Reasons Why FFXI is Declining

[Tamoa]

This is random and not to the point but guys I need help. I cancelled my relic upgrade and nothing happened he did not giv me my shield back or nothing... please help ; ;

If you trade in materials and currency to the goblin and then cancel it, you will not get your items/currency back.

[Lotto]

Not debating with you as I respect your point of view. But I wanted to share my take on it.

FFXI started out perfectly fine, well thought out, great storyline, player base was flourishing. Everyone was at different levels therefore high level players would hang out with low levels to help out. Some maybe out of power and the feeling of being able to do good while secretly showing off their accomplishment. Emotional reward of impressing others with level status. We know we've all done it, one of those things we just know but never talk about.

Leveling was fine, questing, making progress was fine.
...

Leveling was fine? You're kidding right? Seeking for hours, an average of 3-5k xp/hours (and 5k was considered a great party) when you needed 20k+ for each level past 51 (yes, they lowered the xp needed) and most of the job being ignored because they sucked is the definition of fine for you?
Abyssea/level sync/book burns are a great way to level up and probably one of the few great idea they had in recent years. And if you bring the "we don't have the time to learn the job" excuse, I could show you screenshots of complete idiots who had no idea how to gear/play their jobs way before abyssea.

[Daemon]

Leveling was fine? You're kidding right? Seeking for hours, an average of 3-5k xp/hours (and 5k was considered a great party) when you needed 20k+ for each level past 51 (yes, they lowered the xp needed) and most of the job being ignored because they sucked is the definition of fine for you?
Abyssea/level sync/book burns are a great way to level up and probably one of the few great idea they had in recent years. And if you bring the "we don't have the time to learn the job" excuse, I could show you screenshots of complete idiots who had no idea how to gear/play their jobs way before abyssea.

I said in the beginning it was because there was a lot of people most on the same level. You are thinking at a different moment in time than me. I'm talking about the very beginning.

Did you even read the rest? When I said as more people reached 75, new expansion with new jobs started replacing old jobs that it was becoming harder for people to find parties?

You also have to look at the fact that 75 was the end at that time. With no expansions.

[Lotto]

I said in the beginning it was because there was a lot of people most on the same level. You are thinking at a different moment in time than me. I'm talking about the very beginning.

Did you even read the rest? When I said as more people reached 75, new expansion with new jobs started replacing old jobs that it was becoming harder for people to find parties?

You also have to look at the fact that 75 was the end at that time. With no expansions.

At the very beginning like you say, the cap wasn't even 75. And even after that it used to take months to reach the lv75 then you had cities missions, which back then required a full alliance to clear them.

Also new jobs didn't replace the old ones, the ranged attack nerf did. Before that if you weren't a ranger or a black mage you were forced to make your owns parties or nobody would invite you.

[Daemon]

At the very beginning like you say, the cap wasn't even 75. And even after that it used to take months to reach the lv75 then you had cities missions, which back then required a full alliance to clear them.

Also new jobs didn't replace the old ones, the ranged attack nerf did. Before that if you weren't a ranger or a black mage you were forced to make your owns parties or nobody would invite you.

Yeah but my point about jobs replacing old ones. People started inviting those playing new jobs over players playing old ones.
Cap was 50 at the beginning? Been so long. But anyways, changes has its bad effects.

Problem in my opinion, making us depend on each other through out the entire game to get things done and move forward is what discouraged a lot of people.

Leveling to 75 once was tolerable. Then after people found it harder to find people to do things, adding in GoV, Abbyssea did correct the problem with leveling. But allowing people to level fast, content in Abyssea can only last so long. After leveling every job to 99, content only last so long.

The inevitable question in every game is what happens when people reach the end?

[Mittenz]

I rather enjoyed the old leveling style not so much because I loved the grind but I loved meeting new people and getting to know them, it gave a sense of community and friendship and because of this exp parties quickly became my favorite thing about this game (I am a casual I play this game to play with friends not jump around with amazing gear to say hey look I am better than you) to where I had all jobs 75 (including maat's cap) before people even knew what astral burning was. These days you dont really talk in exp parties, or at least not to the extent of actually getting to know your fellow players. Its pretty much lets sit here while someone cleaves and go to bed or lets run back and forth from dolls while watching a tv show. To me this was always a game that thrived on community and more and more the community just seems to be falling apart.

[Xantavia]

Leveling was fine? You're kidding right? Seeking for hours, an average of 3-5k xp/hours (and 5k was considered a great party) when you needed 20k+ for each level past 51 (yes, they lowered the xp needed) and most of the job being ignored because they sucked is the definition of fine for you?
Abyssea/level sync/book burns are a great way to level up and probably one of the few great idea they had in recent years. And if you bring the "we don't have the time to learn the job" excuse, I could show you screenshots of complete idiots who had no idea how to gear/play their jobs way before abyssea.

I don't think anybody is going to argue that forming a party or the xp an hour is what they are missing. What I enjoyed was the feeling that everybody was contributing and what felt like more teamwork in taking down a mob. I have pleasant memories of moving to a new camp as a group when we outleveled the old ones. I have 2 great memories of this, and it was me being the new person.

The first is when we got too high for the dunes and the group decided to go to Qufim. I had never been to Jeuno yet like the rest of the party. Instead of just dropping me, they decided to run there on foot and show me the way so we could continue getting xp. Another time, we had outleveled the camp again. I think it might have been time for the jungles but I didn't have an airship pass yet (once again the new guy in the group). So somebody hopped on whm, tele'd us to Dem, then we went on foot to Korroloka Tunnel to kill crabs there.

This is what seems to missing now. The teamwork and just playing the game. People were willing to slow down and help a new player out, which is why I am still playing several years later. If it wasn't for some random JP player helping me with the sub-job quest, I think I would have quit after a month.

[Daemon]

I don't think anybody is going to argue that forming a party or the xp an hour is what they are missing. What I enjoyed was the feeling that everybody was contributing and what felt like more teamwork in taking down a mob. I have pleasant memories of moving to a new camp as a group when we outleveled the old ones. I have 2 great memories of this, and it was me being the new person.

The first is when we got too high for the dunes and the group decided to go to Qufim. I had never been to Jeuno yet like the rest of the party. Instead of just dropping me, they decided to run there on foot and show me the way so we could continue getting xp. Another time, we had outleveled the camp again. I think it might have been time for the jungles but I didn't have an airship pass yet (once again the new guy in the group). So somebody hopped on whm, tele'd us to Dem, then we went on foot to Korroloka Tunnel to kill crabs there.

This is what seems to missing now. The teamwork and just playing the game. People were willing to slow down and help a new player out, which is why I am still playing several years later. If it wasn't for some random JP player helping me with the sub-job quest, I think I would have quit after a month.

You explained it the best way I could ever. Most people don't look at the good side of things and some only think about the bad side of everything.

The thing is, most people are used to having things done for them. Imagine no coach to setup that basketball team, football game, baseball practice. Players would be sitting on the bench all day waiting.

Worse part is, getting everyone to cooperate, get the team together. Not many people like getting the party together, but then again how many people do you see willing to play the role of a coach?

[OmnysValefor]

The devs don't play this game, and certainly not on any characters they've built.

They don't understand the issues that are important to us, and they don't understand when they take the meat of a job away.

Yep, it's just a game. Games are meant for fun, and they've no idea how to keep things fun.

We talk and talk here, and rarely they reply. If there's an outrage, they might even promise change but it doesn't come.

[Emitremmus]

Really what they need is to focus on the ability for everyone to be able to achieve nearly ANYTHING in this game with, or without a big group.

Path A for the more hardcore player - More manpower required but faster obtainment of X item.
Path B for the more casual player - Can solo/lowman, but takes significantly longer time to obtain same X item.

Now before everyone goes aborigine up in hurrr...I agree that some items should remain out of reach of those that don't involve themselves in extreme hardcore events, or at least have a toned down version that still has some significance, but will never compare to the full extreme power of Steve.
Example:
Path A Hardcore rewards "Awesome Mustache of Manliness" STR+50 Centuple Attack +5%
Path B Casual rewards "Somewhat Masculine Mustache" STR+40 Centuple attack +2%

But this way EVERYONE has the chance of a really cool item, and it keeps the casual player from not involving themselves in things because they will "never be able to get stuff because they aren't hardcore". This helps everyone be relevant AND within itself would keep people (hopefully) from not allowing some players into groups because they don't have Ubersword +2, but they do have the Ubersword.