Oldschool = (Do It Yourself + Timesink)

[Ruenis]

I played Ragnarok Online in 2004 and spend 6 months to level 99 one Character. The more hardcore player can do it in one month, but usually the got dropped out of college afterwards.

To date, that game was my best experience of playing MMO, along with FF XIV of course.

[Djeserit]

Honestly, if you remove the FF graphics, you wouldn't even know this game was an FF game.

Interesting. Your definition of graphics must include names, lore, recurring characters, plot points, crystals, etc.

Who knew graphics covered such a variety of things?

On topic: I also played XI for about 7 years, and pretty royally screwed up my life in the process. I learned my lesson, and don't have nearly the same amount of time to devote, but I play with the same enthusiasm that I once did, researching what I can and pushing myself to be the best possible.

Do I have fond memories of XI? Sure. Do I also have some pretty bad ones from the tediousness? Hell yes. Do I appreciate that XIV has removed the tediousness while also giving me a good game? You bet your <expletive deleted> I do.

[Doo]

I also played XI for about 7 years, and pretty royally screwed up my life in the process.

Now I know why that Flappy Birds creator pulled his game. I'm glad FFXIV is more casual friendly as well but it's still pretty tedious. I guess if you don't run extreme primals, coil, grind crafts/gather/jobs etc, it's not. Most of the problems in FFXI is still present in FFXIV. Elitism? Plenty. Long wait for parties? If you're a dd. Grind? Still there. Then you have new problems that are present such as players rage quitting after a few tries and the whole you need to be 50 ilvl above what's require, have 3 forms of ID, a picture of you with your dog, and must beaten the fight.

[XNihili]

One of my worst grip at FFXI is that it was not only a time sink for you, it was also a time sink for your friends too.
Wanna get that nice Joyeuse sword ? You have to camp that filthy octopus with your friends for hours, only to lose claim to another group.
Or you may have to call them at 2AM. Only to get the sword for yourself. And this one is 100% drop.
You really got to have a bunch of good friends that are willing to lose their time for you.

[skaterger]

I played Ragnarok Online in 2004 and spend 6 months to level 99 one Character. The more hardcore player can do it in one month, but usually the got dropped out of college afterwards.

To date, that game was my best experience of playing MMO, along with FF XIV of course.

Amen. Teleporting around in glast helm hoping to catch the stormy knight mvp, getting 2 shotted by non mvp mobs in lighthalzen, farming for 0.1% mvp cards, killing thousand of mobs to get that 1 last level from 98 to 99 transcendent, those are the memories I will carry me to my death. But you know, even such a hardcore game as RO has now become casual friendly, I think that really says a lot about what gamers are looking for in games today.