How does this game have such a fantastic community?

[AsterBarnivere]

Because most of us derived from the super friendly FFXI (We were a tight-knit group of people, and being forced into parties did wonders and made very close friendships) ...Unlike most mmos nowadays where everything is soloable and no one helps anyone anymore or trolls them to quitting..
*coughWOW/TERA/SWTORcough*

[Keres]

Because most of us derived from the super friendly FFXI (We were a tight-knit group of people, and being forced into parties did wonders and made very close friendships) ...Unlike most mmos nowadays where everything is soloable and no one helps anyone anymore or trolls them to quitting..
*coughWOW/TERA/SWTORcough*

I'm sorry, but if you think that the FFXI community was somehow universally friendlier or more polite than other MMO communities, you're kidding yourself.

[Zaaku]

I'm sorry, but if you think that the FFXI community was somehow universally friendlier or more polite than other MMO communities, you're kidding yourself.

Oh boy here we go. It *was* a nice thread for a few pages at least.

[Spy]

I'm sorry, but if you think that the FFXI community was somehow universally friendlier or more polite than other MMO communities, you're kidding yourself.

I've played 5 different MMOs, and FFXI's community is, to this day, the friendliest and more helpful I've played with.

The only friendly people in WoW were my guild mates everyone else simply only grouped up with me to get through a dungeon or something, then never talked to me again.
SWOTR I dont even think I existed to other players in that game.
Rift; another one where I was invisible.
Then FFXI and FFXIV where I can joke around with random people and not get my head bitten off.

[Keres]

I've played 5 different MMOs, and FFXI's community is, to this day, the friendliest and more helpful I've played with.

The only friendly people in WoW were my guild mates everyone else simply only grouped up with me to get through a dungeon or something, then never talked to me again.
SWOTR I dont even think I existed to other players in that game.
Rift; another one where I was invisible.
Then FFXI and FFXIV where I can joke around with random people and not get my head bitten off.

That's the thing; I've had just as many friendly experiences like you describe in other MMOs as I've had in FFXI/XIV. There are jerks and friendly people in every game; I've had more fun experiences than I can count with strangers, joking around and working through challenges, in every MMO I've played. I'm just saying that FFXI/XIV is not unique in this respect.

Don't get me wrong, I've had lots of good experiences with players in XI/XIV, but so have I in every other MMO. Likewise, I've had plenty of terrible experiences with jerks in XI/XIV, just as I have in every other MMO, with about equal proportion. I just don't approve of the repeated meme around this community that FFXI/XIV is this sort of "oasis of politeness" in a world full of jerks, because I just don't believe it to be the case, and it seems to be intended to back-slap ourselves into thinking we're better than the rest of the world. That's all.

[Spy]

That's the thing; I've had just as many friendly experiences like you describe in other MMOs as I've had in FFXI/XIV. There are jerks and friendly people in every game; I've had more fun experiences than I can count with strangers, joking around and working through challenges, in every MMO I've played. I'm just saying that FFXI/XIV is not unique in this respect.

Don't get me wrong, I've had lots of good experiences with players in XI/XIV, but so have I in every other MMO. Likewise, I've had plenty of terrible experiences with jerks in XI/XIV, just as I have in every other MMO, with about equal proportion. I just don't approve of the repeated meme around this community that FFXI/XIV is this sort of "oasis of politeness" in a world full of jerks, because I just don't believe it to be the case, and it seems to be intended to back-slap ourselves into thinking we're better than the rest of the world. That's all.

I'm sure there are good people in other mmos. As you said, there are good and bad everywhere. I've just had a personal better experience in the FFMMO's. I mean, not long ago I just picked a random person who was sitting, sat my little lalafell in his lap, then all of a sudden he gives me "Heart Chocolate". And ever since, despite not being in the same ls, we still make random comments to each other if we come across one another.

Then there was the time when the new 2.0 screenshots were released....omg Ul'dah was aflutter with shouts of joyous people.

[Viritess]

That's the thing; I've had just as many friendly experiences like you describe in other MMOs as I've had in FFXI/XIV. There are jerks and friendly people in every game; I've had more fun experiences than I can count with strangers, joking around and working through challenges, in every MMO I've played. I'm just saying that FFXI/XIV is not unique in this respect.

Don't get me wrong, I've had lots of good experiences with players in XI/XIV, but so have I in every other MMO. Likewise, I've had plenty of terrible experiences with jerks in XI/XIV, just as I have in every other MMO, with about equal proportion. I just don't approve of the repeated meme around this community that FFXI/XIV is this sort of "oasis of politeness" in a world full of jerks, because I just don't believe it to be the case, and it seems to be intended to back-slap ourselves into thinking we're better than the rest of the world. That's all.

I pretty much agree with this. I've been in alot of games and meet alot of good people, and bad jerks. its doesn't really change. Every game community thinks their the best because they are in that community.

I also am not totally sure that group contant always = better community. Sounds kinda like the old group finder destroys community rote. Heck some times its even easier to meet new folks when neither side as an automatic expectation that the conversation will end with, " Can you help me do X Y and 5 runs of Z for A drop" etc.

what i personally do belive though is that inter dependant crafting that has a large hand in endgame tends to pull communities closer due to the inherent need for eachother. For example despite the end of SW: Galaxys before the "improvement" end game depended on crafters, and crafters needed end game mats, and every one needed everyone else for stuff to craft. Communities truely grow when the people as a whole need eachother, not 8-24 people at a time.

That said FF14 players thus far have been good. but i wouldn't say far beyond every other MMO community i've been in ^^

[Vanguard319]

I'm sorry, but if you think that the FFXI community was somehow universally friendlier or more polite than other MMO communities, you're kidding yourself.

Here's a little story from my Vana'diel days:

I belonged to a Dynamis LS like many people, and one member disappeared for several months right about the time I joined. As I was a Ranger, I was often called upon to pull statues, and over time, I got good enough that I could do so without disturbing the other mobs. Several months pass, the member who was on hiatus comes back. (Turns out he is an anal dynamis millitant, who has to have everything done his way.) We do Dynamis-Xarcabard, he starts ordering me around and telling my how to do my job, despite being a main job Blm who never played Rng ever. He is literally /t shouting me so much, that I screw up on the first pull, and bring the whole group down on us. I die of course, tell the LS in chat that they just lost thier puller for the night and quit the run without another word.

One would think that was the end of my membership in that LS, but people started to /t me almost immediately, asking what happened, all of them were concerned that I ragequit so suddenly. After explaining what happened in further detail, many seemed to side with me. I permanently blacklisted that person afterword, one of only three people in my /blist over five years of playing XI.

My point being, that you will find assholes in just about any community, (and not just MMOs) XI was just lucky to have very few compared to other popular MMOs.