Why was FFXI so great?

[ZanarkandAbes]

I am one of the very few players on this game, that have never properly played Final Fantasy XI. But I see so many people proclaiming how wonderful and great the game was.
So I want to know, so's I can try and compare it to FFXI, what were the best things about FFXI, and what made it so amazing? And also, why did Abyssea (if that's how you spell it) "ruin the game" as some people have said?
Please, i'm very interested to read about how great the game was.
Try not to write essays, if you can :P

[AlaulaTheGreat]

I don't know, can we state why it was great before abyssea, or do we need to include abyssea? Or do you care either way.

Cause you gonna have to stop us at some point! Otherwise, we can go on forever how abyssea ruined the core of what made FFXI great, while others exclaim abyssea made it easier for newer players to play wither their higher level friends.

[ZanarkandAbes]

I don't know, can we state why it was great before abyssea, or do we need to include abyssea? Or do you care either way.

Cause you gonna have to stop us at some point! Otherwise, we can go on forever how abyssea ruined the core of what made FFXI great, while others exclaim abyssea made it easier for newer players to play wither their higher level friends.

I want to know what made the game the game that so many people loved! Whether that's before or after Abyssea is up to the person who comments!

[Elexia]

I want to know what made the game the game that so many people loved! Whether that's before or after Abyssea is up to the person who comments!

-Storylines
-Atmosphere

-The World (it felt like a real world, it was designed like a world with actual history.)

-The challenge - Yes, encounters were challenging the first time you did it, anyone who said it had no challenge lies through their teeth (fingers), because one of the hardest fights was a 60 cap fight known as One to Be Feared, especially before we had CBC Polymers to enfeeble Ultima.

-The Music - It's classic Final Fantasy.

-Community aspect - It actually made it feel like an MMO, not a single player game with an online chatroom that MMOs degraded into.

[Scherwiz]

I don't know, can we state why it was great before abyssea, or do we need to include abyssea? Or do you care either way.

Cause you gonna have to stop us at some point! Otherwise, we can go on forever how abyssea ruined the core of what made FFXI great, while others exclaim abyssea made it easier for newer players to play wither their higher level friends.

It was great to make people go to events as BRD.

Edit : For everything.

[Raistlin]

Challenge for everything.

[Lurex]

Challenge for everything.

XI was by far the best MMORPG I have ever played. I have very very many fond memories of that game. This is BEFORE Abyessea. I loved the challenge of leveling up (it really meant something). I loved doing weapon skills and magic burst as a mage with the party. I loved CoP and the other expansions. They were such a challenge, that when you FINALLY conqured them, it really meant something. Like the Maat fight for example (level break to get to 75). I actually trembled when I FINALLY beat Maat as a RDM and could go about showing off my level 75. Most of all, I loved the leveling up parties, its how you learned your job.

This game is far from FFXI, well maybe closer to the FFXI After Abysessa horror that ruined the game forever. Most of the memories I have of FFXIV are bad ones, for the droves, and I mean droves, of people/friends/ls mates that left this game never to return. This game shouldn't even be P2P at this point, it should still be free.

I sometimes ask myself, why I am even paying for this game. Well, truth be told, I want to support SE who gave me those great memories of FFXI, and support them for the small ray of hope that 2.0 will be a great turnaround for a horrid game.

[Onidemon]

Challenge for everything.

There is a big difference between a challenge and being a masochist.

[Elexia]

There is a big difference between a challenge and being a masochist.

Yep, not having everything handed to you in 10 minutes is your idea of masochism. You should probably look up the word.

[Onidemon]

Yep, not having everything handed to you in 10 minutes is your idea of masochism. You should probably look up the word.

http://kotaku.com/5036371/final-fant...-hours-to-beat

Took me whole day to just be able to ride a Chocobo and i could only rent one in those days. Same for samurai quest, it took a LVL 75 with for a whole day and lots of items to avoid detection to complete that stupid quest.
HNM with ridiculous spwan rates that forces you to camp for days on end.

Should i keep going?