20th Anniversary Expectations...

They did not say that, and were in fact very careful to avoid saying that anything in particular was coming for the month of the anniversary.

Yup, you are right, Geriond. I went back through the communications and patch release notes where they talk about content and news and they never state anything is tied to the anniversary. They mention a lot of things, but it never says anything about it launching or being a part of the Vana'versary.

By being vague they never get caught lying

Something "Big" (at some point before the end of) the 20th Anniversary! (meaning the entire year, sometime before the 21st anniversary)

The VR storyline and everything that springs from that is a big addition is it not? not sure how you can say it's anything else.

Also the new menu music isn't for the 20th, they always change that music with new storylines. It's the VR menu music.

The quotes that originally got me from 2019 and 2020 went along the lines of:

"At the end of the show we mentioned that starting next fiscal year, we’re going to focus our development and operations on a long-term goal of the twentieth anniversary. As such, there may be some time where the version updates may feel a bit lighter, but we’re hoping to be able to deliver something that can surprise everyone later on.”

"And of course, 2022 is a big year for Final Fantasy XI as it celebrates it's 20th anniversary"

I had initially hoped that would mean a major announcement, especially as we had that huge uptick of interest in the game in 2020.

Hopes turned to dreams turned to ash...

(lies, I'm really enjoying TVR)

At this point in the life of the game, anything they do will presumably need to scale with minimal or little effort. Unless they add a ranked augment system on top of +2/+3 upgrades, my expectation would be that Empyrean pieces and new content will act as more of a bridge between what is currently available and most of the Odyssey gear. I doubt we'll see some major game breaking changes from it, although my hope is that it improves the feasibility of some jobs. Personally, I think Odyssey is the main endgame we'll have going forward and anything that fills that cap would be to improve balance or viability of jobs.

I think they see Odyssey as a solution to providing endgame content they can scale upwards with relatively minimal effort. They can continue to scale MLs, then raise vengeance levels and the available ranks, or even add new tier 4 mobs, all without having to introduce any major system changes, game breaking features, or work. The problem, like you mention, is that it's a bit of a drag and it's easy to hit a brick wall with progression. My hope is that these changes will help break that wall a bit, give people something to work towards without such a rigid meta, and then have more options for the Gaol fights.

They'd be foolish to introduce new content as rigid as Odyssey is. Given how accessible the story missions have been, short of farming annoying mobs, I'm expecting more casual (e.g. alliance) content that is not as rigid but also has lower rewards than maxed out Odyssey gear except for a few macro pieces, the way it is now with a lot of JSE pieces, and r20+ Odyssey gear will continue to expand and be the main endgame pieces to work towards.

How do you keep your expectations low but keep hope alive, while having a semi-positive outlook on this?

Literally asking for this from anyone who has experience. I'll take it for this 20th anniversary event and apply it to real life as well.

You won't get an answer to that. You can't ask an addict how they stay addicted. They just do.

(Coping and delusion is the answer though)

I do it by not having my life's enjoyment and fulfillment rely on FFXI getting attention from SE. I have other video games, friends, and hobbies that are perfectly serviceable for me to partake in as the fun FFXI gives me waxes and wanes.

When the new endgame eventually hits I'll likely have fun with it, but it doesn't matter to me if it comes next month or 4 months from now because I have plenty of things to keep me occupied outside of it.

Delusion. My specialty. <3

New endgame content is coming, just not for the 20th anniversary.

A full VR remake is coming, just not in this century.

SE taking development tips from Lionel Hutz:

20th anniversary updates. No money required!

20th anniversary updates? No, money required!

The best part is RadialACKSHUALLY running interference for SE on this though. Always gets a chuckle out of me.

get back to work pleb

I am at work. Keep up the shilling!

It's just kinda lame if you ask me. It reminds me of those mini expansions we got. Everyone was underwhelmed with them and the stories were meh. I think they need a full blown expansion to inject more life into the game and keep it going longer.

Anyone got the link to the real update notes?

This looks like a late april fools joke...

Campaign 1: 20th Vana'versary Nomad Mog Bonanza Marbles On Sale
Will you be lucky and claim one of these wondrous prizes? Enjoy double the purchases of previous events!

Campaign 2: 20th Vana'versary Event: Manadragora Mania Madness
During the campaign, try your hand at the special 20th Vana'versary event—Mandragora Mania Madness—and receive a moogle shirt and a variety of other items to help you in your adventures.

Campaiagn 3: A.M.A.N. Trove Bounty Campaign
In this campaign, players will receive two silver A.M.A.N. vouchers the first time they log in each day. Collect these vouchers to participate in A.M.A.N. Trove, a battlefield where you can open up to 10 treasure coffers. You might even get some item level 119 gear!

Campaign 4: Spring Alter Ego Extravaganza
Don't miss this chance to get your hands on some alter egos you may have missed previously! Bring along some storied companions with you on your journeys and you'll never have to solo again!

Campaign 5: May 2022 Login Campaign
Receive a special mount—the Noble Chocobo—and snag alter ego ciphers appearing in previous login campaigns! Don't miss this chance to flesh out your roster, and grab yourself an alter ego of Shantotto II!

Campaign 6: Discount Campaign
The Vana'diel Collection 4 for Windows will be available at a specially discounted price! Enjoy all that Vana'diel has to offer at a low, low cost! Additionally, the World Transfer Service will similarly have its price reduced, so take this opportunity to join your friends who reside on a different world.

LIES! You can open up to 11...

Not true, if you open the 10th coffer it will be the NM and you die. If you open the center coffer as the 10th then you have finished.
You cannot open the 11th.

All other chests despawn when the mimic pops so there's nothing left to open.

https://www.siliconera.com/final-fantasy-xi-20th-anniversary-livestream-will-be-over-5-hours-long/

I'm so glad other people are adamant on spending their time on finding these things so I don't have to.

The art is cute, I will let it slide this time. :)

give us an option like DQ 10, that we can hire Players as trusts for some gill, that mechanic made DQ10 great i don't want to yell 2 hours for ambu >.<