I feel like this argument sorta ties into this.
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I feel like this argument sorta ties into this.
Opinions can be wrong, though. FFXI and XIV have the same amount of love put into them as FFVII, FFVI and FFIV (using those three as examples because a lot of people tend to gush over them more so than the others). They both have amazing stories, memorable characters and a fantastic soundtrack (that is still growing, in FFXIV's case). To say neither of them are Final Fantasy games just because they're online is a very poor argument.
Nevermind the fact that some Final Fantasy games actually do have multiplayer/two player features in them... even if they are battle scene only (FFIX on the PS let's two players control two characters in battles, for example).
I try to pretend FFII doesn't exist (but it still has a place in Final Fantasy... even if I hate it). I did not like that game. FFXIII is way better than II (it may have been linear, but at least it didn't have those stupid "trap rooms" with the obnoxiously high encounter rate. I think those trap rooms had almost-boss tier monsters in them as well. FFII is a bad game. FFXIII is an okay game).
After looking into this and my thoughts where always It's a main numbered game it counts.
FFXI and FFXIV are FF main number games. HOWEVER
ARR isn't. ARR is more like a spin off game than a main number game.
That isn't really how I look at it to be honest.
Final Fantasy XIV's expansions are more like sequels to the original than anything else imo, hell the patch versions pretty much confirm this, being ARR FFXIV-2(.0), Heavensward would be XIV-3(.0), so on and so forth.
Now wether or not the sequels like X-2 and XIII-2 count as mainline FF games is entirely up to you.
Thing is though, telling someone that FFXI and FFXIV are too different from the rest of the series because they are multiplayer is an opinion. Saying that they are not Final Fantasy because they are multiplayer is an incorrect interpretation of a fact. It's all in semantics tbh. I get where both the OP and his friend are coming from, but the argument is basically over how the friend worded his statement which was incorrect.
XI gets a bad rep for being grindy and it was true, not going to try and sugar coat that. Personally I don't care what the games are classified as, if I like the game and it has FF elements, it's an FF.
You got the streamlined or simplified type FF and the not so streamlined and complex FF.
Streamlined:
FFIV,FFVII, XIII, FFX, FFXIV and FFXV are those FF for me. Not worse than the other ones just different.
Complex:
FFVI, FFXII, and FFXI are those FF for me. Not worse than the others just different.
If the mmos count for you, FFXI is the deepest FF ever made, so much so that it worked against it. Yes, there is such a thing as having too many complex interweaving systems, for the masses to want to jump in. It was one of my favorite FF, but I know why a bunch of people did not play it besides just being a grind.