Oki this might seem silly but please SquareEnix, dont bury FFXI so it never can be played again in the future, even if it means 10-20 years into the future.
Please dont let it be buried & forgotten.
With the "trust" companion system in place is praticly a single-player game,
so why not someday in the future re-release a "Single-player, non-online" version
of it so maybe i can replay it again someday, not having to rely on monthly subscribtion and online functions.
I know its kinda sad that its former glory have withered abit but its still an amazing game wether you play it on your own or with friends.
Just the tought of maybe someday never be able to play it again, makes me very
sad and im having a hard time letting go of FFXI, so please consider my request!
from a huge Final Fantasy fan and a vana'diel'an ! :o
no matter what you... thank you for all the amazing time i spent in this wonderful world of vana'diel !
Final Fantasy XI Future love!
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12-06-2015, 11:06 AMLaughlynFinal Fantasy XI Future love!
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12-06-2015, 07:38 PMKetaru
I was actually discussing this with another returning player today and agreed that it would be a real shame for the world of Final Fantasy XI to never be visited again upon server close. And the personal conclusion I came to is that, eventually, the game will be revisited in some sort of single player iteration. Or a version that can be played with two-to-four friends locally. That's just what Square Enix does. What are we at? Like seven or eight different versions of Final Fantasy IV?
The only downside is...well...think of how long people have waited for the Final Fantasy VII remake. -
12-07-2015, 12:10 AMAlhanelem
They plan to keep service going for the forseeable future. But even if something happens to PC, the mobile version could potentially live on, not that it's much consolation to any of us.
But no matter what other game I play, there's always going to be a special place for FFXI for me. So it better stay up! -
12-07-2015, 11:38 AMbungiefanNA
An offline version would effectively be a new game with the amount of coding they would have to do, as the server is actually multiple servers (with zones in the same world divided between several servers), and there's so much that is running all the time like Beseiged, Campaign, airship schedules and such. The client doesn't do any calculations of what monsters are doing or what events are going on, so the client would have to be rebuilt to do what a server does, and everything in the game would have to be rebalanced so a single player could affect them (Colonization, Conquest, and Campaign are really difficult for a single player to even affect a single zone). They'd also have to eliminate or revamp some systems entirely (Ballista/Brenner don't work if there's nobody else to play against). It's not going to happen if they weren't willing to spend the budget to update the PC client instead of just restarting the game as a mobile application.
I have never heard of any MMO being remade to be an offline game. -
12-08-2015, 04:08 PMAoiX
I just have to ask:
What's the motivation to keep playing FFXI? I've been asking me that for a couple of days if not weeks. At least in Fenrir there's a lack of groups going on. When you try to do new stuff like Reisenjima NMs, Escha NMs or similar there's no people to do it. You can maybe do some if you have the right jobs/trusts but don't expect to get really far with it. Adding to that the feeling that now FFXI is going to get stuck, that it won't grow anymore is kinda saddening.
I love FFXI, it's been part of my gaming life for a very long time. If this game was redone for a single player experience I wouldn't hesitate to get into it. But for now I think some of us are considering stopping. -
12-09-2015, 03:29 AMKuvo
A single player version of XI would be amazing. I absolutely loved 12 due to that reason, wanting a non mmo version of 11. The ground work is laid out in a sense for XI to make that jump but I'm sure a lot would have to change systematic wise or they might have to drop content. The only thing I didn't like on 12 was that once you beat an elite mark you couldn't fight it again if you wanted. If they were to port XI over I would like to see them keep the spawning features of NMs and bosses.
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12-09-2015, 04:25 AMpeculiar
My hope would be that Square allow private servers to continue, my fear would be that they would see that as competition for their other titles.
So who knows. -
12-09-2015, 05:14 AMObysucaThat's the problem on Siren too and you can only get so far solo, depending on your job (pretty much only escha zi'tah t1s and not even all of them) and the rare times someone's actually doing content, they either limit it to only geo/cor/bst or they expect you to have the best of the best gear... which apparently you can get when no one does content? :/Quote:
Originally Posted by AoiX
XI was great after coming back from a year break, but in the last two months or so, it's kind of crapping out now. Due to missing all the things like Delve etc, it's hard to get some of those few accuracy pieces and even with almost full i119 (just missing pants), you're still only sitting at about 910-930, it's kind of a let down when anything above 119, you just can't hit for crap. There's also only so many times a person can solo a high tier bcnm on easy/normal (due to acc / RNG killing you) and never seeing a single drop. All that nice gear from escha ru'aun or reisenjima? LOL good luck getting that, no one's interested in doing it or you can't hit anything due to no one doing anything but the newest of the new content :/ -
12-23-2015, 10:38 AMNashred
I wish SE would move FFXI to FFXIV engine and just revamp the game. They really have not left a upgrade path for FFXI players which are different from FFXIV players. FFXIV is not a game for FfXI players even though I am guessing that is what SE wants, it is totally a different game, I tried it for a while. I just can not believe they would just let all these FFXI players go with nothing for them to do... One by one they will slowly leave FFXI and it will slowly die..
I just can not believe Se would not have something for the dedicated FFXI players. It is a substantial base to loose. Some app game will not cut it.. It might give a little to do but it is not a mmo..
There will always be those that stay as long as the servers stay up because they know nothing else and it has been their lives for ever. It has been a very big part of my life and I wish they would do something to bring the game back.
I also would rather they end the game for everyone with a bang, fireworks, parades and a count down till the servers go dark. It is better than a slow death. -
12-23-2015, 10:50 AMAlhanelemThey won't do a visual remaster/rerelease because it would probably not bring them enough money to be worth the cost. I'm fairly sure they commented on something like this at the original announcement of future plans for the game (where console support ending was announced).Quote:
Originally Posted by Nashred
The current dedicated FFXI players is not a large enough playerbase to justify something like this. -
12-23-2015, 11:42 AMNashredThey could do a new mmo based on FFXI with the FFXIV engine.. There are allot of people playing FFXIV now that would love to go back to a new FFXI plus all the existing FFXI players and those that have left because the game changed over the years... Doing FFXI as a new mmo would also bring in some new blood/players. I know I would play it, FFXIV has some cool stuff in it but it is missing allot of what FFXI is and how you progress, it is not the same game. It is way to casual for FFXI player base.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alhanelem
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12-23-2015, 12:03 PMAlhanelemFFXI plopped into a new engine simply wouldn't sell well in the current MMO market. And that's even if it was current XI. The "old" XI that some people have asked for would sell even worse today, because nobody has the patience for long waits and cooldowns anymore. We live in a world of instant gratification, so much so to the point where if they put even the slightest grind into FFXIV, everyone nerdrages and theratens to quit. And the biggest grind in XIV today, the anima weapons, isn't one quarter the grind of even a current relic weapon in XI.Quote:
They could do a new mmo based on FFXI with the FFXIV engine..
If anyone even considering playing this game heard about the aeonic weapons, or mythics, or the upcoming relic upgrades, they would go "hell no" because (almost) nobody has the patience for that kind of thing anymore. The people that do are the ones that are already playing this game, or original everquest, or any other early generation MMO. It's unfortunate, but true. -
12-23-2015, 01:03 PMNashredI agree allot has changed with players and allot want instant gratification.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alhanelem
I think there is enough though, I think you underestimate the amount of people who would want this ... You would not believe the people sick of FFXIV and want something like FFXI again.. FFXIV probably beat out FFXI in subscription in no time but why cant a game just do well, why does it have to be a mega hit... FFXI was never a huge game but it did well enough to be SE #1 money maker and save FFXIV.
I doubt it will ever happen but I can dream.. -
12-23-2015, 01:46 PMAlhanelemI do believe, and I also do believe the people who still enjoy it. The thing is, the things annoying people in FFXIV are things that would annoy them even worse in FFXI. Frankly I think the entire MMORPG bubble might be about to burst.Quote:
You would not believe the people sick of FFXIV
The target audience of typical MMOs, young adults, which grew up with the original ones and FFXI and even WoW, are all now much older and most of them have full time jobs and will hate any game that has big grinds in it (even if it isn't necessairly an MMORPG). FFXIV has this problem, but so does FFXI, and every other MMORPG on the market. Love or hate FFXI, it still has big grinds, even with all the help the RoV KIs give. FFXIV has big grinds, WoW has big grinds, they all do. And that's what people are getting tired of. (I myself have been unable to get full time work in my field for years, and now I"m soon expecting to take full time work in a totally different area and will likely not have time to play an MMO seriously anymore at that point. I currently am actively subscribed to both FFXI and FFXIV and dabble in both. I will almost certainly have to cancel one of them once I start working 40-50 hours a week...)
Honestly, the FFXI staff is probably asking the same question, but if it doesn't make a certain amount of money X dollars, they won't be able to leverage more staff/resources to do what we want them to do. I think DQX is in essentially the same boat as FFXI at this point, even though it's a newer game (and not available in the US).Quote:
why does it have to be a mega hit...
I'm willing to bet that RoV performed better than devs expected, however, and that's why we're getting more new content than was originally planned. -
12-23-2015, 02:42 PMNashred
I am not disagreeing with you..
FFXIV is a different grind. it is the same grind over and over.. It progression vertical or what ever they call it just does not seem to be liked. I mean everything is out dated in weeks.
For that matter a new FFXI just needs to use its progression it has now for gear.. It does not need to be as hard as it was for cop. Lets face it FFXI we have now is majorly nerfed and not so hard and my server has over 700 people on right now.
I left FFXI for a little easier game but not such a casual game as it is though.. Something between FFXIV and ffxi would be nice with some harder content that dropped some nice gear,
The raids in FFXIV are not done because they drop garbage, tomes gear is easier to get and is just as good.. You put better rewards in those raids and people will do them.
I just want some gear that is actually not obsoleted in less than a month. I want to run a dungeon that aint the same cookie cutter recycled content dungeon. Only reason I still sub to FFXIV is me and my girlfriend have a house and she does not want too loose it if the game gets better and we want to go back... -
12-24-2015, 01:43 AMAlhanelemI don't understand why this bothers people so much. I had the exact opposite problem in FFXI for years, where I was wearing the same gear and played tons of content without ever finding an upgrade (or at least an enticing/impactful sidegrade). I was tired of looking the same all the time, and I didn't have anything to shoot for. And that's why I like FFXI more now than I did the first time I took a break from it, because I don't have that problem anymore. FFXIV has glamours so you can keep your look if you like the way you looked before getting new upgrades, and FFXI has style lock which more or less does the same thing.Quote:
I just want some gear that is actually not obsoleted in less than a month.
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12-24-2015, 10:18 AMNaraku_Diabolos
Also do not forget, there are only two variations of each character model. There's really nothing that sets you apart based on your face from other people. Everyone looks the same; I ran into tons of people who had my character model on FFXI. What I liked in FFXIV is that I can feel more unique.
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12-24-2015, 10:49 AMNashredReally a game a game 15 years newer would have better and more character models? Really imagine that. But I guess that is why making a new FFXI with the FFXIV engine would make sense!Quote:
Originally Posted by Naraku_Diabolos
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12-24-2015, 10:55 AMNashredQuote:
Originally Posted by Alhanelem
I agree people did look the same but glamour solves all that.. Anyway I hate continually doing the same thing and all I feel that I do is work for gear that is garbage. I run roulette through cookie cutter recycled over abused game of dodgeball dungeons.
You like the game and its content and that is fine I dont and no matter what anyone says it wont make me like the game till they release some new different content not just the content that I just did.. Do all MMO's recycle content sure bit not like this and I am not playing them so I do not care. I see FFXIV has potential . Again why is this turning into debate over FFXIV. I was just stating I would like a new version of FFXI maybe on the FFXIV engine. -
12-28-2015, 03:40 AMAlhanelemSee for me it's not even that important what the gear does functionally. As long as I'm able to enjoy the content it's not that important to me if I have to keep up with the Joneses. The answer to why you think it's turning into an ffxiv debate is because you brought it up (and you picked on it, as is common here).Quote:
Originally Posted by Nashred
At any rate, what you're asking for will absolutely never happen, I would bet my life on it. IF you want FFXI on FFXIV engine, you may as well just play FFXIV, because they're not going to do it. They basically ruled out a remaster in their original announcement about the future of the game. It would be a wonderful thing to be sure - who wouldn't want their favorite game to keep up with the times - but it will simply never happen. The good news is we can look forward to content updates continuing for the FFXI we already know and love. if only they would just unlock the frame rate so things feel smoother, that would be amazing. -
12-28-2015, 04:55 AMZehiraDon't touch FFXIV's new engine... ever. Gear/hair clippings are no better than FFXI's gear we have and most of Miqo'te don't look as good as Mithra.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nashred
If they drop the PS3 limitations then maybe. :D -
12-28-2015, 07:07 AMAlhanelemThat's being super nitpicky. No 3D game is immune to clipping issues, FFXI doesn't have a lot but that's because the models are simpler, there's fewer of them, and the races are more similar than most games, minimizing the possibility of race/size specific issues. As you turn the detail up and introduce more complexity, clipping is almost inevitable. Also FFXI is rather cape- and longhair-free, so that minimizes issues as well. People asked for long hairstyles, the team said there would likely be unavoidable clipping issuesm and of course when they were put in the game people complained about the clipping.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zehira
Your opinion of miqotes and mithra is completely subjective, although frankly I don't like either of them and don't understand people's (or rather, men's) obsession with cat people. You could remove them from both games and they'd be better for it in my not-so-humble opinion :p
Finally, PS3 has nothing to do with why there is any clipping. Dropping the PS3 (which will actually happen eventually, possibly following the second expansion to XIV) wouldn't change it for better or worse. -
12-29-2015, 04:23 AMZehira
Ha, my point is I just like the way the game we have now like how my friends love to play Diablo 2 in 2015. If they are really going to make another FFXI with FFXIV engine then please please please keep the duty finder out of it. FFXI is good for what it is without fast leveling and many useless junkies. Party finder can work fine for everything even though I think trusts can be a smart thing for exp parties and stuff. If we can't find a healer to join our exp party then we can summon a healer and let it a healing machine.
Other than that, I see more Japanese are still playing it which is a good thing I think because SE isn't going to shut down the servers any time soon that are located in Japan. -
01-06-2016, 05:46 PMLaughlyn
I just want to add that "Servers" can be simulated so i dont see an "Offline" version of FFXI an impossibility.
What i really meant with my OP, was that this would be the first of any FF online game...someday that might just be completly
unplayable / unavailable since its an "Online game" only, and therefore never to be played again (sometime in the future)
The first FF game to actually die?... that dosent sit to well in my book.
Games like the FF genre are legendary games & should never be forgotten or to be unplayable one day.
The android version of FFXI... w/e its called will never stand up to the original FFXI monster that we all love.
Remakes / re-releases of older FF games proves how much we love the FF games, and why they should last for generations to come.
FFXI & FFXIV should not be any diffrent, just because they are online games.
FFXI could use an updated gfx patch etc... in the future, and if not by SE....well...maybe the community.
anyhoo...
Much <3 FFXI !
- No0my -
01-06-2016, 06:55 PMVanfrano
I agree that my main worry is that one day we won't be able to play FFXI anymore.
I have pretty much all FF games and I can go back and play each and any of them whenever I want to and it makes me very sad to think that this might not be an option for FFXI, the game I spent the most time on.
The mobile version will never be or replace the FFXI that we know and there needs to be a way to give us access to the game even when the servers will be closed. -
01-07-2016, 01:06 AMpeculiar
If they put the horrible xiv engine into xi the game would lose most of the players it has.
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01-07-2016, 02:31 AMAvina
For what it's worth, though--it doesn't seem like Heavensward performed nearly as well as SE had hoped (since it really just introduced more of the same kinds of grinds), whereas RoV seems to have overperformed. Hence, why I think we're getting all this new battle and story content through 2016 (which a year ago in March, pretty much was nonexistent).
I definitely worry about the long term future of XI, but at the very least, we have some good news for the foreseeable future. And based on Yoshi-P's announcements regarding criticism towards his approach to XIV (which has primarily been "whatever, we're staying on this path") I think there will be more players turning their eyes back to XI as XIV continues to just churn out the same stuff. -
02-28-2016, 02:43 PMdraconus
A lot of love has been put into this game between the Devs and the Players for the 11+ years it's been around. I think if some way some how SE upgraded the graphics to FFXIV levels, and added one final expansion (that I tried to suggest quite a while ago), this game could definitely squeeze another 10+ years online.
I know I will definitely mourn when they close the servers and don't release a single player offline version of this game. When PSU shut down I was still playing (and still do) their offline "story" mode. Only problem was when they closed down the servers they didn't release the final episode 3 that was only available online and left the game unfinished.
FFXI has way too much story to go through to leave unfinished when the servers close. Top that off with the massive amount of different quests available for each area/nation etc. -
02-28-2016, 09:32 PMHercule
I will continue to play to FFXI forever if servers stay up and updates continue!! (I even imagine myself still playing FFXI even in 20 or 30 years, why not...) , and if a day official server come down ill play on private server if that needed, but i will never play this game as an Off Line game. (Exept if it's a completly new game that only keep the map of FFXI with new story and NPC, so, not at all the same game)
Personnaly my only pleasure in this game is the social part and play with real life bro! -
02-29-2016, 11:11 PMPixelaYou don't seem to see the elephant in the room so let me help you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nashred
FFXIV is the flag shop mmo for Square, they are not going to boost FFXI which will 100% guarantee sub losses in XIV just to bring them to XI. Firstly it's not net gain for them because they will stop paying for one game and put the money into another, secondly they want more players on XIV and not more on XI.
Also you have to understand that many of us that still play XI do not like the XIV engine at all, I personally hate it with a passion and if they did change the graphics engine in any way other than upping the quality of the graphics maps I would bail on the game.
"updating" the graphics would the nail in the coffin of this game for many reasons. -
03-01-2016, 11:37 AMStompaI do agree with you that updating the FFXI graphics would run the risk of the graphics losing their doll-like charm. There is a lot of beauty in simplicity, and in my opinion FFXI hit the perfect sweet-spot with graphics, they are functional and they have an old-school charm. FFXI is populated by toy-soldiers and dolls, very much like the paper-doll 2D roleplaying games on PC, that came prior to FFXI.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pixela
The FFXI graphics are a side-salad to the main course, which is the playability of the game, the engine itself, the myriad of weaponskills and spells available, the long list of jobs with their unique play-strategies. FFXI has a masterpiece game engine, it is a sublime work of art. The actual graphics are nice, they look fine to me, and infact I do prefer the basic dolls and toy-soldiers appearance, to the more modern games where everything is realistic and shiny. "If I wanted realism, I'd go outside!"
In terms of flagships, yes FF14 is the flagship now, if we use the most common meaning of flagship ; the current major product. Some people do use flagship to describe the most successful product too, in which case FFXI is SE's flagship product, with over a decade of sales and subs, totalling far in excess of FF14.
Staying with the ships metaphor though, FFXI is an ornate wooden frigate, beautifully carved, with billowing sails, it sails gracefully and elegantly, and plays fine on a basic budget PC. FF14 is more of a gold-plated tugboat, it keeps getting more gold attached to it, but underneath all the gold it is still a tugboat, a basic vessel designed with one primary purpose, and without the grace or elegance of a frigate in full sail. (This is only my opinion!)
And this is why I don't really see the whole "they want us to go to 14" thing. SE know that FFXI and FF14 are two completely different games. They are both very good games in their own ways, and appeal to different tastes. I'm sure that SE realise this, and never intended for people who like the complexity and perplexity of FFXI, to suddenly like the ABCDEFG follow-the-arrows gaming in FF14.
I think it is good that people enjoy FF14, and I hope it is a success. But it was never intended to replace FFXI, as they are two entirely different types of game. SE must have known from the start that gamer tastes differ, and some people would love FF14 and others would prefer to stay in FFXI. And so long as people keep playing and subbing FFXI, it should be around for quite some time.
:) -
03-01-2016, 03:24 PMAlhanelemTechnically there's really no down (or up)side to this, because they get the same money (more or less) regardless of which game you play. And if they can get someone to simultaneously sub to both (as I often am), then they get MORE money.Quote:
FFXIV is the flag shop mmo for Square, they are not going to boost FFXI which will 100% guarantee sub losses in XIV just to bring them to XI.
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03-01-2016, 10:03 PMmachiniYes, there is a downside: they have to commit a much, much larger amount of resources for a relatively small gain. The expenditure outweighs the potential income. This would be coming at a time when Squeenix is seeking to put as little development time and effort into both of their MMOs as they can.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alhanelem
How much money do you think they'd have to pay the 3-6 developers, if not more, it would take to do a graphical/client update to XI? To redo the vast majority of the art assets in a higher resolution form that could be used by the XIV engine, to recreate zones and quests, essentially to recreate the entire game all over again?
They have already spend several hundred million USD on XIV. The sheer amount of effort and work and money that it would take to do anything major to the XI client, like rewriting it to be a native windows executable far outweighs any potential revenue it would bring in.
This is like people who want a "classic" XI server: it's not going to happen. You'd need to bring in 8000 new subscribers to XI to offset the expenditure of a programmer and a 3D graphic artist, and that's an underestimate. Probably something more like 10,000. And that's for a fraction of what you'd need to do any major work in regards to new additions to the game. You could get around some of the graphical work by reusing existing assets, but then you risk another Abyssea.
As much as I love this game, it's dying, and it's because Squeenix wants it to die, for reasons that include they can't make enough money off of it to warrant putting more than the bare minimum into it. And between myself and my friends quitting XI because of design choices Squeenix has made, and another friend's entire Free Company quiting XIV for similar reasons, along with reports of others, there's even less incentive to dump money into a dying game when it's hemorrhaging subscribers. If it weren't for XIV's cash shop I doubt it'd make any money at all. -
03-02-2016, 06:25 AMAlhanelemUnless there's a substantial enough change that new servers have to be set up, there is really no change in amount of resources needed. Neither game is poised to literally go away anytime soon, so it's not like someone switching games has a significant impact on their costs.Quote:
commit a much, much larger amount of resources for a relatively small gain.
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03-02-2016, 08:07 AMStompaWe are all sorry that you are quitting, and we hope that one day you will return to FFXI.Quote:
Originally Posted by machini
On the "losing subs" point, I agree that many veterans have quit, because they feel they beat the game or because they have issues with the direction SE has taken.
BUT. I am seeing a lot more new players in FFXI these days. I see tarus with the "?" ambling around Windurst, talking to Cardians and walking into trees and stuff, and sending me tells asking for help. I see new players soloing in lots of old areas camps. This is in the last few weeks, there has been a spike in new players that I run into around Vana'diel. Many of the old areas that had zero players in them, now have a few new/returning players levelling their first job with trusts.
Many years ago, somebody famously said that FFXI was designed for new players, the excitement and fun of having all the storylines and adventures still ahead of you, is what made the game great. And the new players I've met over the last few weeks, they are *really* excited, about things that many veterans can't even remember exists lol. There is a lot of enthusiasm among new and returning players, we just don't notice this when we are in Escha or Adoulin all the time. I go fishing in some fairly obscure places, just because I enjoy it, and I keep seeing new players soloing slimes and saplings in the remote faraway camps. They /wave and chat, they are really happy and enthusiastic.
I myself am looking forward to hanging up my spurs from my 2004 character, and starting over on a new character. I'm thinking of locking some of the jobs on lvl75, and playing old areas, NMs, campaigns etc. And being able to replay the missions again from scratch. I love the mission storylines very much, and haven't seen most of them in years. Maybe forming a lvl75 linkshell for retro events. There is a lot of adventures still to be had, if a person is willing to go off the beaten track.
But what strikes me is that I am seeing a lot of new and returning players, and they really love the new easy-access FFXI, trusts and warps and ROE etc. They are really having fun, and so I think they will balance out the veterans who are quitting. I don't see the average server numbers go down now, actually goes up compared to last year. -
03-03-2016, 03:30 AMPixela
I just want to point out that the most successful and profitable mmo titles in the world are all old and look old, new is not better or more profitable. The king of the mmorpg world in terms of profits is Lineage 1, followed by wow and many other old titles. None of the new fancy titles are anywhere near in any way you want to calculate it.
Having your product be playable to more people on a far wider range of computers trump flashy graphics, mainly because the kind of people who care about that are easily lost to the next new title that comes along. I'll take a nice design over more polygons or effects anyday, which is why I prefer the amazing art design and skill that went into XI over XIV.
http://mmos.com/news/lineage-1-profi...d-gw2-combined -
03-03-2016, 06:21 PMAlhanelem
It's all subjective opinion, but releasing a good game and then releasing a bunch of bombs / lesser successful titles by one company does not say much. I've never played Lineage 1, nor do I know anybody who has (although I've heard of it). It's also hilarious to include a brand new game (blade & soul) in that list and "combine" it with the others as well.
You're basing your comment on titles all owned by one company, and ignoring other well known titles.
Profits also doesn't speak to size of playerbase or quality of game, only how well it was monetized. I'm quite confident without even looking at any data that WoW's profits blow those of any one of NCsoft's games out of the water. Regardless, Whether or not the game is fun means a whole lot more to me than how many dollary-doos its publisher has taken in.
Also, FFXIV has amazing art design as well (not just visuals, but music as well), and it has its own brand of skill, its just a very different kind from that which is needed here. Subjective opinions are subjective, of course. Even if I never played FFXIV, I could listen to its soundtrack all day long. FFXI's soundtrack is of course also great, although I find it best in Chains and beyond; Zilart and the base game's music isn't quite as good.
Newer isn't always better, but older isn't always better either. (Having said that, I totally agree that no game should be judged purely on how many polygons or gigabytes of space/RAM or whatever else it uses) How about we judge games on their individual merits rather than make sweeping generalizations?