Ballista

Category:Featured ArticlesCategory:Terminology
		
Ballista is one of the forms of Conflict in Final Fantasy XI. With the recent wave of patriotism sweeping Vana'diel, the decision was made to reintroduce Conflict as a form of friendly rivalry between the three nations. Ballista is based upon San d'Orian military training exercises that involve participants digging up small stones called Petras to toss into goals called Rooks scattered around the battlefield. 
==Obtaining the License==
*The prerequisite for a Ballista License is Rank 3 in your current nation.
*You do not need to reobtain your license if you switch nations.
*See Ballista License Quest for details on how to obtain your license.
==Participating in a Match==
 
Day
Jugner
Pashhow
Meriphataud
LevelCap
 
1
Entry
  
Closing
  
 
2
Match
  
 
30
 
3
Closing
Entry
 
 
 
4
 
Match
 
30
 
5
 
Closing 
Entry
 
 
6
 
 
Match
30
 
7
Entry
 
Closing
 
 
8
Match
 
 
40
 
9
Closing
Entry
 
 
 
10
 
Match
 
40
 
11
 
Closing
Entry
 
 
12
 
 
Match
40
 
13
Entry
 
Closing
 
 
14
Match
 
 
50
 
15
Closing
Entry
 
 
 
16
 
Match
 
50
 
17
 
Closing
Entry
 
 
18
 
 
Match
50
 
19
Entry
 
Closing
 
 
20
Match
 
 
60
 
21
Closing
Entry
 
 
 
22
 
Match
 
60
 
23
 
Closing
Entry
 
 
24
 
 
Match
60
 
25
Entry
 
Closing
 
 
26
Match
 
 
None
 
27
Closing
Entry
 
 
 
28
 
Match
 
None
 
29
 
Closing
Entry
 
 
30
 
 
Match
None
Ballista follows a set schedule according to the Vana'diel calendar. Matches alternate between areas, nations participation, and level cap according to the calendar on the right. The entry day for each match proceeds as follows:
*12:00 (Initial Period): Entry period opens for adventurers of nations scheduled to fight who did not fight in the previous match.
*16:00 (Guest Period): Entry period opens for adventurers of nations scheduled to fight who fought in the previous match.
*18:00 (Open Entry): Entry period opens for anyone to fight. Adventurers are temporarily placed on the nation with the least number of players.
*22:00: Entries are closed, except under special conditions.
If you have a Ballista Instaport or at least 200 Ballista Points, and the match has not yet started, a Pursuivant will offer you the option of teleporting to the match. Their locations are:
* Northern San d'Oria - K-9
* Port Bastok - J-12
* Windurst Waters - J-9
* Ru'Lude Gardens - I-8
* Aht Urhgan Whitegate - G-11 
Once at the match location, talk to the Herald to sign up for Ballista. A participation fee is required upon signing up; the fee varies according to the level cap of the match:
:Lv. 30: 500 gil
:Lv. 40: 1000 gil
:Lv. 50: 1500 gil
:Lv. 60: 2000 gil
:Uncapped: 3000 gil
Armor Depository NPCs are available near the Marshals in each zone to allow you to retrieve or store armor sets.
At 22:00, the teams will be balanced based on players' jobs and all participating adventurers will line up facing each other. The Herald will then conduct the opening ceremony. Once the opening ceremony has concluded, all players will automatically gain the effects of sneak and invisible to allow for both teams to get into an appropriate position. At 0:00, the match will begin and Sneak/Invisible will wear off.
:In the event that a match is cancelled (for example, if there are less than three members on each team), the Herald will refund your entry fee and give you a Ballista Instaport and Ballista Instawarp.
==Playing the Match==
:See Battle Alterations for a list of changes to the battle system active during Ballista matches.
The main objective of Ballista is to /quarry for Petras in order to toss them into the Rooks scattered around the battlefield. Note that /quarry is not always successful at this: it may dig up a temporary item, a Petra, or nothing at all.
Petras may be found anywhere on the battlefield, but your chances of digging up one will increase the more distant from a Rook you are. /quarry's success rate is also affected by the current score; members of the winning team will have a lower probability of finding a Petra.
In order to score, you must first gain Gate Breach. Gate Breach can be accomplished by either defeating another player, or being in the immediate vicinity when a member of your party defeats another player.
:Gate Breach will only last for a limited amount of time. If you are on the leading team, Gate Breach status will last for 1.5 Vana'diel hours (~3.5 Earth minutes); if you are on the losing team, Gate Breach status will last for 3 Vana'diel hours (~7 Earth minutes).
Once you have gained Gate Breach, you must now find a Rook to toss the Petras in. The distance and direction of the nearest Rook can be found by using /scout. The act of scoring can be interrupted by any number of actions (both beneficial and hostile), so be sure to have a clear shot at a Rook. You may score up to five Petras at a time, with each Petra counting as one point. If a majority of the opposing team has left the battle area, however, all Rooks' gates will open, allowing anyone to score without gaining Gate Breach.
:When there is a large difference in the number of members on each team, two Rooks will appear on the battlefield.
If you have managed to successfully score for your team, Gate Breach status will be disengaged and you must regain it before being able to score again. The first petra you attempt to score will have an extra 3-5 second delay before throwing it into the rook. From there on, even if your shot is canceled, your throwing time will be shortened to ~5 seconds. This will be reset if you go back to camp or zone, but being revived will not reset this. 
No experience points loss is incurred for being K.O.'d in Ballista. If you are defeated, you will be automatically revived after a certain amount of time (determined by the number of times you have been defeated since you last chose to return to camp). Each defeat carries a +5 second penalty to your next revival timer (with the timer initially set at 15 seconds); this revival timer has no maximum limit. Once you are revived, you will be at 100% HP, your current MP or 50% MP, whichever is greater, and your current TP or 50% TP, whichever is lesser. Additionally, you will be considered as "preparing for battle": invisible, unable to use items, job abilities, ballista commands, and unable to attack or be attacked. 
Alternatively, you may choose to return to camp and reset the revival timer while spawning at 100% HP and MP. In either case, you will lose all accumulated Petras; the only way to retain Petras after K.O. is to be Raised and suffer its associated Weakened state.
:If you are K.O.'ed, lose connection, and reconnect after the match has concluded, the "Return to Camp" option will change to "Return to Home Point"; no experience loss is incurred if you Home Point as a result of dying during a Ballista match.
:When there are less than 41 players participating, the position of the camps will be located closer to the centre of the Ballista battlefield.
At 0:00, the match will conclude, all players HP and MP will be restored to the maximum allowed, and the team who has scored the most Petras will be declared the winner.
===Best of Three===
Matches played in Meriphataud Mountains are divided into three 7-hour (Vana'diel time) matches, each with a 90-minute interval between them. Winning a match earns the victors one match point. The nation with the most points at the end of the series is declared the champion.
==Rewards==
Rewards in Ballista come in the form of Experience Points, Gil, Ballista Points, and Ballista Ranking.
===Experience Points===
All adventurers who have actively participated in Ballista are awarded the appropriate amount of experience points corresponding to their level during Ballista.
* Level 30-39: 300 EXP
* Level 40-49: 350 EXP
* Level 50-59: 400 EXP
* Level 60-74: 450 EXP
* Level 75: 500 EXP 
===Gil===
The gil reward for the winning team is equal to double the participation fee. If the match is a draw, both teams will have their entry fee refunded. The losing team gets nothing. Also, if the winning team has fewer members than the other there is a slight gil increase for winning.
===Ballista Points===
Ballista Points are awarded after each match, based on your participation (earning match points, defeating opponents, or helping other members of your team). These points are used to reserve access to the Dioramas, purchase item vouchers, and teleport to upcoming Ballista matches. 
:You may only posess a total of 2000 Ballista points.
==Ballista Ranking==
The Ballista Points Ranking system ranks players from the last 10 matches, based on the number of Ballista points gained during a single match. Ranking information is separate for each Ballista location.
Players can sign up for Ballista Ranking by talking to the Marshal in the area after a match.
*Players who have not registered will not be considered in the ranking.
*After a match, players have 4 Vana’diel hours (~10 minutes Earth time) to register their results.
*The ranking list cannot be viewed during the registration period.
*After the registration period has ended, you must view the ranking list within 4 Vana’diel days (~4 hours Earth time) at the match site to receive your final assessment and any rewards you have earned.
You can view Ballista Rankings for all locations by speaking to the Marshal in Ru'Lude Gardens. However, as this Marshal may not have the most current data, players wishing to see the latest rankings are advised to talk to the Marshals stationed in each Ballista area.
===Chevrons===
Chevrons are awarded to the top scorer for each job, and the top scorers overall. A player can check the number of chevrons accumulated to date by talking to a Marshal. Also, /checking other players during a match will reveal the total number of chevrons they have received. 
Chevrons have the following caveats:
* Chevrons are only valid for one week Earth time. After that, the player must return the chevron in order to participate in future Ballista matches.
* Players may only wear one chevron at a time. If a player qualifies for more than one chevron, a decision must be made as to which chevron to receive. A player may, however, refuse to receive a chevron. 
**Regardless of which you choose, the fact that you earned both will still be recorded in your character's Ballista statistics.
The title granted according to the chevron awarded varies:
 
Ranking
Key Item
Title
 
1st
Gold Ballista Chevron
Gold Balli☆☆☆☆star
 
2nd
Mythril Ballista Chevron
Mythril Balli☆☆☆star
 
3rd
Silver Ballista Chevron
Silver Balli☆☆star
 
4 - 10th 
Bronze Ballista Chevron
Bronze Balli☆star
 
Job
Key Item
Title
 
Warrior
Bloody Ballista Chevron
Searing★Star
 
Monk
Orange Ballista Chevron
Striking★Star
 
White Mage
White Ballista Chevron
Soothing★Star
 
Black Mage
Black Ballista Chevron
Sable★Star
 
Red Mage
Red Ballista Chevron
Scarlet★Star
 
Thief
Green Ballista Chevron
Sonic★Star
 
Paladin
Sparking Ballista Chevron
Saintly★Star
 
Dark Knight
Ebon Ballista Chevron
Shadowy★Star
 
Beastmaster
Furry Ballista Chevron
Savage★Star
 
Bard
Brown Ballista Chevron
Singing★Star
 
Ranger
Ochre Ballista Chevron
Sniping★Star
 
Samurai
Jade Ballista Chevron
Slicing★Star
 
Ninja
Transparent Ballista Chevron
Sneaking★Star
 
Dragoon
Purple Ballista Chevron
Spearing★Star
 
Summoner
Rainbow Ballista Chevron
Summoning★Star
 
Puppetmaster
Silk Ballista Chevron
Swaying★Star
 
Corsair
Coral Ballista Chevron
Surging★Star
 
Blue Mage
Sapphire Ballista Chevron
Sapphire★Star
 
Dancer
Sequined Ballista Chevron
Sprightly★Star
 
Scholar
Velvet Ballista Chevron
Sagacious★Star
:XBOX 360 users: Being in possession of a Gold Ballista Chevron and talking to a title bard will grant you the option of unlocking an achievement. You must have the chevron in your Key Items for the option to appear.
==Battle Alterations==
A number of adjustments have been made to keep Conflict (and by extension, Ballista) play reasonably balanced.
===Job Abilities===
The following job abilities are altered:
*Provoke prevents the victim from targeting anyone except the provoker. Provoke also effectively prevents the victim from casting self-targeting spells, such as Utsusemi. Please note that during any form of Conflict, Provoke can miss a target.
*Steal and Mug steal Petras (if there are any) from the target.
*Charm, Gauge, and Tame have no effect whatsoever.
*Flee duration is extended.
===Melee===
*Maximum melee range is increased to allow for hitting opponents who are running away.
*Weapon Skill damage is reduced.
===Magic===
*Players gradually build a resistance to most enfeebling magic, as well as Lullaby.
*Sleep is limited to a 45-second duration.
*Magic damage is reduced.
===Commands===
The following commands are only available during Ballista:
*/quarry: Dig for Petras or temporary items. /quarry's behavior varies according to which Ballista Key Items you have in your possession.
*/targetopp: targets closest member of opposing nation within range.
*/sprint: Grants Flee-like speed for a set amount of time. You cannot use /sprint if you are holding a Petra.
*/scout: Reveals the location of the nearest Rook. You cannot use /scout if you are not carrying any Petras.
*<petra>: reveals how many Petras you are holding
*<gatebreach>: reveals if you are affected by Gate Breach status or not.
The following commands are altered during Ballista:
*/linkshell: sends a message to all members on your team.
*/check: checks a player, revealing the number of Petras they hold, whether or not they have Gate Breach status, and Chevrons they have obtained. Checking players often in ballista is good strategy.
===Interaction===
The following actions are prohibited while participating in a Ballista match:
*Fishing
*Chocobo interaction
*Using bazaars (or trading) between non-participants or the opposing team
*NPC interaction, other than the Ballista NPCs
Additionally, all non-participants and monsters will become invisible during the match; however, /say, /shout, and /tell are unrestricted.
===Other===
*Resist traits are greatly enhanced.
*AoE magic and weapon skills will only hit those within the same party or alliance as the target.
*Wide Scan can be used by any job to find everyone on your nation's team.
*Equipment changing is discouraged. Penalty is automatically inflicted for a couple of seconds when you change any piece of equipment. Penalty effectively acts as a combination of Bind and Stun. You may still /quarry while Penalized.
:*Swapping ammo is allowed, unequipping ammo is penalized.
*Skill points and Blue Magic spells may not be obtained during Ballista, with the exception of Enhancing Magic skill from spells cast on yourself.
*TP is reset at the beginning of each match or after recovering at camp.
==Items==
A number of items have been developed for use with Ballista, both in the form of Key Items and temporary items.
===Key Items===
*Ballista Band - Gives the option of keeping or discarding the first Petra dug up.
*Ballista Earring - Gives information about upcoming matches once per Vana'diel day when the wearer zones into an area where a Pursuivant is present. Also gives hints and tips during the match.
*Ballista Instaport - Teleports you to an upcoming match after speaking to a Pursuivant.
*Ballista Instawarp - Transports you to your Home Point after speaking to a Pursuivant.
*Petra Shovel - All temporary items dug up are automatically put into your inventory without any prompt. If your temporary item inventory is full, the item dug up will be automatically discarded.
===Temporary Items===
All players can carry 10 temporary items (15 in Pashhow Marshlands and Jugner Forest matches, where normal item use is restricted). Players may buy items from a Marshal by trading Ballista points for tickets that can be redeemed for items. Note that some items can only be obtained under certain conditions.
When participating in Pashhow Marshlands, you will be provided with several random temporary items at the start of the match.
{| border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="100%"	Item 	Ballista points
Revitalizer 	700 (60+ cap only)	
Body Boost 	300 	
Mana Boost 	300 	
Drachenessence 	30 	
Barfire Ointment 	50 	
Baraero Ointment 	50 	
Barstone Ointment 	50 	
Barblizzard Ointment	50 	
Barthunder Ointment 	50 	
Barwater Ointment 	50 	
Petra Eater 	30 	
Catholicon 	100 	
Potion 	15 	
The following items can only be obtained through /quarry:
{| border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" width="100%"	Item
Wizard's Drink (60+ cap)	
Giant's Drink (60+ cap) 	
Carnal Incense 	
Spiritual Incense 	
Celestial Incense 	
Catholicon +1 	
Lethe Water 	
Lethe Water +1