Official global alpha start date: November 28th.

[Arximiro]

It's same with me. I tried both those titles and I've had more fun in XIV in those few months past 1.23 than I've had with both those titles combined. I think for me it comes down to how I am attached to my character and the way I interact with the game world. I'm very fond of my character and I like how much time I've spent in XI and XIV doing group events. For me games like Rift and GW2 feel like solo games and it's hard for me to treat them seriously.

That is exactly one of the sentiments I have about feeling tied to my character. In XI and XIV I felt more as if I was the character, in GW2 and D3 I just feel like I'm playing a game controlling one. I always have a hard time putting that effect into words when I try to express it. It must have something to do with the JP touch or something.

[Rakisho]

That is exactly one of the sentiments I have about feeling tied to my character. In XI and XIV I felt more as if I was the character, in GW2 and D3 I just feel like I'm playing a game controlling one. I always have a hard time putting that effect into words when I try to express it. It must have something to do with the JP touch or something.

In FFXI I put in way more effort getting my 1st job to 75 (pre-CoP) than I did getting 2 legendaries and stuff in GW2 (pretty much beating the game), might be that, but I agree.

[CasualPlayer]

Can you even quote correctly? Jesus, man.

Least I gave you an out so you didn't have to prove your point I suppose.

[Achitophel]

[Insert analysis of game I didn't play]

[Meko]

For me, grinding is about what I'm doing while grinding. For instance, two very similar games - TL2 and D3. I love Blizzard and I like D3 but after having put in 300 or so hours, I feel like it was all for nothing. That doesn't mean I didn't get my money's worth or that I didn't enjoy certain aspects of it but for the most part, it was a mindless grind for good gear that I just never found. Over time I did accumulate some 'decent' gear but I never found those pieces that I saw on the forums/AH etc that were stellar. Now switch to TL2, which I've only played about 4 hours, but I've already found a couple low level sets and oranges from quests/drops etc and while it's the same type of grind, the rewards and proverbial carrot on a stick feels much more satisfying. In BOPS2, I have around 2 days of playtime and while it's all grinding, the 'content' is dynamic enough and engaging enough where it hasn't felt like a pure grind. The satisfaction comes with killing 'dudes' on the internet.

To add to the FFXI and playing/being a character, I agree. I can still recall all of my job levels, my gear, my macro sets for my RDM (in particular), etc. I always felt like FFXI was bigger than loot or boss kills. It seemed to have a richer, deeper feeling for me than anything else I've played. It was my first MMO that I played consistently so it could be just that but I remember almost tearing up when I decided to finally quit the game. It was a hard decision. In WoW, I've played it for 5-6 years and I've played off and on. I never felt tied to my characters because towards the end, all characters were the same essentially. Nobody needed my shaman anymore but rather "any healer will be fine" kind of thing. While that has it's upsides, it also detracts (imo) from having a meaningful part in a team.

Eh, I started to ramble. Sorry.

TL;DR Grinding is alright if it's done the right way and I miss FFXI from time to time.

[Lucavi]

Well, the good news for all you guys is that its still there. Hop on in again and play in the meantime; SE could use your money anyway.

[DeathbySnoosnoo]

Well, the good news for all you guys is that its still there. Hop on in again and play in the meantime; SE could use your money anyway.

except its not the same anymore, you can get level 99s in a few days with little effort, solo pretty much all of the old content(making it less fun in a challenge sense)

[Lucavi]

except its not the same anymore, you can get level 99s in a few days with little effort, solo pretty much all of the old content(making it less fun in a challenge sense)

Weeeeeeelllllllllllllllll....................... you can always hope that in 10 years SE will pull an Asheron's Call 2 and re-open the old servers long after the game is dead.

Otherwise, you'll just have to commit those sweet, sweet gaming moments to memory...

[DeathbySnoosnoo]

Weeeeeeelllllllllllllllll....................... you can always hope that in 10 years SE will pull an Asheron's Call 2 and re-open the old servers long after the game is dead.

Otherwise, you'll just have to commit those sweet, sweet gaming moments to memory...

oh theyre committed, i have sex with those memories every night. of course my wife frowns at me when i scream STUNLOCK OR WERE GONNA WIPE during our snoosnoo sessions but whatever.
i would probably still play ffxi in its current state(just to hang out with old ffxi buddies) if i had the free time but that that wont happen till i can throw this kid in the public babysitting system, or school as its called by some.

[Spider-Dan]

I'm just wondering if someone will make something similar to Project 1999 (emulated EQ server, stopping at Velious expansion). I'd imagine if they did, the obvious place to stop would be WotG, though I guess they could stop at TAU. An emulated FFXI that stopped before TAU would be brutally unplayable.

[millionsknives]

It'd be great if someone could manage to do that. If I could jump into FFXI at a freeze frame of the start of WOTG, I'd probably be playing. The 99 cap and the way the game works since really turned me off.

[myreality]

The 99 cap and the way the game works since really turned me off.

I tried to go back but once i got to the pooping (Brown Mage....) to increase level cap i just threw my controller and called it quits for good. It's retarded now, games retarded

[Jakson]

Dark Star FFXI Servers are usually up to and including TAU, but fuck that noise. I'd play if I could solo all the missions - idk if you can do that now, but have no desire to level in retail, and I think private servers may level up faster, but don't have all the missions and can't be soloed.

[Kachiko]

Grinding is fine if the rewards are adequate. FFXI's grind was the levels, so you could experience the story missions, and the content unlocked by them; they just took years developing it so you sat at the same place for far too long. GW2's grind is far to RNG for things like their Holiday events, Fractal Dungeon, and their Legendary weapons are far too much work for the 'shiny weapon' you get. When you grind something like a CIV game, or CoD, there's measurable rewards, many dependent on your skill at the game, so it doesn't feel much like a grind.

I don't know that FFXIV will achieve the type of grind that will appeal to current MMO gamers, but I'm still looking forward to exploring the wold, when it comes out.

[Kuya]

In reference to GW2 and D3

It's same with me. I tried both those titles and I've had more fun in XIV in those few months past 1.23 than I've had with both those titles combined. I think for me it comes down to how I am attached to my character and the way I interact with the game world. I'm very fond of my character and I like how much time I've spent in XI and XIV doing group events. For me games like Rift and GW2 feel like solo games and it's hard for me to treat them seriously.

[xopher]

I gotta agree with the guy. 1.23 was FAR better than GW2, which I haven't even enjoyed enough to get past level ten, and D3 is just lolawful.

[Kuya]

1.23 was FAR better than GW2

which I haven't even enjoyed enough to get past level ten

[Arximiro]

I'm just wondering if someone will make something similar to Project 1999 (emulated EQ server, stopping at Velious expansion). I'd imagine if they did, the obvious place to stop would be WotG, though I guess they could stop at TAU. An emulated FFXI that stopped before TAU would be brutally unplayable.

If they made it up to right before Abyssea came out I think it would be best. Would be a shame to not have fully integrated campaign and no Salvage.

I agree with those who say the level cap raise really turned them off. The game was stalled for way too long at 75 for them to raise it. Especially when they designed it so certain gear could take years to get and a lot of us put in those years.

Edit: Well minus those stupid 3 mini expansions with the customizable rewards.

[Achitophel]

So does the same standard apply for folks that didn't play FFXIV in the last year? Do we also laugh at them when they make crazy assertions or...

[Spider-Dan]

No, if you quit FFXIV during Tanaka-era (but played lots of other games instead), you are an Authority on Exactly What Was Wrong With XIV. In fact, I daresay that the people who are most vocal about how horrible and unplayable XIV was were those quit the earliest.

But that's OK. Because if you actually played the game, OF COURSE you're far too biased to be able to say what it did and didn't do right! Only those who did not play it can offer truly accurate evaluations. For example, if you never actually fought Ifrit or Garuda, that makes you extremely qualified to complain about how they did not integrate enough movement into the fight, and how both of those fights just involve standing in one place and zerging.