Why do I play FFXI in 2023?

(Please consider sharing why you play FFXI in 2023, instead of criticizing my reasoning.)

I am sorry for this post, but I feel like I need to share my reasoning here.

Why do I play FFXI in 2023.

(Please I implore the reader to consider replying with their reasoning instead of criticizing my reasons.)



The main reason:

Final Fantasy XI is a true RPG.

With hidden monsters, secret locations, challenging "random enemies" and bosses, rare loot/equipment, and character stat/equipment customization.






Secondly:

Modern games are poorly designed, and are not exciting, challenging, or engaging.

In a modern game you spend your time chasing a location indicator and watching a "distance" number decrease, or follow an arrow, or stare at the mini-map instead of exploring and finding useful items.

Most modern games you cannot even turn off all these beginner gamer features.

I'm glad FFXI doesn't have all of this.

Sure with Rhapsodies of Vana'diel/The Voracious Resurgence, they added that glowing floor object, and while I find it extremely unsightly, it is few and far between.


While I do appreciate a proper journal, or dialog that guides the player, all the extra UI/glowing, new video game player indicators are way too excessive, and frankly, needless.

I believe a well designed game will not "need" all these types of things, and will guide the player more naturally. If a developer feels it is "necessary" then at least provide the option to turn it off.

Thank you.

Because I played it every day for hours on end for well over a decade, and while I'm not that dedicated anymore, every so often I'm thinking about the game and am drawn back to it for a while. When you play something this long, it kinda becomes a part of you and even if you want to, it's hard to simply give it up entirely forever.

I missed out on so many other games in the mid/late 2000s because of this game lol.

Why Do I Still Play FFXI in 2023-2024?

Because I like this game.
I have tried other MMOs and console games, but still enjoy FFXI.

I also don't play as much as I have in the past but still find the time to play.

I still party with people I have known for a while and like the new items to quest for.
I have been playing this game since it was released for the PS2 and thought the game was better to play after I migrated my account to my PC.

I feel that more recent games focus too much on visuals and not enough on content. We get new content monthly as part of our monthly fees. Other games charge an additional fee for new content.

I like the way that the stories are presented to be purposefully obscure. That they're written from the perspective of a given party, and it's up to you as the player to figure out a 'truth' based on the interactions you've had; that's not just cutscene dialogue, but facts that can be inferred from items, names of monsters, places and abilities. It leads to a world that has deep lore (like many other RPGs) which is made meaningful and almost interactive depending on what you've discovered or noticed.

I like the way that I can search out what the best-in-slot items are for any given situation, ie spell or weaponskill, then go and tackle different content to obtain it. I like that it can then be macro'd in for a specific moment (but it's a shame I can't use all of it as it seems gear for spells especially were designed with third-party gearswap tools in mind, ie pre-cast/midcast).

I like the way that there are a variety of valid builds leading up to best-in-slot so that if you haven't had the opportunity to play certain content with a group, there is a piece of gear you can get solo (or AH) that will be about 80% as good.

I like the way that you can play all jobs on a single character.

I like the way that a party of adventurers doesn't need to be a tank, a healer and the four best dps, and that you can do well enough to clear most content (sure, probably not final-tier) even with Dragoons along.

I like the way that Trust Magic means a lot more content is soloable.

I like the way how materials and items are chaotically distributed across content. In other games, you buy from a shop, or do the thing to get tokens for the next tier. In FFXI, you can find the same items across multiple different types of content (chests, Campaign, Abyssea, Monster Rearing, etc. etc.), but from such large random pools that it makes the AH worthwhile... I appreciate that in 2023 on the smaller servers, about 75% of items are only worth NPCing because of the lack of need from crafters, but I still have a Mog Sack with 80 partial stacks which are regularly filled up and sold on the AH within a week.

I like, perhaps weirdly, collecting items. I like filling storage slips. I like upgrading all of my Relic, Artifact and Empyrean armour for every job to Reforged +1 at least. I have one mule whom I've transferred any furniture I've found to, and she's now holding over 300 different pieces. I have one who holds all unstorable, unpurchasable Exclusive weapons, and another who holds similar armour.

Although I did enjoy HNM camps, XP parties and perpetual Abyssea raids 10-15 years ago, I don't miss them at all now. Good for their time, but there's so much more to do.


And yeah, modern RPGs with their minimaps full of location icons and action telegraphs feel like they could play themselves. I wish FF16 had any sort of gear customization that wasn't just the next tier item up.

It's also a shame that these days, if I do look for others to play with in FFXI, invariably Joe turns up to the content with his triple-boxed script-controlled bots and I'm just not interested in playing that way, yet it feels rude and/or petty to bow out because of it as they've been kind enough to give their time to help.

I play FFXI in 2023 because:

1. FFXI has a lot of rich content and deep battle mechanics. Trying to play every job will keep you busy for years! Modern games are like checkers and FFXI is like chess.
2. I really enjoy alliance content and grouping with other players and socializing.
3. The FFXI community and playerbase are some of the most loyal fans around, even if we can be obnoxious at times.