There's a great translation of the changes here. Thank you to the original poster tannergela.
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During the most recent
Freshly Picked Vana'diel, future development goals were discussed and various upcoming features/new content was announced for the first time. Yoji Fujito (FFXI Director/Producer) clarified that these have no specific timeline/release date as of yet but are currently being worked on. He also noted that there is a possibility that some of these may be cancelled in the future, but they are hopeful.
Making Beseiged Level 99 Content:
This content is currently made for LV75, and work is being done to adjust this first to LV99. They can't skip straight to LV119, but hope that players will participate in order to help rescue important NPCs. The goal is to make Beseiged more challenging (like it used to be), but also manageable, which is why it will be balanced for LV99 as opposed to LV119. The strength of the Serpent Generals will also be increased.
Ark Angel Equipment:
Ark Angel equipment will be added to the game separate from certain cosmetic versions already in the game. The gear will be compatible with all races. For example, Elvaan AK gear will not be Elvaan exclusive. This content has no risk of being cancelled and will 100% be happening, so look forward to it.
Sending Items on the Same Account:
A new icon will be added to items indicating whether or not they can be sent to other characters on the same account. Until now, items that could be sent this way was managed and updated in a list on the Official Forum. Their aim with this change is to make it easier to understand which items can be sent as well as reduce workload.
Records of Eminence for Sortie:
Records of Eminence objectives will be added for Sortie. There will also be an unrepeatable (one time) Objective added that will reward an Old Case.
Dynamis - Divergence Changes:
Adjustments will be made to Dynamis Divergence entry system and entry time to make it easier for players to participate in the content, and allow them to enter the content consecutively (back to back). It should work something like the Ra'Kaznarian plate in Sortie.
Gamepad Config Improvements:
New options will be added to the Gamepad Config, including being able to set buttons to open the Map, use the Jump emote (you can't actually jump, of course), as well as target the nearest NPC. Being able to configure a button to target the nearest NPC was a suggestion they received on the Official Forum, and found that it was useful so that you don't have to use macros or spam F8 on your keyboard to find your target, etc.
Server Replacement:
The team is moving forward with replacing and upgrading their server infrastructure. It may be possible with the new infrastructure to greatly reduce/eliminate maintenance times, but they can't guarantee anything. The current servers are barely kicking and once replaced will be good for at least another five years.
Changing Your Character's Race:
The team is looking into adding the ability to change your character's race. Your gender, race, and size (S/M/L) will be able to be changed. They don't want users to be casually/frequently changing their character's race, so they are considering making it a paid service, but it might end up being free (this is undecided). Some worries mentioned were the fact that if race is changed, race specific gear will be unable to be equipped, and that your parameters will also change. The topic of LGBTQ and gender identity outside of Japan helped them to consider adding this functionality, as well as players coming to feel over time that their character's race doesn't suit their identity, etc.
In Closing:
Finally, Yoji Fujito asked for users' patience as they are low on staff and can only do so much so quickly. They want to continue delivering new content updates to keep the world of Vana'diel fresh, but it might take longer than we expect.
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