are people to pull and hide mobs all the time? I am guessing they considered all of these factors, and we still have no idea what it is going to look like. Here's hoping it's good, but honestly it sounds convoluted and rife for abuse.


New missions, new quests, new synths, new BLU spells. We don't have any specifics about these except for the fact that the new BLU spells will probably come from the two new mobs that they have added to the new past Northlands areas.

Personally, I think the new "evil Walrus" looks way better than the Gargoyle, but that's just me. The new MMM stuff is in there, and so is the FoV stuff, but there is no mention of these new synths for weapons that you trade with the Fairies. I wouldn't be surprised if that got cut from the update, which I believe will be the first time they had a major announcement about something then cut it from my recollection. The Circle abilities look decent, but if they are still on a 10 minute recast with a 30 second duration then they are still just about as useless as they were before just with better buffs. They even mentioned that the main problem was the duration, but mention notion about changing the duration in the update notes.

The new Ninja JA's are in there, but we already knew everything about it. I think this is probably the only solid known improvement in the entire update.

They will definitely be useful for NIN, but the shared timer on a 5 minute recast can make it even more difficult for NIN that need to switch between DD and tanking quickly. There is also no mentioned of the diminishing effect over time, so hopefully they got rid of that part of it. Also, the Mijin Gakure change is nice, but like so many things that SE does, it should have happened from the beginning if not a long time ago.

Dragoon got a tiny buff to Empathy in that they can now wake up their Wyvern with Spirit Link. Again, should have happened a long time ago. There was mention that the effect of the rage timers for some HNM was changed but in standard SE fashion, they don't tell us how at all.

Finally, they mention that there are some new furnishing from Campaign and the Campaign bodies are now available. A new item called the Pendant Compass was introduced that will give you your coordinates, [i]when you wear it[/i] and it will be used for some event that has nothing to do with the game, like many of the things that SE has been adding lately.

Ok, I am done. This update has nothing new, no surprises, no avatars, nothing interesting. Just like the last update, it just feels like that slapped some things together, tossed in a new JA and called it an update. I, for one, am not pleased at all.

Click here for a full list of the update notes.

<a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/4746/4746.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/4746/4746.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 415px; height: 100px;" /></a><br />The Update Notes are out and there really isn't anything more than what they have told us about already. <br /><br />The Union System is in there, but there are still no details on what it entails and what it means. It looks like you just join an alliance, then join the Union and then lot on the rewards when things drop. This does look like it could be abused a lot though. Will people try to Ninja lot things? Is this supposed to be something you only do with people you trust? Do the items drop from Campaign mobs? Are people to pull and hide mobs all the time? I am guessing they considered all of these factors, and we still have no idea what it is going to look like. Here's hoping it's good, but honestly it sounds convoluted and rife for abuse. <br /><a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/verup/ff11us/detail/4742/4742_6.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/verup/ff11us/detail/4742/4742_6.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 454px; height: 170px;" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />New missions, new quests, new synths, new BLU spells. We don't have any specifics about these except for the fact that the new BLU spells will probably come from the two new mobs that they have added to the new past Northlands areas.<br /><a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/verup/ff11us/detail/4742/4742_20.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/verup/ff11us/detail/4742/4742_20.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 454px; height: 170px;" /></a><br />Personally, I think the new "evil Walrus" looks way better than the Gargoyle, but that's just me. The new MMM stuff is in there, and so is the FoV stuff, but there is no mention of these new synths for weapons that you trade with the Fairies. I wouldn't be surprised if that got cut from the update, which I believe will be the first time they had a major announcement about something then cut it from my recollection. The Circle abilities look decent, but if they are still on a 10 minute recast with a 30 second duration then they are still just about as useless as they were before just with better buffs. They even mentioned that the main problem was the duration, but mention notion about changing the duration in the update notes.<br /><br />The new Ninja JA's are in there, but we already knew everything about it. I think this is probably the only solid known improvement in the entire update. <br /><a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/verup/ff11us/detail/4742/4742_26.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/verup/ff11us/detail/4742/4742_26.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 454px; height: 170px;" /></a><br />They will definitely be useful for NIN, but the shared timer on a 5 minute recast can make it even more difficult for NIN that need to switch between DD and tanking quickly. There is also no mentioned of the diminishing effect over time, so hopefully they got rid of that part of it. Also, the Mijin Gakure change is nice, but like so many things that SE does, it should have happened from the beginning if not a long time ago.<br /><br />Dragoon got a tiny buff to Empathy in that they can now wake up their Wyvern with Spirit Link. Again, should have happened a long time ago. There was mention that the effect of the rage timers for some HNM was changed but in standard SE fashion, they don't tell us how at all.<br /><br />Finally, they mention that there are some new furnishing from Campaign and the Campaign bodies are now available. A new item called the Pendant Compass was introduced that will give you your coordinates, [i]when you wear it[/i] and it will be used for some event that has nothing to do with the game, like many of the things that SE has been adding lately.<br /><br />Ok, I am done. This update has nothing new, no surprises, no avatars, nothing interesting. Just like the last update, it just feels like that slapped some things together, tossed in a new JA and called it an update. I, for one, am not pleased at all.<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/verup/ff11us/detail/4742/detail.html">here</a> for a full list of the update notes.</span>

Our Comprehensive Guide to the July 2009 Update.

The July 2009 Update is just around the corner so we have put together this guide to all the information we have about the coming update, including information about missions, job changes, events, equipment and even the Moogle Kupo d'Etat scenario! Stay tuned for any new information!

The July 2009 Update for FFXI is looking to be a decently balanced update with additional zones that we have been promised for a while. The much anticipated Campaign body pieces will become available after getting the new Campaign ranks. The two new zones - Beaucidine and Xarcabard - look to be very Campaign oriented and if the development team fulfills their promise, they will be oriented to high-level players. The "Union" system is being introduced to Campaign and the rewards look to be potentially pretty damn sweet. New Wings missions are being added, but it doesn't look to be too many. Moblin Maze Mongers is getting an NPC-style addition. Finally, there are currently unannounced Job Adjustments.

Our complete and comprehensive coverage of the July Update is listed after the break!

Update Information

Wings of the Goddess Missions

→ Two new missions added.
*"A Traitor in Our Midst!" and "The World Will Choose..." both listed as titles in the update notes.

New Areas

→ Beaucedine Glacier (S) and Xarcabard (S) will be opened.

Job Adjustments

→ Ninja
*Two new Job Abilities are being added: Yonin and Innin.
*Mijin Gakure will now not cause weakness after being raised. Ninja's that use Mijin Gakure will be at 50% health after being raised.

Campaign

→ Beaucedine Glacier (S) and Xarcabard (S) are available for Campaign conflicts.
→ Two new Campaign medals will be available.
→ New equipment - including Campaign body pieces - will become available via purchase with Allied Notes with requisite Campaign medal.
→ "Union" system introduced.
*The Union system is an open, campaign-based battle system.
*Success under the Union system will yield rewards including Dynamis currency, synthesis materials, and spoils of the Beastman Confederate. Treasure will be distributed via caskets after each battle.
*Participation is required, and rewards will only be awards based on a minimum level of participation.

Moblin Maze Mongers

→ A new Maze Voucher and Goblin companion added.
*Goblin companions will be able to level up and specialize similar to NPCs.
*Goblins initial start as the "All-Rounder" then other job options include "Walloper" melee, "Barrager" ranged attacker and "Spellslinger" mage.
*Each Goblin job will have unique special abilities.
*Maze Runes that enhance your Goblin companion added.
→ New augmented gear unique to MMM added.

Site Coverage

*POL News: A Warm Day in Xarcabard.
*Morning in Vana'diel: Questing Missions and Missing Quests.
*POL News: On the Campaign Trail.
*POL News: Wings takes flight.
*POL News: Moblins Take Up Heart Surgery
*POL News: Ninja Booty!

Square Enix POL Announcements

*Campaign Gets Reinforcements!
*Winds of the Goddess Missions!
*Moblin Maze Mongers Delve Deeper Into Your Heart!
*Job Adjustments and Additions Part I

<a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/4578/4578.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/4578/4578.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 415px; height: 100px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">July 2009 Update</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> is just around the corner so we have put together this guide to all the information we have about the coming update, including information about missions, job changes, events, equipment and even the Moogle Kupo d'Etat scenario! Stay tuned for any new information!</span><br /><br />The July 2009 Update for FFXI is looking to be a decently balanced update with additional zones that we have been promised for a while. The much anticipated Campaign body pieces will become available after getting the new Campaign ranks. The two new zones - Beaucidine and Xarcabard - look to be very Campaign oriented and if the development team fulfills their promise, they will be oriented to high-level players. The "Union" system is being introduced to Campaign and the rewards look to be potentially pretty damn sweet. New Wings missions are being added, but it doesn't look to be too many. Moblin Maze Mongers is getting an NPC-style addition. Finally, there are currently unannounced Job Adjustments.<br /><br />Our complete and comprehensive coverage of the July Update is listed after the break! <br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><u>Update Information</u><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wings of the Goddess Missions</span><br /><br />→ Two new missions added.<br />*"A Traitor in Our Midst!" and "The World Will Choose..." both listed as titles in the update notes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Areas</span><br /><br />→ Beaucedine Glacier (S) and Xarcabard (S) will be opened. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Job Adjustments</span><br /><br />→ Ninja<br />*Two new Job Abilities are being added: Yonin and Innin.<br />*Mijin Gakure will now not cause weakness after being raised. Ninja's that use Mijin Gakure will be at 50% health after being raised. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Campaign</span><br /><br />→ Beaucedine Glacier (S) and Xarcabard (S) are available for Campaign conflicts.<br />→ Two new Campaign medals will be available.<br />→ New equipment - including Campaign body pieces - will become available via purchase with Allied Notes with requisite Campaign medal.<br />→ "Union" system introduced.<br />*The Union system is an open, campaign-based battle system.<br />*Success under the Union system will yield rewards including Dynamis currency, synthesis materials, and spoils of the Beastman Confederate. Treasure will be distributed via caskets after each battle.<br />*Participation is required, and rewards will only be awards based on a minimum level of participation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Moblin Maze Mongers</span><br /><br />→ A new Maze Voucher and Goblin companion added.<br />*Goblin companions will be able to level up and specialize similar to NPCs.<br />*Goblins initial start as the "All-Rounder" then other job options include "Walloper" melee, "Barrager" ranged attacker and "Spellslinger" mage.<br />*Each Goblin job will have unique special abilities.<br />*Maze Runes that enhance your Goblin companion added.<br />→ New augmented gear unique to MMM added.<br /><br /><u>Site Coverage</u><br /><br />*<a href="http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/06/pol-news-warm-day-in-xarcabard.html">POL News: A Warm Day in Xarcabard.</a><br />*<a href="http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/06/morning-in-vanadiel-questing-missions.html">Morning in Vana'diel: Questing Missions and Missing Quests.</a><br />*<a href="http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/06/pol-news-on-campaign-trail.html">POL News: On the Campaign Trail.</a><br />*<a href="http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/06/pol-news-wings-takes-flight.html">POL News: Wings takes flight.</a><br />*<a href="http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/06/pol-news-moblins-take-up-heart-surgery.html">POL News: Moblins Take Up Heart Surgery</a><br />*<a href="http://ringthree.blogspot.com/2009/07/pol-news-ninja-booty.html">POL News: Ninja Booty!</a><br /><br /><u>Square Enix POL Announcements</u><br /><br />*<a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/4593/detail.html">Campaign Gets Reinforcements!</a><br />*<a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/4636/detail.html">Winds of the Goddess Missions!</a><br />*<a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/4646/detail.html">Moblin Maze Mongers Delve Deeper Into Your Heart!</a></span><br />*<a href="http://www.playonline.com/pcd/topics/ff11us/detail/4666/detail.html">Job Adjustments and Additions Part I</a>