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)