Final Fantasy XI Online: Rise of Zilart

Overview

Rise of the Zilart was the first expansion pack to be released for Final Fantasy XI.  It was released in Japan on April 17th, 2003 for the PlayStation 2 and Windows PCs. The expansion was released packed in with the base game for the North American launch of FFXI on October 23, 2003 for Windows and March 24, 2004 for PlayStation 2.

New Jobs Introduced

Three new jobs were added with this expansion:

• Ninja (NIN) - Masters of Ninjutsu magic, and wielders of katanas, Ninjas have assumed a tank role in Final Fantasy XI.
• Samurai (SAM) - Some of the best damage dealers in FFXI, Samurais have the ability to gain Tactical Points (TP) at a rate much quicker than most other jobs, allowing them to perform weapon skill abilities with their great katanas much more frequently.
• Dragoon (DRG) - Accompanied by their faithful Wyverns, Dragoons use their spears and incredible jumping abilities to attack their foes.

New Avatars Introduced

Rise of the Zilart added most of the avatars for the Summoner job class, and the expansion is required to obtain all avatars aside from Carbuncle, and Diablos ( Chains of Promathia).
The new avatars added were:

• Shiva
• Ifrit
• Ramuh
• Garuda
• Leviathan
• Titan

New Storylines

Rise of the Zilart adds a completely new storyline to the world of Vana'diel where you learn of the story of the ancient races known as the Kuluu and the Zilart, and their quest for ascension into paradise. Also additional storylines were added for the three main nations of Vana'diel, completing the stories behind their unique histories and current state of affairs.

New Areas

Over 40 new areas and 6 regions were added to Vana'diel.

• Kutzoz Region - Western and Eastern Altepa Deserts, Quicksand Caves, Cloister of Tremors, Chamber of Oracles, and the desert oasis Rabao.
• Vollbow Region - Kuftal Tunnel, Gustav Tunnel, Cape Terrigan, Valley of Sorrows, and the Cloister of Gales.
• Elshimo Lowlands Region - Yuhtunga Jungle, Sea Serpent Grotto, the pirate cove Norg, and the Mithra home of Kahzam.
• Elshimo Highlands Region - Yhoator Jungle, Ifrit's Cauldron, Cloister of Flames, Cloister of Tides, Temple of Uggalepih, Den of Rancor, and the Sacrificial Chamber
• Li'Telor Region - The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah, Boyahda Tree, Dragon's Aery, Cloister of Storms, Ro'Maeve, and the Hall of the Gods
• Tu'Lia Region (commonly known as "Sky") - Ru'Aun Gardens, The Shrine of Ru'Avitau, Ve'Lugannon Palace, La'Loff Amplitheater, and the Celestial Nexus.
• Other Areas - Stellar Fulcrum and Full Moon Fountain

Addition of "Kings" Notorious Monsters

This expansion also saw the introduction of Notorious Monsters known by most players as "kings". These particular monsters have a 21-24 hour respawn time, and are notorious as being some of the most sought after Notorious Monsters in Final Fantasy XI, even almost 5 years after being introduced.  These NMs are also unique as after a random number of spawns, a stronger version will appear, and these monsters have some of the most wanted items in the game.

These monsters are:

• Normal: Fafnir / Stronger: Nidhogg (Wyrm) - Found in Dragon's Aery
• Normal: Adamantoise / Stronger: Aspidochelone (Turtle) - Valley of Sorrows
• Normal: Behemoth / Stronger: King Behemoth (Behemoth) - Behemoth's Dominion
  

Soundtrack

The Rise of the Zilart soundtrack was released on September 24, 2004, and was re-released with the FINAL FANTASY XI: Premium Box on March 27, 2008
 
01 - Kazham 
02 - Yuhtunga Jungle
03 - Battle Theme #3
04 - "Dash de Chocobo"
05 - Rabao

06 - Altepa Desert
07 - Battle in the Dungeon #3
08 - Grav'iton
09 - Norg
10 - Tough Battle #2
11 - The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah
12 - Ro'Maeve
13 - Hall of the Gods
14 - Fighters of the Crystal
15 - Tu'Lia
16 - Ve'Lugannon Palace
17 - Eald'narche
18 - Belief
19 - End Theme