Happy New Year!
I look forward to your support again this year.
The events in Japan and North America that closed out 2008 had us run a little ragged, but now all the developers are refreshed and motivated to tackle a new year of FFXI.
Oh, and the FFXI development team had a little move at the end of the year. Until now, we’ve been bustled and bumped around by all the other projects taking place on the same floor, but now the XI team has a whole special development room all to ourselves. It really helps us focus and work together as a team more than ever before.
This is a fun activity we would like to spread across the various forum communities and blogs related to Final Fantasy XI. There’s no contest or prize involved, but we thought it would be interesting to see the kinds of accomplishments that are important to each set of players.
Anyone can participate: big forum communities, Linkshell forums, personal blogs… just Pingback and you’re added! If you can’t Pingback, you can send an e-mail to elmer@jpbutton.com and ask to be added manually.
*Due to database issues kanji in this article is shown as question marks. We’re looking into the issue and hope to resolve it soon.
Due to that picture, there’s been a lot of hoopla recently about the Magus Sisters possibly appearing in Final Fantasy XI as summonable avatars. Well, you might be surprised to hear that they’ve been in our MMO for over four years now!
Let’s put down the Kukulcan Staves and take at look at how this misunderstanding could have happened.
I’m just going to throw it right out there so we can get down the explanation. Shikaree XYZ are the Magus Sisters of Final Fantasy XI. The Magus Sisters are known as ?????????, and the Shikarees are referred to as ?????????. The ????? (san shi-mai) is just 3 sisters. However, for the Shikaree Sisters, this is more how the players refer to them, so let’s get something more official from within the Final Fantasy series.
Chocobo is dropping some new beats on December 24th in light of his newest game on the Nintendo DS, of which the translated title is tentatively known as ”Chocobo Tales: The Witch, the Maiden, and the 5 Heroes” As the Chocobo series is known for remixing and utilizing songs from throughout the Final Fantasy series, this soundtrack will contain arrangements of Ronfaure, Ru’lude Gardens and Tough Battle, that Final Fantasy XI fans should be sure to check out and enjoy. The album is available for order here.
Vana’diel Tsuushin Vol. 6 contained an interview with Mizuiki Itou and Daisuke Sase, the minds behind Treasures of Aht Urghan’s ZNM system. Here are the biscuits:
Possible adjustments to respawn times to bring other content in-line with ZNM’s easy, 3-minute wait time.
They are open to adjustments for Soul Plate values, trigger item cost, and tier-4 trigger drop rate (though not any time soon)
There may be adjustments to make certain treasure drops sellable.
Continuing the line of tiered content with Kirin, Promathia and ZNMs, Wings of the Goddess is looking to receive it’s own new system, which hopes to big even broader and more accessible than ever!
-Three new expansion add-ons
-Details for Moblin Maze Mongers
-Introducing the Field of Valor and Treasure Caskets!
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This week Corinth and Elmer from JPButton.com join us to discuss the announcments at this years VanaFest 2008. For even more detailed information make sure to check out the write up of the event here.
There are some minor corrections in this write-up from this weeks episode. So even if you did listen to that, make sure to read the write up!
*Italicized text are just our thoughts on what the released information could implicate. They were talked about in our episode we recorded however due to technical difficulties that episode will not be seeing a release.
We’ve been able to grab several images that were released for this years VanaFest event in Japan. Amongst these images is the laughable “STF Wars” as well as a sneak peak at brand new statue furniture items that will be released for Final Fantasy XI’s 7th year anniversary. Another image you’ll want to be sure not to miss is Shantoto in Dissidia Final Fantasy which is coming out for the PSP. You can check out the gallery for VanaFest 08 on our gallery page or click here.
VanaFest will be here before we know it! Below is a schedule of our coverage for this year.
2:30 AM EST - 7:00 AM EST VanaFest event.
Durring this time JPbutton.com and this site will be kept up to date with announcements and information given at the event via a live blog. For this you will need Iframes enabled in your browser.
8:00/9:00 AM EST - ??? Live chat and recording
After the event Fusionx will join Elmer and Corinth on skype to talk about the event for this weeks episode of Pet Food Alpha. The audio will be edited and made available for download ASAP.
*Live chat session has been cancelled. However feel free to join us on VanaChat in the #vanafest08 channel to discuss the live blog posts during the event!
In the mean time, make sure to check out Jpbutton.com where elmer has just put up a new mook translation that discusses some juicy things we may be hearing more about this weekend. Dancer and Scholar group 2 merits anyone?
JP Button and Pet Food Alpha are teaming up to be your number one source of information for the latest Final Fantasy XI announcements.
Elmer and Corinth from JP Button will be at the event and keep us up to date with their live blog. After the event they’ll be joined by Fusionx to discuss the big announcements for this weeks special VanaFest episode of Pet Food Alpha. During this time they’re also planning a live chat so that people can ask any questions they have about the event.
Keep checking back here for more updates regarding the event!
Hi everyone! Corinth again from JP Button. There are lots of exciting things coming up for the month of November.
Of course, Vanafest comes to mind. Taro, my baby chocobo, is keeping on eye on the Vanafest website. (Too bad he can’t read…) I’m happy to annouce that we have tickets to attend the event! FusionX and Elmer are working on ways to bring everyone the information from Vanafest as soon as we hear it. Be sure to check both Pet Food Alpha and JP Button for news and pictures the weekend of the 22nd.
In other news…. we have a lot of community projects going on right now that I’d like to tell people about. Continue reading »
Tokyo Game Show is over for 2008! There wasn’t any new FFXI information but all the advertising was a step in the right direction. Let’s hope the ad campaigns bring lots of new players to Vana’diel.
FFXI was represented at TGS in lots of little ways. Mithra in other games? FFXI music appearing in odd places? The most amazing Scholar props ever made? Details and pictures for both days of TGS plus a bonus trip to the Square Enix store are now online!
Corinth and Elmer discuss this years event
We’ve been able to grab several images that were released for this years VanaFest event in Japan. Amongst these images is the laughable “STF Wars” as well as a sneak peak at brand new statue furniture items that will be released for Final Fantasy XI’s 7th year anniversary. Another image you’ll want to be sure not to miss is Shantoto in Dissidia Final Fantasy which is coming out for the PSP. You can check out the gallery for VanaFest 08 on our gallery page or click 
