¿Goodbye, Vanadiel? Please, tell me not!!

[Avina]

One small seed of comfort maybe--

We're told we'll get a digest here in the forums. If it was something as dramatic as termination of service, I imagine that would be like--an e-mail, a post on the main site... not something that is just covered here, in the forums. That's a major announcement.

So maybe it is really just the closing of the PS2 service (which is largely irrelevant to us over here).

[Bluestar2kx]

I don't think we have much to worry about.
Who makes a broadcast event for worse case scenarios?
Even the government will lie to your face on national TV.

That's like, making a live event on CNN of you shooting yourself in the foot with a shotgun.
SE already has bad publicity going around, esp since the failure of FFXIV 1.0, publicizing bad news on one of their most profitable titles (And imo, and perhaps some those here: one of the most beloved) in the companies final fantasy history would amount to near suicide in gaming circles.

Remember, (in no directly quoted way)
The world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.

p.s. also take note, it's called a live presentation event. When are presentations ever doom and gloom?

[Allestra]

One thought I had was announcing FFXI's updating to a new engine^^
Unlikely. But who knows, their updating the UI slowly, maybe a new engine is coming, Not likely FFXIV's engine, tho that might be easier as some of XIV's assets could likely be used, but maybe something a bit :nicer: and more modern but cheaper to run then XIV, like a modified XII/XIII engine?

Either would likely mean end mainstream support for PS2 either way, but it could also mean opening it up for PS4 support.
A new engine, and PS4 support could open the game up a bit more. I know a lot of people these days who've not played XI, don't want to because of the engines dated look.

But at the same time, that could end up being too costly for XI by raising the costs of upkeep on the title.

A graphical overhaul, a new expansion (how about one that fits both the 50's and 60's levels, there's only a few good choices for the 50's), and one for 99+?), I hope something really nice is coming for FFXI^^
I also hope FFXI isn't in danger. That would be scary ;;
FFXI is one of like, 4 titles I can say I've played fairly consistently for so many years (I think i'm on a decade now of FFXI), that's a pretty exclusive club to be in.

As someone else who has subscribed continuously for the last 10 years , I tend to hope along the same lines as you.

I don't think its time for ffxi to end by any means , its population is far far from what it used to be but there are enough still interested to keep it going for a while yet I think.

FTP would not be worth anything to se, they have nothing to offer cash shop wise, which is the bread and butter of any ftp game. ffxi is too limited in that way to ever be ftp. (no vanity system , no pets, no mounts, no character customization changes, no dyes, no exp pots etc..nothing to ever sustain a ftp design)

Hope it is good news at any rate, I will complain about parts of the game or some decisions made of course!.., but, I'm still subscribed lol

[Chilloa]

FTP would not be worth anything to se, they have nothing to offer cash shop wise, which is the bread and butter of any ftp game. ffxi is too limited in that way to ever be ftp. (no vanity system , no pets, no mounts, no character customization changes, no dyes, no exp pots etc..nothing to ever sustain a ftp design)l

I'm going to keep the optimism train going. Even though I would hate for the game to become F2P, a micro transaction store isn't completely out of the cards. Buying days at a time of double exp., exclusive Trusts, all the exclusive items from the login campaigns can become exclusive to the new store, the items that were released only during events or with the purchase of another item (Tidal Talisman, Gobbie Gavel, Shell Scepter), holiday equipment, Dynamis currency, Alexandrites, Seals from Abyssea, exp. rings, Primeval Brews, a new storage system, exclusive monstrosity monsters. As much as I'd hate microtransactions, it certainly is possible.

Also, I'd like to point out that FFXI does a vanity system. While it is limited, there definitely is one that we can use to equip our favorite armor while maintaining our stats. from our gear.

[Rubeus]

In the same vein as Chilloa, you could also potentially buy things like Bounding Boots (which are r/e and nobody really cares about anymore) in regards to new players. Quite a lot of gear falls into that category of "just until you hit 99" as it is. Personally, I'm really hoping it's an expansion, and that that expansion covers a new continent in any direction. Their exact wording is "Live presentation event" and "our plans for FFXI going forward" not "the future of ffxi." This usually amounts to "New expansion" not "we're terminating." You bid your players farewell on the mainpage and give a notice of the final day of active service if you're going to terminate.
Besides, with Masters of the Masks being trademarked and attached to the ffxi support page, and with every expansion having their own mini-site, the odds are in our favor. They're probably just switching the links around and uploading the page.

[Ethalio]

In FFII the white mask and dark mask are used to acquire the crystal rod, which is necessary to enter the mysidian tower.

[PlumbGame]

/crosses fingers for new server that starts from beginning announced.

[steellords]

I don't think we have much to worry about.
Who makes a broadcast event for worse case scenarios?
Even the government will lie to your face on national TV.

That's like, making a live event on CNN of you shooting yourself in the foot with a shotgun.
SE already has bad publicity going around, esp since the failure of FFXIV 1.0, publicizing bad news on one of their most profitable titles (And imo, and perhaps some those here: one of the most beloved) in the companies final fantasy history would amount to near suicide in gaming circles.

Remember, (in no directly quoted way)
The world ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.

p.s. also take note, it's called a live presentation event. When are presentations ever doom and gloom?

If it were an NA company i'd agree, but there is the whole "honor" element that would prevent SE from just dropping a bombshell in a blurb on pol. This same reason might dissuade them from ditching PS2 support, even if it means no more new content, since so many JP still use it

It's not really a PR disaster either, since they've got two other MMOs and 13 years or whatever is quite an accomplishment. Look at the graveyard of MMOs including "star wars" in the title that have not survived nearly as long. Nothing lasts forever and indeed, WoW is hemorrhaging subs too

It at first blew my mind to see people in the very same post speculate "end of ff11" or "new expansion + graphics overhaul" How in the world can both be possible? Not only is this game not the company's only revenue source (800k-1.2 mil a month is nothing), but i really feel it's a pipe dream to expect expansion + V2 graphics. The last expansion led to *fewer* subs, abyssea too. I also think, unlike others, the mass bans and respectably frequent updates (skirmish, CP, empy reforged) is a sign they are tying up loose ends on content, and they don't care about lost subs from here on

"plans for the future" also sounds long term beyond any 'road map' they've done

So i predict a hefty server merge, continued ps2 support, end of updates in near future, *maybe* lower sub fee or f2p (this would reduce the hostility at least). But no, i don't believe it will be endtimes so soon after these bans and updates, certainly not end of june as one site predicted

[scaevola]

In the same vein as Chilloa, you could also potentially buy things like Bounding Boots (which are r/e and nobody really cares about anymore) in regards to new players. Quite a lot of gear falls into that category of "just until you hit 99" as it is.

The point of a cash shop is to make money. If there were one from which you could buy actual gear/loot, aiming it towards new players would be the worst way to do it.

If FFXI were to include one that sold stuff beyond cosmetics/boosts, the first thing up there would be RME currency. Anyone with the means to pay $300 for a Cat's Eye would be a fool not to, after all.

[Afania]

I returned to the game a month ago and I 'm really enjoying all changes. But Square- Enix has announced a press conference and people talk about closing servers . It is true that there is much less active people, but are so few that kill Vanadiel?

It's very unlikely for SE to shut down FFXI servers due to the lack of active players in the near future. FFXI is an FF MMO, SE seems to manage FF MMO titles differently from how western/Asian game companies treat their MMO titles.

Remember how SE kept FFXIV 1.0 servers up for entire year and remade the entire game just because....it's an FF MMO. This is something Western/Asian game companies usually won't do, since other companies often treat their MMO titles like money generator.

I bet FFXI would get a PS3/PS4 or Vita port(Like Nobunga's ambition online, which is almost as old as FFXI) before server shuts down.

Just my 2 cents, I could be wrong