FFXI is more enjoyable than ever before.

[Stompa]

Recently I have been frequently asking myself "is FFXI more fun to play now than in the past?"

There is no doubt that the game today is FFXI 2.0, it bears so little resemblance to the original game I joined in 2004. The old game was amazing, and I am nostalgic about it, I enjoyed the OMG hardship of the content, even basic content posed a challenge, and the sheer wall of "You Can't Have It" regarding a lot of higher-end stuff. I liked the way the old FFXI was very challenging, and supremely indifferent to my suffering, this was very addictive to me as a gamer.

But I recently wonder if I liked that old game better. And I have concluded that FFXI today in 2015, is way more enjoyable and fun as a gaming experience, than it ever was before.

First, let me say the obvious. FFXI is the greatest computergame in the history of the world, and it always was. In the mountain-range of videogaming, there is only one Mount Epic, towering above all the other mountains. Most computergames struggle to climb higher than the lower foothills of Mount Epic. On the summit there is only one computergame, standing alone on top, and that is FFXI, unchallenged and alone on the very highest peak, radiating wonderfulness that transcends time and space. This has always been the way, since FFXI arrived.

But I do believe that FFXI is actually better now, than it ever was before. Here's why!

Lock style sets. Awesome. Just. Awesome.

Trusts. At first I hated the idea, because I love my Adventuring Fellow long time, and I realised that Trusts would inevitably replace him. But Trusts are amazing, I love them so much. I can just log in and go adventuring with my favourite Vanadiel Heroes, without waiting around to form parties. I am especially fond of partying with Nashmeira, Klara, and Kupipi.

Homepoint-warps, book-warps. Brilliant.

Hard Mode Battles. Amazing.

And all the other new content they have added in the last few years, it is all very good in my opinion. Too much to list here, but even smaller details like NPC dialogue, is meticulously crafted, and totally engaging to me as a fantasy-enthusiast. Many of the new CS dialogues in FFXI have far better writing than I have found in the highest quality fantasy novels or superior movies. The writers of storyline dialogue in FFXI are genius-level writers, I admire their writing so very much. Sometimes I will sit and read the same dialogue over and over, and it still amazes me how amusing or dramatic the writing really is.

So even as a nostalgic person, I still think that FFXI is much more enjoyable and fun to play in 2015 than it ever was before. It saddens me that many people quit because they found the old game too difficult, they felt cursed by bad luck etc. I hope that people who quit years ago, will return and try the new FFXI. It is all the good things of the original Vanadiel, but way more fun to play than before.

I often said in the last 11 years, I will play FFXI until I'm dead, or the game stops being available. I still feel that way now more than ever. I hope and pray that the game will still be available for years to come, new players will discover it, and that old players will give it a second try, and discover how much more fun and simply enjoyable the newer FFXI is.

I also want to say thankyou to all the people who are working on FFXI, in all departments, for the amazing work they have done in adding new content and features to this, the greatest computergame in the history of the world. I can only speak for myself, but I am enjoying FFXI more than ever right now, and I think the work you are all doing is outstanding. Thankyou so very much.

[Jin_Uzuki]

I just wish they'd merge the servers. Sylph is a ghost town most of the times.

[Stompa]

I just wish they'd merge the servers. Sylph is a ghost town most of the times.

I agree, server merges will be needed most likely.

But I hope I can finish capping all my Job-Points before there are any server-merges. I don't want to share my Top Secret Hidden Away Corner Capacity-Points Camp Of Mystery.

Actually I forgot to mention Job-Points / Gifts, in my Gushing Praise post #1.

Job-Points Gifts. Fantastic! Customise, personalise, uberise! Another great new feature of FFXI 2015! A special awesome character-modifying, gravity-defying, keyboard-frying treat for all you ex-FFXI players thinking of returning for the shiny improved game!

[Fahzewn]

While I do think that some changes that were done was un-needed (I.E. less XP penalty when dying...it was unbelievably easy to get it back when the change was done and even easier now to do so), I will agree that I am digging the new "direction" the game has gone. I do miss the old days (good and bad) still but I personally can get more accomplished with how the game is today as a solo player (which is my focus anymore on the game) than I did when I was running the four nights a week linkshell runs.

I would say my favorite features so far are the equip sets, lockstyle (for the blinking mostly), the recently added Trusts allowed in Abyssea and by extension...Trusts themselves.

Here's hoping for an increase on job category 1 and 2 merits, auto-dismounting the chocobo when hitting a zone that doesn't accept them, increased object-background draw distance, and maybe fix some of those lovely graphical flickerings I see... /pray.

Oh, and yes, I might have not played as many MMOs as others, but FFXI is by far the one I would always come back to if around. Easily the best MMO I've played.

[Allestra]

Tend to agree ffxi is more "people friendly" then before and I think the most of the changes would have been wise to start implementing 6 years ago at least. Its too late to make a difference in population but I'm still happy they decided to make so many qol adjustments.

I do not miss anything of the "old days" content wise, just friendship wise (when friends were really friends imo)

I agree though op, overall the game is far more appealing, especially if people are new or returning after a long time away.

More ingame info and explanations on that would be better instead of always needing to stop and research outside the game though.
Also a revert on bst changes would be wise...hint hint SE

[Stompa]

I would say my favorite features so far are the equip sets, lockstyle (for the blinking mostly), the recently added Trusts allowed in Abyssea and by extension...Trusts themselves.

Trusts are totally like a Game-Within-A-Game. At first I thought that Trusts were just buddies / bodies to keep the game rolling along as server numbers dropped, but increasingly I am seeing that Trusts are like a Strategy Minigame, they are Trustra Master, carefully playing the right cards / characters to ensure success.

A lot of solo / lowman runs I've done, where we pick our trusts for the BC, the first time we might fail and die, then we go back and try again but with slightly different trusts. And the subtlety of this strategy minigame is that we are not even replacing a tank with a healer, we are just switching from one tank hero to a different tank hero, and the behaviour / special abilities of the replacement tank actually make us win on the second run.

Obviously there are the Trust Sets, where there are bonuses for certain combinations. But each individual trust has some useful trait or habit, some of them unique, which can be an actual game-changer in lowman / solo runs. The difference in outcome between poorly-chosen trusts, and carefully strategically chosen trusts, is a HUGE difference, and can turn a fail into a win.

Already some of the Trusts are becoming "known" on my LS, for feats of legendary heroism, and totally saving an event from failure. We are actually starting to say things like "remember that time when Apururu....." etc. theres a whole new culture emerging, memories of of heroic acts by Trusts. I think its awesome, Trusts add a really colourful and complicated Strategy Gaming dimension to solo/lowman runs. I think we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg!

[JT_Bombast]

There have been changes I've liked in the 10 years I've been playing, and changes I haven't. Overall I think XI is a worse game than it was in 2009 or so, but it's more accessible. More accessible means I can play it and reasonably expect to accomplish something, but worse game means I enjoy it a lot less than the small chunk of content I could complete back in the day. I miss parties. I miss <Fisherman> <Yes, please.> and <meat> <shield> <Do you need it?>. I miss level capped story fights. I miss needing to plan my travel itinerary so I didn't waste time getting from one place to the next. I miss worrying about what day it was, what moon phase it was, what season it was, etc. I miss people.

I've always felt (and still feel) that XI got a lot of stuff right, really right, that every other MMO either ignored or didn't even think of in the first place. The others I've tried (and I've played a dozen or so) felt like a game. XI felt like a living, breathing world. That feeling has diminished for me, and that's what I miss the most.

[Stompa]

There have been changes I've liked in the 10 years I've been playing, and changes I haven't. Overall I think XI is a worse game than it was in 2009 or so, but it's more accessible. More accessible means I can play it and reasonably expect to accomplish something, but worse game means I enjoy it a lot less than the small chunk of content I could complete back in the day. I miss parties. I miss <Fisherman> <Yes, please.> and <meat> <shield> <Do you need it?>. I miss level capped story fights. I miss needing to plan my travel itinerary so I didn't waste time getting from one place to the next. I miss worrying about what day it was, what moon phase it was, what season it was, etc. I miss people.

I've always felt (and still feel) that XI got a lot of stuff right, really right, that every other MMO either ignored or didn't even think of in the first place. The others I've tried (and I've played a dozen or so) felt like a game. XI felt like a living, breathing world. That feeling has diminished for me, and that's what I miss the most.

I found myself nodding along with your post, so many things I agree with.

I also miss a lot of things about the old game, and this is why I have been on the fence for many years, on the question about "is the game more enjoyable now." But recently I have been thinking very seriously about this, and on balance I do consider the 2015 game to be superior, overall.

I agree so much with you about missing people, and hopefully the server merges will arrive and we will meet new people every day, like we did in the old days. Getting to know new people part of the fun, you never knew who would show up in your party, and what stories they would tell while we rested MP, lol. I think this "missing people" in your post, is actually the reason you miss the "living breathing world" also in your post. The two things are connected, I think. So hopefully server merges will fix both of those problems at the same time.

I accept that I am trying to be positive, and to allow the past to die gracefully, rather than grasping at it desperately. FFXI of the past was incredible, but that was the bloom of youth, a young game brimming with the white-heat of novelty. However, I still think I'm having more fun in FFXI than ever before.

I always wanted SE to add higher Merit-Points, further advanced character-customisation, greater room for character personalisation. JobPoints and gifts are wonderful, I am REALLY enjoying many of the gifts, and also I like the process of grinding Jobpoints. I like the feeling that when I put in lots of effort, my character gets more skilled in her abilities, and even learns entirely new things too. This is more fun to me as a roleplayer, than just grinding for gear. I always feel really happy when it is my character herself that is transforming, rather than just her wardrobe.

I really love many of the new furnishings, VanaClock and so many others. Also many of the new costumes are very amusing and cute.

I look forward to spinning the Special Dial on gobby-box every day, its a little moment of excitement which we didn't have in the old game. Sometime he gives me Riftcinders, or Rock Salts, and you never know which he will give you, until you spin the dial.

I also like the RoE system, being able to slay monsters and get currency for it, is a great idea, it is especially fantastic for new adventurers, but it is also very useful for more longtime players too.

Mainly I like the freedom of the new game, being able to just log-in and do what interests me, without feeling compelled to do LS rota / HelpMe stuff, or feeling I have to pray that players XYZ log-in today so we can do an event. Now I can just log-in go directly to the trusts option, if my friends are offline. The new game has so many options, whereas the old game was a lot of downtime while you tried to build towards the only option available. I think this freedom does make the game far more enjoyable as a playable experience, and I think that new or returning players will *really* totally enjoy FFXI if they started playing it in the new improved era.

[BurnNotice]

The only thing that remains old school is the grinding for certain items. Like Mythics, Empys, and Relics. Vagary isn't hard to do but still brings a really good challenge. I wish they would do a High-tier battle for Bahamut

[JT_Bombast]

I think this "missing people" in your post, is actually the reason you miss the "living breathing world" also in your post. The two things are connected, I think.

Players do contribute somewhat, but I was thinking primarily of the game world as its own entity. For example: With crystal warps, there's no reason to ride an airship, a ferry, a chocobo, Teleports, etc. Those things being necessary made the world feel real, and being able to circumvent them takes away from that. There are a lot of other similar changes that have been made to other systems to make them more accessible at the cost of "realism" or "immersion".

For a real-world parallel: I have a 45 minute drive to work. If teleports were suddenly available, I'd be stupid not to teleport to work every day (and the grocery store, and my parents' house, etc.), as the time I'd save could be used for other things that are either necessary or simply more important than driving. That said, I'd really miss driving.

Hope that makes sense...