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New Column, Story Update Print News | Mail News We've got two new goodies today. The first is a brand new column created by Thumblister, called From San d'Orian Moghouse #132. The first article is called Jobism?. Here's a snippet:
Ah, jobism, one of the many things that just blows my mind in the world of Vana�Diel. Simply put, people are discriminated by what job they are. Now I�m not saying this is a completely bad idea, of course.
The other update for today is the next chapter in the series The Vana'diel Tragedy. This one's entitled Lu Shang And the King of Thieves. Here's a preview:
Nice day it was. Shinato opened his eyes slowly, staring at the ceiling of peeling white paint. On his shoddily built bed with broken springs and worn out sheets, Shinato awoke. He gave a loud yawn and pulled his body up, in a sitting position. The Hume�s black hair was wild and unshaped. His stomach rumbled. Of course the organ would not get what it wanted: Shinato was a little too poor for breakfast. �By the Goddess, why is it so damn hot in fall?� he mumbled to himself. Nice, hot day it was.
Today in the fanart section we have new work from Tirid, Mike E, Thoris, Mildred, Hanico, Jennifer, and Kimura. Then in the comic section we have 1 comic from Ramsey, and 3 from Diane. Nice work everyone!
Official Post-Event Wrap Up and Q&A; Transcript [Post A Comment] - Print News | Mail News The official site has posted their own write up of the event as well as a full transcript of all questions and answers asked by us and the live audience questions. You can check out their write up right here where they have a bunch of photos posted up as well. The transcript of the Q&A; panel can be found right here.
Story Overload Print News | Mail News *get buried under a mountain of e-mails* Wow, people have really been hitting the pad and paper as of late. It's going to take some time to sift through all of this, so for now stories may take a bit to get up here. But rest assured, they'll get up. For today we have the next piece of Alban's lastest chapter, A Game of Wits. Here's a snippet:
�I don�t get it...� Cecilio started to say. �There shouldn�t be any left unless he rebuilt them...� Gunther growled, having enough of just standing around. He jumped up and in the air and came roaring down with his hammer. The Warhammer bashed down onto a Doll�s head, in which the spherical object shattered. Gunther had a triumphant smile on his face.
And also, after a long leave of absence, Zura has come back with the next chapter in his series, Here, Waiting For You. This latest chapter is entitled Part Four-Dark Hearts. Here's a preview:
The front of the temple was unguarded, the lichen covered walls leading down a stairwell into a hallway. The heat was fading, the cool walls seeming to trap the dank moisture in the air. The red mage began whispering a spell, reaching out and touching the dark knight on the shoulder as he gripped the foreigner's hand. To Cloud�s surprise, Nightcrawler vanished into thin air but the grip remained.
At the following time, we performed a FINAL FANTASY XI version update.
[Date & Time]
Mar. 2, 2005 from 8:00 to 13:00 (PST)
[Affected Services]
FINAL FANTASY XI
[Important Update Details]
The following issues have been addressed:
-Synthesis and fishing effects being displayed even with the "Others' synthesis and fishing results" filter set to ON.
-The inability to enter the battlefield "Royal Jelly."
*The battlefield "Royal Jelly" was temporarily closed but can now be entered as usual.
-Players being unable to obtain experience points when the armory crate was opened in an ENM battlefield.
-The effect of "Doom" not wearing off if the number of players leaving the battlefield "Brothers" is different from the number that entered it.
-The inability to act until the battle timer expires when players in the battlefield "Test Your Mite" are in the middle layer at the end of the battle.
-The behavior of certain monsters in Al'Taieu.
-Inaccurate log window messages regarding certain monster abilities.
-The statistics of the Lu Shang's fishing rod.
-Sleep status being removed, and an inability to heal at night when wearing the Vampire Cloak.
-Dhalmel mantles +1 not being received for Tanners' Guild contracts.
-Shadow images created by the ninjutsu "Utsusemi" not being correctly erased by certain abilities.
-Search and auction house functions failing to download information.
-Monsters and other players not being displayed in the correct location.
-After being KO'd during Ballista and recovering on the spot, TP will now be limited to a maximum of 50%.
-The waiting period for recovering on the spot has been returned to the previous intervals.
20 seconds -> 30 seconds
30 seconds -> 45 seconds
40 seconds -> 60 seconds
50 seconds -> 75 seconds
60 seconds -> 90 seconds
-The Ballista Point Ranking system has been implemented.
See the official PlayOnline "About Ballista Changes and Additions" news item for more details.
Like the news title says, 20 new art pieces today! and 1 comic!
In the fanart section we have new artwork from some new faces and some returns from days past. They are Valentine, Bryce, Zephyr, DejahThoris, Codecat, Deima, Artemisio, Stacy, Cloud Stryfe, Celani, Nancy, Aenkelle, Blademoor, Mike E. , Kagomea, and Rhyiel. For our one comic we have a submission from Aenkelle. Nice work everyone!
The Doll Festival [Post A Comment] - Print News | Mail News It seems it's time for a new ingame event! Here's what was posted on the official site.
From:FINAL FANTASY XI
Feb. 28, 2005 19:06 [PST]
The Doll Festival (Feb. 28)
Master, have you ever heard of the Doll Festival, kupo?
The Doll Festival is a Far Eastern celebration where people pray for the health and happiness of girls. During this time, girls are given rice treats to eat, and have a special place to decorate with dolls, kupo.
A festival that provides such a fun opportunity for laughing and playing sounds like a great idea, don't you think, kupo?
You know, since a lot of the lady adventurers out there grew up in the aftermath of the Crystal War, I bet they didn't get a chance to enjoy this festival, kupo...
And that's why the Mog House Management Union has come up with a plan!
We're going to return those lady adventurers to their childhoods, and give them the experience they never had, kupo!
Hm?
You don't think you're up for it? And what about the guy adventurers?
Don't you worry, kupo. Try talking to the moogles in charge of the festival and see what happens!
This time you're in for some real moogle magic, kupo!
[Participating in the Event]
-Form a party of 10 and talk to the moogles around town.
You will receive a present in celebration of the Doll Festival!
-The moogles will only consider players in the same area when counting the number of party members.
-Items can only be received from the moogles once every Vana'diel day.
-Characters that have just been created can only receive items from the moogles after one Vana'diel day has passed.
[Event Areas]
Southern San d'Oria
Northern San d'Oria
Bastok Mines
Bastok Markets
Windurst Waters
Windurst Woods
*This event is scheduled to take place between February 28 at 19:00 and March 13 at 19:00.
Double Dose Of Story Goodness Print News | Mail News Some nice goodies in the story department for today. Starting off is Chapter 10 of Brin's series, Eternal Mysteries. This one's entitled Past Remembrances, Future Embraced. Here's a preview:
�Be careful�..the Dark One has eyes and ears everywhere.�
It was the last thing Zelion said as he cast Invisible and took haste from the holy presence of the cathedral in Upper Jeuno. Brin stood in thought for a bit before finally kneeling at the altar and saying his prayers to Altana.
And finishing up today is the next part in Alacer's series, The Last Tavnasian. His latest chapter is entitled Palborough Mine Part II. Here's a snippet:
The party trekked onwards following Rubin and Keroru�s lead. Through the winding tunnels they met no Quadavs.
�I wonder where they all went.� Greybeard voiced.
�Probably went to rest in the nests. I suppose only a few guards were left on duty.� Alacer said.
New Poll Print News | Mail News Everything is about the event this week, so I figure a new poll asking whether or not you've been to any Square-Enix events in the past seemed appropriate. You can find the poll to the right below the ad as usual.
Event Feedback Wanted Print News | Mail News So the first iGames Tour event is over, the write up and photos are up, and it's a new day. Now we want to hear your take on the event, whether you actually attended the event or past events, read the article, or just have some ideas in general it doesn't matter. We've started to see more and more events in North America this last year, and I as well as well as many others would love to see them continue with bigger and better events. So, if you have any ideas about some new kinds of events, or maybe some twisted contest that involves the slaying of many helpless Taru like the Marathon, or just some comments in general please feel free to post them here.
The folks over at Square-Enix will be reading your comments, so who knows, if you have a good idea we may see it at a future event!
Wow, so busy lately, thank you very much that emailed me to make sure everything is all right with me. Everything is fine. Just a bit busy lately. I came back to my email to find almost 50 submission! with so many I am splitting the postings over two days or so. Half are being posted today, in the order they were received.
21 New images today!
In the fanart section we two new co-op pieces, that were sent in a while back. I had to be sure to get approval from the artists before posting them. Please be sure that you try to get the artists approval before sending in co-op work. Post under their work or send me a note to contact them for you. I'm happy to do so. Anyways, on with the update. The first of the two pieces is Avani's Mithra sketch, colored by C-D. Next is an HNB piece colored by Galat. We also have new work from Avani, Binjovi, Khelekdae, Deima, Yin, Ikari, Artemisio (aka Aretha), Merodi, Knightrunner, and Karla. Then in the comic section we have 4 submissions. From Aenkelle, Shibby, Knightrunner, and diane. Great work everyone!
Vana'diel Tribune II No.04 Edition has been released! Print News | Mail News Vana'diel Tribune II No.04 Edition has been released!
The contents of the No.04 edition are as follows:
-The Mythril Musketeers
-There, Yet Not There
-The Night Before Valentione's Day
-Vana'diel Profiles Marelinne R d'Oraguille -The Sentinel Queen
-The Mog House Next Door #2 The Flawless Layout
-To Each Their Own
The Vana'diel Tribune II can be accessed from the following:
- From Extras in PlayOnline Viewer
- FINAL FANTASY XI Compendium
- From inside your Mog House in FINAL FANTASY XI
Or you can check the new Vana'diel Tribute out right here.
As for the Q&A; session, a full transcript will be posted on the official site in the next few days and when they do I'll be sure to post a link. Enjoy!
From Boy to Legend And Hero of Bastok Update Print News | Mail News There's some good stuff for all of you today. First up, Alban sends us another whopper of a chapter for his series From Boy to Legend. The first part of it, A Game of Wits: Part One, is up and waiting to be read. Here's a snippet:
Cecilio rose to his feet and scratched his becoming large belly. He rubbed his large blue eyes then examined the three ways they had to choose from. South led to the first chamber where this trouble all started. East was a possible way, as was West. The real problem was determining the right way to avoid the horde of Gigas that resided within this tower. The Tarutaru started to go back and forth between the two paths, trying to make the final decision.
The second update for today is none other than the next chapter of Hero of Bastok, entitled The Hunt. I think you're all going to enjoy this one. Here's a preview:
The day began just like any other day for Cait. She awoke to the sun streaming through her window, the sounds of a gentle breeze brushing lightly across her face. She smiled inwardly as she rose out of bed, going to stand in front of the window. She sniffed the air; the smell of smoke was pungent today. It must be a busy day for the blacksmithers. She felt a twinge of heartache at that thought.
Detailed Feb 24th Patch Notes [Post A Comment] - Print News | Mail News Hot off the email, here are the detailed notes on the upcoming patch.
[Event Related]
-The story of the Chains of Promathia continues, opening the way to the new area of Al'Taieu.The new region "Lumoria" has been added.
*This region is not included in the Conquest and will not be displayed in Region Info.
-New quests centered in the Chains of Promathia areas have been added.
-Numerous changes have been made to the Ballista system.
ENM Quests? Print News | Mail News It seems some new Empty Notorious Monsters will be coming soon to a patch near you. Read up on some small details they provided right here.
Changes to Ballista Print News | Mail News There was a small notice posted on the official site regarding some upcoming changes to Ballista. Here's what they had to say.
In the upcoming version update, resistance to the following spells during Ballista matches will increase: Sleep, Lullaby, Gravity, Bind, and Silence. Other aspects, such as effect duration, will also be adjusted.
A new "Ballista Ranking" system based on Ballista points, as well as extra temporary items, will be introduced. However, this ranking system will not be activated at the time of the version update. Further details will be announced in a separate news item.
Brand New Story Print News | Mail News I told you I meant it this time! For today we've got a brand new story created by Katsumodo, with three installments of it ready for viewing. This story's entitled Honor, and we have Part I, Part II and Part III ready to view today. Here's a preview of Part I:
The lanky elvaan stood proudly against the blowing winds of the southern part of Gustaberg. This place was smothered in a very dry heat; rain could not be expected for several months now. The tall elvaan had black hair pulled back into a small ponytail. It helped to keep the hair out of his face with all this wind.
Mucho Story Updates Print News | Mail News With computer troubles finally out of the way, the story updates can continue. For today we've got 3 new items, the first two being the next in Brin's series, Eternal Mysteries. He brings us Chapter 8 and 9 of his story, entitled Summary of Events and Sinister Times, respectively. Here's a tidbit of Ch. 8:
And so....the travelers arrived in Kazham. It was here they found that Mai Ikari had been waiting for them. Later, Korah discovered that Avataru had been warped somewhere by some discerning individual. Korah knew that she had to find the love of her life so she departed by way of a Tele spell from a friendly white mage in Kazham. Vide, Ikari, and Brin then traveled to Norg. It was here that Brin and Vide discovered that Brindalo had been the captain of a horrible bunch of pirates. They were known by many as the "Shadow Pirates".
The other item for today is the next installment of The Last Tavnazian, called Palborough Mine Part I. Here's a preview:
Into the darkness of the Palborough Mines they stepped. A shaft of light penetrated the entrance of the mine. The only other source of light was the lanterns placed periodically along the cave wall.
Actions Taken Due to Member Agreement Violations [Post A Comment] - Print News | Mail News ------------------------------------------------------------
Actions Taken Due to Member Agreement Violations
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On February 14, over 800 accounts which repeatedly violated the PlayOnline Member Agreement were permanently banned from PlayOnline.
The users of these accounts would form groups to monopolize the hunting
spots of notorious monsters (NM). They also repeatedly performed harassment and MPK actions
against other players.
Grief tactics, including harassment, are listed in the PlayOnline Member Agreement as violations and are not allowed for any reason. Also, interfering other players' game play in order to monopolize monsters which spawn in hunting spots is not allowed.
Based on the above, we have taken strict actions against players who have violated the PlayOnline Member Agreement.
If you become a victim of harrasment, please make a GM Call and report the issue directly to a Game Master.
Your understanding and cooperation will help us provide the best experience possible to our players. Thank you!
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