Conquest

So here's a question. What is there to do in this big, wide world of Vana'diel? Sure, wandering around and killing things is fun for a while, but it gets a little thin with no overarching goal to give it purpose. That purpose, in theory, is provided by Conquest, the continuing rush by the three nations of the world to grab hold of as much territory in the neutral wilds as possible. After all, while no state of open war exists, there's still no point in standing idly by while the other guy grabs a bigger slice of the pie than you do.

The world map is marked with different flag icons in each region, indicating who controls that area. Each of the three countries has its own icon, and then there's a neutral black icon, representing unclaimed wilds. If you'd like to claim some glory for your home country, not to mention yourself, form a party and go out to try and plant the flag in a monster-controlled region. Clearing an area of monsters earns conquest points for your country, and the country with the most conquest points controls that particular region. Every week, in game time, the points are toted up and regions change hands accordingly. The monsters are a player in this phase as well -- if the player death rate in a particular region is more than 10% (i.e., 10% of the players from all countries that go in don't come out alive), that area reverts to neutrality.

Anybody can pass through or do battle in an area presently controlled by another country -- player-killing is not allowed in Final Fantasy XI, so competition doesn't lead to direct conflict between adventurers from rival nations. However, there is still a direct incentive to control territory. As noted in the section discussing Crystals, adventurers traveling in a region controlled by their country also get an advantage in Crystal acquisition, in the form of signet enchantments from their border guards.
 

Rewards of the Conquest

A nation's "influence" depends on the number of regions under its control, and has a large impact on its economic status. As a player, you will receive points as you participate in the conquest, allowing you to obtain special items as your conquest points increase.

Once a region comes under your nation's control, border guards will be dispatched to stand guard there. These guards play a vital role in supporting the crystal-gathering activities of players.

The more regions your nation controls, the more prosperous it will become. And a strong nation will surely result in innumerable benefits for adventurers like you.
 

The History of the Conquest

Let us take a brief look at the historical origins of the conquest in Vana'diel. Although there has been a marked decrease in large-scale coordinated attacks from the beastmen since the end of the Crystal War, constant sweeps are required to hunt down wandering bands of beastmen that threaten small villages and travelers.

Yet the nations of Vana'diel are exhausted from the war, and continue to harbor doubts about their allies. As such, they are reluctant to dispatch large numbers of their own troops to deal with the problem.

Troubled by the situation, Grand Duke Kam'lanaut of the Grand Duchy of Jeuno proposed the conquest system. This awards the right to control a region to the nation that contributed the most to ensure its safety. As the nation of Jeuno is a crossroads of trade and does not desire any further territory of its own, it acts as the impartial judge and sponsor of the conquest.

The representatives of the three great nations of Vana'diel gathered in Selbina, and agreed that a force was needed to deal with the beastmen scourge. The representatives signed the "Selbina Pact for Conquest." Since then, each nation's border guards have been authorized to deputize adventurers of the same allegiance to participate in the conquest. This has ushered in a new era in the history of Vana'diel: the Age of Adventurers.