FFXI is more enjoyable than ever before.

Kinda Off Topic, but I find funny that the current casual FFXI is better at being casual than the "casual MMORPG" FFXIV. A lot of content to do, variety of gears that isn't so hard to get while maintaining a sense of rarity, a lot of content for solo AND party, etc.

Really hoping Matsui gets the recognition he deserves after he stops working on XI, because he certantly knows how to make content last.

I will always held Tanaka-era FFXI close in my heart, though. I fell in love with XI again when I returned to the game, but nothing beats doing capped CoP with your static, reaching Jeuno for the first time or hitting 75. :)

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Originally Posted by JT_Bombast

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

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

Hope that makes sense...

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I do understand what you are saying, nothing beats leisurely travel across Vanadiel, and seeing all the sights.

I am usually on WHM or /whm and I will always Tele-Choco to travel places, if I have the free time. And the time issue is the key point. If we are spamming a Merit-points BC, we will go with pop ready and 45/45 merits, and warp back to get new pops until we run out of merits. We can do that because of the homepoint and book warps. If we had to ride the airship or Tele-Choco every time, we would only do one BC instead of five BCs. So thanks to book/HP warps, we get five times the amount of excitement, loot and slaying of monsters.

But if I am solo, and have time, I will always Tele-Choco for my journeys, and enjoy the scenery. The point is that we have the choice, to travel quickly or travel slowly. Just like we have the choice to fight the BC on Very Easy or Difficult. These choices make the game more enjoyable and accessible for everyone, but especially for new players or people with busy working-lives.

I actually know people who quit FFXI because they hated getting the ferry to Selbina to XP, dying in dunes, death-warping and getting the ferry back. I saw similar things in Elshimo XP parties too, people dying and having to get the airship from Jeuno again. Those kinds of old game situations really made a lot of players angry, and a few of them quit because they felt it was a stupid system. They didn't feel it added to the roleplaying realism, when they had to wait for an airship just because their WHM didn't have Raise and couldn't keep people alive either, it wasn't atmospheric it was just annoying!

So today, we have the best of both worlds, those of us who like to run across the maps on our rose-coloured boots, can still do so and enjoy the scenery and nostalgia. Those people who are in a hurry can just use the new warping mechanisms. There is something for everyone now!

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Originally Posted by Stompa

I actually know people who quit FFXI because they hated getting the ferry to Selbina to XP, dying in dunes, death-warping and getting the ferry back. I saw similar things in Elshimo XP parties too, people dying and having to get the airship from Jeuno again. Those kinds of old game situations really made a lot of players angry, and a few of them quit because they felt it was a stupid system.

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Its not the system which is stupid it were just the people who forgot to move their HP :D
But yes in overall, I think in this day and age and concidering how life is already i really prefer the crystals and books to warp.

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Originally Posted by vienne

Its not the system which is stupid it were just the people who forgot to move their HP .

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Often you wouldn't want to move your HP because taking forever to get back was crummy...

Anyway, other than the recent BST nerf, I agree with this. I was really enjoying the game. I still enjoy it in small doses but I just feel sad about not enjoying my favourite job anymore.