Final Fantasy XI Exclusive Update Preview: A New Beginning

[Ralsu]

Ten Ton Hammer's Danny "Ralsu" Gourley has visited Final Fantasy XI's Vana'diel several times, and he finds himself drawn into the story a little more with each trip. With the latest changes coming to the game, could Square Enix finally overcome Ralsu's frustration with a login system that takes CIA clearance to reach his inner-Final Fantasy geek?

Yes, I have played Final Fantasy I, IV-VIII, X-XII, Tactics, Tactics Advance, Tactics A2, Mystical Quest and maybe even a couple of the Legends games on the Game Boy. Yes, I have seen some of the anime and the first Final Fantasy movie. Yes, I have a Cloud Strife action figure (And Aerith. And a chocobo.). And maybe I laminated an image of the Sphere Grid from FFX for easy reference. And possibly the License Board from FFXII.

Find out how Ralsu reacts to a new tutorial for newbs and a mentoring system to help bring people together right here.

[Ralsu]

At only $1.99 for the full game online, this is worth trying over the holidays when your friends are afk.

[Ralsu]

Update note: I have learned that FFXI has a 14-day free trial, too. So you can spend nothing to give this title a try.

[subgenius5150]

in all honesty i didnt know that people still played this game... ive never researched it cause i am one of the few people in the world that didnt like the original rpg's of it... if you were to compare it to other more established MMO's which is it most like?

[xifu]

I was going to do the 14-day trial, but I learned that they delete your character if you do not log in within 3 months. I have other games to play and things to do in real life that might prevent me from logging in within the 3 month deadline. How much space does it take to store a character's stats? If they remove the 3 month limit, I will gladly subscribe.

[Shayalyn]

Originally Posted by xifu

I was going to do the 14-day trial, but I learned that they delete your character if you do not log in within 3 months. I have other games to play and things to do in real life that might prevent me from logging in within the 3 month deadline. How much space does it take to store a character's stats? If they remove the 3 month limit, I will gladly subscribe.

I know nothing about any sort of 3 month deadline in FF XI, but to be honest...how much does it take to log in for a few minutes and then log out? Logging in doesn't mean playing. If you remember to log in monthly you shouldn't have a problem.

I do agree that limitations like that are a pain, though. And you're right; it's hard to see a good reason for it. I haven't played my EverQuest characters in years, but I bet if I downloaded the game again and patched up...ol' Shayalyn the wood elf druid would still be there.

[Ralsu]

Originally Posted by subgenius5150

if you were to compare it to other more established MMO's which is it most like?

Hmm. It's hard to compare FFXI to anything else because the game focuses on story. In other MMOGs, you're one of thousands of adventurers. That's usually the whole premise. In FFXI, the action is happening to you and you specifically (it's just that everybody gets the story).

I think it is worth downloading the trial just to experience it firsthand if you value a good story.

[Barbarious]

FF11 is a kick-back to the old "OMFG MONSTERS ARE GODS" style of MMORPG's where the game progression is very much based on the idea that as a character and hero, you suck at life and every monster around your level could efficiently destroy you without so much as the flick of a wrist.

So the game is essentially a "Forced Group" game. It's not the kind where you can just go "Solo Quest" or "AOE Grind". For optimal experience gain you are intended to basically group up with other players and use team tactics and chain attacks to destroy single or small-group mobs.

The game also features "Missions" which are story driven and feature cut-scenes and cinematics involving your character and advance the overall story of the game.

Raids and dungeons exist as well.

There is limited PvP.

The allure of FF11 was never the "casual atmosphere" or "ease" of the game and for the solo player, the game is a nightmare. The true reason that people play the game however is that it's painfully challenging and demands teamwork.

Playing a game like this is a throwback to Everquest or the classic asian MMOs really. It doesn't have a lot of "Gripping solo Content" but when grouped with friends and clearing content or just cranking up a massive Experience Chain (fast killing for bonus xp) the game shines as a social and strategic masterpiece.

In terms of sheer frustration and difficulty, I'd say it's one of the highest on the market right now alongside Eve Online, simply because the game forces social interaction and teamwork or you'll fail miserably.

The PvE content is a different flavor than WoW or most modern MMO's but it's not "bad" in any shape. The Missions are fun and inventive.

I would say that overall the game is just a different "style" of MMORPG. What some might call a "Slow MMO" one in which movements are more thorough and planned and actions, attacks and spells are done with thought and tactical reasoning.

Compare that to WoW which is more of a fast paced, "twitch" style game.

In relation to how many people still play FF11 - they recently banned 8,000 players for hacking and cheating and shrugged it off like they were ants. Additionally they have so many players on the game at the moment that they are offering free server transfers from vastly overpopulated servers onto lower ones. So while it's no 11 Million. It's quite enough to sustain their game and keep the community alive.

The reason I post here is because some friends recently expressed a desire to play FF11 again after we found the new Wrath of the Lich King raid content to be so easy we breezed through it only a day after reaching level 80. LOL

We must now bide our time till the first content patch and FF11 is happy to oblige.