With bated breath, the Final Fantasy XI community has been anxiously awaiting news about the future of the game, be it the level cap increase to new fields of combat and everything in between. To help sate this curiosity, Square Enix has released a detailed roadmap laying out their plans for the next year, spanning from April 2011 up to 2012. Be sure to check out all the juicy details for the future of Vana'diel!

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From the official Final Fantasy XI forums:

The FINAL FANTASY XI roadmap for the twelve-month period commencing April 2011 has been released.

April – September 2011
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Three version updates are slated for this period.

Generally, major patches will see the release of new content, whereas minor patches will focus on the refinement of existing features. Job adjustments will form part of all version updates, though the scope of changes may vary.

May Major Version Update
“Voidwatch,” a new battle system designed with high-level adventurers in mind, will be introduced alongside new battlefields in order to reinvigorate existing areas. Rounding off the host of battle-related improvements planned for this patch is a major overhaul of Dynamis, which will include monster redistribution.

Playability-enhancing tweaks are also in the pipes, such as an auction house merger and delivery system improvements.

June Minor Version Update
This version update will revolve around fine-tuning content introduced in May.

• August Major Version Update
  The level cap will be raised to 95 and accompanied by a broad range of changes; new content and job abilities will be added, and existing ones adjusted. This penultimate stage in the level cap increase will usher in large-scale changes while preserving balance in anticipation of the impending final rise to level 99.
  
  The test server will be launched as the testing and fine-tuning grounds for new content being planned, and can be considered a realm wherein adventurers can experience new features under development. More details regarding the server will be made available in the near future.
  
  
• July – September 2011: Test Server to Go Live
  In conjunction with the test server, subforums dedicated to hosting player feedback will be established in the official forums, the two combining to mark the birth of a new development cycle as outlined below.
  
  1) Content under development
  2) Content announced via the test server and official forums
  3) Testing
  A) Player testing and feedback
  B) Testing by Development and QA teams
  4) Fine-tuning
  Balancing and debugging based on the findings of step 3; test server updated
  (*Repeat from step 2)
  5) Version update released

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October 2011 – March 2012
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With the introduction of the test server, we intend to shift from alternating between major and minor patches to more frequent version updates, each of which will host the latest fruit of the new development and testing cycle.

• Version Update Highlights

  • Level cap increase to 99
  • New adventurer growth elements
  • Job adjustments
  • In-game systems:

    • Voidwatch parts 3 and 4
    • The Last Stand (name TBA)
    • Dungeon crawling (name TBA)
    • New battlefields
    • New Grounds of Valor areas
    • New treasure casket areas

  • Monster redistribution
  • Fellows adjustments and additions

    • Level cap increase (95 and 99)
    • New summonable areas

  • Crafting adjustments and additions

    • Synergy: recipes to augment existing gear
    • Synthesis: skill cap increase

  • Playability enhancements

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Please keep in mind that items featured in the roadmap and their implementation schedule are subject to change. Further details about these and other new content will be released as soon as they become available, so stay tuned to the official channels.