How about this: a Classic Server !

[Francois424]

Hello all,

I've got this idea that's been burning me eversince I came back from FF11 retierement 2 months ago. The reality of FF11 now is Abyssea, which leaves the game rather empty of parties, and most items we always tought for granted (look at the price of the "scroll of invisible" for one thing.

While Abyssea has it's definite ups (such as levelling to 95/99), and insane leeching abilities if you use them, it also brings the end of the classic levelling tred we used to have up until not too long ago. Where reaching Aht Urgan meant you really where accomplishing something worthwile and interesting.

So on with my suggestion: I suggest ONE classic server.
Really only little changes, and I'm not killing/nerfing anything.

Classic servers means that you only allow Abyssea entry for a character/class that has beaten their Maat Fight... That's right. You have to beat Maat with each class you wish to enter abyssea with. How does that bring back "Classic" pre-abyssea FF11 ? Well parties are back, and it's already as much as I'm really wanting.

The next thing would be to keep the new XP curve introduced in 2009 (I think), but removing the FoV experience bonuses. You still get to complete pages for "Tabs" that you can exchange for buffs; but not the endless cycling of FoV pages for XP. That also brings back low-level parties in the Dunes, Qufim, and Khazam, which imho are really well done zones.

That's it ! Nothing else really needs to change.
Now I am making this suggestion to get ONE server of this. If you really like the new reality of FF11, keep playing your actual server. But if SE does indeed want to go with this idea, then let's transfer our characters over and have some fun.

Then comes the hardware issue, where to get the server for cheap ? Merge the 2 lowest population FF11 server, and use the free hardware for this one. Call it "Lunarian" or something (in memory of FF4, why not ?).

That was an Idea I just had to spill on this forum. It most likely wont do anything at all to FF11, and most ppl are most likely to be trashing it like no tomorrow. But I tought this interesting enough to voice it anyways.

Happy Hunting All !
-- Francois424

[cidbahamut]

This is a terrible idea and I really don't think I need to outline why.

[Soranika]

That's... classic?
And Abyssea is not FFXI. It's already on it's last leg of being the "now" content and many of us either moved on to voidwatch or waiting for the next new time sink to keep us busy.

[Mirage]

Why not? It would shut the anti-abysseaers up, and leave the rest of the servers for us cool guys.

[Eurell]

Classic Server should be like a lvl 60 cap or so, so we can all get in full alliances to farm our ultimate gear, Artifact Armor.


Seriously though, if people want to server jump to be with people that want to play like this, they can go right ahead. People used to do that for a larger Ballista crowd all the time. SE shouldn't have to change the rules on that server though.

[Greatguardian]

FFXI has always been stringently anti-segregationist. I'm sure quite a few people might prefer regional servers too, but that doesn't mean they'll do it.

[cidbahamut]

Well for starters what was outlined wouldn't fix a darn thing. People will level, beat Maat and then proceed directly to leeching just like normal. Heck, leeching wasn't really viable until after you beat Maat anyway because you'd constantly be stumbling over limit breaks.

The OP also has the audacity to suggest that their solution wouldn't kill/nerf anything...and then proceeds to suggest that FoV(and presumably GoV) exp be abolished. Because that totally isn't nerfing something, right? It's actively degrading one of the better quality of life changes SE actually decided to offer us. Even if we take them at face value and assume that they omitted GoV from this nerf intentionally, they'd still be back at square one as everyone will just do GoV burns.

Then there's the problem of population. The entire premise hinges on there being large numbers of disgruntled veterans(not new players) who are willing to drop all social ties with their current server and relocate to this new one just so they can relive 2005 or whatever. That's a heck of commitment to undertake. It also doesn't account for the fact that people change. There would inevitably be people who grew tired of trying to recreate a bygone era and leave to return to actual FFXI, as the nostalgia fails to provide for all of their gaming needs. The server would begin with a frighteningly small population and only dwindle from there until it housed only a handful of zealous idealists. The cost in resources to bring this about would not justify what might laughably be referred to as the "benefits".

The OP's idea only really works in the context of private servers customized for a specific user-base. However, FFXI private servers are not a reality, so everything proposed here would be a colossal waste of resources.

[Greatguardian]

The OP, as well as many others, tend to forget why things like Level Sync, FoV, GoV, and Abyssea EXP were introduced in the first place.

You will never, ever be able to party the "Classic", no-sync, no book way with FFXI's current population without a static. Not gonna happen. Plenty of people were already LFP'ing for literal days on end without invites even when the population was twice the size it is now, and the FFXI population is severely top-heavy now to boot. There simply aren't enough people looking for EXP for this to be feasible.

If you care that much, make a static party and go level your own way with friends.

[Gennadi]

Hmm good concept but that's like giving a baby 2 scoops of ice cream then taking it away and giving them an empty cone.

[Alhanelem]

Why do we need a special server just to apply abyssea entry restrictions?

This is just going to start up the level lock abyssea/don't level lock it war again...

If you want to play "Classic" FFXI, I would say just uninstall the expansions...

As others have said, if you want to play the old fashioned way, just find some like-minded people and do it. No one's holding a gun to your head and telling you you have to level a certain way.