plan to play FFXI while waiting for endwalker, is it still active?

[ReynTime]

FFXI is still active, especially on the Asura server. I return to it from time-to-time, especially during content lulls in FFXIV. When I was last playing, cities were populated, shout chats filled with people trying to recruit people for content and linkshells active with people.

FFXI is still very dated and in many ways is challenging to approach versus more modern MMO's (not because it's difficult, just because it lacks many things we take for granted) and chances are you'll be playing with BGWiki open. BUT they have improved on QoL stuff, made it more approachable in places - heck their Record of Imminence feature they added gives you a path of progress to follow. You can now teleport between crystals and you now have a mount system in that there's not dependent on chocobo raising, so travel is a lot less of a problem. There's plenty of content to keep you going and they do monthly patches and also try to keep some old content relevant at endgame. And they have a "Trust" system in the game, which is where FFXIV stole the idea from, but their trust system does work differently and can be used almost anywhere and can be made to be almost as useful as players, the will even open and close skillchains for you and even hit that magic burst (this is why I love having Shantotto in the party, she will always go for the magic burst and melt mobs for you) and there's a huge range of Trust NPC's you can collect to customise your party make up.

But of course being an AI, there's things they're less useful for, but they are still very useful. No more waiting in Valkurm Dunes for ages hoping to get a levelling party. :P There's also so really good EXP rings out there to help make the process easier. Heck one of the trusts is a Corsair who will apply an EXP buff if you have an EXP ring on.

Can you beat the main story playing exclusively with Trusts? I'm planning a FF Marathon thing and thought of including XI in it but I don't want to play beyond whenever the end of the 'big' storyline in XI is.

[Saefinn]

Can you beat the main story playing exclusively with Trusts? I'm planning a FF Marathon thing and thought of including XI in it but I don't want to play beyond whenever the end of the 'big' storyline in XI is.

I think you can. Most story stuff can be solo'd because they removed level syncs from them some time ago and at level 99 you're pretty strong and it's pretty easy to get a set of i117 or i119 gear that offer some pretty powerful stat boosts and buffs.

Later story content like Seekers of Adoulin and Rhapsodies of Vanadiel I'm not so sure because there's level 99 content in there and I've not completed either....and really should.

There will still be hurdles for level cap increases (as you will hit level caps from level 50 onwards and have to complete quests to up it), but trusts are useful for that, there are 2 that might give you trouble, one being the infamous level 70 fight with Maat (or one of his equivalents) and the other is another Maat-like fight (but can be done with trusts). I think they added something that allows you to circumvent doing the Maat fight (my friend started playing a couple of years ago and I think didn't have to do it) and the other can be done with Trusts, but there's an item to have to get (Old Rarab Tail) that makes the fight less of a pain to beat.

The other thing I guess to bear in mind is take some consideration into your job choice. Some can end up expensive to maintain (like COR and NIN). Some can be expensive from the getting starting point (like COR and PUP). Some better shine in a good group compositions (like COR and BRD). Some require certain gear set ups to shine (like COR and RDM). Some require you to gather abilities (like BLU and GEO, with GEO still having abilities you can get without gathering, so it's not so bad). And then you have SMN which relies on RNG to even unlock, but getting summons is not so bad, you can solo get all of them, and your core ones are fairly straight forward to get - some require story progress.

For cheap/lazier approaches, maybe: WAR, SAM, DRG, MNK, THF and heck even PLD, DRK, WHM and RUN, but they still need you to get spells for them.

[MarsAstro]

Assume would depend on datacenter but in a JP dc server starting areas are filled with people and sprouts including myself, still at stormblood and still see people around everywhere I go so I am guessing endgame content zones are even more populous, and I ve even been doing all old extreme trials via duty finder while on that expansion (Though from what I understand that is more of a JP dc thing)

I think maybe you confused FFXIV and FFXI here. Poster is asking about 11, not 14.

[MicahZerrshia]

FFXI is still fairly active and the server you play on will completely change your experience.

Asura is the most populated server, however it is filled to the brim with rmt and content sellers. So doing basic things like gaining job points (which is basically powering up your job after you hit level cap) is difficult and slow going unless you want to pay someone to get them for you. You are also bombarded constantly in city chat, which covers all cities now, with rmt and content sale adverts. If you go to a smaller, less populated server like Bahamut, there is much much less of this and you can more often find ppl to run content with. The downside is that there are less people so it can sometimes take longer to find a group if you do not have a ls. Everyone just auto recommends Asura because it is the most populated, but it also has far more issues overall because it is so incredibly overpopulated. Either way you are going to have issues getting things done, but you need to make the decision of whether you want to get them done with actual ppl like you can on Bahamut, or mercs or bots like you can on asura.

I have found a few good ls on Asura over the years but they always quickly deteriorated into very clicky groups that shut out all but a handful of members. Even the big well known ones that advertise being all about helping new comers and returners I found to be very much not actually like that after a short period, if they survive at all. I moved to Bahamut about a year ago and I will quit the game before going back to Asura.

Can you beat the main story playing exclusively with Trusts? I'm planning a FF Marathon thing and thought of including XI in it but I don't want to play beyond whenever the end of the 'big' storyline in XI is.

You can beat the main storyline of ffxi with trusts, with the ending of rhapsodies of vana'diel being the only that will give you issues if you are not geared well enough. However, there is no "big" storyline in ffxi like there is in xiv. Each expansion is its own self contained story with its own lore, its own cast and are each fairly long and detailed, that do not require progression or understanding of other expansions. Outside of rhapsodies again since that is the "end" story and requires progression in the rest. FFXI has some of the most fleshed out lore in the entire ff series, and the way it tells its stories reflects that, so couple that with leveling, gearing, unlocking jobs and such, a quick playthrough is generally not possible. And like I said, there is not a main overarching storyline, so you can focus on just the expac msq but that will still be quite a long ride.

[Genbe197]

Yes XI is still active. I believe Asura is the extremely active server it may be something else. I transfered to it last year and it had max characters online at any given time because everyone has flocked to that server.

[Keramory]

So the short answer is the servers are still active and have very dedicated players. Most of which are beyond helpful and if you haven't played much of FFXI in the past, you'll be shocked on the level of good will an online community can have.

That said... I will warn you for most of the game you'll be playing alone. I wouldn't treat this game as an MMO, but a single player RPG. If you're interested in cool stories and a neat world... play it. If you're looking for an "active community" you wont find it until you're not only 99, but geared on some level as well. The other players are not being elitist about "helping a noob", but playing alone is simply the quickest path by far to join them in content.

[ReynTime]

Thanks! This was very informative. It will be a while until I reach XI so I'll have time to decide if I'll do more than one expansion.

[MicahZerrshia]

Thanks! This was very informative. It will be a while until I reach XI so I'll have time to decide if I'll do more than one expansion.

Chains of Promathia and Treasures of Aht Urhgan are the best imo, but I know a lot of ppl have love for Wings of the Goddess and Seekers of Adoulin as well

[Undeadfire]

FFXI is still active, especially on the Asura server. I return to it from time-to-time, especially during content lulls in FFXIV. When I was last playing, cities were populated, shout chats filled with people trying to recruit people for content and linkshells active with people.

Scratch that and go to Bahamut. Asura overcrowds a lot and overloads the server to a point of consistent server fix issues. Bahamut is at least the 2nd English server with much less overcrowd.

[MonsutaMan]

Yeah, XI is still active.

It is one of my main mmo.

It is pretty much the same as it always was on my server. It is obvious less populated, but still about.....900--ish people on my server on most days. People are still idle selling bazaars, people are still running around town, still crafting, still slapping one another, etc, etc.

If you want to get back into the best SE multiplayer game, play XI again.......If not, play the Avengers.