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Retired but Recently Resubbed: Second Chance at First Impressions
DaJones
Member Posts: 9
DISCLAIMER: I don't work for Square Enix and will vehemently defend any "fanboi" allegations
(/ma "FlameShield"<me> /ma "TrollGuard" <me>)
Recently returned to FFXI. Retired a 50 WHM like 4 years ago and immediately forgot the game existed, went back to EQ1, played WoW heavily for two (2) years, played Vanguard: SoH briefly, and EQ2 heavily for about a year. Killing time before I'm really blown away by a new MMO, I stumbled across and re-subbed FFXI and with low expectations, planning on only sticking around for 30 free days but.....
(+) It's amazing and I'm loving it. The class/job/sub-job system is absolutely incredible. Sheer diversity and potential class combinations allow you to play the game how you want. I forgot that MMO's were allowed to have good memorable soundtracks. Community (on ASURA) is incredibly helpful (even if some of them don't speak Engrish). Skill chain/magic burst combat system is well-done and gameplay/combat mechanics are solid. There are some negatives that I won't ignore....
( - ) The game is painfully unforgiving, extremely "grindy", zero hand-holding, zero explanation of anything that's going on around you, zero glowing punctuation marks hovering above peoples heads. Graphics are dated, interface is clunky at best, and you have to work for absolutely every single experience point or item you get. And yes, it does take more than 2 hours per play session to get anything mildly significant accomplished. Grouping is practically forced, economy is questionable,
( - ) I don't like to throw around terms like <--- "casual" ----- "core" ---- "hardcore" --->, but if there's a spectrum then this game is WAY on the right. You have to do your homework online to really find out what the hell you CAN even do let alone how to go about doing it. But for some reason, it makes every minor accomplishment just that more rewarding, and instills a sense of accomplishment that I have failed to find in any game since EQ.
Again, these are my honest impressions, and it might look like more ( - )'s than ( + )'s but I am thoroughly enjoying the game. I'm an "old head", first fell in love with EQ, and like many MMO gamers have been looking for that nostalgia ever since. FFXI is as close as I can get to that feeling again. The bottom line is that this game is challenging. And yes, I am fully capable of making the distinction between "time sinks", and artificial challenge created by bad gameplay mechanics, bugs, glitches, etc. I think that a lot of people have forgotten what it's like to play a truly challenging game anymore.
I think I was tired of investing time and energy into games that rewarded players exclusively based on time spent in game. So many MMO game mechanics reward players based on time spent online and in game, while play skill and strategy took a distant back seat. I also think I was just too old to be raiding with 10 year old kids. MMO's were just becoming too easy and watered down for my tastes. FFXI on the other hand, refuses to tolerate inadequate play skill. FFXI can be relentlessly discouraging to even mediocre MMO gamers.
Would I recommend FFXI to new players: probably not. Especially not if you are a "newer" MMO player (so-called generation 2 MMO's). Maybe if are an experienced MMO player, looking for a hardcore (but rewarding) experience, steep learning curve, and can look past clunky interface and old graphics, then maybe I would recommend it.
But this post is meant to push anyone on the fence back into Vana'diel. I've seen a lot of posts from players considering returning, I would absolutely 100% strongly encourage all of those potential players to come back to FFXI. As mentioned previously, I forgot this game existed and tried it out again just to kill time before AoC releases; much to my surprise, I quickly fell back in love with the game.
I've only been back to FFXI for about 6-months now, so maybe this nostalgia will wear off (although I doubt it). And even if it does, it was absolutely worth the trip. It's a great game, and has given me greater perspective as an MMO player to what I like and what I don't like.
P.S. When you come back to FFXI, join the Asura server.
Comments
Well, I was a little skeptical about how happy you were after re subscribing because I saw the "recent" word at the beginning, then at the end when you said you had "recently" come back 6 months ago I was very pleased. Everything you said is what I'm feeling right now, although it's only been a week for me... hardly the 6 months you've been on for.
There's only one thing I would argue about your post: join Pandemonium not Asura! :P Good read, and very logical... if anyone calls you a fanboy then they are crazy. You clearly listed the best and worst parts of the game. I would say that even if you ARE new to MMOs and have only played WoW/LOTRO/etc I would still recommend this game. Something about a challenging game just makes it that much worth playing, and gives you a feeling that, for the most part, WoW cannot provide. I'd suggest anyone bored with the easymode, solo-only mindset of the newer MMOs to give this a try. Sure, most of them would probably run away after the first free 30 days, but those that stay will definitely be happy the found the "old" gem of FFXI
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Not for everyone, that's for sure, but a great game for those who like it and are willing to work at it. The challenge makes it one of my favorite MMOs of all time, at least out of this current batch that people seem to be playing.
Awesome post but something that i'll mention. Your ( - )'s can be seen as ( + )'s by some. I love that it's a grind sort of game. I like that it's nearly impossible to get a lot of the really great gear. I do agree though, this game is about as hardcore as you can get and I've found that I love that too. I played Guild Wars before this and thought that since I played it so long, i'd not like FFXI as it seemed WAY too complicated. But i gave it a shot, and i've been hooked for around 2 years now.
I even stopped playing for a bit to try WoW and it couldn't hold up. I stopped playing for a bit to try LOTR:O and it couldn't hold up. Are those two bad games? No. They're just for the person who likes to solo and and be able to get great gear with relative ease. I like FFXI because it's so complicated. The main reason I thought i'd hate it. Sure, it can get to you sometimes but nothing a week or two break cant cure.
And might I add. Something I never see anyone mention is the fact that as one character you can play all the jobs. Something you cant do in LOTR:O, WoW, and Guild Wars as well as any MMORPG that I know of first hand. To me, this builds such a huge bond between the community because with the others most people dont/cant keep track of who is who when they have 9 characters made. And the community in FFXI is unsurpassed in any game i've ever seen MMORPG or not. And the way SE stands behind the game is just amazing.
Call me a fanboy. I don't care. I love this game and I support it 100%.
EVE - Sharvala
FFXI - Shazamalicious
Guild Wars - Xavier Lucifer & Charlize the Necro
"Ranged...stuck...tree...15 random words... suck... noob fanboy... I MAKE GUIDE!"
I love being white mage @ 69lvl. I have a addiction to controling people's outcome lol.
Welcome back to the Best MMO to date. I've been playing FFXI since 2004.
I felt the same way about FFXI after having been away for nearly 3.5 years. NO, the game isnt for everyone, and has one of the most unforgiving learning curves of any of the current MMO's. This means that those people with the hyperactive attention span of a gnat get weeded out very early. Its really sad that most MMO games cater to the "I'm with Stupid" crowd ensuring that everything you do is spoon fed to you without an ounce of significant difficulty commensurate with reward
One of the things i enjoy is the fact that certain in game quests, and objectives actually take a bit of time ro get done ( raising a chocobo from chick to adult in 30 realtime days, im on day 5 atm). I played wow, and watched a friend acquire his dragon mount in just under 72 hours of the release of the content. the best mount in the game hatched just for you all for completing mind numbingly easy (grindy) quests. Where as in FFXI you need to care for, and plan out the maturation of a future mount, making it a more personal endeavour to undertake.
Another aspect i find interesting is the fact that very little change affects your character by a considerable amount. A good friend of mine put it in good perspective by stating, "Take every stat you modify or change in FFXI for your character, and multiply it by 100, to use as gear comparison for all other MMO games." People are so used to being rewarded with HUGE numbers that by comparison FFXI is refreshing to get back into. its nice to be able to get back into game, and successfully pull off a BCNM20 3 person fight, knowing that you needed to use every ounce of skill, and strategy your JOB/SUBJOB could handle at lvl 20.
FFXI might yet surprise a lot of the mature gamers with its very deep story that the MMO part is intrinsically woven into. The story is so well written that you feel like a contributor to the game, not just another player. Even to the point of what a player does or does not do can impact the game environment. so, you want this advanced job, quest for it. want to ride on an airship, undertake missions of vital importance for your nation. Want to change the past, follow CaitSith into the gaping maw of time itself.
Enjoy your time back in the world of Vana'diel, I know I will.
o.O WTF!?
Thanks for all the responses. Great to see some ppl still carrying the torch for this game with me. So many posts about population problems and "is this game dying" or "let this game die" are horribly misleading and inaccurate if not blatant lies. Great points about the storyline and about the over-importance of gear in so many MMO's as compared to the importance of gear in FFXI. I listed a lot of ( - ) to be honest and objective as possible. Personally, i totally agree that most of those things are really ( + )'s for me.
As a returning vet, that had played some considerably more "care-bear" games in recent history, I was over-confident. I was quickly humbled after dying on the first mob I fought at lvl 1. Then once I was getting self-assure and confident, I was humbled again after making the trip to Jueno on foot for the first time in years at lvl 20.
I'm an old player and would like to try this game out again after years and years away from it
My question is: How do I get a free trial? I don't really wanna throw 30+ bucks at the game and find out it's not for me.
I've been wanting to go back and check the game out again myself, but according to the manual I have to buy the PlayOnline software again if it's been over 3 months. I loaded up PlayOnline and input my original ID and password with no luck.
Anyone here give me a clue on what I have to do?
I might also add something MOST north american players can't even fathom and that is how hard this game must have been for the first wave of JPN?Nowadays its pretty much all online for you to find and share.At one time the original wave of JPN players had to figure it all out for themselves.The first wave of players couldn't beg there level 75 guild members to help them,they had to work very hard to accomplish everything in the game.
I would bet if not for high level help in this game alot of newer generation players would not even exist in this game today.Even the first wave of NA players would /shout to JPN for help and the sneaky devils would do alot of gil charging for there help lol.No question that the first wave of JPN to go through this game,found it to be the most demanding game made to date.This however for players who like a challenge can equate to being the most satisfying.
Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.
If you forgot your ID you need to call PlayOnline customer support and get them to give it to you. Also, if they did delete or deactivate your account, like the above poster said, you can take part in the Return Home campaign which should allow you to restore a character... I'm not 100% on the details of that, but the information is found on a link at the PlayOnline homepage.
Welcome back!
I just came back about 2 months ago. I took around 18 months off and played WoW (got into BT/Hyjal) some LOTRO and messed around with a lot of free trials. One thing I can tell you is... you're right! This game is hard, grindy, takes a long time, but very very rewarding. It isn't in the sense that you get gear easily, but in the sense that when you work hard at something you can say you've done it and be treated to a cool reward.
It's a different kid of reward. I still remember going and fighting the Shadow Lord the first time with my group of friends around level 60. It was a challenging fight and we needed to use all of our strengths to beat him. I was so happy after beating him and felt so rewarded when I got my airship pass.
I also love the fact that any gear you earn through quests (AF etc) and endgame (sky, kings, etc) is useful no matter what level of endgame you are in. I would constantly switch sets for different situations and it was nice to know my hard earned reward wasn't going to get tossed when the next best thing came around. (like zOMG, my boots of blasting have 2 more shadow damage. Time to toss my shadow weaving boots I spent hours grinding elementals for /sigh)
As far as population goes... I played RDM my first time through and I never had a problem getting an invite for obvious reasons. Now, as a WAR, I get invites almost as fast! It's not that WAR is an amazing job, but what I'm trying to say is, there still seems to be tons of people on and I don't even play at a peak time.
I came back for the same reasons. To pass the time until something else came out, but really? I don't know if AoC is going to interest me that much, and then there is WAR... I might just stick with FFXI until the new SE mmo comes out.
If a man does his best, what else is there?
playing: darkfall
waiting: earthrise
One good sign is they are still actively trying to combat RMT and still providing large updates every few months.
If a man does his best, what else is there?
I would worry about it. Like the above poster said, this is the Japanese equivalent of Everquest and that game is still hanging around even after the sequelAnyways, if you don't have a server yet, feel free to check me and a couple other MMORPG.com returning players out on Pandemonium
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If you forgot your ID you need to call PlayOnline customer support and get them to give it to you. Also, if they did delete or deactivate your account, like the above poster said, you can take part in the Return Home campaign which should allow you to restore a character... I'm not 100% on the details of that, but the information is found on a link at the PlayOnline homepage.
I still have my ID, password and PO email. When I try to login it says my ID or password is invalid. I don't mind starting over with a new toon. I never saw the return home link, but I'll keep looking. Thanks.
is this game playable on a PC equipped with an 8800GTS card?
i saw something on another thread about the graphics glitching for higher cards..
thanks...
If you forgot your ID you need to call PlayOnline customer support and get them to give it to you. Also, if they did delete or deactivate your account, like the above poster said, you can take part in the Return Home campaign which should allow you to restore a character... I'm not 100% on the details of that, but the information is found on a link at the PlayOnline homepage.
I still have my ID, password and PO email. When I try to login it says my ID or password is invalid. I don't mind starting over with a new toon. I never saw the return home link, but I'll keep looking. Thanks.
Sorry it took me a while to get back to you, but here's the link: http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/campaign/wcb/index.htmlIf you still have your Playonline ID and password but it says its invalid it's because it has been deactivated (I believe). All that means is either use the Return Home to Vana'diel link I gave you, or try PlayOnline customer support.
Personally, I chose to just start all over instead of trying to get my old guy back. It had been so long since I played that I wanted to start everything over fresh anyways. However, if you spent a lot of time on a guy in the past I definitely know why you'd want to get him back. Good luck with whatever you decide
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