New Boxed Expansion

FFXI is long over due a new expansion package, especially sinceWotG has been concluded. Ive read alot of forums about this and the general consenus is:

1. There hasnt been any desent new areas to explore since ToAU was launched as both Wotg and Abyssea was simply re-purposed old zones, save a few exceptions
2. Large areas are referred to in both CoP and Wotg which are yet explorable and if FFXI shutsdown before the see the homeland of the Mithra, Orcs, Yagudo, Gigas and Tenzen this will be very sad
3. That there seems to be a lack of commitment on SE's part to ther longer term future to FFXI since they have made post lv75 leveling insanely easy, while failing to introduce any meaningful storyline based battles to challenge post 75 players, other than the conclusion of WotG, come on CoP is insanely easy now.

Everyone is going to jump the gun in saying "PS2 Limitations." And they are right. That's why I suggest this new expansion should be XBox/PC only with the farewell of the PS2.

I have to agree, it would be nice to see some new areas. And CoP is insanely easy now. I took my lvl 90 Ninja into the airship fight for CoP and soloed the fight all the way to the last boss (and still got the last boss to half life before he killed me) because i just wanted to see how far i would make it. Sadly though i could never get the wins on the promy's fights so i have been waiting to finish CoP for 2 years.

I was under the impression (although unsure if this is correct) that the resent update to the viewer alliviated alot of the limitations of the PS2 I mean the updates need half the space now dont they? But to be honest imgetting rather bored or hearing about the geriatric PS2 being blamed for everythiing from new job ablities not being in the translation database to us being landed with "new areas" which are about as new as Cids Apron!

Anyways what new content do people want? I was kinda depressed to hear that SE seem to thinking a few changes to dynamis and Campaign will consitute a "major" update! give me Mithran Males and Far Eastern Excursions!

Can't put my say in space has been halved, but I've had enough of the excuse too. But moving on...
Storyline-wise I don't mind as long as it is entertaining with fun missions to do. But I think I'm caring about new jobs. Time Mage is a classic, Barbarian, I suggested Transfusion Mage earlier today (2 regular spells = 1 new exclusive spell), Shapeshifter... stuff's coming off the top of my head now...

btw when I said space has been halved I mean in installation process, it used to download, then install meaning the PS2 needed double the space for the install

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PS2 HDD space issue: We are adjusting how files are updated. Currently new files are downloaded first, then the old files are deleted. However, that requires double the HDD space. From the next update, after a single file is downloaded the old file will be deleted (Twitter, Jan 21st

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I would love a new boxed expansion but I think the mini-expansions have done too well for SE to go back to a box... they're probably avoiding a ton of cost by releasing these $10 modules. I really hope they'll add some other areas in an upcoming mini-expansion. I too would love to see the far east (but then again I'm a Tenzen fan).

Most of the concerns among my friends with FFXI today, is the lack of new things to do. Granted not everyone is a fan of story, who skip all the cutscenes, and sprint through content just for the rewards (not pointing any fingers to anyone or anything in specific here) but it's true. A lot of people are tired of the same content, and I for one love storyline. So if there were a new bit of content (preferably expansion rather than add-on) to be released, i'd gladly follow along.

blah ps2 is fin if the just overwite old files instend of having dead space

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Originally Posted by JagerForrester

Everyone is going to jump the gun in saying "PS2 Limitations." And they are right. That's why I suggest this new expansion should be XBox/PC only with the farewell of the PS2.

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Was going to say what jager said when I saw the topic.

I was going to say get rid of ps2 support but if SE still want ties to PS2 this is a good Solution.

How many people still play FFXI? I think the only thing preventing a new expansion is the fact that producing a full expansion for an audience of less than 100k players (probably wayyyy less) makes no fiscal sense. That's why we keep getting re-skins. They are quick ,easy ,and most of all cheap. A reskinned zone is a whole new dat anyway so PS2 limitations doesn't really apply here. There's still plenty of room on the PS2 hard drive for more data.

I REALLY want to see the Far East, Far West, and those other continents/islands referenced in the story. I agree with the poster who said the mini-expansions are too successful of a business model to warrant a boxed expansion though. Why waste time and resources manufacturing a physical product to sit on GameStop shelves when players of an online-only game clearly have internet access for purchasing digital downloads?

Make these new areas, complete with new story lines, quests, missions, mobs, and lootz. Release them as $10-$20 mini-expansions. Make them optional and independent of one another. If necessary, make them not available on the PS2. Hey, maybe give PS2 users the option to uninstall old content (I'm sure that raises a number of issues, but I'm sure it could be worked out for these modular mini-expansions). Maybe the PS2 can only have 1 mini-expansion installed at a time > register new mini-expansion > uninstall previous mini-expansion > install new mini-expansion > swap data out at a later date through POL if/when needed. Cumbersome, but it keeps PS2 in the loop.

There's still plenty of room on the PS2 hard drive.. that's about the only thing that ISN'T limited on the PS2. I'm not sure what the problems are with the updates and memory but when I had WotG installed before I stopped updating the stupid thing I still had like 18gigs left.

EDIT: Correction. I just ran out and turned the thing on for the first time in probably 2 years and with WotG installed I still have almost 27gb of free space. Granted I'm missing a bunch of updates and mini ex-packs but there's no way that would even take me past 20gbs.

As long as it doesn't have the box art fromt he first guy, I hate his art.

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Originally Posted by Insaniac

There's still plenty of room on the PS2 hard drive.. that's about the only thing that ISN'T limited on the PS2. I'm not sure what the problems are with the updates and memory but when I had WotG installed before I stopped updating the stupid thing I still had like 18gigs left.

EDIT: Correction. I just ran out and turned the thing on for the first time in probably 2 years and with WotG installed I still have almost 27gb of free space. Granted I'm missing a bunch of updates and mini ex-packs but there's no way that would even take me past 20gbs.

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PS2 expansions are all smaller and it's not the issue, it's PS2's prossessing capability that's the limitation. There seems to be an inherant zone ristriction to the number it can hold.

I'm not the most informed person on this subject but I've never heard this. I don't know how that would even be possible.

I think the overall point is that we need some new content, not reworked older content. Even then some reworked older content is fine (Abyssea was great) but we really need something new to play with.

I really like the idea of Time Mage... If indeed a boxed expansion is in our near future i posted a few ideas a few minutes ago, where it would be cool to have a new job/craft catered to each of the three home nations.... the crafting would cater to each new job, and when combined with the other new crafts, would yield new and awesome weaponry and items.... Bastok: Machinist/Engineering, Windurst: Time Mage/Flux, San d'Oria: Geomancer/Elemental Lore. Imagine Time Mages being able to travel to and from the past at will, taking their pt with them... Imagine an engineer/flux(er) making single use time traveling devices. Imagine Geomancers traveling all around Vana'diel acquiring powerful new spells which are even more powerful when in certain weather/terrain.
I really like the idea of a time mage having an ability to teleport between maps of the current region they occupy.

I kinda wonder how they'd do a Far East expansion anyway, and keep it consistent with the story of COP. Tenzen established that his homeland was being devoured by the Emptieness.

Didn't SE mention that updates in the future would have brand new zones?

I myself would like to see the Far East, etc. If they could do that via downloadable content, that would be great! It doesn't matter to me if it's in a box or downloadable, what matters is we get brand new zones.

SE will never drop ps2 support. JP primary playing base is ps2, IIRC. Never gonna happen. I think asking for a new boxed expansion with the current state of FFXIV and everything else is asking for the impossible.

Hope it happens though! Just looking at the updates within the last year though, its pretty obvious there is a limit to what they will do.

We are long over due for a new boxed expansion pack. The add ons were nice but the content is no where as good as a real story telling expansion. The gap between the start and end of WOTG really disjointed that expansion to where I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I could have. As much as I loved the characters, it became and after thought.

Even on the Japanese forums they are asking for XI to have PS3 access, to get rid of the "Limitations".

The only foreseeable problem with a real expansion (other then PS2 worries) Is the strict budget they are probably on, dev team is divided between XI and XIV (abysseas team) and the cost for a tangible box set would cost them so much money. With the current failure of XIV, they are going to put as much time and effort into getting that in shape and making more sacrifices to XI as they can.

Hoping for the best, but looking at it from a business standpoint on a extra strict budget its going to be tough.