Shocker

[mouseno4]

I had a pretty powerful computer at launch, couple months old, but top of the line graphics card. I couldn't get over 15 fps most of the time, and that's with lowered settings. Every other game i played i could max out and get smooth fps. Don't even get me started on not having a hardware mouse for a while. :P

The textures seem better back then if my memory serves, could be wrong though. I did like how you got a combat bit right away, instead of how it is now where it's talk, walk, talk, walk, etc for so long.

There is a reason they scrapped it and now have ARR though, for the good that there was, the bad far outweighed it.

I understand and fully appreciate that. On one hand i would like to have known what it was really like, but on the other hand... i would rather not have to slog through that.

1.0 wasn't even that bad, I don't understand what all the fuss is about. Yes, at first, there were no chocobos. There was no real story. There were no NMs, and no end-game...

But the game was deep and gratifying, like FFXI. Things took effort, and when you leveled up, people actually congratulated you, because it was an accomplishment. (again, like in XI). The UI was terrible, sure. But I play a game for playing the game, not screwing around in the menus and complaining about it. The fatigue system was 'meh' ... I prefer a rested exp reward system over one that hurts the hardcores, I guess... I stayed up until the first patch that had NMs, and really I'm kicking myself in the arse that I didn't stay for 1.23.

I really like ARR, and I disagree with OP, as I think ARR really looks beautiful, and OP may just have an underperforming PC/GPU. But I do think 1.0 was more aesthetically pleasing. 1.0 and ARR are both leaps and bounds prettier than GW2 and SWToR, those are the only 2 MMOs I've played in the past few years. Better than Aion too, and WoW I've only seen videos but that game looks like a cartoon.

I have the highest possible graphics settings. The settings do NOT GO ANY HIGHER.