In 2009 the Final Fantasy XI Fan Festival had set the bar pretty low concerning any expectations for FFXI's future. And so I approached this years affair with heavy skepticism and mild interest. Could they possibly have anything new to say? It didn't seem likely there would be anything beyond the already well known areas and the usual additions like missions.



But Square managed to shock everyone with the announcement that they will begin implementing a higher level cap. Not only that but it wouldn't amount to a mere 5 more levels a la WoW, the intent is to reach a final maximum of level 99! The news and developments following the announcement only added to the hype. Many areas and enemy levels will be tailored to suit the new level cap including an "abolishment" (I love their choice of words) of level caps in CoP territories. It appears that FFXI will be undergoing nothing less than a major overhaul after years of stagnation. Obviously this news has set many players imaginations off projecting their ideas for what this could mean for FFXI.

For several months now I've been checking out the electronical video-ed game Aion Online. I recently commented to a friend that FFXI could have really benefited from the much higher degree of maximum stats featured in games like Aion. What I mean by this is that very early on in a character's level progression you're dealing with thousands of points of stats (HP/MP/Defense etc.). Whereas in FFXI stats are set comparatively very low. The result is that the game becomes hyper-sensative to even small additions and changes (e.g. something as silly as the idea of a Sole Sushi +3 threatens to become "broken"). Essentially rules out any major additions such as equipment that beats out gear that is now 7 years (!) old. Here I'm speaking about the usual Rise of Zilart staples.

These new changes could at long last, grant FFXI much needed space to breathe and grow. Version updates may actually see improvements to equipment instead of the laughable "plethora" of garbage players have long become used to expecting (SMN gear with Racc. and Chainspell+1).

SE must be aware that such a drastic undertaking is incredibly risky however. No matter how delicately they go about this process there will inevitably be players who prefer things as they are instead of pursuing more job levels and equipment. Frankly, I am all for some long overdue shakeups that have arguably been needed since '03. This takes an approach that appears to cater to the loyal FFXI veterans as opposed to the non-existent "low level" players Square has blindly developed for in the past. And that is exactly what is needed. The FFXI faithful have obviously carried the game this far for 8 years. No genuinely new players (to such extent such a thing even exists) fresh off of level 30 ever look excitedly to work through expansion material, I guarantee you of that. It's time to bring back a feeling of new and unknown information to be discovered and mastered.

I'm sure the future will entail endless and poorly spelled debates on internet forums about whether or not the changes will punish end-game players who took years to earn their gear. My concerns are quite the opposite; that Square may wind up taking a much more timid approach that winds up simply conserving the old status quo with superficially different statistics. It would be tragic to see Fafnir, for example, given a new shiny level 99 face plate instead of finally moving beyond that stage of blandness.

Another side issue I see arising here is that the longer Square leaves its explicit intentions unstated, it may wind up inducing a kind of end-game paralysis among the player base. Should I still pursue the best equipment I can find? Why should I if all that effort winds up being outdated in several months? Do I dare pay 13 million for a salvage armor if radical changes make it obsolete? The faster players can evaluate such questions, the faster they can decide how to respond and continue with their activities.

Ideally I was hoping to see news of a new full fledged expansion. That didn't happen but it still looks like Square has a year of potentially revolutionary content planned. It's going to be an intriguing and fun process to follow.