SE wants to surprise us

[Seriha]

Yeah, I wouldn't call jobs a priority, but something on the "Nice to have..." list once a bunch of other points get checked off and we get some better identity going for existing options.


As for monetization model, I personally wouldn't look to gacha games as an inspiration, as they're far worse when it comes to P2W elements. However, I will say that mobile games are slowly creeping toward the same level and/or complexity of XI, with the only real shortcoming they face in not having a decade+ of content to back them at their launches. We're still a bit off when it comes to real game world exploration, but the tech is erring closer with things like Stadia on the horizon and derivatives that will follow.


I imagine many would be content with a $5/mo sub in an otherwise F2P field if it meant guaranteed Double CP and the like, but there could be other venues to help churn out investment, too. The ancient argument that a sub fee weeds out RMT or immature people has otherwise proven exceptionally false over the years across multiple MMOs.

[Sidewayz]

I imagine many would be content with a $5/mo sub in an otherwise F2P field if it meant guaranteed Double CP and the like, but there could be other venues to help churn out investment, too. The ancient argument that a sub fee weeds out RMT or immature people has otherwise proven exceptionally false over the years across multiple MMOs.

Personally I don't like F2P, I would prefer a higher sub without pay to win crap like "double cp". That ruins games to me and I wouldn't play at all if that were the case.

As far as RMT goes I don't think there is much any company can do. Games with sub tokens eliminate 3rd party RMT but are pretty much just replacing it with more expensive 1st party RMT. Either way you slice it RMT will always play a part in MMORPG economy because it's too expensive to combat efficiently.

That said though, Free to Play games have been some of the worst I've seen when it comes to botting. People just use VPNs and multiple computers to create essentially an unlimited amount of accounts at no charge. Companies try to use checks like Xigncode but those don't work unless you're using multiple accounts from the same computer or VMs. Account gets banned, they just make a new one and turn the bot back on. Lineage 2 Classic tried a model similar to what you're talking about, F2P with 30 day exp runes in the shop, probably the most bots I've seen in a game for a long time.

[Stompa]

I think the FFXI Subscription Price is VERY good value for money.

For only the price of a large pizza, I am getting a whole month of adventures with my friends in Vana'diel.

For just this tiny sum of money in monthly subs, I can play dozens of different jobs, use countless weapons and spells, against an encyclopaedic array of monsters, all in a gigantic atmospheric world, which is emotionally engaging and beautiful.

If I weigh the amount of happiness I experience in Vana'diel every month, against the subscription fee I pay every month, there is no comparison. The happiness is massive, and the fee is tiny.

[Alhanelem]

The main problem is many don't want to acknowledge that things should be better here and that such a realization would cheapen prior investment. "It's just a few cups of coffee!" we're told, as if everyone should be happy sacrificing that or whatever betters their day-to-day life. This shouldn't be confused with me saying SE shouldn't be getting money for the game, but that they should be more realistic about its expectations from players if their own reinvestment is going to be so comically bare bones. Customer appreciation is a commodity, too.



More relative to the OP, the mere suggestion that anything is 3 years out reeks of desperation to milk yet more subs from people. That's an eternity in gaming years. Can you say, with genuine sincerity, that current XI endgame would satisfy the majority of current players for that span? I can't, as not everyone wants to build multiple RMEAs or grind umpteen jobs to Master. No, the game needs new stories, new zones (not a 4th Dynamis iteration), new mobs to fell, dare I even say a new job or two along with further revamps/additions.


The mobile version is pretty much phantom status, with the last bit of info I've heard is that the relationship between SE and Nexon has been difficult. I never really expected that to be another system we could play our same characters on, anyway, so whatever on that. A 3 year timeline may infer a sort of Remaster, as it's obvious the game needs some overhauling to shed it's absent PS2 master, but this just goes back to calling into question if that's soon enough, let alone worth it for SE if we're really going to play the business sense card. Nonetheless, the concern the game may one day "die" is a valid one, and I see that death more as a result of poor player behaviors than SE finally pulling the plug on the servers. Which is to say you can't expect everyone to be running multiple accounts or have those earlier mentioned multiple masteries/weapons and other perfect gear. The future of the game isn't in pandering to the dwindling number of addicts. It's in winning back those who felt they had nothing to do, couldn't do things (because they weren't the right jobs, on the right server, whatever), possibly never played before "because it's an MMO", and further incentivizing that against the cost of competition (which happens to be cheaper, free, prettier, and kinder in progression in a lot of cases).

I don't think that subbing to the game is a statement that you don't think things could be better. That's what feedback is for. Just because we're happy enough to keep playing doesn't mean we're 100% happy.

[Gwydion]

I just hope they increase the packet size beyond the current 200 byte limit. This would make loading times much faster but alienate dial-up users.

[Sirmarki]

I just hope they increase the packet size beyond the current 200 byte limit. This would make loading times much faster but alienate dial-up users.

Does anyone even use dial-up anymore?

[BurnNotice]

I just hope they increase the packet size beyond the current 200 byte limit. This would make loading times much faster but alienate dial-up users.

I thought dial-up was ancient tech by now. I don't think anyone uses or can afford to use dial nowadays.

[BurnNotice]

Back to the OP, I got a feeling its something that involves a storyline. Nothing drawn out but something for everyone to enjoy and for everyone to go back to that classic adventuring style (Like running from Bastok to Valkrum Dunes at level 10. )

[Vold]

The 20th anni with "long term 3 year goal" and "surprise everyone" must relate to FFXI exclusively since it's about FFXI, so it can mean only two things: Another expansion - doesn't matter what they stated in the recent past, they still got machines, they can still develop new content as we've seen in the past recent years, or at least burn those machines up trying. OR Graphical improvements. What else is going to surprise us? Like really. New race? A new race needs three years to shoehorn it into FFXI? Maybe several more new jobs all at once? That needs three years? I'm running out of ideas here.

My money is on graphical face lift. They probably started feeling embarrassed that this wonderful game has gone nearly two decades without the standard facelift and that fans are resorting to doing it themselves(that one person who has completed like Sandy zone or whatevs) If it's not an expansion or facelift with a three year wait then I'll be greatly disappointed that blank took three years to do and nobody cares about it.

I guess it could be the mother of all updates that takes three years to complete. Think of all the things we've ever asked for but was told "NO! TOO MUCH TROUBLE!" like more AH slots, for example. Maybe adding new zones that they never got around to in the past. We've all seen those areas where these zones were meant to be entered from. Maybe new zones altogether, spread through out the game expansions. Perhaps for experience/JP purposes only, or attach new quests to them, whatever reasons we need to go to them. I guess that would be something I'd be surprised about and would most welcome it. Sure seems more likely that we'd get a major update to the game, than a facelift. Maybe I'll put my money on a MOAU instead HMMM.

[Dragoy]

Porting over to something like Unreal Engine or Unity would be quite neat, with a native Linux build as a cherry on top. Something like that would make the most sense, as it would allow for actually developing things further... but in three years? Not sure that would be enough time for a small team, but it certainly might.

They did mention improvements to the installation and configuration experience, so it seems unlikely they're doing anything like that though (would make no sense if it was all being re-done anyblue, although depending on the scope, it would be easy and quick enough to re-do the config utility and such). Well, it could be connected, of course, but I will doubt it. :]

I hope they don't get rid of the PlayOnline viewer (I might be the only one at that).

It will be interesting to see, but I certainly don't have my hopes high. Still, it is fun to think about.

Edit:

After actually watching the (44) digest video, there seemed to be quite a few interesting bits after the 25 minute point, that were not translated. Lots of words that I still don't know. Will need to re-listen it a bunch to maybe catch more of it.

Oh, maybe they'll finish up the new user interface heh.