Reasons Why FFXI is Declining

[Hawklaser]

Regarding your comment about new players not knowing how to get to level 99 in a few days... Most catch on pretty quick because they begin to ask around. Questions like this arise:

"Where is everyone?"
"Why is this area so empty? Do people go elsewhere to level?"
"Why am I leveling so slow and my friend is already 30 levels above me?"

When asked that in a shout, most players either tend to tell the player how to exploit level (step by step) or they point them to a wiki which explains the same thing. So yes, new players do know how to level that fast, they just don't learn what to do with the skills they have acquired until later in endgame (where it matters most). At that point it is sink or swim for the newbee. They either can't grasp the learning curve (or don't want to invest the time in doing so) then quit.

Which comes back to your new players having to rely on the vets to get going. Eventually the new players that like the game will find out how to do things, but I think a good game design would be one that would allow them to get hooked on the game without having to rely on outside assistance in that critical introduction time period. A good example is a friend of mine that started when I returned to the game, his biggest complaint was being so lost when I could not help him out with things. That being from getting initial gear, quests he could do, where to explore. FFXI is one of the few MMOs that barely holds the newbies' hands, and at one point in its history it did not at all.

TLDR; Dead horse debate. They are not getting rid of abyssea parties.

They don't need to get rid of Abyssea parties or GoV burns, but they do need some engaging and entertaining content for new players. As rushing to 99 to just start a gear grind is not going to keep many new players around. Let them level as fast or as slow as they want, but at least give them more options with meaningful rewards for this new quick leveling style of FFXI.

Going to use that linen robe quest mentioned earlier as an example, before there might of been a use to it for a very new player, but now its not really worth it, as it is quite possible they either found something close in a brown casket or they will have leveled way past the item by the time they get the reputation and do all the leg work for the quest.

So how do you make quests like that worthwhile for a newbie, considering how fast one levels now? For one, would have to rework the fame system, two would likely need to start having quest items have useful augments, and three add some universal rewards such as Gil, XP, conquest points, or beastman seals to them.

We have this vast wasteland of unused content now, even back when FFXI was newer, quite a few places went unused. Just think of all the zones you don't do anything besides Voidwatch or just passing through now. Like when was the last time you went to Toraimarai Canal outside of doing something like Fenrir?

Point trying to make is that outside of leveling, a newbie does not have much to do until they hit 99 and have to start participating in the gear grind. How do you engage and hook a player when all they have to look forward to in their initial exposure to the game is grinding, followed by more grinding?

[FrankReynolds]

How do you engage and hook a player when all they have to look forward to in their initial exposure to the game is grinding, followed by more grinding?

Do like they did with atmas in abyssea. Give them some stat bonuses that carry over permanently though. Like say
"complete this quest gain +5 max MP" and
"complete this quest, gain 10 max HP" or
"Do this mission line, earn one free retrace spell every day" or
"Do this mission, earn 1 level in the craft of your choice"
"Do this quest to earn a discount on chocobo rentals"
"Do this quest to earn a discount on NPC warps"
etc.

There could be a million little bonuses like that, none of which would be game breaking, but all of which would make playing the game a little easier and round out your character a little. Even high level players would jump on some of those.

[Hawklaser]

Do like they did with atmas in abyssea. Give them some stat bonuses that carry over permanently though. Like say
"complete this quest gain +5 max MP" and
"complete this quest, gain 10 max HP" or
"Do this mission line, earn one free retrace spell every day" or
"Do this mission, earn 1 level in the craft of your choice"
"Do this quest to earn a discount on chocobo rentals"
"Do this quest to earn a discount on NPC warps"
etc.

There could be a million little bonuses like that, none of which would be game breaking, but all of which would make playing the game a little easier and round out your character a little. Even high level players would jump on some of those.

Exactly, that would be the kind of stuff they could add in an expansion or update that revamps a lot of older content on top of adding new endgame content that would involve all players. And if the quests and missions were engaging, would do a whole lot more for retaining what new players do get brought into FFXI. If I was designing the game, would likely limit those kind of rewards to quests like the linen robe one mentioned earlier(disposable gear quests), and some of the missions, mostly because some with more permanent rewards like spell scrolls or something like Rajas ring don't need the extra oomph to them.

Now if only the tutorial for new players got updated again on top of something like that, might start seeing some growth in the player base.

[Daemon]

Do like they did with atmas in abyssea. Give them some stat bonuses that carry over permanently though. Like say
"complete this quest gain +5 max MP" and
"complete this quest, gain 10 max HP" or
"Do this mission line, earn one free retrace spell every day" or
"Do this mission, earn 1 level in the craft of your choice"
"Do this quest to earn a discount on chocobo rentals"
"Do this quest to earn a discount on NPC warps"
etc.

There could be a million little bonuses like that, none of which would be game breaking, but all of which would make playing the game a little easier and round out your character a little. Even high level players would jump on some of those.

I'm still waiting for them to fix Nexus Cape.