[Corrderio]

Ladies and gentlemen! Coming to you in a version update scheduled for as early as late November is "Synergy"—the new in-game system that will add a whole new dimension to synthesis!

Gather around to learn the details.

[Corrderio]

Ladies and gentlemen! Coming to you in a version update scheduled for as early as late November is "Synergy"—the new in-game system that will add a whole new dimension to synthesis!

What Is Synergy?
Synergy is an advanced form of synthesis wherein up to six players, each with unique skills, cooperate to create a single item via an apparatus called the "synergy furnace."

There are numerous differences to be noted between synergy and traditional single-player synthesis, one of them being the maintenance of elemental balance within the abovementioned synergy furnace. Synergists-to-be, take heed! Being a new field of science with numerous theories yet unverified, synergy is not a risk-free undertaking, and practitioners are advised to steel themselves for the occasional mishap.

Communal synergy furnaces will be made available in certain cities, and "synergy engineers"—your guides into the fascinating world of synergy—will be posted beside them to teach beginners the ropes. Furthermore, by completing a new quest, players will gain access to a handy new item that will allow them to summon their very own private furnace for use in field areas, eliminating the need to wait in line to use a public one.

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Synergy Skill
Synergy skill determines your ability to safely handle synergy furnaces, and can be raised by applying synergy techniques used to manipulate elemental concentration levels inside the furnace. Proficiency in these techniques, too, can be raised to a degree corresponding to your synergy skill level. We recommend all players prioritize improving their skill, because when it comes to synergy, experience is synonymous with safety.

Certain synergy recipes demand expertise in specific synthesis disciplines, but synergy will be possible so long as a participating party member possesses the requisite skill in question. No single character needs to have all skill sets, and the supplier of ingredients is not required to possess any whatsoever. Each participant in synergy plays an equally significant role in the process.

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Synergizing via a Communal Furnace
1) Obtain the "synergy crucible" key item.
The synergy crucible serves as the receptacle for different varieties of elemental "fewell," the source of power for furnaces. Characters need only acquire the crucible once by completing a new quest.

2) Prepare ingredients for the recipe.
Recipes corresponding to a character's synergy skill level can be learned by talking to a synergy engineer.

3) Recruit party members.
Synergy is a joint activity that requires the cooperation of other players. The party leader should seek fellow synergists with the right skills needed for a particular recipe and invite them to join a party.

4) Fill up on fewell.
Synergy engineers can inform you regarding your crucible's current supply of fewell and, if required, also provide you with a top-up in exchange for gil. Alternatively, it is also possible to directly replenish the crucible using either crystals or the new synthesizable item version of fewell (alchemy skill required).

5) Claim usage over a synergy furnace.
To use a communal synergy furnace, you must first lay claim by examining it. At this point, you will be allocated a period of time to deposit the ingredients and commence the synergy process. When this has been done, your group will have exclusive access to the furnace until the synergy process is complete.
*Private synergy furnaces summoned using the aforementioned item can be used only by you and your party members.

6) Deposit the ingredients.
Only the claim-holding character may deposit ingredients into the furnace. Similarly, at the conclusion of synergy, the resultant product will be obtainable only by that character.

7) Operate the furnace.
Now comes the most invigorating and rewarding part of the process: the operation of the synergy furnace itself. Throughout the course of synergy, players must keep a close eye on the balance of elemental concentration, internal pressure, the build-up of impurities, and furnace durability. Seamless teamwork and timely application of synergy techniques is the key to success.

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Potential Complications
In the hands of the untrained, synergy may prove to be a painful exercise. For instance, if left unchecked, the swelling of elemental forces and the accumulation of impurities inside the furnace are surefire recipes for explosions and leakages. Synergy participants should not be surprised if the furnace literally detonates in their faces. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and the best way to prevent is to improve your synergy prowess.

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Success!
The successfully synergized product will be entrusted to the supplier of ingredients, while all participants will be awarded with "cinders," a synergy by-product. Cinders act as points that can be accumulated and traded to synergy engineers in exchange for items that will aid you in your synergistic endeavors.

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The Joys of Synergy
Synergy will play a central role in the recently announced Evolith system by allowing players to add and remove slots on, as well as attach evolith to weapons and armor. There will also be a host of new items that can be had exclusively through synergy.



Prepare yourself for a synthesis revolution when the Synergy system arrives!

[Alkar]

This sounds horrible... wtf SE. Honestly I think I'm not gonna bother unless skill ups require MUCH LESS work than normal crafts. What a stupid idea.... party crafting.

[Corrderio]

I have to agree with you, there's so many things that could go wrong it's not even funny.

[deac65]

New Avatar: Synergy Furnace

[Amentis]

This is going to be deliciously tragic to watch.

[PaladinAlik]

I know its wishful thinking but even if they only added one synergy slot to af and relic I'd be a happy camper.

[pathwriter]

And just like that, all my interest in this new system is gone. Crafting failure and the incessant need to party have been two of the worst things about FFXI. Adding that we need to level skill, which is a joyless and grinding task, and that's pretty much it.

[Velhart]

Wow, this is like your dad buys you that toy train you wanted so much for christmas, then 2 minutes after, he makes you watch him break it into little pieces with a sledge hammer.

The idea, awesome, the process, sucks.

[Corrderio]

After looking at all the update notes... I think ASA is going to be my highlight sadly, with the Ranged attack messages comming in at a close 2nd.

I know SE likes being unique with stuff but seriously... a slot system shouldn't be this annoying/complex in any way.

[cidbahamut]

Multiplayer crafting?

Yeah, that'll end well.

[.Sotek.]

Quote

Multiplayer crafting?

Yeah, that'll end well.

For you, no.
For the crafters who can get you to spend 10M to put whatever stat you want on your weapon, yes.

I welcome my new source of income.

[pathwriter]

Yeah, that's what people said about the augment system and it hasn't worked out. Let's leave the mindless optimism at the door and remember that SE hasn't done this shit right once.

[Corrderio]

pathwriter, on 05 November 2009 - 09:05 AM, said:

Yeah, that's what people said about the augment system and it hasn't worked out. Let's leave the mindless optimism at the door and remember that SE hasn't done this shit right once.

I think the only thing SE has done that went past my expectations was the STF

[Velhart]

I was really thinking about getting back on till I saw what you have to do for this. But that is FFXI for you, take a perfectly good idea, and add a horrible gimmick to it. Its like a current gen Sonic game.

With the process you have to go through, the add ons better be worth it.

[.Sotek.]

Mindless optimism? It's a system that gives you the potential to put decent stats on your weapons. Just becasue more than one crafter may be needed and you can't solo it you're all BAWWWWWWing.
QQ they got it wrong once before. Sometimes I wonder what Fey Weapones even were

[Silvra]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

SE> Hey *poke* we got an update about Synergy!
Silvra> Um k, whats the big update?
SE> Well its group based crafting that requires multiple skills, skillups, items, gil, possible losses, and dependence on competent players to make a successful synth.
Silvra>...
SE> We know the spoils of synthing will be worth your trouble!
Silvra> fuck this im going back to sleep.


These "augments" better be dam good for me to risk materials and gil on a failure. Heaven forbid this process make you loose a piece of gear(like the cursed synths can). Group crafting....interesting idea but at this point in the game's lifespan we need something more pivotal than this. Group crafting will not keep people playing SE. Updating gear and game mechanics for the jobs and battle system will(you guys dont really have a problem with content other than exp/gil based quests) Oh and also fix this timed/gil cost for limbus and dynamis a stuff, I hate waiting 3-5 days to do an event.

[Phlow]

I'm glad so many people are put off by it. I actually like it, seems kinda fun and isn't an instant "GIMME STATS" handout that everyone was seemingly expecting. That just means shit won't be so crowded when the new content comes out.

[_Vivik_]

The theory is good, in practice i just do not see this working as well. People are tired or being dependent on others, reason why Camp is so popular. I'm speculating but if you need 3 skill 100 craftsmen and excessive amount of gil to make 1synthesis, it starts to sound like more trouble then it's worth. When you solo synth u got no one to blame but your self if you brake, here if you brake and am sure people will you be dividing people even more so. If people become little winy girls when you do something as small as leave a LS, imagine if an attempt leaves 3-6 people with -500k to more then 2mile each..

[Azarall]

Players complained too much about the augment system, probably. So instead of scrapping it and admitting RANDOM augments is a horrid idea and just I dunno... making the Elite Manual NMs harder instead...

You know. Having a belt that has +3 MP and getting a random augment that gives it -3 MP. Stupid crap like that.

Now you get to spend more money, more time, and lose more sleep over crafting synergy so you can manually augment those pieces of gear.

I can't wait to see the retard with "AXE WEAPON SKILL DAMAGE +5" Augmented onto his sword.