Single Player/Offline Mode?

[Mirage]

What would be best, I think, would be if they after they shut down the servers, released the server software as free for non-commercial purposes. Even better, as open-source so the community could continue to fix bugs on their own. Still under a non-commercial license, though.

If this was done, we could get an app to edit the server-selection list at the character creation screen, with each server name leading to a private server of your choice. Or something like that.

I think this would be a much easier option than converting the game to a single-player game, or to somehow run on xbox-live (how would you even make that happen? Xbox live online games still require servers).

Releasing the server (and client) software as either free-noncommercial, or opensource-noncommercial would let the programmers of the FF11 community do all the work themselves, not costing SE a penny.

[RAIST]

I'd like to see them take a cue from something like Volition's Freespace. You could set yourself up to be the host and people coud run missions off your machine. Granted, this was instanced battlefields and not full scale real-time environment like FFXI, but it would be nice if something like that could be done when they do finally go offline. At least then you could give out IP's to friends and such and still run events and what not for shits and giggles.

Raist

[Coldbrand]

If they were big men about it they'd give out the necessary info and tech to let the community perpetuate the game's lifespan posthumously with their own servers.

[Mirage]

That info would be the source code and and software I mentioned in my previous post

[Randwolf]

Longest Running MMORPG's

I wouldn't fret too much. The Realm has been going for 16 years, so far. If there are players, there will be a game.

[Mirage]

I hope FF11 gets on that list before it dies.

[Tezz]

I think if it ever "went dark" then SE might be inspired to create an offline version(remake) years later.

[Vivivivi]

I think if it ever "went dark" then SE might be inspired to create an offline version(remake) years later.

I bet you're right, SE has a good track record of doing updates and remakes to the core FF titles, just look at the FF3 remake, it's AMAZING on the DS, and the upcoming iOS version looks to be even better. When and if it eventually does go dark, I would venture to say it will come back in some form later. I just hope it's not anytime soon! /panic

[JagerForrester]

If FFXI ever goes dark, maybe it'll get them to do the next FF-MMO a combination of the two. FFXIV's great graphics, character customization, and updated tech (which is all I know about it) with FFXI's group-oriented gameplay that has proven to work for so many years.

[Neika]

I would so buy an off-line version! the story is awesome!