The Decline of FFXI: Forums, Gameplay and Nostalgia

[Karbuncle]

Anewie,

Love your posts in this thread. Your view points are 98% my thoughts on those issue's. Why casual people balk, and get defensive anytime a veteran posts asking for some challenging content outside abyssea is always amusing imo. Like having content without atmas, abyssite, and the option to "just brew it" is blasphemy. Or the usual line of "if you want a challenge just don't get atma's or buffs." Why they can't grasp the concept of killing things w/o buffs is not rewarding because those same targets are killed by people using those crutches baffles me.

I don't think I've heard anyway say the bolded complaint... if they did god save them.

99% of the "Casuals" you're referring too likely want fresh out-of-abyssea content as much as everyone else. We simply don't want Content that is only accessible to certain people who, face it, Live on FFXI.

We don't like Abyssea cause its "Super-Easy-Mode", We like it because its accessible and enjoyable by everyone, even if they aren't the absolute best.

For instance, I enjoyed einherjar, Because while difficult, everyone had a chance to participate. I did not like Kings because it was content not everyone could enjoy. It was a 1-a-day shot at competing for a mob. While that left a sense of "Accomplishment" in claiming/getting a drop, I don't think the game should focus around that sort of content.

You can make enjoyable, challenging, meaningful content without Atma/etc (Which i even hope they do in the future, i really do), but that hasn't been the complaint of every Anti-Abyssean person. Just like "wah i want atmas" isn't the complaint of every pro-abyssea person. I've heard a lot of complaints (not necessarily from you, or anyone in this thread) over wanting "Challenging" Content, When in reality they just want to go back to 21-24hr HNMs, Cockblocking servers, and botting it up while Afk 58 out of 60 minutes per hour "playing".

These are just examples. Old FFXI was fun, I enjoyed Nyzul, Salvage, Einherjar, Sky, Sea a lot. Some of it got boring and Tedious over time (as does everything, even Abyssea), But i also enjoy new FFXI!

I hope pretty much what you do, that down the line we have casual content, and a little difficult "hardcore" content. While i Hope hardcore content is at least widely accessible (Read: not world spawn NMs), i hope its limited too. FFXI Should appeal to both audiences, but the problem is too much of one, and one group gets angry, too much of the other, and the other group gets angry.

While i hope for balance, its hard to achieve.