Suggestion: re-release FFXIV 1.0 as a "FFXIV Classic"

[znushu]

As the years go on and on I'm seeing more and more people getting not only more and more curious about what they missed but they're also seeing this version of the product through thicker and thicker rose tinted glasses.

Now as a person who detested 1.0 so much that they nuked their account that played that version. You can see how this might be... troublesome for me to witness. So this is where my suggestion comes into play here which is basically this:

I think SE should re-release the 1.0 version of FFXIV like WoW did with it's Vanilla version of the product. This way players will be able to experience what they missed out on and stop thinking it was better then it actually was back then. From a business side it'll give you a opportunity to make more money since you'll not have to release any new content for the 1.0 version while asking for users to pay a box-price and subscription for it and thus more profit.

and that's pretty much it, that's my suggestion.
Re-release 1.0 as a "ffxiv classic" deal.

[Mykll]

You think you do but you don't?

[Stepjam]

Someone actually asked YoshiP if he's considering doing something like that when WoW classic came out. He just said, in English, "Nightmare".

It probably isn't happening. Besides, I don't think Squeenix would wanna spend money getting servers together and dredging up the old code to make it work just to remind people why the game was changed. The 1.0 purists are definitely a minority faction.

[ItMe]

After Blizzard released classic servers, Yoshi P was asked if they will do something similar for 1.0.
He laughed.

Considering 1.0 was so poorly recieved that SQEX had to offer a public apology to anyone who spent money on it... I don't think we'll ever see 1.0 return in any form.

[DrWho2010]

1.0 code basically no longer exists. the servers that ran it are now the ones that run the lodestone webpage.

[Liam_Harper]

I think SE should re-release the 1.0 version of FFXIV like WoW did with it's Vanilla version of the product.

WoW Vanilla was an overwhelming success that dominated and shaped the MMO market.

FF14 1.0 was an overwhelming failure that was received negatively and almost bankrupted the company.

Slight difference.

[Xellith]

I'd like if they released a "benchmark" type program where you can input your character data, and then watch them go through the 1.0 games key moments, with less important moments being made into a story you can read between the cutscenes. I do not think there should be a 1.0 classic server.

[Kurando]

If SE can't rerelease FFXI (supposedly a mobile version was in the works) then they won't pour funds in to 1.0 XIV. Besides, it would just give argument to players that think XIV currently has lack of content and 1.0 would be stealing attention from it.

[Dzian]

but they're also seeing this version of the product through thicker and thicker rose tinted glasses.

The problem with this is that for quite a few of the v1 players. ARR was in a sense Final Fantasy XIV 3.0. (not 2.0.)

The reason being that to a lot of those players who stuck around. (myself included) the 1.20 - 1.23 patches were a total game changer and a completely different experience to 1.0 - 1.19.
1.2 was like a mini reboot in itself (hence it being a pseudo 2.0 sense). So often what you see is when people refer to 1.0 in what is shall we say a more positive light. It's not so much rose tinted glasses It's just there referring to the latter end of its lifespan, 1.2 forwards where they actually started adding a decent story and actual content with things like "To Kill a Raven", "United we stand" and the rest of the Dalamund story, Relic Weapons and associated content, Hamlet Defence. all of this stuff actual content. Where as 1.0 - 1.19 literally had ZERO content at all and an attrocius story. (if you could even call it a story in the first place.)

1.20 also revamped the battle system in a way which I and a lot of others wish they'd kept coming into ARR. Rather than going to the ADHD button spam route of WoW, where none of your skills carry weight or feel impactful, they all just feel like a glorified auto attack. Where in 1.2 you pressed a button and it felt like something happened. This was one of the biggest talking points back in the beta phases for ARR. Here it's often seen as too quick and weightless. which when you see the speed at which a warrior throws their big heavy battle axe around for ewxample. just doesn't feel big, heavy or even powerful. it's feels like a paperweight..

1.20 also had more randomised bosses. Although still scripted to some fashion it wasn't as heavily scrpted as ARR where boss will always do move a, move b, move c, move d. In 1.2 it was often the boss is going to do a move.it can be a, b, c, or d. But it wont be the same one he used last time.. It's not a massive difference but it did require players to be on there toes a lot more and arguably a higher level of skill because fights were a little more dynamic.

All of that said though, Was it perfect? Hell NO!!
But the changes they made and the direction they started heading in with 1.20 was a massive shift and a totally different experience to what was 1.0 -1.19. It showed a lot of potential and the future looked very promising as it was heading in a more Final Fantasy direction. It's just a shame to many people that ARR basically scrapped it all and decided to go in the direction of a WoW clone instead.

Be interesting to see what it could have been had they stuck to that direction but alas we shall never know..

[MilkieTea]

Short answer: "haha... nightmare"