The FINAL FANTASY XI Team Answers Your Questions! (02/04/2011)

[ringthree]

Wall o' text!

MINE EYES!

[TehKerm]

lol

[Taruking]

I believe you're the only person I know who has cited Abyssea as the reason for quitting. I can't blame you for having your opinion, since you quit when the only Abyssea zones were the of the Visions variety. Abyssea has improved substantially since then, and I suspect that if you were to come back now and try Scars/Heroes along with Visions (with the 200+ stones you'd have by now), you'd form a different opinion. That assumes you can give it a real try without allowing preconceived notions to rule your thoughts on it.

Actually I never said Abyssea IS the reason why existing players quit the game. Though I was surprised by the fact that FFXI continues to lose subscriptions even after FFXIV flopped - since all I have read on BG AFTER I left the game (for personal reasons) was how people enjoy the new contents.

What I am trying to say is that Abyssea expansions deter players who left the game prior to its release. Not only they are forced to purchase 3 'new' expansions if they decide to come back, they will have to learn the whole new game mechanism associated with Abyssea too - just take a look at the NM and atma system in Visions. How many new NMs do you have to fight to get to the final tier NM boss (compared to sky etc). Although in practice it may seem easy for players who stick to the game from the beginning of the Abyssea era, it can be rather overwhelming for those who are not familiar with the system. Even if these people somehow manage to grind through all 3 expansions and get all their jobs up to lv90, they are no different compared to ordinary players - they could be some important guys who used to run a reputable LS or had significant achievment in the past, if they want to try a MMO that constantly replace old gear, WoW will be a far better choice (and likely to last longer than FFXI too).

SE has addressed some of the basic flaws of Abyssea, e.g. stone issue etc but there are still not enough incentives to bring back the old timers. It's nice for SE to try a different approach but the game has always attracted hardcore players who are distinct from the playerbase of more casual MMO such as WoW. It's pretty obvious that SE is trying to rectify this problem by introducing improvement to old events so that returning players can actually enjoy the game without having to go through Abyssea expansions. There is no other practical reason to revive the old contents if everyone is happy with Abyssea since SE can simply add lv90+ gear to current abyssea zones.

Upgraded salvage/NI gear are likely to be comparable to AF3+2 and SE will continue to introduce similar upgrade options for both in future updates, so that players can either choose to go through abyssea route or pick the more conventional way based on their personal playerstyle and schedule.

[Rocl]

Not only they are forced to purchase 3 'new' expansions if they decide to come back,

If people quit in between COP and TOAU or TOAU and WOTG, they had to pay the same price. And if people felt like the original mini-expansions, there's those too. I don't see how this is different.

they will have to learn the whole new game mechanism associated with Abyssea too - just take a look at the NM and atma system in Visions. How many new NMs do you have to fight to get to the final tier NM boss (compared to sky etc).

The most NMs necessary to fight one final boss is 5. The most NMs required to fight Kirin is 12. What did you forget about Despot, Mother Globe, etc.? Atma is a little difficult to grasp, and kind be annoying to catch up on.

EDIT: I actually can't find the NM that requires 5 kills, and I may have made it up. The standard seems to be 4 kills, which is still less than Kirin, Absolute Virtue, Pandemonium Warden, etc. Shinryu does take 15, which is more than Kirin and AV, but a fuckton less than PW. I guess I might've been thinking of Abyssea-Tahrongi NMs, but you can just amber-box all those pops anyway, I think Lacovie takes 15 NMs too.

Although in practice it may seem easy for players who stick to the game from the beginning of the Abyssea era, it can be rather overwhelming for those who are not familiar with the system. Even if these people somehow manage to grind through all 3 expansions and get all their jobs up to lv90, they are no different compared to ordinary players - they could be some important guys who used to run a reputable LS or had significant achievment in the past, if they want to try a MMO that constantly replace old gear, WoW will be a far better choice (and likely to last longer than FFXI too).

So people who want to play FFXI and enjoy the new standard of gear progression shouldn't play FFXI because they used to be somebodies who are now nobodies? And really "grind"? I know people who came back a week ago and have multiple 90 jobs already. More than me! Are they as geared as my jobs? No--but they're already en route to AF3+1, Empyrean weapons, etc. P.S. LOL@INTERNET POPULARITY

I used to run a big fancy Salvage group, but now, I'm just a guy! How is this possible!

It's pretty obvious that SE is trying to rectify this problem by introducing improvement to old events so that returning players can actually enjoy the game without having to go through Abyssea expansions. There is no other practical reason to revive the old contents if everyone is happy with Abyssea since SE can simply add lv90+ gear to current abyssea zones.

They made a timeline and stuck with it. I'd be angry if they kept putting stuff in Vision/Scars zones after Heroes came out. AFAIK, mobs in Vision/Scars already scale to 90s (at least, normal mobs, EXP PTs, etc), I could be wrong though I've only cleaved in Vision since 90 cap, but stuff is still VT to me in Scars.

Also; pretty obvious in rectifying a mistake? Sounds to me more like they've got all these players at 90 w/ only one event--so they're revamping old stuff to meet half-way with Abyssea. I don't think they're looking at Abyssea like its a mistake. It's not like they upped Salvage reqs and lowered drop rates to keep the gear rare. I doubt Salvage gear will compete with 99 gear, but they want interim side-grade gear available again.

Upgraded salvage/NI gear are likely to be comparable to AF3+2 and SE will continue to introduce similar upgrade options for both in future updates, so that players can either choose to go through abyssea route or pick the more conventional way based on their personal playerstyle and schedule.

Have fun EXPing outside of Abyssea.

EDIT: Oh yeah, lights throw people for a loop for about 30 minutes too.

[Gergall]

sorry if this belongs in the random question thread but how do i subscribe to rocl's newsletter?

[TehKerm]

Actually I never said Abyssea IS the reason why existing players quit the game. Though I was surprised by the fact that FFXI continues to lose subscriptions even after FFXIV flopped - since all I have read on BG AFTER I left the game (for personal reasons) was how people enjoy the new contents.

What I am trying to say is that Abyssea expansions deter players who left the game prior to its release. Not only they are forced to purchase 3 'new' expansions if they decide to come back, they will have to learn the whole new game mechanism associated with Abyssea too - just take a look at the NM and atma system in Visions. How many new NMs do you have to fight to get to the final tier NM boss (compared to sky etc). Although in practice it may seem easy for players who stick to the game from the beginning of the Abyssea era, it can be rather overwhelming for those who are not familiar with the system. Even if these people somehow manage to grind through all 3 expansions and get all their jobs up to lv90, they are no different compared to ordinary players - they could be some important guys who used to run a reputable LS or had significant achievment in the past, if they want to try a MMO that constantly replace old gear, WoW will be a far better choice (and likely to last longer than FFXI too).

SE has addressed some of the basic flaws of Abyssea, e.g. stone issue etc but there are still not enough incentives to bring back the old timers. It's nice for SE to try a different approach but the game has always attracted hardcore players who are distinct from the playerbase of more casual MMO such as WoW. It's pretty obvious that SE is trying to rectify this problem by introducing improvement to old events so that returning players can actually enjoy the game without having to go through Abyssea expansions. There is no other practical reason to revive the old contents if everyone is happy with Abyssea since SE can simply add lv90+ gear to current abyssea zones.

Upgraded salvage/NI gear are likely to be comparable to AF3+2 and SE will continue to introduce similar upgrade options for both in future updates, so that players can either choose to go through abyssea route or pick the more conventional way based on their personal playerstyle and schedule.

The only thing that becomes problematic for anyone returning to the game to 'learn' abyssea is lights and atmas, and thats easily rectified in itself, unless you're someone who knows absolutely no one who will explain it to you. I had two people who quit the game 2 years before abyssea came out and when they returned, it took a matter of days for them to catch on to how the 'system' works, it's easy. Personally im going to /wrist if they add more NMs and shit to old zones and ignore everything else in the game, i kind of like the vision of not having abyssea as my only endgame choice in FFXI.

[Taruking]

If people quit in between COP and TOAU or TOAU and WOTG, they had to pay the same price. And if people felt like the original mini-expansions, there's those too. I don't see how this is different.

We are going through the same discussion again? The key difference here is timing. Just think about the size of the playerbase and the number of MMOs available on the market around TOAU release. Also the first batch of FFXI mini-expansions are largely OPTIONAL. You don't need them to progress in FFXI. It's unwise to charge your players for contents which could have been incorporated directly into existing events when there are much better MMOs out there and your company is about to release another new MMO.

The most NMs necessary to fight one final boss is 5. The most NMs required to fight Kirin is 12. What did you forget about Despot, Mother Globe, etc.? Atma is a little difficult to grasp, and kind be annoying to catch up on.

EDIT: I actually can't find the NM that requires 5 kills, and I may have made it up. The standard seems to be 4 kills, which is still less than Kirin, Absolute Virtue, Pandemonium Warden, etc. Shinryu does take 15, which is more than Kirin and AV, but a fuckton less than PW. I guess I might've been thinking of Abyssea-Tahrongi NMs, but you can just amber-box all those pops anyway, I think Lacovie takes 15 NMs too.

A quick review of the NM chart on wiki shows that Eccentric Eve in Abyssea-Konschtat takes 8 NMs, and that's only 1/3 of Visions. How long did it take SE to develop TOAU after COP release? All 3 expansions are pumped out within a year!

So people who want to play FFXI and enjoy the new standard of gear progression shouldn't play FFXI because they used to be somebodies who are now nobodies? And really "grind"? I know people who came back a week ago and have multiple 90 jobs already. More than me! Are they as geared as my jobs? No--but they're already en route to AF3+1, Empyrean weapons, etc. P.S. LOL@INTERNET POPULARITY

There is nothing wrong with the idea of making old gear obsolete. Those who want better reward vs time ratio will find abyssea expansions enjoyable. I am sure you will agree most of the players who prefer FFXI over WoW are more likely to be hardcore players who are used to timesink and ridiculous drop rate. FFXI has lost its uniqueness because of Abyssea. Judging from the number of people who left the game recently, there are more players who actually prefer the old FFXI approach more than they will like to admit.

Also; pretty obvious in rectifying a mistake? Sounds to me more like they've got all these players at 90 w/ only one event--so they're revamping old stuff to meet half-way with Abyssea. I don't think they're looking at Abyssea like its a mistake. It's not like they upped Salvage reqs and lowered drop rates to keep the gear rare. I doubt Salvage gear will compete with 99 gear, but they want interim side-grade gear available again.

If a company is losing customers something is clearly not right. Abyssea is not just one event, there are 3 expansions and 9 new zones - they could easily add more abyssea related content or better still - make more mini-expansions (no reason to not do so if abyssea is really such a 'big hit'). SE is not doing that because they finally realised abyssea is not everybody's cup of tea and making it the only option to make progress in this game is not a very wise move.

Have fun EXPing outside of Abyssea.

SE is adjusting non abyssea zone's exp rate. I know it's probably not going to be anywhere near Abyssea's. It's just another step towards making the game more friendly to returning players who wish to avoid Abyssea. If they get it right (and they should if they want more business), they may be able to bring back some old players.

[Rocl]

We are going through the same discussion again? The key difference here is timing. Just think about the size of the playerbase and the number of MMOs available on the market around TOAU release. It's unwise to charge your players for contents which could have been incorporated directly into existing events when there are much better MMOs out there and your company is about to release another new MMO.

What. Any MMO could just not charge for expansions, and just add them in. I really do not understand the I NEED TO PAY FOR AN EXPANSION? aspect at all. More content, faster, this is a bad thing? When was this ever a bad thing? Do you have a business degree in MMORPG marketing or something? You just spew this sort of UNWISE stuff, but I really can't take credit you know what you're talking about. I don't know how to run an MMORPG or a company, so I'm going to try to keep this to what a player of a video game would say about said game.

A quick review of the NM chart on wiki shows that Eccentric Eve in Abyssea-Konschtat takes 8 NMs, and that's only 1/3 of Visions. How long did it take SE to develop TOAU after COP release? All 3 expansions are pumped out within a year!

I don't know why making 3 expansions in a year is a bad thing, but OK. I personally like not having to wait a year for an expansion to release good content, or in the case of WoTG....take 3 years and still release nothing worthwhile. (I guess the Nocturnus set was OK) Also, again, Kirin takes 12 NMs, Pandemonium Warden takes 18 NMs. Lacovie takes 16 NMs, Shinryu takes 15 NMs. Shinryu you can spam nearly infinitely and only need to kill the NMs once, the popped NMs, at least in Visions, you could literally fight 0 NMs (EDIT: Forgot Nahn/Poroggo Don and Tonberry Liege) and just get the pops while EXPing. I do not understand this hatred of killing NMs which drop gear to fight NMs which drop better gear. This has been the standard fare since Tu'Lia. HOW IS THIS A COMPLAINT? (Clarification: I say better gear in terms of Kirin because w.legs, though I'm sure we'll all agree Haidate>Scarecrow Scythe)

There is nothing wrong with the idea of making old gear obsolete. Those who want better reward vs time ratio will find abyssea expansions enjoyable. I am sure you will agree most of the players who prefer FFXI over WoW are more likely to be hardcore players who are used to timesink and ridiculous drop rate. FFXI has lost its uniqueness because of Abyssea. Judging from the number of people who left the game recently, there are more players who actually prefer the old FFXI approach more than they will like to admit.

Funnily enough, my Friend List has doubled (probably quadrupled) since the VNM patch. The game was dead this time last year. Abso-fucking-lutely dead. Also, you would rather spend 100 hours for a less than 1% increase than spend ~30 hours for a gigantic overhaul of your entire class?

If a company is losing customers something is clearly not right. Abyssea is not just one event, there are 3 expansions and 9 new zones - they could easily add more abyssea related content or better still - make more mini-expansions (no reason to not do so if abyssea is really such a 'big hit'). SE is not doing that because they finally realised abyssea is not everybody's cup of tea and making it the only option to make progress in this game is not a very wise move.

Yeah, find me a quote where they're saying WELL WE STOPPED ABYSSEA BECAUSE PEOPLE HATE ON IT, and not where they say "Well we always planned Abyssea to end." Neither of us can speak what's on the developer's minds. Not to mention, the losing subscribers happened more or less around the XIV release, and its flop, and iirc had been slowly going down as is. Is there some sort of door-to-door poll: Why did you quit FFXI? Abyssea? FFXIV? Finding out there's more to life?

I wouldn't rule more mini-expansions out, but at the same time there's some tomfuckery with the PS2 HDD or something, so we'll see if limitations don't kill the game off for good yet. I appreciate and am excited for the move outside of Abyssea; this does not make Abyssea a bad thing, at all.

SE is adjusting non abyssea zone's exp rate. I know it's probably not going to be anywhere near Abyssea's. It's just another step towards making the game more friendly to returning players who wish to avoid Abyssea. If they get it right (and they should if they want more business), they may be able to bring back some old players.

I would be incredibly surprised if you could make over ~200k/hr outside of Abyssea. That claim may be exaggerated, but I was certainly pulling 150k/hr, and it was a pretty retarded EXP Alliance set-up, so ample room for improvement.

Honestly, I wish I had quit before WoTG and just said "fuck it, i'm not buying that shit" then came back to the game talking about how they're changing the game to stuff outside of WOTG just for me.

[Rocl]

Don't worry bro, I've been playing February 2005, I'm old-school.

[TehKerm]

I wouldn't rule more mini-expansions out, but at the same time there's some tomfuckery with the PS2 HDD or something, so we'll see if limitations don't kill the game off for good yet. I appreciate and am excited for the move outside of Abyssea; this does not make Abyssea a bad thing, at all.

^

[Quetz.Roark]

anyone know how to ask se one of these questions?

[Rocl]

anyone know how to ask se one of these questions?

Twitter FFXI_EN

[Michelob]

Where to start? First off, hardcore players always think they are the most important and valuable players of an MMO. The fact is, they are the least important because all they do is eat through content at a high rate and then bitch endlessly. They assume that everyone who doesn't play as much as they do is a fucked up noob. The reality is people with less play time are much easier to make happy and in the long run since that is a larger percentage of the player base, making them happy is the economically feasible option.

Valid argument. I realize that your "hardcore" bunch is not as populous as the more casual players. I think a large part of this is because a lot of people have aged with the game, and as life usually has it, people have less time to play video games as life goes on.

However, as other posters have pointed out, FFXI has always had the sense of "difficulty" in the way that you couldn't necessarily get the top end gear without spending a considerable amount of time at it. I'm sure I'm not the only player who liked finally completing my first salvage set after over a year of trying (as frustrating as it may have been at times). At least some of both hardcore and casual players must've liked attempting similar goals otherwise why would people attempt them in the first place?

Additionally, since when is level 85 empyrean considered complete? Pretty sure there is 90 cap now that requires 75 items, and in the case of some paths, could require killing like 200 NM to see those drops.

First off, when did I say a level 85 empyrean was complete? As far as I'm concerned level 90's aren't complete either seeing as we all know 99 is coming. I simply said we have completed the level 85 versions, which, if you had bothered to read what the fuck I was even responding to, was what the conversation was about... vunkerl empyrean items.

Second, that 200 kills you're talking about is a known issue and being addressed this month, I believe.

The game currently encourages concentration on one job for more casual players (btw casual doesn't mean shitty or unskilled, but it might mean impatient!), and hardcore players can simultanouesly gear multiple jobs at 90.

I never said anything bad about casual players, and never would as I myself go through casual playtimes on and off.

The game clearly can float on to the level 99 cap without having to make things like dynamis and salvage viable, especially when the only people I have talked to in the past 6 months interested in that were new players who never did it before. If this game, like so many argue, is not new player friendly... then they don't need to revive shitty old content that everyone I know is beyond tired of.

Funny, SE doesn't seem to think this is so clear seeing as they are, indeed, reviving said content by creating armor upgrades! Besides, reviving old content doesn't have to be shitty. Like others have said, if they do it right and actually alter the content in some way to make it relatively fresh, then people can't possibly already be tired of it.

I am not the only person I know of who will find something else to do if they try to encourage me to make a hard schedule of video game time to accomplish anything again. I did enough Dyna/Limbus/Salvage etc in the past. Currently, I can log on whenever I feel like, and low man shit with friends who are on. I'm also getting straight A's and have a healthy social life. (OH NO, REAL LIFE CARD!) I'm happy the game is more of a hobby/past time, than a way of life.

Who encouraged you to make said schedule? I've always logged on whenever I felt like. Congrats on your straight A's. I wasn't so fortunate... I ended up with a B in my circuits lab and only got a 3.929 Damn. Every normal person has a social life in their own right, you aren't anything special. This is kinda why people frown upon that whole "real life card" on the internet gaming forum... you look like an idiot using it. Everyone has a real life, it isn't unique to you.

[Not Kuno]

Rocl people aren't allowed to lose their top class status. Doing so makes the game not worth playing.

[Yugl]

Don't worry bro, I've been playing February 2005, I'm old-school.

In Lcor world, February play you.

[fredjanx]

Lacovie.... requires over 9000 nms if you do it the retarded way. It's not like you only have that way, though.
Also, fuck the cookie-cutter perdu voulge/ebody/turban/dusk gloves/bhaidate/aurum sabatons WAR.
Old XI had major flaws nobody wants to go back to anymore (extremely marginal increases in stats for the amount of work required, like bazaaring ebody abj for 50m when all you get is 4 str, 4 dex, 6 acc, and 6 atk over haub+1. .

[Rocl]

In Lcor world, February play you.

In Lcor world, I wake up to dusk+1 in my delivery box.

[Yugl]

In Lcor world, I wake up to dusk+1 in my delivery box.

Still pissed about those Dusk-1 I sent you eh?

[Priran]

bazaaring ebody abj

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3...7966481137.jpg

[Kaslo]

Lacovie.... requires over 9000

I stopped reading here.