Why is FFXI the best MMORPG ever created?

[Spectreman]

Since 2003 i try to get into other MMORPGs and none comes close to the immersion i have in FFXI. I care about the story, the places and the people of vanadiel. I find them believable somehow.

I only felt something similar in Everquest Online Adventures that was shutdown by Sony. I still find it awesome to go to Zilart, COP and TOAU areas. Fight goblings/orcs/yagudo.

I still think the battle system in FFXI is the best one in terms of immersion. I never managed to feel immersed in World of Warcraft type of battle system. I always imagined myself controlling a doll or a cartoon character in WoW or Rift or AoC, or DCUO or Everquest II, etc.

In FFXI i feel like the character i play is part of me or at least a believable person. Not even going to mention the soundtrack.

I feel like FFXI was made by passionate japanese devs. Thats probably the difference between FFXI and everything else that is in the market.

Sorry for grammar errors.

[Natasha]

I feel pretty much the same way about it (at least up until abyssea and later adoulin, two points it wen't down for me but I will still to this day defend ffxi to the death). There's a lot of reasons why this could be but for me it was the total experience, not just one thing or even the sum of many things.

[Stompa]

Because the original core game was made with love, it was created by people who were passionate about computergames / FF culture / roleplaying culture.

The game was not created with an attitude of just "make it shiny enough to pull in lots of dollars fast."

This game was created with amazing attention to detail, and a real love for the game world they were designing. It was never a rush-job, or a tacky moneyspinner. It was created to push new boundaries, and to create something that was truly a beautiful work of art. The game engine is a masterpiece, the core game really is a very beautiful thing indeed.

And it is beautiful because it was made by people who really really cared about what they were doing. Beautiful art just ages really well, you stay enthralled to it even though it becomes old in decades. You love it because you can see the love that was put into creating it. Its a love / respect thing.

[Ris]

One thing I really like is the line by line dialogue, and the writing style. It feels like the NPCs are actually talking to me and aware of me.

I also like that there's things like gates guarded by elite San d'Orian guards you can only go through one way or other little tricks to getting around... but I understand how it can be frustrating too. It really feels like a world I'm playing in. XIV has stuff I like but... I don't know, I feel like it's missing something here.

[mattkoko]

You all bring up great points. FFXI was actually my first MMO I ever played. I admit it took a while for me to get the hang of. I have always been a FF fan in general. I play games for their story and FF has always delivered as far as an in depth story goes.

One of the biggest things that stands out to me in XI is that you only need one character to be able to play all the jobs you want. I have tried so many other MMOs since I have played XI. But I always keep coming back to XI because as weird as it sounds, I have such an attachment to my character that I have been playing for the past 9-10 years. I could never get that kind of attachment from characters I made in other MMOs, because in order to play other jobs/classes/professions, you need to make another character.

[Pixela]

The artistic talent, games don't have to be super high res and have 100000 polygons if truly skilled people created the visuals.
The familiarity of the world along with the immense size of it.
The wealth of things to do (across a wide range, not just raid raid raid).
Constant, fast updates.
The love and immense talent that went into this game, after playing XIV and seeing an MMO they made on an assembly line the love they poured into this game shines all the more.
Being able to run on almost any system.
Simple enough battle system where you don't have to stress, or where you have so many things to press you don't have time to chat. No rotations or cycles where you have to hit every timer.

[Arbalest]

This game is great. I've loved it for almost a decade.

[Raxiaz]

Because FFXI's world and atmosphere was really the last to come out of Square before it started going downhill.

FFIX, X, and XI were all planned (and announced?) at the same time. I don't have my source for this but I remember hearing it, years ago.

I may have quit so many years ago and just came back tonight for little less than an hour (just getting basic controls back down), but I am still in love with this game's lore & atmosphere.

[Vanfrano]

People often say that FFX was the last "true" Final Fantasy but for me, FFXI, although it is a MMO, is one of the best FF ever.
It is the only MMO where I feel like being at home, I care about the NPCs, I find the players being quite nice for the majority, I am truly attached to my character, Vana'diel and everything in it.
I tried playing XIV but it's just an empty game, I'd say it has no soul, at all. When the producer of XIV says he is making the best FF ever, I don't think he even knows what a FF is about and I find it quite insulting for the serie.
I gladly came back to FFXI eight months ago and this time around, I think I am staying until they close this beautiful, unique game.

People would argue that things have changed since Abyssea, but I think that they could've broke the game way more than people think they did. Indeed, things changed but the spirit of the game is still here. Adoulin storyline is still impressive quality-wise, the dialogues are well-written, the arts are beautiful.

I simply cannot find this atmosphere anywhere else and I'll stay as long as it lasts. And I must admit that I enjoy being able to play by myself a bit more than we used to be able to, it is a different experience than what I lived during the many years I played in the "old" FFXI but it is still very enjoyable and thrilling.

[Draylo]

I love this game so much