I hope you found 2018 to be a spectacular year filled with joy. For me, two of the biggest accomplishments we had for FINAL FANTASY XI were the completion of Dynamis – Divergence and success in bring relic weapons and other well-worn equipment back into the spotlight. And of course, also fresh in my mind is the FFXI ReFriender, a tool which we hope many of you have been able to use. It was early spring when we started planning the project, because we know many of you have come back to Vana'diel after a period of absence and hunger for friends new and old to play with. When I think about it, 2018 was both fruitful...and fast to end!
But with a new year comes new initiatives to undertake, so let's take a little glimpse into the future.
At the top of the list for 2019 are job adjustments. As our work with adjustments to damage formulae and equipment starts to die down, we're going to ramp up with various job adjustments to take their place. Our major direction for job changes is simple—rather than going for mere balance adjustments, we want to bring you some changes that make you stop and think, "hey, this is fun!" As promised to you previously, we're going to be bringing something to each and every job. But just as Rome wasn't built in a day, these changes aren't going to be all included in one patch. We intend to introduce changes in the long-term, over the span of 2019, and as always will graciously accept and listen to any feedback you have to offer.
We're also starting work on bringing you some fresh new battle content. Although we still have some hurdles to clear, this is the same development team that worked tirelessly to bring you Omen and Dynamis – Divergence, and I have the utmost faith that they will be successful again—and I will be working my hardest to support them every step of the way.
Finally, we're working closely with graphic designers who are well-versed in the look and feel of Vana'diel to bring you new equipment models for all your FFXI fashion needs. Keep your eyes peeled!
This year more than ever, the development and operations teams will work in concert to bring you, the many adventurers of Vana'diel, content that we hope will keep you smiling and proud to part of this grand adventure with us.
| Akihiko Matsui Producer, FINAL FANTASY XI |
Read on for New Year information.