Classic Servers

[Alhanelem]

They do. You just weren't around when that content was revelant to the community. That's not our fault. There has to be a ls somewhere that will get you off these boards.

Me having friends in game and me posting on these boards are not mutually exclusive. And sorry to disappoint you, as long as there is discussion to be h ad about FFXI, I will be there to be a part of it, as I like talking about the game about as much as I like playing it. And I have just as much a right to be here as you do.

[Alt0167]

I wasn't talking to you so calm your beans

[By-Tor]

I'd support this.

The combined population from the big private servers (ToAU and Wings) out there, plus all the other smaller ones, rivals Asura population. Perhaps even surpaces it since in some of these servers multiboxing isn't allowed. And from playing and leading linkshells on these servers, from engaging with these communities: I'm certain they would immediately pay a sub and jump ship to a retail classic server. Not to mention all the disenfranchised players who gave up on dealing with pserver clunkiness since these started to pop up around 2014, 2015. Reverse engineering is not a walk in the park, yet these developers were able to replicate a fair amount of the old game already.

There are also people waiting for MMOs like Pantheon Rise of the Fallen who would be all over it. Just go ask them on the VR discord: FFXI classic is viewed in high regard.
Other private server communities who would be interested in a revitalized XI classic experience: Star Wars Galaxies (SWGEMU, Legends), Everquest (P99), Dark Age of Camelot (Phoenix) and Asheron's Call to a lesser degree; there's a huge audience out there that has to rely on the great work done by volunteers to provide them with a classic MMO experience. One just needs to capitalize on this.


I'm really not interested in what some players who especialized in telling forum members to shut up and go play another game have to say about this post though. Insisting on discouraging people like me to give up on using the only means of communication with Square... Not gonna work.
Hopefully the right eyes will see this demand and take it upstairs.

And I'll end on the same note I did months ago: If you read this in the future and you share our sentiment, don't be afraid to post: ignore the snide comments and let your thoughts be known. Cheers!

[Lortheron]

I'd support this.

The combined population from the big private servers (ToAU and Wings) out there, plus all the other smaller ones, rivals Asura population. Perhaps even surpaces it since in some of these servers multiboxing isn't allowed. And from playing and leading linkshells on these servers, from engaging with these communities: I'm certain they would immediately pay a sub and jump ship to a retail classic server. Not to mention all the disenfranchised players who gave up on dealing with pserver clunkiness since these started to pop up around 2014, 2015. Reverse engineering is not a walk in the park, yet these developers were able to replicate a fair amount of the old game already.

There are also people waiting for MMOs like Pantheon Rise of the Fallen who would be all over it. Just go ask them on the VR discord: FFXI classic is viewed in high regard.
Other private server communities who would be interested in a revitalized XI classic experience: Star Wars Galaxies (SWGEMU, Legends), Everquest (P99), Dark Age of Camelot (Phoenix) and Asheron's Call to a lesser degree; there's a huge audience out there that has to rely on the great work done by volunteers to provide them with a classic MMO experience. One just needs to capitalize on this.


I'm really not interested in what some players who especialized in telling forum members to shut up and go play another game have to say about this post though. Insisting on discouraging people like me to give up on using the only means of communication with Square... Not gonna work.
Hopefully the right eyes will see this demand and take it upstairs.

And I'll end on the same note I did months ago: If you read this in the future and you share our sentiment, don't be afraid to post: ignore the snide comments and let your thoughts be known. Cheers!

Exactly. 100% this.

[Immortal]

Oh please, they only play on those servers because its free. Nobody cares about 75 cap except an exceptionally small amount of people. Also you are very mistaken if you think nobody multi boxes or bots on p servers.

[Lortheron]

Oh please, they only play on those servers because its free. Nobody cares about 75 cap except an exceptionally small amount of people. Also you are very mistaken if you think nobody multi boxes or bots on p servers.

I don't know... honest question: you really think so? All those players just play there because it's free? I mean, when I think about it: they do need massive donations to keep private servers fast, bugless and up and running to begin with...

I just really think it's a missed opportunity for SE, even one acquires 30%~50% of all those private server population, it would still be a great win for this game. Clearly there is a market.

[Immortal]

I don't know... honest question: you really think so? All those players just play there because it's free? I mean, when I think about it: they do need massive donations to keep private servers fast, bugless and up and running to begin with...

I just really think it's a missed opportunity for SE, even one acquires 30%~50% of all those private server population, it would still be a great win for this game. Clearly there is a market.

Bugless? Cmon man, those servers are filled with bugs. They are all reverse engineered garbage, things don';t work as they should and if you think they are they probably aren't and the DEV didn't notice.

[Lortheron]

Bugless? Cmon man, those servers are filled with bugs. They are all reverse engineered garbage, things don';t work as they should and if you think they are they probably aren't and the DEV didn't notice.

I never actually played on private servers myself to be honest. But I am on WingsXI Discord (invited by a member of one of LSs) and know many players that play both in retail and on WingsXI... what they say to me whenever I ask about the subject is very interesting... it does seems that there are two private servers of FFXI which are arising as "premium private servers" or something of the matter (WingsXI being one of them). If this keeps up they will soon have to require a timely fee (maybe something like every 6 months for example, amounting for less than what the current retail server charges of course) from the players. I'm curious to see how this scenario will unfold...

[Alhanelem]

you really think so?

Yes, I agree.

Private servers are mostly about dodging the sub fee. You also can't really put too much heart into your character on them because their retention of your data is far less guaranteed. Beyond that, the reverse engineering is still highly imperfect and some things may not work the way you expect. And yes, private servers need to be maintained, but usually it's much like any f2p game, a few people with lots of money are covering for freeloaders.
Combining all the known servers to rvial Asura doesn't really speak that strongly to the merits of the idea. For one, as we said already, a lot of people are doing it because it's a free alternative where they don't have to give SE any money, and not because of any particular game attributes such as level cap or whatever else. For two is really all the other stuff I've repeated several times at this point- lack of agreement on what "classic" actually is, dividing the community, Features already existing to enable this style of play without a special server (though said features could do with some improvement to be fair), etc. etc. etc.


WoW classic works for Blizzard because WoW is such an immense game that the number of people interested in it is enough to sustain a community. But even WoW classic isn't staying locked in the past, they've already reintroduced Burning Crusade, etc, which basically proves that you can't just make a server, go back in time, and freeze it there. You have to reintroduce content over time or add new content or it's just going to get stale before very long. FFXI never had anywhere near the level of market adoption as WoW. It would require a lot of investment for far less potential return than it had for Blizzard with WoW.

It can be fun to take a trip down memory lane, but the reality is, it isn't sustainable. You'll play it for a while, get bored from the lack of new content, and go back to the main game or play another game.

Look, You have to give them points for the new master level system- the XP gain is very much like the old days, needing to kill stronger mobs in a party to get a meaningful amount, trusts aren't terribly great for it, and XP loss is something of a threat again. And the people who have access to master levels are already the people who enjoy the lengthy grinds of the olden days the most.

[Lortheron]

Yes, I agree.

Private servers are mostly about dodging the sub fee. You also can't really put too much heart into your character on them because their retention of your data is far less guaranteed. Beyond that, the reverse engineering is still highly imperfect and some things may not work the way you expect. And yes, private servers need to be maintained, but usually it's much like any f2p game, a few people with lots of money are covering for freeloaders.
Combining all the known servers to rvial Asura doesn't really speak that strongly to the merits of the idea. For one, as we said already, a lot of people are doing it because it's a free alternative where they don't have to give SE any money, and not because of any particular game attributes such as level cap or whatever else. For two is really all the other stuff I've repeated several times at this point- lack of agreement on what "classic" actually is, dividing the community, Features already existing to enable this style of play without a special server (though said features could do with some improvement to be fair), etc. etc. etc.


WoW classic works for Blizzard because WoW is such an immense game that the number of people interested in it is enough to sustain a community. But even WoW classic isn't staying locked in the past, they've already reintroduced Burning Crusade, etc, which basically proves that you can't just make a server, go back in time, and freeze it there. You have to reintroduce content over time or add new content or it's just going to get stale before very long. FFXI never had anywhere near the level of market adoption as WoW. It would require a lot of investment for far less potential return than it had for Blizzard with WoW.

It can be fun to take a trip down memory lane, but the reality is, it isn't sustainable. You'll play it for a while, get bored from the lack of new content, and go back to the main game or play another game.

Look, You have to give them points for the new master level system- the XP gain is very much like the old days, needing to kill stronger mobs in a party to get a meaningful amount, trusts aren't terribly great for it, and XP loss is something of a threat again. And the people who have access to master levels are already the people who enjoy the lengthy grinds of the olden days the most.

Agree with the last part : )

As for the private servers, I don't know, I hear many people that played on WingsXI commenting how it's faster than SEs servers, since they use top notch enterprise level servers that are better than what SE unfortunately leaves to FFXI... I can agree that MOST private servers might be full of bugs, but there is currently the arise of "premium private servers" that will probably soon require some fees (albeit less than the retail game, of course) from the players if the want to keep it up... an interesting thing to see unfolding for sure... I for once, am curious as to how this new scene will play out in the short~medium timespan.