[Dev] PS2 and the new expansion

[wish12oz]

To what end? They're not going to overhaul the PC client to do away with all the "PS2 Limitations."

The main reason I want ps2 and xbox dropped is because then SE wouldnt have to employ programmers to make sure the game works on ps2 and xbox, and those programmers could work on something else (like new content) If this expansion sucks and takes something dumb like 3 years for them to get out, like wotg did, I'm gonna be pissed. Though with Tanaka gone, there's lots of optimism for the future of FFXI.

[Nala]

Seriously that pc RAIST listed earlier in the thread its 79 dollars, most of you have to own a pc anyways to post in this thread, best thing about that PC it can run ffxi perfectly at max settings or at ps2 level graphics if you are really so damn attached, throw in a game pad you have no difference in how the game functions all you have done so far is thrown out half assed excuses as to why you can or cannot play on a PC.

Worse case go get an xbox its probably still cheaper then if you'd have to replace your ps2 or ps3 with HHD considering they no longer manufacture the original ps2 compatible with HHD or the HHD's themselves you people are being ridiculously ABSURD.

Like Wish said, if they droped ps2/xbox support altogether though, they'd have a few more programmers available to deal with content vice localization and bug fixing, rather they'd only have to worry about PC bugs at that point not to mention various restrictions (should they be willing to unravel the spaghetti code) they could lift on the game (if they were willing to give it a face lift)

[oliveira]

Haha I think it's easier they take any programmers that would be freed from XI and move onto any team for other console based projects. And you believe the fairy tale that the programmers who work on FFXI work full time on it ?

A example is their sound programmer Minoru Akao, which wrote sound programs for everything they sell since Super NES era well through PS2 era. So, really it's naive of the players believe that dropping anything will make them direct people into making contents.

Anyway, the message was sent already, they now know their money is best invested on keeping this title afloat hence the expansion announcement.

[Zumi]

We already know that SE will be supporting the JP version on PS2 so that's a given, so they are going to have to have programmers for it regardless if they support it in the US with a new download or whatever.

The community team is probably coming back from Japan now so there is really now way they could give an answer on the subject here on the weekend.

[Sayomi]

ppl still mad that ps2+provoke at HNM camps usually were the claimers lol

Edit: Thats all I used my ps2 for!

[Tsuneo]

Though with Tanaka gone, there's lots of optimism for the future of FFXI.

I'll try to be nice as I can even though I really don't care for you. Your optimism is understandable, but remember that we know nothing about the new producer. Matsui has no real history to base an opinion of the future of the game off of. On top of knowing very little about Matsui, the extent of the producer's control over the game isn't something that is actually known to community. Unless we know how FFXI's hierarchy works, that possibility of nothing changing despite Tanaka being gone remains.

[krazykaz]

Funny enough, the auto translate "ps2 limitations" issue concern only Japanese players, because for US PS2 players the auto translate feature is not programmable, meaning the auto-translate terms are hard coded on the game ...

Programmable ? Yes, on the Japanese PS2 POL there's a download page where players download the dictionaries for updating the auto translate. And there's a limit of "256" blocks in it. The most up to date FFXI set uses 97 blocks out of the 256 blocks. If you unload the PlayOnline specific terms you free 113 blocks of the dictionary. Since there's no longer Tetra Master neither the PS2 exclusive Mah Jongg game you can ditch their dictionaries too, leaving you with 159 blocks of memory for text. Remember that on the english version you don't even get the option to choose the dictionaries so ...

There's plenty of space for them to fix the auto translate now.

actually the downloadable dictionaries are to add ffxi/pol words to the dictionary of the pc itself so you can easily use the kanji related to ffxi like redmage black mage etc... without it the pc when typing say warrior (senshi) it will try to use the kanji for KIA instead lol

til i found that out i always thought calling war KIA was some sorta joke>.>

[RagingAvatar]

Personally, I'm still hoping for US PS2 support for the new expansion, either as a download through POL or as a disc I can buy through mail order. (But for goodness sake Square-Enix, realise, a lot of people imported PS2s to play the game on a console back in the day. Don't just ship the disc to USA and Canada..)

[Tsuneo]

Also, for those wishing for consoles being dropped, have you ever considered the consequences of that? Sure that could free up some of the staff working with the consoles;however, the other scenario is the game takes a profit hit from losing a decent amount of players from stopping support for consoles. Now, let's assume a profit hit was large enough to the point that the current budget is no longer realistic. A scenario like that would surely cause a cut back on resources, and that definitely wouldn't be the desired effect of the people who are asking for FFXI to be a PC exclusive. Basically, the game is profitable for SE, and it would be a risk to do something like drop support for consoles. Why would a sane person risk their cash cow?

[Arciel]

I would like a response on this as well. The fact that PS2 is listed for the Japanese version and not NA/EU shows that it's not a uniform drop across all 3 regions.

I'd understand their reasoning behind it (because there are ton more PS2 users playing XI in Japan and PS2 HDD still receives some kind of support there), but I would still like an official announcement on discontinuing PS2 support for NA/EU if that is the case instead of the lack of any additional information at this point.

Another thing I'd like to know is what their action plan is. There will no doubt be some NA/EU PS2 players displaced by this change and left out of Seekers of Adoulin.
Will there be some kind of alternative implemented? or a direct download solution for the remaining PS2 users? This is what I'd like to know.

(n.b. i have FFXI on my ps3 but i don't play it unless i want to play in nostalgia mode.. still i think it affects enough players to be an issue that requires a formal statement of sorts)

edit: i am hoping that this foreshadows an imminent FFXI HD on PS3/PSVita release not unlike FFX, which will at least gives some ps2 users an alternative console to go to. i do think a number of "PS2" players are actually on PS3 already.