Say what you will about the poor feedback dialogue in Final Fantasy XIV, but you’ll be hard pressed to say the same about its long-running predecessor Final Fantasy XI, which just released a new December version update packed with fan-requested features. Plus fixes are already planned for hot-button issues.

On the topic of continued adjustments to Salvage, Einherjar and Dynamis content, Square Enix said that it’s looking at tweaking the entrance cost, minimum party size and other similar restrictions so “the widest variety of content can be enjoyed by the widest audience of players.”

The new recipe for Pet Food Eta, a biscuit passed down by the legendary beastmaster Moui and averaging 80,000 Gil apiece nowadays, might also get an ingredients nerf given popular assessment that it’s ingredients are just too difficult to obtain to be worth it. “The team shares players’ concern that this recipe is disproportionately difficult compared to existing pet food recipes, and we plan to ease the requirements to make it more readily obtainable in the future,” SE promised.

SE also plans to set up official FFXI Twitter accounts to better facilitate the question-and-answer exchange between players and development team members. Currently, personal accounts of each development team member are flooded with queries, and establishing streamlined Twitter accounts for each language should make it easier for both parties to track feedback.

Synergists will see their work spaces decked out with opulent items as the Final Fantasy XI December version update rolls in, according to new post in the official website.

Additional recipes for furnishings and tools will be available soon as the Synergy skill cap is raised to Artisan level 80 from the previous 50.

Synergy is the cooperative version of synthesis and allows up to six players to create rare items, as seen in the pictures above. While the requirements are tough, Synergy pays off quite handsomely in visually stunning collectibles. These now include guild stalls, which were first revealed back in VanaFest 2010.

Guild stalls exude the “perfect marriage between form and function,” according to Square Enix, because aside from being nice to look at, they also increase crafting skills. Many guild-exclusive wares are also craftable now via Synergy. Display these for guests to see and envy, and don’t forget to thank your friends who chipped in to build these knickknacks. In fact, you’re obliged to help them out in their Synergy attempts so get busy now!

Harvest Festival revelers can have a literal blast with the bomb decorations or team up with eager exorcists to banish unwelcome poltergeists. These tasks sound more dangerous than they actually are, like a nerdy kid dressed up in massive Frankenstein garb.

Treats also abound for those who can afford it. Harvest Festival stalls are offering everything from candies to pumpkin pies — all of which are best enjoyed under the eerie glow of a Mog House halloween lantern. Getting that rare fixture should be as easy as trick or treating when you pound the pavement hard and get all those tasks done!

Final Fantasy XIV enters its final stages of testing, shifting from a limited closed beta to a public open beta, with just a month to go before its Sept. 30 worldwide launch.

Square Enix announced via Twitter that its current closed beta ends on Aug. 25 and will be followed by an open beta in “early September.” It’s a clean slate of sorts since characters made in closed beta will be deleted presumably to make way for new open beta toons.

The open beta is one of the busiest–and most critical–phases leading up to an MMO launch due to the sheer volume of players logging into the servers. Unlike the closed beta where Square Enix could limit the participants through a predetermined number of beta keys, the open beta will be accessible to anyone with the appropriate gaming rig.

Thousands are expected to start rolling Lalafells and Elezens to get a sneak peek of FFXIV, which has been touted as a more laid-back successor to Final Fantasy XI. Casual gamers can solo quests at their pace via the Guildleve system or join larger groups seamlessly through wise use of the class-changing Armoury system.

The biggest question though with the open beta testing is if the proposed solutions to existing snags–like the sluggishness of combat sequences–will work. If not, there’s a risk of disappointing fans, including Collector’s Edition owners who preordered the game just to get an eight-day head start.

Advance orders can now be placed for the upcoming Vision of Abyssea update, the first of three battle area add-ons planned for the year in Final Fantasy XI.

Players can already purchase their registration code to avoid the patch day hassle. Vision of Abyssea goes live on Monday, June 21 and will be released in line with the next version update. Like previous add-ons, only one registration code is needed to access the content on all characters under a single PlayOnline ID.

With this announcement, Square Enix has also updated the Vision of Abyssea website with a promo trailer, a partial bestiary, and Empyrean weapons that serve as adventurer rewards. This upcoming add-on introduces the forsaken world of Abyssea just beyond the Cavernous Maws that has long been abandoned by the gods. Savage creatures (such as the Limule behemoth pictured above) dominate this parallel dimension and make it impossible to survive without proper training.

Due to the harsh environment of Abyssea, characters must be level 30 or above to take on quests in this battle add-on. Full-scale battles, meanwhile, demand a minimum level 75 or above due to their sheer challenge and equally impressive equipment prizes.

Time to sharpen your kendo sparring skills because the Feast of Swords strikes again in Final Fantasy XI.

To join the fighting festivities held from April 27 to May 11, you should talk to the moogles stationed in San d’Oria, Bastok or Windurst. They’ll furnish you with a gleaming ibushi shinai and ask you to imbue it with moogle magic via one of several M.H.M.U. representatives scattered around Vana’diel.

Armed with the powerful shinai, gather your trusty team and battle the brigands who have stolen the sacred armor from the Feast of Swords. Prepare to defend yourself against enemy attacks using your shinai to earn great rewards such as fabled swords accessed from the ??? that appears on an enemy corpse.

Don’t underestimate the encounter because your use of moogle magic lowers your level in exchange for faster movement speed. And try to finish the mission quickly because the moogle enchantment will disappear when you enter another area or log off.

If you want to learn more about the Far Eastern lore surrounding Feast of Swords, visit the official event post which also lists the exact locations of both shinai and M.H.M.U. Moogles. Now get back those armor, kupo!