DarkstarProject/darkstar — pull request #568 by starlightknight (2014-11-08 16:57:37+00:00)
Title: CORE/SQL: Mob Updates & Configurability For Higher Level Play

As we start to code support for playing Level 75+, one thing that needs to be addressed is a way for the new exp mobs not to ruin the play experience of those wishing to play classic FFXI @75cap.

Currently these mobs, with the exception of the crabs in Vunkeral Inlet, are all set to 81-84 in the database. That level is low enough that they wont destroy level 75 players, but too low to level to 99 on.

This commit introduces new settings.lua variables to cap the level range for normal zone mobs. The defaults are set to 81 & 84 respectively, to maintain current behavior with the default level cap of 75

This will allow us to start putting retail-correct levels in the database, without destroying the play experience for Level 75 players. This will also start to make Level 99 play more playable, now that spells and abilities are starting to get coded for those levels.

Using the level ranges known in the various wikis as a guide, I've also adjusted the mobs that should be higher level now for mobs that were listed with a confirmed range, creating some places for Level 75+ exping.

The new settings variables and their default values prevent any impact from these sql updates on level 75 players. If you wish to play 75+ and take advantage of these, set the variables to 0 when you raise the level cap variable

NOTE: This excludes capping NMs intentionally, since HNMs will be above the normal range intentionally. It is meant to keep the high level normal zone mobs that SE has placed all over now from destroying 75-cap players.