In the upcoming September version update of Final Fantasy XI, Walk of Echoes will be receiving major updates to appeal to higher item level players. Surged Walks involve higher level versions of the existing walk fights, and will net victors with capacity points and higher level versions of older Walk of Echoes equipment, while Endowed Walks will reward players with a large amount of temporary items upon entry to aid them in battle!

What are your thoughts of the new Walk of Echoes changes? Let us know over on the ZAM forums!

From the official Final Fantasy XI forums:

[dev1232] New Walk of Echoes Content: Surge and Endowed Walks

• Surge Walks and Endowed Walks will be added to Walk of Echoes.

  

  • Surge Walks
    Surge walks are existing walks retooled for content level 119. Clearing these walks yields capacity points and higher level versions of existing Walk of Echoes equipment.
    • Participating in a Surge Walk
      Clearing an existing walk has a chance of causing each of the walks—from one to fifteen—to become a surge walk.
      
      Players can interact with the Echo Disseminator located near the entrance to check whether or not a particular walk is in surge mode.
      
      As is the case with ordinary walks, players must possess a Kupofried's medallion to participate.
    • Ending a Surge Walk
      Clearing a surge version of a walk will reset it to its ordinary state. Furthermore, if a battle does not start within one hour (Earth time) of the time the walk converted, it will revert to an ordinary walk.
  • Endowed Walks
    In an endowed walk, players currently participating in a battle and those that enter afterwards receive a staggering amount of temporary items in addition to a bonus to their post-victory evaluations.
    
    • Participating in an Endowed Walk
      Vanqushing monsters or striking at their leaders’ weak points has a chance of triggering an endowed walk.
      
      Players can interact with the Echo Disseminator located near the entrance to check whether or not a particular walk is endowed.
    • Ending an Endowed Walk
      An endowed walk will end either when the battle ends or when no more players remain inside.
  • Checking a Walk’s Status
    Players can interact with the Echo Disseminator located near the entrance to check whether or not a particular walk is endowed or in surge mode.

    
    

    A black star (★) means that the walk is in surge mode or endowed, whereas a white star (☆) means that it is not. The percentage value indicates the odds that the next walk will be of the type in question. Clearing a walk raises this percentage.
    
    The Echo Disseminator will also teleport players to the Veridical Confluxes of each appropriate walk and inform players of whether or not there is ongoing combat.