New Level Sync Feature to Change the Way You Party

From PlayOnline.com:

The FFXI development team is proud to announce the "Level Sync" system, a revolutionary new feature in the upcoming version update that will allow all players-grizzled veterans and novices alike-to adventure and gain experience together regardless of level differences!

Discuss this exciting announcement on our forums!

 

The Concept

The development team has been listening intently to feedback from players, and working hard to address concerns such as the following:
"I can't party effectively with my friends or linkshell members because our levels are too far apart!"
"I invited one of my friends to play FFXI with me, but we can't party together because we don't have any jobs at similar levels!"
"I can't find anyone close enough to my level to party with!"

The new Level Sync system is the result of extensive discussions on how to resolve these concerns, while preserving game balance and avoiding abuse and power-leveling by RMT groups. It addresses the issues that have resulted from a steady stream of new, low-level players joining an existing game world populated by scores of high-level veterans, and is part of the ongoing effort to clean up the FFXI community and remove players in violation of the users' agreement.


At the heart of the feature is the new ability for members of a party to "power down" to the level of a designated target player. Now friends will be able to adventure together and gain experience as if they were all the same level!

With the introduction of this system, there will also be major changes to the way equipment is handled in regard to level restrictions. Rather than automatically unequipping items if a player's level is reduced below the item's minimum level, the attributes of high-level equipment will be scaled down proportionally to the reduced level.
This will apply not only to the Level Sync system, but to all level-restricted areas and missions. This means that players will now be able to participate in various battlefields, Assault missions, and Ballista, and also to adventure in level-capped areas such as Riverne without the hassle of having to switch equipment!

Read on for more details about how the Level Sync system will work, and examples of how equipment and experience-gaining will be affected.

How it Works

When Level Sync is activated, the level of all party members will be temporarily reduced to that of a target player designated by the party leader. For as long as the Level Sync remains in effect, all party members – regardless of their original level – will be able to gain experience as if they were actually the lower, restricted level.

e.g. With a party containing characters of Levels 75, 48, 46, 30, 12, and 11:
If the target character is Lv. 11, everyone will become Lv. 11.
If the target character is Lv. 12, the Lv. 30-75 party members will become Lv. 12.
(the Lv. 11 character will remain Lv. 11)
* If the target character gains a level while Level Sync is in effect, the other characters' levels will automatically adjust to reflect the new target level.
* Level Sync cannot be used in areas or events where a separate level restriction already applies.
* The Level Sync settings are easily accessible from the main menu.


Three simple restrictions will be implemented to ensure that the Level Sync feature is not abused and does not provide an excessive advantage over traditional leveling.
1)The minimum target level that can be synchronized to is Level 10.
2)The party leader and target player must be located in the same area.
3)There will be a buffer period of thirty seconds when deactivating Level Sync.

Gaining Experience

When Level Sync is in effect, players will gain 100% of the experience and limit points possible to gain at their reduced level. Be aware, though, that no EXP will be gained if the target player is unconscious, removed from the party, too far away from the battle location, or otherwise unable to receive EXP at the time the monster is defeated.
In addition, the amount of EXP lost when rendered unconscious will be calculated based upon the player's reduced level.

Equipment

As mentioned above, equipment will also be temporarily powered down to match the player's reduced level. Attributes that will be affected include: DMG, DEF, HP, MP, Status Effects, Accuracy+, Attack+, Ranged Accuracy+, Ranged Attack+, Magic Accuracy+, and Magic Attack+.
* The current plan is for other special properties (including Evasion, Enmity, enchantments and ability bonuses) to be negated entirely.

Ex. 1) Centurion's Sword (Lv. 30)
DMG: 19 Delay: 225 Accuracy +3 Attack +4

Ex. 2) Askar Zucchetto (Lv. 75)
DEF: 23 STR+4 DEX+4 VIT+4 Haste +4%
Set: Max HP Boost


Ex. 3) Goliard Clogs (Lv. 75)
DEF: 19 DEX+4 INT+4 MND+4 CHR+4 Evasion +5
MP recovered while healing +3
Magic Accuracy +2

* The attributes in red will be scaled down relative to the player's level.

Also, low-level players need not be discouraged! Statistics on higher-level equipment (including HQ and rare items) being scaled down will be comparable to those of common items at the target level. This means that lower-level characters who have obtained special equipment via quests, notorious monsters, or HQ syntheses will still have the best gear available at their respective level!

There are still more exciting new changes that will be introduced, so keep an eye out for the full details to be posted on the day of the version update. Until then, happy adventuring!

Comments

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Another angle...
# Sep 08 2008 at 10:56 AM Rating: Decent
I'm one of these 'old' players returning that people have been mentioning. I've been playing for about 2.5 years, and finally just got *sick* to death of having to wait 3 hours, just to have to grind 20-30k exp for one level.

This new update blows me away, and I can't wait to try it out later today!


Another added benefit this could add is that parties will now look more 'unique'.

For example, in the dunes, you could always expect the tanks/melee's to be wearing *somewhat* the same gear, and the same for the casters.

With this update, now there will be people wearing all sorts of different armors. Who knows; some of the higher level armor might be wonderful for lower levels when scaled down? It will make it so that when you invite a 15war, you don't automatically have a 50% chance of guessing what he will be wearing, based on if he's fully geared or not.

I think it will make the aesthetic appeal of parties become more dynamic :)
Great idea indeed.. or is it dum dum dum...
# Sep 02 2008 at 6:31 PM Rating: Decent
Can u say the level 75s will
own the dunes yup you can.

ex.1)
:Mark>(/tell) >>John PT Ldr: The level
19 WAR we have is about to be 20.

:John PT Ldr>(/tell) >>Mark: Hmmmm really ok
going to kick him for that 17 WAR over there.

:Mark>(/tell) >>John PT Ldr: (/Sweets) this is so free
use them an kick them lol.

:John PT Ldr>(/tell) >>Mark: I know hehe
Great idea indeed.. or is it dum dum dum...
# Sep 04 2008 at 8:35 AM Rating: Decent
that is exactly the opposite of what would happen. When that 19 war turns 20, he is sync'ed down to target players level.
Great idea indeed.. or is it dum dum dum...
# Sep 03 2008 at 11:25 AM Rating: Decent
What 75 (aside from jobs that aren't bothered with in meripo) is going to willingly pt in the dunes or any other non ToAU area? Hmmm 15k an hour or 4k....
This is HAWT
# Sep 02 2008 at 9:49 AM Rating: Decent
When is it coming out though? I havent been able to find anywhere that says. I hope so hard that its in the Sept update. Come to think of it... what day is the update?
Let Me Get This Straight
# Sep 01 2008 at 7:45 PM Rating: Decent
If it works like it's being proposed then my high level friends and myself can actually play together in a party without killing the idea of getting exp along the way. Rather than just following eachother around or having to party up with random people. BRILLIANT! I bet it leads to more people coming back to the game as well.

Edited, Sep 1st 2008 11:41pm by Enderus
lvl synk
# Aug 31 2008 at 11:08 PM Rating: Decent
like i always say its not the gear ur wearing now its what u wear at lvl 75. this new lvl synk i think is a great idea now me and my brother can go out and xp again or even my whole ls can get static partys back together i think its great i cant wait for it


Mirth: Hume
Drk:57 Rdm:50 War:37 Whm:37 Nin:24 Blm:24
Good update, but don't skimp on gear guys.
# Aug 27 2008 at 10:23 PM Rating: Good
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1,105 posts
For those of you who think this will get you out of buying gear in Promy zones, I'd think again. Consider the 30 cap holla mea and dem. Near level 30 you start getting access to good gear. Kampf, Noct+1, and Seers+1 come to mind (even some RSE). I have a suspicion that those sets will be way better than your AF or JSE gear after it's gimped down to 30.

However, the whole gear modifying thing is pretty nice, especially so you can jump out to a party quickly and not have to worry about buying new gear. That adjustment is almost necessary to make this work, otherwise you'll constantly have to get /tells saying people do not have gear for that level range that you invited them to.

Yet I feel people will use this as an excuse to use crappy gear (high level gear gimped down). If anything, we'll have a bunch of parties running around and lacking in decent equipment. In normal XP parties I could not worry too much, but in a promy, I think that warrior needs to get his Kampf, or at least his Eisen out and try using that.

Of course, I could be totally wrong, but the way they worded it implies that your awesome 75 gear will be no better than NQ gear when gimped down to level.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm holding on to my Seers+1 set.

As for my opinion on the update, I think it's supremely awesome. Everybody is going to want to party in the jungle because mandys are just SO easy.

Also: No more gimped xp by having somebody 2 levels higher! So many dunes parties I've had sucked not because of the skill of the party, but because there was a 16 in a party of 14s, ruining it for everybody. No longer!
Good update, but don't skimp on gear guys.
# Aug 28 2008 at 2:00 AM Rating: Good
*
56 posts
Gear aren't extremely important early on anyways although I would suggest to wear full NQ clothing though. I also do agree about prommy also. Because the Eisen at that level offers the best vit compared to any other gear.

Actually the armor just gets degraded. stats increase like Vitality is changed to the specific level, defense is lowered to the specific level. Certain stats are taken off because they add major hate ... I mean a pld with full af already has +8 enmity.... also the fact that certain stats aren't even added to any other armor at lower levels means that it gives you an edge .... which is a bad thing for new players. One reason why armor stats at high level gets degraded and other stats getting completely taken off.

Nonetheless, I look forward to this update as it helps many of the "not as loved" jobs to be able to party. I mean manaburn parties and 6 man bst parties ^^. TP burns wouldn't be as dominant as they are with this update possibly.
Good update, but don't skimp on gear guys.
# Aug 28 2008 at 4:42 PM Rating: Decent
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1,105 posts
Quote:
Also, low-level players need not be discouraged! Statistics on higher-level equipment (including HQ and rare items) being scaled down will be comparable to those of common items at the target level. This means that lower-level characters who have obtained special equipment via quests, notorious monsters, or HQ syntheses will still have the best gear available at their respective level!


I think this implies that it will be worse than what properly geared people are wearing. For example, a PLD in full AF (even full relic) and brought down to level 30, will likely be equal but more likely worse than the normal Eisen and will definitely be worse than Kampf.

Honestly I wish they would leave stats like -enmity, hmp, haste, and other stuff (but degraded to appropriate level). Why?

Do low level players really care if your gear is better than theirs because you're high level? No, they do not. They do care that your awesome gear is helping them get leet XP though. I don't see how making the debuffed gear suck is causing low level players to not be discouraged. If I were low level, I'd like knowing my party had leet high level gear.
Good update, but don't skimp on gear guys.
# Aug 29 2008 at 10:49 AM Rating: Excellent
**
463 posts
It's not to help out the low-level players in your party, it's to help out the market and to keep the crafters from starting a revolt.

If everyone wore scaled-down 75 gear because it was better than what you could get at lower levels, low-level gear would become pretty hard to find.

So in a way, it is helping out the low-level players...It's ensuring that they won't have to go through hell to get decent gear.
*crosses fingers*
# Aug 27 2008 at 9:18 AM Rating: Decent
Lets just hope we don't end up with a bunch of 75's that are horrendously underskilled and don't know how to play their jobs because they leveled the entire way in the dunes...
Ballanced
# Aug 27 2008 at 8:06 AM Rating: Good
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178 posts
Speculation (Take it how you will):

If I had to guess, I would say they reason why the chose to keep the DMG, DEF, HP, MP, Status Effects, Accuracy+, Attack+, Ranged Accuracy+, Ranged Attack+, Magic Accuracy+, and Magic Attack+ attributes on equipment is that they are easy to proportionally decrease. It seems somewhat likely that they will keep a pattern not unlike the CoP rings. The only difference I anticipate is that they will probably make it so that the stats are all but removed at 15 or so, and don't really start showing up until around 30 (around when most existing equipment starts to get nicer bonuses). So using one of their items as an example, I'm thinking it might look something like this:

Quote:
Ex. 2) Askar Zucchetto (Lv. 75)
DEF: 23 STR+4 DEX+4 VIT+4 Haste +4%
Set: Max HP Boost



At level 15:

Askar: Def: 4
Kingdom Bandana: Def: 7 HP+6 AGI+1


At level 30:

Askar: Def: 9 STR+1 DEX+1 VIT+1
Empress Hairpin: HP-15 DEX+3 AGI+3 Evasion+10


At level 45:

Askar: Def: 13 STR+2 DEX+2 VIT+2
Voyager's Sallet: STR+3 DEX+4


At level 60:

Askar: Def: 18 STR+3 DEX+3 VIT+3
AF Head Item: Stats vary

I'm at least hoping it goes something like this, because to me at least, this makes 75 gear reasonable to wear but not overpowering.

On a side note, it's too bad they're planning to remove "MP Recovered while healing" altogether. I was really hoping I could wear a Dark/Pluto Staff at any level and get at least some degree of benefit.
hmmm...
# Aug 26 2008 at 10:21 PM Rating: Decent
looking at his soon to be worthless guide beret... but on the down side have they thought about the loljobs (whichever one it turns out to be with each update) sometimes they get an invite because they are the only ones in their lvl range looking for a party... sounds cool but not sure how this is really gonna work
Huzzuh
# Aug 26 2008 at 8:58 PM Rating: Default
Time to take my mule that is level 13 and place it away from gaining any experience points and make it the target player so I can level my way to 14 forever on my main. This should be fun for my puppetmaster (seeing as there are no level requirements for the attachments and thus making the early levels incredibly easy).
Huzzuh
# Aug 27 2008 at 8:04 AM Rating: Good
*
89 posts
When Level Sync is in effect, players will gain 100% of the experience and limit points possible to gain at their reduced level. Be aware, though, that no EXP will be gained if the target player is unconscious, removed from the party, too far away from the battle location, or otherwise unable to receive EXP at the time the monster is defeated.
In addition, the amount of EXP lost when rendered unconscious will be calculated based upon the player's reduced level.


I take this to mean that you cannot have a static level indefinitely unless you just keep killing your synch target. In order to gain experience for everyone, the target player must also gain experience with you. No gain for target nets zero gain for everyone else.
yeah
# Aug 26 2008 at 5:12 AM Rating: Default
this idea will be choice but i doubt my blm will have the baseline mana to cast Am 2 spells that would just be crazy theyd actualy need to unlcok more advanced mage jobs to profom those advanced spells at such a lower lvl but we can leave that to Se
yeah
# Aug 26 2008 at 9:45 AM Rating: Decent
wrong spot. sorry

please delete this one

Edited, Aug 26th 2008 1:44pm by ShammyWrathBH
low level gear
# Aug 26 2008 at 5:00 AM Rating: Good
**
950 posts
Quote:
Also, low-level players need not be discouraged! Statistics on higher-level equipment (including HQ and rare items) being scaled down will be comparable to those of common items at the target level. This means that lower-level characters who have obtained special equipment via quests, notorious monsters, or HQ syntheses will still have the best gear available at their respective level!


I take this to mean there will still be reason to keep low level gear if you want to be uber-leet while you level making all the comments about low level gear market going down and making CoP and BCNM easier kind of mute. But hell I'll take inv+20 or so and be a little gimp for helping other people.
Square Enix is taking players advice OMFG
# Aug 26 2008 at 12:37 AM Rating: Default
Wow man reading what SE just said gave me a biner man its almost better then sex.....NOT!. but still on to the main thing i wanna say... i think SE is actually listening to us now. /clap /praise Keep listening SE
#REDACTED, Posted: Aug 26 2008 at 12:04 AM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) Wow! Very nice. Almost enough to get me to come back to it. ALMOST.
problem.
# Aug 25 2008 at 8:30 PM Rating: Decent
Thief's Knife
*****
15,054 posts
This will make level capped BCNMs much easier because for some jobs (e.g RNG) even with scaled down stats lvl 75 gear will still provide much larger bonuses than anything at the level of the cap.

Edited, Aug 26th 2008 12:30am by Lobivopis
____________________________
Final Fantasy XI 12-14-11 Update wrote:
Adjust the resolution of menus.
The main screen resolution for "FINAL FANTASY XI" is dependent on the "Overlay Graphics Resolution" setting.
If the Overlay Graphics Resolution is set higher than the Menu Resolution, menus will be automatically resized.


I thought of it first:

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=130073657654872218#20
lol
# Aug 25 2008 at 7:33 PM Rating: Good
imagine meriting in promy-areas.. or in the aquaducts.. or sacrarium... lol blm burn partys on worms in the maze of shak. with af or better.. arrow burn partys on anything... lol wow >< i wet my pants
This is fantastic.
# Aug 25 2008 at 5:11 PM Rating: Decent
WOW,

now this is just FREAKING SWEET. ESPECIALY since you can still gain exp. this means, that jobs that have trouble gaining exp at a certain range, but have passed a range in which they get invites a whole lot, they can just do leveling with people of that level, which is also a good thing for said low level people, seeing as the people of the popular job are uqite likely to have already passed the level.
Merit Pt
# Aug 25 2008 at 3:15 PM Rating: Excellent
Merit pt do you need it
Gather togeater Valkerm Dunes
o.o
# Aug 25 2008 at 2:58 PM Rating: Decent
***
1,853 posts
One thing I wish they addressed: EXP loss. Will exp loss be as much as your main level, or as the synched level?
o.o
# Aug 25 2008 at 3:04 PM Rating: Excellent
Mistress of Gardening
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14,661 posts
DigiDude wrote:
One thing I wish they addressed: EXP loss. Will exp loss be as much as your main level, or as the synched level?



In addition, the amount of EXP lost when rendered unconscious will be calculated based upon the player's reduced level.
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amazing
# Aug 25 2008 at 2:51 PM Rating: Default
I love this idea, I think while under the cap on lvl a player should also have /blockaide on at alltimes without the option to remove it. The only thing I want to know is what happens to job abilities, spells, ws, merited abilities? Can u picture a 19war no sub in a pt with a thf and drg poping light and blm landing am2 mb's? I mean along as everything remains balanced this is one of the most amazing updates in the history of this game!
amazing
# Aug 25 2008 at 6:09 PM Rating: Excellent
**
490 posts
Can't happen. If all the players are level 17, they won't have access to the WSs needed to do a light SC.

They will all be treated as lvl 17 chars, with level 17 skills/abilities/spells.
amazing
# Aug 26 2008 at 6:20 AM Rating: Excellent
***
1,104 posts
Seconded!

Not sure where many people are getting the idea that if a lvl 75 Blm is invited to a lvl 20 party that only the lvl is changed for the Blm. It isn't just the lvl of the character but everything that character would have access to at that lvl. A lvl 20 Blm will not be casting Freeze on a Pugil in the Dunes if in a sync party. A Thf won't be SATA+Viper Bite or whatever at lvl 20 on Pugil onto a Pld using Sentinel.
about time
# Aug 25 2008 at 2:50 PM Rating: Decent
Shame on me for thinking that i would be able to play with my friends when i first started, i mean what i was thinking FFXI is only a MMO,...... why wouldn't i be able to play with my friends. Level Sync'n = AWESOME
Amazing
# Aug 25 2008 at 1:52 PM Rating: Good
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1,072 posts
Quote:
3)There will be a buffer period of thirty seconds when deactivating Level Sync.


This is the best part. If a party member dies, the rdm, whm, pld, or anyone /whm can just turn off level synch, raise, and reapply it with low downtime for the party.

It could also be handy when a bad link occurs. Just have a higher level member turn off their level synch, clear all the adds, and re-apply it 30 seconds later.

I also await the day when you hear "I am sick of zoning this gob smithy for the 10th time. Turning off synch. BRB..." After the gobs are purged, the normal party resumes.
30 Delay
# Aug 26 2008 at 6:28 AM Rating: Good
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1,104 posts
As I was thinking about this yesterday when I read and posted, I feel the 30 second buffer needs to be increased to 3 minutes at a minimum. I feel that dropping a player, turning of the sync to handle a bad pull or link or agro is more less defeating the purpose of some of the new players in the party to learn their mistake or how to handle a situation without being bailed out by a high lvl character.

Now that is just me and do feel the system is going to rock but new players still need to learn, understand, manage and handle situations.
30 Delay
# Aug 26 2008 at 9:07 AM Rating: Excellent
Stucco wrote:
As I was thinking about this yesterday when I read and posted, I feel the 30 second buffer needs to be increased to 3 minutes at a minimum. I feel that dropping a player, turning of the sync to handle a bad pull or link or agro is more less defeating the purpose of some of the new players in the party to learn their mistake or how to handle a situation without being bailed out by a high lvl character.

Now that is just me and do feel the system is going to rock but new players still need to learn, understand, manage and handle situations.


I read this as a 30-second delay between deactivating Level Sync and actually losing level cap. So as long as your party can hold off that link for 30 seconds...
And you certainly don't expect to be at your full level 75 HP/MP, do you?
I guess we'll find out for sure in September, but we can imagine the shenanigans...

(THF) incoming link
(PLD) ugh, i'm still hurting from that last fight
(PLD) dropping level sync...

PLD's level restriction will be removed in 30 seconds.
PLD uses Provoke on the Goblin Buttkicker.
The Goblin Buttkicker hits PLD for 23 damage.
PLD's level restriction will be removed in 20 seconds.
The Goblin Buttkicker hits PLD for 28 damage.
PLD's level restriction will be removed in 10 seconds.
(PLD) come on, hurry!
The Goblin Buttkicker hits PLD for 22 damage.
(PLD) ack, only2hp left!
PLD's level restriction wears off.
(PLD) whew!
(PLD) about time

The Goblin Buttkicker misses PLD.
The Goblin Buttkicker misses PLD.
The Goblin Buttkicker misses PLD.
(PLD) haha
PLD hits the Goblin buttkicker for 523 damage.
The Goblin Buttkicker's spikes do 2 damage to PLD.
PLD falls to the ground.
PLD falls to level 74.

(PLD) ...


Just sayin'... >.>;

Edited, Aug 26th 2008 2:07pm by Nupinu
30 Delay
# Aug 27 2008 at 11:25 AM Rating: Good
***
1,104 posts
That is more or less one way it can go but I have never had a lvl 25 goblins spikes do any damage to me at 75 :)

Plus, if there is a link, one would get a good ways from the party, exit party, turn sync off, voke, flash whatever from maximum distance and kite for 30 seconds. Much more doable that way then tanking it during that 30 seconds. Again, I personally feel the sync delay should be long to prevent any attempt to abuse it. I voke alot and 30 seconds goes by pretty quick.

woot
# Aug 25 2008 at 1:49 PM Rating: Good
***
3,285 posts
holy **** I picked a good time to come back and play.
Maybe now...
# Aug 25 2008 at 1:46 PM Rating: Good
49 posts
Maybe now I can Get C.O.P started and get access to the Tavnazian Archipelago
Praise Altana!
# Aug 25 2008 at 1:32 PM Rating: Good
Praise Altana! A day of joy has finally arrived! No one will ever not have BLM @ 75 ever again. Manaburn ftfw yo! LS's will be getting all those Must Have jobs levelled for all their members. Thumbs Up SE! I see no down side to this, yet.
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