Classic server, what's the argument against it now?

[Alhanelem]

If demand wasn't there then these threads wouldn't exist. And neither would p****** s****** that have a cap of 75 and more people playing on them than some actual servers.

This thread is not sufficient proof of demand. There are also people posting in it, and not just myself, that are against it. You also have no sources to prove your bleeped assertion, not that you could probably provide such a source without it getting deleted.

You've also not told me why the level cap itself is totally to blame for all this. That's nothing more than a theory and something that can't be proven. The game started with a level 50 cap, so why not go all the way back there, if more levels = bad?

[Isal]

Apples to oranges aside, I have nothing against them making a classic server. Worst case scenario it busts, and the people who left for it either quit or simply reactivate their current content IDs if they want to go back to the current state of the game.

Any concern about a divided playerbase as a result is semi-moot since that exact same issue is going to come around next year assuming FFXI Mobile doesn't get scrubbed. Sure, it may not exactly draw away the same players who'd leave for a classic server, but it'll inevitably draw some away, even if only temporarily. (I know I'll be looking into it when/if it releases, and I'm no special snowflake)

[...]
Edit; personally I can't wait for the smart phone version. Its going to be fun playing through the game again as it was released or however they do it.

They've stated that they're attempting to recapture the spirit of Final Fantasy XI while rebuilding the client from the ground up for the mobile platform, and have specifically stated they intend to improve on things such as UI, the ability to solo, and the ease of getting a party together. I wouldn't expect it to be a mobile copy/paste of Final Fantasy XI circa 2002.

[kaerin]

Because I only used this thread as evidence of demand right?

[Alhanelem]

Any concern about a divided playerbase as a result is semi-moot since that exact same issue is going to come around next year assuming FFXI Mobile doesn't get scrubbed.

I admit I'm shooting in the dark here, but I don't think all the same people who would play a classic server would be the ones playing the mobile app. There is likely some overlap, but the mobile app will eventually get later-on FFXI content, so that won't last forever. Also, it could be less damaging to the current population because since it's on another device and it's completely seperate, you could play both at the same time- one at home and one when you can't be.

But at the present time, the prospects of the app don't seem great because they've done virtually nothing to promote it other than the announcement. They've done nothing yet to get us hyped for it or anything. Where are the social media posts, etc?

Because I only used this thread as evidence of demand right?

This thread is equally able to demonstrate a lack of demand. Demand greater than zero != sufficient demand to warrant research into the issue and/or action by SE. Which, in the course of approximately three threads on the subject, they've remained silent.

[nekroturkey]

So I ask a question: Are you demanding that I prove that people leave the game for other reasons than "the game used to be more fun?" I'd be happy to conduct a survey if you'd like, but simple observation

If you could provide me with some relatively good examples of classic servers failing to retain enough players to thrive, I'd appreciate it. Something tangible to validate the idea that a classic server wouldn't be advantageous from your point of view.

I've read everything you've written so far, and while I see where you're coming from, I'm not yet convinced of the disadvantages of a classic server.

[kaerin]

P****** s****** exist with the 75 cap and have more players than some actual servers. This shows that more than enough demand exists for a 75 cap server to exist. I'm not sure why you keep trying to ignore this anhelalhem but its the truth. Get over yourself.

[Alhanelem]

If you could provide me with some relatively good examples of classic servers failing to retain enough players to thrive, I'd appreciate it. Something tangible to validate the idea that a classic server wouldn't be advantageous from your point of view.

I've read everything you've written so far, and while I see where you're coming from, I'm not yet convinced of the disadvantages of a classic server.

There isn't a sufficient number of games that have attempted this for data to be reliable. I'm not trying to assert to you that a classic server would inevitably fail. What I am trying to tell you is that a lack of notable failiures to date does not mean that success is guaranteed. I could win 100 hands of blackjack in a row, but that doesn't mean I'm going to win forever.

On a personal level I've already told you why a classic server wouldn't be advantageous from my point of view: I wouldn't play on it, because I like the way the game is now, and because you would need a time machine to get the actual kind of enjoyment I got out of the earlier verisons of the game. to cite my previous example: I love ballista. In the months following its release, I could play it as much as I wanted. But some people didn't like certain thigns about it and it wasn't easy to get into. A classic server would not solve this problem because people have made up their minds about the content and / or have already experienced their share of it. If I went to a classic server, it is highly unlikely i would be able to enjoy my favorite content from an earlier era the same way that I originally did 7+ years ago. I can't give you a source to prove why I don't find it advantageous, because that source is me. If you can assert that 3 examples of successful classic servers guarantees an FFXI classic server would succeed, then it's not unreasonable for me to assert that if I and a couple others don't find a classic server advantageous, then there are others who won't as well.

An author writing 5 books that all become wildly popular best sellers is not a guarantee that the 6th book he writes will be equally successful.
Apple making smash hit product after smash hit product does not guarantee they will never release a dud product that doesn't take off.
SE itself made so many successful games in the Final Fantasy franchise, that nobody thought they could possibly fail as hard as they did with FFXIV 1.0, but they did.

In other words: Past performance can be a good indicator of future performance, but it's not a guarantee. You seem convinced that there's no way it could fail by pointing to the lack of currently existing failiures. All I'm trying to communicate to you is that while it is certainly possible it could work, it's NOT GUARANTEED.

Really, the only thing I want from you is to accept that there is more than one reason why a player would leave the game. You seem to be of the opinion that the only reason in the world we could possibly have fewer players now than 10 years ago is because the game was in some way better back then. Nobody leaves an MMO for any other reason according to you. Personally, I have temporairly left the game on more than one occasion because I needed to save money and on other occasions because I was simply too busy to play. At some point in the future after content updates stop, I will likely leave the game because nothing new will be coming in to keep it fresh (And not because the newer content is poorly designed or bad- but because we simply have obtained all the enjoyment out of it. People lose interest in some things over time, it's only natural.)

I really want to know why you don't think that a classic server (or progression server, whichever it is you actually want as they're not the same thing) would be damaging to the latest version of the game. With their lack of development resources, I'm not yet convinced that they could adequately maintain two different versions of the game. The mobile version doesn't count because a different company altogether is maintaining that.

[Isal]

I admit I'm shooting in the dark here, but I don't think all the same people who would play a classic server would be the ones playing the mobile app. [...]

I specifically stated in my original post that it wouldn't likely draw the same players that would leave for a classic server, and made no absolutes/conceded that the "division" could very well be temporary.

Not sure why the prospects of the mobile version matter, some people will like it, others won't. Some will switch entirely to the mobile version, others won't.

[Alhanelem]

I specifically stated in my original post that it wouldn't likely draw the same players that would leave for a classic server, and made no absolutes/conceded that the "division" could very well be temporary.

Not sure why the prospects of the mobile version matter, some people will like it, others won't. Some will switch entirely to the mobile version, others won't.

The only significance is it's really the closest thing we're likely to see a classic server (even then, its probably more like a progression server than a classic server, based on what we've been told so far). It's really just a side topic.

[Teraniku]

The only reason it worked back @ level 75, was because there were at least 3000+ logged in during it's peak periods. Do you think that there are 3k+ people who'd really want to play on a classic server? and if there is, would they actually stay subscribed to the game for more than a month or 2, once the nostalgia is out of their system?