Swan Song of Vana'diel; ~Why I Won't Play the Mobile Native App~

[Rosalie]

(0:57:24～)
Q: Will the native application be a completely separate game from the Windows version of FFXI that will continue even after March 2016?
A: As far as accounts go, this will be a separate game, but it will be the same game in the sense that it continues the enjoyment of FFXI. What we’d like to clear up is that the native application won’t take over the current FFXI operations, but Square Enix will continue to operate and manage the current FFXI, and the native application will be developed as a new FFXI.

As far as content goes, even with the sheer volume of playable content in FFXI we won't be able to discuss this too concretely, but we think we won't start service with a lot of content lined up. We want to try and get this out to customers as fast as possible, and while it'll take some time, we'll eventually implement a good deal of content. There will definitely be restrictions on content and jobs at the start, such as only implementing up to Chains of Promathia. There are possibilities for expansive content exclusive to the native application as well. Players will eventually be able to play Rhapsodies of Vana’diel, so we'll be putting in a ton of effort to try and match or even surpass the PC version.

Dear Square-Enix, FFXI Dev Team, and any others concerned,

I've given you my loyalties & my money for over 10 years now. I even bought every scrap of merchandise I could afford, importing CD's, books, stuffed animals, and shelling out the big bucks for both pieces of the Players' Collection jewelry.

I've made friends in real life and fallen in love with people I've met through this game. When the mobile "native app" was introduced, I thought there might be hope; that I might continue on my adventures with the character that I'd cultivated and nurtured for so long, even without MAJOR content updates, and even be able to use my phone to check in on things, even if in a limited capacity, whenever I was bored.

I could understand if there was content only accessible through mobile. I could have continued on. With this announcement, however, I realized that you just don't care anymore. No matter how much time, energy, effort, tears, and love that we players have poured into our characters, it just doesn't matter. The 1625+ quests, numerous missions, skills, experience, job points, weapons & armor of legend I toiled endlessly alone and with friends & against foes for, trusts I earned, the fellow I raised up, the gardens I tended, the house I so carefully decorated time and time again; they won't carry over.

And eventually, it WILL ALL dissipate into the ether as deleted data, since we all know that's where the PC version is heading with this decision to separate the data. The writing is on the wall.

There were so many possibilities still out there; a graphical "rebirth" of the game similar to what FFXIV underwent (using the FFXIV engine, even! Much of the monsters & other graphical data is ALREADY IMPLEMENTED in FFXIV!) would really have brought a resurgence of this game. FFXI players are nothing if not patient; patience was forced on us with HNM camping, experience parties, and almost the entirety of the content of the game in the old days.

But, the announcement of the decision to cease all major content, and on TOP of that to completely separate the mobile native app's connection to our characters is the final death knell that I hear tolling.

Truly, the "Rhapsodies" are Vana'diel's swan song.

Sincerely, and with a heavy heart,

M.B. a.k.a. "Rosalee" (Bismarck), formerly "Rosalie" (Seraph)

[Alhanelem]

There were so many possibilities still out there; a graphical "rebirth" of the game similar to what FFXIV underwent (using the FFXIV engine, even! Much of the monsters & other graphical data is ALREADY IMPLEMENTED in FFXIV!) would really have brought a resurgence of this game. FFXI players are nothing if not patient; patience was forced on us with HNM camping, experience parties, and almost the entirety of the content of the game in the old days.

Not 100% accurate, the mobs borrowed from XI (which many of XI's mobs were borrowed from previous games by the way, because they are "Final Fantasy") have higher poly models and higher res textures, the attacks and effects are different, etc.

Yes, yes, its a technicality

I don't know what they're thinking with the mobile app. If we can't use our existing characters on it, what the hell is the point? But also keep in mind that the mobile game is only happening because of a deal with a third party. If they didn't have that connection, it wouldn't exist and we'd get nothing at all. It's not like the mobile version being made is taking away from the possibility of something else.

I imagine they're probably going to consolidate areas and such in the mobile version because who the heck can download 20GB on mobile? Unless you're paying out the nose for an unlimited plan, it would take you months to download to your smartphone.

[Draylo-]

I was pretty upset at the news as well. I initially thought it would be connected to the same servers or that we would at least be able to transfer somehow with our data. Now I can just see how they plan to eventually phase out the PC, hand off XI to some cheesy phone game company and focus on their beloved FFXIV. Oh well, what can we do.

[Alhanelem]

Actually, I think the bigger insult is that they're making a spinoff game, telling us all this stuff about it while also telling us we'll never be able to play it.

[Lisotte]

And eventually, it WILL ALL dissipate into the ether as deleted data, since we all know that's where the PC version is heading with this decision to separate the data. The writing is on the wall.

There were so many possibilities still out there; a graphical "rebirth" of the game similar to what FFXIV underwent (using the FFXIV engine, even! Much of the monsters & other graphical data is ALREADY IMPLEMENTED in FFXIV!) would really have brought a resurgence of this game. FFXI players are nothing if not patient; patience was forced on us with HNM camping, experience parties, and almost the entirety of the content of the game in the old days.

Meanwhile back on Earth... we know from what they've said, that continuing development for FFXI will be difficult. Not to mention, expensive, particularly considering just how few people still play. Matsui is 100% right when he says that making a new version of FFXI would cost as much as a brand new MMO; SE already did that, and it's called FFXIV. Actually SE did that twice. There's no question: the way that the end of FFXI is coming, is the best way they could possibly do it. They're not shutting the servers down, and they're even still going to release version updates (albeit bugfixes and balance changes), and also they're going to ramp up with fun content tying all the expansions together by November. It's one of the smartest ways I've seen a company end an MMO. I'd rather see them continue on forever, but I am realistic here. Also I would be very surprised if the Grandmasters spinoff didn't make it over to NA at some point.

[Atomic_Skull]

Matsui is 100% right when he says that making a new version of FFXI would cost as much as a brand new MMO; SE already did that, and it's called FFXIV.

Except it's not, the more like a watered down version. The FFXIV analogue to mithras are just generic anime catgirls, the world is generic high fantasy, etc.

[Lisotte]

Except it's not, the more like a watered down version. The FFXIV analogue to mithras are just generic anime catgirls, the world is generic high fantasy, etc.

You misunderstand me: I'm not saying FFXIV the new version of FFXI, it's the brand-new MMO they made. One meant to appeal more to modern MMORPG gamers, to recoup the ginormous costs of development. Making a game that looks as pretty as FFXIV in this day and age costs far more than FFXI and requires far more paying subscribers than FFXI was ever able to get.

I agree the world is less fully realised, but it's real beautiful, caters to people who played classic FF, and while the catgirls are not mithra, they're not unsufferable. Being able to make female... whatever the analogue to galka are, is pretty neat. And the new race is cool.

If you gave me a choice, between FFXI and FFXIV, I'd probably still pick FFXI. But XI's not the game it once was, it plays much different now. The content is alot different now. The community is a bit different now (same people, but those remaining are mostly pretty hardcore). I like FFXIV if nothing else than for the pretty FF world and that feeling of playing a fresh MMO just coming into its own.

[Alhanelem]

Except it's not, the more like a watered down version. The FFXIV analogue to mithras are just generic anime catgirls, the world is generic high fantasy, etc.

I don't agree with "watered down." I play both and have enjoyed both for as long as they have existed for different reasons. FFXI just has a certain charm to it that can never be copied, even if SE tries it again it will never be the same. The catgirls in XIV look pretty much exactly the same as in XI. In BOTH cases they're generic anime catgirls, to be honest. And I'm not sure what's not "generic high fantasy" about XI's world. I think the teams of both games gave proper care and attention to their worlds, so let's not have a bashing contest. There's a reason why SE's getting more than $12.95 from me each month, and its not because either game is bad or generic or whatever.

Remember the DirextX 9 update for the PC version that was supposed to come out with COP?

To be fair that was never actually a thing and the only extent of relation FFXI was ever going to have with directx 9 was enabling official windowed mode. They never said or intended to do anything else there. Which is a different problem. You're right about the lowest common denominator thing though. If he had allowed non-gameplay differences to exist between platforms from the start, we'd have a client in a much better state than it is now.

[Atomic_Skull]

The catgirls in XIV look pretty much exactly the same as in XI. In BOTH cases they're generic anime catgirls,

Uh no mithras are more cat-like in FFXI, in FFXIV they're just girls with ears and a tail.

[Alhanelem]

Uh no mithras are more cat-like in FFXI, in FFXIV they're just girls with ears and a tail.

That's a stretch, the only thing that makes them look more catlike is the color of their skin, which you can pick from a wide range in XIV.