I know it feels doom and gloom, and honestly, I felt that all day yesterday, I cried for most of it, it hurt so deep i just wanted to lay in bed all day. (I didn't of course, family needs me^^) Though to be fair, they've said nothing official about ending FFXI service for PC, and may or may not intend to anytime soon, but still!
Over time I quickly realized: it's my home, it's been a part of my life, and my families life for a decade, I've made so many memories, friends, and had good times, and bad times spent in Vana'diel, some things that only happen once in a lifetime. I've tried other MMO's, even XIV, and it doesn't feel right, it's not the game I love, It's not a game I can be involved in.
So what do you do when your home faces an outside threat trying to demolish it?
You fight it!! Would you not fight the city if they wanted to buy out your home, tear it down and build a road? A home you've spent years, maybe decades (or longer if it was your parents house) creating memories, friends, and loved ones.
Of course you would!
In a manner of speaking, this is the same thing.
Vana'diel has been our home, some of us since the start, others are just setting down their roots and experiencing the world, and everyone inbetween, but it's all our home. That's why it's still here, nearly 13 years later, 3 systems, and hundreds of thousands, if not a million or two players, that's pretty impressive for anyone.
So now is our chance to fight back.
Don't leave the game because it's future is uncertain, don't give up if you still love FFXI, we are it's future, we can make it certain.
People always say vote with your wallet if you like this game, or don't like that game, and that's exactly what we can do. Our money keeps FFXI alive, and we can keep it that way. We can also get them to continue updates, or even make expansions full size expansions! We can also expand FFXI's service, the chance to draw in so many more players and help them make Vana'diel their home too.
There's so many ways we can work to support FFXI to keep SE supporting it.
Options we can look at doing to fund and support new full size expansions, hell there's at least 3 whole continents we've not even seen (as I understand FFXI lore), expansions that could give us enough content for an easy decade more. Places I'm sure many of us want to see.
I just finished Promathia on my new character, and... spoilers?:
I don't want to accept my goodbye to him on the docks of Bastok were the last we'll ever see him or to the Mithran trackers.
I want to go visit the worlds my friends came from. I want to see where some of the beastmen came from. I want to adventure to the ends of the world and back, I want to make new friends, see new places, and defeat new monsters that threaten our world. Our cities. Our homes...
We can do this, if we stand together^^
If there's one thing FFXI is known for over the years (besides the time sink), it's the community it fostered. We have one of the strongest communities I've seen in an MMO, and one of the most dedicated.
Speaking of such, my friend pointed out there's other MMO's out there that have survived from FFXI's era, in FFXI's situation, games with small player bases, that still get updates and support, even expansions, such as EQ1, and DAOC, even Eve, and they had an engine overhaul.
If they can do it. We can do it too!
We could even push for PS4 support since it uses x64/86 instructions, porting wouldn't be nearly as expensive as making the 360 version for example. It would take more effort but I believe we could even push for a graphics overhaul while keeping the FFXI we know and love, maybe even a new engine for it over time. And fix and expand the account station to work better, for us and new players we'd draw in.
The biggest complain I hear from potential players who want to try it but won't is the dated looks. This and those above are all things we can push and help fix, if we unite!
My ex once told me: the only time you truly fail or lose something forever, is when you give up.
Well, I'm not going to give up.
I'm going to stay, I'm going to play, I'm going to fight, and I'm going to love and adore FFXI and keep my home firmly planted in this spot until SE is sick of hearing about it!
I ask you to do the same.
If you love FFXI, if you believe in any of the things I do, stand with me, fight alongside me in the real world as you might do in Vana'diel, let's show SE what we're willing to fight for.
^This is why we're here,
And this is why we stay.