Final Fantasy XI's first bite-sized expansion coming 'sort of' soon

My question is, can the add-on only be deployed in a content update? Meaning, if someone buys it after the April content update, do they then have to wait for the next content update before they get it? If that's the case, then it would make sense to buy it in advance so that you don't forget to do it before the next content update. If you wait until the day of the content you may end up having to wait till the next one. Might as well order it as soon as possible so you don't have to worry about it.

I am making a prediction....everyone will download the content in an update. Those that bought it and those that didn't will STILL have the content on their system.

However, like the gate going into Korroloka Tunnel, you will need a key code tied to your account to access it. (note: you can't enter the tunnel if you do not have Rise of Zilart registered to your account).

I think your right about that Bakztab or you will download it and itll be ready to play right after the update and maintenance before the update like when treasures of aht urghan or wings of the goddes came out(cant remember which did this) and you could install and update expansion but had to wait until a couple days later to access the content.

Either way is fine with me as I'm still busy with all the other content and the fact that the equipment you will get you can add 2 custom additional effects to the piece makes me a happy camper

If the process is anything like what you have to go through to get the free trial, I'm not going to bother.

Seriously, trying to get the trial alone was about the most hardcore experience I've ever endured on the net and I STILL didn't manage to get it at the end.

FF may be a great game, but I can tell you there's a lot of people not playing it purely because of its imbecilic number of hoops you have to jump through in order to start playing it alone.

It's not that big of a deal. SE tends to plan updates in general quarterly, so they are just releasing it with the normal, free update. The "pre-order" is just a convenience so that everyone doesn't try to purchase it the day of the update and clog up the content ID server. They probably also bundled the download for the scenario with the regular update, so they can't really separate it.

SE is still new to digital downloading remember, and this is their first western MMO, so they are still working a lot of kinks out with their business model.

Some of these comments expose a rather large gap in understanding about FFXI.

FFXI is world wide, and the servers are not divided by continent or time zone. Several expansions ago there was a major problem with delayed access to new content for different parts of the world.

That being said, they could, I suppose, let you download now and include the content patch with it, but that would basically be two content patches just weeks apart.

FFXI is not like WoW, the servers do not come down every week and in fact they are usually (and need to be) up for weeks to months at a time. All expansions for every MMO that I know of need to have content patches even with downloadable new expansions (because there is gear/events/etc from the new expansion that everyone will need to have access to), so for simplicity sake releasing the expansion with the version update makes a whole lot of logistical sense.