Kings (FFXI)  

An Overview

Some adventurers have obtained riches beyond their wildest dreams by hunting the ground kings of Vana'diel; other adventurers have wasted their lives away hunting the kings, eluded by fortune and glory.

The ground kings of Vana'diel are:

• Fafnir and Nidhogg, which spawn in Dragon's Aery
• Adamantoise and Aspidochelone, which spawn in Valley of Sorrows
• Behemoth and Behemoth, which spawn in Behemoth's Dominion

Camping Kings

The standard kings Fafnir, Adamantoise and Behemoth spawn every 21 to 24 hours. The high-quality versions of the kings -- Nidhogg, Aspidochelone and King Behemoth -- spawn in place of the standard kings roughly once every seven to 10 earth days, though they can spawn as soon as three days after they were last killed. Each king has a deep treasure pool, including several extremely rare items and coveted pieces of gear.

A king's spawn window opens exactly 21 hours after its last time of death, and the window only lasts for a few seconds. The small window reopens every half hour for up to three hours, meaning there are just seven brief moments during the three-hour stretch in which kings can appear.

Claiming Kings

It's not uncommon for more than 100 adventurers to be crowded into the same part of a zone where a king is about to spawn. The result... LAG!

Because of the lag, claiming a king for your linkshell requires more luck than skill. Some people may be able to see the mob on their screen earlier than others, depending on where they are standing and where the king pops. Lag can also screw up your casting speed.

The most tried-and-true way to legitimately claim a king is to spam provoke or a quick spell such as stun at the moment a king is expected to appear.

Sadly, many people have turned to using illegal cheat programs to win claims despite the lag and the crowds. Square Enix's creation of the Special Task Force and subsequent bannings have greatly reduced the amount of people who use illegal claiming programs, but it still happens periodically.