What would make you return to ffxi? (if you left and came back for the free access)

[Allestra]

Frankly, I think they should make it so anyone with an active FF14 sub should be able to play FFXI free of charge. Lets face it, FFXI is awesome but its also seriously outdated and not nearly as popular as it once was. By giving this feature to active FF14 players, it allows players who love both MMOs but don't want to pay for both to be able to enjoy both.

Or at the very least give active ff14 subscribers a discounted rate. Whose gonna want to fork out 14 some odd bucks for an older MMO when they are already paying as much for the better looking one.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that FFXI isn't great but its still one thing no one can deny: OLD and not worth the 14 bucks a month anymore.

Pretty much this in a nutshell.

I think the biggest factor to change is the subscription fee IF they want to encourage people to return on a more permanant basis. Would anything make ffxi really popular again?..imo no, its simply too late and the game was left unchanged for too long.

New players also come into the game knowing darn well its on its last legs...not a real big seller there is it.

Even though a fresh player would have oodles of things to do for quite a long time...they know its not gonna last and potentially they may even be on their own (the community is NOT what it used to be) Most times if you arent part of a long term established niche..you are SoL. Ppl will say hello sure, IF you initiate it every single time but thats as far as it goes. (thats the internet in general though and all gaming)
Many issues will deter people.

Sadly, what should of happened is a complete upgrade to the current game many many moons ago!!!!! , and equally as important, if SE would have stopped being so stagnant and stubborn for ANY QoL changes.

QoL changes should of started 6-7 years ago...at least!!!! The major decline would have not started in the first place. I saw a huge loss of players long before Abyssea and rightfully so.

Regarding a complete upgrade: Reading others ppl posts I understand that may not have been really too possible? im NO techie so I cant say but that could have been of one the biggest saviours for ffxi if it was possible.

We have ffxiv now , some adore it, others will hate it, so what? lol Ffxi was indeed their best bread winner, lets see 12 yrs from now if it still was before we trash any other game on the market.

I love aspects of ffxiv as much as some in ffxi. Im not so rigid and "stagnant" to be unable to enjoy a few games, each for their own strengths and weaknesses.
They all can be enjoyable but none are the best. not ffxi, not wow, ffxiv, rift or any others I dabble in. I dont think any are superior to any other , certain aspects may have an edge over another which is why I play a few at any one time.

Sub cost is certainly not a complete solution however, the game IS old, it looks old, it feels old, it plays old. (Thats just reality, and for some thats not reason enough to unsub <--- me included...but dont be blind, step back and look at the whole picture, thats is how it will be seen by new ppl) So se cant expect to appeal to vast numbers ever again. Its not going to happen in ffxi.

"come on back to this 10+ yr old game, yes yes its that old, no you may not get help, oh and more then likely there wont be any further content errr....sorry but nope it still costs the same, yes endgame community is as segregated as any other game yup, come on back ok?"

Basically the most effective way to get return players : Appeal to nostalgia for vet returns, appeal to less $ for new people. A mix of both is the only solution thats probable

[Alhanelem]

Except it isn't fun for everyone, its pretty much a WoW clone with FF skin. It has 0 similarities to how FFXI plays or how the item progression was (and is for most things.)

If it was similar to XI, then they may as well have just made an XI-2. But they didn't want to do that, they wanted to make a new game. Also, FFXI is very different from the rest of the series, and other than part of the bestiary and the jobs, it has comparatively little connection to the rest of the series, whereas in XIV they've been putting in a lot of familiar things from the series' history.

Also the fact that they are dissimilar is what allows me to enjoy both, for different reasons. Which is why there should be a combo discount, to make this more financially feasible.

All of that grinding and then in the new few major patches its all reset and you can restart on that treadmill. You can't even play multiple jobs to end game things like Alex savage or you gimp your team because you must be forced into one job you spend your tokens on.

This is full of crap, you can play all the jobs you want. You will have sufficicent gear for the jobs you play long before a new update comes. I'm already unintentionally capping out law and building up alex because I'm not in any big rush to spend them. Some people also make multiple characters, which don't cost extra in XIV, to circumvent those limits if they're that hardcore about playing every job.

FFXI has the same treadmills, they just work in a different way. Every MMO has to have some means of keeping you playing. We can say "just make more/better content" but that only gets you so far by itself. in XI you might not be constantly chasing higher item levels, but instead oyu're constantly chasing niche sidegrade pieces that people will call you gimp if you dont have, and then when you do get them, it just creates an inventory and macro swapping nightmare. So both systems have their pitfalls.

[Draylo-]

If it was similar to XI, then they may as well have just made an XI-2. But they didn't want to do that, they wanted to make a new game. Also, FFXI is very different from the rest of the series, and other than part of the bestiary and the jobs, it has comparatively little connection to the rest of the series, whereas in XIV they've been putting in a lot of familiar things from the series' history.

Also the fact that they are dissimilar is what allows me to enjoy both, for different reasons. Which is why there should be a combo discount, to make this more financially feasible.

I know they didn't want it similar, which is why I don't get why someone would post "just play XIV." Why would anyone who likes XI instantly love XIV, when they are completely different was my point. FFXI has the same connections to the rest of the series like every other FF game. FF11 is also very similar to FF12. FF14 is similar to FF9 where it is overloaded with nostalgia but I find XIV to force most of it in my opinion.

This is full of crap, you can play all the jobs you want. You will have sufficicent gear for the jobs you play long before a new update comes. I'm already unintentionally capping out law and building up alex because I'm not in any big rush to spend them. Some people also make multiple characters, which don't cost extra in XIV, to circumvent those limits if they're that hardcore about playing every job.

FFXI has the same treadmills, they just work in a different way. Every MMO has to have some means of keeping you playing. We can say "just make more/better content" but that only gets you so far by itself. in XI you might not be constantly chasing higher item levels, but instead oyu're constantly chasing niche sidegrade pieces that people will call you gimp if you dont have, and then when you do get them, it just creates an inventory and macro swapping nightmare. So both systems have their pitfalls.

You must be a casual in that game and not play the highest tier, nobody is taking a gimped job into savage alex that you spent 0 tokens on. At this point there is no way you have multiple token gear for multiple jobs... Also lol at multiple characters, its the exact reason theres a job system in place, so that you can play everything on one character. Except that they lock you left and right, so my point still stands and is even confirmed by you saying to have another character.

FFXI does not have the same treadmills, only last patch was a LEVEL 30 ring dethroned for multiple jobs as the best TP ring. Gear is not outdated in FFXI like it is in FFXIV, you can grind hours and hours of your life for alex/coil/token gear and then its completely useless outside of glamor from the next major patch. Inventory nightmares only exist when you try to gear multiple jobs, but its part of the fun when you have a working setup for different jobs. At least you can keep that gear and enjoy it instead of just tossing it away or on a retainer forever. I'd rather have inventory issues than having to constantly be grinding gear over and over doing the same treadmill, smash face against 4 dungeons for tokens > do coil type event, maybe a crystal tower type > don't log in for a week.

[Alhanelem]

You must be a casual in that game and not play the highest tier,

I love the conclusions people jump to. No, I'm not a "casual." I've played and beaten every piece of content in the game other than savage alexander (which I've not started on just yet).

You're also oversimplifying your routine to the extreme and it doesn't sound much like you've played in a long time, but we can say pretty much the same thing about FFXI, since it has roughly the same amount of content that's currently relevant for endgame. Except instead of weekly limits, its 0.1% drop rates- Which might be better for people that are lucky, but I'm not one of those people.

FFXI does not have the same treadmills,

Every MMO including XI has treadmills, just some games disguise them better. Every game including XI has players seeking things out that will make them more powerful- its the natural progression of an MMO character. The difference is in XI you have to keep everything, rarely do you outright replace a piece of gear, leading to inventory shenanigans. Horizontal progression isn't perfect, nor is vertical. Vertical progression hinders attachment to gear, but at least you don't need 87326483274 inventory space to store all your stuff. Conversely, in a more horizontal system you find a lot of things you can keep as useful, but it also makes true upgrades even harder to find and you have the inventory nightmare (and macro swapping nightmare) XI has treadmills, you can't say it doesn't, they just don't stick out as much.

Why would anyone who likes XI instantly love XIV, when they are completely different was my point.

Because some people like a variety of different things? Just about everyone I know enjoys a wide range of different games in different styles even within the same genre. Just like I might enjoy both arcade racing games like Mario Kart and also enjoy racing sims- same base genre, but totally different play style. I'm honestly sick of the game bashing here. I don't scan through the FFXIV forums and see all this XI hating, so its evident to me there's a stronger bias on this side. I love both games, and I'd love to continue to play both games, though I wish they'd make it easier for me to do so, because 2 subscription MMOs = a lot of money. I feel like a troll target just for (gasp) admitting that I even play the game at all.

I've played both games, I enjoy them both, and I'm proud of it, I won't stand for being crapped on for it. The community here is incredibly hostile to the mere mention of ffxiv and it's shameful. Just because someone likes XIV doesn't mean they don't like XI, and it doesn't mean they're bad people.

[Deirdre]

"Because some people like a variety of different things? Just about everyone I know enjoys a wide range of different games in different styles even within the same genre. Just like I might enjoy both arcade racing games like Mario Kart and also enjoy racing sims- same base genre, but totally different play style. I'm honestly sick of the game bashing here. I don't scan through the FFXIV forums and see all this XI hating, so its evident to me there's a stronger bias on this side. I love both games, and I'd love to continue to play both games, though I wish they'd make it easier for me to do so, because 2 subscription MMOs = a lot of money. I feel like a troll target just for (gasp) admitting that I even play the game at all."

Post a thread on the general discussion saying how awesome it would be to see a feature from XI be added to XIV I can promise you'll see a flood of it then.

[Draylo-]

I don't scan through the FFXIV forums and see all this XI hating, so its evident to me there's a stronger bias on this side. I love both games, and I'd love to continue to play both games, though I wish they'd make it easier for me to do so, because 2 subscription MMOs = a lot of money. I feel like a troll target just for (gasp) admitting that I even play the game at all.

HA, no XIV players bash XI? Dude, have you been living in a cave? Go post anything XI related on GW feed and look at all the trolls surface, same thing if you post on the XIV official forums or any XIV related video. You must be dreaming on that one.

Except instead of weekly limits, its 0.1% drop rates- Which might be better for people that are lucky, but I'm not one of those people.

FFXI hasn't had 0.1 drop rates as a standard in the longest time, its YOU who hasn't played in a long time lol. The only drop like that is tartarus mail and some escha bodies, the rest is easily obtainable. Quite funny you mention XIV having no inventory issues, I seem to recall that being an issue over there with people needing multiple retainers.

[Alhanelem]

FFXI hasn't had 0.1 drop rates as a standard in the longest time

So that thread that a dev resoponded to about that item people want from vagary that has a .1% drop rate, that was just a figiment of my imagination? The major HNMs had their drop rates buffed? Last I checked, low drop rates are still a thing across most of the game. Sometimes supplanted with alternative methods (delve having probably one of the better ones)

HA, no XIV players bash XI? Dude, have you been living in a cave? Go post anything XI related on GW feed and look at all the trolls surface, same thing if you post on the XIV official forums or any XIV related video. You must be dreaming on that one.

I didn't say there was none. There's definitely a lot less than there is here though. And in fact some XI related threads are sometimes received well.

I seem to recall that being an issue over there with people needing multiple retainers.

If you keep every pebble, vegtable and ore you ever come across, yes you need extra retainers. You defintiely don't need them if you're a normal person who knows when to get rid of things they aren't going to need. The point here is that the most minimum amount of inventory and effort of mananagement (macros, etc) needed in XI is MASSIVE compared to XIV. Few jobs have any need for more than one gear set (Tanks typically have a set for +vitality and +strength, summoners might have a +vitality set in addition to a +int set), so there is little need to go home and move gear in and out of inventory. your base inventory is 100 slots, plus 25 slots per equipment category (25*13=325). Retainers hold 175 items each, and crystals don't take up normal inventory space. Even if you play every job and class in the game, you're far less likely to be having inventory issues in XIV.

[Draylo-]

I didn't say there was none. There's definitely a lot less than there is here though. And in fact some XI related threads are sometimes received well.

Proof? I haven't seen anything XIV related on this site in a while and I frequent it, unlike you. You only post during free periods.

So that thread that a dev resoponded to about that item people want from vagary that has a .1% drop rate, that was just a figiment of my imagination? The major HNMs had their drop rates buffed? Last I checked, low drop rates are still a thing across most of the game. Sometimes supplanted with alternative methods (delve having probably one of the better ones)

I already said Tartarus Platemail, its one of like 5 items in the game with a very low drop rate. None of those items are so game breaking that you absolutely need them, they are more like trophies or slight upgrades to current easily obtainable gear. The major HNMs? wat.. If you mean Tiamat, herald gaiters was placed in a BCNM that is easy to get, can even drop two from one fight. Low drop rates are NOT a thing across the game, you need to go recheck whatever place you check for information.

[Alhanelem]

Proof? I haven't seen anything XIV related on this site in a while and I frequent it, unlike you. You only post during free periods.

I'm only allowed to post during this time. I'd very likely be posting all the time if I could. As soon as the free period ends I can't log in. That also doesn't mean that I haven't been subscribed for most of the game's history prior to this year. Apparently that doesn't count for anything?

Also, you're naive to assume that not posting is the same thing as not frequenting. I at least glance at these forums nearly every single day, even when I can't post. So no, it's not "unlike me."

I already said Tartarus Platemail, its one of like 5 items in the game with a very low drop rate.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. There are only "like 5" items in the game with a very low drop rate? Have you ever done voidwatch? fought an HNM? Done any BCNMs? Mined or logged anything? Opened any chests in escha? What game are you playing? It's certainly not the same one I spent the better part of 10 years playing.

[Draylo-]

Certainly not because you would have noticed the game has changed within the last few years, or maybe not since you have XIV blinders on. Hardly any VW items are useful these days, the ones that are you can buy the cells right off the AH. HNM aren't done anymore aside from KB... BCNMs today aren't the same as back then. What game are you even talking about at this point?

lol now you edit your post and add more silly examples, chests from escha? haha Mining and logging? LOL