Thinking about coming back after 3 years

[Footballphilly]

When the game first came out I played it for awhile, but had to quit because of work and school. Lately I've been thinking of coming back, but I had some questions first.

1. Does it still take an hour just to find a group? My biggest problem with the game was sitting there forever spamming lfg.

2. Are gil sellers still a big problem?

3. Is it any easier to solo?

4. Would it be too hard to start fresh again?

[Legal Fish]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

1. Does it still take an hour just to find a group? My biggest problem with the game was sitting there forever spamming lfg.

Probably.

2. Are gil sellers still a big problem?

What do you mean by problem? Do you mean competing against them... or?

3. Is it any easier to solo?

Yes, with signet, but nothing over EM.

4. Would it be too hard to start fresh again?

Only as hard as it was to start the game in the first place.

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

1. Does it still take an hour just to find a group? My biggest problem with the game was sitting there forever spamming lfg.

Depending on job and levels, as well as time of the day you seek, yes.

And, if you're spamming "LFG!", expect to be yelled at. Put up seek flag, add useful info to your search comments, please.

2. Are gil sellers still a big problem?

Honestly, it depends on what you do. Over the weekend, RMT's tried to MPK my sister's friends in Sky who were farming for pop items for mobs with drops pop items for gods. (No, don't ask me--I don't understand the Sky Gods' stuff.)

However, the only time I had to deal with RMT's is when partying in lower levels, when leaders invite one because no one else is seeking. For me, it's quite easy to work around RMT's otherwise.

Some NM campers and crafters continue to say RMT's is ruining FFXI for them, though. Not sure how the just implemented anti-fishbot measures are working out, but surely the fisherman players appreciate the effort.

RMT's impact on you really depends on what you do, IMO.

3. Is it any easier to solo?

Solo'ing (or duo'ing) is easier than ever, with NPC Fellow and the recent Signet changes. (Keep in mind that I used the word "easier", not "easy".) Not sure when you left, but there's also the Empress Band which makes all exp'ing a little faster, including solo'ing.

Blue Mage and Puppetmaster, two of the new jobs introduced in the Treasure of Aht Urhgan expansion pack, have fairly good solo capabilities, too. The old school solo'ing using BST or DRG still works well, along with RDM's usual "I die slower than you" methodology. (Of course, high level BST players still can solo on second/third/forth/etc. job as ***/BST.)

4. Would it be too hard to start fresh again?

You should find second time around easier than first time; if nothing else, at least you should know how to move around and level up around starter cities this time.

[Footballphilly]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

By problem I meant are they ruining the economy. AH prices were rediculous because of them.Also, do people still play in the lower level areas?

[Legal Fish]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

Some NM campers and crafters continue to say RMT's is ruining FFXI for them, though. Not sure how the just implemented anti-fishbot measures are working out, but surely the fisherman players appreciate the effort.

RMT are able to flood markets, mainly of food, for almost no-profit. But it isn't entirely the RMT fault. So many level 100s... profitable recipes are found out, then flooded to the ground. SE really needs to make recipes unique to players, like merits.

Otherwise, don't bother starting crafting, unless you find fun in it.


EDIT: The inflation in this game dropped A LOT. SE is doing massive banning raids on RMT bank accounts and cheaters. Billions of gil are removed from servers. This combined with the fact there is so many things taking gil out of the market, the game is actually going through deflation.

[Footballphilly]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

Depending on job and levels, as well as time of the day you seek, yes.

on average how long does it take to get a group together ion the dunes?

Solo'ing (or duo'ing) is easier than ever, with NPC Fellow and the recent Signet changes. (Keep in mind that I used the word "easier", not "easy".) Not sure when you left, but there's also the Empress Band which makes all exp'ing a little faster, including solo'ing.

Does this mean you can level without a full group? It used to be if you didn't have a full party you might as well not even try. And what's this NPC fellow?

[ItazuraNhomango]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

Also, do people still play in the lower level areas?

On Ifrit (6:37 p.m. PDT):

/sea 10-20 Valkurm

Search result: 40 people found in this area.


Edit:

Adventuring Fellow Guide

[Taskmage]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

All about Adventuring Fellows

Some changes to signet in a patch last month made it much more feasible to earn exp in "partial" parties, especially duo.

The following bonuses have been added to the Signet effect.

- Increased Healing HP while resting
The initial value for Healing HP (based on the character’s level), as well as the incremental jumps in Healing HP (based on the character’s maximum HP), will be increased.

- No TP loss while resting
While this bonus is in effect, TP will not be lost while resting.

- Bonus experience in small groups
The amount of experience earned while in smaller parties will be increased.
This bonus will be applied in the following manner:



*This bonus does not apply to select monsters, such as the Flesh Eaters in Attohwa Chasm or the Hippogryphs in Riverne - Site #A01.

- Increased defense and evasion against attacks from your auto-attack target
If an auto-attack target is an “even match” or weaker, players will gain a bonus to their defense and evasion against the monster.
This bonus only applies to attacks from an opponent who you are auto-attacking with a drawn weapon. No bonus will be obtained when attacking in a manner other than auto-attack, or when being attacked by monsters that unexpectedly join the fray.

*The bonuses described above will only take effect when a player has received Signet, and is within the usual Signet-specific areas.
*These bonuses do not apply during Ballista, or other PvP events.

[Footballphilly]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

Thanks a lot for the help guys. I'll probably get the game again, but does anyone have a buddy pass so I can try it out first?? (I already posted in the sticky)

[neighbortaru]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

btw, the game is only ~$29 now, including all the expansions, not $50

[Jei]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

on average how long does it take to get a group together ion the dunes?

More and more players are skipping the dunes altogether and just PL/Solo up to 19ish. So it's hard to tell... While PLing myself up from 10 to 20, 9/10 I'll reach 20 without a single tell or invite.

It's the -worst- place. No prediction, no expectation are my answers.

[Clever Ninja]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

People try to skip the Dunes cause it really sucks, cause alot of people just go retarded in there. If you start off fresh with no subjob then you'll have to deal with it, but some of us try not to. I can solo around 2 T's on my 14BLU, possibly 3ish if I ate Rolanberry Pie, and get 100-180 per, more with empress band. If I opt out and eat Ginger Cookies, I can regen faster so it works either way. Not quite as fast as Dunes parties, but getting parties in the Dunes isn't exactly easy all the time outside of statics, and sometimes I rather go slow and try to learn spells(damn Healing Breeze >_<) then deal with the most likely stupidity from a Dunes pt, as many are.

[FinnDS]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

People try to skip the Dunes cause it really sucks, cause alot of people just go retarded in there. If you start off fresh with no subjob then you'll have to deal with it, but some of us try not to. I can solo around 2 T's on my 14BLU, possibly 3ish if I ate Rolanberry Pie, and get 100-180 per, more with empress band. If I opt out and eat Ginger Cookies, I can regen faster so it works either way. Not quite as fast as Dunes parties, but getting parties in the Dunes isn't exactly easy all the time outside of statics, and sometimes I rather go slow and try to learn spells(damn Healing Breeze >_<) then deal with the most likely stupidity from a Dunes pt, as many are.

One thing I just have to ask, I'm currently always in the Dunes looking for a party. Do things get better? Do people grow up more after level 20? What happens after 20, some miracle?, that makes parties much more tolerable?

[Clever Ninja]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

On Hades anyway, I have trouble in Qufim. When leveling RDM I had an easy time 24-26 in Yuhtunga with one pt, but I'm in there now on WHM and it's going bad. I hit 26 though so I can hit up Yhoator.

The low level zones are bad sometimes, but it get's way better at 30. I breezed through the mid-30's and 40's relatively quickly(I had trouble 32-34 cause only pt's I could find wanted Garlaige, and that place sucks when packed).

[Jei]

Re: Thinking about coming back after 3 years

A few factors

1. Below 18, monsters aren't too slow to kill solo. Combine with 2
2. high level players usually have access to a second account they can PL themselves with.

1+2 results in more and more players prefering to PL solo at these levels. Which will leave only lower level, less experienced players to wander and group around the dunes.

3. The dunes is not a convenient place to be. It's far from town, it's hard to find rezz when you're dead, it's in the middle of nowhere.

When you search for players, they can be in bastok, sandoria or windurst. New players Bastok+Sandoria can probably run to the dunes in 20 minutes or so. Windurst will take longer than that. This, again, makes grouping even more unconvenient.

After 20, it's not fast to kill mobs anymore. being in a group will net a LOT faster exp with or without PL. This counters 1+2 above. Qufim is also VERY close to city. Everyone will be in Jeuno. And Qufim is right next to Jeuno. No more waiting 30 minutes for players to run to you from town, easier to get to your group, easier to find rezz, easier to recruite players. etc etc.