January 2023 Version Update

It is not a whole zone, it's a small area only around the guilds.

99.999999% of the population has no reason to go there.

It's like the sound file for the saw or whatever, so if you get close enough to hear it, you crash. Or one of npcs is corrupted, if they aren't loading in your client won't crash.

Damn I'm an idiot... looks like I somehow managed to install FFXI to 2 separate drives on my computer and the issue was I put the 121.DAT version in the wrong folder. Can confirm - the 121.DAT file did work.

Woops

Does changing to the old dat let you run by those areas once again? I havent tried because I dont want to get yeeted to the void.

Yup. I can confirm this works.

You'll also want to use the following for northern sandy -
https://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/57098/january-2023-version-update/3/#3653155

yes, it's a visual bug that isn't there if you use those files

Thx for figuring that out.

I looked at both 103 dats in polutils, and the new ones just a duplicate of every image in the dat. I'm guessing the game wants to load 1sa02_c from 103.DAT (or any other model), finds two of the same model ID, and crashes. I'm presuming 121 is the same since its also double the size. And its such a simple fix, but I presume they're too braindead to figure out how to yeet everyone from the server to force an update without actually taking down the servers, which takes like 2 hours to reboot or whatever.

Its so easy though since its all client side.
Boot someone when they zone, "game content has been updated, please return to the playonline viewer screen" or whatever, force a check version, and then they'll update the files.

It's easy to fix, and since they have not fixed it quickly it implies they have bigger problems than we know about behind the scenes possibly.

They only had budget for the 30 minute update. They put those 3 or 4 slaves back on 14 development and can't lure them back out to roll back 2 files.

#tinfoilhatmode

The ronfaure bots use the WW and Leather guilds to get 10 quests to open accolades and they think they are inhibiting them from making new accounts during double accolades! There is no other reason to be messing with guild npc dat files.

This sounds personal lol

Most companies would fix the broken software for the consumers then figure out the internal problem after the fact.

I forgot about this post and I went to north sandy for damn cypress log. Now im stuck did anyone see if SE put out a maintenance thing on game?

not yet

A lot of good a message not to do it is, after you already got stuck.

If you logged out in a guild, the hell can you do about it.

They should have known better than to log out next to the wood/leather guilds before a monthly patch that changed nothing at either of those guilds.

Start running away as soon as you log in. Worked for me at least after crashing.

"gitgud" -Tath

So which FFXI dev lurks here lol

Sadly the game closes the second I hit pick my character to log in and it does downloading data lol. I was able to log on my mule snd see myself logged in still.

Finally got around to fixing it. Closed the whole game to fix 2 files. (21)

Sweet! Thanks I'll try when I get home from work today

So I checked one of the rooms, there are changes but they aren't changes that matter. Functionally they are the same, it looks like they made minor changes to the model and fixed some minor unimportant things they were annoyed by. I still use the old file, makes no difference I've seen at all from a player perspective. There are no npc issues (npc are different files) or ??? or anything that would be a problem like that.

They also changed some textures to remove silly things you could call easter eggs, which I'm not sure I like.

I wonder how long till they remove the pinup pictures in norg!


before and after


They also did this to the main areas, such as south sandy (last month) and again nothing that seems to actually matter, but they removed a "no entry" texture and other minor things.

However it's interesting to keep in mind they are now changing zone / room files from a modding perspective, if issues arise in future. Even if it doesn't actually matter from a player perspective.

Absolute banger use of the very very very limited budget and resources being allocated to the XI devs

Next time they have a "oops we didnt have time to finish the TVR mission for this month", I'm gonna just assume they prioritized something stupid like this that no one would notice unless they knew exactly what they were looking for.

Is there a record kept anywhere, what files exactly are changed or added with each patch? I know there is a record of changes to items, but what about the actual files.

That's frankly just hilarious, how do they even have that on their docket? Was this a Jira ticket raised in 04? Because how do you even stumble across that DAT in a 20 year old game.

Stuff like this is probably done in their own time, and not part of their working day.

I seriously doubt that

I only ever hear of file changes from Sapper on Discord but I've never seen an official documented list.

LOL I had to look at this for two minutes straight to notice the Final Fantasy 11 was taken out. This such a small change, it's almost petty. Like it's been there for like 20 years, why take it out now?

As an obvious peruser of the Norg Pinups, I hope they don't take those away. :o