Sneak peeks for last month's version update teased us with information about a new crafting system that would allow adventurers to craft as a team, something that was slated for release as early as late November. Players need wait no longer! The synergy system has now been introduced to Vana'diel and with it comes many changes for those that have poured their life's work into a tradeskill.

As always, new information is welcome. If you have information regarding the new Synergy system, please feel free to email us.

Discuss this on the ZAM forums and read on for the full details.

Synergy is an advanced form of synthesis wherein up to six players, each with unique skills, cooperate to create a single item via an apparatus called the "synergy furnace."

Synergy Furnaces

Communal synergy furnaces have been made available in certain cities, and access to them will be granted to players who have completed the quest offered by the Metalworks NPC "Hildolf."

Players who have advanced their synergy skill level to five or above will become eligible to undertake another quest offered by the Bastok Mines NPC "Selliste." Completing this quest will earn you access to an item that allows the summoning of a private furnace for use in field areas.

Synergy and Crafting Skill

Synergy skill determines your ability to safely handle synergy furnaces, and can be raised by applying synergy techniques to manipulate elemental concentration levels inside the furnace. Proficiency in these techniques, too, can be raised to a degree corresponding to your synergy skill level. We recommend all players prioritize improving their skill, because when it comes to synergy, experience is synonymous with safety.

*For this version, the synergy skill level cap will be set at 50.
*There are no guild tests associated with synergy.

Certain synergy recipes demand expertise in specific crafting disciplines, but the character depositing the ingredients need not possess any. Synergy will be possible so long as a participating party member possesses the requisite skill in question.

Synergizing via a Communal Furnace

1. Obtain the "synergy crucible" key item.
The synergy crucible serves as the receptacle for different varieties of elemental "fewell," the source of power for the synergy process. Characters need only acquire the crucible once by completing the aforementioned quest offered by the NPC Hildolf.

2. Prepare ingredients for the recipe.
Recipes corresponding to a character's synergy skill level can be learned by talking to a "Synergy Engineer" NPC.

3. Recruit party members.
Synergy is a joint activity that requires the cooperation of other players. The party leader should seek fellow synergists with the right skills needed for a particular recipe and invite them to join a party.

4. Check your synergy crucible's fewell supply.
Check your synergy crucible's current supply of elemental fewell by either examining the synergy furnace prior to depositing the ingredients, or by speaking with a synergy engineer. If required, synergy engineers can replenish your store in exchange for gil. Alternatively, it is also possible to directly replenish the crucible using either crystals or the new synthesizable item version of fewell (alchemy skill required).

Depositing such items directly into the furnace will affect only the fewell supply of the character whose synergy crucible is currently installed.

5. Claim usage of a synergy furnace.
To use a communal synergy furnace, you must first lay claim by examining it. At this point, you will be allocated a period of time to deposit the ingredients and commence the synergy process. When this has been done, your group will have exclusive access to the furnace until the synergy process is complete.
*Private synergy furnaces summoned using the aforementioned item can be used only by you and your party members.

6. Deposit the ingredients.
Only the claim-holding character may deposit ingredients into the furnace. Similarly, at the conclusion of synergy, the resultant product will be obtainable only by that character. While it is possible to attempt synergy at a level above your own capacity, keep in mind that the risk of failure will increase proportionally.

7. Operate the furnace.
Now comes the most invigorating and rewarding part of the process: the operation of the synergy furnace itself. Throughout the course of synergy, players must keep a close eye on the furnace's readings and skillfully manage the parameters listed below. Seamless teamwork and timely application of synergy techniques are the keys to success.

* Elemental balance - Burning fewell will unleash the power of the elements (fire, ice, wind, earth, lightning, water, light, and dark) into the belly of the furnace. Approach the elemental balance dictated by the synergy recipe you are following, and watch as your desired item takes form.
* Impurity ratio - An unfortunate side effect of fewell combustion is the introduction of dangerous impurities to the mix. A high ratio will increase the likelihood of an explosion.
* Internal pressure - Pressure within the furnace will build as the synergy process continues, rendering any explosions that may occur even more damaging.
* Durability - A potent energy field within the furnace serves to keep the elemental maelstrom in check, but it cannot be sustained indefinitely. Should its durability reach zero, no explosion will occur, but the reaction will fizzle and your synergy attempt will end in failure.

Tricks of the Trade
Skillful application of the techniques below will ensure that your synergistic exploits remain undeterred by explosions or failed reactions.

* View furnace readings - Compare current elemental balance with objectives, and monitor pressure and impurities.
* Feed fewell - Deposit fewell into the furnace to increase elemental strength.
* Thwack furnace - Apply a time-honored (if low-efficiency) method to ward off potential accidents.
* Operate pressure handle - Consume dark fewell to lower furnace pressure.
* Operate safety lever - Consume dark fewell to cleanse furnace of impurities.
* Repair furnace - Consume light fewell to increase furnace durability.
* Recycle strewn fewell - Render strewn fewell into a reclaimable state, increasing the amount of reclaimable cinder.

Players can hone their proficiency in the above techniques by receiving training from a synergy engineer.
Certain items and equipment will also unlock the ability to use otherwise unavailable synergy techniques.

*Certain synergy techniques will be introduced in future version updates.

Potential Complications

In the hands of the untrained, synergy may prove to be a painful exercise. If left unchecked, the swelling of elemental forces and the accumulation of impurities inside the furnace will lead to explosions and leakages. An explosion inflicts considerable damage on both the furnace and participating synergists, and ultimately shortens the time available to you and your and comrades for the synergy attempt.
Such complications can be averted by improving your synergy prowess and applying the knowledge and techniques you have acquired to the fullest extent.

Completing the Process

Should you succeed in approaching the required elemental balance, the synergy furnace will shimmer to signal your triumph. From this point, you may select "End synergy" to retrieve your finished product, or continue working to achieve even closer elemental equilibrium¡½and potentially a more desirable reward. Synergists are encouraged to keep a close eye on furnace durability as they ascertain the ideal time to conclude the operation.

* Success! - The successfully synergized product will be entrusted to the supplier of ingredients, while all participants will be awarded with "cinders," a synergy by-product. Cinder acts as points that can be accumulated and traded to synergy engineers in exchange for items that will aid you in your synergistic endeavors.
* Failure...? - Should your reaction fail, any fewell consumed will be lost forever, and no cinder may be obtained. All is not lost, however¡½your precious ingredients will remain intact, allowing you to make another attempt provided your fewell reserves permit.
* The Joys of Synergy - Synergy will play a central role in the Evolith system by allowing players to add and remove both evolith-holding apertures and evolith itself to their equipment. There also exist a host of new items that can be had exclusively through synergy.

What Is Evolith?

Long ignored by the populace of Vana'diel, the ancient stones known as evolith each contain unique powers that adventurers may now harness to enhance and customize their equipment.

Evolith-capable Equipment

In order to reap its benefits, evolith must be embedded into apertures¡½slots in equipment capable of housing these stones. Broadly speaking, there are two categories of equipment for which this will be possible:

* Specialized equipment - A new set of equipment especially suited for evolith enhancement has been introduced. Available only through certain synergy recipes, these will support high-powered evolith unusable with standard equipment.
* Standard equipment - A wide range of existing items may also be rendered evolith-compatible if outfitted with apertures through a specific synergy process. Players may check whether or not a given item supports this process by trading it to a synergy engineer.

Evolith 101

Adventurers may enhance their equipment with evolith through the following procedure:

1. Acquire evolith
- Evolith can be obtained by completing new NM hunting regimes accessible from the "Hunt Registries" that have been newly introduced to certain areas.

2. Prepare your equipment
- Follow a specific synergy recipe to outfit your equipment with evolith apertures (up to three, depending on the item). Note that each aperture will have its own shape, size, and elemental affinity.
- Similar to augmented items, etching evolith slots into a piece of equipment will render it untradeable and unauctionable.

3. Confirm compatibility
- Ensure that the aperture is of the same shape and elemental affinity, and is large enough to hold the piece of evolith you intend to embed.

4. Attach evolith
- Evolith may be attached to a compatible piece of equipment via synergy.
- It is possible to outfit a piece of equipment with one piece of evolith for each aperture it contains.

Evolith Replacement and Aperture Removal

Players may replace an attached piece of evolith with one offering different benefits by conducting synergy with the equipment and the newly-desired evolith. It is also possible to remove evolith apertures entirely via synergy with a dedicated item, thereby returning the equipment to its original state.
Note that in both cases, the previously attached piece of evolith will be lost.

Corrected Issues

An issue with the quest "Songbirds in a Snowstorm" in which a cut scene did not proceed properly has been addressed.

An issue with a sound effect in the quest "Blood of Heroes" has been addressed.

An issue in which the merit point information displayed under the status section of the main menu did not display properly has been addressed.

An issue in which the following notorious monsters did not begin combat properly has been addressed:
Lihko / Blighting Brand / Trembler Tabitha / Bedrock Barry / Olgoi-Khorkhoi

An issue in the mission "Enemy of the Empire (I)" in which the list of monsters whose images must be acquired would change randomly has been addressed.

An issue in which using the soul plate image of a Lode Golem with a soul reflector would call forth an unrelated monster has been addressed.

Slaying the battlefield monsters in the mission "Battaru Royale" will no longer incur Fomor hate.

A graphical issue in the battlefield for "Project: Shantottofication" has been addressed.

An issue with the MMM Aquatic Depopulation Team in which victorious players would not be taken to the reward room has been addressed.

An issue in which the monster Ameretat did not use the ability "Vampiric Root" has been addressed.

English Version Only

The issue wherein the sword skill bonus displayed in evolith help text was not being correctly displayed has been rectified.

The issue of inaccurate help text for items used in the "A Shantotto Ascension" add-on scenario mission, "That Which Curdles Blood," has been rectified.