I Miss POL

[GabbaGabba]

i do i really do....

[Elaguila]

Why? It doesn't affect you, it's just how you log in to the game.

[viion]

Because it was nice and gamey, I miss it too, some people just went through to get on game but I didnt, I'd use it often, chatrooms during maintenance, message friends, see if anyones away for holiday etc.

It had that whole portal feel. But im fine without it

I wish they would make the login for XIV a bit more flashier though :/ it loosk so cheap and amateur and it doesnt even detect game maintenances or post patch info.

[SolArisa]

I wish they would make the login for XIV a bit more flashier though :/ it loosk so cheap and amateur and it doesnt even detect game maintenances or post patch info.

Well .. honestly ... the login screen is simplest HTML and depends hopelessly on the availability of the network connectivity. It does not only look cheap and amateurish ... it actually *is* cheap and amateurish.
But hey, no worries, that's only a little teaser for the account creation nightmare which follows directly afterwards. I am pretty sure that SE will address this topic sooner or later, because it scares off a high percentage of potential customers right from the start ... and on the PS3 something like this won't be acceptable anyway and very difficult to implement. It would also rule out a possible X360 conversion due to the lack of a http client on that system.

[Cairdeas]

Well .. honestly ... the login screen is simplest HTML and depends hopelessly on the availability of the network connectivity. It does not only look cheap and amateurish ... it actually *is* cheap and amateurish.
But hey, no worries, that's only a little teaser for the account creation nightmare which follows directly afterwards. I am pretty sure that SE will address this topic sooner or later, because it scares off a high percentage of potential customers right from the start ... and on the PS3 something like this won't be acceptable anyway and very difficult to implement. It would also rule out a possible X360 conversion due to the lack of a http client on that system.

Actually the lack of HTTP access as well as the locking down of the Xboxlive system so that it can not connect to the internet or to other systems outside of XBL is exactly why XIV wont show up on the Xbox 360. Microsoft does not want any game on its system to cross platform with PSN. Or Steam. Which is why steamworks is getting ported to the PS3 and allowing PS3 owns of Portal 2 to instantly own it for Steam as well.

[Elaguila]

Actually, yeah; you're right.

It's been a while since XI... I do also miss the community feeling it offered. I too, would use the chat rooms during maintenance -- still keeping in touch with LS and non-LS friends during downtime was nice, and somehow even comforting.

I'd also use it to keep in touch with people via messages and such.

All in all though, adding game content, content IDs and such was a pain in the ass and took too long. It hasn't even seen any major improvements since 2004 (!).

I'm sure they'll add similar features to XIV, though. It would be a plus to keep in touch with people's accounts, rather than their in game characters.

[Moth]

This song sure is nostalgic :c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YQYUw6Jh5I

[Malakhim]

I still remember the actual Playonline intro back when FFXI first released in NA.

[Akumu]

POL was cool even with it's annoyances. XIV screens does look pretty cheap though. Nothing looks amazing or grabs you when you login.

[MagicofGaia]

I liked the community feel that it presented in some respects. However, it created a whole mess of bullcrap to deal with your account management, it was constantly under maintenance, if it was under some of these maintenance periods, you can't recover passwords, cancel your service, activate new service, update billing information, etc etc..

It was a few extra login steps, it was a whole different item to keep updated, and it was a terror to account management.