Worth the try?

[Scout]

Hello ffxi community!

I haven't played ffxi in a couple years now but I want to make a comeback and I want to try to introduce my girlfriend to the game to play as well. I guess I'm wondering, is the community still very open and friendly? Is it as much of a grind as it was in 04 05? ( not sure if I can get her into it if that's the case) how much has it changed? I guess I'm just looking for some assurance to make the plunge! I really do miss playing, but if I can't get her into it, it might not work out =(

Btw she has expressed interest in games and playing them with me!

[Amberly]

Re: Worth the try?

Ill trade my wife for your girlfriend any day lol. My wife HATES ffxi. Its great she wants to be apart of something you like.

Grind wise. No, its not as bad as it used to be. With the new lvl sync system, ppl and able to get parties together with ease now. It is still not perfect but it has improved over the last year or two. Hope you guys enjoy the ffxi world!

[Mezlo]

Re: Worth the try?

I think it's open and friendly, you'd just need to make sure you pair yourself with a LS that is open and friendly as well. You don't necessarily need a LS, but it helps out whenever you have questions, need help, or just want to chat with friends. Make sure the people to join with have the same mind set you do- adventuring and having fun and you should be good to go.

[Scout]

Re: Worth the try?

Thanks for the responses, appreciated! So making parties is easier now? That's great news! Anything else that might help me sell this to her? I want to show her as many positive things that might attract her to the game! How are the seasonal events?

[Amberly]

Re: Worth the try?

seasonal events are good for show so its good for ppl who care about them lol. The ppl are welcoming (mostly) and a good ls that is open for advice and help is great for ppl looking to get a foothold into the ffxi world.

The way I tell my wife is...

Hun, I am paying 12.95 a month to get endless enjoyment in a relaxing setting.
1 movie or 1 dinner out would cost 2-3 months of ffxi. Its better for me to stay in and game instead of spending 20-50 dollars in one night at a local bar or "pool hall". You alwyas know where I am, we are saving money, and I really dont have time to cheat on you. lol

Maybe the way I worded that was the reason why my wife hates ffxi.

[Ameroth]

Re: Worth the try?

how much has it changed?

Since '04 or '05? Lots and lots has changed. I'll refer you to this category in the FFXIWiki because that's the easiest way for you to look over the many, many changes over the years.

Some big changes are level sync, Wings of the Goddess xpac (which introduced, among many things, campaign and 2 new jobs), Treasures of Aht Urhgan xpac (which introduced, among many, many things, Besieged and 3 new jobs), less exp required to ding 75, lots o' lots of new gear, and plenty more.

All in all, FFXI of today is much different than FFXI of yesteryear, namely 2004 and 2005. Now is a great time for new and returning players alike.

[Malacite]

Re: Worth the try?

The game is still very much a grind, but it's gotten a hell of lot more user friendly.

A lot has changed since you left. Thanks to the new Level Sync feature, players can synchronize their levels to a designated party member without losing their high level gear. Partying has never been easier thanks to this.

You can get the 2008 collection fairly cheap now and it has all 4 expansions. If you enjoyed the game back then, you'll love it now especially after the update they just did.

Fields of Valor is a great way for new players to earn EXP and Gil while waiting for parties, and in March there's a slew of job adjustments on the way.

[Lunaryn]

Re: Worth the try?

The nature of the grind has changed. You will probably end up spending less time getting the xp you need (far, far less at higher levels), but you will probably have less fun getting it. Soloability has increased, and many people like to solo to higher levels to avoid the worst of the party scene. PLs are no longer the limited and controversial dunes-only practice they once were, but may now be found at almost any level, or at least any level where your targets are still TW or low EP to 75, and are pretty ubiquitous in 10-30 parties and quite common in 30-50 parties (I can't remember the last time I leveled Koren in a party that wasn't PLed...). Various things help the xp flow in faster, but this is offset somewhat at low levels by a severely-decreased willingness on the part of many players to exercise anything approaching teamwork.

Treasures of Aht Urhgan has transformed xp from around level 50 (52? 53?) onward, with juicy, squishy, xp-laden mobs whose worst moves are more annoying than threatening, and which have completely obsoleted all prior xp camps at high levels. This has radically transformed the shape of xp and merit parties, and the baseline xp/hr that people can and expect to get in parties. See any of the old flamewars in this forum over "meleeburn" vs. "trad. party" xp. Also, as a consequence of the change in killspeed and downtime tolerance and many choice xp mobs on which magic is ineffective, BLMs no longer have a role in xp parties and are expected to solo most of their career.

Wings of the Goddess has added a lot of new possibilities, but many of them are simply too far out of the new norms to have garnered attention, and is mainly notable for Campaign, a mass-battle scenario which is a useful supplement or replacement to party xp for various jobs that don't fit well into the current party ideal.

All that said, things have never been better for dedicated statics; the bonuses to Signet (and Sigil) make xp for duos and trios much better than it used to be, so if you level in a small static group you may find things work out a lot better now.

[Scout]

Re: Worth the try?

Thanks everyone! It sounds like a lot of positive changes for the good. Thanks for the input, my gf and I will start playing soon!