[capncrackfiend]

The development team is currently working on the version update scheduled to take place in the last week of April. The first event for Conflict, called "Ballista" (as detailed in previous development news), is in the final stages of adjustment.

We would like to take this opportunity to inform our users that Ballista will be introduced in this update as a simple event and not as part of the Conquest.

There will be several stand-alone events held before Ballista becomes a permanent fixture, so participation will initially be limited.

We hope to continue to improve Ballista even after it has been permanently implemented, based upon the opinions of participants, the performance of the rules in actual play, and the influence of Ballista on the world of Vana'Diel.

Many other additions and changes, including the introduction of new Dynamis areas, are planned for this update.

The next version update will include the following changes:

[Event-related]
- The first event for Conflict, "Ballista", will be implemented
- New quests and battles designed for alliances will be added.
- New quests will be available in each nation.
- Guild quests that call for the manufacture of certain items will be implemented.
- Characters will be able to participate in a strategy called "Garrison" that will be available at several outposts.

[Battle-related]
- New Dynamis field areas will become accessible.
- Several new types of battlefields ranging from low- to mid-level will be added.
- An issue concerning the accumulation of TP with weapon skills that consist of multiple strikes (i.e. Combo, Penta Thrust, etc...) will be corrected.
- A new job trait called "Subtle Blow" will become available to ninja and monks.
- An ability that allows dragoons to restore their wyvern's HP will be added. Also, if a wyvern at full hit points is sent away using the "Dismiss" command, the "Cal Wyvern" ability will be available for use immediately.

[Item-related]
- The mysterious "Strange Apparatus" will become operational.
- A new type of flowerpot will become available.
- Players will be able to insert their names in the help text of certain items they synthesize.
- New guild-related furniture and equipment will be added.
- The number of items obtained from beastmen treasure caskets will be increased.
- New synthesis and desynthesis will become available.
- New items will be available for purchase at several of the guild shops.
- Various other new items will be added.

[System-related]
- A new emote for giving a triumphant yell will be added.
- A sort function will become available in the Storage menu.
- A character's footsteps will no longer be heard when using Sneak.
- The name of a pet's master will be displayed when a pet is targetted.
- The limit for the /wait macro will be extended to 60 seconds.
- An ON/OFF setting for "Battle Effects" will be added to the Config menu.
- It will be possible to place single items on auction directly from a stack of items.

Several other changes will be announced at the time of the update.

[PlayingForFun]

awesome for monks, massive nerfage for ninja

[Onorgul]

Um... we don't know what Subtle Blow is yet, though. Right? So how is it a nerf?

[PlayingForFun]

the concensus as it stands is, its an -enmity passive trait that we can't turn off

[Shadowhawk]

Damn i wanna know wot lvl it is........better get lvlin my mnk just in case lol

Only lvl fukin 12 ><

[ZeroBlade]

Maybe they are trying to limit the ninjas tanking ablitiy because thats not what square had in mind? I have no idea but it that is the case they should give em a lil bit more damage capibilty.

[Koul]

ZeroBlade :
Maybe they are trying to limit the ninjas tanking ablitiy because thats not what square had in mind? I have no idea but it that is the case they should give em a lil bit more damage capibilty.

ya i agree with what you said i think squaresoft didnt think that people would be able to do good tanking with the nin and utsusemi and all...

[Lord Acton]

bastard SE trying to limit an already limited game

but i guess thats what it is, because NIN are normally dmg dealers.

[monkey man]

subtle blow who cares, theres a new emeote coming out!!!!! yahooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

[Onorgul]

They need to animate the emotes that are already there before they go adding new ones. >_< Talk about leaving the dinner pot to boil over while you start cooking breakfast.

[b00sdr1v0rz]

umm it seems to me that this subtle blow lowering enmity is just a rumor somone made up. square hasnt said anything at all. just wait till the fucking patch gets applied and take a look at your job traits.

[Mistasia]

It is also suggested that it goes hand in hand with your Monk AF in reducing TP gained by a mob per strike... makes sense considering the only two things our two jobs have in common are that we both hit with two weapons (in your case two hands) and we both hit way faster than anyone else does.

[Onorgul]

Those of us who think before speaking know that, b00s. I love watching some of these people read only the rumors and act as though it's mandate.

"I read it on the Intraweb so it must be true!"

[Destrac]

Even though no one knows that it does, it doesnt stop us wishing it would be something cool I was reading elsewhere and someone said that as a non-english speaker, he looked up the word subtle in a dictionary and it included the derivative "skillful".....now that got me thinking, If i had my greatest wish added on to monk or ninja...especially for low levels, it would be a defense ignoring attack, or such, that would make the levels of crab, beetle fighting less of a nightmare for the blunt fighters...now if subtle could be skillful and wishes were fishes!!! /em fades off into daydream.

[Nohmaan]

b00sdr1v0rz :
umm it seems to me that this subtle blow lowering enmity is just a rumor somone made up. square hasnt said anything at all. just wait till the fucking patch gets applied and take a look at your job traits.

hey i agree with you on something

[Barook]

Monks, especially in the high end game, hit a lot. This is to address the amount of TP that is generated from all those hits. It won't effect hate because that would make monks a little too uber while totally destroying ninjas.

[Grale]

Here's another thought, referencing to subtle = skillful.

What if it's a passive ability that increases the chance of Nins and Mnks inflicting a critical hit with individual strikes? THAT seems a little more in-par with the general vision of martial art combatants, I'd think. I mean, it's all speculation... but that's just my thought on the matter.

[LadyPeorth]

You can view my opinion of Subtle Blow in the Ninja Forum. I frankly hope it makes the 2nd hit (assuming the 1st lands) give more TP. This would make dual weilding become a lot more useful over all