2007 - (08/21/2007) The Chocobo Circuit



For months now, the denizens of Vana'diel have been racing the chocobos they have lovingly reared. Starting this month, the new Chocobo Circuit will allow adventurers to join teams and vie in direct competition for points, bragging rights, and items. Players will also get the chance to put their money where their mouth is with the introduction of chocobets.

What is the Chocobo Circuit?
By popular demand of breeders from all corners of the world wishing to prove the superiority of their birds, the Chocobo Circuit has opened at last. By now, many adventurers have gotten a taste of how fun and challenging chocobo racing can be. This will be the last major update to chocobo racing. Any future changes will only be minor modifications.

After painstakingly raising chocobos from the shell to the stables, breeders can now enter them in races against other adventurers from around Vana'diel. In addition, both breeders and common spectators alike can now enjoy a day at the races, complete with chocobets which allow you to lay down gil on the birds of your choice! These features will make the Circuit an enjoyable pastime not only for those already hooked on chocobo racing, but also for those who have yet to try their hand at it.

Adventurer Races
Adventurer Races will follow the same basic format as current chocobo races. The main difference is that players may now compete against other players. Players will be able to earn gil, as well as accumulate points that will unlock other races and items.

Below is an explanation of some of the points of difference between current chocobo racing and the new Adventurer Races:

- Race Participation Unlike current NPC races, Adventurer Races will allow a large number of PC participants to compete against one another, much like Ballista. After participating in a race, players will be required to undergo a waiting period before being eligible to race again. This is to prevent some players from monopolizing the race system (and to give chocobos their much-needed rest!).

- Victory Points In addition to being awarded gil and chocobucks, players can also amass Victory Points for their triumphs at the races. The winner of a race will receive a certain number of Solo Victory Points, and the team with which they are affiliated at the time will be granted Team Victory Points as well.

- Solo Victory Points Accumulating a certain number of Solo Victory Points will give players access to higher-grade races. In such races the stakes are much greater, as participants will be fighting for more prestigious titles, larger purses, and better prizes.

- Team Victory Points The three officially recognized racing teams of San d'Oria, Bastok, and Windurst will acquire Team Victory Points every time one of their members wins a race. These points will be tallied in the same manner as Conquest Points to determine weekly standings. The first place team will have unique items available for chocobuck purchase, as well as offer its members other benefits at the track.

Chocobets
A chocobet is a gil wager made on an Adventurer Race. When placed, a player picks the two chocobos that they believe will finish in first and second place. Winning bets will pay back an amount determined by the size of the bet and the odds for that race.

The details of chocobetting are described below.

- Placing a chocobet All racetracks have a Chocobet Center where players can purchase Chocobet Tickets. The value of the ticket is determined by the number of quills the player would like to buy (1 quill = 100 gil). A single Chocobet Ticket can contain up to 999 quills. Because of the nature of the betting system, direct control in races will be prohibited to prevent any misappropriation of gil.

- Odds Odds determine how much gil a player can win per quill. They may be different for any given race, and for any two-chocobo pairing you select. The final amount of a player's winnings is calculated based on the number of quills on the Chocobet Ticket and the odds. When a chocobo pairing is not favored to win, and consequently has few bets placed on it, the odds for that pairing will be relatively high. Players stand to win more money, should they bet on such a pairing and win. Conversely, well-known chocobos with a good chance of finishing in the top two will generally be the pick of many Chocobet Tickets. These pairings will therefore have relatively lower odds, resulting in less gil per quill. Of course, should a player lose, they will receive no gil, regardless of any odds. While we hope that players will enjoy the new racing and betting system, we also ask that they understand the risks involved and act responsibly.