[dev1007] Voidwatch Emerges

[dev1007] Voidwatch Emerges!
What Is Voidwatch?
In Voidwatch, bands of six to eighteen members will square off against “Voidwalkers,” savage entities that have breached planar bounds to invade multiple landscapes spanning past and present. By slaying these manifestations of terror, you and your stalwart comrades will gradually come to discover the true nature of the threat that has all of Vana’diel up in arms.

The May 9, 2011 version update introduces the first installment of this new challenge, and readies eighteen fields whereupon you will duel the dreaded Voidwalkers. The battle will expand to yet more areas in ensuing releases.
*Accessing this content requires the purchase and registration of the “Wings of the Goddess” expansion.



Participation Requirements
Level 75 or above.
Possession of the following key items:
Adventurer’s Certificate / Stratum Abyssite / Voidstone
Affiliation with the Allied Forces of Altana.


Progressing Through the Ops
Voidwatch Ops are broken down into three distinct jurisdictions as follows:

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
San d’Oria East Ronfaure Ordelle’s Caves Jugner Forest King Ranperre’s Tomb
East Ronfaure Jugner Forest
Bastok North Gustaberg Gusgen Mines Pashhow Marshlands Dangruf Wadi
North Gustaberg Pashhow Marshlands
Windurst West Sarutabaruta Maze of Shakhrami Meriphataud Mountains Outer Horutoto Ruins
West Sarutabaruta Meriphataud Mountains



[1] Acquiring the Key Items
The “stratum abyssite” and “voidstone” key items can be acquired by speaking to one of the Voidwatch officers posted at the following locations:
Southern San d’Oria (L-9) / Bastok Markets (G-5) / Windurst Waters (G-5) / Southern San d’Oria (F-9) / Bastok Markets (D-11) / Windurst Waters (G-5)

Stratum Abyssite
Stratum abyssite are permanent key items and need only be obtained once. There exist three types, each corresponding to a jurisdiction as follows:
San d’Oria: Crimson Stratum Abyssite
Bastok: Indigo Stratum Abyssite
Windurst: Jade Stratum Abyssite
Voidstones
These magicked stones find use across all jurisdictions. Information regarding voidstone stock and issuance can be confirmed by speaking with a Voidwatch Officer NPC.

[2] Undertaking Voidwatch Ops
Voidwatch Officer NPCs will assign you an operation based on your current progress, after which you must make your way to the designated operation site. Players may choose to utilize the teleportation service offered by the nearby Atmacite Refiner NPC in exchange for cruor (the same substance as that found in Abyssea).



[3] Battling Voidwalkers
Each Voidwatch operation takes place at one of three predetermined “planar rifts,” weak points in the fabric of space. Enemy strength and spoils obtainable will not be affected by the choice of rift.



To spawn a Voidwalker and initiate battle, simply examine a planar rift while in possession of the requisite key items. Combatants have thirty minutes to dispatch their foe, after which time the Voidwalker will disappear and the operation will be deemed a failure.
*A single voidstone will be expended for all who possess one, and not only the character who initiated battle. While those without a voidstone can still participate, their reward will be limited to experience points and cruor.



The “Voidwatcher” status will be bestowed upon players for the duration of a Voidwatch operation.
*Players will be unable to benefit from the effects of Signet and Sigil during this time.



[4] Obtaining Spoils
At the successful completion of battle, a mysterious “riftworn pyxis” will manifest from the planar rift and remain for three minutes. All combatants may examine the pyxis, the contents of which will differ for each person. Players can improve both the quantity and quality of their spoils as well as obtain rare atmacite and periapt key items by manipulating “spectral alignment” values as outlined below.


Spectral Alignment
There exist five lights in the existential spectrum. Their alignment values can be enhanced to produce the following benefits:
Blue: Increases reward quantity.
Red: Increases reward quality.
Yellow: Increases experience yield.
Green: Increases cruor yield.
White: Increases chances of atmacite and periapt obtainment.
The alignment values for the above can be enhanced via the two methods below.
(1) Trading “ascent items” to a planar rift ahead of battle. Doing so will enhance alignment values for that player only.
Ascent items can be obtained in the following ways:
Purchased with cruor from a Voidwatch Officer.
Purchased with Conquest Points from a Conquest Guard.
Purchased with Imperial Standings from an Imperial Guard.
Purchased with Allied Notes from an Allied officer.
Found in a treasure casket.


(2) Striking Voidwalker weaknesses.
Doing so will enhance alignment values for all combatants.
*Alignment values increased via ascent items are reset when the player opens a riftworn pyxis.
*Alignment values increased by striking enemy weaknesses are reflected in pyxis content and reset at the end of battle.
*Enhanced values will not benefit combatants who did not expend a voidstone at the commencement of battle. In this case, the portion of alignment enhanced via ascent items will be carried over.


Atmacite and Periapt
Atmacite
By infusing yourself with atmacite using a specific key item, it is possible to enhance your fighting prowess during Voidwatch Ops. Furthermore, atmacite can be upgraded in stages by enriching it with cruor. Detailed information on the infusion, purging, and enrichment of atmacite can be obtained via Atmacite Refiner NPCs and planar rifts.
Periapt
These talisman-like objects bestow myriad benefits upon their bearers, such as reducing waiting time for voidstone issuance and enhancing the bonuses granted by ascent items.
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If you wish to discuss or submit feedback on this topic, please use the [dev1007] tag.

Have no idea why so many of the words were striked.

It's a government conspiracy, bro!

Forget about Voidwatch, there's no such thing as Voidwatch.

Also, I found it interesting you can procure cruor, and trigger weaknesses.. Looks like we don't get to leave Abyssea behind :L

I hope they don't have atmas atleast, that'd be... boring.

Atmacite and Periapt
Atmacite
By infusing yourself with atmacite using a specific key item, it is possible to enhance your fighting prowess during Voidwatch Ops. Furthermore, atmacite can be upgraded in stages by enriching it with cruor. Detailed information on the infusion, purging, and enrichment of atmacite can be obtained via Atmacite Refiner NPCs and planar rifts.
Periapt

Atmacite? Atmas outside Abyssea (sorta)? O.o

PLANAR RIFTS?!

Didn't read it fullway through. This is going to be glorious -_-

As long as they don't make brews available outside Abyssea, this still shows promise I guess >.<

Oh look. New abyssea add on.

Past area names. [ S ] is the BBCode for strike-through.

using a brew outside would be kinda fun >_>;
...

but then again... @.@

i wonder if that's why they made hnm pop only >:
i wonder, i wonder.

:3

Empyrean weapon upgrade items are totally coming from these T4 voidwatch nms. Totally.

I am kinda dissapointed actully. It all sounds like another abyssea expansion outside of abyssea. We get to use some kinf of buff only available in the Ops. Use cruor to get it.... Sounds just like more abyssea style BC. It's just more FFXI Easy Mode.

it's abyssea without atma's!

Its all going to end in tears.

There are atmas... it's already been said

oh, thank god then lol

Sigh :/

Casuals ruin everything

Back in my day we didn't need atma to take down the baddies.

It's the same, just called Atmacite. Maybe a different name to make them look like something different from abyssea ut is actually the same.

Planar Rifts. What the heck, seriously? Really, SE? Really?

In respects to the actual event, I am dissapoint. It's just abyssea outside of abyssea, I was hoping for something not abyssea.

They need to ditch the whole abyssite ***. If anything, I'm more interested to go Kindred crest farming and do the new BCNMs.

because [ s ] is code for strikeout.

change it to (s) and you shouldn't have a problem

Have you taken down the big abyssea baddies without any Atma? Not like it forces you to use them or cruor buffs.

I found some original SE concept art for the Voidwatch Officer NPC which actually simplifies things a lot.

Yo dawg, we heard you like abyssea, so we made another abyssea so you can abyssea while you arent in abyssea.

...What? You don't like abyssea...?

if RR comes back illll... D: QQ

Incredibly disappointed with this. So much for post-Abyssea content.

Also I like how they say yellow not grellow. Means its not grellow! now we can start calling it yellow.