Classic server, what's the argument against it now?

[Zarchery]

2005 and 2006 were the worst years of my life. Final Fantasy 11, and the many friends I had through the game back then, were just about the only thing that helped me hold on to sanity. Back then, I could play all day and I enjoyed it because it gave me something to do with my time. These days I'm so busy that many days even doing job points for an hour, or logging on for 20 minutes to do ROE objectives, is too boring or time consuming. Besides of which, all my friends are gone now.

We could roll back the technology, but it's not going to bring those old friends back. Neither will it bring back the good times I had with them helping me through a terrible two years of my life. And I really think that's what all the advocates of this idea want. To recapture their fond rose colored memories of the good old days. They don't want a video game. They want a time machine.

[nekroturkey]

2005 and 2006 were the worst years of my life. Final Fantasy 11, and the many friends I had through the game back then, were just about the only thing that helped me hold on to sanity. Back then, I could play all day and I enjoyed it because it gave me something to do with my time. These days I'm so busy that many days even doing job points for an hour, or logging on for 20 minutes to do ROE objectives, is too boring or time consuming. Besides of which, all my friends are gone now.

We could roll back the technology, but it's not going to bring those old friends back. Neither will it bring back the good times I had with them helping me through a terrible two years of my life. And I really think that's what all the advocates of this idea want. To recapture their fond rose colored memories of the good old days. They don't want a video game. They want a time machine.

I appreciate your candidness in the first part of your reply. But regarding the second part, you're making a sweeping generalization. Maybe that's what some people want, and more power to them if it is. If Square made a classic server, would it really affect you, or hinder your current experience?

[Zarchery]

If Square made a classic server, would it really affect you, or hinder your current experience?

No. I already said that several times.

[Rukio]

Well to put my 2 cents in, im all for a classic server. I think its has potential. I know id personally play on it, and I know plenty of others that if they knew about it would be all for it. But most of them have long since quit as have I. Not that the game still dosent have a fun factor, but its changed so much, its all about lvling fast and solo. But thats not what made me love it in the beginning, instead it was that it was so party orientated so you always met new people. Sure waiting for partys or making them yourself was a pain, but that never stoped me. And I miss my old dyna shell, that event was always something I looked forward too. And it was fun and sometime rather lol. But they changed everything instead. Thats why I think it would be a good idea to have at least 1 classic server, I want the group play back. I want to socialize with random people ill only know in or from a party. Sure it had some flaws but crap everyone always had something to do at least. Id be happy to try to get the word out get others personal imput, but unfortunately since u have to be active subscriber to post here idk how well that would work. Thankfully the free week brought me here so I could say my piece.

I love this game. It will always have a soft spot in my heart but as it progressed it just kept straying from the game I started and loved.

[Alhanelem]

I love this game. It will always have a soft spot in my heart but as it progressed it just kept straying from the game I started and loved.

Sadly, it's just the nature of the beast. But if they didn't change and develop new things, even more people would lose interest over time due to the lack of new content. It also leaves you wondering where your $12.95 is going if you don't get new stuff now and then.

I often do miss parts of the early game experience, but it's largely the social component that drove my fun the most. Nothing can bring that back, not even a classic server.

We could roll back the technology, but it's not going to bring those old friends back. Neither will it bring back the good times I had with them helping me through a terrible two years of my life. And I really think that's what all the advocates of this idea want. To recapture their fond rose colored memories of the good old days. They don't want a video game. They want a time machine.

This. The only way we can truly get those memories back is to time warp back and lose them so we can have them all over again.

would it really affect you, or hinder your current experience?

I've explained this several times over, but yes, it would affect and hinder my current experience, unless it was a total failiure.

[nekroturkey]

Everquest progression server trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YOL...ature=youtu.be

I've explained this several times over, but yes, it would affect and hinder my current experience, unless it was a total failiure.

Then several times you haven't made yourself clear. On the one hand, you say that no one would be interested, but then on the other hand, you say that it would divide the current population.

I can understand that you don't want a classic server to hinder your experience by dividing the current population, but if it would give people the chance to play the game how they want to play, why would you want to get in the way of that? Seems hypocritical in a way.

[Rubicant82]

All I see in this thread is a bunch of arguing back and forth.
The truth of the matter is that a "classic" server would not get enough subscriptions back to justify running it.
If you would like to play on a "classic" server do some digging online you will find what you are looking for.

[Evogolist]

Maybe I'm missing the whole point of a classic server, but what would exactly be the point? What's keeping people from playing the way that they choose to play? Sure, exp was buffed slightly, zones and some bc fight lvl caps were removed, stats were slightly altered, a few high lvl mobs were added to accommodate post lvl 75 parties, and jobs were either enhanced or nerfed, oh and the auction house is pretty much mostly dead, but in the end no one was forced to do anything.

So again I ask what would be the point of a classic server? Is it for pure nostalgia of the gameplay or the social factor? The gameplay hasn't changed all that much, except for SE turning on the easy mode switch and even then, that's only up to a certain extent of the game. Everything is still there, it's just that people chose the more popular play style. Did Abyssea kill party play? Sure, only because SE didn't put proper restrictions in place so everyone hopped on the alliance train, with most people leeching their way to 99. The old camps were still there waiting for a group of players to party up and lvl there, but once again people jumped on the alliance train and lvled their way to 99 via Abyssea and GoV. Starting a classic server, depending on how far back the server would go, would mean going back to a lot of the pre-QoL changes and if you remember the CoP days before the removal of the level caps on it's areas and content, that would mean going back to a time when people weren't willing to go back and repurchase old armor and weapons or help with old content because it was such a hassle. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm against the whole idea, it's just that SE opening a classic server and everyone starting and playing on it would almost be the same as deleting our current characters and starting over again with the only option to level being joining exp parties.

So again, what would be the whole point and reasoning behind it?

[Alhanelem]

Then several times you haven't made yourself clear. On the one hand, you say that no one would be interested, but then on the other hand, you say that it would divide the current population.

One of those two things will happen. Either it will flop due to low interest and have no effect other than wasting development time and resources, or it will succeed and divide the population. Neither of those outcomes are favorable to me. Also: "No one" was hyperbole. It is common for us to say "no one" as hyperoble when we know it's not literally no one, but just an insignificant number instead.

I'd say I was pretty clear. On the one hand, is an unfaorable outcome to me. On the other hand is a different unfavorable outcome to me. I'm not sure what's confusing or unclear about that. The two statements don't conflict with each other.

[Prrsha]

Maybe I'm missing the whole point of a classic server, but what would exactly be the point? What's keeping people from playing the way that they choose to play? Sure, exp was buffed slightly, zones and some bc fight lvl caps were removed, stats were slightly altered, a few high lvl mobs were added to accommodate post lvl 75 parties, and jobs were either enhanced or nerfed, oh and the auction house is pretty much mostly dead, but in the end no one was forced to do anything.

So again I ask what would be the point of a classic server? Is it for pure nostalgia of the gameplay or the social factor? The gameplay hasn't changed all that much, except for SE turning on the easy mode switch and even then, that's only up to a certain extent of the game. Everything is still there, it's just that people chose the more popular play style. Did Abyssea kill party play? Sure, only because SE didn't put proper restrictions in place so everyone hopped on the alliance train, with most people leeching their way to 99. The old camps were still there waiting for a group of players to party up and lvl there, but once again people jumped on the alliance train and lvled their way to 99 via Abyssea and GoV. Starting a classic server, depending on how far back the server would go, would mean going back to a lot of the pre-QoL changes and if you remember the CoP days before the removal of the level caps on it's areas and content, that would mean going back to a time when people weren't willing to go back and repurchase old armor and weapons or help with old content because it was such a hassle. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm against the whole idea, it's just that SE opening a classic server and everyone starting and playing on it would almost be the same as deleting our current characters and starting over again with the only option to level being joining exp parties.

So again, what would be the whole point and reasoning behind it?

Maybe you didn't read my comment earlier explaining the dilemma:

As for playing FFXI level synched currently to relive old days... to all whom have said that... THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE

Why you ask? The main part is that many characters now DO NOT have any low level jobs to even start a level synch party to begin with. You'd first need a change to the existing code allowing players to "Self level cap" themselves to a certain level.

The second flaw to this idea is that the exp rate per mob you kill is 500% what is WAS in the old days. We'd still have problems of people zooming to lvl 75 in no time (which gets pointless quick). If you happen to be a person who liked the old style of leveling, you'd reach cap too quick to really enjoy each zone.