Live Presentation Event: The Future of Final Fantasy XI (03/19/2015)

[ccl]

Maybe they will drop PS2 support, allow the use of macro/windower tool that doesn't auto the game and make the game difficulty assuming everyone use gearswap !

[Infini]

Personally I would love to see XI get a XIV style workover, I seriously doubt that XI would ever end outright considering its a numbered game and the amount of lore etc but the game is old and the engine dated. While the game still has a few years left in it at the end of the day its old and in order to survive at some point a core engine overhaul WILL be needed. As for ps2 they dont manufacture them anymore so I wouldnt be suprised if theres an xbox/pc migration campaign kicked off and they pull the plug on ps2 support since its basically outdated now.

[Damane]

Maybe they will drop PS2 support, allow the use of macro/windower tool that doesn't auto the game and make the game difficulty assuming everyone use gearswap !

thats not the issue, to make the game difficult they would need to overhaul most core mechanics that are broken.

[ccl]

thats not the issue, to make the game difficult they would need to overhaul most core mechanics that are broken.

It's not the main issue, but I do believe it's an issue albeit a small one compared to buff stacking/enmity cap/STUN EVERYTHING.

[Lucavi]

Those wishing for a XIV-style graphical overhaul: why would SE directly cannibalize its own player-base? As some thank you to XI fans? Do you know how expensive an undertaking that would be? This isn't the same as taking some assets from 1.0 and shoving them into 2.0. This is a complete update of everything. That would take years, cost millions and would do nothing to recoup any of those investment losses if the core engine didn't change to a modern design. Even -if- they updated the engine, again, you run into the issue of SE cannibalizing its own player-base from one game to two.

Wishful thinking, sure, and I respect that, but that'd be a hilarious business decision.

[dasva]

And I'm sure people would be more willing to overlook broken mechanics if things at least looked shinier while failing.

And it's been quite apparent they don't want to do anything more than pay token attention to game mechanics as it's been suggested many times and some of those suggestions were rather easy fixes probably easier than some of the other "fixes" that were doomed from the start and everyone knew it

[Lucavi]

Lets play devil's advocate, then: You give me a figure on how much cash you'd estimate it'd take to revamp XI to your XIV graphical standards (in the tens-to-hundreds of millions, of course), and also, give me a figure on how many subs you think the game would pick up as a result. Give me split figures: the amount of returning subs and the amount of new box sales + subs.

Edit: Keep in mind that a XIV user going to XI and dropping the sub might as well count for 0. You need either XIVers picking up XI on the side or brand new subs.

[arus2001]

The best any kind of graphical overhaul people should hope for is higher resolution textures, but that'd game at the cost yet even more HD space with the DAT system they've used. Going further in messing with polygons/skeletal meshes for players and environments alike is damn near making a new game from scratch.

[shepardG]

Lets play devil's advocate, then: You give me a figure on how much cash you'd estimate it'd take to revamp XI to your XIV graphical standards (in the tens-to-hundreds of millions, of course), and also, give me a figure on how many subs you think the game would pick up as a result. Give me split figures: the amount of returning subs and the amount of new box sales + subs.

Edit: Keep in mind that a XIV user going to XI and dropping the sub might as well count for 0. You need either XIVers picking up XI on the side or brand new subs.

well hardcore's only play XIV like twice a week probably lol

[Draylo]

Why not? XiV did it to 11. The game wouldn't exist without 11 as it failed miserably. A graphical upgrade like that is unlikely anyway. I'm still at a loss of explanation for all the hate towards ffxi like sonoma saying he closed a chapter or whatever, it's a Damn game. It's like all the people who were like "I'm going to be here to the server shut down! " when they first started, now they all flock to 14 and kick the old dog while it's down. Someone could have a field day with the psycho analysis on this lol.

[Kincard]

If they ever overhauled XI's graphics I'd prefer HD textures over importing XIV stuff. I like XI's art style better except for certain pieces, and one thing that drives me crazy about XIV is the ridiculous amount of clipping it has. At least the XI team tries to avoid it- XIV is just laughable with how they don't even try.

Not that either would happen anyway, not at this point in the game. They're still trying to figure out how to make 360s not take 5 hours to load into a zone.

[Lucavi]

The best any kind of graphical overhaul people should hope for is higher resolution textures, but that'd game at the cost yet even more HD space with the DAT system they've used. Going further in messing with polygons/skeletal meshes for players and environments alike is damn near making a new game from scratch.

People thinking this would be some easy and profitable project. Its cute. The second you get into rigging new skeletons for assets in the game you're going over 20 mil.

The best people could reasonably get is some sort of FFX-esque HD texture upgrade, which, again, as others have said, would absolutely crush what little remains of the memory SE has to play with. Plus the current console setting... ugh, its ugly to think about, logistically.

[ronin sparthos]

Unlike some other folks here, I loved XI even if in hindsight it was a case study in a title that made so many blunders yet managed to touch players around the world in a way that XIV probably never will. Tanaka and his bizarre leadership style is etched into my heart alongside red like Ferrari, HNM hijinx and Salvage bans. Life lessons at play in an online adventure.

Yoshida's theme park will have its triumph but it won't take away from its predecessor, the workhorse that lay the infrastructure that made ARR possible. That fervent 1.0 support even when everything blew up and SE probably considered shitcanning everything online was a direct result of XI players standing by the brand. Something they enjoyed even when all the pundits say no no, you shouldn't like this.

The intense feelings people evoke whenever the XI legacy topic comes up is proof positive that XI was a resounding success. So many MMOs rise and fall that no one gives a shit about (WildStar, TESO sup) and yet people still fondly remember their stories in Vana'diel or descend into a frothing rage about how everything was terrible. Good.

This forum itself owes itself to XI. To a game that has managed to keep people together and itself relevant for over a decade. If this is the end of XI, so be it. XI has nothing to prove, its already secured itself among the best MMOs of all time.

It has been one hell of a ride and I certainly won't ever forget it.

[ronin sparthos]

Relax doods, just remember these gems made it past quality control. Oh SE, some things will never change.

[Lucavi]

Why not? XiV did it to 11. The game wouldn't exist without 11 as it failed miserably. A graphical upgrade like that is unlikely anyway. I'm still at a loss of explanation for all the hate towards ffxi like sonoma saying he closed a chapter or whatever, it's a Damn game. It's like all the people who were like "I'm going to be here to the server shut down! " when they first started, now they all flock to 14 and kick the old dog while it's down. Someone could have a field day with the psycho analysis on this lol.

"Stop disliking what I like! Stop it, you guys! I don't understand how someone can have a different opinion than meeeeeee! This isn't faaaaiiiirrrrr! Tanaka-Sama, make them go awayyyyy!!"

[Sechs]

I don't really want a new graphics engine for FFXI.
They could do "small" things just by moving unto DirectX9+, enabling an uncapped FPS officially, higher draw distance, adds more filters for light sources and some surfaces, and start using better textures at least from now on.
Those things alone, while not small, are absolutely doable if they drop PS2 support (could do them even without dropping them tbf)
Better netcode, bigger inventories, faster loading times, stuff like that would be more than enough for me from a technical/graphical point of view.

The real mess is in the rest, I'll admit it's really hard to balance an unstructured game like FFXI is, but they're not really trying as hard as they should.
Tbf I don't even think I care that much anymore.

[Lucavi]

Srs question: what is the highest version of DirectX that can be used on the PS2 and PS3?

[Guyverarmor]

Ronin, spot on sir. Spot on

[Seha]

I really don't get why people want FFXI to have shiny graphics, the game looks fine as it is to me. Content is what matters.

...although, I would appreciate if the art team stopped making ugly ass gearsets and give us some cool designs like it used to.

[Draylo]

"Stop disliking what I like! Stop it, you guys! I don't understand how someone can have a different opinion than meeeeeee! This isn't faaaaiiiirrrrr! Tanaka-Sama, make them go awayyyyy!!"

I don't know if you are stupid are intentionally ignoring certain posts. There's a difference between not liking a game and wishing the game was dead because it wronged you or you don't play anymore. This type of hate isn't simply disliking the game its deeper.