FFXI's Golden Age?

[Spider-Dan]

Which of the listed time frames do you consider to be the "Golden Age" of FFXI?

By that, I simply mean that after the servers are shut down, the time frame that (for whatever reason) will stick in your mind as the peak of your enjoyment.

For me, it's X360 release/TAU; that was the only time since the game's release that I really felt like I was in a new world again (with new jobs/Assault/Runic Portals/Besieged), but this time I was high-level enough not to be bogged down with trivial garbage like gilfarming.

[Pikarya]

End of CoP.

[Zosi]

Edit: Never mind, I see the poll now.

Winter of 2004, which was level 50-65ish on my first job, if I remember my times correctly. Right after CoP release, but before I got involved in end-game. Good social LS, not a lot of drama, just leveling with friends and having fun. The five years that followed that were pretty much all downhill.

[Nevex]

From a NA version possessor's point of view, even though I'm European, pre-EU release.

Game got much worse after it.

[Suiram]

July 18, 2005, to June 21, 2007.

[bechyni]

I'd have to say ToAU release because I was actually 75 on a couple jobs and was in a decent HNMls with little drama.

[Guyverarmor]

As much as ToAU has brought a whole new perspective on this game, along with CoP.... I still think it's going to be somewhere else besides those two points...Just my point of view

[Mayareira]

Treasures of Aht Urhgan era. It basically re-shaped the game in a very good way. If it was an expansion like CoP or WoTG and leave us stuck at Jeuno we would probably had our server mergers a year ago.

It gave us a huge, great new city - Aht Urhgan looks good and it basically has everything you can ask for. Guilds, Auction House, useful vendors, cool looking ports, portals that send you right in the middle of action, besieged concept and more.

And then there is assault, where you can obtain good pieces and points without going through unnecessary grinding. You get warped right in the middle of the action and missions were, well fun (most of them, at least). Find 2 more people and bam, can also set level caps, etc. Accessible, fun and rewarding.

Nyzul - Again, a good action oriented concept that hands you new sets of gear, weapon skills, etc.

Beautiful Zones - Arrapogo(sp) Reef, Thickets, etc. are all different from what we've had before.

New Beastmen - Not just reskinned Goblins and Orcs.

New Jobs - People loved Corsair and Blue Mage. PUP? Not so much.

New Monsters/EXP and merit zones - Some poeple think that it dumbed player base down, but I don't. It shouldn't take 5,000 crabs to get used to a refresh cycle. Gimps were always gimps.

And so on...

Radical changes like ToAU expansion are generally hit or miss for MMORPGS. In terms of FFXI, it was an huge hit that stopped the rapid decline of population and even boosted it. Without a doubt, FFXI was saved by ToAU back in 2006.

[jimbobsonofgod]

Yeah Toau for me too. I think Toau Changed the way we played the game the most, for the better.

[Omniyoji]

I agree with time frame of 2005-2007.

[Shamaya]

I like ToAU and felt it had the most (and most player friendly) content. But CoP era felt like true FF to me. Felt closer to the game's original intended feel. And there was this big mysterious area of sea that everyone was trying to grind to, even if it came out to be a disappointment. The story was good, and there was still enough reason to do Zilart content at the time, that people were busy enough.

[Chrian]

for alot of people toau was when manaburns became standard among blm

[Serra]

The CoP era for me, hands down. Probably largely in part because this was when I had just gotten my first job to 75 and joined my first EG shell. Getting to 75 the first time, it felt like the game opened up so much more to me. Things were also still fresh back then, and the repetition that I feel now hadn't set in. Combined with the fun I had with my CoP perma is something I still miss...

[test123]

game have always sucked; interface, ps2 limitations, pvp, job balance, item selections ( 95% of items are useless and gimp and will never be used ), waiting half a day lfp just to press attack and WS <t> every 2min etc etc. Should have started WoW when I it was new.

[Shiggy]

game have always sucked; interface, ps2 limitations, pvp, job balance, item selections ( 95% of items are useless and gimp and will never be used ), waiting half a day lfp just to press attack and WS <t> every 2min etc etc. Should have started WoW when I it was new.

About time someone started the whole "FFXI was never good" hate parade.

Anyways...I'd say on NA PC release, regardless of the content it had: people had a hard a raging hard-on from all the stuff posted from importers, yet everything was "new". FFXI hype was at its peak right there.
Though the ToAU argument is pretty solid: it made an impact on seasoned and (future) spoiled generations thoroughly.

[Severance]

2005 - early ToaU

Einherjar/Salvage were nice additions, though.

[Kaylia]

Between the beginning of CoP until airship BC (beat that one soon after it was added). Rushing through CoP mission made me feel like I was awesome, and I liked it. It was challenging, and very rewarding.

[Ollieyk]

Pre CoP imo. Just levelling with friends and chilling out. Everything got a bit stale once CoP was completed. ToAU launch was nice, but by then everything revolved around endgame.

[Enygma55]

Yea the entire release of CoP. When stuff was released it was a ton of stuff and really really challenging. It had a very nice pace unlike WoTG now, and for the first time it felt like a real Final Fantasy game.

Riding the cusp of the release made it feel like that;s how MMO should work. Thousands of people shouting for the same mission was very exciting. Being the first to enter any new zone was awesome. Every BC was unknown and required crazy strategy. Nothing was known yet. That's the best time.

[Tezz]

I'd have to say everything before ToAU.

There's just something about 4-8k/hr(non-KRT) merit PTs & Skillchains that was fun.
Camping/Drama, MPK & RMT were all dreadful yet amusing because of the drama.
Server Change was all down hill from there.
That's when "reputation" and, generally, the "good" people fell apart.
We had drama, but these days people seem more like arrogant little assholes out to rip someone off or try to walk over anyone.

FFXI was known for having a very mature community (and still does in parts), but over the years as more generations of people migrated or began, it's gotten worse. Close to WoW at times.

In the end, no one will really know why things are how they are now. It could be the more casual aspect, the bannings/hackings, RMT/Inflation or simply new generations of kids/adults playing.

So, that's why, from my time playing, the "golden age" was pre ToAU. ToAU did wonderful things, but not for the community. FFXI did take off again for awhile with subscriptions, but not in a good way, imo.