Swan Song of Vana'diel; ~Why I Won't Play the Mobile Native App~

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Originally Posted by Akihiko_Matsui

(0:57:24～)
Q: Will the native application be a completely separate game from the Windows version of FFXI that will continue even after March 2016?
A: As far as accounts go, this will be a separate game, but it will be the same game in the sense that it continues the enjoyment of FFXI. What we’d like to clear up is that the native application won’t take over the current FFXI operations, but Square Enix will continue to operate and manage the current FFXI, and the native application will be developed as a new FFXI.

As far as content goes, even with the sheer volume of playable content in FFXI we won't be able to discuss this too concretely, but we think we won't start service with a lot of content lined up. We want to try and get this out to customers as fast as possible, and while it'll take some time, we'll eventually implement a good deal of content. There will definitely be restrictions on content and jobs at the start, such as only implementing up to Chains of Promathia. There are possibilities for expansive content exclusive to the native application as well. Players will eventually be able to play Rhapsodies of Vana’diel, so we'll be putting in a ton of effort to try and match or even surpass the PC version.

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Dear Square-Enix, FFXI Dev Team, and any others concerned,

I've given you my loyalties & my money for over 10 years now. I even bought every scrap of merchandise I could afford, importing CD's, books, stuffed animals, and shelling out the big bucks for both pieces of the Players' Collection jewelry.

I've made friends in real life and fallen in love with people I've met through this game. When the mobile "native app" was introduced, I thought there might be hope; that I might continue on my adventures with the character that I'd cultivated and nurtured for so long, even without MAJOR content updates, and even be able to use my phone to check in on things, even if in a limited capacity, whenever I was bored.

I could understand if there was content only accessible through mobile. I could have continued on. With this announcement, however, I realized that you just don't care anymore. No matter how much time, energy, effort, tears, and love that we players have poured into our characters, it just doesn't matter. The 1625+ quests, numerous missions, skills, experience, job points, weapons & armor of legend I toiled endlessly alone and with friends & against foes for, trusts I earned, the fellow I raised up, the gardens I tended, the house I so carefully decorated time and time again; they won't carry over.

And eventually, it WILL ALL dissipate into the ether as deleted data, since we all know that's where the PC version is heading with this decision to separate the data. The writing is on the wall.

There were so many possibilities still out there; a graphical "rebirth" of the game similar to what FFXIV underwent (using the FFXIV engine, even! Much of the monsters & other graphical data is ALREADY IMPLEMENTED in FFXIV!) would really have brought a resurgence of this game. FFXI players are nothing if not patient; patience was forced on us with HNM camping, experience parties, and almost the entirety of the content of the game in the old days.

But, the announcement of the decision to cease all major content, and on TOP of that to completely separate the mobile native app's connection to our characters is the final death knell that I hear tolling.

Truly, the "Rhapsodies" are Vana'diel's swan song.

Sincerely, and with a heavy heart,

M.B. a.k.a. "Rosalee" (Bismarck), formerly "Rosalie" (Seraph)

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There were so many possibilities still out there; a graphical "rebirth" of the game similar to what FFXIV underwent (using the FFXIV engine, even! Much of the monsters & other graphical data is ALREADY IMPLEMENTED in FFXIV!) would really have brought a resurgence of this game. FFXI players are nothing if not patient; patience was forced on us with HNM camping, experience parties, and almost the entirety of the content of the game in the old days.

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Not 100% accurate, the mobs borrowed from XI (which many of XI's mobs were borrowed from previous games by the way, because they are "Final Fantasy") have higher poly models and higher res textures, the attacks and effects are different, etc.

Yes, yes, its a technicality :p

I don't know what they're thinking with the mobile app. If we can't use our existing characters on it, what the hell is the point? But also keep in mind that the mobile game is only happening because of a deal with a third party. If they didn't have that connection, it wouldn't exist and we'd get nothing at all. It's not like the mobile version being made is taking away from the possibility of something else.

I imagine they're probably going to consolidate areas and such in the mobile version because who the heck can download 20GB on mobile? Unless you're paying out the nose for an unlimited plan, it would take you months to download to your smartphone.

I was pretty upset at the news as well. I initially thought it would be connected to the same servers or that we would at least be able to transfer somehow with our data. Now I can just see how they plan to eventually phase out the PC, hand off XI to some cheesy phone game company and focus on their beloved FFXIV. Oh well, what can we do.

Actually, I think the bigger insult is that they're making a spinoff game, telling us all this stuff about it while also telling us we'll never be able to play it.

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Originally Posted by Rosalie

And eventually, it WILL ALL dissipate into the ether as deleted data, since we all know that's where the PC version is heading with this decision to separate the data. The writing is on the wall.

There were so many possibilities still out there; a graphical "rebirth" of the game similar to what FFXIV underwent (using the FFXIV engine, even! Much of the monsters & other graphical data is ALREADY IMPLEMENTED in FFXIV!) would really have brought a resurgence of this game. FFXI players are nothing if not patient; patience was forced on us with HNM camping, experience parties, and almost the entirety of the content of the game in the old days.

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Meanwhile back on Earth... we know from what they've said, that continuing development for FFXI will be difficult. Not to mention, expensive, particularly considering just how few people still play. Matsui is 100% right when he says that making a new version of FFXI would cost as much as a brand new MMO; SE already did that, and it's called FFXIV. Actually SE did that twice. There's no question: the way that the end of FFXI is coming, is the best way they could possibly do it. They're not shutting the servers down, and they're even still going to release version updates (albeit bugfixes and balance changes), and also they're going to ramp up with fun content tying all the expansions together by November. It's one of the smartest ways I've seen a company end an MMO. I'd rather see them continue on forever, but I am realistic here. Also I would be very surprised if the Grandmasters spinoff didn't make it over to NA at some point.

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. SE created FFXI, and it is my solemn opinion that FFXI is the single greatest videogame in the history of videogames. I've played most decent games starting in 1979 on the seriously wierd kit-build computers. I really do rate FFXI higher than any game I've played in like 36~ years as a gamer. I would be happy to write out a long user report on the game to explain why it is better than other games, but tbh nobody here cares.

SE made and then added to FFXI, improved it, great advances were made, some big mistakes were made too, but overall they kept the core game bouncing along. And FFXI is here today, in all its retro majesty. I went fishing today and watched the pink fluffy clouds streaming across the Vana sky. I went and battled ferocious mobs, they still look great to me, and are exciting to battle. It is all still here. But people don't want to play it. The water is here and the horses are not drinking. Standing in town on Saturday, 430 ppl (including mules lol) on the server, no shouts for over an hour.

In summary. I blame the players. Not SE. SE created a masterpiece of videogame genius called FFXI, but people are instead playing inferior games just because those games are newer and have sugarfrosted eyecandy graphics. So, I will blame the horses that don't drink, and not the people who carried the water for the horses to drink.

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Originally Posted by Lisotte

Matsui is 100% right when he says that making a new version of FFXI would cost as much as a brand new MMO; SE already did that, and it's called FFXIV.

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Except it's not, the more like a watered down version. The FFXIV analogue to mithras are just generic anime catgirls, the world is generic high fantasy, etc.

I still have alot to do on xi but yes, the idea of dead servers after november is taking away my enjoyement of playing somewhat. SE will never do a HD remake of this game its obvious they're focussing on xiv and no i dont want to play on a smartphone i'm in my 30's ffs, I want something to escape in after a long day of work i dont want to play something on a tiny screen, i want to immerse myself in something that has nothing to do with the reality of life.
Yes i have tried many other mmo's out there, i've given them all a decent amount of time, sadly enough i have found nothing else that has intrigued me as much as ffxi. I do refuse to believe that there are no developers out there who want to aim for a niche market like the ffxi playerbase. Maybe the community should unite and start a crowdfunding project to find a developer that will shape our ideas, in discussion from a development and playercommunity point of view, into a financial succesfull MMO for this niche market (which of course for legal matters would have nothing to do with the world of final fantasy....which probably already is far fetched that i'm posting this on the official forum but i stopped caring kinda).
Call me crazy, i've just been thinking alot about this since the press event.

This leaves me feeling a bit disgusted, if this is in fact the swan song for FFXI, I hope it's the same for SE. They're banking on all of us moving to FFXIV, but if we were going to do that, we'd have already moved. It's just another bad decision on their part.

With the mobile app being a different thing and our characters unlikely to transfer as a whole, it seems pretty unlikely that I'll want to play it. Maybe if there's a significant amount of things we can transfer, but right now it kinda sounds like being asked to delete my character and make a new one.

the age of ffxi is done!

Never ! :)

I was really hoping they would have:
- Made a PS4 port of the FFXI client (The PS4 has a -much- easier framework to deal with then the PS3).
- This would also make it possible to remote play it with the Vita's remote play functionality.
- Have the FFXI PS4 client available for digital purchase/download from PSN.
- Reinstate the FFXI/FFXIV combo subscription discount.
- Plan more collaboration between FFXI and FFXIV events.

This would do a number of things:
- Give players who left friends on FFXI to play FFXIV a good reason to keep a FFXI sub.
- Give new players that liked FFXIV an easy way to try out FFXI.
- Have a central console location for all the FF SE MMOs.
- Allow for more media exposure of FFXI through the PS4's streaming/sharing options.
- Foster a feeling of the two player bases being unified instead of FFXI vs. FFXIV.
- Give players left in the cold from the PS2/XBox service ending an excuse to buy a PS4.

It feels like they are directly marketing to the Japanese game market now with their move to mobile. Such an odd choice... Do they really think that platform with resonate with people who love and still play a 12 year old game that is considered "outdated" by many people?

It's pretty heartbreaking that one game we won't even get, and the other is disconnected from actual FFXI.

One of the mysteries to me is that they didn't repackage FFXI as a luxury disc/book set with all the expansions, a book of the beautiful art we have seen during the course of FFXI's life, wall-posters and keyring etc. all bundled into the set. I would buy that, even though I have multiple copies of the game already.

I personally find FF14 unplayable, I have nothing at all against FF14 players and I hope they have a lot of fun in FF14, and that the game is a success. But I really hate playing it lol. And yet (here comes my point) even though I knew I hated it, I actually paid out money for the recent FF14 luxury box set, with the artbooks and cards and all. I paid that because I collect SE games, and I will always support them by buying their box-sets and random merch, it is Brand Loyalty that I've had since FF7.

We know that transient mainstream playerbase moves away from games after a few months or a few years, they move to the newer stuff as a matter of course. And we know that FFXI is old, we know that most people download game data instead of using discs, and so I can understand why there hasn't been a really luxury repackaged FFXI box set with books and trinkets and cards/poster etc. But I still think that if this were on the shop shelves, people would buy it, and new players would discover FFXI, a game that has been almost hidden from casual shopper browsing for absolutely years.

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Originally Posted by Atomic_Skull

Except it's not, the more like a watered down version. The FFXIV analogue to mithras are just generic anime catgirls, the world is generic high fantasy, etc.

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You misunderstand me: I'm not saying FFXIV the new version of FFXI, it's the brand-new MMO they made. One meant to appeal more to modern MMORPG gamers, to recoup the ginormous costs of development. Making a game that looks as pretty as FFXIV in this day and age costs far more than FFXI and requires far more paying subscribers than FFXI was ever able to get.

I agree the world is less fully realised, but it's real beautiful, caters to people who played classic FF, and while the catgirls are not mithra, they're not unsufferable. Being able to make female... whatever the analogue to galka are, is pretty neat. And the new race is cool.

If you gave me a choice, between FFXI and FFXIV, I'd probably still pick FFXI. But XI's not the game it once was, it plays much different now. The content is alot different now. The community is a bit different now (same people, but those remaining are mostly pretty hardcore). I like FFXIV if nothing else than for the pretty FF world and that feeling of playing a fresh MMO just coming into its own.

Well, it seems SE put its foot down about the future of FFXI, which is sad imho.

FFXI generation were, by far, the most patient grinding-wise. We had good and bad things, from both playerbase and development team.

As for FFXIV goes, Square Enix will have it tougher with its playerbase. The reason ?: A lot of them are used to very soon/instant gratification. Nothing compared to the grind FFXI gave us. And because of that, they will have to make quite large update after update to keep their customers hooked in. Yes, FF14 has amazing graphics, but if their aesthetics and playability are kept as they are (pretty much healer tank DD combo and 1 or 2 lolsupport spells/JA's) iced with somewhat odd choreography, is probably that its lifespan will be even shorter than FFXI.

It will be nice to end up my projects in game, finish the storyline they will implement and stay as much as I can till they decide to shutdown the servers.

My two cents.

Blame Tanaka, it's really all his fault.

If they had started in 2007/08 an engine/graphics update would have been viable from a financial standpoint but Tanaka was obsessed with maintaining a lowest common denominator across all platforms. That and he was taking the portion of FFXI's subscription fees that should have been reinvested into maintaining and improving the game and flushing it down the toilet funneling it into developing what ended up looking like a 2006 game engine but with 2010 hardware requirements while leaving FFXI with a skeleton crew.

Remember the DirextX 9 update for the PC version that was supposed to come out with COP? That, and all the other improvements that should have been done to the PC version over the years were sacrificed on the alter of Tanaka's failed project.

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Originally Posted by Atomic_Skull

Except it's not, the more like a watered down version. The FFXIV analogue to mithras are just generic anime catgirls, the world is generic high fantasy, etc.

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I don't agree with "watered down." I play both and have enjoyed both for as long as they have existed for different reasons. FFXI just has a certain charm to it that can never be copied, even if SE tries it again it will never be the same. The catgirls in XIV look pretty much exactly the same as in XI. In BOTH cases they're generic anime catgirls, to be honest. And I'm not sure what's not "generic high fantasy" about XI's world. I think the teams of both games gave proper care and attention to their worlds, so let's not have a bashing contest. There's a reason why SE's getting more than $12.95 from me each month, and its not because either game is bad or generic or whatever.

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Remember the DirextX 9 update for the PC version that was supposed to come out with COP?

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To be fair that was never actually a thing and the only extent of relation FFXI was ever going to have with directx 9 was enabling official windowed mode. They never said or intended to do anything else there. Which is a different problem. You're right about the lowest common denominator thing though. If he had allowed non-gameplay differences to exist between platforms from the start, we'd have a client in a much better state than it is now.

Ffxi needed major upgrading many manyyyy years ago, they chose not to. This was the inevitable result imo. Their refusal to enter modern times with ffxi could only last so long...errr for the same reason I dont enjoy "pong" anymore, you gotta keep up and adapt to survive and remain a lure, in any business....they chose to remain stagnant.

I would never ever play a mobile version...just ewww no thanks. But would have eagerly anticipated an upgraded look/ui for the pc long ago.

But I am grateful the pc version will be remaining even if there will be no patches, just minor tweaking and adjustments :) Ffxi will always feel special for all the memories it has created.

Ffxi has some awfully good points but so does ffxiv. I play both and will continue to do so for as long as both last!

You won't be playing the native app because it's not coming to NA, not because of your choice

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Originally Posted by Crevox

You won't be playing the native app because it's not coming to NA, not because of your choice

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The native app is being release in NA and EU, it's the spin-off game that's not.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

The catgirls in XIV look pretty much exactly the same as in XI. In BOTH cases they're generic anime catgirls,

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Uh no mithras are more cat-like in FFXI, in FFXIV they're just girls with ears and a tail.

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Originally Posted by Stompa

You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. SE created FFXI, and it is my solemn opinion that FFXI is the single greatest videogame in the history of videogames. I've played most decent games starting in 1979 on the seriously wierd kit-build computers. I really do rate FFXI higher than any game I've played in like 36~ years as a gamer. I would be happy to write out a long user report on the game to explain why it is better than other games, but tbh nobody here cares.

SE made and then added to FFXI, improved it, great advances were made, some big mistakes were made too, but overall they kept the core game bouncing along. And FFXI is here today, in all its retro majesty. I went fishing today and watched the pink fluffy clouds streaming across the Vana sky. I went and battled ferocious mobs, they still look great to me, and are exciting to battle. It is all still here. But people don't want to play it. The water is here and the horses are not drinking. Standing in town on Saturday, 430 ppl (including mules lol) on the server, no shouts for over an hour.

In summary. I blame the players. Not SE. SE created a masterpiece of videogame genius called FFXI, but people are instead playing inferior games just because those games are newer and have sugarfrosted eyecandy graphics. So, I will blame the horses that don't drink, and not the people who carried the water for the horses to drink.

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There's some truth to this, but it's not just the games are newer. You only do the same thing so many times before getting bored and you run out of new things to accomplish. Look at Vagary for instace. Already my LS has cleared 5/5 multiple times. OK, back to being bored.

It's also difficult when it began as a heavily multiplayer adventure, but all your friends move on. It begins to feel like not the same game. The fact i can solo all lv75 content, that used to take 40+ players, kind of drives that point. Compare pre ToA with exp PT, sc+mb, to bird PT...then abyssea leveling...then trusts which are intended to replace actual players.

There's nostalgia to be had with simple things like you say, but it's not helpful to blame players for moving on, or SE for that matter.

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Originally Posted by Moppet

I was really hoping they would have:
- Made a PS4 port of the FFXI client (The PS4 has a -much- easier framework to deal with then the PS3).
- This would also make it possible to remote play it with the Vita's remote play functionality.
- Have the FFXI PS4 client available for digital purchase/download from PSN.
- Reinstate the FFXI/FFXIV combo subscription discount.
- Plan more collaboration between FFXI and FFXIV events.

This would do a number of things:
- Give players who left friends on FFXI to play FFXIV a good reason to keep a FFXI sub.
- Give new players that liked FFXIV an easy way to try out FFXI.
- Have a central console location for all the FF SE MMOs.
- Allow for more media exposure of FFXI through the PS4's streaming/sharing options.
- Foster a feeling of the two player bases being unified instead of FFXI vs. FFXIV.
- Give players left in the cold from the PS2/XBox service ending an excuse to buy a PS4.

It feels like they are directly marketing to the Japanese game market now with their move to mobile. Such an odd choice... Do they really think that platform with resonate with people who love and still play a 12 year old game that is considered "outdated" by many people?

It's pretty heartbreaking that one game we won't even get, and the other is disconnected from actual FFXI.

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They are trying to milk what they can out of it still, rather than breath new life into it with lower subs or a cash shop. If after the updates stop they're still charging $13/mo how many will stick around? Very few, it's like paying monthly to play final fantasy 10 or other offline game. It's hard to justify on its face.

After years of our subs being used to keep 14 alive, you'd think 14 could sustain the minimal server costs for 11 and just make it FTP. That is a huge slap in face and can undo whatever goodwill the "finale" brings. I believe private servers will take over at that point and the main servers are in trouble after november

cant wait to see how terrible the combat is on the mobile version. Nexon + mobile is such a great match

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Originally Posted by steellords

There's some truth to this, but it's not just the games are newer. You only do the same thing so many times before getting bored and you run out of new things to accomplish. Look at Vagary for instace. Already my LS has cleared 5/5 multiple times. OK, back to being bored.

It's also difficult when it began as a heavily multiplayer adventure, but all your friends move on. It begins to feel like not the same game. The fact i can solo all lv75 content, that used to take 40+ players, kind of drives that point. Compare pre ToA with exp PT, sc+mb, to bird PT...then abyssea leveling...then trusts which are intended to replace actual players.

There's nostalgia to be had with simple things like you say, but it's not helpful to blame players for moving on, or SE for that matter.

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I do understand what you're saying, and I do agree with you to some extent. But my point was a more general point, not entirely about FFXI players moving on, but the more general trend of modern gamers, and how they seem to me as I am an almost extinct gaming dinosaur. When I started it really was a huge mindblowing omg moment when we saw the first platformer games arrive, with mister stickman hopping over some blank spaces. It was a revolution to us, after playing "move the letter D across the screen while avoiding the full-stops (.)" games for the previous years.

And when the platformers arrived, we played them into the ground. Joysticks were worn down to stumps lol. We made mister stickman jump over the blank spaces for a decade. I failed school because of staying up all night playing Chuckie Egg, lol. And we didn't get bored at all, and those games were really really dull compared to FFXI.

So I have this trench-warfare kind of mentality, and see the kids today getting bored with games after like a week, and talking about how FFXI graphics suck because the graphics are ten years old, etc. The FFXI graphics are beautiful, and imho the core game engine is a living miracle. It is just not as shiny looking as the stuff that came after it. But I do rate playability much higher than super-realistic graphics, and FFXI has nice enough graphics for me, and it has huge playability.

So I think my main point is really about playability vs. eyecandy graphics. Some new games have graphics that look so realistic and mega-shiny, but I don't really get any traction in playing them, those games often feel like they're playing themselves. I never felt that way about FFXI, I always felt (and still do) that my responses are critical in outcomes, and also that FFXI offered me far more choice in terms of direct user input, than any other RPG / fightingfantasy game I've played.

But of course we are all different people, and others want more new stuff all the time etc. and thats cool, nobody's opinion is more right or wrong on gaming, because it is such a personal experience. And I totally see what you're saying.

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Originally Posted by Atomic_Skull

Uh no mithras are more cat-like in FFXI, in FFXIV they're just girls with ears and a tail.

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That's a stretch, the only thing that makes them look more catlike is the color of their skin, which you can pick from a wide range in XIV.

They will soon realize that they made a huge mistake. FF14 is not going to go anywhere because the content locusts that crave instant gratification are already rushing through every update even with the hard caps in place to slow them down. The cost of these updates is 10x that of a FFXI update due to the increased graphical fidelity. Long term they will not be able to produce quality content fast enough and subscriptions will decline. That is when they realize they should have continued to support FFXI and update it to the new engine instead.

I was really looking forward to a mobile client until i heard it was not a client for FFXI but a completely new game with no character import at all. The mobile client will be a disaster. It's made by nexxon and the ADD riddled instant gratification crowd on mobile phones is worse than on PC. Monetisation which will most likely come in form of play time restrictions or content pay walls is going to scare away a lot of players.

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Originally Posted by Skyrant_Kangaroomouse

They will soon realize that they made a huge mistake. FF14 is not going to go anywhere

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Too late, it's already gone somewhere.

I love FFXI as much as the next guy. It's why i'm still subscribed. But crapping all over FFXIV just because you think it's the reason for XI's demise is not exactly a fair or reasonable argument. Most FFXI updates even those with "new battle content" or some other major new feature, don't even add new graphics at all. FFXIV could recycle tons of their graphics if they wanted to (and they do to some extent, just not nearly as much as XI). If in the future they need to lower the cost of updates, then I'm sure they will apply a cost cutting strategy as XI did. But right now that's not needed, because the game is still growing.

You're totally right, however, about the mobile app. Any chance there was for me to use it was lost when they said it was seperate from the main game.

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

That's a stretch, the only thing that makes them look more catlike is the color of their skin, which you can pick from a wide range in XIV.

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I just wanted to let you know you are wrong

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

You're totally right, however, about the mobile app. Any chance there was for me to use it was lost when they said it was seperate from the main game.

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Yeah, they lost me too.

The sad thing is this truly means the death of FFXI. There is no way a stripped down XI without the core playerbase will do well on mobile phones, and while I was potentially interested in maintaining my sub if I could casually log in with my cell phone to putter around on a whim or what not - I don't see any point in subbing at all for no content updates etc.

I don't really care about the rhapsodies, I've never been big on mission content.

It's sad but I think I'm done.

For years we'd been asking for mobile integration. Let us craft from our phones! Let us update the auction house or our bazaars while we're out and about! Not this. Not this at all. No one asked for this. No point starting a new mobile experience if it throws away all of our years of character-building.

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Originally Posted by Olor

Yeah, they lost me too.

The sad thing is this truly means the death of FFXI. There is no way a stripped down XI without the core playerbase will do well on mobile phones, and while I was potentially interested in maintaining my sub if I could casually log in with my cell phone to putter around on a whim or what not - I don't see any point in subbing at all for no content updates etc.

I don't really care about the rhapsodies, I've never been big on mission content.

It's sad but I think I'm done.

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While overall I agree that it's a dumb idea, and that it's pretty much the death of the game for you and I, keep in mind that neither of us are the target audience at all for this. FFXI has been concentrating on retaining the current playerbase for years now, while not doing nearly enough to attract new players. By the point that RoE came around the general sentiment I got was "this is nice... for the 2 people totally new to the game."

The target audience is mostly in east Asia, who live on their phones and only play free games. They might spend money on it but it'd be on a cash shop. Nexon isn't trying to bring you or I over to the native app, they want new players. I doubt SE would ever have dared to try this themselves but with Nexon taking the risk it's somehow happening.

I have found it hard to get new people into FFXI, even after the changes in December 2013. Most old friends that used to play were of the mind that no matter what changed, SE would have to pay them to reinstall and patch the game. I have maybe been able to get one new person to try that either hadn't played before, or it had been a very long time. Meanwhile, half my workplace jumped on FFXIV for at least 2 months after ARR launched, by the January after release. Most don't play anymore, but they were willing to try that and not FFXI.

we've recruited 4 people in our ls this week...2 brand new and 2 returning players from pre-aby era. I just wonder if they have whats needed to stick around, so many struggles for a returning or new player. Empty AH, a bland lvling system wth trusts (granted its better then solo), its even hard to find people (even with a shell) willing to help with cruciale missions. the thing they hear the most is "you can solo that" but thats not what a new player wants to hear........they need a mommy to hold their hand (which i gladly do when not occupied with rl).
I've pointed this out before and again i really think this is whats needed to boost the morale of new players: 2 things.
A: revamp the mentor system, make it more dynamic, make it so if a new player talks to one of the mentor npc's that they get a list with all registred mentors on the server (with language)
B: do it like in EVE its simple and very effective....specially now with the ability to equip 2 shells at once. Make a linkshell dedicated to new players with mentors acting as mods (sackholders in this case) the new people stay there for a month and the shell is only used to answer questions and ask for help.

I have not logged into ffxi for about 35 days now...... I stopped logging in 2 weeks before the press conference because I went to panama city beach spring break; so I didn't want to bring ffxi with me..... I read the mobile app news while I was at PCB and then it discouraged me from logging in any further... (I still havnt updated my march patch) the news that I gathered instantly made it so I didn't want to waste anymore money;

-no new content (meaning NO NEW JOBS OR AREAS/TOWNS)
- mobile app has nothing to do with ffxi so you basically have to start all over again, and launch will only have COP content so VERY limited areas, playing it on a phone would be unconventional so I'd have to use my fullsized ipad or ipad mini which I use as often as my google glasses (never) making it unappealing.
- xbox and ps2 support will end in 2016 (I play on 2 xbox and 1 laptop meaning it will be harder for me to use my alts without third party programming)

week 1 without talking to my LS mates was a bit difficult however, I spent about $1000 at gamestop on new videogames to take my mind away from ffxi which quickly helped so I didn't feel as guilty for NOT returning to ffxi (considering I'm the LS leader of Cult of personality EW) (an old song of my fathers, not an actual cult)
week 2-3 my LS mates started calling my phone, hitting me up on facebook, and xbox chat services about when I would return, and I had to tell each and every one of them my reasons for not returning. (its going on day like 40 of me not playing ffxi even though I'm still paying for it x3 -,-)

when 14 was released I bought it on ps3 and pc version, I played it for 5 mins and then quit because the game was stupid, so about a week ago since I WASNT playing ffxi, I decided to give final fantasy 14 another try on my alienware laptop. Final fantasy 14 is like ffxi meets world of warcraft, I personally hate 14 and stopped playing it again for a second time, the game is WAY too busy, too much clicking with a mouse, camera angles suck, I couldn't even figure out how to auto attack enemies so I basically ran around and hit #1(some fire spell) and #2(some ice spell) for an hour on enemies to level up to level 6 while being spammed out of control by RMTs. Then after very quickly getting bored , I did a /shout and asked, "are there any unlockable jobs" everyone said "No" then I asked "the max level cap is 50" then they said "yes" .......... BORING, so I quit again and went back to weight lifting and playing marvel vs Capcom 2 online xbox live...

With all that being said, this latest press conference has ruined my outlook on mmorpgs and I'm not sure how much longer I will be playing videogames..... I tried playing soooo many new games in the last month or so, from Project spark, and diablo III, dragon age Inquisition, Mario kart 8, super Mario 3d world wii u, monster hunter 3 ultimate, ect and they were all 10 minute video games to me, with the exception of final fantasy 15 demo and the newest final fantasy game for xbox1 which I beat in 10 hours -,- but at the end of the day, I still don't want to return to ffxi because now I associate feelings of sadness and hatred towards something I felt so passionate about.

I am not making this post to discourage anyone else from playing the game, but I do want it to be noted that I am NOT a satisfied customer!

And for those who are interested; Cinemin Swivel is a small portable video projector for your smartphone / tablet, it ran me about 200~300$ a few years ago and it is simply an amazing product for its price. you literally just plug it into the bottom of your phone and it will project your phone onto whatever surface you want. sometimes I would use in the car, or sometimes I would use it while hot tubing projecting off the wall, but you can use it virtually anywhere, and it comes with the red / yellow / white connector cords so u can play xbox and stuff on it too. I imagine this would be a good idea for mobile gaming as well and it would be nice to see ffxi somehow partner with their technology so that way people could play the new smartphone ffxi app using this product, or types like it, below is the link.

http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/te...cinemin/swivel

Who knows, maybe if the mobile app flops hard enough, they'll considering remaking the desktop client. Again, the excuses we're being given here are bull, and I'm probably one of SE's least critical customers. I didn't even react uncivilly when RME were getting the can. But this, I won't accept quietly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

That's a stretch, the only thing that makes them look more catlike is the color of their skin, which you can pick from a wide range in XIV.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finuve

I just wanted to let you know you are wrong

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Yes mithras have cat noses and their eyes are larger. Also the dialogue from mithra NPCs hints at fur.


As for the mobile version it'll be a korean MMO with an FFXI coat of paint, ugh.

To be honest I think the mobile app is gonna be a massive flop. FFXI is a console/pcmasterrace game. Always has been. Had they been willing to sink money into a complete rebuild of the game or even a port over to the XIV engine I wouldve given them a hell of a lot better of a chance in that area than a cheap mobile app from Nexcon :/

Maybe things might change in the long run but I dont see it working out well in the future.