FFXI fun / worth getting?

[anewenemy_7]

ok, to start this off, lil past of my gameing in MMO's not amazing but plz read this all... not alot. im a former world of warcraft player, blizz kinda busted my bubble, although i do recomend it to anyone!!! very fun game... i live in a small populated town none of my high school friends live here, and im 20 miles away from nearest town! so my life here at home is boreing and MMO's iv found out by playing WoW, are very fun, and ADICTING!!! iv tryed to keep myself bussy but i just cant, get bored fast! someone on a chat channel recomended FFXI to me and i have thought of it befor, but didnt want to be a bother and ask too much. he told me its fun ect, the typical this game rocks thing... but if anyone minds can anyone plz tell me what they like about FFXI? what they dont like about it? ya know a lil of the up's AND downs of the game. and maybe some stuff that would be useful to a "noob" say if i did get this game? please and thank you!

e-mail me too if you would like! i can use any info if you have some to spare me!
ryanclapper2009@hotmail.com

[Jei]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

compare to WoW, FFXI is much, much slower. You have a chance to love FFXI as much as a chance to hate it. Without you trying it out yourself I can't really tell. The DVD collection of the game is is only $29.99.

Apart from the slow, grinding nature, FFXI offers a very deep story and a lot of dependant on other players. You will need to take your time and build up good relationships with people if you want to progress fast in this game. As addition to levelling up.

[DakAttack]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

For starters, it's a text heavy game. Proper spelling, grammar, and puncuation are your friend.

Now that that's out of the way, it's basically like any other Final Fantasy game, except massively multiplayer. Every expansion brings with it a new plot to progress through, as well as new and different perks such as Chocobo breeding and racing. Between exploring the plot lines you level up your character like any other MMO, except instead of the basic archtypes there's a multitude of jobs to choose from, as well as a sub job. The basic goal is to max out your level and finish all the missions, but there's still a lot more to do.

[anewenemy_7]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

so would i have to get ALL the games seperatly... alot of money i dont have right now... but just a good thing to know! lol. or can i buy the latest one? someone told me their is 2 or 3 now and a new one comeing soon.

i have been trying to read up alot too not many sites iv seen explain alot about the game... if you have a link that would be helpfull, if its not too much to ask for?

[Tirrock]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

I'll go with the simple pro's and con's set-up...

Pros:
-Strong community. Even when I can't do anything else, I try to log on to talk to people.
-Great stories. There's a lot of depth to this game, it has it's own history, like previous FF games.
-Looks nice. Maybe it's just me, but I think this game looks really nice, even when compared to newer MMOs.
-Massive world. I've played this game since NA public beta, and I'm still discovering new pieces of land in areas of the game that's been out since 2002.

Cons:
-Time consuming. You can't get much accomplished if you only log on for a few hours at a time.
-Endgame drama. The result of shoving 100+ people in a small room waiting for a specific monster for up to three hours and only 18 or so of thoes people will get to fight the monster. Just to not get the item they were looking for, forcing them to camp and compete again.
-Real Money Traders. This is a problem in most games. (Save for city of heroes, I'd imagine...although it doesn't stop IGE from trying there too.) They've managed to get a strangle hold on most wanted items that are only dropped from rare spawning monsters (called notorious monsters, aka NMs).

Overall, I like this game. And that's probably what most of the people on an FFXI-specific board will feel too.

Double Post Edited:
The DVD would have the game and the two current expansions. There's a new expansion coming out on April 18th for the US (and worldwide within a few days after that). It would have to be bought seperate.

[anewenemy_7]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

wow i gota give ya a hand! that was very helpful, in WoW it took so log to hit 60 with the fact i LOVE to help people... in this game it sounds so far like the more you help the more you GET helped back! i like that i think thats how people should be! well so far iv had good reviews and the items at end happen in every MMO! lol so thats no biggy! now just to find out if i need to buy the latest version of FFXI or if i gota buy the lastest and previous ones... i hope i dont got get them all but if i do its worth it, cauz im SUPPER BORED!

[x1ang]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

well... i suggest you find a trial or something, because so far all my friends who play WoW and try FFXI hate it xD

[anewenemy_7]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

well... i suggest you find a trial or something, because so far all my friends who play WoW and try FFXI hate it xD

a trial! like a demo play? where in the world can i find one of them!? well i think i will like it anyways! iv played every final fantasy in the play station series, and loved each and every one of them! ill admit some ad some minor things i didnt like but overall, Final Fantasy is a FLIPPIN SWEET series!!! i give the original sqaresorft, and the more recent sqareenix some hell good credit!!! series wise id say final fantasy takes the cake!

but still a demo would be best to try, befor i go spend all that money, thx for the tip!

[Kagerou]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

From your positive attitude, I think you'll enjoy it. FFXI community needs more guys like you who actually listens to other ppl's advise.

[Blood Red Poet]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

FFXI 1 to 75 is full of tests and obsticals that overall strengthen the bond of the community. A lot of 'stepping stones' and 'landmarks', like your first mission, getting rank 3, your subjob, unlocking a few other jobs, getting pass the Genkei(level limits), getting arftifact armor, ect ect. A lot of the things that a lot of people hate about FFXI is what makes it great.

Aside from this, the two best points of FFXI is the fantastic story(and I don't just mean plot, I mean setting and characters; also how the story is revealed to you... DO NOT GO TO THAT PIECE OF SHIT THREAD STICKIED IN THIS FORUM) and the varied content. By varied content, I mean two things. One, there is a lot to do that doesn't involve killing monsters and such(oppose to WoW where its mostly about killing monsters or players, no matter what). Two, things that don't progress you in the same way an exp party or farming for money would, some people might look at this as a waste of time. Finally, there is more to just exping before the end, which people often say. Find out for yourself on that.

At level 75(you could say +70), the amount of things you can do doubles. Ironicly, its possible to play the game more casually at the end than it is getting there. The game is split up into a lot of timed things, which means you can plan stuff in ahead, and go with the same 4 to 8 people and do a lot of crap.

Overview of things to do in FFXI:

-Quests: These usually don't have great rewards, especially if you compare to a game like WoW which uses them as the main source of advancement. While a few are very rewarding, a lot of them are mainly outlets for interesting plot and interaction with characters.

-Leveling: Some people actually like this a lot. Anyway, at 75, you can level another job for a change. Also leveling can have a huge impact on your strength, because you can start spending points in "Merits" which boosts you in ways like armor, and sometimes in areas that even armor doesn't give you. You can spend millions and millions of exp to max out merits to become one truly leet human-being, even while being naked.

-Missions: In FFXI, missions are more than just quests(not to downplay quests) with another name. Because of the expansive nature of FFXI, you can play through all the storylines. There is 10 Ranks(about 2 missions each) for each nation, then there is the Rise of the Zilart storyline(which is pretty short) that cuts in mid-way of any of the country missions. Chains of Promathia is stand-alone and its very freakin' huge and epic. It really does make this game stack up against other RPG's storylines. RoZ and CoP indirectly effect each other, and there is a quest that ends both of them together.

-BCNMs: As you progress in FFXI, you will get a bunch of things called Beastmen Seals. You can trade these in for different kind of orbs that you trade to Battlefields(dubbed BCNMs alone by the community) that you would experience in none related quests/missions. You unlock an unique boss fight. Each orb has a level cap(20, 30, 40, 50, and 60), and combined with the number battlefields, there seems to be a truly endless amount of these things. You get drops that are worth a lot of money and sometimes only found in these battles. Later on, you encounter Kindred Seals which buy uncapped orbs that give much of the same thing(but also have a chance of dropping the some of the best weapons in the game, that 'binds' like in WoW).

-ENMs: Pretty much BCNMs but with a big spin on it. Instead of collecting seals, you get a keyitem(sometimes as easy as talking to a NPC or doing something tedious like climbing up a barren hill like some kind of Bandicoot game). Either way, you get a good amount of exp and items that be sold for a lot gil. The keyitems are on 5 day timers and you can do all but two of them with 6(sometimes less) people. Some of them are cap 30, 40, 50, and 60; and the uncapped ones are very popular. Some of them are hard to get to(mostly the low level ones), which is a blessing actually, because the items sell for more and they really aren't that hard to get to. By level 30, you can be getting 9000 exp a week and a chance for +1 million gil items doing three of them a week.

-Dynamis: This is like 40 man raids in WoW, except less exciting(most of the time). You can enter every 3 days, and usually requires 30-40+ people, but 25~ people can do it(maybe struggle a little in most areas). Dynamis is the main source of ancient currency which is spent getting Relic weapons(best damage dealing weapons in the game and they also give a new Weapon Skill). It also drops Relic armor, but find out about that later. Recently three 36 man areas and a 18 man area was released. They weren't too well designed for rewards, but they are pretty tough(more like WoW raids than others).

-Limbus: Though Dynamis is apparent of Limbus, Limbus means Apollyon and Temenos for the community. Limbus(was onced called Limbo) is like a group of dimensions that are not actually on Vana'diel. In this case, about 1 hour long raids that have max of 18 people, but usually only need 6 or 12(so you can split up a group of 18 and do two! yay). Each zone of the two zones awards you a chip that leads to a big boss fight(Apo you there is no order, while in Tem you use chips to progress up a tower). Not counting what the two boss fight drops, you get Ancient Beastmen Coins(as opposite to Ancient Currency). You can trade these coins for kickass items or use them to make level 75 versions of Arfifact Armor(find out later).

-Crafting: It has real importance unlike in WoW where it is just a tool that you can max in a day. Crafting is very complex, but simply, you can level all crafts to level 60 and have 40 levels you can spend on anything after 60. So you spend a very long time getting everything to 60, but one thing to 100 or two things to 80. You'll get really rich that way. You also can work with your guild to get guild points. These points are spent on (fashionable) armor that increases your skill or key items that let you craft things people without the items can't(make sushi or imbue a sword with holiness, for example).

-NMs and HNMs: A whole bunch of gear and valube crafting materials comes from 'bosses' all around the world. Some of these bosses give you titles and such. The hardest bosses require big linkshells(that also do a lot of things I've mentioned and will mention) and drop some of the best loot. A lot of NMs have some trait that makes them special(just like bosses in raids in WoW). Like Wyrm types, if you turn them around, they'll kill everything with a sick directional AoE).

-Sky: Towards the end of RoZ, you unlock the region "Tu'Lia", also dubbed Sky. Aside from being the climax of RoZ and a good exp zone, Sky is home to a system of bosses. First you collect to items from NMs, you use them to fight 4 monsters with nice loot pools. Each monster has an item and all four pop a harder monster with an even nicer loot pool. Usually requires a big LS like the one above, though, it doesn't require as much work.

-Sea: Towards the end of CoP, you unlock the region "Al'Teiru"(along with Limbus), also dubbed Sea. Aside from being the climax of CoP, a good exp zone, and home to a quest that involves farming monsters there to be turned into several rare items, Sea is home to a system of bosses. Sea is infamous for a its tough drop rates(on items to continue and rewards), but it seems to be a really bad glitch SE has yet to fix. The final boss of Sea is an almost unkillable NM much like the one at the end of AQ40. 3 groups of people have been able to kill it using an exploit. Hopefully SE fixes this up a bit.

-PvP: Instead of a war-like nature between players, PvP is made into a sport(s). There is Ballista, that plays like Soccer with killing and there is Brenner, which is a mix of Capture the Flag and King of the Hill with a PvE element. You get get ranked and exp in the official matches, but you can rent out areas for only your friends to play in and set your own rules. SE likes hosting Real life championships of these games. Recently, the Ballista Royale had tournaments on all the servers. Then lead to the winners vsing each other, until the two best teams fought it out at a live event. Right after their victory, the NA team was challenged by the JP team. SE is hoping to do it again with Brenner this year.

There is more things like making your Mog House look nice with many types of furnishings, create a garden that can reward you greatly, mine/harvest/fish/ect, ect.

Everything I said, you should forget most of it. Take your time to 75. If it isn't as memorable as your entire WoW career, you are doing it wrong. That is all.

[Mog]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

Indeed. I myself am focusing on getting to level 75 black mage. I'm getting a few missions out of the way now, but once I reach 75, a whole new horizon opens up. So in other words, the sky's not the limit.

[Deltran]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

well... i suggest you find a trial or something, because so far all my friends who play WoW and try FFXI hate it xD

lol i played wow before but did not like it very much lol and i love this

[x1ang]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

I'm not saying WoW is better than FFXI or FFXI is better than WoW, because it all depends on the person. From past experience, a great majority of WoW players love the game due to its pace and whatnot. Pretty much all of my friends who actually play games and MMOs have started in FFXI moved to WoW, quit MMOs, and - with me trying to convince them to come back to FFXI - they decide to go back to WoW (then again, there are the masses who would be the exact vice-versa). The "trial" would only work if you have a person that you know with a Vana'diel Buddy Pass, if not, then you would have to buy the game in order to "test" it out.

If you enjoy a storyline in the game, FFXI outshines WoW in every aspect. The missions (and many quests) are very captivating and whatnot and, as BRP stated, the way its presented to you keeps you hooked and lasts you a very very long time; where as in WoW, it's always the kill 20 ________ or get 20 ________ or find this stone, etc.

Is it more repetitive than WoW? I certainly think so. Is it more of a grind? Yes as well. In WoW (if you were the instancing type), you were constantly moving and handling more than on mob. In FFXI, you stay camped in a location for hours pulling a certain type of mob (most of the time, just one) over and over. Death in FFXI can erase all that you accomplished in the last few hours, while death in WoW only makes you travel to your corpse and lose some gil.

In WoW, it is very rare that you have to take time out and spend a few hours/days to make gil/etc in order to afford equipment that would make you "party-able." The PVP in WoW is also more fast paced (personally, I believe it outshines FFXI - which was initially not meant to be a PvP game, but with the new modes being added who knows?).

FFXI requires a constant (and proper) interaction with other players in order to move throughout the game and have fun; and this is what brought me back to FFXI from WoW. Am I saying that it's more socialable? Not at all... they're both MMOs after all). But FFXI does require more technics overall I believe and that's what keeps me hooked. Both games are constantly updated by their respective developers (FFXI with ToA and WoW with that new expansion pack.. dunno the name >.>)

As I said, it all really depends on you. Sure, I recommend that you come and try out FFXI. Play it for a few levels (just get over the 1-10 hump ^_^), be strongly aware that FFXI has a much steeper learning curve than WoW, expect things to take longer (and in some cases, very long), don't get frustrated and take your time to learn things and don't be shy and ask for help the instance you have questions. For all you know, you might become and FFXI junkie like the rest of us :D

[Geto]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

Everything that I can say, has already been said prior to my post. But heres my small 2 cents;

FFXI is perhaps the nicest MMO community I've had a chance to experience. The feeling that everyone is you 'comrade' adds to the appeal. You don't meet too many griefers or ppl who just shout all the time to annoy you (tho it happens. thats what chat filers are for!)
I do agree what was said about helping people, geting help in return. Think of the world/server you live in as a family, everyone is in the same situation. My biggest and one advice is;

Do not grind you way to Level 75.

That is not the reason FFXI was created. If you grind to 75 in a few months, you will lose the appeal of the game, burn out, and hate it. Some of the smallest things like adventuring together with fellow friends is the reason why I still play. I suggest you download Fraps, a screenshot utlity. Think of it as your digital camara on your trip in Vandiel. If you manage to play 6+ months, looking back at your 1,000+ screenshots is perhaps the most fullfing part of it all. Not the silly number sides your main job.

Hope this helps!

[anewenemy_7]

Re: FFXI fun / worth getting?

FFXI requires a constant (and proper) interaction with other players in order to move throughout the game and have fun; and this is what brought me back to FFXI from WoW. Am I saying that it's more socialable? Not at all... they're both MMOs after all). But FFXI does require more technics overall I believe and that's what keeps me hooked. Both games are constantly updated by their respective developers (FFXI with ToA and WoW with that new expansion pack.. dunno the name >.>)

i like that it is a sociable game, because i see alot in WoW "noobs" get made fun of and push in WoW, for asking little minor things... like "where are the skellital mages in duskwood?" one of the things my 29 PvP dueler heard just about a week befor i quit... he got made fun of and i was 29 already so i had all my gear on so i thought id help him out! be nice, he was level 26 when i started to help then i had to jump on my 60 rogue to finishit it, by end of day i got him from 26 to 35...

but in helping in FFXI it sounds like if you help a lil it pays off for you both! or maybe its just my opinion of what im hearing? ionno! lol, but i think WoW would be 150% better if people wouldent be suck asses, and just take a little bit of time it answer minor questions like "where are the skelital mages here in duskwood?" i mean... comon, nice to have or try to have everyone having fun, who knows later when hes higher lvl hes gona help all your alts if you help out has happened to me

well i think i WILL end up getting this game! ill just give mom a rest for few months to get this tax season over with if ya know what i mean . ask her anything that costs money right now she all bitchy... ... so ill let her cool down and ask her mybe close to the 4th of july... im thinking about thief to start with and ill work up from their!? but i dont know what char builds do you all like?