This game could beneift from a classic server.

[PlumbGame]

Its a change in design philosophy from the more broad everquest like world mmo, to a more ffxiv like themepark attraction model. The new model focuses on always having a reason to log in daily, hence daily and weekly quest things and progression oriented endgame. Personally I am so sick and tired of that design with every major mmo on the market that I probably wont play any more MMOs until it changes. FFXI originally felt very connected and regardless of how long it took to do something I felt like effort put into it was effort well spent. It might take you 2 years to make a relic but at least when you got it it mattered, unlike wow/ffxiv/swtor/every raid tier endgame ever mmos where in 2 years you're still stuck grinding and will be til the end of time because you will always be in the same place relative to the gear curve as always.

Yeah, I guess something else that was more prevalent in older FFXI than current (it does still exist to a certain extent, so please no one think I'm saying it doesn't exist at all), is that most items seem to be relevant in some aspect for your character. So it meant even the little things you do could be beneficial to you in some way or form. Leaping boots for example, might not be best at 75 (even though I saw some thfs still using them for example till they could get something better), but obviously used in lvling other characters, and beneficial for lvl capped content that might be used to benefit your 75 characters.

[Karbuncle]

where to begin? let's see, first of you all you claim you love old ffxi more than all of us combined, yet you are not supporting getting back our old game? that's hilarious. Secondly, you mentioned how the free oldschool servers only get 100 people, i'll tell you why, first of all it's pc only, second of all it is really hard to get set up on your pc, thirdly even if you get it set up on your pc it's all buggy and shit cause it's not run by professionals. The server we are asking for would get more than 100 people on it. Oh, and it wouldn't effect your servers at all, so move along to another thread if you don't like it bud.

Do you truly fail to understand how someone can love something and at the same time let it go and cherish it as a memory, for all that its worth?

I really thought that was a pretty common emotional response. I can cherish all the memories, friends, events, Eco-Warrior, Soloing Avatars as a 20 Summoner back when it was hard... etc that I did all those years ago and not whine and beg needlessly for it to come back to me just fine.

I was one of the first SMNs on the server with Diabolos... that was an achievement back in the day... I got Fenrir at level 50, most summoners didn't have him to 75 when I was playing. I had all my avatars at 20 (solo'd them all, it was the most fun and challenging thing I had ever done on FFXI)... again, back then, most barely had more than Carbuncle.

I still think about the old FFXI, the times when I was 13-14 or so, getting home from school, and playing the game with my older brother. I loved every minute of it, the thrill of finding new areas, beating CoP, etc. But I respect them for what they are, memories. I don't need to have SE bring back a level 75 era server, because I love FFXI so much for what it is, that I enjoyed it through Abyssea, through the Add ons, and now through Adoulin. This is where we differ, and why I can say with certainty I enjoy and love FFXI more than any of you, because I enjoy it still today, through all the ups and downs, I can still say I am happy with how this game is.

Still, you're as free to make your requests, as I am to respond to them. I'll make a deal though, I'll leave this thread behind when SE releases a classic server.

Smart

Thank you very much

[Natasha]

Do you truly fail to understand how someone can love something and at the same time let it go and cherish it as a memory, for all that its worth?

I really thought that was a pretty common emotional response. I can cherish all the memories, friends, events, Eco-Warrior, Soloing Avatars as a 20 Summoner back when it was hard... etc that I did all those years ago and not whine and beg needlessly for it to come back to me just fine.

I was one of the first SMNs on the server with Diabolos... that was an achievement back in the day... I got Fenrir at level 50, most summoners didn't have him to 75 when I was playing. I had all my avatars at 20 (solo'd them all, it was the most fun and challenging thing I had ever done on FFXI)... again, back then, most barely had more than Carbuncle.

I still think about the old FFXI, the times when I was 13-14 or so, getting home from school, and playing the game with my older brother. I loved every minute of it, the thrill of finding new areas, beating CoP, etc. But I respect them for what they are, memories. I don't need to have SE bring back a level 75 era server, because I love FFXI so much for what it is, that I enjoyed it through Abyssea, through the Add ons, and now through Adoulin. This is where we differ, and why I can say with certainty I enjoy and love FFXI more than any of you, because I enjoy it still today, through all the ups and downs, I can still say I am happy with how this game is.

Still, you're as free to make your requests, as I am to respond to them. I'll make a deal though, I'll leave this thread behind when SE releases a classic server.

I'd argue you don't love it all that much as what stands today is a different game entirely, but thats purely my opinion on the matter and is neither here nor there.

The thing is, I am so tired of these modern mmo mechanics and felt quite cheated that the game was changed to be that way at all. Its not about leaving it as a memory, its about that being the kind of game I am looking for and being unable to find it elsewhere. Thats why it cant just be left to that, because that leaves me with nothing now, no mmo home anymore. Can you think of a better place to request ffxi than on ffxi?

[Vil]

The thing is, I am so tired of these modern mmo mechanics and felt quite cheated that the game was changed to be that way at all. Its not about leaving it as a memory, its about that being the kind of game I am looking for and being unable to find it elsewhere. Thats why it cant just be left to that, because that leaves me with nothing now, no mmo home anymore. Can you think of a better place to request ffxi than on ffxi?

There is a reason why modern mmo mechanics pop up so much: its what works. It's what the market wants. SE is above all, a company, and if switching to more modern standards keeps their business afloat, then that's what they gotta do.

XI's old model worked when there wasn't that much competition flooding the market -- back then was different though, not just in terms of gaming, but in technology itself. PCs and consoles weren't what they are now, even the Internet itself has evolved. I'm sure you loved the old XI just as much as the next guy who claims it, but at some point you need to think about it: what made SE feel the need to change the game, and on such a drastic level at that? Simple. The old model wasn't going to work for much longer. XI was already past its peak, subs were stagnant, if not dropping slowly (WoW has something very similar to this, where veterans long for the "Burning Crusade" days). In order to stay relevant in the market, SE had to make its changes.

Whether or not you like these changes is your own opinion though, and as you've expressed, you are not fond of the modern style of MMO gaming. I'm not sure what exactly you hope to find in a "classic server", because once the novelty wears off, you will find yourself in a ghost town, unable to complete any content because the old model required a good amount of people to participate (old 64 person Dynamis, alliance-based Limbus, full party to full alliance to take down NMs like Tiamat).

Also, as someone pointed out, there IS a private server with the XI 75 model intact. And like it was mentioned, that barely scratches 100 persons, and its free. If you haven't already, why not take a peek at that and see if its something you'd like? Me, personally, I've known about it for awhile, but have no interest in it. Like REALER SUMMONER said up there, I like the changes XI made. A lot of them were needed years and years ago (like teleporting between homepoints, oh my god lol, finally).

I'd argue you don't love it all that much as what stands today is a different game entirely, but thats purely my opinion on the matter and is neither here nor there.

Name one game that is as old as XI, still running, that is exactly the same as it was during its prime. The very example that sparked this discussion, Lineage 2, is evidence in itself that the game evolved and wasn't the same. WoW is hardly the same as in its BC day. These games all have two choices: evolve or pull the plug. Guess which one the companies chose to do?

[nekrothing]

The very example that sparked this discussion, Lineage 2, is evidence in itself that the game evolved and wasn't the same.

It evolved into something that caused players to stop playing. Once they added the classic servers, they received an enormous population boost.

[Vil]

It evolved into something that caused players to stop playing. Once they added the classic servers, they received an enormous population boost.

I think the real test will be how long those classic servers stay active. Sure, people will flock to the idea of "old skool", but as far as a long-term sustainability..well, idk how long it'll last

[nekrothing]

I think the real test will be how long those classic servers stay active. Sure, people will flock to the idea of "old skool", but as far as a long-term sustainability..well, idk how long it'll last

True, we have no way of knowing if it'll continue to be successful six months down the road.

However, they've already confirmed that more international classic servers are in the works, so they seem to be pretty confident. There's also a ton of hype from the EU/RU community. Hopefully everything works out for them.

[nekrothing]

Now where on this planet did they confirm that?!

Talking about Lineage 2.

[Shirai]

Yeah, corrected myself there.

Alcohol induced derp, apologies.

[Logical5]

I haven't had the opportunity to peruse several pages of this thread yet, so forgive me if this has already been raised, but there's a substantial argument to be made for a "classic" server in that it probably would consume minimal resources to set up. And even if server expenses are, through some hideous irony, very costly, I would still speculate that the temporary surge in subscriptions from returning veterans in the first few months could very likely offset the cost of creating said single server (both the intangible cost of coding alterations, and the physical cost of the server itself).

That said, from SE's perspective, creating a classic server is a form of backpedaling that isn't very likely. It's effectively paramount to making the admission that a sizable minority of players aren't as pleased with the current game as they were years ago, in a primordial era before the slew of content and quality of life updates we have received in recent years. This, in my opinion, is an admission that SE, especially as a Japanese company that takes pride in their product (likely at the expense of what could be a potentially profitable venture with little financial risk involved), will not make. Unless subscriptions continue to decline. They will probably eventually reach a point where subs are low enough and revenue from XI is so poor that it would justify a single "legacy" or "classic" server (in a last-ditch-effort sort of sense).

That being said, I wholeheartedly endorse this idea. I for one loved every minute of FFXI back in the classic era. I loved camping Kings until 3 in the morning (and getting up tired for work or something the next day - a worthy price!), I loved the HNM linkshell-competition of it all (even if we lost the claim, which was frequent enough...I Relished the process even of merely sitting in DA, waiting for the next Fafhogg window on a day 8 Faf...) I loved getting up, only to find that Tiamat had popped and that my shell needed BLMs. It was about community, and we have lost that sense of community now. Maybe we could find it again in a Classic server that caters only to this type of player.

I also loved the difficulty of partying and leveling in a climate inherently hostile to certain jobs. On this point, I am the kind of player who plays jobs which are in demand, jobs which benefit my team. The only fun and joy that I ever derived from job selection at 75 was the knowledge that all of my choices on my three characters back then (jobs like BLM, BRD, RDM, THF, SAM) were all centrally useful to my endgame shell. It wasn't a focus on me, but a focus on the linkshell; I was interested in playing certain jobs because it was to the benefit of my linkshell, my team, my comrades. This type of sentiment is very nearly dead today. (This is not to be confused with people leveling MNK or WHM to simply easily access Delve/Battlefield content nowadays...the distinguishable difference is the mental element, the leveler's state of mind...)

If SE does buckle and gives us a Classic server, I would request a restoration (and expansion) of the traditional HNM system. Perhaps even an expansion of wide-open explorable zones like Sky and Sea, which were not constrained by time limits but similarly required more than a duo to kill Gods/Jailers, and so on.

My advice to SE: Go out on a limb, swallow your pride, and try a Classic server. If you refuse, how about conducting a survey to gauge player interest - I assure you that the results will be encouraging.