Congratulations on your level??

[Candi]

So this will probably sound like a whiny complaint to some, but I'd like your thoughts/ opinions about the current state of the game. So that you know where I am coming from (or maybe not- for new players) I first began playing FFXI on it's very first day of release. The town of San' Doria- where I started- was filled with adventurers running around with level 1 RSE (Race specific equipment) and questions marks over their heads (not to mention the question marks literally in their heads at home). West Ronfaure was teaming with people playing alone and together alike. Eventually you would discover the horrors of Ghelsba Outpost, learning to skillfully pull without aggro or dying repeatedly if you failed. Then it was off to Valkurm Dunes for your first party. And don't even get me started about the excitement of finally making it to prestigious Jeuno!
I understand completely that those days are gone. There is nothing like them anymore. Now it's hurry up and get to 99, get the best gear and go stand somewhere bragging about your false accomplishments and bagging on anyone who is not wearing what 99% of the players are wearing. Is this what the game has come down to- XP and gear? Before you say that's what it has always been about, I dare you to say you remember exploring new areas with large groups of friends just for fun. Ballista... BCNM... partying for 1 or 2 hours just to get another level, actually earning a <Congratulations!> Fighting over Notorious Monsters... Actual fun-adventure. Maybe I am wrong- but my thoughts of this game after coming back from a break is WTF is this??

[Luvbunny]

Not always about gears. Understanding how each jobs works and know how to play it well is somewhat required to master. The jobs are easy to get into but takes a bit longer to truly master it - and yes that including skilling and boy, you are going to get punished heavily if you take the express route of abyssea without a break. Trio-foursome with a few friends are quite fun as well, you can test the jobs and give you practice - which is where abyssea shine the most. I think it's all about mastering the jobs and gearing them decently. And knowing how to react and play well with others. There are tons of small group contents from the old days gone by and the new new stuffs like Meeble Burrows. You can still do a 3 person exploration. A lot of the dungeons have GoV which is beyond awesome since you can literally level there as trio from mid 60s to 99 without having to leave the area once and enjoying tons of bonuses and great skill ups rate. Not to mention those are great for farming geode, kindred crest, and many materials - can craft on the spot. The old FFXI and Abyssea right now give you TONS of contents to do, solo or small group. You literally will not have a down moment because there are so many things to do. You can safely skip SoA for now, really not much to do and need at least 2-4 updates before it is enjoyable. Have fun in the game, and don't forget to take a break

[Caketime]

Dear OP,

The Wonder Years have left us long ago, now it's about collecting high end gear and grinding monotonously for endgame weapons. Some of the really uptight people measure another player's worth by the stage of their Relic or Empyrean weapons and the state of their endgame gear, but the rest of us who have been around for 10 years stopped caring about that and have taken steps to ensure that we don't expose ourselves to the traditional pickup group, which are still terrible by the way. I suggest trying to find an LS with some old hats that realize building a character takes time and work, the kind that won't freak out at someone for daring to show up at an event without having farmed 99% of the game's content already.

The overall state of the game hasn't changed much, some things are easier to do and some others are still boring as hell despite being mindlessly simple, like Relic farming or being a DD in general. Experience parties are dead too for the most part, and nothing of value was lost. Have fun with GoV and Abby alliances, it's the new normal.

[Camiie]

I understand completely that those days are gone. There is nothing like them anymore. Now it's hurry up and get to 99, get the best gear and go stand somewhere bragging about your false accomplishments and bagging on anyone who is not wearing what 99% of the players are wearing.

The bragging and looking down on others was WAY worse in ye goode olde days than it is now. Think of those days like the 1950's. On the surface it seemed like a time of purity and prosperity, but beneath that facade there was cruelty and prejudice. Gear and being part of an elite group was serious business. If you didn't have the gear or you were outside the group you could be subject to ridicule, often on a very personal level. It definitely wasn't all kumbaya happy fun time.

Is this what the game has come down to- XP and gear? Before you say that's what it has always been about, I dare you to say you remember exploring new areas with large groups of friends just for fun. Ballista... BCNM... partying for 1 or 2 hours just to get another level, actually earning a <Congratulations!> Fighting over Notorious Monsters... Actual fun-adventure. Maybe I am wrong- but my thoughts of this game after coming back from a break is WTF is this??

I still wander and explore and so do others. I was never into Ballista, but it is still played. I saw a bunch of shouts for it yesterday. Fighting over NMs was never ever ever fun. See my above paragraph, because that's the sort of atmosphere fighting over NMs created.

[Alhanelem]

So this will probably sound like a whiny complaint to some, but I'd like your thoughts/ opinions about the current state of the game. So that you know where I am coming from (or maybe not- for new players) I first began playing FFXI on it's very first day of release. The town of San' Doria- where I started- was filled with adventurers running around with level 1 RSE (Race specific equipment) and questions marks over their heads (not to mention the question marks literally in their heads at home). West Ronfaure was teaming with people playing alone and together alike. Eventually you would discover the horrors of Ghelsba Outpost, learning to skillfully pull without aggro or dying repeatedly if you failed. Then it was off to Valkurm Dunes for your first party. And don't even get me started about the excitement of finally making it to prestigious Jeuno!
I understand completely that those days are gone. There is nothing like them anymore. Now it's hurry up and get to 99, get the best gear and go stand somewhere bragging about your false accomplishments and bagging on anyone who is not wearing what 99% of the players are wearing. Is this what the game has come down to- XP and gear? Before you say that's what it has always been about, I dare you to say you remember exploring new areas with large groups of friends just for fun. Ballista... BCNM... partying for 1 or 2 hours just to get another level, actually earning a <Congratulations!> Fighting over Notorious Monsters... Actual fun-adventure. Maybe I am wrong- but my thoughts of this game after coming back from a break is WTF is this??

Every MMO has always been "hurry and get to max level."

Funny thing is when a few other games which shall not be named tried to do something about this by weaving the storyline into your progression experience, everyone complained because they WANTED to burn down regular mobs to max level as fast as possible, not play actual CONTENT...

What you have, my friend, is called nostalgia fever. It can be cured with time.

The simple fact is MMOs change and evolve over time. They will never be the same years down the road that they were when you first started playing. You can get over this and enjoy the game now, or you can stay stuck in the past and wish for something that will never return.

[Candi]

Gaming is definitely defined by the perspective of the player. Caketime seemed to see my perspective. its no so much that I'm not wishing for old days but my point was leveling sooo fast just to say "Ha, I made it there first!" and not having actual learned the job is beyond ridiculous to me. It was the same back then- but you actually had to work for it. These days its like so what you are a level 99 in 3 days... You just stood in a party watching the scenery. Do you even know what to do? Oh, I forgot, that is what FFXI Wiki is for...

I think in order to fully enjoy (anything) in life, you have to experience multiple emotions- joy, sadness, anger, fear... Where is the sense of accomplishment if you didn't have to work for it? I can't say that I loved "old school" leveling- it definitely sucked. But this new way is pointless. Why not just have SE make everyone level 99 immediately and sell the best gear from an NPC for cheap? Seems like that's what some people would like. But once you are 99 with the best gear, what is there to do? Then go admire the beautiful atmospheres of the areas you skipped over or have never even been to? I know every inch and centimeter of all zones just before the last two expansions because I ran them, I leveled there, I died there, I did quest/missions there, I had fun there. Oh well.. Like Alhanelem says- get over it or enjoy it

*Liked* all your replies, thanks for your kind and respectful answers

[Prrsha]

Gaming is definitely defined by the perspective of the player. Caketime seemed to see my perspective. its no so much that I'm not wishing for old days but my point was leveling sooo fast just to say "Ha, I made it there first!" and not having actual learned the job is beyond ridiculous to me. It was the same back then- but you actually had to work for it. These days its like so what you are a level 99 in 3 days... You just stood in a party watching the scenery. Do you even know what to do? Oh, I forgot, that is what FFXI Wiki is for...

I think in order to fully enjoy (anything) in life, you have to experience multiple emotions- joy, sadness, anger, fear... Where is the sense of accomplishment if you didn't have to work for it? I can't say that I loved "old school" leveling- it definitely sucked. But this new way is pointless. Why not just have SE make everyone level 99 immediately and sell the best gear from an NPC for cheap? Seems like that's what some people would like. But once you are 99 with the best gear, what is there to do? Then go admire the beautiful atmospheres of the areas you skipped over or have never even been to? I know every inch and centimeter of all zones just before the last two expansions because I ran them, I leveled there, I died there, I did quest/missions there, I had fun there. Oh well.. Like Alhanelem says- get over it or enjoy it

*Liked* all your replies, thanks for your kind and respectful answers

I've been saying this for a year+. This is a large issue for the Japanese population as well. Leveling in FFXI currently is so fast that it currently means nothing. Like you said, you might as well have players start at level 99. Heck, I'd be for that over a system that gives you the illusion of some form of progress by sitting and exploiting game mechanics all day.

But, yeah, that its what it has come down too. Your best bet is to start or to find a like minded LS. They are out there and they are growing in popularity as old players from that era are returning to the game.

"I think in order to fully enjoy (anything) in life, you have to experience multiple emotions- joy, sadness, anger, fear... Where is the sense of accomplishment if you didn't have to work for it?" - This... Matsui-san has said these near exact words. He also said this is the direction FFXI will be headed. More skill based and emersion and less mindless zerging. However he did not say yet (if he even plans to address) the current exp problem. His response on most balancing issues were that the "dev team are hard at work on the expansion". I assume now that the expansion is done, he will be getting back up to speed with the balance issues and exploits in the game.

As I have said before, in order to survive, FFXI needs to retain new players. Given the current system, the game critically fails at any newbee content. This leads to new players rushing to level 99 in a month trial of the game... not understanding anything whatsoever of party dynamics (because they just sit in a group and exploit GoV), and when they get to the top, they give up in frustration.

It is easy to see the game from a vet's eyes, but SE needs to see them from a new player's eyes as well. Speed leveling is just an EXCUSE to overlook a lack of meaningful, fun, mid-level content. Until they fix that, everyone and their grandma will say you need to get to level 99 first to have fun, and SE will gladly go along with it until they run out of disenchanted vets.

[scaevola]

I don't even know what you're complaining about. If somebody levels a job to 99 in 3 days, they do it because they want to play that job at 99. If it had been possible to do so in 2004 it would have been just as common then as now.

Sheesh.

[Fermion]

Now it's hurry up and get to 99, get the best gear and go stand somewhere bragging about your false accomplishments and bagging on anyone who is not wearing what 99% of the players are wearing. Is this what the game has come down to- XP and gear?

What MMO isn't about XP and gear? Would you go on an FPS forum and complain that all you do is collect guns and shoot people? Or would you be critical of a fighter because all you do is punch, kick, throw and block? I'm not exactly sure what you kind of change would make you happy, but I don't think many people would call Ballista, BCNMs or grinding XP for hours "actual fun-adventure".

We're in the midst of a brand new expansion with new jobs, new areas, new mobs, a new enmity system, and drastic tactical changes. If you can't find "fun-adventure" in all that, then I don't know what to tell you.

You're never going to get back that bright-eyed awe you had in the beginning. Deal with it. It seems that you're letting nostalgia blind you to the fact that there's tons of adventures to be had in the game. Never in this games history has there been more to do. I'm sure if you take off the nostalgia goggles, you'll find something to enjoy.

[vienne]

I can relate with the OP, although I've had kids and a job back in the days and I still have them now, I always preferred the old way of lvling even if it was alot slower then it is now. And you'll never be able to convince people about your point but you're not the only one who prefers it and i know other people who agree. Dont get me wrong its not like i hate the post abyssea content, i like the mechanics in abyssea to acquire items and the proccing etc, but I just dont like the lvling and I've been very stubborn about this since I havent burned any of my jobs. In my eyes I dont see the sense in playing a game where I go from 1 to 99 in a matter of days, I feel there should be a feeling of progression, I want to experiment with newly obtained ja/ws/magic in my own pace, I dont want to read about it on wiki. It has nothing to do with nostalgia though, its more of a reason why people want to play, I want to work towards a goal and I want every step on that road to be a step that matters how silly that may sound.
Life already is enough of a rush, I dont want it on here.