FFXI REMASTERED! Do eeeet!

[Alhanelem]

I would love if FFXI was remastered (not remade) with the exact same mechanics and similar minimalist UI.

The only things I would like to see changed for FFXI is the camera, hotbars (or lack-thereof) and graphics. Keep everything else exactly the same. I mean there is a reason we play FFXI instead of FFXIV, and its not because we're poor, or have outdated PC's, its because we enjoy the immersive, expansive, and extremely deep gameplay! At least that is why I play XI now.

If FFXI looked and played like say FFXIV 1.23b in terms of the graphics/hotbars but with the FFXIV 2.0-6.0 Camera control system (not the angles, just how fluid it moves) and everything else like FFXI now, I personally feel it would make so much more money!

I think it might even go toe to toe with FFXIV. There is a large playerbase out there who love traditional true RPG gameplay, that are floating from MMO to MMO, not quite satisfied, and I think if XI got a graphics and controls update, it would do amazing to capture that audience!

FFXI's interface isn't minimalist, it was just designed for a much lower resolution than most of us are playing at today.

However, I agree about the mouse control. FFXI's mouse controls are just utter garbage, the mouse is essentially useless in this game even though it supports it. The camera control is indirect- it's really just pressing the IJKL keys depending on how you move the mouse.

The other big thing I think needs to be iimproved for the game to resonate with people today is for the game to be more responsive. Get rid of or reduce animation locks throughout the game. Yes, it would affect gameplay, but I think anybody would be hard pressed to come up with an argument as to why animation lock shouldn't be revisited. I the game's behavior in this area is inconsistent at best, where some things will happen regardless of animation, some things will interrupt some animations, and other things have to wait for any and all animations to play before they can happen. Most egregious is simply engaging/disengaging. I can press attack on a target, and simultaneously get cured by an ally. This forces me to wait. Then a monster casts a spell, forcing me to wait longer. Then someone else casts another spell.... the way the game can chain animation locks is just silly. This has been probably my biggest gripe with the game since forever.

The only valid argument against this I can see is "we've played with it this way for decades." While a valid argument, just because we've played with the game this way doesn't mean it was a good design. It adds an artificial element of challenge- i.e. not the good kind. Making the game more responsive to input (i.e. always doing something when you press the button) will make it a lot more fun just by itself.