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Need your advice and opinion...
Thornwolf
Member Posts: 107
Iam currently without an MMO, and I have long wanted to try FFXI. I feel now may be the time I actually dive into it. L2, and DAoC are not filling the void for me and I am truely an MMORPG guy. As such I need to find a game that works for me.
How is this game?
How is the community?
Groups required or can you solo?
What are the death penalties?
How hard is it and about how long does it take to reach the "end game".
If you had to compare it to one of the other major MMORPGS on the market what would you say it was "most like".
Are there a good amount of role-players in game, or is it all leet types?
Thanks from one MMORPG junkie to another.
Comments
1) Well, I like it a lot, but I'm willing to grant it may not be for everybody. Try it out and see how you like it.
2) I have found the community to be excellent. For the most part helpful and mature, though not completely devoid of jerks, to be sure.
3) Grouping is more or less required. Beastmaster is about the only job with a prospect of doing most of your levelling solo, and even they need to group for some vital non-levelling stuff. And Beastmaster is an advanced job; you'll have to level one of the basic jobs to 30 before you can get the quest to unlock it (quest is easy, though).
4) Death penalty is a loss of exp points. If this drops you below your current level, you will delevel. XP loss is roughly 8 to 10 percent of the total exp needed to get to your next level. This is reduced if you are Raised. At the high levels, you can benefit from higher levels of Raises that *severely* reduce this penalty, but don't eliminate it.
5) It is fairly difficult, in my opinion. Combat requires good coodination in the party and knowledge of the mobs and what you're doing. Knowing your abilities and when to use them is a must (particularly for mages; every spell has a purpose and using each of them when needed is very important). Crafting effectively requires research. Making your way in the economy requires a certain feeling for the market, and you *will* require money to keep you character properly outfitted. Making that money is not that hard if you bring intelligence and diligence to the task, but it won't just be handed to you. I haven't reached the end-game yet; I started in May. It must be said that I have not made a head-long rush to level, which IMHO is the best way to play the game. I would say that if you levelled as hard as you could, you might make the end-game in a few months. If you take the time to do the quests and missions (which you really, *really* should) it's more like six months to a year.
6) I've only played FFXI and WoW, so I can't really make comparisons to all the other MMORPGs out there.
7) There are, thankfully, relatively few "1337 types" in FFXI. There's some amount of role playing, but I haven't seen large organized role playing, or people who make an effort to stay in RP character.
Chris Mattern
Thanks Chris, that was a really good post and I appreciate the information a lot.
I am looking to play this too. Just wondering if there was a way to pay for the game online and then download the client?
I did not see that as an option but I did not dig around too much to be honest. I did just pick up the game, and I am in the process of installing it right now.
It is taking forever; the package comes with two expansions plus the core game. You also have to install the play online installer and some card game which I will never play.
I find it a bit frustrating that you have to pay extra for additional character slots above the first one. The cost is not all that much but it is the principle of it.
I also am not impressed with the play on lien system, and all the jumping though hoops you have to go through to install and play this game.
As a consumer I want to pay my money, and then enjoy my product. This has so many steps to it I find it beyond frustrating.
I can only hope the game itself is better thought out than the install, set up, and registration process. Having to add the game I just bought to an account so I can play it is lame. I clearly want to play the game, I bought it. So why must I declare this interest? Then I had to register each expansion and add them to the account. Of course I bought them together you would think they would have a simple process for this.
Just venting, I was hoping to get some game time in before work and I have spent it instead jumping through flaming hoops so I COULD eventually play a video game.
Nope, you gotta get the box. Of course, you can order the box online; Amazon and ton of other places carry it. It's $30 retail, but you can probably find it discounted.
Chris Mattern
how you finding the game then mate?