Your past inspiring your future to come.
A great game like this(FFXI), should have carried over to what your originally trying to create now (FFXIV).
A fan of the series made this montage, great stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzrmw...layer_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iesY1...layer_embedded
I say this a fan and out of respect for the great stuff you all give to us yearly. But, until FFXIV feels like FFXI does(because it still has that epic feel), and then some, its going to become a fail. You can't have your 9 year old mmo outshine your new IP that just makes no sense. Yoshi-p, I beg you, this is the formula you need to follow --> That feel FFXI gave us when we first heard that title music.
-Re-do zones. I hope this is part of your new threat to Eorzea. Have each 5 major zones be as different as possible, as if you have them sectioned off with loading(eg.FFXI), to present a new art direction.
-The Ocean boat rides in FFXI are far superior, detail, music and all, to that of FFXIV. Please fix this. Aquatic life popping out of the water(all in FFXI)
You got to have your staples for Final Fantasy be shown as soon as possible, or it just makes no sense.
-Bring back "Fame" to gain honor with various nations, to unlock new quest and so forth. These little this make for progress, and I have everyone feel we are accomplishing something.
-Bring back Moogles as NPC's or summons
-Have Chocobo's run in the wild, as mobs. If we can't ride them yet, let us at least fight them.
-Cid should be seen as early as possible. Not some NPC that is presented as a lvl 50 quest.
-Have something epic happen mid level(main story arc). FFXI we had the dragon fight. FFXIV we get to choose a friend?! I don't need no flipping friend! That's what my fellow gamers playing this game are for. To join up and fight something big.
I hope by May, or whenever, you can have this game feel like FFXI had us feel the first 20 levels of main story game play. Then we can shake hands and smile together.