The 9th Vana'diel Census (06/22/2009)

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Introduction
On May 16, 2009, FINAL FANTASY XI celebrated the seven-year anniversary of its launch in Japan! This past year has brought us the first of three new add-on scenarios featuring a variety of new stories expanding on the world of FINAL FANTASY XI.

To better understand the game’s players, we tried something different for the 9th Vana’diel Census and performed a preliminary survey. Using the results of the survey for reference, we’ve attempted to show the current state of the community by analyzing and looking at the data from every side possible!


 * All research is based off data obtained May 2009.

Login Distribution
The below graphs represent the login data for the third week in April 2009.

The simultaneous logins graph shows that there are always a considerable number of players logged in to FINAL FANTASY XI at any time, this number increasing at the peak times of each region. The consistent player presence within the game helps create a healthy environment for player communication and community activities.


 * « Simultaneous Logins » *Indicated in JST



Now let’s take a look at how much time players spend logged into the game each day. According to data acquired from the servers, 85% of players are logged in to FINAL FANTASY XI for an average of 1 to 3 hours a day. This is a considerable increase from last year’s 75%.

Additionally, the average play time for a character this year comes to 126 minutes (about 2 hours and 6 minutes), a significant decrease from last year (171 minutes).


 * « Login Time Per Character »



Additionally, the average play time for a character this year comes to 126 minutes (about 2 hours and 6 minutes), a significant decrease from last year (171 minutes).


 * « How players' time is spent » *Survey results



“Leveling up/Improving skills” was the most popular answer, followed by “Obtaining items and gil,” indicating the primary activities occupying players’ time.

Quite some time has passed since FINAL FANTASY XI’s service first started, and the fact that leveling up continues to remain the most popular activity in a game populated by so many veterans is a testament to the variety of different play styles offered by FINAL FANTASY XI’s wide selection of jobs. Another likely influence is the introduction of the Level Sync system. Thanks to this system, the amount of time required to find compatible party members has been significantly reduced.

Through the addition of new features such as Campaign and Fields of Valor where even small numbers of players can enjoy themselves for short periods of time, and with the re-evaluation of the rate of experience gain, players can have fun and make progress even if they are only able to log in for a short time.

Job Levels
Next, we’re going to take a look at just how much job levels have changed in the past year.

The below graph details the level distribution of main jobs from level 2 to level 75 (excluding level 1).

As an overall trend, the levels have shifted to the higher side. This is a change we see every year and is evidence of the community’s continual growth and maturation. The most noticeable change since last year would definitely be the sudden increase in level 5 players. This is probably a result of many of our players wanting to join in the fun with last year’s Mog Bonanza (last year the Mog Bonanza required that participants be at least level 5 and purchase a Mog Bonanza Marble).

Let’s take a look at the population distribution of main jobs. Level 75, in particular, sticks out. In the first Vana’diel Census since the level cap was set at level 75 in 2004, the percentage of level 75 characters was at a measly 1.70%, but this year that percentage has climbed all the way to 15.60%! Much like last year, the percentage of characters from level 2 to level 30 has decreased and the percentage of characters level 31 and up has continued to grow. It is clear that the reason for these changes is due to the introduction of the Level Sync system, the increase in the amount of experience gained from monsters below “decent challenge,” and the addition of the Fields of Valor.


 * « Main Job Level Distribution (Level 2-75) »




 * « Main Job Distribution (Level 1) »

« Main Job Level Distribution (Level 2-75) »

Jobs
This section looks at the distribution of jobs and the most popular combinations for main and support jobs. This year, we used both in-game data and the results of the preliminary survey for the analysis.

For the breakdown of players’ main jobs, we used the results from the survey for the question “What is your favorite main job?” and the data from the game regarding which main jobs players had actually set their characters to.

Last year, standard jobs made up 74% of the jobs in the game, but this year that percentage has dropped to 62% as the percentage of extra jobs rises. Even so, standard jobs continue to occupy the top 6 most popular main jobs and are in no danger of being dethroned by the extra jobs.

On the other hand, it could be said that the results of the survey represent the main jobs that have captured adventurers’ hearts. The one extra job that successfully infiltrated the top spots dominated by standard jobs is the paladin, surpassing the incredibly popular white and black mages to take the number 2 spot. Likewise, the samurai has managed to defeat such popular jobs as the warrior, monk, and thief by taking 6th place.


 * « Main Job Rankings »

[ Survey Results ] {| border="0" width="100%"
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The data in the following pie chart was taken from characters who have acquired one or more of the new extra jobs. The reason for the dancer's 13% lead over the scholar is most likely due to the difference in the difficulty in acquiring the job. It's been about six months since these jobs have become available and, since the price of the items necessary in obtaining these jobs have come down in price and several version updates have been introduced, the percentage of players who have acquired both jobs is gradually increasing.


 * ≪New Extra Job Acquisition≫

Racial Distribution
Last year we wrote: “Hume males still top the rankings this year; however, Tarutaru males are hot on their heels. If the popularity of the diminutive Windurstians continues to rise, we may see a new race in the number one position this time next year.”And, just as we had predicted, this year the Tarutaru males have overtaken the Hume males, successfully wresting away the number one position. The last time Tarutaru males actually sat in the lead was before the 2005 Vana'diel Census. We'll have to keep our eyes on both the Tarutaru males and Hume males to see what the future holds. Also on the Tarutaru front, Tarutaru females are gradually moving up the ranks and one can see that overall, the Windurstian natives are growing in popularity.


 * ≪Racial Distribution≫




 * [ Race Ranking ]

Looking at race size distribution each year, one can see that sizes fitting a race or gender's overall image are extremely popular. This year is, of course, no exception. Last year, Elvaan males' popularity moved from medium to large, and this year, the gap between medium and large grew even wider.


 * [ Race Size Distribution ]

Face Type Distribution
The number one face type for each race has remained constant with last year's. Let's take a look at the face type distribution for each race, making sure to pay attention to the minute changes from the number two position on down.

As with last year, three quarters of the male Hume face type distribution is occupied by types 1, 2, 3, and 4. There has been no change in the order of popularity, and there seems to be a balance between each of the popular 4 face types and each of the less popular 4 face types.

Just as with last year, face types 1, 2, and 3 occupy almost three quarters of the female Hume chart and the percentage difference between face types 2 and 3 decreased by 2% since last year.

Face type 1 and 7 switched places this year and returned to the same position they were 2 years ago. Where could this fierce competition take us next year?

The gap between face types 8 and 5 which had started to disappear last year has widened again this year.

Types 3, 5, and 7 have struck an almost perfect balance in their ongoing rivalry. There has been no change in face type order.

The face types being chosen are relatively balanced in popularity. Last year, the gap between face Type 1 and 4 almost disappeared, but this year they have switched places, the gap considerably widening. Now Tarutaru female face Type 4 is diligently protecting its number one position.

Types 5, 6, and 7 occupy about 70% of the chart. Of those, Type 6, by far, boasts the most popularity.

The Galka face types are still relatively balanced in popularity with Type 6 remaining the most popular choice.

Linkshells
Linkshells have become an essential part of life in Vana'diel. Linkshell members may lend you a hand in your struggles, providing you with necessary items or just helping you level up for missions and quests.

There are also many adventurers who participate in events planned out by linkshell leaders to celebrate occasions such as a friend's birthday or marriage.

Let's take a look at linkshells, those amazing tools that let us share adventures and feelings together.

We compiled data on the number of currently active linkshells. According to the data, there were a total of 44,560 linkshells active at least once a day, which comes out to an average of 1,392 linkshells per World.

As seen in the graph below, just as last year's census and the census before that, the large majority of active linkshells consist of up to 9 members. However, what's characteristically different about this year's statistics is how remarkably this percentage has increased (For reference, the percentage of linkshells with 1-9 members in the previous censuses was 72.70% in 2007 and 71.00% in 2006).

This trend establishes that many of FINAL FANTASY XI's players possess and use multiple linkshells. It could be said that this indicates an evolution in the game's community. A single player may possess multiple linkshells with different purposes, from beginner-friendly conversation linkshells to linkshells for organizing user events, or linkshells for strategizing Assault, Salvage, or Limbus on small or large scales. The proliferation of various linkshells indicates the active lifestyle that many players are enjoying in Vana'diel. Many different kinds of linkshells are created every day. Some are for adventurers who share the same goal, such as completing quests and missions or vanquishing powerful monsters, while other linkshells exist solely for conversation and small talk.

On the other hand, let's take a look at The Linkshell Community, a service made for supporting linkshells. Since the time the service started up until the present, a total of 166,144 community accounts have been registered, and a total of 29,226 communities have been established. In a recent version update, a function was added enabling users to upload images to the message board, as well as an album. The Linkshell Community is continuing to advance and evolve as the site is updated. We encourage players who have not yet given the Linkshell Community a chance to register on the site and enjoy a new level of communication with their linkshell members.

Linkshell Community： http://fanzone.playonline.com/lscom/index.do


 * ≪Linkshell Usage≫ *1 day



Items
This section will cover the most common items put up for auction, as well as the proliferation of relic-level equipment.

First, let's take a look at the data from the four auction houses. We can tell by looking at the results that there are more and more adventurers trying to improve their synthesis skills, and that users abusing auction houses for activities such as RMT are being regularly banned.

As before, about half of San d'Oria's rankings are hides and skins, but it is interesting to note that, of those hides, the dhalmel hide is steadily moving up in rank. Besides being a popular item for improving one's skills, it is also an essential material for the Square of Cilice in the quest “The Gobbiebag Part III.” It should be noted that it is one of the more expensive hides sold by the Tanners' guild. For example, sheepskin can sometimes be bought cheaper at the Tanners' guild than at the auction house, but dhalmel hide is almost always cheaper at the auction house. The reason it is bought so much from the auction house is likely because it is difficult to locally procure at places such as Buburimu Peninsula, it is just too much trouble to procure, or because it is required for a certain product's synthesis recipe. Elm log moved up from last year's number 9 position to number 4 this year. This is most likely due to the Special Task Force's activities against users selling items for RMT and, as a result, an increase in the number of players making “shihei” themselves.

[ Goods Most Placed On Auction ]

[ San d'Oria ]

The four top-ranked items for the Bastok auction house have remained unchanged for the last 3 years. Among the newly ranked items this year, number 6 “chunk of mythril ore” and number 8 “pot of honey” both caught our attention. Mythril ore is quite valuable in goldsmithing synthesis when combined with gold dust. Synthesis for goldsmithing is relatively costly, but one can use just “copper ingot” and “brass ingot” as materials to raise one's synthesis skill to 50 and, by selling the results of the synthesis to different shops, a player can raise one's skill at a relatively low cost. In other words, players are most likely synthesizing “mythril ingot” using “chunk of mythril ore” and then “pinch of gold dust” to raise their skill. Also, due to the influence of items that can be synthesized starting out with a mythril ingot, the demand for mythril ingots has been increasing recently. Pot of honey's rank on the list could be considered an obvious outcome when considering it would be inevitable for players searching for beehive chips to find them, and also because there is some demand in Bastok for pots of honey as a material in synthesis for the item “flask of echo drops.”

[ Bastok ]

Just like the other nations, the items “pot of honey” and “beetle shell” have climbed into the rankings, and “bone chip” which was ranked number 6 last year, has jumped up in rank to number 3. These are all essential items for improving one's synthesis skills, and it could be said that their low cost is the primary reason for their popularity. Beetle shells are used to synthesize ”Ponze of carapace powder” and bone chips are used to synthesize different kinds of arrowheads, but “pot of honey” is different in that not only is it used by au laits, but also used to some extent in “coeurl subs” and different kinds of cookies.

[ Windurst ]

Next, let's take a look at the rankings at Jeuno's auction house.

As is shown every year, when compared to the three starting nations, the items sold in Jeuno are generally end products rather than materials or ingredients. The reason for the meat mithkabob's unusual rank jump is partially due to the new jobs added in the latest expansion, “Wings of the Goddess.”Adventurers of various different jobs engaged in leveling up enjoy the food effects provided by meat mithkabobs to lower-level characters. Also, because “Jack-o'-Lantern” is also a viable choice depending on the situation and on one's tastes, it may have indirectly helped raise meat mithkabob's ranking. The furnishing “Bahut” exploded into the number 7 position with its quickly rising popularity. It goes without saying that its functionality is one reason for this, but considering that it can be created at a low cost with relatively low skills, its high position shouldn't come as a surprise. “Pot of silent oil” has seriously dropped in rank, but it is thought that the reason for this is the introduction of “sanjaku-tenugui.” It hasn't risen as much as Bahut, but it is battling its way up the rankings and is currently at number 16.

[ Jeuno ]

Lastly, we'll take a look at relic-level equipment, which can be acquired through each Dynamis area. As with last year's census, we'll be focusing on the number of fourth stage and completed relic items that exist in all Worlds. Once again, the most popular relic is the Aegis, boasting a total of 366 shields created. Mandau, Kikoku, and Gjallarhorn continue to be very popular, with over 200 of each created. Of the relics, the scythe Apocalypse has drastically and suddenly risen in popularity. While the weapon's performance clearly makes it desirable, its weapon skill “Catastrophe” may be the reason for its incredible popularity. A total of 141 items have been created.

This year's totals of 558 for fourth stage items and 1869 for completed relic items have far exceeded the previous year's totals of 353 and 778. The total number of final stage relics across all Worlds is rapidly approaching 2000 items.

[ Relic Acquisition (4th stage and final stage) ] *All Worlds

Synthesis Skills
In this next section, we will be taking a look at this year's data regarding synthesis skills. The last time we looked into synthesis skills was during the 2005 census. How much could synthesis skills have possibly changed in the past three years? We compiled statistics about major synthesis skills and how many characters have skill ranks of craftsman or above. Even if you're just starting out on a synthesis skill, you can use this data as a resource for finding out how many people are involved in the same synthesis skill as yourself. We have not included characters whose skills have not improved at all.


 * ≪Comparison of Skill Rank Distribution≫ (*All Worlds)


 * ≪Percentage of Characters Craftsman or above≫ (*All Worlds)

By assuming an overall view of the statistics, we can see that skill ranks for most synthesis skills have risen. This is easiest to see when looking at the “Comparison of Skill Rank Distribution” bar graphs, especially by noting the increase in characters above journeyman and craftsman. Among those skills, the three most popular are cooking, alchemy, and woodworking. The reason for their popularity is most likely due to the relative ease in raising them.


 * ≪Skill Rank Distribution≫ (*All Worlds)

The most notable characteristic about fishing is that roughly 50% of practitioners are amateurs. This is most likely due to the fact that only a fishing rod and bait are necessary to fish, and that many of the fishermen included in the statistics may have only fished once. Because fishing is an independent skill, even if another synthesis skill has reached 100, one will be able to raise fishing to 100. Despite that, however, the number of characters craftsman rank or above has not increased since the previous census, possibly due to the difficulty in raising the skill at higher ranks.

Woodworking is peculiar for having a high percentage of journeymen, indicating that many characters use it as a sub-skill. Unlike fishing, the percentage of craftsmen is gradually increasing. Considering that the percentage of veterans has increased to seven times its previous percentage, it could be said that woodworking is one of the easier skills to raise. There are many woodworking recipes that use lumber and, when making lumber from logs, if the player succeeds in a high quality synthesis, that player can receive a lot of lumber from a single log. Whether or not a player receives extra lumber may be the key to raising one's woodworking skill.

After goldsmithing, smithing has the lowest percentage of characters ranked craftsman or above, indicating that it is a very difficult skill to raise. However, for how difficult it is to raise a smithing synthesis skill, high quality items produced through smithing are sold at very high prices. If you are finding it difficult to raise your skill, keep your hand at it and you may find yourself getting rich quick!

Although the number of characters ranked craftsman or above for goldsmithing has increased since the last census, the number still remains the lowest in comparison to the other synthesis skills, and goldsmithing is still considered the most difficult skill to raise. Smithing and goldsmithing are difficult skills to raise because of the high number of recipes that require expensive materials. And, unlike woodworking, when refining ingots (the main ingredient in smithing and goldsmithing recipes), the number of items produced will not change, regardless of whether the synthesis is high quality or not. This could be said about any synthesis skill, but rather than synthesizing with costly items, it is important to check item costs at auction houses and carefully choose cheaper recipes to save gil.

Apprentices and journeymen make up about 50% of weavers. Because leathercrafting and bonecrafting have many recipes that need weaving as a sub-skill, it could be said that weaving is a necessary skill for characters involved in building armor. On the other hand, recipes at adept rank are very expensive, and it is difficult to raise one's skill to veteran. Once one's skill goes above 90, many recipes require smithing and leathercrafting as sub-skills, and one must make various investments simply to raise one's skill.

Like woodworking, there is a high percentage of journeymen, and it seems that many characters are using leathercrafting as a sub-skill. However, if you look only at the percentage of veterans, you'll note that leathercrafting has the second highest percentage of veterans among all synthesis skills and is one of the easiest skills to raise. Once a character becomes an adept, there are many recipes that require weaving or bonecrafting as sub-skills. Leathercrafters can entirely avoid recipes requiring smithing as a sub-skill for raising their skills. Also, there are many high-level recipes with materials that are relatively easy to acquire, and it is quite easy to reach the 100 skill cap when compared to other skills.

Because there are many recipes after initiate that require leathercrafting as a sub-skill, it is necessary to also raise leathercrafting skills in order to raise one's bonecrafting skills. Like leathercrafting, materials for bonecrafting recipes are easy to acquire, and few recipes require a sub-skill once one has become a veteran. However, bonecrafting has the third lowest percentage of characters craftsman rank and above, and it is quite difficult to raise one's skills from craftsman to adept.

Alchemy has the second highest percentage of characters craftsman rank and up. Once players have raised their skills to journeyman rank, they can make items that are useful within burning circles such as hi-potions, or items used for travelling through monster-infested areas such as prism powder and silent oil. Also, one reason for alchemy’s appeal is that successful high quality synthesis will yield players multiple items. With alchemy, it is possible to apply special effects to weapons or armor or to raise one’s skills through recipes that don’t require sub-skills.

Cooking has the highest percentage of characters craftsman rank and higher due to food's position as a necessary item on the battlefield. There are also many characters who continue with another skill as their main skill, while keeping cooking as a sub-skill after raising it to journeyman rank. There are many cooking recipes that use eight ingredients for a single synthesis, but because there are so many inexpensive recipes, cooking skills can be easily and steadily raised. Also, because it does not need any sub-skills, one can become a veteran through practicing cooking alone.

Chocobo Raising
We looked into the different color chocobos Vana'diel's adventurers have been raising, and came up with the following data.

At the moment, yellow chocobos are annihilating the competition, followed by black chocobos, then blue chocobos, red chocobos, and lastly by green chocobos. When a chocobo first hatches from an egg, most people note how common yellow chocobos are--an observation clearly supported by the data here.

As you are undoubtedly aware, you can acquire a chocobo egg as a reward for a quest or battlefield, as a purchase from Dabih's Wares in Ru'Lude Gardens, or another adventurer could transfer his or her chococard to you. There is no possible way of knowing what color your chocobo will be before it has hatched, but the data from our research indicates each color's likelihood.

And nowadays, with methods of chocobo rearing being expanded upon and the proliferation of chococards for colored chocobos on the increase, chocobo color percentages may be very different in next year's census.



Home Points
This year, we once again investigated all characters' home points and came up with some interesting results.

Just as was demonstrated last year, home points in the three starting nations of San d'Oria, Bastok, and Windurst are the most distinctive, with Aht Urhgan's Whitegate at number 3 and Lower Jeuno having ranked down out of the top 10.

Several explanations are provided when considering the background behind these locations, such as the popularization of transportation methods between the three starting nations and the Empire of Aht Urhgan, and between Jeuno and the Empire of Aht Urhgan. Other factors are the convenience of Outpost Teleportation and passage to the world of the past (added in Wings of the Goddess) possible from any of the areas in the three nations. It's intriguing to think of the influence that the recently introduced black magic “Retrace,” the recently introduced white magics “Recall-Jugner,” “Recall-Pashh,” and “Recall-Meriph,” and the various elements to be added in the future will have on these rankings.

[ Home Point Area Ranking ]

Expansion Data
With the release of the Wings of the Goddess expansion, the world of Vana'diel has expanded further than ever before. The following section of the census focuses on mission progression from each expansion, with data only taken from characters who have accepted mission offers.

Let's start out with the Rise of the Zilart missions. Just like last year, many characters have received offers for the last missions after Ark Angels, coming to a total of around 80% of players. Another interesting fact to note is that the percentage of characters who have accepted an offer for “The Last Verse” has increased by about 5% since last year. This is an honor that can only be enjoyed by those who have beaten all of the missions from both Rise of the Zilart and Chains of Promathia, as well as various quests. The road to beating “The Last Verse” is certainly not an easy one. However, the percentage increase may also be due to Chains of Promathia missions being made easier, and experience points no longer being lost for characters KO'd on the battlefield.

[ Rise of the Zilart Mission Progression ]

Next, we have the mission progress data for Chains of Promathia. By looking at this data, we can gather that mission progress is moving along reasonably well, just like Rise of the Zilart. Because the number of characters who have accepted mission offers for “Emptiness Bleeds” has only increased by 3% since last year, one might think that mission progress is moving slightly slower than Rise of the Zilart--but actually, the number of users who have accepted Chains of Promathia missions outnumber Rise of the Zilart users by 1.5 times. This change is actually very small.

Because of the large number of areas with level restrictions, and the elaborate care required to obtain items used to lower the overall difficulty, it's considered difficult to find party members for this particular expansion pack. However, looking at the current situation, the difficulty level has been lowered and now highly useful battlefield items can be easily found at auction houses.

Since players who have already beaten a mission's battlefield can gain additional experience points by challenging it again, this has encouraged players to cooperate with each other, making it easier for players to take on the challenges of Chains of Promathia.

[ Chains of Promathia Mission Progression ]

Next, we come to Treasures of Aht Urhgan, which had its final mission added on August 28, 2007. When last year's census was released, the most recent mission was Sentinels' Honor, and the percentage of characters that had beaten Sentinels' Honor came to 11%. According to this year's data, the total percentage of characters to have beaten the final mission Eternal Mercenary has already exceeded 15%. By looking at the percentages for each mission, we can see that missions with battlefields are somewhat higher than others.

In addition, higher percentages can be seen at missions that end in battles. Even a number like 1% equates into thousands of adventurers, so if you find that you are stuck on one of the earlier missions, chances are, many more are in the same predicament. Try shouting in Jeuno or Whitegate, and chances are you will easily find companions to come to your aid.

[ Treasures of Aht Urhgan Mission Progression ]

Now we continue on to Assault's mercenary rankings.

Because players can be promoted up to First Lieutenant by raising their mercenary assessment and passing rank evaluations, it beats Private First Class by a hair's length with 9.69%. Because players who wish to become captains need to complete all Treasures of Aht Urhgan mission and all Assaults in each area, the percentage is slightly lower.

[ Mercenary Ranking ]

And finally, we introduce data from the Wings of the Goddess expansion.

The following information may drastically change a year from now according to future version updates, but we present the results of our research into allegiance distribution in Campaign and Campaign medal acquisition.

Let's take a look at allegiance distribution first.

Since all players in the world of the past are bound to take part in the Allied Forces of Altana, and there is no identification to the same allied nation in the world of the present, players can freely pledge allegiance to any nation in the past as they please.

As a result, the percentage for each of the three nations is almost equal, with a slightly smaller percentage of players allied to the Republican Army of Bastok.


 * ≪Campaign Allegiance Distribution≫ (*All Worlds)

Let's shift our attention to Campaign medal acquisition.

The best part about Campaign lies in the ability players have to participate as their favorite job for as long as they want. As a result, players are able to acquire medals by laboriously participating in Campaign for even short periods of time.

There are various merits in acquiring such medals, but most likely the lure of Campaign ops available through higher rank medals, and the obtaining of items that can be used in trade for Allied Notes, spurs so many players forward to get better and better medals.

[ Campaign Medal Acquisition ] (*All Worlds) 

Your Voice
One of the most important elements of our community is the ability to listen to players' needs and desires. For the first time in a census, we introduce a section where we take a look at the subjects brought up in GM calls and with the Special Task Force.

The GM Call is a simple and immediate method for voicing your concerns at any time.
 * 【GM calls】

Let's take a look at how many GM calls are made at each time of the day.

The following data was taken from all GM calls made for a whole week in the middle of April 2008. The red areas indicate when the most GM calls were being made, the yellow areas indicate relatively busy times, and the green areas indicate when the least GM calls were being made. It seems that the data is perfectly lined up with the times most users for each region are logged in, but there tend to be more yellow areas on the weekends. Also, immediately after version updates, it is common for the majority of the areas to turn yellow and on some occasions, even half of the day to turn red.


 * ≪GM Calls by Region≫*Times are printed in the local time for each region.

Next, let's take a look at the topics that are being brought up in GM calls. The pie chart below is based off of the same data as the GM Calls by Region graph. The topic most brought up in GM calls is “Actions disrupting game balance” and accounts for around 30% of GM calls. The most common complaint is regarding characters suspected to be using external third-party programs and, along with “Bug reports,” has been an important source of information for the Special Task Force and FINAL FANTASY XI development team.

The second most common topic is “Inappropriate behavior.”

We have unfortunately received many reports regarding problems that should have been sorted out through conversation, growing worse and worse until a character is harming another through abuse of the game system. Through these reports and conversations, we have managed to reduce the problem and are looking into changing the game system and GM Policy in order to solve these problems in an easier manner.

The next most common topic is “Opinions/Requests.”

Subjects of all different kinds from support to the game system are being brought up in GM calls all the time. In addition to e-mails provided to us by FINAL FANTASY XI users, this is one of the main ways version updates and the GM Policy are changed.


 * ≪GM Call Topics≫

''' *For details regarding the pie chart, please click here. '''

Now let's take a look at the statistics regarding the Special Task Force.
 * 【The Special Task Force】

Since its founding in September 2006, the Special Task Force has banned around 7,000 violators of the user agreement a month, and frozen around 13,330,000,000 gil. The most important element to our activities has been the information provided by FINAL FANTASY XI users.

Let's take a look at the data regarding the mail form since its establishment in June 2007 up until March 2008, as well as the content of these reports.

A total of 66,882 e-mails have been received by the Special Task Force as of now.

The most common subject of these reports has been the use of cheats to automatically repeat particular actions.

The majority of these characters automatically engaged in particular actions have been illegally fishing on the coastline or waterside. Continuing on, the next most common reports are regarding characters known as hunters (*), the use of illegal tools/software, and the use of synthesis or auction houses for RMT. At one time, all of these violators of the user agreement ran amuck and were very common, but currently, the range of their activities has grown considerably smaller and they are heading towards extinction.


 * Hunters: Characters who kill Notorious Monsters, clear quests, and obtain items over and over again with the sole purpose of gathering gil, which is then handed off to RMT groups.

As demonstrated, the voices of FINAL FANTASY XI players allow us to gauge the community's health and are our most valuable source of information for improving the game.
 * ≪Topics in e-mails to STF≫

Because of information we've received from players and posts on community sites, we learned of the seriousness of unauthorized access and the threat it has been carrying all over the internet, as well as the importance of this problem to FINAL FANTASY XI players. As a result of our investigations into this problem, we updated our policy in April 2008, expanded the range of our aid, and greatly shortened the length of time from a request for aid until the completion of that aid.

In the background of many of our plans and policies, we have had the voices of the players in mind. They have been absolutely indispensable to all of us in the development and management teams.


 * For details on unauthorized access, please click here.

In Closing
So, how did you enjoy the 8th Vana'diel Census?

Way back in 2002, when we started the first Vana'diel Census, the FINAL FANTASY XI community was still much like a newborn child. Over the years, however, with countless version updates and several expansion packs, our world has grown to a thriving 500,000 accounts across multiple platforms and many countries. We hope that you've enjoyed this year's census as much as we did.

In the past year, there have been so many exciting events, such as Fan Festival 2007 in North America, Square Enix Party 2007 and Osaka Altana Festival in Japan, and the Games Convention in Germany. Attendants at any of these events could meet other FINAL FANTASY XI enthusiasts to share their passion for the game. The opinions and requests shared in e-mails, phone calls, and posted on community sites have strongly motivated the development and management teams to continue improving the Vana'diel experience. Be sure your voice is heard! We are working hard for you.

The six long years that you've lived in Vana'diel are comparable to the time it takes a newborn to grow up and enter elementary school. And, likewise, our community continues to change and mature as time goes on. I wonder just how our community will evolve in the future.

I look forward to seeing all of you in Vana'diel.

May 16, 2008 Sage Sundi Global Online Producer

The 8th Vana'diel Census (05/16/2008) --> }}