For FFXI players

Does anyone else feel this game lacks the magical feeling of XI and accomplishment. I have 3 lv 50s and not one came within a hair of how happy i was back in 04 to hit 75BLM. Also when i was lv 20 and first made it to jeuno after a long epic run from sandy, man nothing compares to the adventurous and spine-chilling felling walking through the zones leading to jeunos enchanting music. I'm still trying to figure out if I lost interest in FF or if this game just lacks the content to make it magical. Does anyone else feel the same?

Your comparing XIV to a game that had allready been out a year prior to you ever even thinking about touching it.

I wonder how the JP community felt when there were only 8 zones for the whole game. Hell land-mass wise even smaller than XIV. NM's didn't exist for a few months "sound familliar" and job were super unbalanced and Sub-jobs didn't exist.

The only real difference I see is there is less travel and it is easier to level.

I remember getting to 75 was a massive accomplishment, it took most people over a year of playing to get thier first capped level job. I think the ease of leveling in this game took some of that feeling away.

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Originally Posted by Xatsh

The only real difference I see is there is less travel and it is easier to level.

I remember getting to 75 was a massive accomplishment, it took most people over a year of playing to get thier first capped level job. I think the ease of leveling in this game took some of that feeling away.

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Yea I know I can get to 18 with about 7 leves lol.

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Originally Posted by Jynx

Your comparing XIV to a game that had allready been out a year prior to you ever even thinking about touching it.

I wonder how the JP community felt when there were only 8 zones for the whole game. Hell land-mass wise even smaller than XIV. NM's didn't exist for a few months "sound familliar" and job were super unbalanced and Sub-jobs didn't exist.

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I'm comparing the feeling each game gave me doesn't matter how long it has been out.

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Originally Posted by Jynx

Your comparing XIV to a game that had allready been out a year prior to you ever even thinking about touching it.

I wonder how the JP community felt when there were only 8 zones for the whole game. Hell land-mass wise even smaller than XIV. NM's didn't exist for a few months "sound familliar" and job were super unbalanced and Sub-jobs didn't exist.

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They felt like crap, they hated it, they complained, people can look this up. Google FFXI first year, or something like that, its the 21st century people use them fingers, those JPs were pissed, believe this guys post.

Getting to 50 took me less than half as long as it took me to go 50-75 in ffxi. Don't worry guys... When the final level cap has been decided, it won't be easy to obtain. Probably.

I'm sure it won't be easy to obtain, but it will be more crappy boring monotonous guildleves right? I hope not. ; ;

I had a friend who played FFXI at Japanese release, he said the game was so laggy and buggy and horrible it made him want to punch babies. He said it took a good 8 months for the game to run at optimal condition and not be in the same state FFXIV was in before some of the new patches. (lacking content)

Two years from now a 16 year old is going to be lucky enough to find Square's timeless classics on the PlayStation Network. After playing through them he is going to want something, anything else by this company. He will find FFXIV: Collection for $19.95 and join his first MMO.

He will get all the "feelings" "friends" and "sense of accomplishment" that FFXI players attribute to their game but in reality got from their first true MMO love affair.

8 years from now that kid is going to be on the FFXIX forums bashing the crap out of it, asking why the friends, feelings and accomplishments are now missing from the genre.

FFXIV might be great some day but it sure as Slth won't ever bring back fond memories of days past.

Sorry.

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Originally Posted by rotutu

Does anyone else feel this game lacks the magical feeling of XI and accomplishment. I have 3 lv 50s and not one came within a hair of how happy i was back in 04 to hit 75BLM. Also when i was lv 20 and first made it to jeuno after a long epic run from sandy, man nothing compares to the adventurous and spine-chilling felling walking through the zones leading to jeunos enchanting music. I'm still trying to figure out if I lost interest in FF or if this game just lacks the content to make it magical. Does anyone else feel the same?

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Its this game. I loved FFXI for many reasons, I don't know what they are any more, but FFXIV hasn't given me that same feeling at all.

are we using sith as a cuss word now, that's wizard.

I believe only your first mmo gives you "that" feeling. Other ones after, tend to disappoint.

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Originally Posted by Commat

Two years from now a 16 year old is going to be lucky enough to find Square's timeless classics on the PlayStation Network. After playing through them he is going to want something, anything else by this company. He will find FFXIV: Collection for $19.95 and join his first MMO.

He will get all the "feelings" "friends" and "sense of accomplishment" that FFXI players attribute to their game but in reality got from their first true MMO love affair.

8 years from now that kid is going to be on the FFXIX forums bashing the crap out of it, asking why the friends, feelings and accomplishments are now missing from the genre.

FFXIV might be great some day but it sure as Slth won't ever bring back fond memories of days past.

Sorry.

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I don't think this is entirely right. Some of what I enjoyed about XI was that it was new, but new doesn't keep players around for 8 years. They did something right with XI considering it's still even running that goes far beyond the simple thrill of playing a new game.

But I also admit that XIV, despite it's short-comings, does (once in a while) remind me of that feeling. Especially when I log on and jump into a Behest just to end up in a group with 3 or 4 other people from the party for the next 8 hours. I don't know what happened, I don't know where the time went, but suddenly I'm rank 22 and I've made 4 new friends that I had a great time with. I just love happy coincidences.

The point being that XIV definitely has the potential, but right now that's about all it has to it's name. It aggravates me to log in and see them squander that potential, but there's no denying it's there.

Dear Kiroh,

Great points and /sadface for the unfortunate truth of paragraph three.

I am aware that the game has to be good to draw people in for years but unfortunately many people stay in MMOs long after the good feelings, adventure and fun has left them. Hell, i have done it. Friends and obligation are a part of MMOs for me and years pass before some of us are willing to let go.

I also think its neat that you pointed out that, yes in fact, new games can suck us in again. I just, right now, have no reason to believe that the high will be as sweet or the time as long.

Just my unneeded two cents.

FFXIV has given me many different feelings for a game I have never had, yet some of the same feelings of excitement I get from playing any new MMO. I stick with the game because the game is good enough and has infinite potential to be what I thought it was going to be from the start.

FFXIV should've given the same, if not better feelings that XI brought, and it's very sad it fails to do so in most areas. Even though we got XI a year later, XIV had all of XI's years of experience on how to make an MMO and make it with charm; along with all the previous Final Fantasys. Looking ahead 6 months from now when we are a year into XIV, will that charm be there or will we still be remembering XI so much more fondly?

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Originally Posted by Commat

Two years from now a 16 year old is going to be lucky enough to find Square's timeless classics on the PlayStation Network. After playing through them he is going to want something, anything else by this company. He will find FFXIV: Collection for $19.95 and join his first MMO.

He will get all the "feelings" "friends" and "sense of accomplishment" that FFXI players attribute to their game but in reality got from their first true MMO love affair.

8 years from now that kid is going to be on the FFXIX forums bashing the crap out of it, asking why the friends, feelings and accomplishments are now missing from the genre.

FFXIV might be great some day but it sure as Slth won't ever bring back fond memories of days past.

Sorry.

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Yup. If FFXI popped your MMO cherry, you'll never get that feeling again. Enjoy what you can without looking to regain a high you once felt a long time ago. It's not going to happen unless you sustain head trauma and forget it all.

This is all that's left. It's only magic if you don't know how the trick runs. Now you know.

it seems many ppl on here wasn't here for JP or NA release of 11, or they wouldn't be compare 11 to 14 b/c 14 is way ahead of 11 was at this stage. 11 didn't get better till COP released, ROZ was nice but it was just that nice.

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Originally Posted by zaviermhigo

They felt like crap, they hated it, they complained, people can look this up. Google FFXI first year, or something like that, its the 21st century people use them fingers, those JPs were pissed, believe this guys post.

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That's why they made global servers, to fill all the vacancies left by JP players who quit.

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Originally Posted by Jynx

Your comparing XIV to a game that had allready been out a year prior to you ever even thinking about touching it.

I wonder how the JP community felt when there were only 8 zones for the whole game. Hell land-mass wise even smaller than XIV. NM's didn't exist for a few months "sound familliar" and job were super unbalanced and Sub-jobs didn't exist.

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Player from JP PS2 release here,
your information are sadly, mostly incorrect.
There are already 9 region(around36 zone)+all 4 city at the time of May02, with 2 more (northland) on Nov 02, Subjob existed since release as well.

There is no achievement comparable to arriving Jeuno or getting subjob(took me 3 months) in FFXIV, at least, for me.

XI was my first mmo and my first time hitting a "cap" and I completely hated doing it because it was such a drag sometimes. Crappy parties, fail EXP, unskilled, ungeared, waiting and waiting and waiting for people.

I am glad to put that behind me, Level shouldnt not be something you have to work for.

My 2 cents is ffxi was the first mmo for alot of ppl. None of us had any idea what to expect. Everyone was just havinf fun and trying different combos of subjobs. We pretty much just played the game.

Now most of us are playing ffxiv, we know what to expect and come to find it is not there, we know and want the best exp/hr. We want to min/max our classes and such. But we can't do that due to the systems in place.

Personally I think part of the problem is people are overly comparing the two games and trying to make ffxiv into ffxi where they had a level 75. Most of what you guys want to do sound more like work. Also no one is forcing you to do levequests. Since the adjustment of party size how about go find grind camps. SE didn't want ppl to do the pull camps but the roam kind. Least thats my 2 cents. Maybe stop trying to force the min/max exp/hr notion. Try experimenting a lil bit. Take a break from doing levequests and just grind mobs. It will take longer to level, but that is what you want.

Yes I've never had that sense of accomplishment that XI starter missions give the player. For example the rank 3 dragon fight was amazing but there's nothing even close to that in XIV. Everything is easy and streamlined into nothingness. The player can just turn their brain off and mash enemies without fear of death. =(

I hope they re-do the storyline missions and make them more involving like XI missions are. Besides the storyline is a real mess especially since the player sees bits of it very very rarely. Frankly I have no idea what's going on in XIV and why I'm doing the same leve thing over and over again. They're trying to fix the battle system but I have no reason to fight in this world.

Of course you aren't going to have the same feeling, for many FF11 was their first MMO and yes it makes all the difference.

I have played much better MMO's than FF11 but it still probably remains my favourite because it was my first :P, nostalgia is also a huge factor when you look back on past experiences.

As others have said though FF11 in its first year was pretty horrendeous and suffered many of the same failing that's FF14 is/has, just give it time, and stop frikkin making these same post over and over every couple of days.

I just don't think this game is setup for a feeling of achievement or nostalgia. Everything is to easy, 3-5m repop for nms, seriously? how am I supposed to feel accomplished for getting that item. It took me 5 months to get my kraken club, needless to say I was pretty happy when it was in my inventory.

I honestly miss chilling around Jeuno trying to build a party.

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Originally Posted by Commat

Two years from now a 16 year old is going to be lucky enough to find Square's timeless classics on the PlayStation Network. After playing through them he is going to want something, anything else by this company. He will find FFXIV: Collection for $19.95 and join his first MMO.

He will get all the "feelings" "friends" and "sense of accomplishment" that FFXI players attribute to their game but in reality got from their first true MMO love affair.

8 years from now that kid is going to be on the FFXIX forums bashing the crap out of it, asking why the friends, feelings and accomplishments are now missing from the genre.

FFXIV might be great some day but it sure as Slth won't ever bring back fond memories of days past.

Sorry.

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I understand your point in this, but there is a strong missing aspect to what you are saying. The FFXI nostalgia isn't only based on people's first MMO. I myself began in Everquest (It's later days) and went on to play Dark Age of Camelot before eventually getting to FFXI and FFXIV (with a couple others in between).

When playing DAoC, my second MMO, I remember finding all the shortcomings by comparing it to what I knew. The game was not as hardcore and you didn't have that fear of death or the adrenaline of being PK'd and losing substantial money.. You did not have the same skillups etc.. But, I ended up playing DAoC for a long time and after you transition mentally, you start to take out what was better and was simply is different.

Now, on to FFXI. Of all the MMO's I've played, it had by far the most to do and the biggest focus on accomplishment. There were tons of different game systems which fell outside simple quests and dungeon crawling. Each of the systems were, for the most part, self contained. When it comes to the accomplishment focus, I have seen no other game to date pull it off effectively like FFXI. You had never ending accomplishments to go for.. Unlocking your fellow, all the subjobs, the summoner spells, chocobo, airship, etc. This is on top of all the accomplishments from the various systems and the main storylines which, likewise, would open up new areas. This unlocking really added to the sense of accomplishment.

Now I look at FFXIV and I certainly do not yet get that feel. Those two things I mentioned are what I drew from FFXI as the biggest pieces to why it was such a great game. This game is young and there is no reason to believe that it will not have those.

As for other aspects, if you really want to determine whether this is a good game or not, and it is your second MMO, following FFX, then when comparing this to FFXI really try and determine whether the difference truly is for the worse, or whether it is different for the sake of being different, and thus seems worse for nostalgic reasons.

Just thought I'd add my two cents for someone who did not begin on FFXI. It truly was a unique and under-appreciated game in the entire world of the mmo. There is no reason why FFXIV can't get there.

Think of all the accomplishment you had in XI even by the time you hit 25, Subjob quest, rank 2-3 dragon, airship pass, getting to jeuno followed by getting to kazham.

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Originally Posted by rotutu

Think of all the accomplishment you had in XI even by the time you hit 25, Subjob quest, rank 2-3 dragon, airship pass, getting to jeuno followed by getting to kazham.

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Well we have a new job system being developed which could be similar to subjob quest.

We have no airships so no airship pass, but they are heavily hinted at in the recent quests.

Khazam was added a year later with the first expansion, and I'm sure FFXIV will open up new area's with its first expansion.

Part of the issue is that you don't unlock any new game mechanics or significant content as you level up. There really is no sense of accomplishment for hitting certain ranks.

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Originally Posted by Timotheus

Player from JP PS2 release here,
your information are sadly, mostly incorrect.
There are already 9 region(around36 zone)+all 4 city at the time of May02, with 2 more (northland) on Nov 02, Subjob existed since release as well.

There is no achievement comparable to arriving Jeuno or getting subjob(took me 3 months) in FFXIV, at least, for me.

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Sorry I missed 1 region and forgot the subjobs were in beta. XIV still has more landmass than XI did at launch.

http://zeusls.llima.net/download/ffxiupdatehistory.html

This has a good history of FFXI updates, you can see how crazy things were in the first year.

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Originally Posted by Commat

He will get all the "feelings" "friends" and "sense of accomplishment" that FFXI players attribute to their game but in reality got from their first true MMO love affair.

8 years from now that kid is going to be on the FFXIX forums bashing the crap out of it, asking why the friends, feelings and accomplishments are now missing from the genre.

FFXIV might be great some day but it sure as Slth won't ever bring back fond memories of days past.

Sorry.

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It just simply can't be said any better than that. I feel the same way as the OP but ya just gotta give it time.

Some people keep using the argument that FFXI had 8 years of updates/expansions/tweaks to become the game we loved so much. This is a valid statement for describing why FFXI was good but it is not a valid argument for why FFXIV is so bad. Comparing the launch status of the 2 games is also not valid...and this is why...

FFXI was SE's 1st attempt at an MMO and so of course it took time to flesh things out, balance gameplay/jobs/quests/missions, etc. It eventually morphed into a very good (albeit very hard) MMO that people remember fondly.

FFXIV is SE's 2nd attempt at an MMO and so of course we assume that SE learned valuable lessons during XI,s incredible 8 year long (and going) run (longer than WoW, btw). Unfortunately the perception (mine anyways) is that SE learned nothing from the FFXI experience.

I am not necessarily talking about the gameplay itself or trying to recreate FFXI's content, but rather what did they learn about the players...us? They should have had a pretty good idea what people like, what they hate, what they expect to be present in any MMO and what crappy worn out MMO elements every game has that this one should change.

My feeling is that SE concentrated so hard in changing/leaving out the crappy standard MMO elements that they forgot to put in the good, tried & true, don't stray too far, if it aint broke don't fix elements of what makes an MMO fun.

Change, just for the sake of change or to be different is often not the best course of action. Improving on what already works is usually better both from a game-players standpoint and a game-programmers view.

Just to clarify, I am not saying XVI should be an improved, updated, HD XI (although I would play that, lol). I am saying that SE should have had the knowledge, expertise and player feedback to create a pretty awesome game right out of the box.

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Originally Posted by Davorok

Some people keep using the argument that FFXI had 8 years of updates/expansions/tweaks to become the game we loved so much. This is a valid statement for desymcribing why FFXI was good but it is not a valid argument for why FFXIV is so bad. Comparing the launch status of the 2 games is also not valid...and this is why...

FFXI was SE's 1st attempt at an MMO and so of course it took time to flesh things out, balance gameplay/jobs/quests/missions, etc. It eventually morphed into a very good (albeit very hard) MMO that people remember fondly.

FFXIV is SE's 2nd attempt at an MMO and so of course we assume that SE learned valuable lessons during XI,s incredible 8 year long (and going) run (longer than WoW, btw). Unfortunately the perception (mine anyways) is that SE learned nothing from the FFXI experience.

I am not necessarily talking about the gameplay itself or trying to recreate FFXI's content, but rather what did they learn about the players...us? They should have had a pretty good idea what people like, what they hate, what they expect to be present in any MMO and what crappy worn out MMO elements every game has that this one should change.

My feeling is that SE concentrated so hard in changing/leaving out the crappy standard MMO elements that they forgot to put in the good, tried & true, don't stray too far, if it aint broke don't fix elements of what makes an MMO fun.

Change, just for the sake of change or to be different is often not the best course of action. Improving on what already works is usually better both from a game-players standpoint and a game-programmers view.

Just to clarify, I am not saying XVI should be an improved, updated, HD XI (although I would play that, lol). I am saying that SE should have had the knowledge, expertise and player feedback to create a pretty awesome game right out of the box.

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Summed up my feelings perfectly, love XI and still play it but I did expect SE to build off their old mistakes and bring XIV into the game throwing punches. Instead it was released in the same comatose state XI was 8 years ago as if they haven't been down this road b4

I'll have to agree with the people that pointed out that FFXI was the first mmo for a number of people. FFXI was my first one and I loved it. At some point though, I began to realize that there was a number of things I didn't like about the game. There are songs that immediately remind me of FFXI and I love it. I used to play my own music, since most places in the game didn't have any music. I have a lot of great memories from the game. But, I'm glad that I'm playing FFXIV now and not FFXI.

I have quite a few good memories from FFXIV, which has surprised me. I have gotten excited and have had adrenaline rushing in my veins at times. I've traveled all over the continent and have seen some really crazy monsters. Though, I was a bit disappointed when I found out the monsters only aggro by sight. I have encountered a number of challenging fights and all as well. Though, part of it is probably due to the fact that I have mainly been soloing. Do I have the nostalgia for this game that I have for FFXI? Nope, I sure don't. But, I haven't been playing this game for a few years either. Not to mention the fact that I now have standards as to what a game should be like.

All in all, I think this game is going to shape up rather nicely. At least as far as my gaming tastes are concerned lol.

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Originally Posted by Davorok

FFXI was SE's 1st attempt at an MMO and so of course it took time to flesh things out, balance gameplay/jobs/quests/missions, etc. It eventually morphed into a very good (albeit very hard) MMO that people remember fondly.

FFXIV is SE's 2nd attempt at an MMO and so of course we assume that SE learned valuable lessons during XI,s incredible 8 year long (and going) run (longer than WoW, btw). Unfortunately the perception (mine anyways) is that SE learned nothing from the FFXI experience.

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Seriously, I 100% agree. They learned nothing from XI besides "don't make it a time sink", well this game is a time sink, every moment we play this game is a moment we didn't spend having any fun (ok sometimes its fun, but for the most part its repetitive). They didn't learn anything from XI, and then plopped XIV on us and was like "its good right?" and we're like "no!"