The Decline of FFXI: Forums, Gameplay and Nostalgia

[Anewie]

I deactivated my account today and am planning on quitting. I've been playing 8 years, completed 2 relics, 2 empyreans, 2 salvage sets, mutiple sets of af3 and killed almost every major NM/HNM long spawnshort spawn/lottyery in game! I've had a good run. Met my husband on here and I am not dissapointed as I am a bit sad it's just fun anymore.

I come from the aquaresoft generation. Final antasy 7 came out when I was in junior high, amazing game. I played ff7-10 and loved mutiple games squaresoft released! I love fairy tales and that's what the majority of squares old titles revolved around: story telling.

I got hooked on ffxi, and ever since they became square enix, their offline games just were so bland and uninteresting. Hard to get into. They lacked the heart and soul of a good story, but I still had FFXI! I enjoyed everything from exping in the dunes and qufim island (alot of fun imo) to camping khimaira/tiamat on my busy days when All i could do was watch for a pop every hour.

I won't lie, I have a great dislike for whining. I also have a great appreciation for the casual player. Casual players are kinder. They are usually not drama queens and are often more considerate. I'm glad they getting abyssea and having lots of fun. I'm not a hater. I had my elitest fun with salvage, nyzul and hnms for YEARS while the casual and kind couldnt even attempt such content. They got an event that is designed for them, finally. However, I feel the game has lost too much to keep me interested. Im just blazing through empyrean and af3 and it's rly boring ;/.

I'll use the word noob, but not in an elitest way, just as a way to define someone who just doesn't care to play their job with any amount of focus, i hate these players. They are the same as botters/cheaters imo. Botters/cheaters will block ppl and ruin another persons gamejust to win.

A noob doesn't care at all and also has no consideration for others. They don't care for levels or progress. Unlike people who always want to be better than such person, these people want everyone to be as bad as them, and they don't want others to be able to do things, they cannot do or do not WANT to do..

They will grip and complain about anything that is even remotley incovnienant to them, without even trying and they don't want anyone to be better than or have access to things they don't have. Not because it's an unfair situation, but they simply are inconsiderate to the fact that some people enjoy different things than them and want to do different things. They want the game to revolve around them, instead of them revolving around thhe game.

They don't want people to have the option to strive harder than them, because they know they couldnt care. They want things handed to the and they want the best, without effort. They are never satisfied and I find players like this.. worse than the cheaters. Theres something amazinsingly pathetic about a person who just doesn't want to even try. Let alone try and enjoy the process of MAKING PROGRESS on goals as opposed to just getting the best in 1-2 hours. They are jealous of others who are honestly hard working player, and also, enjoys playing to the best of their abilities. They often justify their success by labeling them cheaters or no lifers etc. Get out.

You can easily a spot a player like this, they are usually blaming botting and other people for their lack of success. The fact is, as Orson said in another thread: these people will always suck and they will always complain.

The issue is, SE is giving in to these people it seems.

In a perfect MMO, there should be content to that exists for all types of players. There should be content for the casual, the elite, the hardcore and everyone should respect eachother. But it seems that will never be the case. Before, the casual were getting screwed on the fun and the jerks were loving their tears. Now, the casual get everything and the long term more hardcore base is, in my honest opinion, getting very shafted.

Part of me finds it funny, honestly. All these years of botting, drama and screwing the little guys out and now theyre getting screwed. Lets take relics for example, Relics are the hardest item to get in ffxi. Yet they are gimped down by such a large portion to weapons that take 1-3 weeks to complete. It took me 2 years OF farming and sponsorship to complete my gjallarhorn. My friend took 2 1/2 years to complete his aegis. We are not jerks eithers. Sure, ive seen my fair share of drama. All in all i am a more kind player in game. I respect everyones interests and don't laugh at others. I DESPISE the drama on bg. (i enjoy trolling though! Thats harmless^^)

This game has one sever problem. The player base has no respect for other. I was once considerred at the top of game. I had everything and I was a good player. I was a dedicated customer to this company. Now, although my gear and merits are still top tier. I am bored and it seems they have stopped adding content that really interested me and my groups, because other people decided to cheat and ruin it. Then you had the noobs who have never seen the inside of the king camp and complaining about black belt. The same people blame botters and rmt for their lack of success when the fact is, they just suck and are lazy. They only skill they have to crying until they get what they want.

I used to hope square enix would release a RPG that had a real story to tell and was fun. Like the old FF's. Final fantasy has NOT been good, had the quality of heart and soul, since Final fantasy X. It just hasnt and anyone whos played a variety of the older and newer games, whether they enjoyed them or not, will agree. The heart is gone. After ff13, i accepted, the days of heart in their RPGs is gone.

I have a simliar feeling about FF11. This game has done a 180. It's not even a bad 180. As before when you didnt have content that appealed to the casual, now they don't have any content that appeals to the uncasual or "elite". I hate that word but I don't know what else to call it. I know it seems like a petty thing to cry about, Who doesnt wanna complete an ochain in 3 weeks, mostly duo/trio?:P but, Its just not fun. If theyre going to fund ffXIV with FFXI, which is undoubtedly what they are doing.. The best way to do it is to make content that appeals to people who are casual. Making a new char and rushing them to lvl90 and getting the best gears take.. what.. a month? It's easy to start and get the best now. That's good for business. FFXI is easy to start and it's not hard to get the best. It's actually fairly easy. Requires only time. SE needs the game to appeal to the casual and to appeal to people who don't have a lot of game time. This will increase the likelyhood of someone activating an account. The game is not difficult at all.

I don't think they are going to add new world NM/HNM or any other creative events like salvage or sandworm doomvoid! That would be so much fun! But i think voidwatch and even "The last stand" will be of the abyssea related and although I think they will add many more events, I think it will all revolve around atmas, cruour, and things of the "abyssea nature". They reworded it "atmacite" but thats more than liely just going to be a gimped down version of an atma.

I dont think we will get anymore new area/expansions outside the Last stand, and I dont think they will discontinue ps2 support.

I believe they are focused on putting minimal amount of creativity into ffxi, just enough to keep the game flowing to its player base. They have to save ff14 and thats their priority. If ff14 does not recover, it will mean the end of Square enix. FF14 is a major thing for them because the future of the company rests on it. Funding dev. for ffxi on a creative scale like the past, i can't see it being possible, while still being able to put substantial funds into FF14.I guess the longevity, luck and unknown aspect of the old ffxi was exciting to me! I loved it!

Anyway, One positive note about the game is, we are more connected as a base now. We work together more and theres hardley any drama anymore. Thats awesome! Does the game lack variety, fun, mystery, excitment? I think so, very much. But after 8 years, it maybe time for others to have some fun!

The game cannot, should not, revolve around you, your group or just on player type. Everyone deserves a chance at stuff and i had mine and got what i payed for.

[Akujima]

I come from the Squaresoft generation...

I used to hope square enix would release a RPG that had a real story to tell and was fun. Like the old FF's. Final fantasy has NOT been good, had the quality of heart and soul, since Final fantasy X. It just hasnt and anyone whos played a varioety of the older and newer games, whether they enjoyed them or not, will agree. The heart is gone. After ff13, i accepted, the days of heart in their games is gone.

Thank you.

Thank you for such an awesome post and I'm glad you posted it in this thread. Amazing read.

[Anewie]

Thank you.

Thank you for such an awesome post and I'm glad you posted it in this thread. Amazing read.

<3 People in the spam section of BG, say I am incapable of an intelligent conversation :P. They would be surprised to know, I am really just kidding most time in that section! I loved FFXI and I loved Square soft. I payed for great games and i got great games. Times change, MMOs change, People move on. Butt hurt noobs and cheating jerks or not, FFXI was an amazing game back at 75. I personally tried to find fun, in the things I had time for, at that time in my life. Even though I was guilty of stepping on others toes occasionally, I tried really hard not too.

Lovex from BG!