Final Fantasy XI - A question for the peeps who still play...

Chaotic16

     While reading over MMORPG.com's new review of it, I have to ask: How much of the game has really changed? I asked around on another forum recently and the players stated that it hadn't changed much at all (I stopped playing a month before Chains of Promethia came out). I'm looking for a nice temporary MMORPG to hang out on until WAR or something else like SUN comes out...and something seems to keep drawing me back to FFXI for some reason.
     I played it for about 3 months total and quit. The community was excellent, but my computer sucked back then (compared to my current computer) and I guess the gameplay was too slow for my taste. But after playing WoW for a year and a half, and playing a little of Guild Wars I've come to thinking again...about FFXI.
     I didn't have the most horrible experience ever with that game, it was just a little slow for me. But I don't know now...I think I'm a little more patient with that in whole bit now...that whole type of gameplay. In WoW however, I am not as patient. I'm not sure how things work out in FFXI when you get into the end-game, but with WoW, I just couldn't get my end-game equipment worth a dime. Sure, I got a few epics but nothing serious. It just seemed like such a waste of time to me. But in games like FFXI there seems like much more accomplishment involved. The community is nicer unlike most guilds in WoW and ... I guess I dunno where I'm going with this but I was just asking my fellow gamers how it really is.


Thank you muchly


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!EDIT!: lol sorry guys...I'm a noob here. I'll post this in the FFXI forum.

sly220

No Worries I just quit playing a couple months ago the game is the same pretty much the economy is all jacked up gil farmers are every were... still takes hrs sometimes to get groups. you still cant solo... Games the same

Paragus1

I was in a similar situation.   After withdrawing my guild from
WoW, I decided to look for something else to play.  I too had quit
FFXI in the past but after playing WoW, I looked back at FFXI and
started to appreciate the challenge the game put forth.   I know
its not the best MMO ever made, far from it, but I went back
regardless.   As a Red Mage, I have no trouble finding groups, and
I really enjoyed the game.  It has really brought me back to the
old days of MMOs and reminded me why I started playing them to begin
with.  Is the levelling a grind?  Sure, but they have
included a rechargable ring the doubles your exp for a time which has
certainly helped.  



I've been back for about 4 months, and Im a 70 Red Mage, recently
defeated Maat at 69 on my second try.  Let me tell you, theres a
feeling of satisfaction you'll never find in WoW.   Death
stings in that game so it makes the stakes higher.   You
actually fear death, but as such, you find hard situation that much
mnore exciting.  In A WoW raid nobody was afraid to die,
ever.   OK so I lose a few gold and have to run 20 secs back
to the instance.... big deal.   It's not like the gold can be
used for anything anyways at the end game besides repairs and
pots.   I like FFXI because it makes my money mean something
again.  The prices have been coming down dramatically in the 4
months I started playing, at least on my server.  The ToAU
expansion is pretty good once you reach your mid 50's and they are
constantly patching more content into it.   I also like the
fact that Im not max level after 3 or 4 months.  I could have
levelled up 4 60's in WoW in that time. 



In my mind that's what seperates FFXI and WoW.   The risk vs.
reward factor.   The reward doesn't feel as satisfying when
its so easy to get, so I've embraced the challenge the game
offers.   It's definitely not for everyone, and if WoW was
the only MMO you ever played you will have a 70% chance of hating FFXI,
just on interface alone.  But you can buy the original game +
Zilart expansion + Promythia expansion all on 1 DvD for 20 bucks, you
won't find that much entertainment that cheap anywhere else even if you
make it a coaster at the end of the trial month.

Briansho

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Originally posted by Paragus1
I was in a similar situation.   After withdrawing my guild from WoW, I decided to look for something else to play.  I too had quit FFXI in the past but after playing WoW, I looked back at FFXI and started to appreciate the challenge the game put forth.   I know its not the best MMO ever made, far from it, but I went back regardless.   As a Red Mage, I have no trouble finding groups, and I really enjoyed the game.  It has really brought me back to the old days of MMOs and reminded me why I started playing them to begin with.  Is the levelling a grind?  Sure, but they have included a rechargable ring the doubles your exp for a time which has certainly helped.  

I've been back for about 4 months, and Im a 70 Red Mage, recently defeated Maat at 69 on my second try.  Let me tell you, theres a feeling of satisfaction you'll never find in WoW.   Death stings in that game so it makes the stakes higher.   You actually fear death, but as such, you find hard situation that much mnore exciting.  In A WoW raid nobody was afraid to die, ever.   OK so I lose a few gold and have to run 20 secs back to the instance.... big deal.   It's not like the gold can be used for anything anyways at the end game besides repairs and pots.   I like FFXI because it makes my money mean something again.  The prices have been coming down dramatically in the 4 months I started playing, at least on my server.  The ToAU expansion is pretty good once you reach your mid 50's and they are constantly patching more content into it.   I also like the fact that Im not max level after 3 or 4 months.  I could have levelled up 4 60's in WoW in that time. 

In my mind that's what seperates FFXI and WoW.   The risk vs. reward factor.   The reward doesn't feel as satisfying when its so easy to get, so I've embraced the challenge the game offers.   It's definitely not for everyone, and if WoW was the only MMO you ever played you will have a 70% chance of hating FFXI, just on interface alone.  But you can buy the original game + Zilart expansion + Promythia expansion all on 1 DvD for 20 bucks, you won't find that much entertainment that cheap anywhere else even if you make it a coaster at the end of the trial month.

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I agree, risk vs. reward is one of the most important things in a MMORPG.

From the way things are going the games in the future will probably give you gold and items just for logging into the game.