A modest 1.0 proposal...

Bring back 1.0.
Yes, I was there. Yes, I rmbr needing 3 ice packs in rotation to even play the game or my laptop would overheat and crash. Yes, I found the lag insufferable. But hear me out!

I've been playing FFXIV since they added Dragoon back in (thanks Yoshi). Dumpster fire that it was, I really loved FFXIV. It has been my main MMO ever since; and I don't plan on leaving; The game is fun and I love it (or I wouldn't have played it for 14 years). But that doesn't mean I don't have criticisms.

I felt this THE MOMENT ARR beta began and BLM had Fire and Blizzard as rotational abilities & Thunder was a lowly DoT. I instantly knew the game was a WoW clone with little semblance to past FF combat systems (ala FFXI).

However, my point is that I find the current Job System a shallow husk of it's previous incarnation, FFXI; and Job homogenization being a problem. (Heavensward Dragoon was my favorite version of that Job, it felt just right; & every version since has felt bloated.) Likewise, the combat system of GCD with OCD weaves, just feels, i dunno....just fine? I miss so much of 1.0's elements, like UI ability icons, HP bars, skill ups, impactful animations with momentum, sound effects, how polearms would extend when unsheathed...

i dislike every MMO now being ARPGs. I miss slower, methodical combat of FFXI and 1.0. And you can't invoke nostalgia with me, at least not for FFXI, since I didn't truly play that game until 2021. I just find FFXI's combat better in every respect (subjective opinion).

TLDR and Continuing the point, Not asking FFXIV to change per se; but may I submit a few suggestions; if only to show my interest (since Square doesn't have a suggestion box).

• Can we get a game mode in XIV ala Eureka/Bozja; but the combat system is FFXI's?
• Can you release FFXIV Classic, as a client never meant to be updated and just experienced for posterity's sake?
• Failing that, can you release the source code for FFXIV 1.0 since you clearly have zero intention of ever using it or letting it see the light of day again?
• On a parallel request: FFXI remaster when? WITHOUT altering the combat or aesthetic. (Get it off PlayOnline, put it in the FFXIV launcher, update the engine, update the UI to support modern resolutions, get it off the PS2 dev kits, bundle the subs together.....FFXIV owes its existence to 11 lmao; if any game deserves a remaster, it's 11). I feel like if you leaned into the "slower tactical old school experience" with FFXI, and "modern streamlined action-y experience" with FFXIV, they'd co-exist quite nicely....
• Would you consider an offline port of FFXIV 1.0, for again, posterity's sake.

Yes, yes, inb4 "nightmare."
Here's to hoping Echoes of Vana'diel is amazing (and a sign of things to come...)

On the second point, Yoshi categorically said 'NO' to a reactivated FFXIV 1.0 (the word he used was literally "NIGHTMARE!!" - it even became a meme accordingly). I also understand it that 1.0's source files and code no longer exist, having been deleted by SE after it's final shutdown at the end of 2012, so it wouldn't even be possible even if they wanted to.

And the airship has sailed for a FFXI remaster - it's pretty clear that is actually the reason we're getting this raid here in FFXIV, it's meant to be a way of memorializing FFXI for prosperity once the curtain does finally fall on Vana'diel (and it will eventually). The closest that we got a FFXI remaster was the planned mobile version whose development was abandoned long ago.

It would probably be a huge amount of work to create a eureka-esque side mode meant to play like 1.0/XI. Like you'd have to make PvP style alternate spells and abilities for every job. Depending on how XI you want it, you might have to invent an entire new UI just to be able to display all the spells. And even though I'd be down for it, when Eureka launched a lot of people were mad about having an XI sort of mode and it wasn't even that much like XI, you just lost exp when you died and some people hated that.

I'm going to keep wearing my tinfoil hat on the XI remaster. They'll have even more of the graphics part of the work done after the XI raid! And the version update for FFXI this month added new controller keybinds for the first time ever, which makes it feel like they're still interested in improving the game and not just letting cobwebs pile up in maintenance mode.

Sounds like you really wanna play XI

You should probably go play XI

I loved 1.0 I logged in March 2010 and it was a lag fest but to be fair it was a closed Alpha test and I stayed and it got better.

I disliked the clunky interface the lag but I adored the world that to be honest was really lovely and had so much potential. If I remember right we had to fill in a survey around the time game was doing so bad, it asked if we wanted a remake or them to keep adding to it and I wished they had done that as now we have a empty lifeless world no Notorious monsters no party levelling together in the world and no real meaning to any gear or jobs.

I love FFXIV and do not mind the new one but logging in after 1.0 came as a shock and not a good one as it had become a shell and also cartoon looking. I know I am nostalgic as I have so many memories but when I read the posts from other players wanting what we had even though it was a bit crap because needed work I do feel sad because the game was more like FFXI and had purpose.

I know 1.0 was not perfect and instead of a reboot maybe they should just make something like FFXI next but I guess I am dreaming.

While I think the request for a FFXIV Classic that is periodically requested is unrealistic and will never happen, I do think it's a shame that so much lore and content is essentially lost because it's inaccessible, but that lore still exists in the current world and can often be obscure or just plain not understood by those who never played 1.0 (for example, people not realizing what Thancred is talking about in ShB when he refers to failing Minfillia and there's just a sepia image of the goobbue incident from the ul'dah intro).

What I think would be more do-able and would finally let story/lore enthusiasts reconnect with lost stories is if there was a series of events or an instance system implemented that let people experience modified versions of some of those battles/moments that are lost to time.
There could be an entire series of recreations, perhaps using the in-game excuse of our Echo reacting to something old or an old NPC that had been involved in the event.
Some examples of what I'm talking about:

- a modified remaster/remake of the series of events surrounding Nael van Darnus, where we could experience the cutscenes (as Echoes) of the previous series of cutscenes introducing her and then lead up to a recreated 8-man trial of the original Nael fight
- a re-compilation of the cutscenes leading up to the Fall of Dalamud, so people could see how it was slowly discovered and how it led to the original 3 city alliance
- a questline explaining/summarizing the Path Companion's original backstory and purpose, maybe the quest itself is finding a Path Companion (if you're Legacy, you could finally run into your own Path Companion again) and see what another Echo wielder has been up to all this time, as well as explaining to non-1.0 people what the Path of the Twelve group was

These could be linked quests that basically allow you to uncover entire chunks of story that is currently inaccessible to players. As a bonus to Legacy players, the text could be altered to reflect on how maybe for them this is them revisiting their own memories with the Echo perhaps?

It wouldn't necessarily be a full 1-to-1 of all older cutscenes and events ported into 2.0+ FFXIV (the combat would definitely NOT be 1.0 but rather just current combat style), but at least it would do something towards bringing most of that lost information into the current game, AND it would provide some new playable content (quests, trials, instances, maybe dungeons based on old unfinished 1.0 dungeon ideas?) that everyone could enjoy.

Call the whole thing "Echoes of a Realm Reborn" or "Before the Reborn Realm" or something like that maybe.

I think if a higher up forced Yoshi P to reactivate 1.0 he would straight up quit. 1.0 was another "almost ruined the company" moment he actively pulled Square Enix off.

I don't think they're going to give it to us at this point for any reason at all. But at the very least I'd love to get to view the CS in-game with my character in it lol.

Fat wishes, I know.

OP, aside from XI you might also want to try Dragon Quest X. There's a good free trial that you can play with translation software and a Japanese VPN, details on the Ethene Wiki. It has methodical, almost turn-based combat, very unique feeling jobs (vocations) and a lot of charming DQ flavour.

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Originally Posted by Rein_eon_Osborne

I don't think they're going to give it to us at this point for any reason at all. But at the very least I'd love to get to view the CS in-game with my character in it lol.

Fat wishes, I know.

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This. I’d totally go watch all the cutscenes in the Unending Journey if they made that an option. I’ve watched some on them online, but I’d love to be able to see my character in them!

XIV classic (pre ARR) will never happen, and I say this as someone who played back then and didn't hate it. I actually liked some of the old mechanics more than some of today.

It will never happen because they didn't preserve much of 1.0~1.23 that would allow them to just put some instance of it up and running easily. And to try salvage what was left would cost time, effort and resources that simply doesn't justify giving customers access to an iteration of a game that from the eyes of the company was a critically low point in their business life.

Wasn't expecting the nice discussion, lol.
Yes, 1.0 cutscenes in 2.0+ has been a much needed feature; but I like this idea of some of the encounters from 1.0 being turned into Echo encounters! I love that. This gave me the idea that perhaps they could 'remake' the 1.0 storyline by invoking a certain forgotten alternate timeline and time travel shenanigans, maybe an Ascian is 'up to something,' giving us an option to see that story again.

Yes, i miss the Path companion, seeing him again would be a dream come true!!

And to those saying to play XI, I do! I couldn't sleep last night, and I wrote up a spreadsheet of all the Blue Mage spells I have and those I don't, my current count is 177/196; the only ones I'm missing require a group or unique weather in Adoulin areas. I want to get EVERY Blue Spell before I continue the Treasures of Aht Urgan story.

Otherwise, I refuse to believe remastering XI is "impossible." It deserves too much to let it rot away. i refuse ToT I'm so glad it's still getting updated. Tinfoil hat me up; my conspiracy theory is that half the XIV enemies being imported and upscaled XI models is them secretly rebuilding the game in secret and not jUST a way to cut costs for XIV. FFVII-R was being done by a third party company, and then Square brought it totally in-house and took over that; why couldn't they have done something similar with FFXI Remake? It wasn't going the way they wanted under the third party, so they went Thanos-mode and said "Fine, I'll do it myself."

I was saying the same stuff before about reusing FFXIV 1.0 moving forward. Reuse the zone, and give newer players a chance to get old 1.0 gear (like the Peregrine Helm), without the random chance (and impossible odds) of quick ventures. They could make it so we're trying to find stuff that was lost during the cataclysm or something.

I also don't think a remake, or remaster, of FFXI is out of the question. I'm just not sure I wouldn't want current SE to do it. To many questionable moves from the company as a whole in recent years.

My fondest memories of this game is 1.0 and as much as I would love it back, it's not going to happen.

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Originally Posted by Rhivryn

[B].

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You don't want 1.0. YOU want 1.23B (which was the final update before the game shutdown to the ARR opening movie). Don't get it twisted, at least. If you wanna experience FFXIV 1.0, go play XI. Trust me, it's 10x's better than what 1.0 was. Like... ever.

The main thing I would want out of 1.x is the games' story... Not just as a collection of cutscenes but to actually play through it...

It wouldn't need to be an MMO, or use the gameplay of the original FFXIV... The story is already written and finished, so it would just be a matter of building a game around it.

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Originally Posted by CaptainLagbeard

The main thing I would want out of 1.x is the games' story... Not just as a collection of cutscenes but to actually play through it...

It wouldn't need to be an MMO, or use the gameplay of the original FFXIV... The story is already written and finished, so it would just be a matter of building a game around it.

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An offline variant of 1.0 would be neat; could be a chance to revisit some of those older ideas and mechanics that never made it to 2.0 (Hamlet Defence being the first thing that pops into mind), bring back ideas that 2.0 used but scrapped over time (cross-classing already works very well in other offline FF games), as well as just clean up some of the lore that has since had retcons. The main thing to keep would be the "spirit" (for lack of a better word) of 1.0, especially in its gameplay and atmosphere. Looking at old footage of 1.0 always gave the feel of the world being more grounded or "realistic" (for another lack of a better word) compared to what we have now.

Also it'd be nice to see Coerthas before it was covered in snow.

Its a waste to have all that gone... they either should release some offline version, or let others use it, there WERE private servers trying to recreate it and im sure there still ppl working on it.

Im sick of companies going "we have it and dont use it and we WILL get you if you try!"...

While they are at it I would love my old characters voice back.....I felt like they stole her soul when they changed it QQ

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Originally Posted by Kuroka

Its a waste to have all that gone... they either should release some offline version, or let others use it, there WERE private servers trying to recreate it and im sure there still ppl working on it.

Im sick of companies going "we have it and dont use it and we WILL get you if you try!"...

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According to bitbucket there hasn't been an update in years for that one.

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Originally Posted by Elkanah

You don't want 1.0. YOU want 1.23B (which was the final update before the game shutdown to the ARR opening movie). Don't get it twisted, at least. If you wanna experience FFXIV 1.0, go play XI. Trust me, it's 10x's better than what 1.0 was. Like... ever.

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I hate when people tell others what they "actually" want. I want 1.0 AND 1.23b. I want to experience everything. Considering I actually enjoyed my time in 1.0 when most people say what you do about it; I'm sure I'd be just fine. (I got into the beta, only reason i didn't play 1.0 right form launch was because it nearly destroyed my computer simply entering Limsa; i had a new one by the time i picked the game back up). As someone with a degree in Production Animation and know how games are made; I don't just come at games from a consumer standpoint; but also a critical eye, both artistically and mechanically. Despite how horrible people claim it to be, there's always something to be learned; and something worth preserving. (imo). And XI isn't the same as XIV 1.0; they had similar systems, but weren't the same.

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Originally Posted by hunter2

OP, aside from XI you might also want to try Dragon Quest X. There's a good free trial that you can play with translation software and a Japanese VPN, details on the Ethene Wiki. It has methodical, almost turn-based combat, very unique feeling jobs (vocations) and a lot of charming DQ flavour.

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I forgot to respond to this! I've never actually played a DQ game...I've been meaning to try X but keep forgetting! I'll be sure to give it a try! Thank you!

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Originally Posted by Kuroka

Its a waste to have all that gone... they either should release some offline version, or let others use it, there WERE private servers trying to recreate it and im sure there still ppl working on it.

Im sick of companies going "we have it and dont use it and we WILL get you if you try!"...

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Exactly this! The waste of just totally getting rid of it T-T ... give us the source code at least so we can do it ourselves. (And someone mentioned they just deleted it, which seems even more wasteful. Reminds me of the sadness of finding out we'll never get remasters of the PS2 .hack// quadrilogy because they LOST the source code like...wtf? Glad i still have my original discs...)

The biggest issue with players recreating a 1.x server is that so much of the game was handled on the server's end...

People were able to reverse-engineer a functional server and game out of old installations and physical copies of the game, but there's no quests, no NPCs or enemies or anything... Aside from getting that data leaked from SE, if they even have it anymore, for them to move forward with it would involve remaking every piece of content.

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Originally Posted by CaptainLagbeard

The biggest issue with players recreating a 1.x server is that so much of the game was handled on the server's end...

People were able to reverse-engineer a functional server and game out of old installations and physical copies of the game, but there's no quests, no NPCs or enemies or anything... Aside from getting that data leaked from SE, if they even have it anymore, for them to move forward with it would involve remaking every piece of content.

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ive been delving in to that for a personal project of mine (i wanted to see how they were achieving auto-attack; im trying to replicate XI's combat in unreal engine, but im not a programmer...); the current version seems to have basic combat with a tiny number of enemies; but XP is still wacky. But sadly, there seems to be a hiatus and small number of people willing to rebuild it (tho from what i've seen of youtube comments, at least a decent niche of people who want to play it).

They could just make 1.0 Story its own game, maybe have it as DLC story for FFXVI where Clive goes to the world of Hydaelyn and be one of the observers of the calamity?

Wishful thinking OP. I'd play it, I surely would. But Square hasn't been run by the creatives in a long time. No Suit is gonna green light it.

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Originally Posted by Rhivryn

Bring back 1.0.

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Hell big fucking "NO" :)

I'm sorry you are feeling nostalgic, but please move on from 1.0.

https://imgur.com/eSsUmG5.png

1.0 barely had a story at all and was mostly covered in 2.0
If you want lore, just go watch this.

Anyway...

https://imgur.com/pWAPv1g.png

https://imgur.com/bZ5jO4S.png

https://imgur.com/1V3Owj6.png

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Originally Posted by DiaDeem

https://imgur.com/eSsUmG5.png

1.0 barely had a story at all and was mostly covered in 2.0
If you want lore, just go watch this.

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Contrary to a lot of replies in here, the Lore is the least reasons I would want 1.0 back (considering most of the cutscenes are out there available to watch. I'm more interested in getting the gameplay, sound effects, and UI back (not the server lag, the actual mechanics themselves) mostly for my own purposes. (I enjoyed it).
BUT ALSO. THAT DS DEMAKE GIVES ME LIFE. Im obsessed with demakes lol.

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Originally Posted by Vyrerus

Wishful thinking OP. I'd play it, I surely would. But Square hasn't been run by the creatives in a long time. No Suit is gonna green light it.

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Yea.....:(

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Originally Posted by FudoMyoo

Hell big fucking "NO" :)

I'm sorry you are feeling nostalgic, but please move on from 1.0.

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Never

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Originally Posted by Rhivryn

sound effects

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Oh man... I do get that. I don't play Ragnarok Online anymore, but anytime I listen to its sound effects, they're so satisfying and nostalgic. 1.0 had a very particular and rather neat sound scape, thought I'm pretty sure ARR's sound effects will have the same effect on must of us 20 years down the line.

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Originally Posted by Rhivryn

BUT ALSO. THAT DS DEMAKE GIVES ME LIFE. Im obsessed with demakes lol.

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I made that image a looong time ago. I made a thread a while back and people were pretty lukewarm towards it. I'd so play it.

hard pass.

despite the rose coloured tint you are viewing things through, 1.0 wasnt all that grand.

and you would want to pull development and money from what we have now, to put into something that was worse? and please dont say you wouldnt expect improvements to it as it aged... poorly... which would pull more time and money away from what we are playing now.

so.. I would be against bringing back 1.0. it came and went.. let it rest where it lays

I would like a plain old RoZ/CoP XI to go back to. Doubt that will ever happen.

I loved 1.0 and I hate that old me didn't think to take screenshots often or record video. It was harder back then, I suppose, and I probably would have lost them to time. I made a lot of friends in that game and I had a lot of good memories that I can never have back and I will never be able to revisit. 1.0 was flawed and I will never act like it wasn't a trash fire. But there *was* good in it that I think wouldn't be so bad to bring back or at least be able to see again. It mostly goes towards its zone design and the themeing of them rather than the battle design.

The zones in some regards were superior. I much prefer 1.0 Thanalan to 2.0 Thanalan. Thanalan as we know it has water EVERYWHERE and is very condensed. The only part that feels like a desert is a blink and you'll miss it spot in the south. I loved the traversal in 1.0 Thanalan and still do. It had a good mixture of water, canyons and actual desert. A bit under-decorated, sure, but way more immersive. Ul'dah was still set up near a logical set of water while the further you got away the more sparse it got. I think it's superior. It'd be nice to revisit the old Coerthas with its caverns and interesting cave systems and verticality. We don't have many zones that have layers like that one did, I guess so players don't get confused on their minimaps? Still, I liked it and it's a shame that'll never be seen again.

Black Shroud was a travesty and should never be seen again. But it had one thing that 2.0 Black Shroud doesn't have: It actually feels opressive. The lore of Gridania makes it sound like they are constantly harrassed by growing flora and they are at the mercy of the forest and the elementals. But in reality it's got a bunch of open space and the trees have all kinds of space between them. 1.0 Black Shroud fit that oppressiveness to a T so it has that *one* thing going for it. lol I'll admit I really don't remember La Noscea much. I guess the vibes were similar and there's not much to differentiate it.

I kinda regret not continuing on my 1.0 character. I chose to leave my Miqo'te behind and re-rolled a Fem Roegadyn instead. Eh, it's just a tattoo that's covered up anyway. Anyway point is 1.0 is gone and I'm slightly melancholic about it since, warts and all, I still loved it. If it came back it wouldn't be the same and it would only serve to jog memories of when I played it and the people I have forgotten due to not taking screenshots. I can't even remember their names and I used to spend hours a day with them.

Edit: Oh and as people said, Path Companion! They were a fun innovative idea. We'll never see them again and that's also a tad sad.

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Originally Posted by DiaDeem

Oh man... I do get that. I don't play Ragnarok Online anymore, but anytime I listen to its sound effects, they're so satisfying and nostalgic.

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Hell yes, that Ragnarok Login Screen music lives rent free in my head.
And I'm so glad you brought that into the world, thank you!

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Originally Posted by Kes13a

hard pass.

despite the rose coloured tint you are viewing things through,

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Not really rose-tinted. I was there. I rmbr the good and the bad.
I had to cut my OP from 5k to 3k words; and part of that was talking about seeing a vid on YT of the "new" DRG abilities added in; and I knew i needed to play it; AND that I consider myself an MMO addict, and have played most of them, and that FFXIV 1.0 was one of the few games I actually ever got to max level in, so it had to have done *something* right. It was UNFINISHED yet had potential; and I miss the work the devs had been able to put into it; laggy as hell that it was. Lag aside, i really liked the slower combat, and playing games like TnL recently made me miss it all the more.

And it wasn't a serious request, I know it's impossible with SE's current corporate alignment; no suit would ever do something for "potential" or "art," I was merely expressing the *interest* w/ a commentary on the lack of slower paced MMOs in the modern arena (And a roundabout way to install my FFXI conspiracy copium somewhere). I wouldn't want development to be "taken away" from FFXIV (but if you want my two cents on that matter; considering the money it (AND FFXI) bring in, the least they could do was put more of that directly into the game, but again corporate suits...). In a perfect dream world, I'd buy out all the stockholders and hire a whole team to bring back 1.0; facelift XI, and everyone else can focus on art rather than profit.

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Originally Posted by SeriousPan

I loved 1.0

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YES! empty as the world was; there was a certain, almost creepy atmosphere to it, that I miss and 2.0+ lacks. I spent a lot of time in La Noscea, to the point I can sometimes rmbr the general correspdonding location between 1.0 and 2.0 when I'm there. Everytime I run a dungeon in a modern MMO, I find myself thinking of OG Sposhae/Sastasha...weird open world caves with NMs creeping about where I got my first good equipment! (and I always bring up Black Shroud when I have horror stories to share lmao!) OH Mor Dhona was THE ZONE. It SUCKS they never gave us southern Mor Dhona back; and yes I miss original Coerthas as well.

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Originally Posted by Rabblerabble

I would like a plain old RoZ/CoP XI to go back to. Doubt that will ever happen.

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you technically can right now, google HorizonXI

I can't be the only one who thinks of a very different type of 'modest proposal' when I read the thread title.

5.0 spoiler:

Also known as as 'Eulmoran BBQ'

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Originally Posted by Birdbrain

I can't be the only one who thinks of a very different type of 'modest proposal' when I read the thread title.

5.0 spoiler:

Also known as as 'Eulmoran BBQ'

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im glad the reference wasn't lost XD