Do NOT make the same mistake as FFXI.

[Demacia]

This is, unfortunately, completely unavoidable in MMOs. The only way to fix it is to embrace it and balance against by making content that's only manageable by each class. FFXI has the same exact problem -- if you want to get something in Abyssea you have to have WHM/BLM/NIN/THF/WAR, and often times even if you have one of those jobs yourself, you end up needing another one of them because no one else in your group has it. I just finished spending my entire weekend getting /BRD for BLM, just to have every group I tried to get into tell me "Sorry" because I didn't have WHM90 to take with them.

Its frustrating -- but the only way to avoid it is to either make everything 100% solo-able, or to cater to it by introducing multiple methods of getting things done that require each job specifically. The only way to make people want to bring every job is ot introduce a mob for every type of damage -- but then it becomes impossible to do anything unless you have one of every class, which is an equally daunting and frustrating task.

Honestly, I never felt that FFXI truly had that issue UNTIL abyssea was released. The weakness trigger system absolutely ruined job diversity.

[Bethor]

Honestly, I never felt that FFXI truly had that issue UNTIL abyssea was released. The weakness trigger system absolutely ruined job diversity.

Now I know why I left the game before they raised the lvl cap beyond 75 :3 Even though I'm missing it at some point

[Demacia]

Now I know why I left the game before they raised the lvl cap beyond 75 :3 Even though I'm missing it at some point

I miss old FFXI. It's wrecked beyond repair now.

[Bethor]

Currently I've got not much emphasis on running through the dungeons until the proper fixes are made. It doesn't "feel" right to enter as an ARC where different arrows and maybe bows make no huge difference. And not even the Stats on the gear really makes a huge difference. I could be wrong though.

I should probably log on, try it and see if my passive skills are still drawing instantly hate :3

[Bethor]

I wonder if we'll ever be able to actually get the same "feeling" again. That's what I keep saying over and over. A lot of people are spoiled by FFXI at some point and are probably afraid, that FFXIV won't give the same feeling we've had in ol' Vana'diel.

For my part, I want the same thrilling expierence when I first went out to Sarutarabura (ahhh spelling that stupid area >-<) and was running around /panicing because a 1hp/tick poison was about to kill my taru. Or when you attack that Crawler thingy and you only notice a few HP's later, that it's the mighty Spiny Spipi which is about to kill.

There were a lot of.. and really a lot of "pissed off" moments but I have to admit that game rocked by pants to some point.

Ah well. No place to get too nostalgic. We need to have patience until the game's further developed.

[Demacia]

I wonder if we'll ever be able to actually get the same "feeling" again. That's what I keep saying over and over. A lot of people are spoiled by FFXI at some point and are probably afraid, that FFXIV won't give the same feeling we've had in ol' Vana'diel.

For my part, I want the same thrilling expierence when I first went out to Sarutarabura (ahhh spelling that stupid area >-<) and was running around /panicing because a 1hp/tick poison was about to kill my taru. Or when you attack that Crawler thingy and you only notice a few HP's later, that it's the mighty Spiny Spipi which is about to kill.

There were a lot of.. and really a lot of "pissed off" moments but I have to admit that game rocked by pants to some point.

Ah well. No place to get too nostalgic. We need to have patience until the game's further developed.

As far as exploration and travel goes I don't think ANY game will compare to FFXI. I have been getting that "old XI" feeling though after putting together some baller EXP parties and blowing mobs up with BRs (It's no skillchain but that damage is off the chain). Not to mention running totorak with a straight 25-30 group and actually needing to use sleepga/off tanks mid boss fight. GL to any group who takes on the secret boss without 40+.

[Synfrag]

Right there with ya Bethor. I think it's getting there but FFXI was mine and many other peoples first MMO, and that feeling of awe will unfortunately probably never come back. That said, I had a great time playing another MMO and felt something similar.

It might just never happen here. Not because the game won't have that feel but rather because we are playing it in the state it is now. I'd say, you are more likely to get that feeling if and when the PS3 version launches and by starting fresh. Or maybe, just maybe when we get our first expansion. Till then it's a bit mundane but I still have hope.

[VisionHolder]

Right there with ya Bethor. I think it's getting there but FFXI was mine and many other peoples first MMO, and that feeling of awe will unfortunately probably never come back. That said, I had a great time playing another MMO and felt something similar.

It might just never happen here. Not because the game won't have that feel but rather because we are playing it in the state it is now. I'd say, you are more likely to get that feeling if and when the PS3 version launches and by starting fresh. Or maybe, just maybe when we get our first expansion. Till then it's a bit mundane but I still have hope.

To me, that "feeling of awe" was largely due to the richness of the world in which we ran around in. Although SE needs to finish the reconfiguration they've started, the next big task that needs to be done is recreating the map by eliminating the cookie-cutter zones and adding more diversity. I like the contiguous zones and not having to have the screen redrawn between areas, but I miss the uniqueness and challenge of zones like Yuhtunga/Yhoator Jungle or the snow-swept plains of Xarcabard, or even an enclosed zone like Boyahda Tree. With the current system, most of the zones feel like a "maze" for a 5-year old, but are otherwise annoying to navigate and very monotonous. "Rooms" or "open areas" in some zones or dungeons are usually the same size and look nearly identical. Running around in the game feels more like running around suburbia, with its cookie-cutter houses and street layouts than it does through some exciting, realistic world.

But I digress... This has been a hot topic on other posts, and people have gotten their hopes up for a redesign of zones like The Black Shroud through some sort of in-game cataclysm. Honestly, I don't think SE is planning this, but we can always hope. Anyway, sorry for the off-topic post.