Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia
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| Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia | |
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| Developer(s) | Square Enix |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix |
| Release date(s) | September 21, 2004 |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG expansion |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 |
| Media | DVD, CD-ROM |
Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia (ファイナルファンタジーXI プロマシアの呪縛 Fainaru Fantajī Irebun Puromashia no Jubaku?, lit. Final Fantasy XI Curse of Promathia) is the second expansion pack for the MMORPG Final Fantasy XI for the PlayStation 2 video game console and Windows PCs. It expands the world of Vana'diel by adding new locations, non-player characters (NPCs), and enemies.
Chains of Promathia was released simultaneously in the United States, Japan, and Europe on September 21, 2004 for both the PS2 and PC. It should also be noted that the PAL version of Final Fantasy XI was also released for the PC in Europe on September 16, 2004, with the base version, the Rise of the Zilart expansion pack and Chains of Promathia.
Square Enix, Inc. published Chains of Promathia.
Contents |
[edit] Packaging artwork
 Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia |
[edit] New areas
- Tavnazian Safehold
- Lufaise Meadows
- Misareaux Coast
- Sacrarium
- Riverne - Site #A01/#B01
- Phomiuna Aqueducts
- Uleguerand Range
- Pso'Xja
- Carpenter's Landing
- Phanauet Channel
- Oldton/Newton Movalpolos
- Attohwa Chasm
- Bibiki Bay
- Manaclipper
- Promyvion Holla/Mea/Dem/Vahzl
- Al'Taieu
- Grand Palace of Hu'Xzoi
- The Garden of Ru'Hmet
- Limbus - Apollyon/Temenos
- Dynamis - Valkurm/Buburimu/Qufim/Tavnazia
Battlefield areas
- Monarch Linn
- Sealion's Den
- Bearclaw Pinnacle
- The Shrouded Maw
- Mine Shaft #2716
- Boneyard Gully
- Spire of Holla/Mea/Dem/Vahzl
- Empyreal Paradox
[edit] Reception
Chains of Promathia remains a divisive expansion among the Final Fantasy XI player-base. The first expansion had added three new jobs to the game and, prior to the release of Chains of Promathia, there was a strong expectation that it would follow suit. The eventual revelation that the focus of the expansion would be upon new missions and that no new jobs would be included shocked and disappointed a large proportion of the player-base.
For many, this disappointment was compounded by the difficulty level of the new missions. The extreme difficulty of even the earliest missions in the expansion favoured players who had both strong individual skills and the support of a network of highly organised friends. At the same time, the decision that many of the new missions should be level capped (where participating players have their level temporarily reduced for the duration of the mission) meant that players with high level jobs at the time when the expansion was released could not leverage this to their own advantage and were forced to invest in lower level gear. An update released shortly after Chains of Promathia slightly reduced the difficulty of the earliest missions but this did not go far enough to address the concerns of many.
However, there is a second influential school of thought which holds that Chains of Promathia was a valuable expansion, due to the level of challenge it presented to experienced players. Many players enjoy the game-style promoted by Chains of Promathia, with its heavy emphasis upon both group tactics and individual skill, recognising that these are almost unique to the expansion, as much of the rest of Final Fantasy XI's content can be brute-forced by large numbers of high level players. The sense of achievement upon beating the last of the expansion's missions is widely held to be unparalleled by anything else within the game. Many players also point to Chains of Promathia's storyline as a particular strength, noting that it is close in complexity and narrative style to the storylines for which the single-player Final Fantasy games are famous. Additionally, many players see the level caps in earlier missions as beneficial, as they allow lower-level players to participate. An example of this is how players must be at or above level 65 to feasibly begin the Rise of the Zilart missions, as opposed to players only needing to be level 30 to begin the Chains of Promathia missions.
[edit] External links
- PlayOnline.com, with links to the official FFXI sites for Europe, Japan, and the US
- Chains of Promathia Review
- FFXI Final Fantasy XI QuetzalCoatl Daily News - FFXI QuetzalCoatl Server Community
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