[PiNG]

Greetings!

The FINAL FANTASY XI management team is pleased to announce that there will be a Linkshell Community Beta version update on March 8th 2007.

The following features will be implemented:

Community Information update:
Additional settings, such as “Language,” “Time Frame of Activity,” and “Linkshell Recruitment Status” will be added.

Language: Define the main languages that are spoken during community activities.
[You will be able to choose multiple selections ranging from “Japanese,” “English,” “German,” “French” and “Others.”]

Time Frame of Activity: Specify the main time zone that linkshell activities take place in.

Linkshell Recruitment Status: Toggle on/off to specify if the linkshell is currently recruiting new members.

* The above settings will be set to “off” as default. Please choose the settings manually upon logging into your community site.

Search function update:
You will be able to perform searches using the newly implemented “Additional requirements” and “Search by multiple requirements” functions.
For example, you may search for linkshells that are focused on “Salvage” and are “Currently recruiting new members,” or search for Linkshells where most members speak both “Japanese” and “English.”

Setting the World Portal language:
You will be able to select which language, from “Japanese / English / German / French / Others / All”, that you wish for the World Portal to be displayed in. When you set the language for the World Portal page only that language will be displayed.

Auto URL linking within posts:
URLs posted within posts will become active links if they start with http://.

*SQUARE ENIX is not responsible for the result of clicking on any external link within posts. Please take the proper precautions when doing so.

German and French language compatibility:
The Linkshell Community will now be German and French language-compatible starting with the version update. You may view these languages by setting “German” or “French” as the default language in your web browser.

Other issues will also be addressed in the version update.



Community Site managers:
As a default, these new features will be set to OFF. Please toggle them manually after the version update.

You may also make use of these functions by posting them onto your communities’ welcome messages or by creating threads as guidance for guests, as well as new members who are browsing your community page. Please take advantage of these new features for your community!


Community Site members:
The highlight of this version update will be the “Linkshell Recruitment Status” function within the community information page. This feature can be used to determine if a linkshell is currently recruiting new members.

You may be able to find the linkshell that best suits you by using the search function to search by language, linkshell activity time, and etc. all within the community page.

Suggestions, feedback and opinions regarding the Linkshell Community:
We hope that users will be able to interact with many different players via the Linkshell Community. We will continue to work on improving the Linkshell Community and are planning to continue adding more functions to it.

Any suggestions or opinions sent by users are important and will be used to continue the Linkshell Community’s improvement. To send suggestions and opinions, click here.

[Murphie]

Not being in an LS right now, I can't use the Linkshell community, but I guess kudos to them for continuing to work on it.

Does anyone really use it regularly though?

[Kirihn]

I haven't messed with it yet, but yanno if they were to incorporate headset chat over the linkshell community that might be a keeper.

I've been wanting to figure out a way to set some kinda headset chat feature up for my linkshell but I haven't really looked too deep into it yet. I think if SE added a chat feature it would definatly be pretty cool.

[IfritnoItazura]

Originally Posted by Murphie

Does anyone really use it regularly though?

I check it once a week? Is that regular? (Just to see if anyone else actually used it instead of our real forum, though.)

Once in a great while, I actually update information on there. I've attempted to use the calendar function once, but apparently it's so limited that an LS cannot have two events in the same day. It was also very tedious to use.

After S-E adds the "recruiting status" thingie, I will log in again--to set it to "off".

Originally Posted by Kirihn

I haven't messed with it yet, but yanno if they were to incorporate headset chat over the linkshell community that might be a keeper.

If you mean voice chat, you can stop waiting. S-E dislikes voice communication; they want every word exchanged between players in the search-able, easily compressible text, and only text. And, they log them all.

That way, if one players harasses another player (or GM, or vice versa), there's "firm" evidence of it, and it's automatically recorded and archived, and S-E can use that to determine if rules have been broken, too. (That's the reason they gave, anyway.)

Recording voice without notice is against U.S. laws, I think, and probably many other countries' laws, too. By keeping it to "text only", the company is able to provide a certain level of policing in an environment with many minors, without having to rely on user testimonies (since they won't be able to record voice exchanges).

Well, that's my theory, anyway.

[Murphie]

That's not really regular. But that's about as often as I used it too. Now that I'm running LS-less (until I get my subs up to speed and move through a few CoP missions), I can't even use it in that small capacity.

[Vyuru]

Bah, my place as first on the news list was taken by another, like Icarus, I flew too close to the Sun on my gilded wings...

Ok, enough random sillyness for today!

I haven't messed with it yet, but yanno if they were to incorporate headset chat over the linkshell community that might be a keeper.

I've been wanting to figure out a way to set some kinda headset chat feature up for my linkshell but I haven't really looked too deep into it yet. I think if SE added a chat feature it would definatly be pretty cool.

My LS uses something called Vent, from what I gather (I don't use it, no headset) it's a online voice chatroom, so you just log in before you start the game and you can talk to whoever is in the chatroom. I'm sure there is a way to restrict it so that it's only LS members in there.

And as far as using the LS community, not really. My LS gave it a try but preferred our LS website, easier to manage and we can organize it however we want.

[Kirihn]

I have a LS That I created myself for a static group, does anyone have a link to the LSC. I wanted to check things out but I can't get to the playonline website while at work... -_-

[Desideratum]

http://fanzone.playonline.com/lscom/index.do is the LS community site.

[demonicpagan]

Originally Posted by Kirihn

I haven't messed with it yet, but yanno if they were to incorporate headset chat over the linkshell community that might be a keeper.

I've been wanting to figure out a way to set some kinda headset chat feature up for my linkshell but I haven't really looked too deep into it yet. I think if SE added a chat feature it would definatly be pretty cool.

I have set up a teamspeak server for those on asura if anyone on asura is interested.

you can check out the site in my sig as I have who is online for TS shown directly on the site.

[Toksyuryel]

I really wish they would stop stalling and post more update details. Not counting the initial post that gave NO INFO WHATSOEVER, we've basically only had 2 posts about it in like, 3 weeks. I don't want to sound like I'm jumping on the bandwagon here, but I really do think there has been a marked slowdown in the update schedule ever since ToAU got released. Hm, I got an idea, I'll post a topic later once I get all the info compiled.

[Vyuru]

I don't want to sound like I'm jumping on the bandwagon here, but I really do think there has been a marked slowdown in the update schedule ever since ToAU got released.

Didn't they do that for CoP as well? I was thinking that this was normal.

[moonglo]

:| Mm, I still don't think this is a really useful feature if linkshells don't automatically display ALL players who have a pearl to them. At least then the LS leader would have someway to keep track of their members.