Loved Final Fantasy XI but had to leave

Enigma · January 2004

I really liked the game. The game was pretty tight in terms of a mmorpg. However i had to leave to keep my sanity. Here's why:

1. Zones: The map may look big to some of you, but ive played mmorpgs that makes FFXI zones look like tiny playgrounds. I'll log on around 4pm CST and there will be a ton of Americans camping beach pugils and such for leveling. Then I'll go on at 11 pm...same thing....then 2 am, same thing (but Japanese players instead). I traveled the entire globe and the zones i could fight in were over camped and the zones that were good were 30 levels beyond my league.

2. Leveling: Holy Comolly and Baby Jesus under a Christmas Tree!!!! Leveling's not bad until you hit around level 18 or so. At first the xp you receive per kill is like 5 to 7% of your total xp needed to level up. But unlike in many mmorpgs (where harder monsters give u more xp and more resources), FFXI monsters gives you less xp. At level 21, if you i went solo, the monsters I could fight would only give me .03% xp needed to gain a level. It's a leveling treadmill at its finest.

3. Economy system: Worked great until the new guys decided to sell their wares 70% below cost of what others were selling it for, thus forcing the market down. Money wasnt a real issue to me until level 30 (when things I needed from the Auction House costs more than I had)

4. Not a whole big selection of monsters to fight: Lotta monsters but they were like the same monster but a little tougher. Like Baby Goblin, then Teen Goblin, then Goblin with an attitude, then Goblin with a stick, then gobli.....you get the picture. LOL, never seen so many varieties of rabbits either.

5. Forming parties is like trying to cram for an exam: If you're a white mage....you'll be in a party no problem. I was a Warrior...holy cow, it would always take me 2 hours to find a party (as at a higher level, solo was impossible to level up). Then you had to pray the people in the party weren't complete mental patients when trying to come up with strategy.

But, like I said, I really loved this game. I thought the graphics were beautiful, CSR was always nice, tarutarus were so darn cute, and those Japanese players were sooo nice to us, Americans.

Regal_TR · January 2004

I quit because of the leveling treadmill and rudeness of most Japanese players.. Some of them would run around newb areas going :^) , and laughing at us.. was kind of ridiculous.

Enigma · January 2004

Originally posted by Regal_TR
and rudeness of most Japanese players.. Some of them would run around newb areas going :^) , and laughing at us.. was kind of ridiculous.

i think you are the first person out of like 40,000 players who thought the Japanese were rude!!!!!!!! Plus I played from release until now, and the only time I saw Japanese players in newb areas when they were running back to themajor cities.

Plus, it was us noobs who screwed up the whole empire rating system when we hunted the newb grounds without having signets placed on us...c.aused the beastmen to virtually take over every newb ground there was.

But rude Japaenese players in FFXI? naw, you'd have to prove that to me because thats really hard to believe. There was a Japanese guy who went into a mine and solo ghouls for lietrally 4 hours to get our entire partya ghoul skull each. And thats one example of many of what tha Japanese did for us.

Kiranai · January 2004

I agree with everything you said...

As soon as I find an alternative game to go to, I'll quit this one.

I'm fairly tired of the long searches for a team...and then once you get on a team, praying that they're not a bunch of imbeciles.

Regal_TR · January 2004

The truth is I actually quit because of the forced grouping, The japanese did bug me, but thats because im a partial racist, and they did do annoying stuff like newb area mob one shot killing etc..They never let me join their groups either even if they could speak english, saying I was not good enough, wtf ?? Anyways, The forced grouping was sooo annoying.. past lvl 15 you could NOT solo, which bugged me like WOAH.

SamuraiEto · January 2004

Originally posted by Regal_TR
The truth is I actually quit because of the forced grouping, The japanese did bug me, but thats because im a partial racist, and they did do annoying stuff like newb area mob one shot killing etc..They never let me join their groups either even if they could speak english, saying I was not good enough, wtf ?? Anyways, The forced grouping was sooo annoying.. past lvl 15 you could NOT solo, which bugged me like WOAH.

You lack understanding of the game, of other cultures, and of mmorpgs in general...

Firstly, racism is just silly.. but a debate about that just doesn't belong here so no further comment.

Secondly, mob killing in a newb area is often times the quickest way to leveling in FFXI. When you can kill 20 easy mobs for 12-38 xp per kill before your party has to rest, vs. killing only 2-3 tough mobs for 100-200 xp each, then you can do the math... It's just the way FFXI works. But I'm NA and you will definitely see me do the same thing so nothing to do with japanese players.

Thirdly, FFXI groups depends on you being within a 2-level range of each other to get decent xp at all... in fact the best xp comes from a group all the same level... so again you misunderstand a players intentions, and the fact that it's just the way the game works. When they say you are not good enough, it is to the benefit of you just as much as them. They did you a favor man, and probably just didn't know enough english to be half as helpful as they wanted to be.

Lastly, an MMORPG means you play with other players. To walk in to it with so little patience for other people, or for the idea of grouping with other players, kinda defeats the purpose of playing a game with everyone else across the world. Why didn't you just go play any of the other FF? That way you will know that the NPCs will always treat you as nicely as they are programmed to. With real people, part of the fun is the outcome will always be a little different then expected.

To Enigma though, all good points.. I think they'll grow and improve over time though, once the NA player base gets settled in to the mix.

Enigma · January 2004

Originally posted by Regal_TR
..They never let me join their groups either even if they could speak english, saying I was not good enough, wtf ??

LOL, dude, i think i found out exactly why they wouldn't let you into their groups:

1. Japanese Server side has been up for a year or so now. Which means their Levels are fairly high.

2. Most Japanese players were specialized class at level 60 or so or dual class at level 55 or so. Ive seen my fair share of level 70 Paladins and dark knights.

3. Lets say your level 22 or so and you group with a bunch of guys that are, say, level 35 or so (heck even level 25 would mess it up). The Experience points will be dramatically reduced. Big time XP loss. So if you joined their group the XP would just plain suck....for the amount of xp you all would be getting you minus well hunt rabbits...they'll give you more.

So, its not that the Japanese were being rude to you. They were not accepting you because you would have messed up the Experience Point distribution. It has nothing to do with them being racist or prejudice. To be honest, us Americans are far more Stuck up than any Japanese player I haveever met.

Remember, Prejudice is born from the lack of understanding. And you not understanding really why they wouldnt accept you into their groups caused you to be prejudiced against them. Its not that their Japaense, its because you are way to far level to be playing with them. The game was designed for that.

rhymos · January 2004

the game looked great and all but that was the only thing i like about it,the exp per kill sucked,the lack of guilds made it hard to find groups(a linkshall is not a guild)the ppl who sold stuff around the ah wanted way to much money for stuff and i think the trade skill are worse then that of everquest.

raidenn · January 2004

Laughing to us? Thats just a hello greeting. The world is round and has different ways of saying hello you know.

rathma · January 2004

Theres ups and downs to this game yes. So far i've grown to like it quite a bit though. I'm a warrior and grouping is very tough. Thats why i wish they could just let you solo with easy exp. But every game isn't perfect, and thats really the only big flaw i've found in the game.

Enigma · January 2004

Originally posted by rathma
Theres ups and downs to this game yes. So far i've grown to like it quite a bit though. I'm a warrior and grouping is very tough. Thats why i wish they could just let you solo with easy exp. But every game isn't perfect, and thats really the only big flaw i've found in the game.

True

Ive seen worse mmorpgs.

ramadin · January 2004

Holy hell! FFXI is BY FAR the worst MMORPG I have ever played. And I have played most of them. It is a cardinal sin to even mention FFXI on the other MMORPGS due to the fact that everyone hates this game. The UI in this game is the worst design ever, sure you can spend 900 hours setting up macros if you hate the gameplay, which you will. The combat system blows serious dogs, nothing about this game has any sense of realism whatsoever. Getting from place A to place B takes an ungodly amount of time, unless you want to go rent a llama thingy, which looks incredibly gay, not to mention you cant keep it. I could go on and on, I suggest you dont waste your money on this game. It is purely and completely horrid. I hate myself for even buying it, patching it for 12 hours, then waiting the 5 minutes for the comp to uninstall all 18 bajillion files.

eldar · January 2004

I'm sorry but I completely agree with what these people have said. Since I started final fantasy I have enjoyed it to an extent but I don't see ever playing it until level 75 because of the complete lack of quest as you get higher up in ranks and not also to mention the boring leveling system which barely holds you in the game.

Also for those who haven't played. Wait until you die. Maybe not the first time, maybe not five times, but after awhile your going to get really pissed at losing exp because it honestly makes you want to quit the game. Why couldn't they do something cool like WoW where your stats are reduced for a time?

Face if your buying this game, your buying the name not the fun and originality of Final Fantasy.

Patrick

fozzinop · January 2004

" Theres ups and downs to this game yes. So far i've grown to like it quite a bit though. I'm a warrior and grouping is very tough. Thats why i wish they could just let you solo with easy exp. But every game isn't perfect, and thats really the only big flaw i've found in the game. "

/

Haha, OK so if they let you solo with easy exp. as you said, everyone would be level 75 have never grouped before and noone would know how group mechanics work and wouldn't be able to participate in high level raids. Why does everyone feel like the game has to be made so easy that noone has to work for anything?

To the guy that said Linkshells (LS) aren't guilds and therefore it's difficult to find parties... No they aren't, but you must've been in some crappy LS. Mine is about 25 people and I always get an instant party with someone as soon as I log in.

NO quests once you pass low levels? Who the F*** are you kidding? There are so many quests you can't even possibly being to imagine ever finishing them. Ever try lookin for them? Talk to NPCs? If you like being served thins on a platter and not working for them then I doubt any MMO is right for you? Unless of course they make a "Here's your max lvl character with perfect gear and unlimited money; go do whatever you want with it" MMO...

Any of you ever try the Mission system? It's immersive, unlike many of the other MMOs where you really wonder how it's tied to the previous or next mission. It actually makes you feel part of the story.

Japanese players being rude? What is wrong with you man? Do you know anything about Japanese culture? They are some of the most polite and respectful people I've met in my life. They are more helpful than any fellow American I've ever met. They will try to overcome the language barrier with the bad in-game translator and waste hours to help me find a needed item for a quest. And they will let you party with them if you are of equal level. Don't expect them to party with you, or anyone else for that matter, if you are levels below them and are going to lower their experience.

To the person saying that in the mid levels the experience per kill in a party is only .03% of the experience needed for the level? Wow you must've been in some crappy parties man. I gain 200+ experience per kill no matter what we hunt. It's just knowing what and where to hunt and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to find it out.

To eldar's post (Patrick I believe) If you die five times per level or within a few levels, then considering just crafting and not fighting. I really want to know how you die 5 times in a week even (and I play 20-30 hours a week). You must be with some incompetent mages. And yes I'll die once, but after that I'll make sure to tell them how their job is done or to dump the WHM and get a new one.

You guys keep bashing one of the better MMOs right now. It has no bugs whatsover. The community is one of the best ever. Once the PvP is implemented this game will be up there with the 2-3 best MMOs... and if it sucks why is it ranked only behind EQ in subscribers... and subscriber numbers aren't decreasing. And once the PS2 version comes out this game WILL be the most subscribed-to MMO which, in my opinion speaks volumes. And no the subscriber numbers will not decrease, because most people actually can differentiate a good mmo from a bad one.

Enigma · January 2004

Originally posted by fozzinop
Haha, OK so if they let you solo with easy exp. as you said, everyone would be level 75 have never grouped before and noone would know how group mechanics work and wouldn't be able to participate in high level raids. Why does everyone feel like the game has to be made so easy that noone has to work for anything?

I disagree with you here. I, myself, will leave a mmorpg the first chance I get if I see leveling is lightening fast. SWG for example was a game where you mastered professions in no time. However, this game is the complete opposite. Some people like to solo every now and then. At level 22+, soloing just isnt possible anymore. I'm not into gaining one level every 3 weeks as a casual player. Just not worth the time and money.

To the guy that said Linkshells (LS) aren't guilds and therefore it's difficult to find parties... No they aren't, but you must've been in some crappy LS. Mine is about 25 people and I always get an instant party with someone as soon as I log in.

You are a very rare jewel exception. Unless you are a white mage, finding a party is like paying your bills. If you do manage to find a party, then you have to pray to God that it is a competant party and not a bunch of fools pulling every IT monster they see.

NO quests once you pass low levels? Who the F*** are you kidding? There are so many quests you can't even possibly being to imagine ever finishing them. Ever try lookin for them? Talk to NPCs? If you like being served thins on a platter and not working for them then I doubt any MMO is right for you? Unless of course they make a "Here's your max lvl character with perfect gear and unlimited money; go do whatever you want with it" MMO...

There are plenty of Quests, but good luck doing half of them as they are camped like mad. Like I said in my first post...the zones are just plain too small for everyone (I hate to see what it was like before the exapnsion,,,,then again, only the Japansese were playing at that time.

Any of you ever try the Mission system? It's immersive, unlike many of the other MMOs where you really wonder how it's tied to the previous or next mission. It actually makes you feel part of the story.

I'll give the game that. It does have a good mission system. Very well put together, classic FF style

Japanese players being rude? What is wrong with you man? Do you know anything about Japanese culture? They are some of the most polite and respectful people I've met in my life. They are more helpful than any fellow American I've ever met. They will try to overcome the language barrier with the bad in-game translator and waste hours to help me find a needed item for a quest. And they will let you party with them if you are of equal level. Don't expect them to party with you, or anyone else for that matter, if you are levels below them and are going to lower their experience.

LOL, we mentioned that already (see post #4+)

To the person saying that in the mid levels the experience per kill in a party is only .03% of the experience needed for the level? Wow you must've been in some crappy parties man. I gain 200+ experience per kill no matter what we hunt. It's just knowing what and where to hunt and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to find it out.

First of all, no need in name calling. We see that you're new here so its cool. You may just be a special situation in every situation in FFXI. However, with about 75% of us who played FFXI, we received like 75 to 80 xp per kill if we were in a good group. Yes, thats even with the special combos and xp chains.

We all pretty much knew where to hunt. Many of were not noobs. Problem is everywhere, its camped.

To eldar's post (Patrick I believe) If you die five times per level or within a few levels, then considering just crafting and not fighting. I really want to know how you die 5 times in a week even (and I play 20-30 hours a week). You must be with some incompetent mages. And yes I'll die once, but after that I'll make sure to tell them how their job is done or to dump the WHM and get a new one.

Some people aren't as Ub3r el33t as you are. Some people do die in mmorpgs....and yes, five times a week. Plus I think you missed his point. His point was clearly meant to say that FFXI has a bad death system where you have to work 10% of your xp back....that with the low xp to begin with kills the game for many of us

You guys keep bashing one of the better MMOs right now. It has no bugs whatsover. The community is one of the best ever. Once the PvP is implemented this game will be up there with the 2-3 best MMOs... and if it sucks why is it ranked only behind EQ in subscribers... and subscriber numbers aren't decreasing. And once the PS2 version comes out this game WILL be the most subscribed-to MMO which, in my opinion speaks volumes. And no the subscriber numbers will not decrease, because most people actually can differentiate a good mmo from a bad one.

True, it has no bugs. If you think this thread was "bashing" FFXI, then I suggest you not to visit the other mmorpg forums here.....this was not bashing..just our opinions.

I do not see this as the best mmorpg. Probably in the top 10 but certainly not one of the best. Finally, no one wished to see this game burn to hell (I think you get that idea from us...). We just said whats on our minds. If you love the game, then thats awesome.

Ramonski7 · January 2004

I am having a blast with the game as well.

eldar · January 2004

Cheers to En1Gma

I think he pretty much hit the nail on the head. I am far from hating this game. But I do think it suffers from some pretty obvious and annoying drawbacks but then again so does every game. It's life no game will ever be 100% prefect and if you think by telling us you

get 200 exp a kill and never die. Your in a fantasy world bud. There's no such thing. Maybe at level 10 or 20 but as I have hit higher levels I am realizing this game is becoming harder and harder to level due to lack of American players over level 30 and lack of people who know there TRUE role in a party. I think people need to take a step back and do some research before buying into a game just because of NAME BRAND and start looking at what is important game play.

Final fantasy was fun.....til I hit level 30. And trust me. I've logged over 20 days on it. I have a monk 30/ Warrior 15/ Dragoon 30/ Red mage 7/Thief 10.

I've played the game. I know what it's about and I am no where close to being a noob.

Patrick

nanda · January 2004

FFXI = nice game,boring, and lot of satisfaction when you reach your goal

That means I love this kind of game

rathma · January 2004

" Theres ups and downs to this game yes. So far i've grown to like it quite a bit though. I'm a warrior and grouping is very tough. Thats why i wish they could just let you solo with easy exp. But every game isn't perfect, and thats really the only big flaw i've found in the game. "

/

Haha, OK so if they let you solo with easy exp. as you said, everyone would be level 75 have never grouped before and noone would know how group mechanics work and wouldn't be able to participate in high level raids. Why does everyone feel like the game has to be made so easy that noone has to work for anything?

Actually soloing with decent exp doesn't mean everyone gets to level 75 dude. What im saying is that instead of having to go to a different area, that might not even have an empty party just so you can get good exp sometimes... isn't worth it. I don't know ANYONE who sometimes wouldn't mind just killing something along the way of going somewhere and actually getting decent exp for it.

For those of you who have had a day off from school or whatever, 90% of the people in the game are going to be japanese, so you can't even group.

Elliot · January 2004

its an all round good game, it has its faults but what mmorpg does not?. cyaz in game all

dslack67 · January 2004

The reason I haven't logged much time on FFXI is also the speed in which a character can level during SOLO play. I'm not in agreement with the attempt to "Force" people to group in order to more effectively level.

I play MMORPG's to be able to explore huge gaming worlds with the knowledge that other "real" people are doing the exact same thing. I also enjoy the ability to group with close RL friends in-game when we happen to be on-line together. At times when I know I have a few uninterrupted hours to play I do enjoy meeting others and grouping. However, to tailor a games overall design to "Force" people to group is a bad idea.

I also have years of experience playing MMORPG's like UO, EQ, DAoC, SWG, AO, etc. I have noticed that around levels 13-16 (depending on Job Skill) FFXI becomes extremely tedious in leveling while playing Solo. It seems to be far worse than the older MMORPG's that I list above.

As for the graphics, gameplay, quests, crafting, player run economy, jobs/class system, etc.. I truly am impressed with FFXI. However, I am simply waiting for a MMORPG to come around that let's a person level by Solo gameplay, just as effectively as Grouping. Then I shall be truly happy.

rathma · January 2004

I thought it would be great if you could solo. But now that i went soloing with my subjob from level 1-10 it was BORING. Now i know why there is forced grouping.

dslack67 · January 2004

Rathma: Well, to some solo'ing may be boring. To others "grouping" can be boring. The point is whether or not it makes sense to design a game that in essence "Forces" players to do either.

Myself, I often times only have 30-60mins of playtime available at any one sitting. So, in order to get into a group, find a suitable location for hunting, and then to play 15-30mins within the group just often times doesn't "Fit". Logging on and playing Solo for 30-60mins to either gain exp or to work towards completing a quest is often times the perfect gaming experience for me. To have a game geared to offer more to players who are "grouped" is one thing... but to engineer a game that gives so little EXP vs. Down Time for Solo players is simply not my cup of tea.

Again, great graphics, Jobs/Class design, Player Economy, Quests, etc. Solo play is far too tedious of a Leveling Treadmill. I was hoping that Beastmaster or one of the other "Pet" classes would help to allow SOLO play much more effectively, but the game mechanics still pretty much force GROUP play to gain experience at an acceptable pace.

Unknown · February 2004

I know i shouldnt be asking this but sense your not playing anymore may i have your registration codes in everything dont worry you can take all your credit card information off i have my own i just really need a new one i bought the game and someone must have hijacked the registration code from the box because it didnt come with it and when i tried taking the game back they denied my refund i was pretty pissed. so now i have the game haha and thats it.. if you could send me all the codes and stuff to lded4life@yahoo.com i would love you forever and if not i understand .... just asking.

Olrox · February 2004

[quote]Myself, I often times only have 30-60mins of playtime available at any one sitting.[/quote]

Well if you have that much time to play I don't think any mmorpg will be good for you, because all the ones i have played you need to invest quite some time. Like i play 4-6 hours a day on a week day and on weekends i play like 12-14 hours (yea yea, i have no life) and even that doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything done.

BlackLight · February 2004

Yes FFXI is fun during the low levels, but after you do all the initial quests and reach around level 25 starts to get boring. Most of the quests for the towns are the same thing just changed around a little if you haven't noticed. Lots of them givng no real reward.

Finding a good linkshell is hard I went through 5 or different ones. Everyone looking so similar really bugged be could hardly tell who I was when I turned off names.

And grouping sucked big time, waiting hours for a group was not what I wanted. I shouldn't be punished cause I want to be a fighter. Should give us something to do other than sit around and wait. Crafting is ok, but there is no good market for most of stuff you make.

-faith chooses no man

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Loved Final Fantasy XI but had to leave

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Loved Final Fantasy XI but had to leave

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