The new player experience...

[Pixela]

Is incredibly awful, you must lose almost all the players you get because the devs can't see this game from their viewpoint.

Any new player will have no idea of anything, a returnee that does not know to read ffxiwiki or similar sites again will have an awful time, even then you have to know what to look for.

I see many players that get to level 15-16 solo and flag up for parties in dunes. They then sit there for many many hours, I see players who have no idea what they are doing and just kill mobs till they get bored and quit.

Why is the trust system not given automatically with some kind of explanation? Why not give players a healer/DD/tank as a basic set and let them get more if they wish? Why do you have to unlock it from a quest and then unlock actual npcs? what if they don't know the quest exists?

Why is the questing system (the backbone of the new leveling system now that parties are dead) hidden in a menu and unlocked at some random NPC? Why is there no explanation?

Why do Square offer welcome back campaigns to a game with such a horrible system in place to welcome them?

FFXI does not deserve new players when it treats them so incredibly badly.

FFXI is only playable if you have FFXIwiki open and do a lot of research, as a game you play without that it's worthless. What is wrong with the devs really that they can't see this, this is the only game I've played that was so broken from a new player standpoint.

[Demonjustin]

Records of Eminence actually gives a sort of guide to help with a few of the things you mentioned and is easy to find in the Quests menu, though I think they should have a NPC say something to help guide you to look at it.

[Jybwee]

As a returning player, from long ago, and starting from scratch. I completely agree. I mean FFXI is kind of a hardcore game anyway just in the way the systems work, but they really NEED to point people to RoE and Trusts right from the start. Should be a npc that automatically talks to you when you start a new character.

When i first played i never used a wiki or anything like it. It's a crazy way to play but definitely doable, playing now i see how much i missed lol. Now that there are no parties and other people questing/killing around your level (to talk to/ask questions/share info)... you really need to, at the very least, point people to RoE and Trusts.

This game is only going to appeal to a niche group anyway just because it's an older game and not as... polished (or spoonfed/themepark if you'd like)... as newer mmos. It does definitely appeal to me but i had a friend point me in the right direction of what was new since i played (back in like 2006). This was only after 15 lvls solo but with RoE, then found trusts, then up to lvl like 23 before i realized you could have multiple trusts out. At least i had an idea of the old systems and gameplay and wasn't totally new. I think all the rest can be learned in time and with curiosity but RoE and Trusts are something a new player really can't live without in these days of FFXI.

[bungiefanNA]

I can't recall, since I unlocked botht eh first day they were available, but either RoE or Trust gives you a chat log message every time you enter a zone with the NPC that it would be worth your while to talk to [NPC Name] @ [Position]. That kept popping up until I actually did it. It also points you to the tutorial NPCs when you make a new character ever since they introduced them.

RoE also has the tutorial quest right in the menu first off. Someone only needs to be curious enough to check the menu, which you learn about for trading the adventuring coupon in the tutorial. The official web site also has the new player guide, which is linked on the front page of PlayOnline Viewer as soon as you log in.

Records of Eminence was announced and explained to great fanfare when it was introduced in December, through update notes, a Youtube video, and official forum posts. They added direction to it how they could with the current game engine and interface. Rememember that this game is going on 13 years old now and the original development team has rotated out and been replaced with different people. Upgrading the core of the game is not something reasonable with the staff on hand.

[Damane]

Is incredibly awful, you must lose almost all the players you get because the devs can't see this game from their viewpoint.

Any new player will have no idea of anything, a returnee that does not know to read ffxiwiki or similar sites again will have an awful time, even then you have to know what to look for.

I see many players that get to level 15-16 solo and flag up for parties in dunes. They then sit there for many many hours, I see players who have no idea what they are doing and just kill mobs till they get bored and quit.

Why is the trust system not given automatically with some kind of explanation? Why not give players a healer/DD/tank as a basic set and let them get more if they wish? Why do you have to unlock it from a quest and then unlock actual npcs? what if they don't know the quest exists?

Why is the questing system (the backbone of the new leveling system now that parties are dead) hidden in a menu and unlocked at some random NPC? Why is there no explanation?

Why do Square offer welcome back campaigns to a game with such a horrible system in place to welcome them?

FFXI does not deserve new players when it treats them so incredibly badly.

FFXI is only playable if you have FFXIwiki open and do a lot of research, as a game you play without that it's worthless. What is wrong with the devs really that they can't see this, this is the only game I've played that was so broken from a new player standpoint.

its a freaking 13 years + old game, where MMOs didnt have any handholding guides for everything like they do today. What do you expect? a total overhaul of the entire system for a 13 year old game? come on be a bit realistic here... demanding freetoplay or lower monthly fees woudl be more realistic.

I am surprised they made Records of Eminence some form of a "guide" with the beginning objectives.

[Kensagaku]

They indeed have a guide. The instant you zone into an area with an RoE NPC, you get the "You should go here and talk to X important person." From there you're introduced to the RoE menu, which gives you tutorials on how to do things like resting, taking on FoV, accessing the RoE menu, etc. And then as one of the basic quests, you get Trust(Nation) which tells you which NPC to go to in order to start Trust for that nation. I do not recall if it unlocks all three at the same time or it just requires you to finish the first before it gives you the other two. Either way, it introduces you to Trust in the three nations.

The only thing I'd like changed is making Ferreous permanently obtainable. Bastok doesn't have a healer Alter Ego for the initial trust, and San d'Oria's is a DRG/PLD, which has a very limited pool, so unless you start in Windy you're in a bit of a fix. Making Ferreous permanently obtainable lets players go out and do the tutorial stuff, likely earning the 500 Sparks they need in the process, and unlock Ferreous so that they have a healer (even if he doesn't pro/shell) to help keep them alive more easily.

[Lithera]

You can't finish the second npc in the initial trust unlocking quest if you haven't done anything with that npc. Like on my taru mule I can't get a certain mithra because they don't have enough fame to trade her yag necklaces.

[Xantavia]

You can't finish the second npc in the initial trust unlocking quest if you haven't done anything with that npc. Like on my taru mule I can't get a certain mithra because they don't have enough fame to trade her yag necklaces.

I don't think thats true at all. I believe it is strictly based on nation rank. I didn't realize I could get Curilla until I went to start the savage blade quest. Which led me to try talking to Ayame, which gave me trust options as well. Once I hit Rank 6, I was able to get Trion, Volker, and Iron Eater. Any action I had with any of these came strictly from either Windurst missions or working through CoP.

[Zarchery]

FFXI is only playable if you have FFXIwiki open and do a lot of research, as a game you play without that it's worthless. What is wrong with the devs really that they can't see this, this is the only game I've played that was so broken from a new player standpoint.

It also doesn't work without a computer or a gaming console and some sort of input device. Your complaint is stupid. You just named the completely free resource accessible to everyone that helps, but decided to discount it because without it you wouldn't have anything to whine about.

[Babekeke]

I see players who have no idea what they are doing and just kill mobs till they get bored and quit.

You watch them for hours until they give up, yet you offer them no help/advice. I see the real problem for new players... is YOU!