If I could interview Yoshida.

[Jennestia]

XI players really have selective memory

Nah, it's more like people jaded from FFXI thinks everything about it was crap, especially those that got hit with Salvage Bans.

Negatives - extremely long cool downs (even if you failed a BC usually had to wait for 2h to reset),

That's why you didn't use strategies that required spamming x 2hrs -- I went through CoP three times in 2004-2006 and never relied on an Astral Flow or Chainspell strategy thus if we failed we didn't have "long cool downs."

Players now do not have patience for doing stuff for hours upon hours

Agreed -- that's why in almost every new MMO people are complaining about content quality because no one wants to do things that take a long time.

I wonder if consumers of ffvii complained as much when ffviii was fairly different experience...

I don't think the difference has set in yet for some ppl.

Quite behind the power curve

No it's mostly MMORPG players that are like that, VIII was a new game the only thing people complained about at the time was leveling was detrimental after going through VII where leveling was the most beneficial lol.

Down the line when kids thought "emo" was an insult or anyone who is psychologically tortured was "emo" they considered the bad thing about VIII was the "emo" game lead.

[Isaveron]

Nah, it's more like people jaded from FFXI thinks everything about it was crap, especially those that got hit with Salvage Bans.

No, Cichy was right. You people do nothing but overrate XI, while dismissing its many flaws.

[Elexia]

No, Cichy was right. You people do nothing but overrate XI, while dismissing its many flaws.

It's more like you people are dismissing it's strengths while only focusing on it's flaws.

Holy shit doesn't that sound familiar?

[Isaveron]

It's more like you people are dismissing it's strengths while only focusing on it's flaws.

Holy shit doesn't that sound familiar?

The game had very few strengths, story being one of them.

[Ashthra]

The game had very few strengths, story being one of them.

You know, when I read posts like yours, and look at your post history, I can't help but wonder why you dropped real money on a game you clearly detest and take every opportunity to bash, while venerating a game you, apparently, are somehow physically prevented from playing (I'm assuming there's a shock collar, rabid pitbull, and/or gun-toting murderer involved).

I mean, it's okay to hate a game you've spent six months playing for free, because it's normal to have that much time and energy to waste, the recession being what it is, but really, I don't see how it's healthy. And paying for the privilege of trolling on the forums of a game you hate is...going beyond the point of unhealthy and into Obsessive Compulsive Self-Flagellation Land.

But whatever. Your money, your problems.