Suggestions for new content

As a long-standing, respected (debatable, heh) member of the Bahamut Endgame Community, I have witnessed every radical change that you, Square Enix, have made to the endgame scene over the past 8 years. I have pursued every activity you have offered us, including Dynamis, Limbus, Sky, Sea, Einherjar, VNM, ZNM and HNM of all different variety. Most of these, at least in their early days, required more than 6 people to efficiently farm. These events were the catalyst for endgame Linkshell growth. These linkshells gave their members a tremendous sense of competition, camaraderie and pride. For most people involved, this was what was fun about endgame. Not only did extremely rare and hard to obtain items like Defending Ring, Ridill, Adaman Hauberk, etc. give your character a boost strength wise, but also gave an even stronger boost to your morale and pride in your character. Showing off your newly obtained Dalmatica or Hauteclaire was the ultimate high.

Unfortunately, it has come to the point where no gear is considered "prestigious". Nothing is overly hard to obtain; there is no one item that will set you apart from the rest of the general population. Even Empyreal Weapons, which were intended to be considered a milestone, are now a commonplace. You are actively working to make our old prestigious gear useable once more, but that is not what I am suggesting here. I am suggesting you take the course of old. Think Chains of Promathia difficulty - unforgiving, harsh, cruel and downright hard. Bring back the competition, bring back the challenge. I am not telling you to return to the 21-24hr HNM camp fests, but I am telling you bring back HNM's that require more than just a NIN, MNK and WHM to kill. Make PLD's desired again. Give BLM's a seat at the table for more than just activating yellow !!'s. Get ALL JOBS involved - none of this "MNK and WHM can kill everything" nonsense. Create a need for an Alliance other than letting 12 level 30's leech experience in Abyssea.

I understand the need and want for low-man operations at this stage in FFXI's life, but that isn't for everybody and quite frankly, it's nothing for people to make an Empyreal Weapon every 6 days and I doubt that is how you intended it to be. Abyssea has already taken its course; but it is my sincerest wish that life after Abyssea is challenging and competitive and linkshell-oriented in nature. I think I speak for a good portion of people who participate in endgame when I say that FFXI is now too dull and too easy.

I hope my suggestions can be taken a little more seriously than some of these generic "make stuff other than abyssea" topics or some of the unrealistic, dream topics that people have been posted. I know for a fact what I am asking is well within your power to achieve. I have outlined specifically what is missing from endgame: challenge. If you can reincorporate challenge and a need for actual skill to down enemies, then I think you'll see a renaissance of the things that made Final Fantasy XI great.

- Belkin of Bahamut

Belkin

Three Cheers to you, I completely and Whole heartedly agree with everything you have said here , and it is a true reflection
of what Final Fantasy XI has become , I do some time wonder with the changes that are taking place in the game to date, Are the Developers trying to kill the goose? Turn the game in to another one of those "Free" on line Games nobody wants to play. Like you I too have played this game since 2003 and in the day's when doing anything was a challenge and a fight. you Achieved something because it was planned well with a good team that you develop and met in game for a common Goal and a purpose , as it is in the opening sequence of the cut scene the game developers have put there to work together , help each other. When Square Enix initially started making Changes to the game , and i will list them the good thing which Help new player's and the Existing players to enjoy the game more and they were.

1.Field of Valour/ 2.increase Chocobo placements around Craig and other area's/ 3.increase drop rate on kill's and xp
4.Levell Sync/ 5. three new game expansion's and the introduction of Abyssea for Faster experience levelling /6.Moblin Maze mongers /7.Levell increase to 99 and the new considered Merger of Auction Houses /8.Af3 Armour

Those above listed Helped old and new players to the Game and Good changes ,Here is a Question that I ask taking in account changes that have been Made:

1.Why remove the level cap for Anything with the introduction of Abyssea? Could it not have just been a Zone where you levell to say 99 with the proposed update's and leave all other cap's as they are in place? So there is still challenge in the Game for the new and the old player's alike . The Game developers say many of the changes are done for the Veteran's something for them, How can this be so when everything is so Easy to do?

2.What is the purpose of Having Great armour When there is nothing to fight and no Challenge in Game when everything has become so Easy?

3.What are the new players going to learn or for them to stick to the game when they can get from level 1 to currently level 90 in 2 week's?

4.we have had Abyssea expansion as the next major set of expansion and what off Dynamis. Where are new Area's tougher mob's and Expansion and we have Af3 so where is Relic 2?

5.As for the in-game Economy and Game play. you don't see people in White Gate, you don't see people in other Game Area's as we used to fighting for spots to xp party. you don't see people interested in defending White Gate.Silly price Variation in Auction House because nobody bothers to craft much these day's , Every one is in Abyssea and as you stated Earlier "Leeching" to level "Hollow" job's with no experience in how to do the Job.

Although Changes were needed to take the pressure of in some cases , What I seem to see here is Total melt Down over Board Changing thing's so fast, What the point of it all ? and for Who ? and I am sure if you are reading this many will agree , What it all about? Bring back the Cap's Bring Back cop as it was, put the caps back on to Rank mission as before. Bring in New Dynamis Area's with Harder mob's and Relic 2 to make it more challenging and something to Aim for and more worth While to play the Game.

Your idea is ridiculous. I understand you want to feel "elite" again and gloat over other people who can't dedicate the time that you do to collecting digital items, but everything Square has done has been beneficial to everyone. I don't have as much time as you to play, so I can only go in short bursts usually, but does that mean I shouldn't have the ability to do all the content? According to you, yes, even though we both pay our monthly fees.

What you might actually want are BCNM type battles that are done every 3 days with ramped up difficulty and (increased/lowered?) drop rate.

Try to remember other people play and this is a game, not a competition to hold your nose up at others because you have more time to play. Some of us have real world obligations that take most of our time up.

I would like to have some challenges again, too, as I've played for a long time. However, I don't think difficulty should be tied to getting equipment. What the real problem is: the game is a glorified gear treadmill with nothing for players to shoot for besides gear collecting. Even the missions end with new gear. What we need is a new mechanic for players to participate in that is difficult but has an actual effect on the game. Like campaign, but with results. Taking over/keeping up cities from beastmen or something.

I agree with Dropdown. I've been playing the game on and off since pc beta, bought it day 1 on ps2 HDD, and own it on pc as well as xbox. There are just real-world obligations that don't allow people the time to hop in, find 17 other people and go do some beast shit. While I always want there to be stuff that requires that ammount of people, making the old things easier is a good step. I know people who are coming back now because they don't have to invest 2 years to get a job to 75 and missions done (like me).