Version Update Delay

[Mocchi]

Rolling blackouts and restrictions on public transportation have been implemented across eastern Japan as part of the earthquake and tsunami disaster relief effort. Consequently, we have chosen to delay the upcoming major version update initially planned for mid-April.

While the new release date has been provisionally revised to May, we are unable to provide a detailed schedule at this point in time. The previously announced world merger will likewise be postponed.

We would like to express our apologies to our players, and will do our utmost to keep you abreast of the latest developments. Thank you for your continued understanding in this difficult time.

----
Sincerely,

The FINAL FANTASY XI Team

[RAIST]

Thank you for the update guys, and it's totally understandable under the circumstances. Gives us hope to hear you guys are in strategic planning with all the mess your country is dealing with.

Hope things improve well enough to get your division back up and running full speed soon... a lot of distressed fans missing the game at the moment.

Hang in there guys!

Raist

[Wolfe]

Hey, it's just a game. We can wait. Anyone that gets upset about this and quits, we are better off without them.

[Nvr]

Time without FFXI just reminds me of how much I enjoy it.

Oh, while I don't mind waiting longer for the version update, I sure would still enjoy details about it posted on the forums to hold me over while the servers are down etc., but don't strain yourselves.

[Aerius]

Just take your time guys, no rush.

[Eric]

I'm so glad that you guys care enough to let the fanbase know what's going on, even through all the hard times.

[JagerForrester]

Who saw this coming?
/raises his hand.

You gotta do what you gotta do. Best of luck over there, guys. Hoping for the best from here.

[CheeseRoller]

I hope things get better.

Will you be opening up registration for all servers again? That's what I have been waiting for.

[Daleterrence]

I think nearly all of your playerbase is going to be supportive of your actions at this time guys, and we are behind you 110% whilst you get the situation sorted.

[Nidhogg]

hope everything calms down over there :(

[Eagle7D8]

Take your time and take care of yourselves ad your families.

[Jkr]

Fair enough. Totally understandable, but just wondering, does that mean the game itself wont be up until around then as well?

[Radio]

Do what you need to do! It's all good bros!

[Neika]

Thank you for the update! Hope things start calming down over there for you guys. Stay safe!

[Gadanae]

Missing the game horribly, but as said by others here, take your time and do what you need to do for Japan! Keep us informed though!

[HFX7686]

The wait will make it better. I'm patient. Take all the time you want!

[Henihhi]

Our thoughts and prayers are with you! Do what you have to do, the faithful FFXI fans will still be here when you guys get back =D

[Juilan]

I'd be shocked if you wouldn't of delayed the update... I'm personally wondering how long til stuff in japan normalizes more to allow the servers to go up again. I think no one on here except the pessimists would even of had an issue if you posted a delay to DLC (for lack of a better term) until Japan was more normalized. An update outline was put on the website?

[Marivell]

Good luck out there and thanks for letting us know.

[Vraelia]

Take your time, Japan. It is chaotic at the moment. I understand that RL comes firstly. I just hope all of you are safe and secure. Good luck and you all are in my prayers.

[Lollerblades]

Get everything else sorted first :D
Then worry about us~

[thefinalrune]

I hope you lift the lock out on the character creation/activation/world transfer services in the mean time. Asking people to wait what could be two additional months that may have already had plans to move or reactivate in March is just cruel.

[Dymlos]

Take your time guys, getting Japan normalized has top priority. Besides, I have a lot of other games to play anyways.

[BurnNotice]

Understood! I am sure most will agree that the time away from the game will renew some values about life and even about the game. :cool:

[Lyali]

I hope you lift the lock out on the character creation/activation/world transfer services in the mean time. Asking people to wait what could be two additional months that may have already had plans to move or reactivate in March is just cruel.

That's entirely dependent on the server merges which will certainly be delayed under the circumstances.

In any case, I hope things will improve for you all over in Japan. =( I think about you all daily.

[Nightxade]

As others have said, this is a wise and not unexpected decision and I support it.

On a side note, while I appreciate all the updates on the forum, should this info not also be posted on the front page of the playonline.com website?

[Samunai]

I think nearly all of your playerbase is going to be supportive of your actions at this time guys, and we are behind you 110% whilst you get the situation sorted.

a 110%?! A 110%?! u crazy? im behind im 255%! (thats moar FF style :P )

Do what u gotta do! u have ur own life to worry about atm =)

[Dawnn]

Do what you gotta do SE! Just keep them updates coming

i like actually knowing whats going on :3

[Lilbitz]

My heart goes out to the people of Japan, take your time. I know i speak for myself as with many other's, we understand the situation in this difficult time. We are a community, we need to stick together. It's just a game.

[Emitremmus]

Honestly I think a lot of players in the game NEED this break. There are some fools out there who are always playing as long as they're not (up to debate whether they play while doing these things) eating/sleeping/bathing(if applicable)/urinating. I love to play, but I only get to play at nights when my wife and daughter have fallen asleep. I like this break we're getting despite the disaster in Japan being the reason.

BTW mother nature must be a BLM with some serious INT. <Quake> and <Flood> are dangerous...:(

[Cream_Soda]

Sounds good to me.

I'd honestly prefer not to have an update 2 weeks before final exams anyway, xD.

Take as long as you all need and good luck w/ the reconstruction of your country.

[Fenrirs_Takumi]

We appreciate the concerns you have towards the players, but what's important is that japan get back on it's feet.
We, the players, if we can do anything to help from distance or on-site. Let us know what we can do to accomodate. And like wolfe said it's just a game.

Yosuke from Unicorn

[Qrushkil]

I can say this; we should all appreciate the game and the people behind the game a whole lot more from now on. No one would have blamed you had you not sent out any kind of update what so ever; it's a grand measure of your loyalty to your loving fanbase that you did. Thank you very much for doing so.

[Miiyo]

BTW mother nature must be a BLM with some serious INT. <Quake> and <Flood> are dangerous...:(
Love that!

Thanks for the update SE. Thanks for the wonderful game as well. So many complaints from people who can't put down their controller (step away from their keyboard), so this should be balanced out with appreciation from those who can see the "big picture". I like the more frequent updates as well. A big +1 for recent customer interaction changes. Many prayers and love going out to Japan as a whole. I've had the pleasure of befriending many lovely Japanese peoples on FFXI that i've been worried about sick ; ;

[Logandor]

Thank you for the update SE and do whats gotta be done. Standing by and keeping faith that you all can get back on your feet.

[Printmaker]

We understand. Our thoughts are with all those affected. The images are a sobering reality that access to a game is unimportant. Your players are faithful and hoping for all of you.

[Blitzxion]

Thanks for the updates SE! While I'm sure everyone here greatly appreciates the updates, it would mean even more us that you help each other out over there and get rolling again!

Disasters take time to recover from, we all know this. Do what you got to do; we will patiently wait for your recovery and welcome you back with open arms!

Hold strong Japan, you can and will make it through this!

[Liselle]

Take care of Japan first, we all can take care of Vana'diel once this crisis is solved.

[Zaknafein]

Thank for taking the time to give us news.
Personally I like this. I had a few things I wanted completed prior to the merger.

[Krystal]

You guys get to working on getting back on your feet! we'll still be here when FFXI comes back online!:)

[Darwi]

keep safe all of you at SE. We await the opening of the doors to Vana'diel with baited breath (the zilart were wrong about where the gates to paradise were) (^^)/

[Crolion]

yay i get to finish glavs off for my dagger beofre merge woot! lol thats just the bonus to the delayed merge.

but now talking like a human take care out there the death toll and missing toll keep growing and its hard to see yes im hours away by plane but if i could fly over there and lend a hand with whatever i would. thanks for the update lil updates like this is what keeps us all happy and ready to go back for more.

these few days have been nice relaxing and crazy cause i just wanna jam lol but once the game comes back up we al can have our fun again :)

u guys be safe out there and try to help those in need rolling black outs cant be fun for anyone honestly but if it saves a country then its what they gotta do.

side note i must say and i mean this in the best way possible that no country would have survived a blast like that other then japan. its been said maybe 1 million times over that u guys are the best prepared for quakes but flood >< man ouch.

i hope everyone is getting better and working together to make the country strong again (donated money to help) i know it aint much but im sure even a dollar makes a diff.

[Atomic646]

I foresee 2months of being able to not play lol.. /cry

[Splinner]

i decided to recently come back to FFXI and was informed of the servers being down, the United States will be there to help, and back u guys up, be safe and take care out there, there is nothing more important then doing what is right

[Mot]

First to the people of Japan, my prayers are with you and I hope that your loss is minimal and wish you a quick recovery.

Second to the management of SE. You have an amazing story development staff and I love your games. Your IT sucks. Your implementation of MMO's has been spotty and I have to wonder why you don't have a Disaster Recovery Contingency plan like all well run IT shops have. There are lots of low cost options for server replication and servers on demand in cold/warm/hot site facilities. The down time and focus of your employees is very understandable and acceptable and as I said, my prayers are with them. However, if you were running your IT right we the end user would have had 48-72 hours of down time at the most.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for that second part, it's not too soon and someone had to say it.

[magoo]

Thank you for letting us know how it is going in reguards to upcoming updates and such. It is nice of you guys to think of us during this. I agree with the others on this thread. All though it is appreacated your concern for our happyness but it is time to worrie about yourselves. I do love playing Final Fantasy, but i am also still breathing after days without it.

[magoo]

im sure if it starts going that long they will set up servers posably in the U.S. and resume services

[Manicora]

I like that was said before <Quake> and <Flood> are killer, lets never get to see <Burst>. Take care of your own house before you let your friends back in to play, We love the game... some a lil too much but as long as people need help getting there lives back in Order, take all the time you need (been without the game for 9 months once) I did just fine without it.

[Kohana]

Thank you for the update, SE.
Please, take whatever time that is needed to get Japan back on its feet again. We understand completely.


~Thinking of Japan and the people therein every day. Be safe; Be strong. We all are with you.~

[Cenz]

Thank you for the update~! The version update i believe is the least of anyone's concerns. You guys are extremely dedicated to even inform us of anything so soon. As much as i miss the enjoyment of the game i have followed the situation diligently and really hope things calm over by you guys. I look forward to being able to log in again soon! I know when we are able to do so things would have leveled out! My prayers are with you all!

[Malulani]

Thank you for the update. Just take care of yourselves and your families, that is most important. We love our game dearly, but it is just a game. Do what you have to do for your wonderful country to heal and come back stronger than ever.

[Jrtaz]

Thanks for updates :) hope everything are well, take you time.

[Shinzonx]

Everyone doin there best to look out for japan during its time of needs we hope that everyone is safe and is doing there best to help recover and take your time with the recovery we dont care if it takes a year for you guys to recover just take care of japan best way you guys can and we are with you all 210% hope the national guard can do what they can do to help you guys as well

[CrystalWeapon]

We'll all be here waiting for you when you return ^_^d

Take your time and I hope things take a turn for the better in Japan. *Casts Luckaga VII*

[Deathbroker]

Japanese authorities have begun imposing sporadic power cuts nationwide to make up for production losses and a nuclear power crisis brought on by last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The rationing in urban areas unaffected by the disasters is necessary, utility officials said, because hospitals in quake-stricken areas have been unable to operate at full capacity to treat those injured in Friday's magnitude 9.0 temblor and the tsunami that inundated the northeast after the quake.

Makeshift morgues in the hardest hit areas have been unable to make ice or run refrigeration sufficient to prevent sanitation risks from corpses of victims that have washed ashore and pulled from the sodden debris sprawling across Miyagi prefecture, the Kyodo news agency reported.

Rolling blackouts imposed on Tokyo and its vicinity Tuesday forced restaurants to halt hot food service for much of the day and supermarkets deprived of lights, heat and refrigeration closed during the outages.

The power cuts will continue at least until the end of April, officials of the Tokyo Electric Power Co. said. The country relies on nuclear power for 30% of its energy needs, and at least 20% of the nuclear network has been idled by the earthquake either as a precaution or due to damage at the huge Fukushima complex.

While local government and industry managers said they understood the need to spread the disruptions, they criticized the utility for giving them scant notice of the cuts and failing to collaborate with them to determine optimal timing of the cutbacks.

"Confusion is occurring because we're being informed when, in what areas and how long the blackouts will occur only at the last minute," complained Masamitsu Sakurai, chairman of the Assn. of Corporate Executives that represents some of Japan's most important producers and exporters. Sakurai suggested the utility ration power to industry by volume rather than time, allowing each producer to accommodate the reductions as best suits individual needs.

The utility has also been criticized for its handling of the crisis at the Fukushima complex, where three of the six reactors have been rocked by explosions caused by overheating in the core containment chambers. The earthquake and tsunami knocked out power to the cooling systems, triggering a series of breakdowns and missteps that have exposed nuclear fuel rods to the air at one reactor and released dangerous levels of radiation outside the plant.

The power company has agreed to provide enough energy to rail operators to keep Tokyo's subway system, the world's busiest with 8 million daily passengers, operating at near-normal capacity after sharply reduced service on Monday paralyzed much of the capital, Kyodo said.

Transport Minister Akihiro Ohata urged factories, businesses and schools to reduce consumption and stagger operating hours to accommodate the power cuts.

Japan is the world's third-largest economy and the nuclear power generation reductions coupled with soaring prices for oil are expected to result in severe losses in automotive, electronics and machinery production and export.


Rolling blackouts and restrictions on public transportation have been implemented across eastern Japan as part of the earthquake and tsunami disaster relief effort. Consequently, we have chosen to delay the upcoming major version update initially planned for mid-April.

While the new release date has been provisionally revised to May, we are unable to provide a detailed schedule at this point in time. The previously announced world merger will likewise be postponed.

We would like to express our apologies to our players, and will do our utmost to keep you abreast of the latest developments. Thank you for your continued understanding in this difficult time.

----
Sincerely,

The FINAL FANTASY XI Team

[AJ_Anyia]

No worries and no rush, the important thing is getting everything righted over there first. RL > FFXI

[Deathbroker]

That mean it might last til the end of April thats a pretty long time.

[Deathbroker]

Good thing none of you are all in business or you would see the important for them to actually get things going again which in turn would help them more then us posting ooooooooo I hope everything is ok SE We should be helping the with idea on how to get things started again if anything

[UltraBlackone]

No worries SE, take your time as I'm sure you have other things that are way more important at this time. One question I would like to ask however is what all changes this new update will yield. I heard something about fixing how EX items work but that's about all I know of for this update. Can anyone fill me in on some of the other changes to be made or is it a secret till it all comes out?

[Haruka-Ash]

i can live without this i will stick to pokemon black and white and call of duty XD >.<

[Kasune]

Thanks for the update =) Japan is in my thoughts and prayers =) Do what has to be done to get Japan back on it's feet and, once again, productive. I know you'll get FFXI running as soon as possible cuz, afterall, it is part of your business. And the longer it's down the more negative financial impact there is. Stay strong!

[Mara]

I hear repairs to one of the nuclear power plants are not going well, resulting in explosions and evacuations, and cleanup and travel have been nearly impossible across the board due to constant aftershocks. I have family in japan who are living in tents off of redcross food and water rations because their home was completely washed away. Really, a version update coming on time is NOTHING in comparison to the far more important issues of making sure Japan does not suffer another nuclear disaster on top of what has already befallen them in the last week. If anyone is pissed off about this announcement I invite you to visit cnn.com or even youtube and watch some of the videos showing the aftermath of the tsunami.

[Jomen]

Yeah, I hear the nuclear factory repairs are not going too too well. If not careful, it could result in a second Trenoble incident which means there would be no more Japan. So I'm glad Square had enough courtesy to even give us a little bit of an update ^^. This week off is actually pretty relaxing but I do realize how much this game really helps me get through my boring work week without kicking someone hard. Anyways, I'm sure everything will work out! Japan will live on!

[Yarly]

Good luck.

[slakyak]

Thanks for the update SE and it warms my heart to read some of the replies here.

In the mean time I hope these beta forums are getting a thorough workout as the playerbase tries to find something to do!!

[Malacite]

Wasn't the original update set for today? So how is it pushed back 2 more months?

It's understandable given the circumstances, honestly people's safety & well being comes first and foremost. What's happening over in Japan is like something out of a sci-fi horror novel or some garbage. So many destroyed homes & lives...

I don't mean to sound like an ingrate with my 1st statement, my point was simply that I hope there's a lot of substance to this coming update given the longer than usual (and I don't mean because of the earthquake) wait. Best of luck to the people of Japan, we'll be patiently awaiting any good news.

[Neika]

No, the world merge was originally supposed to happen today, but they delayed it to coincide with the version update which was supposed to happen in April.

[Fredjan]

Wasn't the original update set for today? So how is it pushed back 2 more months?

It's understandable given the circumstances, honestly people's safety & well being comes first and foremost. What's happening over in Japan is like something out of a sci-fi horror novel or some garbage. So many destroyed homes & lives...

I don't mean to sound like an ingrate with my 1st statement, my point was simply that I hope there's a lot of substance to this coming update given the longer than usual (and I don't mean because of the earthquake) wait. Best of luck to the people of Japan, we'll be patiently awaiting any good news.

No, the World Merge was initially scheduled for today, but it was decided that it'd be postponed and done at the same time as the version update. The Version Update wasn't scheduled for today at all in the first place.
(Edit: Beaten lol)

That said, take all the time you need SE, and thanks for giving us an update, hoping for the best over there.

[Baroka]

Best wishes to you SE. Thank you for the update :)

[chrism]

Saw this coming... We might as well not be charged for the month of March and April if you ask me... I just reactivated last week on the 8th and only got to play for 2 days.... ;[[ But hope all gets better for the people of japan.

[azjazo]

No problem SE, we're all hoping for the greater good of Japan and their people and all the economies of the world that are tied to yours, its a problem that will affect us all eventually, no need to act as if its not our problem too, so we should at least be understanding of the situation.

That said, it would be nice to have more news on the mayor content updates for said Version Update if you have info you were supossed to share to us during these days anyway.

[Leatherman]

Well, making the best with what we got. My heart breaks when I see the news and pictures of the devastation you guys are going through. Without the game I simply relearned all I can do with this time. Getting work down in my yard, going out with friends. I look everyday at the server status to see if it's back online but I am not missing as much as I thought I would since all the stuff around the house and in that needs to be fixed keep me busy.

Take your time, but please keep us informed. As for me, I still got a huge list of things to do in the meanwhile.

Thank You.

[Guardian]

I think crack would have been easier to go cold turkey on, but oh well... anyhow, I've been picking up older Squaresoft/Microprose games again. I'd like to share my ultimate 1 shot build for FFT. Wizard with Math Skill, spell Holy, optional reaction ability (I always go Blade Grasp), Magic ATT UP, optional movement (Teleport). Now equip Wizard Rod, the +1 or 2 Magic head piece (Can't remember what it's called, and NOT Flash Hat), Chameleon Robe, and 108 Beads. With 80 Faith (97 if it's Ramza), you will have no trouble doing 999 dmg to everything in sight, with the robe absorbing and healing you for 999. Only thing it doesn't work on is the Ultima Demons, or perhaps that family of mobs included. Enough of that though, take care all our squiggly text friends, and hope everything gets better for ya! <peace>

[Guardian]

[QUOTE=Guardian;26667] ...With 80 Faith (97 if it's Ramza), you will have no trouble doing 999 dmg to everything in sight, with the robe absorbing and healing you for 999. /QUOTE]
Sheet. Forgot to add Math Skill > CT > 5. This should always allow you to hit everything on the map so long as you have no speed enhancements at the start of the fight. [

[Sapphic]

To our Japanese brothers and sisters, our prayers are with you. Your resilience and character is an inspiration to us all.

[Blazedtaru]

I am praying for any effected and thier families, times like these remind us that life is so fragile at times and we must never take things for granted. God bless everyone.


Blazedtaru ~ Ragnarok

[Xikeroth]

Take as long as you guys need, as someone else said... Time away from FFXI makes me realize how much I love and enjoy my time spend on the game. I'll be here when you guys come back online.

IN the meantime though Parasite Eve 1 was JUST launched on playstation Network and it was one of my fave non-FF games launched by SE for playstation. I bought it and will be playing it in that time. I recommend anyone bored do the same, its a great game!

[Kiba]

Mocchi:

I hope the situation gets better in Japan. My visit 5 years ago was a very pleasant experience. The people are very friendly and the environment was enjoyable to be in. At the same time I am happy the US is providing support during these hard times as it building stronger bonds internationally as both countries strive to prevent the worst in happening and enable all citizens to live well.

As Azjazo mentioned about more details on the next update, I hope you consider while the game and servers are down to continue discussion on development as during this downtime we can get a lot accomplished in preparation for the next major version update. The first week with the forum launching I am still amazed at what has been discussed and addressed to the development team's attention. While the development team residing in Japan may not be able to directly address issues and suggestions provided by the playerbase due to the current situation in Japan at least community reps can still remain active and compile information provided so that when services are resumed we have something in place to put into action. Thank you for developing and supporting this wonderful game I have been playing for the last 7 years. I look forward to the day services are restored and the new updates along the way.

[Guardian]

Take as long as you guys need, as someone else said... Time away from FFXI makes me realize how much I love and enjoy my time spend on the game. I'll be here when you guys come back online.

IN the meantime though Parasite Eve 1 was JUST launched on playstation Network and it was one of my fave non-FF games launched by SE for playstation. I bought it and will be playing it in that time. I recommend anyone bored do the same, its a great game!

Good luck in the Chrysler building lol. And yeah, it was an awesome game. I like PE2 as well, just not as much. Have fun. ^^

[Nephilipitou]

Since FFXI is down, the fact I have more hours at work doesn't bug me as much. Since now I don't have a game that I immediately want to come home to and progress in all night.

However the fact that I'm getting more hours, doesn't mean much since that has just increased my overall spending habbits with all this extra free time... >_>

You can never win when you're a computer nerd who works in retail for low wages... >_< If it's not one thing it's another.

[GERM]

Parasite Eve 1 was JUST launched on playstation Network

sweet I didn't see that, thanks for mentioning it..

[Dorvaine]

Our heartfelt and deepest sympathies from the UK go out to all of those in Japan through these extremely difficult times. It is completely understandable the further delays upon any version updates coming to FFXI, though the game is terribly missed and the updates anticipated *rubs hands together*, the focus on stabalizing and rebuilding Japan most come to the fore.

We wish you all a speedy recovery and we'll all be here awaiting the time we can type our passwords in to get back to the action and cleanse Vana'diel of those monsters taking over while we're not there. /evilgrin

[Bongs]

My heart goes out to you guys. Hope you make a speedy recovery and we can get back to kicking ass in Vana'diel! No rush though obviously, missing FFXI loads.

With Love,

The UK. :)

[Malacite]

Yeah I re-read what SE posted before, the way they worded it sounded like the merge & update were scheduled for today, when in fact the merge was being moved to mid April. So we're only losing a month's time then, which isn't so bad. Hopefully we don't end up losing a full major version update as a result of all this.

@_@ they just reported on CNN that there's now extremely high levels of radiation, as well as some kind of blizzard moving in, potential mudslides... mother nature is relentless isn't she? Give the Japanese a break already.

[Venat]

Question I have is, How are you guys working on the game without any power? From what I hear this could be going on for quite awhile in japan.

Just a thought... maybe should servers to the US if this takes month+?

[Kiba]

Question I have is, How are you guys working on the game without any power? From what I hear this could be going on for quite awhile in japan.

Just a thought... maybe should servers to the US if this takes month+?
Outsource is really not a bad idea for precautions in situations of disaster. Making mirror servers at other remote sites would be good backup measures as well.

[Sephiros]

Hi everyone there! I wanna /cheer everyone from SE administration,even with all the trouble you have atm getting news
from you is a comfort. Almost everyone knows that things are getting hard there,so don't need to rush,take your time and
remember that we'll wait for your return,even if it's more than expected.
From my short experience in natural disasters I can say that japanese ppl is stronger than anyone in the earth,I've seen a
lot of cooperation between them on TV & internet. Also from spanish ppl who live near Tokyo and post news via twitter.
Finally wanna say thanks to all rescue and medical personal who came to help recently.
Hope we'll see ya soon and safe.

[Upokupo]

I agree with everyone else here. Take your time, we'll be waiting. Nice to know I picked an MMO that has this great of a community that has patience and understanding. Wishing everyone the best over there.

[Corgy]

Lol, I think every single player said the exact same thing. Yes, we sympathize and hope for the best. We do not need to repeat and repeat every post however. It is just a game, and even though people are probably suffering beyond belief (due to absence of game), everything will be alright. I hope this downtime gave everyone a chance to remember that there is in fact, a life outside FF!! :)

[Chronofantasy]

Hmmm, for some reason I thought the original time for the version update would've been around the end of March and not mid-April before the Earthquake happened, but I guess the original times was a little later than I thought. It's perfectly understandable though with all these delays and SE will probably need 2-3 weeks more to prepare the version update whenever the servers are back up whether it be a week, a few weeks or months. I'm hoping Japan will get a good recovery and that everyone can get together to support those people who might've lost someone due to these recent events.

I don't know anyone in Japan but hearing about what has happened recently there and watching a bit of the news has gotten me down a little, but we all have to be strong and live our lives as best as possible with our loved ones and appreciate and enjoy moments that we have left in our life.

In the meantime, I'm playing other games by Square Enix while FFXI is down. I was just playing a Valkyrie profile game for a few hours before this post, then I might go play a Kingdom Hearts game.

[Gravionblack]

Well i for one am just fine with waiting, i am just happy to see that all of your are somewhat safe at least, i will be waiting to hear more of things to come. =)

[Darwena]

Take you're time guys. Like you said in the welcome text... "Don't forget you have family, friends in real life..." ;p

[Rennix]

Good luck over there! Any chance in letting us in whats going to be on the menu for the version update job wise?

[BurnNotice]

Honestly I think a lot of players in the game NEED this break. There are some fools out there who are always playing as long as they're not (up to debate whether they play while doing these things) eating/sleeping/bathing(if applicable)/urinating. I love to play, but I only get to play at nights when my wife and daughter have fallen asleep. I like this break we're getting despite the disaster in Japan being the reason.

BTW mother nature must be a BLM with some serious INT. <Quake> and <Flood> are dangerous...:(

Don't forget they are dealing with snow and rain as well. Mother Nature = Shadowhand. So if anyone see Shadowhand in the next campaign, lets bring the biggest beatdown on her! lol.

[Kindra]

Yeah I re-read what SE posted before, the way they worded it sounded like the merge & update were scheduled for today, when in fact the merge was being moved to mid April. So we're only losing a month's time then, which isn't so bad. Hopefully we don't end up losing a full major version update as a result of all this.

@_@ they just reported on CNN that there's now extremely high levels of radiation, as well as some kind of blizzard moving in, potential mudslides... mother nature is relentless isn't she? Give the Japanese a break already.

I keep asking my man to kill mother nature & he won't ; ;. So we will blame him!!!!!

[hideka]

OMG I HAZ TO WAIT FUR MAH UPDAYTE???? HAO DAR U! :P im just kidding. im a little dissapointed that we wont see any update untill may (hopefully it will be within the first week of may, as development, testing and coding should have only been pushed back a week or two due to the disasater) but you guys could totally make it up to us with some more juicy details for the update, or heck even going back and shedding some light on older game mechanics that still have people puzzled, and not be all super cryptic and all >_>!

[Glitch]

While all of us are undoubtedly disappointed to be unable to enjoy one of our favorite pastimes, I think that we can all agree that it would be unthinkably selfish to be upset about our video game when we look at what Japan is dealing with. For those of you who pray, please remember the people of Japan in their time of need. For those of you who don't, please do whatever it is you do to wish them the best and fastest recovery possible.

We are all with you. To some of us you have become as much a part of our lives as our family and friends. Please focus your concerns on your people in their time of plight and everything else will follow in time; and remember, we love you.

@Hideka
That sig is fricken awesome. Did u build it yourself or can I get one like it for my LS forum?!

[Vandheer]

Thanks for the update about the update. Best of luck to everyone who was affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Hope all is well out there. Like most others are saying we support you guys 100% so take your time with pulling things back together.

[Jago]

We totally understand, appreciate everything you are doing to keep us informed under the current situation, and express our love and heart felt sorrow to the families that have lost during this crisis! To anyone else not in Japan, you can help out by donating to your local Red Cross to help with the relief effort in Japan! Godbless our armed forces for their help in Japan as well! We LOVE YOU ALL!

HOOAH!

[nobodyhere]

hmm i figure much but details on update would be nice and a estimate time frame dont have to be exact would also be nice.
hope everything work out for you guys and gals

[breau]

Take your time, Japan. It is chaotic at the moment. I understand that RL comes firstly. I just hope all of you are safe and secure. Good luck and you all are in my prayers.

i agree and i keep checking every few hours, no news are good news cause that means no new bad things happened.
best wishes and my prayers sending from germany
breau (alexander, bastok)

[Een]

My prayers are most certainly with you guys at SE, your families, and the entire population of Japan. Such a disaster, such devastation, it breaks my heart to watch it all on CNN and online, the videos people have posted, the death, the carnage.

But this just shows you, just because almost the entire country was hit and destroyed, that a people in whole WILL NOT FALL, WILL NOT PERISH, WILL NOT SHRIVEL UP AND DIE! That is the faith and loyalty of the people in that country, their homes gone, the economy hitting rock bottom, but they are not and will not give up and go. Rebuild and go on, hold your head up high, maintain their pride and keep on keeping on. Know that your possession can be destroyed, but your pride cannot be.

I pray for you all every day, I've donated what I can to the cause of the entire country for relief. And I plan on doing more as I can.

And I'm extremely saddened how so much Ancient Japanese Culture has been destroyed also. The Samurai, Japan of Old, the way of life before. So much of it you know has been hit and is gone. A lot of lost things, but the people lost are the most important. Can't be replaced at all.

I do plan on Vacationing to Japan in the next year or two. I will come there to help support your economy through tourism. I just wish there was a way to do more, reverse what has been done.

Screw this game, if every life could be gained back of the Lost and the Dead, the game could go away forever and that wouldn't even begin to be an equal trade off for the lives of so many....

[thunderstorrm]

I've been praying for your country and all the Japanese people. I've asked God to comfort you all with your losses and to give you all strength to make it through this situation. My heart truly goes out to you all. I Hope the aftershocks end soon and that the nuclear plant situation gets resolved in a positive way. Not being able to play the game is not fun but compared to what you all are going through its nothing. I'm really sorry this natural disaster has caused so much death and misery. Please take whatever time you need. The game is the last thing on the list of importance right now. I hope things get better soon for you all.

[Cide]

I reactivated after almost a year and accomplished a lot in one day of being back on, and was pleased with the ease of leveling and completing missions i had long thought i would never finish. The next day, the servers went down. trying to wait patiently

[jamieg]

I was just curious why there wasn't any main servers placed here in the United States and in Europe. That would ensure that the game could still be played even in the event of a natural disaster such as this one. I have been watching the news and looking at the headlines about Japan's crisis and I think it is absolutely devastating to know that some of our fellow players are over there living through it. While I miss the game badly right now, I understand the devastation and I can wait till it comes back up. I hope you guys are doing okay over there in Japan and hope that conditions improve for you soon.

[Yousha]

Thanks for letting me know! No worry! Want you get better first n' things get safe/secure come priority! :) Then FFXI/FFXIV to start again sometime summer. I suggest to take more time no hurry till April if you felt not enough. I can and other player can wait! Kupo! You in my thought n' prayer for your quickly recovery! God bless Japan!

[windrider]

I hope you recover with as much life intact after this horric incident, as a fan i miss the game like most but as a person i miss life more, take you time recover what can be recovered, and my prays go out to all those that can see it in the mind and the soul.

[Xylia]

Thanks for letting us know. Hope the team is keeping safe, that's the most important thing!

[Nitestalker]

I hope things get well for you guys. Take your time. I'm not any rush at all. Human life is more important than a game

[Kury]

ok ill be the one to say it

....

im about to emo w/o FFXI.... There! i said it

however i understand the decision and am ok with it, but am developing a twich and shaking uncontrolably. Do what you need to do in japan but plz continue to upate us. thanks and good luck to you.

[Gamiina]

How about some update info to hold us over?

surley they could sum up a few hints and post somthing to get us excited for when the servers are up again.

[RAIST]

umm... it's the same update they already announced a teaser for a while back...

Not sure we need more teasers to fan the flames of impatience on the forums....

Raist

[Yashii]

Nyahhh~ Do what you gotta do for you Japan. We'll be waiting patiently for XI to come back~ ; ; Though, It would be nice if the Character creation ban was lifted, So many of my friends have recently come back to XI wanting to be on Ifrit/Odin with their friends and they're stuck on Levi. ; ;~ ^^ Anyyywayy, We'll be anxiously awaiting information~ ; ; I hope the Japanese people are aokay~ And that things return to normal soon~ best of luck to you guys!

[Alaron]

Just wanted to jump in and agree that anyone who doesn't think this game is worth waiting for should go play WoW or something else. We're all rooting for you to be safe and healthy, because that's what's more important at this time. Thank you for providing us with such a great world to experience and enjoy as a home away from home. I can't wait to see what you all come out with next to expand our current Vana'diel. (Hint: new jobs, new expansions, :D]

[lathos]

best luck to you guys our prayers our with you thanks for the info

[Selzak]

How about some update info to hold us over?

surley they could sum up a few hints and post somthing to get us excited for when the servers are up again.
It would be nice to get some info about job adjustments or whatever. Even if we won't get the update for another month or two, there's no reason not to go ahead and shed some light on it while we wait.

[DukeDudeston]

Well I completly saw this coming (the update being pushed back)
I mean it is hard to update a game, when the servers (and assuming the test servers too) are off.

As everyone else said, take your time, there are more important things going on, I needed a short time break from FFXI anyway lol

[Haglaz]

Fugazi said it best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqAbwIlBluI

[Delvante]

Yea don't worry about us so much as for yourselves. Get your lives and situation over there squared away first. It shows respect though to keep the fans in mind when choosing your actions, thanks!

[Itikuo]

As a business owner myself I commend you on continuing to operate your business, though I could care less that it is for the fan base. It helps out in so much more ways. It gives people something to do and take their mind off of the situation. Kind of the reason I've kept playing since this game was released in Japan on the PS2. The game helps me forget about real world stress. Now don't take this the wrong way. I would rather the game continue to be shut down because human lives are far more important than a fan base. What I am saying is by continuing to operate at least at some level of business during this national disaster you are giving your employees (specifically Japan based employees) something to do to help take their minds off the tragedies.

Now just b/c their is a little Inc. at the end of my business name doesn't mean even myself the CEO/Founder is inhuman. People will need time to grieve, cry, and absorb all that has happened. I speculate that if something like this were to happen where I lived, I would concentrate my efforts and business profits to disaster relief and personally do something about it, not for the giant publicity that would entail, but as a person of business who supports his community. But that is neither here nor there.

In the end I must leave you with my condolences to Japan, and my gratitude to all the real heroes who are out there right now doing everything they can. Thankfully as the CEO/Founder of a business with no investors and a near automated system, I will be traveling to Japan with as many supplies as I can carry, just as soon as my passport is finished being renewed. I'm in my 3rd week of waiting already, else I would of been there the first flight available.

I was originally going to write additional information but thought it would be best to keep this information to myself until after an allotted time. Its simply something I don't agree with and has no reason to be mentioned at this time. People will understand in the future when I discuss this information why I chose not to disclose it at this time.

[KimchanAsura]

Breaks my heart seeing what's going on in Japan. The last couple days ingame I kinda felt sick and not in the mood to play at all (was just idle in port jeuno wondering how many players ingame were in japan at the time).
God bless and God speed to the countries recovery and survivors.

<3 Japan

[Ritsuka]

Not realy cuz alot of ppl prob dont care. Its still a business and has to go on. Person stuff and business does not mix more then liekly this could put a dent in the company.

[faythless]

As much as I hope all the employee's of SE and their family members are safe, and I understand the crisis in Japan isn't something that people can imagine that this kind of devastation could occur so quickly. My prays and thoughts go out too all. But why delay the update?? Does the delay till April mean the servers wont be on till April?? This update was due for release when the servers where turned back on...

[Voldimort]

To the D-Bag Faythless, You contradict yourself with wishing well to Japan and in the same Breath only concern yourself with playing...Anyway, Hope You all in Japan settle everything with the horrific destruction out there first, the true fans will be here waiting for the return. As a thought, you guys should have offered the players the option to donate the monthly fee to the relief efforts over there...Create a page for a donation or something...Best of luck and my sorrow goes out to your beautiful country

[goduto]

I have no problem in donating this and further month's fees to Japan. Most people here in Brazil are looking everyday for news about the catastrophe that crushed your beautiful country. I've been there years ago and I love your way of life so I'll do everything to help... Final Fantasy will be back someday, now it is time to worry about the people's lives and not about game stuff! Come on people, let's do our part!

[Psxpert2011]

I think my donation to the Red Cross of Japan will help out, along with spreading the word of awareness. I'm glad this is being prioritized before gaming and business.

[Cenz]

To the D-Bag Faythless, You contradict yourself with wishing well to Japan and in the same Breath only concern yourself with playing...Anyway, Hope You all in Japan settle everything with the horrific destruction out there first, the true fans will be here waiting for the return. As a thought, you guys should have offered the players the option to donate the monthly fee to the relief efforts over there...Create a page for a donation or something...Best of luck and my sorrow goes out to your beautiful country
I have stayed out of the whining and a attacks on people being upset about w/e... But why cant someone offer sympathy towards the situation and yet voice they are upset they cant play... i will not bash u with names ... but lol these are forums ... say your personal peace leave it at that no need to call others names ... just makes u look like a d bag.. everyone is upset for many reasons and would take a truly cold hearted nerd to not give a sh*t about whats going on over there. its possible for people to feel for the country and feel upset something they put time into isnt here ... why is it so hard for people to understand that ... it doesnt make u selfish it makes u human to care about others / mixed with personal regard.... think about it ;p

[Flux]

Perhaps the latest events will cause SE to pause and extend a huge THANK YOU to all the international players who have supported the Japanese only world servers for all these years, and put up with consistent maintenance during peak hours, especially in North America.

This latest event proves a need to diversify servers and data geographically.

It is illogical to have all world servers in a clearly unstable Japan serving the world stage. This is a blow to Japan's integrity and ability serving the world professionally. The entire shutdown of all worlds could have been averted with a little diversity and intelligence in network implementation.

The real world does extent outside Japan.

I have no doubt that SE will loose customers over this.

SE network management implementation FTL.

[RAIST]

Unfortunately, there is a bigger problem. Because the gameplay is not divided regionally (ie only NA on these servers, EU on those, and JP only on these, they are all on the same server at the same time)--all the regional locations have to synch up somehow. Won't get into the specifics as it's been covered exhaustingly in the other dozen posts on this issue--but you would be paying a heck of a lot more than $13 USD a month to play it.

Raist

[Flux]

I'd be very, very surprised if such major companies such as Sony were to stop all operations because of events?

Cost is a non issue, I pay the same as a Japanese player to play the game, but I get far less play time because all scheduled maintenance favors JST.

Furthermore, we North Americans, in fact already pay more for a lesser service, as our pings to any and all of these world servers are terrible at best.

unprofessional. nuff said.

[RAIST]

unprofessional. nuff said.

|Um...| if following a national/cultural tradition of honoring and respecting each other and doing what is best for a troubled people in great need is "unprofessional" of a company... than I want no part of that company.

Raist

[RAIST]

nice Ninja edit after my reply there Flux. and BTW... Sony DID shut down all operations, as did nearly every manufacuring facility there. Sony and a couple other plants that process raw materials re-opened minimal operations a couple days later for short periods of time once it was determined it was safe to do so. In general though, a the larger sector of all large scale UNNECESSARY facilities are on standby until further notice.


And they have been doing a much better job with their scheduling. A lot of the updates have been kicking off during typical business hours in the US--which happens to start off during a large portion of JP leisure time. So it is a lot more balanced then it used to be. At least I could still get on by 9-10PM instead of not being able to get on at all in our time zone like it used to be. Also, that happens to fall more in JP's evening time, which means SE may be paying a lot of overtime for those updates as well since they are doing less of it during the normal office hours when they are fully staffed. So I further appreciate their efforts on that front as well.

Raist

[DukeDudeston]

I'd be very, very surprised if such major companies such as Sony were to stop all operations because of events?

Cost is a non issue, I pay the same as a Japanese player to play the game, but I get far less play time because all scheduled maintenance favors JST.

Furthermore, we North Americans, in fact already pay more for a lesser service, as our pings to any and all of these world servers are terrible at best.

unprofessional. nuff said.


What you mean apart from this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12782566

EVERYONE is affected by it, sorry if you're to selfish to realise there are BIGGER things in this world, and you think you are the only ones affected by time differences and ping rates! Try living in the UK.

and as for cost! urm.. didn't I hear that Square are not charging for April (for an estimated one week of down time) so you get a month free for a natural disaster, yet.. you still complain.. simple thing here.. GET A LIFE! people like you tick me off.

Edited for link problems

[RAIST]

they also donated 100 million yen to the relief effort as well...

Raist

[DukeDudeston]

they also donated 100 million yen to the relief effort as well...

Raist

LOL that I didn't know, still I am standing my ground, and using the money that Square "refund" to donate to the relief, its the least I feel I can do (not saying I wouldn't have donated anyway.. just this is a perfect reason to)

[Flux]

Sony is diverse enough to shutdown operations in one part of the world and still operate.

LOL @ SE donating... We've donated by paying SE executives the monthly fee. If they didn't donate I would be stunned. Besides, it's a tax right off. Hey does this mean I can right off my monthly fee (or a portion thereof) as tax free? Interesting...

Maybe they could have donated 200 M ?

[Flux]

This forum is 3 years too late ...

[RAIST]

are you serious? a TAX WRITE OFF?

You do realize there is a limit to how much you can deduct on your taxes for donations....

And I doubt your $13USD a month has much (if anything) to go to the SE execs after payroll for the crew that directly supports FFXI, the elctricity to run everything, the cost of the bandwidth to host it, varies supplies used in day to day operations, taxation, regulatory fees, legal fees, accounting costs.....and God knows what ever else there may still be in there.

And as for the diversity of Sony... SE has operations nationwide that are still up and running, working on development, QA testing and various other duties as well. The only thing down are the divisions for FFXI and FFXIV. Likewise, Toyota shutdown just the production in Japan... the plants in Alabama are still running.

Raist

[Flux]

Yup, tax write off.

[RAIST]

Let's see... I guess Sandra Bullock donated that 1 million dollars so she can get that big old $500 tax write off to0 then, eh?

Raist

[Flux]

no doubt.

She could have donated 2M.

[DukeDudeston]

OMG! Square Enix makes all this money $13 USD x 100's of 1,000's, means they can afford this stuff!

This maybe true, but you do know it costs them, a fair bit to run the game right? if they have value based tax, means they be paying out a crud load of tax on this game, lol in their eyes, maybe closing the servers will get the taxman off their backs for a while, although doubtful, as their company is still valued at x amount, and will still have to pay the taxman what he wants.. regardless.

But my point is this...
You KNOW the situation in Japan, you KNOW the servers are based in Japan.. what you think that Sqaure should say "Sod what they say... we are keeping our servers running, because we have people paying money for this game!"

Think like this.. would you feel happy if Sqaure-Enix turned on the servers again, Taking what little power the country has, to please you,.. if you knew there was a Hospital reliying on the same power source, trying to keep people alive?

For once.. why not think about other people.

[Dragoon9]

Flux, why don't you grow up and get a heart. put your self in Japan's shoes and see if you can survive what they are going through. quit trolling about something that is hurting real people. in all reality your probably just a little kid hoping to get a laugh out of this, open your eyes and look to the world, people are hurt and under the threat of a nuclear meltdown that could kill a large part of Japan, and all you can do is say that SE is just trying to get a tax write off on all of this

[Starcade]

For once.. why not think about other people.

One of my great frustrations (not to mention why I believe a number of players need a good whop up side the head) is that, no matter what anybody tells them, they only think about themselves.

And THIS kind of behavior, in that they won't think of other people even if their thoughtlessness kills the other people, is why I have gotten pissed off enough to be banned from every FFXI forum save here.

I've heard people say that it should be taken simply as a "business decision" as to when Square-Enix puts the servers back up.

"Business decisions" like that KILL people!!

"Business decisions" are like what get people declared "useless eaters" in this economy!!!

So, to those who have May Wong Syndrome (NOW! NOW NOW NOW!!!), STFU and HAND!!

PS: Oh, and if you think we're getting the game back before mid-April, you must honestly believe that the Japanese are not being openly deceived about the situation.

[Starcade]

Sony is diverse enough to shutdown operations in one part of the world and still operate.

LOL @ SE donating... We've donated by paying SE executives the monthly fee. If they didn't donate I would be stunned. Besides, it's a tax right off. Hey does this mean I can right off my monthly fee (or a portion thereof) as tax free? Interesting...

Maybe they could have donated 200 M ?

This is probably going to get deleted, but it's the only response I have for this particular victim of May Wong Syndrome:

GO SCREW YOURSELF!! Attitudes like that KILL people!!!

[Starcade]

Flux, why don't you grow up and get a heart.

False premise. He has no desire to get one.

[Dragoon9]

False premise. He has no desire to get one.

probably so *shrugs* should just grow and drop everything he has said

he just wants people to hate him, if he is a troll then just ignore him

doing that hurts him and takes away his fun

[RAIST]

Power is being restored to cooling systems of the reactors

From Tokyo Post Twitter feed:


NISA Press Conference: Power to 1-2 reactors today, 3-4 tomorrow, 5-6 today - pump at #5 functional and 1 diesel generator working

Hopefully a sign of good things to come!

Raist

[Dragoon9]

that is good news, Thanks Raist for the update

lets hope the good things keep going and Japan can get out of this crisis

[Flux]

This is probably going to get deleted, but it's the only response I have for this particular victim of May Wong Syndrome:

GO SCREW YOURSELF!! Attitudes like that KILL people!!!

Go screw yourself?? Attitudes like that indeed kill people. Money and greed kill too, and earthquakes, and cars, and beer.

[Topdogg]

"You sense a strangely familiar stone fragment from POL."
"Your FFXI Withdraws status will wear off in 1 month."

[Kuwabaraone]

First and FOREMOST, take your time to get back up from this disaster. Vana'diel can wait till the cows come home for all I care. Reality takes precedence. Period. Though I am deeply appreciative of the announcement, it has nothing to do with the situation at hand; don't take it wrong. We knew you would delay this. We don't care about that, considering what's been happening there (and those that care more about a fantasy world over this one do not deserve to play; take that however you wish). Second, I'd rather hear updates about how Square Enix plans to support those in need in areas hit hardest, or how the sitation is improving/progressing or even if aid is needed (late in stating that, I know). To be honest, I'm glad they're pushing it back. It's better this way, and I respect that. Preaching to the converted, yes, but it's the truth.

Sincerely praying for Japan's recovery,
Kuwabaraone

PS. I also pray that those who've lost loved ones, can still find the strength to go on...for what it's worth.

[WilmaFlintstone]

We are not worried about getting back on so soon. We're more worried about you and your families being safe and sound. Remember, the first thing the game tells you is that your family and friends (real life) comes first.

[Auriga]

That being said.. don't you belong in a museum of some sort "wilma"?

[Fashnek]

Just confirming what 99% of the players have quoted already, "Take your time" and as some have said, "This is only a game" and also "I NEEDED THIS BREAK". I'm sure others will admit, most end-game players are burnt out and me personally we re-enjoy the game when the you can re-open the serves {whenever that maybe}. My thoughts and prays go out to all the ppl in Japan and hope everything will calm down soon.

To the person who quoted that Mother Nature is a BLM {i'm sorry for the player's name}, lets hope they are not in Abyssea with the super refresh, and runs out of MP very soon.

Once again, to all SE staff, please take your time with re-opening the game, as Family/Friends do come first.

/bow

[Darkpearl]

We are not worried about getting back on so soon. We're more worried about you and your families being safe and sound. Remember, the first thing the game tells you is that your family and friends (real life) comes first.

I agree at 100%. So please.. take your time.

[breau]

[Removed by Moderator according to the FINAL FANTASY XI FORUM Guidelines (http://support.na.square-enix.com/rule.php?id=20&la=1).]

what an ..................
breau, alexander/bastok

[Eligia]

You guys realize this is talking about the version update, not the servers themselves, right?

[Tsukino_Kaji]

You guys realize this is talking about the version update, not the servers themselves, right?They don't. But if there's been any further notices hidden in this mess, could someone point them out?

[armydud]

wow um really? this post is so very selfish and unwarented and the poster should be ashamed to haave even mad the selfish remarks. since in fact SE will not be charging for the down time of the servers shows that they have no intention of screwing the end user over and how can you predict a disaster of the magnitude that hit japan aswell and the nuclear reactors being damaged and the nation calling for ppl to not waist energy atm which SE is currently compling with

[armydud]

First to the people of Japan, my prayers are with you and I hope that your loss is minimal and wish you a quick recovery.

Second to the management of SE. You have an amazing story development staff and I love your games. Your IT sucks. Your implementation of MMO's has been spotty and I have to wonder why you don't have a Disaster Recovery Contingency plan like all well run IT shops have. There are lots of low cost options for server replication and servers on demand in cold/warm/hot site facilities. The down time and focus of your employees is very understandable and acceptable and as I said, my prayers are with them. However, if you were running your IT right we the end user would have had 48-72 hours of down time at the most.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for that second part, it's not too soon and someone had to say it.

wow um really? this post is so very selfish and unwarented and the poster should be ashamed to haave even mad the selfish remarks. since in fact SE will not be charging for the down time of the servers shows that they have no intention of screwing the end user over and how can you predict a disaster of the magnitude that hit japan aswell and the nuclear reactors being damaged and the nation calling for ppl to not waist energy atm which SE is currently compling with what the government asked them to do so please dont sit there and complain about the it ppl just understand they are soing what was asked of them by the government which they could have denied to do and we could still be playing but since they care about their nation they chose to shut down

[Sliveroverlord]

Take your time guys an gals....We'll be here waiting. Recovery is your TOP priority....this game can wait! ^^v

[Sliveroverlord]

I completely agree with you Armydud, however, Mot makes a valid point as to the location of back up servers in times of emergency's. I don't agree with the timing of the statement though....but it's only a game and there are people who need that energy more than SE so I say....Real Life trumps Game Life Mot, find a hobby to occupy your time until the game come back online....lol ^^v

[Akaboham]

wow um really? this post is so very selfish and unwarented and the poster should be ashamed to haave even mad the selfish remarks. since in fact SE will not be charging for the down time of the servers shows that they have no intention of screwing the end user over and how can you predict a disaster of the magnitude that hit japan aswell and the nuclear reactors being damaged and the nation calling for ppl to not waist energy atm which SE is currently compling with what the government asked them to do so please dont sit there and complain about the it ppl just understand they are soing what was asked of them by the government which they could have denied to do and we could still be playing but since they care about their nation they chose to shut down

I'll have to disagree about the post being "very selfish and unwarranted". IMO, Mot is merely stating what should be standard practice, from a business standpoint, for a service such as this one. He is neither asking the unreasonable/for his own personal benefit nor does he not show sympathy for the situation.

[Dakaran]

We should all be supporting Japan and sending the April subscription fees that Se is not charging to Japan to help the recovery effort. I for one have the utmost respect for SE for doing the right thing as all of us should to help any way we can. So everyone be patient and do what you can to help the people of Japan who are suffering and homeless. My prayers are with Japan and Square Enix.

[Azurae]

Can I just say, all your comments supporting our fellow human beings are really wonderful but one thing annoys me, this think of others, yes in Real Life, but in game, only a few will help others, the most, vast majority, think of themselves.

I have put some many hours and stones into helping others get AF3+1 and +2 i bearly have anything myself. Being helpful only makes you a mug.

I do forward to the servers being back up, I miss the game simple as. its nice we wont be charged next month too, kind gesture.

[Lilsanchez]

Good luck with everything. No pressure at all. Take your time, be careful and may whatever powers at work out there help you overcome all in the quickest and most efficiant manner. Wish you best of everything. I'll be donating and doing my best to help the cause. Sorry there isn't anymore I can do.

Btw Note to all: Keep the damn pressure off. They are at crisis. A major crisis.. If you don't know what this means then stfu, go away, don't post. To people who do, be curtious and kind and wait for the drama until they are back on their feet and willing to put up with outside bs.

Thank you.

[Alucardx]

Coming from Virginia, USA, Japan is in our thoughts everyday take all the time that you need...we love you japan!
!

[Redaske]

My family, and all my friends who play wish the best to Japan in these trying times. Though I love this game and wish for a speedy return, I understand he measures being taken better than most. Serving in the military and being a specialist of Search and Rescue I know the desprate measure which is your current hour.

To all those punks who post there selfish "They should have a Contingency plan" BS, do yourselves a favor... and just quit playing this game. We don't need OR want you. With all offense intended, you are worthless people thinking only of yourselves. Your lives have no true meaning and therefore have no merit for your existence. Again do yourselves a favor, quit playing this game so we don't have to deal with your worthlessness.

I'm an American the world both hates and loves us(and you all know it's true). But above that I am Human. This rock we call Earth is our home and I would happily die for someone else to protect humanity. If I had the resources I would be in Japan right now helping them get on their feet once again.

My friends of Japan know my thoughts are with you and that I stand beside you in your darkest hour.

[Peacekeeper]

I'll have to disagree about the post being "very selfish and unwarranted". IMO, Mot is merely stating what should be standard practice, from a business standpoint, for a service such as this one. He is neither asking the unreasonable/for his own personal benefit nor does he not show sympathy for the situation.

Not targeting this post particularly, just the conversation.

In this particular case, SE is only doing what is requested by the Japanese government to conserve power for the rest of the nation, secondary servers etc don't mean much when they only mirror and boost the original data signals. Sure, SE could have set up fully functional servers, rather than mirrors, in other countries. But something like that in most cases is a foolish waste of money, granted in this situation they could have benefited, had they chosen to even use those, but this kind of situation isn't common enough to generally bother with planning for, especially in the gaming industry. Again, they are only abiding by what the government has asked them to do.

[DamonWolfe]

My family, and all my friends who play wish the best to Japan in these trying times. Though I love this game and wish for a speedy return, I understand he measures being taken better than most. Serving in the military and being a specialist of Search and Rescue I know the desprate measure which is your current hour.

To all those punks who post there selfish "They should have a Contingency plan" BS, do yourselves a favor... and just quit playing this game. We don't need OR want you. With all offense intended, you are worthless people thinking only of yourselves. Your lives have no true meaning and therefore have no merit for your existence. Again do yourselves a favor, quit playing this game so we don't have to deal with your worthlessness.

I'm an American the world both hates and loves us(and you all know it's true). But above that I am Human. This rock we call Earth is our home and I would happily die for someone else to protect humanity. If I had the resources I would be in Japan right now helping them get on their feet once again.

My friends of Japan know my thoughts are with you and that I stand beside you in your darkest hour.

I see this everywhere I say the same thing, What happened in Japan is terrible and the lose of life is terrible and Hope for things to recover as quickly as possible for the country to not fall a part.


But please do not go and act like people who have more selfish reasons or complaints like they aren't human, cause I know you or most others on here making these claims aren't exactly praise worthy in your care, sure maybe with this current event, that happened in a much more popular area of the world you care, or you had family/friends here, you care, thats understandable, did you care this much when Haiti got hit with a earthquake with over 200,000 deaths? did you get like this when Hurricane Katrina hit ?

How about smaller disasters in lesser known countries? unless you cared about every single bad natural disaster that as plagued this planet you have no right to say that to anyone, everyone has different point of views, but they aren't saying anything like "Im glad people died" or such non-sense, they just want a piece of the culture they loved back. Yes it is selfish to think of material things over people, I am not saying they are role models or anything.

Not everyone was effected like those who lost family/friends, maybe their care is on the culture or material things. no real worthwhile attachment that those gravely hit by this have. but that doesnt give you any right to treat them as if they are some sub-human being. I am sure if someone who doesnt show they care now, down the line something will happen to someone they care about and you who it has no effect on, probably wont even bat an eye.

[davidus]

I see this everywhere I say the same thing, What happened in Japan is terrible and the lose of life is terrible and Hope for things to recover as quickly as possible for the country to not fall a part.


But please do not go and act like people who have more selfish reasons or complaints like they aren't human, cause I know you or most others on here making these claims aren't exactly praise worthy in your care, sure maybe with this current event, that happened in a much more popular area of the world you care, or you had family/friends here, you care, thats understandable, did you care this much when Haiti got hit with a earthquake with over 200,000 deaths? did you get like this when Hurricane Katrina hit ?

How about smaller disasters in lesser known countries? unless you cared about every single bad natural disaster that as plagued this planet you have no right to say that to anyone, everyone has different point of views, but they aren't saying anything like "Im glad people died" or such non-sense, they just want a piece of the culture they loved back. Yes it is selfish to think of material things over people, I am not saying they are role models or anything.

Not everyone was effected like those who lost family/friends, maybe their care is on the culture or material things. no real worthwhile attachment that those gravely hit by this have. but that doesnt give you any right to treat them as if they are some sub-human being. I am sure if someone who doesnt show they care now, down the line something will happen to someone they care about and you who it has no effect on, probably wont even bat an eye.

ill agree with that, we are human and we all have varying opinions regarding the matter, to say that because some people think they should have had some back up plan is selfish i disagree, theres always a back up plan with everything that happens unfortunately we dont always get it right and it doesnt always go according to plan, japan has built itself to withstand earthquakes, the fact they werent prepared for a tsunami kinda states how rare it is that japan gets them, i have a friend who has got family out there and my thoughts are with them, knowing whats happened i can say i wish there was more i could do, but im not specialised in S&R therefore it would mean little to be out there as i wouldnt even know where to start, people need to stop bitching about the servers being down and be patient, i know its not a virtue most people have but in this give the guys a break, they're doing the best they can with what they have for which you cannot ask anymore from them

[PerrinAybara]

I deeply feel for the tragedy that occurred in Japan and I'm not upset in anyway that the game will be unavailable for an undetermined period of time. My full support to them and the fact that they shut down their servers to conserve energy. This was a charitable act on SE's behalf.

However, they should have multiple data servers throughout the world, not in one location... This is a single point of failure problem many businesses should recognize. Especially with an international customer base. I realize this is an old game and that they probably haven't taken advantage of cloud technology & virtualization... oh well!

See you guys in game soon.

Cheers,
Perrin

[Mowgli]

Get well soon Japan.

I really hope character creation opens up before the update though, as a few of my friends are wanting to join us the game D:

[NightDagger]

Hurry up with the servers already. You run a business & should act accordingly. regardless of the current situation a business still has to move forward.

[chrism]

Power restored to #5 reactor for normal operations, did anyone else hear that as well?

if soo.. WOohoo, if not please clarify to clear up any confusion I may cause, thanks <3

[Alderin]

Guys, they said it would happen or we would be updated on the situation today.. We were updated on this, and as customers we may whinge all we like but it isn't going to make things happen faster. The poor guys just walked into the office (being 8:30am over there).. Give them a minute to brew a coffee >_>

[chrism]

Guys, they said it would happen or we would be updated on the situation today.. We were updated on this, and as customers we may whinge all we like but it isn't going to make things happen faster. The poor guys just walked into the office (being 8:30am over there).. Give them a minute to brew a coffee >_>


Good idea... -goes downstairs to get coffee.... encounters a lv.99 HNM...Pulls out Ultima weapon and hits Target for 999,999dmg... continues to walk towards coffee machine-

Nothing will get in the way of my Coffee!!!

[breau]

Good idea... -goes downstairs to get coffee.... encounters a lv.99 HNM...Pulls out Ultima weapon and hits Target for 999,999dmg... continues to walk towards coffee machine-

Nothing will get in the way of my Coffee!!!

lol i share this feeling, my addictions: nicotine, coffeine, finalfantasyin
breau, alexander/bastok

[chrism]

lol i share this feeling, my addictions: nicotine, coffeine, finalfantasyin
breau, alexander/bastok

Lol I'm glad I can make someone laugh during this huge wait :D

[Alderin]

Lol I'm glad I can make someone laugh during this huge wait :D

I had a chuckle as well.. shouldn't be this excited as who knows what the story is.. However it's hard to keep my pants on.

[Thuggin]

lol i share this feeling, my addictions: nicotine, coffeine, finalfantasyin
breau, alexander/bastok


Lol I'm glad I can make someone laugh during this huge wait :D

Lol Lol xD

[Saenomo]

I think nearly all of your playerbase is going to be supportive of your actions at this time guys, and we are behind you 110% whilst you get the situation sorted.

I would like to take a moment to direct the player base to the statement that PlayOnline will not be billing us for April due to the servers being down for this time and want to direct people to Paypal's website if you have an account.

Paypal is acting as a medium for several charitable organizations aiding Japan in this time of trouble. I felt it only right to take my payment that I won't be charged this month and put it toward one of them. If you have more, that is always great to, but I think it would be a rather wonderful thought if FFXI's players could send their April payments to one of those charities. It may seem small, but between all of us, it adds up quickly.

Thank you all. God Bless.

[breau]

I would like to take a moment to direct the player base to the statement that PlayOnline will not be billing us for April due to the servers being down for this time and want to direct people to Paypal's website if you have an account.

Paypal is acting as a medium for several charitable organizations aiding Japan in this time of trouble. I felt it only right to take my payment that I won't be charged this month and put it toward one of them. If you have more, that is always great to, but I think it would be a rather wonderful thought if FFXI's players could send their April payments to one of those charities. It may seem small, but between all of us, it adds up quickly.

Thank you all. God Bless.

smile not meant to be offending, but many of us already done^^
breau, alexander/bastok

[Cryptic]

Lol I'm glad I can make someone laugh during this huge wait :D

made me LOL'd, then i read it outloud, and acted it out, ff7 style.

[Tonberry]

:)
Good idea... -goes downstairs to get coffee.... encounters a lv.99 HNM...Pulls out Ultima weapon and hits Target for 999,999dmg... continues to walk towards coffee machine-

Nothing will get in the way of my Coffee!!!

/like

[Bellaluna]

My heart and prayers goes out to everyone affected by this tragic event. I hope that SE takes the time they need and allow each other time to grieve loss of family and co-workers. Please keep us posted with what is going on in Japan. May peace be with all of you and thank you for your kind words to all of us customers despite the tragedy. Even though what I am saying is basically what everyone is saying I feel it is important that the fanbase all continue to reach out and show support. ありがとう

[sirtubb]

with the upcoming version update will the level capp be to 99 or 95

[RAIST]

neither...that won't be for a while. They are focusing on content tweaks to provide better game balance for now.

[LoliconStratos]

As much as I'm glad the servers are back up after what has happened in japan, I kinda wish they would unblock the servers ready for merge for a bit because I got friends wanting to play too now and cant make characters on odin as it's one slated for merge.

[Treefiddy]

Can we please have new account registration opened up on the worlds scheduled for merger? At least for a short time. My Dad and other friends would like to start playing with me on Siren, and they are extremely bummed at the thought of waiting until at least May to get started. Please consider opening the registration for these worlds not only for new and returning players, but also for the extra money SE could be making from these accounts. Thank you SE, and I hope conditions continue to improve for you wonderful people in Japan.

[Fizblix]

Can we please have new account registration opened up on the worlds scheduled for merger? At least for a short time. My Dad and other friends would like to start playing with me on Siren, and they are extremely bummed at the thought of waiting until at least May to get started. Please consider opening the registration for these worlds not only for new and returning players, but also for the extra money SE could be making from these accounts. Thank you SE, and I hope conditions continue to improve for you wonderful people in Japan.


So, I just subscribed and cannot create an account on the server that my friends are on. According to this, I'll have to wait till sometime in May?! Thats crazy...

I would play on another server until then... but the min requirement for a world change is your content ID has to be 90 days old before you can use it.... =/