Final Fantasy XI just got a big update, yes it’s still alive

Ah, the memories of the dunes

Final Fantasy XI is an institution. It launched in 2002, a whole two years before World of Warcraft would begin its chokehold on the MMO space. This was a time when the genre wasn’t quite mainstream yet, with only a few major players like EverQuest and Ultima Online in the mix. Amazingly, it’s survived all this time, albeit with a few bumps in the road like the full shutdown of the console editions. And that survival includes patches, like this Final Fantasy XI update that happened this week!

with a new chapter, (The Voracious Resurgence), alongside of several events, and “master levels.” It’s kind of like a “prestige” or “paragon” system in other games, where you’re advancing beyond level 99 for each job. As Square Enix puts it, it’s a “new job advancement system for those jobs for which a player has achieved job master status.” This should keep playing for a bit!

The activ🌼ity has also cycled to something new, and several quests have been tuned. You can find the full FAQ on master levels below.

• A new system, Master Levels, has been added.
  • What are master levels?
    

    Master levels are a new job advancement system for those jobs for which a player has achieved job master status.
    Increasing one’s master level ꦜwill increase both basic attributes and the maximu♋m level of one’s support job.

  • Unlocking the Master Levels feature.
    

    Players must sp💫ea✨k with the Nomad Moogle in Ru’Lude Gardens (H-5) after meeting the following conditions in order to receive the Master Breaker key item.

    • Be level 99 in your current job.
    • Have achieved job master status in your current job.
  • Gaining master levels.
    

    Players will earn exemplar point by defeating enemies while the ꦆfollowing conditions are trueඣ.

    • Be in possession of the Master Breaker key item.
    • Be level 99 in your current job.
    • Have achieved job master status in your current job.
    • Defeat enemies whose strength as displayed with /check is Easy Prey or higher.
  • Increasing Your Master Level
    

    Your master level starts at 0.
    Your master level will increase when you accumulate a certain number of experience points, and you wil🐬l receive the following benefits.

    • For every mastery level you earn, you and your pet’s basic attributes and combat/magic skill caps will be increased.
    • For every five mastery levels your earn, your support job level cap will be increased by 1.
  • Notes
    • Enemy strength as displayed by /check only serves as a rough guide as to whether or not you will earn exemplar points for defeating a foe. Note that enemies who /check as “Took Weak” may still yield experience and limit points.
      * The monsters to which the above applies will be marked as “Very🦂 Ea🤪sy Prey” in the December 2021 version update.
    • “Style-change” abilities such as Composure remain unusable even if your support job is level 50 or higher.
    • Exemplar point gains are unaffected by rings and other equipment earned from various campaigns that confer a bonus to experience point gains.
      * Note t⛦hat corsa💖ir roll effects are properly applied.
    • Players will lose a certain amount of exemplar points if they are defeated.
    • Master level can decrease when knocked out if the amount of exemplar points lost would push them below the threshold of the previous level.
    • A certain amount of lost exemplar points will be returned if a player is brought back from the brink by effects such as the white magic spells Raise and Reraise.