[mortama]

The December version update, with more new content and adjustments than you can wave a stick at, is now ready for download! The following and much, much more awaits you!
- New missions for the Wings of the Goddess expansion.
- The new in-game system, "Fields of Valor."
-The addition of the Group 2 merit point category for dancers and scholars.
- More rewarding adventuring with Treasure Caskets.
- Additions and adjustments to Campaign.
- Further tweaks to the Level Sync system.

[mortama]

≪Dec. 9, 2008 (JST) Update Details≫
*Japan Standard Time

Event-related

• New missions have been added for the Wings of the Goddess expansion.
  
  
  
• New quests have been added.
  
  
• Introduction of "Fields of Valor."
  "Fields of Valor" is a new system in which players can take on voluntary training regimes to slay a number of specified enemies
  in an assigned period of time. One training regime may be undertaken per Vana'dielian day.
  If successful, players will receive experience points, gil, and Fields of Valor points redeemable for other benefits.
  *Monsters must yield experience in order to constitute confirmed kills.
  
  
  Players can undertake training regimes by examining the "Field Manual" in any of the areas listed below, then selecting "Individual Training" and choosing their desired objective from the subsequent menu.
  
  West Ronfaure / Valkurm Dunes / Jugner Forest / North Gustaberg / Pashhow Marshlands /
  Beaucedine Glacier / Xarcabard / West Sarutabaruta / Buburimu Peninsula / Meriphataud Mountains / Qufim Island
  
  
• On rare occasions, defeating enemies in the following areas will yield a Treasure Casket:
  West Ronfaure / East Ronfaure / La Theine Plateau / Valkurm Dunes / Jugner Forest / Batallia Downs / North
  Gustaberg / South Gustaberg / Konschtat Highlands / Pashhow Marshlands / Rolanberry Fields / Xarcabard /
  Beaucedine Glacier / West Sarutabaruta / East Sarutabaruta / Tahrongi Canyon / Buburimu Peninsula /
  Meriphataud Mountains / Sauromugue Champaign / Qufim Island / Behemoth's Dominion
  
  There are two varieties of Treasure Caskets, locked and unlocked. Unlocked caskets will contain temporary
  items that can only be used in the area in which they were acquired, while locked caskets will contain non-temporary items and equipment.
  
  
  
• Players can now warp to Aht Urhgan Whitegate from Jeuno by talking to the Salaheem's Sentinels representative deployed there.
  *In order to use this service, you must be a mercenary of Salaheem's Sentinels
  and have completed the quest offered by the NPC in question.
  
  
• The locations of outpost warp NPCs in San d'Oria, Windurst, and Bastok have been changed as follows:
  Northern San d'Oria (D-9) -> Northern San d'Oria (K-9)
  Bastok Metalworks (F-8) -> Bastok Mines (K-8)
  Port Windurst (D-5) -> Port Windurst (L-4)
  
  
• The respawn time for Treasure Coffers and Treasure Chests has been shortened, and the chances of obtaining artifacts, maps, and key items from them have been increased.
  Furthermore, after obtaining items or gil from a coffer or chest, players will temporarily
  become unable to receive items or gil from other coffers or chests.
  
  
• Passageways in the following areas will now open and close automatically for players mounted on chocobos:
  Jugner Forest [S] / Batallia Downs [S] / Rolanberry Fields [S] / Fort Karugo-Narugo [S] / Sauromugue Champaign [S]
  
  In Fort Karugo-Narugo, the target names of the affected doors have been changed as follows:
  Granite Gate -> Cavalry Gate
  Painted Wooden Door -> Cavalry Door
  
  In Jugner Forest, passing through portals of the following variety now requires a key item:
  Wooden Gate
  
  Furthermore, with the above changes, certain doors that prior to this version update had been
  constantly open will now remain closed until activated.

Battle-related

• The following additions and alterations have been made to Campaign:
  
  * New Campaign Ops have been added.
  * NPCs have been added which will distribute temporary items to players when participating in a Campaign battle in an area under the control of the Beastman Confederate.
  The characteristics of these distribution NPCs are as follows:
  - Upon the depletion of their stock, NPCs will temporarily return to headquarters in order to replenish their stores.
  - NPCs will take defensive action against aggressors, but during that time will be unable to dispense items. Should they become incapacitated in the course of battle, a replacement will be dispatched after a certain amount of time has elapsed.
  - Item availability and quantity is directly influenced by each nation's skill and production levels.
  
  * In Campaign battles, the strategic resource capacity of a stronghold will now decrease depending on the presence of destructive entities such as besieging enemy Siege Turrets.
  
  * At the time of a Campaign tally, should influence over an area change hands from the Beastman Confederate to the Allied Forces of Altana, or vice versa, the stronghold fortifications and resources will now be replenished to half. However, no such replenishment will take place in the case of headquarters trading hands.
  
  
• The time delay before starting up Besieged after completion of server maintenance has been increased.
  
  
• Members of a Level Sync party will no longer lose beneficial status effects such as Protect should the synchronization designee level up. Accumulated TP, and the effect of the Charm ability on monsters, will also no longer be lost.
  
  
• The following equipment attributes have been added to the list of those which will remain in effect, and be adjusted accordingly, during Level Sync:
  Evasion / Enmity / Healing HP / Healing MP
  
  
• While under the effect of Level Sync or any other form of level restriction, attack delays for crossbows can no longer be faster than 216.
  
  
• The Reraise effect granted by certain spells and items will no longer be removed by magic and abilities such as Dispel and Voidsong.
  
  
• While the query selection boxes associated with the white magic spell Raise and the black magic spell Tractor are being displayed, the same spells will no longer be able to be cast on that player.
  
  
• When the experience points gained by a dragoon result in their wyvern receiving a status boost, the wyvern's HP will now be fully restored.
  
  
• The following Group 2 merit point abilities have been added for the dancer and scholar jobs.
  
  Dancer
  * Saber Dance
  * Fan Dance
  * No Foot Rise
  * Closed Position
  
  
  Scholar
  * Altruism
  * Focalization
  * Tranquility
  * Equanimity
  * Enlightenment
  * Stormsurge

Item-related

• The enchantments on the following items can now be recharged in Al Zahbi, Aht Urhgan Whitegate, Nashmau, Southern San d'Oria [S], Bastok Markets [S], and Windurst Waters [S]:
  Chariot Band / Empress Band / Emperor Band
  
  The fee for recharging these items will be consistent regardless of whether payment is required
  in Conquest points, Allied Notes, or Imperial Standing points.
  
  
  
• The tax levied on bazaar purchases has been abolished in the following areas:
  Ru'Lude Gardens / Upper Jeuno / Lower Jeuno / Port Jeuno
  
  
• Many new pieces of equipment have been added.
  
  
• Several new pieces of furniture have been added.
  
  
  
• Several new synthesis recipes have been added.
  
  
• The elemental strength of the following piece of furniture has been reduced:
  Miniature Airship
  
  
• Chocobo Whistles will now be usable during Level Sync given that the player meets thelevel requirement after synchronization has taken effect.
  
  
• The artifact and relic armor sets for the dancer and scholar jobs can now be enhanced by the NPC Sagheera, found in Port Jeuno.
  
  
  
• Dancer and scholar-specific items have been added to the treasures obtainable in the Dynamis and Limbus areas.
  
  
• The fees incurred for storing all item sets and furnishings have been halved.
  
  
• The following items and furnishings will now be storable by speaking to specific NPCs:
  Aldebaran Horn / Tidal Talisman / Eerie Cloak / Eerie Cloak +1 / Town Moogle Shield / Nomad Moogle Shield
  
  
• The equipment storage NPC will now accept the following equipment sets:
  Etoile Attire / Argute Attire / Argent Attire
  
  
• The sale prices for the following items have been changed:
  Black Ink / Bugard Skin / H. Q. Bugard Skin / Orc Piercer / Yagudo Freezer / Shellbuster / Leech Saliva / Bird Blood / Beast Blood
  
  
• The following item has been relocated to the "Materials: Alchemy" category of the Auction House:
  Dyer's Woad

System-related

• The following entries have been added to the auto-translate dictionary:
  Category Term
  Job Ability Saber Dance
  Job Ability Fan Dance
  Job Ability No Foot Rise
  Job Ability Closed Position
  Job Ability Focalization
  Job Ability Tranquility
  Job Ability Equanimity
  Job Ability Enlightenment
  Job Traits Closed Position
  Job Traits Stormsurge
  Game Terms 2 Maze
  Game Terms 2 Maze Monger
  Game Terms 2 Moblin Marbles
  Game Terms 2 Magna Cache
  
  
• The amount of fishing fatigue incurred has been increased for characters below level 20, and for characters for whom less than two weeks have elapsed since their first login. In addition, the quest-related items, "Ripped Cap," and "Fat Greedie," will be easier to catch for players meeting certain conditions.
  
  
• Macros to target party members (<stpt>), and alliance members (<stal>), have been added.
  With these macros, it is possible to target any party or alliance member, including those not currently on screen. When used, a target icon will appear in the window displaying that party member's status. The icon will not appear when the macro is used to target characters on screen.
  
  
  
• The Campaign Ops-issuing NPCs found in the following areas will now reappear 15 minutes after completion of server maintenance:
  Southern San d'Oria [S] / Bastok Markets [S] / Windurst Waters [S]

Resolved Issues

• The following terms have been restored to the auto-translate dictionary:
  Weapon Skill / Detonator
  
  
• The potency of the dragoon's wyvern ability Healing Breath will now be adjusted accordingly when level restriction has taken effect.

Known Issues

• In Fields of Valor, canceling a training regime by way of a job change will result in players having to wait one Vana'dielian day before being able to undertake another.
  *This issue can be bypassed by canceling your current training regime through the Field Manual.
  
  
• Players who attempt to trade with another who is already doing so will be shown an unnatural system message.
  
  
• The rare item icon is not displayed for the Hero's Combat battlefield entry item, "Cordial Invite."
  *Only one of these items can be in the possession of a player at any given time.
  
  
• When talking to a map marker NPC, the marked locations for outpost warp NPCs do not reflect their new positions.

English Version Only

• The name of the following item as it appears in player inventory has been changed:
  Acantha Shaver -> Acantha Shavers
  
  
• In the help text for the scholar's new Group 2 merit point ability "Enlightenment," the reduction in recast time is incorrectly displayed as 1 minute 30 seconds. The correct figure is 1 minute 15 seconds.

The introduction of the new "Moblin Maze Mongers" system originally scheduled for this version update has been delayed due to extension of the QA period. The specific release schedule will be announced on Topics as soon as it is decided.

Original POL page can be found here.

[neurotic]

Is it bad that the best aspect of the update for me was the movement of outpost NPCs?

[spira]

thanks mort...
the formatting was killing me

[mortama]

Noooooooo moblin maze

[siscothekid]

"The introduction of the new "Moblin Maze Mongers" system originally scheduled for this version update has been delayed due to extension of the QA period. The specific release schedule will be announced on Topics as soon as it is decided"

i knew they would fail at something like always and fields of valor kind of fails also i mean sounds like you either gonna have to be new or start a new job to enjoy it.

[spira]

for me it was the non-dispellable RR

[Cellsplitter]

SCH/DNC AF/Relic+1 finaly confirmed

[Hyanmensire]

Yeahh DNC meritsss and OP warpsss and Reraiseee and FoVVV... It could be better, but the worst thing imo is listening to the even louder complaining of 75's this time.. oh lord have mercy

[mortama]

so umm does the non-english version get Moblin Maze? since it said english only lol.

[Cellsplitter]

so umm does the non-english version get Moblin Maze? since it said english only lol.

No MMM at all for anyone this update. The notice is separated by "....."'s.

[Dyire]

finished the last bit of formatting~

Kinda disappointed that the Moblin thing isn't in yet, but not surprised.

[mortama]

Thanks Dyire


Oh and im downloading update now and MV/AV will follow after

[Symbios]

The sale prices for the following items have been changed:Leech Saliva

Ah, wonderful. One of my major ways of farming. It wasn't even that fast, it was like maybe 20-30k an hour at best.

[MidnightDragon]

Ah, wonderful. One of my major ways of farming. It wasn't even that fast, it was like maybe 20-30k an hour at best.

I myself farmed the Shellbuster/ Orc Piercer/ Yagudo Freezer combo myself, it was slow with /THF maybe 20-30K and if lucky 50K. I dont think SE really reduced the time it took for respawn of coffers they just removed the competition cause no one will go there.

[Aleera]

"The introduction of the new "Moblin Maze Mongers" system originally scheduled for this version update has been delayed due to extension of the QA period. The specific release schedule will be announced on Topics as soon as it is decided"

i knew they would fail at something like always and fields of valor kind of fails also i mean sounds like you either gonna have to be new or start a new job to enjoy it.

They said they were adding content specifically for low/new players a while ago... And this was it.


Overall this patch seems kind of.... small. And I'm kind of pissed I had to wait forever for BLU AFv2 and SCH/DNC got theirs barely over a year the jobs were out. >.> At least they fixed level sync, that's all I care about. lol Losing TP/buffs each level up is annoying. Also, the RR not being dispelled, raise not being casted on people with raise, and targeting pt/alli members off screen sounds pretty nice for stuff like dynamis and campaign. And Fields of Valor will help me level my BST faster, too, hopefully. >.> lol

[Rinyan]

I just read an interview on 1up.com 1up.com interview Talk in there about an event called Swarm, anybody ever hear any information on this?

[Symbios]

I'm not really annoyed very much about the adjustments on the NPC prices- it just makes me ask "why"? It really wasn't something easily exploitable, and the amount of money you get from it is pretty limited. As far as leech saliva goes, Leeches don't drop keys, so it's not going to get in the way of any chest or coffer hunters, either.

I'll find other things to farm, of course, just makes me wonder why they would choose now, of all times, to tweak something like this.

[Cyrius]

GJ SE way to f*ck my farming over, just because they can't control RMT, they f*ck it up for the legit players at the same time.

[Prothescar]

any info on the new item stats?