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LeroyOG decided to share some insight into how his character Askew came to be. He's provided us with some details about how he became aware of Final Fantasy XI and the details behind the creation of his character. We're sure more stories will surface about Askew's adventures as time passes:
In March of 2004, Sony released their long awaited hard drive peripheral. Like many others, I pre-ordered and got it on day one. Like many others, I was interested in the new SOCOM content that was �coming soon.� Once I got my new toy home, I installed it. I figured, �Hey, why not set up an account for Final Fantasy XI. The first month is free. I�ll just cancel before they charge me.�
...3 years, 7 months, 2 days later...
In those 3 years, 7 months, and 2 days, I took on the role of Askew, a lowly level 1 Elvaan Warrior from Windurst. This was my first serious shot at an MMO and I had no idea what it took to advance in this game. I tried to make Leroy but someone had taken it. I chose this name because it's the name of one my favorite football players. Plus it seems to fit the Elvaan image. I have met many people, joined many linkshells and shared many adventures in this game. I will share some of my stories with you all.
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We would like to remind all of you that registration server maintenance will be held in the near future. This coincides with the normal monthly billing cycle.
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The Crystal War, or Great War as it is also known, was the largest conflict between the beastmen and the children of Altana in the history of Vana'diel.
After suffering staggering losses, the Allied Forces of Altana finally emerged victorious. Yet even after twenty years of rebuilding, this dark chapter of the past still casts a shadow over the people of Vana'diel.
Learn more about the events of the Crystal War here.
The promotional site for the eagerly awaited FINAL FANTASY XI expansion has been updated with a new section detailing the massively multiplayer battle system known as "Campaign". To learn more of the Allied Forces of Altana and their epic struggle to fend off the armies of the Beastmen Confederate, as well as exclusive information on other expansion-related issues, click here!
We are very proud to premiere several new images of the campaign and Monsters from Wings of the Goddess. These images are hot off the presses from Square Enix including a bit of information about the Campaign mode:
Campaign
This is the collective term given to the series of battles and border
skirmishes waged in the Quon and Mindartian theaters during the Crystal War.
All those wishing to serve would enlist with one of the allied army's
three main forces--the Kingdom of San d'Oria, the Republic of Bastok, or
the Federation of Windurst--to combat the ever-advancing beastmen
confederate comprising the Quon Host of the Orcish Empire, the Quadav
Shieldwarriors, the Yagudo Theomilitary, and the Shadowlord's Dark
Kindred. However, a volunteer's duties were not always limited to direct
engagement with the enemy. Campaign endeavors also extended to tasks
such as marches, supply runs, entrenchment and fortification, and
cooperative maneuvers with allied forces.
It would not be an exaggeration to say it was through a delicate balance
of military prowess and comprehensive strategy that these campaigns were
ultimately able to lead the allies to victory.
--------------------------------------------
You can download or view the images below. Clicking on the thumbnails will bring up full resolution versions.
SourceLIGN PS2 IGN PS2 ran an article yesterday summarizing the "Return Home" campaign. Full article below:
October 24, 2007 - Square Enix has reinstated its "Return Home to Vana'diel" campaign, urging Final Fantasy XI players who dropped their online accounts to rejoin the community in time for the release of the multiplatform MMO's fourth expansion pack in November.
Customers who deleted their Content IDs or PlayOnline accounts are now able to rejoin their fellow adventurers in the world of Vana'diel as the Wings of the Goddess expansion ships on Nov. 20.
Square Enix held its first Return Home to Vana'diel event in North America in 2005.
Uniting players in North America, Europe and Japan, FFXI is the first massively-multiplayer online roleplaying game capable of simultaneous communication across multiple platforms: PlayStation 2, PC and Xbox 360. Now in its fifth year of service, the game has a community of more than 500,000 subscribers and more than 1.7 million player characters worldwide.
The Return Home to Vana'diel campaign will run until Feb. 29, 2008. You can find out more about the program at the .
We're still recruiting Mercenaries to assist us for Fan Festival 2007! Don't forget that we make sure that our Mercenaries will be handsomely rewarded for their assistance in the show. All of our Mercenaries receive complimentary admission to the Festival, a Gobbie Bag and Nomad Cap and their very own Staff t-shirts! But don't delay, Fan Festival is only a few weeks away and applications will be closing soon!
We've got a brand new poll asking if Wings of the Goddess will attract new players. Let us know by voting on the right hand side of the site. The results for the previous week's poll is below:
Previous Poll:
Question:
Which Platform Will You Purchase Wings of the Goddess On?
Choices:
Option 01: PC [13 votes]
Option 02: Playstation 2 [0 votes]
Option 03: Xbox 360 [9 votes]
Option 04: Undecided [0 votes]
Source: PlayOnline
The latest report from the Special Task force has been released:
Today's report will outline our actions conducted from September 26, 2007 to October 24, 2007 in dealing with players violating the user agreement, as well as details on the activities, results, and goals of the Special Task Force.
Click here for a report on the Special Task Force's overall activities.
It looks like some of our users over at the IGN Boards: FFXI Board have formed their own linkshell on the Midgard server. Check out this thread for full details and discussion.
"Hello, I have just started a new social Linkshell on the Midgard server. Its just a relaxed social, no big rules, no mandatory events, just people having fun with FFXI. If your at all interested please send me a tell ingame grin
At the following time, we performed a version update of the PlayOnline Viewer.
* The client software has also been updated at this time. The version update process will automatically begin upon login after the time stated below. Please follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
[Update Time]
Oct. 23, 2007 1:00 (PDT)
[Affected Services]
PlayOnline
[Important Update Details]
- When logging in to PlayOnline using certain PlayOnline passwords, users will be redirected to a screen where they can change their PlayOnline password.
If this screen appears, follow the on-screen instructions, and change your password according to the specified requirements. For details, please refer to the relevant information.
- The ESRB notice on the title screen and login screen has changed according to ESRB regulations.
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- A bug was addressed where selecting the "Rename" command on the file manager's file viewing screen would display a different file and then re-display the first file with the name still unchanged.
- Other minor issues were addressed.
It's time to put the last minute touches on your magnificent artwork, finish painting your marvelous sculpture, and complete the credits for your in-game movie. That's because time is running out to enter the Fan Festival 2007 contests! We've already received some amazing entries, but we just can't get enough. Visit the Contest section and find out how to enter to ensure you get your entries in before it's too late!
Final Fantasy Vault is happy to announce two new additions to our growing staff. Green_Bomber has joined us a News Poster, you might start seeing his name on the front page of the coming weeks. Be gentle to him as he begins posting news for us *Giant Grin*. We�ve also brought aboard Leoryg who will be proving us with brand new screenshots in the coming weeks.
If you�re an avid reader of the vault, or a just a fresh face new, we�d love to hear from you if you are interested in contributing.You can find full details on the available positions by viewing our previous posting � we�re steel seeking editorials and stories from around Vana�Diel!
Source: PlayOnline
We've got some historical information on the Dancer Job straight from PlayOnline! Learn how it all started with this great introduction:
The Wings of the Goddess expansion slated for release this November marks the return of the dancer to the world of Vana'diel. The following is an introduction to this intriguing new job.
It was at the time of the Crystal War that dancers became truly sought after as battleworthy allies. Word soon spread of their inspiring ability to allay the troubled hearts of soldiers made uneasy by the trials and tribulations of the frontline, and of their prowess as heroines in their own right, staking their lives on the field of battle alongside the bravest of warriors. In this manner they came to garner immense favor and respect from all ranks in the great armies of Altana.
For more on the beginnings of the esoteric steps known as the Kriegstanz, click here.
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