10 Questions from JP Players

[Mayura]

4
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.



Many times, when a JP player doesn't want to join my PT or when he/she invites me, and realize i'm not JP, they react like "(English)(No, Thanks)!(Goodbye)" or "JP only (See you again)". I had quit a lot of these after 5 years of FFXi & that is very very rude.

[Weeks]

I'd say this is exactly where the anonimity thing when answering to posts that the JP talked about would help. I'm shocked by the amount of hipocricy i'm reading when answering question #9.

#9:
The western comunity keeps the facade of disliking and frowning upon both RMT and cheating by the use of third party tools. But in reality, this is highly accepted and common knowledge that both services are being used on a constant basis by our comunity, not only by new players. This aspect shows the two faced morals of most of our cultures.

I think a lot of the blame for the prevalence and the increasing acceptance of claimbots is this bullshit belief that absolutely everybody is doing it. There are shells that would rather compete honestly in an unfair competition than stoop to others' level or risk their accounts. People who refuse to accept this are people who bought in to the cheating culture, know they're in the wrong, and are desperate to justify their actions to themselves.

[Correction]

1
Everyone has had something bad happen to them from their own countrymen. Anybody who says or feels differently does not play online games very much, or plays games that only other children play.


2
There is no 'list' of helpful players that covers every board. People are far more likely to make lists of unhelpful or unkind players because emotions like anger or spite motivate more writing than emotions like satisfaction and camaraderie. I also hesitate to 'share' my personal list of friendly players because I worry that if I accidentally introduce people who don't get along with my Japanese friends that it might damage my own relationships with all concerned parties.


3
There is no solid 'advantage' to recruiting a Japanese player. There used to be a time where recruiting a Japanese player meant you had a well-prepared player who brought their own food/sneak oil/prism powder and never ran out of consumables, but as non-Japanese players caught up to the economy and mechanics of the game that distinction dissolved, leaving only the 'does he play in my time zone' advantage that varies with the time of day. Being unaware of the 12-17 hour time difference between American play time and Japanese play time is often the cause of 'I had a bad experience recruiting a foreign player to my group' conflicts.


4
I've been insulted by Japanese players, but I don't perceive any of their rude behavior as 'normal.' The only regular behavior I see from Japanese players that is a little...strange, but not repellent is their 'Role Play,' when they get really into character and sprinkle that all over their behavior in game, be it funny combat action macros or overtly sexualized mannerisms in /emote or /say. This rides a wide spectrum, from funny to annoying. It also feels different from 'American' role-play, mostly due to the cultural sources each kind of 'play' draws from. I never see Americans making Anpanman or Doraemon jokes.

5
I personally don't trust most NA players to use the Auto-Translator feature correctly when they use it to recruit in /shout, mostly because the game designers did not make it so that you can auto-translate the names of quests, missions and most items. I think these days the goal of recruiting with the Auto-Translate is to cast as wide a net as possible for the very few in-game jobs that can properly tank, heal or support a difficult battle or mission. The bad news is that the auto-translator still doesn't support enough phrases to give or ask for detailed instructions. 'What's my role?' 'You will tank.' 'You will cast healing spells.' 'You will Stun the monster's XXXX Attack.' All seem like vital phrases that everyone wishes the Auto-Translator could support. With these phrases I think any shyness about asking to join when you don't speak a lot of English or Japanese will go away.

6
Most NA players take offense to 'Final Fantasy is a Japanese game' because they feel it dismisses the importance of the non-Japanese market for games, and it sounds too much like the common slur 'JP ONLY.' North American and European players have become very very strong in the game in the last 5 years and are on the very edge of the game with gear and encounter strategies.
I don't think most American players hate Japanese players, they just hate the barriers that exist between the communities, which come from more than just the language. We are also perfectly capable of telling the difference between not liking another player and not liking the game we play.

7
I know of more people who have quit playing FFXI in the last year than have started playing. I'm confident there's a downward trend in the subscription numbers.


8
We call them 'Stanislav.' ZING!
I don't think there's an official MMO-specific term. We just use blanket insults for anybody considered overly-obsessed with something that doesn't connect to real life. I think for a while people called NA players who were in too deep 'haijin' but I don't see it used much in that context anymore.


9
There is no opposition to 3rd party tools but the line between 'ethical' use of tools and 'unethical' use of tools exists and isn't that fuzzy. If you use a tool to improve your own performance in the game without putting others at a disadvantage, such as a combat log parser or tools which track recast timers and party TP levels then most players are okay with it, because we are all getting tired of the menu-heavy default interface and the shortcuts they provide make gameplay smoother in general. If you use a tool that breaks game mechanics (or the game economy) and puts other players at a disadvantage, such as monster claim bots, fish bots, AH bots, teleport tools and the like, then it's clearly crossed the line into 'cheating,' and is not respected. There are lots of players who don't care that they're labeled as cheaters but at the same time such players don't deny that they are cheating and simply self-justify it by saying 'everyone else does it so why should I suffer?'
RMT is never respected and is universally ridiculed.

10
Subligar humor is a little cliche but I guess it keeps the flavor of the online experience alive. I don't see a lot of NA/Euro players obsessed with subligar but there are plenty who enjoy a unique look to their characters and subligar isn't necessarily a part of that. I love the little frills that they put into the game like fireworks and seasonal equipment like costumes. I think my favorite piece of 'looks only' equipment is either the pumpkin hat or the opo-opo crown. I think everyone has gear they feel their character looks good in. FFXI is really good at putting in useless little items that everyone wants just because it's cute or cool-looking.

[Aerin]

Bonus question:

that’s part of lunch! Junk food is something that is bad for you ; ; I would be mad if I was told I could not bring a banana

I think a Banana can be either/or. But I do generally think of a snack as something non-healthy.

And I won't answer the regular questions, looks like you have more than enough responses lol

[Indalecia]

1)
Yes, anyone can be an ass, it's not dependent on borders. I have many more blisted NA's than say...french or english players.

2)
Not that I'm aware of. I think we just have jp friends that we mention in passing often and its on a server by server basis.

3)
I personally party extremely early in the morning. With a jp player, I know I usually wont get the "im tired, going to bed" excuse 20min after I get the party started considering its your early afternoon.

4)
Yes. I was level 40 on my first job and a particular jp just started following me around insulting me. I had never met him before so I don't know what the problem is. And my followup is not so much disagreeable actions but more a question of some of your gear choices. example, whats up with palmerians shield and errant hat?

5)
I am targeting anyone willing to help. I won't slam someone who doesn't speak my language, I'll find someway of helping you figure out our battle plan. This game isn't overly difficult, different languages shouldn't be a deterrent to finishing an assault.

6)
That's his own personal demons he has to deal with. However, FFXI may have started in Japan but I feel its become more. Many people say its a failed experiment having everyone on same servers, but I enjoy playing with everyone all over the world.

7)
Roughly the same probably. Not many, but there are some.

8)
Nolifer

9)
Gilfarmers, gilbuyers and botusers are a severe detriment to this game that SE needs to do something about. They have taken care of a large chunk of the gilfarmers, however the other 2 blocks are still large and the botuseres in particular flaunt the fact they bot. Every single one should be permabanned without a second thought.

10)
Sunglasses of any kind

[Aksannyi]

I hope I'm not too late to the party!


1
Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?

This has happened to me many times, I think it's just natural that over the course of several years, you will run into someone who has no concept of how to treat other people. I don't hold a grudge unless they are exceptionally rude to me in the process, and I certainly don't let it cloud how I judge what group he belongs to, be it EU or a certain linkshell.

2
I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?

If we do, I am not familiar with it.

3
I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?

Lately with the difficulties in finding groups, just finding bodies! LOL. Also, I rather enjoy when I can have a group full of different nationalities and we can still work together. We all speak the same language, that of FFXI which is really pretty cool.

4
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.

I don't think I've ever been personally insulted by a Japanese player, but I also do not get offended very easily. I also can't think of anything, except the "JP Only" thing, because it's often very frustrating to find a group. I play at weird hours so I sometimes have to play with people who aren't NA.

5
Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.

If I shout in Auto-translate, then I want anyone who is willing to help. I'm confident in my ability to communicate through the method SE gave us. Obviously, some things are more challenging to say than others, but for the most part I can say what I need to.

6
I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?

I don't know anyone who dislikes Japanese people. I think a lot of people don't realize how international this game is when they first pick it up, so they play without necessarily knowing first. I remember being really enthralled by the Japanese characters on my screen the first time I saw them.

7
A lot of time has passed since service began in Japan, and you barely see any new subscribers coming in. Are there new NA players still joining?

There are some here and there, but certainly less than before. I think the EU market is truly picking up though.

8
In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?

I'm sure there are several derogatory terms one could use, but as for a specific "across the board" term, I'm not aware of one. I'd guess you could simply say they "fail at life." lol.

9
Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?

I really hate the RMT, and hate is a strong word but I mean it. They have screwed over so many of my friends. I've had friends who have lost their accounts to the RMT and it really makes me angry. Some third party programs, like an unofficial windowed mode, I don't mind. The official one is not very good. As far as other third party programs such as bots, I dislike it, but I think it's become a necessary evil in endgame. SE hasn't been able to completely do away with them and people will not stop using them, so it's become kind of a "look the other way" thing.

10
In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?

I think we don't like subligar too much, because they make male characters look gay. I think event items are popular to wear, especially when they first come out. I don't know if I'd say that one particular type of equipment is really popular with the NA playerbase as a whole, though.

[Scorp]

1 - I have never held a grudge against someone over one incident. There are some players I avoid based on their overall behaviour, frequently rude, gil buyers or very underskilled.

2- Never heard of it.

3 - I'm european so I party as much with japanese players as I do na players. Assuming I do not know the players well, I prefer to party with japanese players. They often have better knowledge of camps and party building than the NA that play in European prime time. This may just be the general age of the players.

4 - I have never felt insulted by japanese players. I have felt dissapointed that some would not party with non-Japanese players but Elmer has helped explain why that is with the previous questions.

5 - For something like missions and well known fights I would happily take japanese players. The language barrier is a problem for more complicated things like salvage, where different strategies are common.

6 I don't hate anyone that plays the game. Also, I have grown up playing final fantasy games, I feel it is more universal than a Japanese game.

9 Gil farmers have been a problem for me since I began the game, I take the time to report them all to the STF. I think attitudes to third party tools have relaxed a lot in regards to windower and data swapping. Whilst more people openly use bots I think that the number using them has been fairly steady for a few years.


10 Hats, mainly Berets & Caps

[Sodako]

1
Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?

When people do bad things like this, we get just as irritated with them as you guys do, quite a few people blacklist them after things like that I think.

2
I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?

I haven't seen or heard of one, but I have seen individual posts on forums years and years ago about a particular japanese player that was really friendly and cool.

3
I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?

It is unfortunate that the auto-translator isn't enough to make the language barrier easy to work around, but it is nice to have someone with different experiences and methods to solve a problem in the group, so that everyone can learn different ways to do things. For the most part though, we don't view JP players as being that different from NA players fundamentally.

4
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.

I don't think I have been insulted by a JP player, at least not in english, but sometimes when we invite a JP player they will do what NA players sometimes do and leave the party without any warning, which annoys everyone quite a bit. The only thing that I can think of that JP players do that NA players don't really like is the "JP only" stuff, because many of us felt that it was being done because JP players felt that they were superior, and did not want to lower themselves and play with NA people, which we would consider racist. However, as shown with the answers you guys gave us, we know this isn't the case now.

5
Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.

Some of us feel like it would be rude to exclude people who can't read english very well by making the shout purely english, and for the most part we are comfortable communicating with the auto-translator, and are willing to trust people who can't speak english to make normal/smart choices with their strategy.

6
I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?

That person was not a normal NA player, most of us dislike the people who say things like that as much as you guys do.

7
A lot of time has passed since service began in Japan, and you barely see any new subscribers coming in. Are there new NA players still joining?

I have noticed several. . . maybe most of the new people are NA and EU?

8
In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?

I don't think we have a specific word for them, but we do make fun of them.

9
Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?

Absolutely. We all dislike RMT and botters. If I find out that a friend of mine has purchased gil, I generally stop associating with them.

10
In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?

I don't know any specific people who are subligar fans, but sometimes male elvaan or galka players will put on a subligar to disgust their linkshell at an event or something.

[Gwynplaine]

1)This is the norm in pickup parties. It is assumed that if you don't make your own party comprised of friends or ls members you are shafted with the dregs parties. I call these revolving door parties. It is my #1 pet peeve. If I have to leave a party, I give a 30 minute warning to let the leader find someone. If they haven't by then I consider it fair and leave.

2)Not that I know of.

3) Benefits? They don't talk as much.

4)I think it depends from person to person.

5)Not necessarily. It just makes writing quick. You might notice that phrases put together don't even really make sense. For example some people still use [back] when they return, even though it pertains to back equipment.

6)That sounds like some 12 year old twerp. No rational person would actually hate a nationality. Those people are referred to as "e-thugs".

7)Your guess is as good as mine. I do know of some, but SE doesn't ever release accurate subscription numbers so overall who knows.

8 )I think they're called "MMORPG players".

9)It was always generally opposed, but the recent increase in RMT hacking has made the opposition much harsher. Someone who buys from or sells to RMT is encouraging the destruction of others hard earned effort and time in my opinion.

10)I don't know. I think the Cobra Subligar is becoming popular among guys who want to resemble gigolos.

Extra) No. "Snack" suggests there's some kind of unordinary level of fun involved. Bananas are boring. The potassium in bananas only helps to combat cigarette smoking, which is awesome and fun.

[Wenslydale]

1. Almost Daily I deal with people like this. I try to remain objective and look at things from a calm head. Some mistakes are honest, others are malicious, but a good number are just stupid selfishness, or careless ignorance. In the end, it's just a game. I'm here to have fun, and if I'm not, I can find something else to do.




2. I haven't heard of such a list, though I try remember helpful and good players.




3. I've seen my share of bad NA and Japanese players. I make no such distinction when it comes to setting up a party. I assume that Japanese players are playing for ultimately the same goal as me. As for the communication barrier; I take the time to try and get my point across with the auto translate function. I know that it's not perfect, or ideal, but it's better then nothing.



4. PLENTY. I one I remember in particular, accepted a party invite, then spent the whole time in party saying, {English} {Too Weak}. As for actions in general; I find that I get a tell from a Japanese player, and I respond using the auto-translate function, I generally am ignored. I don't understand that. Also, why are Japanese so apologetic! I have a Japanese player in my Linkshell that I consider a good friend. But he is SO apologetic for things that are beyond his control. I remember doing PM's with him, he was on SMN and we had him Astral Flow the boss. One of his Astral Flow's missed because the boss moved. We still won, but afterwards, all he would do is apologize! He did a great job and we won. I just don't understand that. All I can ask of anyone is that they give 100% effort. Regardless if we win or lose, if you gave 100%, I am happy.




5. It's hard enough finding people to do some missions, I'll take just about anyone. I remember when I did PM 2-5, we had a Japanese RDM who was going to be one of our Kiters for the mammets. The whole way there, I was trying to figure out in my head how to auto-translate this. I did my best to tell her the strategy, and going in I was nervous as hell that the strategy didn't carry over via auto-translate. We went in and within a minute we lost our 2nd kiter, PLD and WHM. I thought for sure that we were done. But the Japanese RDM Kited 2 mammets like a champ, and even managed to stop and cure the 2 remaining DD's. I was so impressed with her ability that it was hard to concentrate on the fight. To this day, my friends and I still joke that all you need to beat that fight is 2 dd's and one kickass Japanese RDM.




6. I don't understand this attitude. Bigotry is lost on me. I do however see my fair share of {English} {Too Weak}.




7. No, indeed most new players I see are RMT who have just been banned and restarting their characters. FFXI doesn't appeal to to the "I must have power now!" mentality of most NA gamers, and honestly, I don't blame them. It takes a LONG time to get to endgame just starting out. All the quests, missions, items, farming... It's a Very Daunting Task. I can't ever see myself playing any other online game, and I do NOT want to have to repeat everything I had to do to get where I am today.




8. Of Course! We have many names for players like this, and we joke that when the day comes that the servers go down, they will be forced to move out of their players basement's for the first time in years and go get a job. Call them what you will, Elitist, No Life, Virgin, they will exist in any game.





9. Oh yes. I miss the days of MPKing Groups of RMT just for the hell of it. As for 3rd party tools... there is a grey area there. Botting is frowned upon, while the use of Windower, Apradar, FFXIAssist, are considered commonplace. I think in the end, as long as it doesn't interfere with anyone else in the game, it's acceptable. Granted, this gives PC user's a distinct advantage over PS2 and Xbox users, but I have seen my fair share of console users that 10 times better then players with 3rd party additions. You just can't fix stupid...



10. As a Mithra, I don't mind wearing subligar. But on any other race... it's just painful. There are plenty of NA's that have a "Town-Gear" set, for showing off pieces of armor they have collected. I myself am not inclined to do this, but I can understand wanting to show off.

[Flarega]

1- Yes, its annoying and part of the reason I don't find replacements for myself when I'm about to leave. Instead I let the PT leader do that. I only hold a grudge if someone really pisses me off.

2- No there isn't.

3- In this day and age in FFXI, its hard to find members for any party. So oftentimes we will invite Japanese players because there are few people seeking. However, in the past when a certain job was wanted to get the party going and a Japanese player began seeking, the party might try and invite him. And why not? It can't hurt; the worst thing that can happen is they say no.

4- Hurt? No. Insulted? Yes, probably. But there have been more cases where I've been angry about players speaking my own language. One thing that's an unintended benefit of the language barrier is that it's harder for them to get me angry since I have no idea what they say about me.

5- Means we're recruiting any kind of player. In contrast, I rarely see Japanese players doing /sh using any auto-translate. Does this mean you aren't interested in our help? If they were doing an event I was interested in I would certainly help, but since I can't read Japanese this is rarely possible.

6- I don't hate you. There are certain things I hate about the game, though.

7- Don't know. Don't really pay attention.

8- I'd just call them losers. Only reason I'm playing this game now is because its summer and I'm out of school. Once I go back I'm going to stop.

9- We generally look down on RMT a lot, but I think more NA players buy gil than Japanese. Personally, I look down on third party tools. But there are some players in HNMLS that use bots that really do not care. In fact, certain linkshells advocate using these tools. But I think they are in the minority.

10- Some like walking around in subligar but I wouldn't call it fanaticism. Personally, I like pieces that look cool like Mamool Ja helm and aprons. That's just my opinion though.

Bonus- Bananas are nutritious so I think you can argue that they should be included in the lunch. In my experience, a fruit can be considered as part of your lunch due to the nutrition it gives as opposed to dessert which is sugary, its a treat you shouldn't have too much of.

I have a follow up question/comment.

I have a good number of Japanese friends that I talk to daily. Over the few years I have known them, they have helped me get through, CoP missions, Swift Belt fights, etc. The thing is that, whenever we start one of these events or see each others character in game, we greet one another by using the /bow emote. I'm not too familiar with Japanese culture so my first question is, is bowing considered to be the proper way to greet people, instead of waving, shaking hands, or saying "Hello" or "Hey"? In the NA version of the game it feels like a way to thank people. You bow *courteously* to <t>. So my second question is, if I use /bow to thank a Japanese person after they cure me in Campaign battle, am I confusing them?

Alright, that's it.

[ShuttleXpC]

6
I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?

This is just about the dumbest fucking question I've ever seen asked. Why are you wearing those Reeboks if you hate America? Why are you flying on that Boeing 747 if you hate America?

Seriously, the game was made for all to enjoy not just your asses.

[Fhqwghads]

1
Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?

Yes, it's happened frequently. Depends on my mood and where the camp is. If it's some obscure camp I'll get mad. Worse case was a KRT party I got invited to. I got all the way out there, and when I arrived the party leader said "Sorry, but a person we perma with just logged on and we are inviting him." To this day I will not party or help this person.

2
I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?

I've never seen one.

3
I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?

Well, there's no benefit per-se, other than the person was invited to do a job in the party. As long as they can do their job they're just as beneficial as all the other party members. I don't care what language they are. The obvious drawback is communication. I typically don't shoot the breeze while I'm in a merit party, but it's a nice option sometimes. This is kind of a sore spot with me though, since so many NA players are perfectly willing to team up with JP players, but the road is often one-way, and JP players rarely invite NA players from what I've seen. That is, unless it's a job that's critical for a party to function. Seems that for those jobs it doesn't matter what language you speak, for some "mysterious" reason they get invited anyway. >.>

4
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.

The only thing that bugs me is the abrupt disbanding JP players have a bad habit of doing. Limit points are flowing, then out of the blue you get {I'm sleepy.} and then they disband. A little common courtesy goes a long way here. I've never done that in the JP parties I get.

5
Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.

If you know what to do it shouldn't be a problem. I think most people use auto-translate just because it's there, and hitting a few letters + the tab key is faster and garners more attention due to familiar phrases.

6
I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?

Those people are stupid. Ignore them and add them to /blist.

7
A lot of time has passed since service began in Japan, and you barely see any new subscribers coming in. Are there new NA players still joining?

I still see new players in the dunes. The numbers are a lot lower, but they're there. How and why they decided, many years after its release, to sign up and try to play now puzzles me though. It's a great game, but it looks very dated.

8
In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?

Not really. We just say they don't have a life.

9
Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?

Yes. Plenty of people get very worked up over RMT/3rd party apps. Personally I dislike it, and as far as I know nobody in my LS uses them. If I found out my LS used them, I would wonder why they're so stupid that they can't set up a bot, because we don't claim anything. As for RMT, they're nothing but a nuisance now. Before SE started to crack down though, I would have liked nothing better than to fly to China or wherever they come from and kick them in the face with my size 10 1/2 shoes.

10
In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?

Uh... no. 0.o

Quote:
If you want to answer, I'm putting up a bonus question. It was just posted, and I think it would be interesting to take part in this old Japanese school riddle. The poster put it in Japanese and English himself, so these are his own words:


Code:
日本では古くから議論されている問

[Morn]

Sumimasen kedo boku no nihongo wa anmari yawaii desu kara Eego de kakimasu.
-Morn of Lakshmi
1
Yes. Usually I grumble a bit to my linkshell and move along. However, if the action was particularly grievous, such as an MPK, I will remember the name. I have not blacklisted anyone yet.

2
I have never heard of such a list.

3
Benefit: Filling a party with the desired jobs.
Drawback: Language barrier.

4
I find “JP only” to be disagreeable to me. Turning down what could be an excellent party simply because the nationality of its members may different nationality than your own is silly. For the most part, the auto-translate can be used to clear up concerns before the party begins fighting.

Many JP mission/BCNM/assault/etc shouts are done without the auto-translate. I believe this is done for the express reason of excluding non-JP players.

5
When I shout using the auto-translate function the message is meant for anyone who can read it. Send a tell. Some people are not proficient or thoughtful enough to utilize the auto-translate function, but others are. I have been successful mixing my limited Japanese and the auto-translate function on a few occasions.

6
I don’t hate Japanese. Please don’t judge the many by the actions of a few.

7
Yes, a few. Keeping them subscribed is an issue though. Hopefully level synching will help newer players make it.

8
“Elitest” or “Snob”. Usually their attitude garners them this title, and not necessarily their equipment or jobs.

9
Third party tools which garner an individual an advantage such as claim-bots or flee tools are unacceptable. RMT are a pox.

10
Female + Subligar = : )
Male + Subligar = ; ;
Tarutaru + Subligar looks like a baby in a diaper.

11
Banana = lunch
Banana split = dessert

[Lampoon]

1. Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?
Enough times to learn to avoid them if they are making a PT. I don't hold grudge, just tend to ignore those people.

2. I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?
If there's one, I never saw it. Japanese players are mentioned once in a while, either for bad or a good thing, but in terms of list, I've never seen one.

3. I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?
In all honesty, when we get a JP player into the party it's a pleasant addition. We consider, or at least majority of NA players do, JP players to be diligent and knowledgeable. So when there's a JP player in PT, you know you can count on them to do their job right. There's been very little instances when I personally was displeased at how JP player performed in a PT I put together.

4. Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.
I personally despise anyone who ever responded to me with "JP only" I'm a veteran player of 5 years and counting. I can hold my own in any battlefield and I consider myself to be very courteous when it comes to being in a group. Why should my lack of Japanese be a deciding factor if I should be invited or not? I think it's disrespectful. Also, I've came across a few JP players who would curse me out, in English and in Japanese, if I check them, even if only once. I think SE needs to address what message Japanese get when someone examines them or take it out completely.

5. Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.
When I put a group together for missions, assaults, etc., I aim my shouts towards anyone, not just Japanese players. English speaking players rarely exclude Japanese players from participating in any and all activities and I think that's where we differ culturally.
Also some words and game terms are difficult to spell out (Area names for example) so it's easier to send it through as auto-translator word.

6. I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?
Would you stop wearing pants made in that country if someone from that country insulted you? What I'm trying to say is, this game is far from being Japanese anymore.

7. A lot of time has passed since service began in Japan, and you barely see any new subscribers coming in. Are there new NA players still joining?
Definitely. Most of the time it's a friend or relative that joins in with veteran player. My counter question is though; have Japanese players seen reduction in or complete stop in new subscribers?

8. In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?
There are fair amount of jerks and bullies in this game, whether they play prolonged period of times or a casual player. I've seen both sides to "haijins". Some can be very helpful for the lack of anything to do, others are more on the contemptious side and keep to themselves.

9Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?
Everyone bots and if they don't, they do it in the shadows. People RMT all the time and while I, personally, frown upon such activites, there's nothing I can do or say that will deter anyone from doing what it is they're doing. I'm not their daddy to hold their hand and tell them what is right or wrong.

10. In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?
I have a friend who LOVES subligar. At every event you see him wearing one and dancing around using DNC emotes. Matter of fact he leveled DNC to 75 just so he can see himself dance ALL the time while wearing subligar.

日本では古くから議論されている問

[Brill Weave]

1
Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?

Most times I will not think twice about it since everyone has been in that situation at least in their time playing the game. If it's someone who habitually does it I just won't accept an invite into their parties.

2
I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?

On Cait Sith there's no list that I am aware of. But the players who seem to be more helpful than others are usually pretty well known on our server for being good people who are willing to help.

3
I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?

I work an odd schedule so the times that I am online is generally considered Japanese peak time. The benefits to inviting/joining a mostly Japanese party are that I know when the party will be ending and I know what's expected of me. Though it does get a bit lonely when there's really nobody there to talk to. That's why I really appreciate when a Japanese player takes the time to say a few words in English. It shows you guys are conscious of a foreign player and you're still trying to make me feel welcome.

4
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.

I can't think of a time a Japanese player has ever been anything but courteous to me. The only thing that I would consider even remotely annoying are the shouts in town consisting of multiple lines of text.

5
Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.

We send those shouts to fill the party(at least I do.) If a Japanese player wants to join, or any foreign player for that matter, I'm more than happy to have them there.

6
I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?

Like your answers to Elmer's questions demonstrated, there are just some people who don't like other nationalities. Hopefully you understand that the vast majority of NA players do not have any ill will towards Japanese players.

7
A lot of time has passed since service began in Japan, and you barely see any new subscribers coming in. Are there new NA players still joining?

There's definitely been a decrease in the amount of new players joining it seems. But there are still a fair number of people just getting started. Most post on their server forums saying that they are new and begin asking for advice. Based on that I would say there's still a decent number of people signing up.

8
In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?

We just call them elitist.

9
Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?

A rare few people openly admit to buying gil or using third party tools. Those players are usually treated very poorly as a result. With good reason. Luckily the overall numbers of rmt's has decreased drastically. But endgame is still a cesspool of linkshells botting.

10
In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?

I know for a while the Easter egg hats were pretty popular. Other than that I would say most of the event gear that they give away(Santa Hats etc.)

[Kaelia]

1.
Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?

Yes, it happens sometimes, but not every NA player does things like that. If it happens to me I don't confront the person, but I remember their name.

2.
I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?

Maybe, but I've never seen it.

3.
I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?

Actually, I know a Japanese player who goes out of his way to make NA and Japanese mixed parties. I thought it was a very good thing for him to do. I wish NA and Japanese players could communicate more, because partying with them helps me to study Japanese language. Also, if you want to know, there is a rumor among NA players that Japanese players are better, lol.

4.
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.

No Japanese player has ever been rude to me. I try to be very polite to Japanese players, because it's hard to communicate and I know that we have different cultures.

5.
Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.

I don't use shout. But if I used it, Auto-Translate would mean every player, including Japanese.

6.
I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?

I don't think there are many players who are mean like that. That is the kind of person that I hope stops playing.

7.
A lot of time has passed since service began in Japan, and you barely see any new subscribers coming in. Are there new NA players still joining?

I don't see that many new subscribers. The new players that I meet usually start FFXI because they have a family member or girlfriend/boyfriend who plays it.

8.
In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?

I would say "no-life."

9.
Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?

Most NA hate RMT. I don't think that my linkshell uses them. I had a friend who did, and I was very disappointed with him.

10.
In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?

A lot of male NA players either love subligar because they think it's funny to show off their manly legs, or hate subligar because they don't want to see other players' manly legs, lol.

[Crisco]

1
Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?

Happens all the time. Most cases it's not on purpose and is usually the result of someone else in the party leaving without notice. Shit happens and I leave it at that.

2
I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?

I've never heard of or seen any such list.

3
I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?

I don't try to base my invites on player origin; Japanese or other. I base them on the quality of the player (if known) and overall success of the party. With that, I like to invite Japanese players during late NA time because they tend to stay in party longer.

4
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.

I've never had any poor interactions with Japanese players. Nothing close to being rude or otherwise. They have always been very respectful.

5
Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.

I use Auto-Translate in my shouts because it's faster and there is no confusion as to my intentions. I don't use it to target anyone, but it allows players of any region to send a tell to join.

8
In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?

"No life" or "Hardcore" as others have said. A lot can be considered elitist, acting as if they know everything there is to know, but that is more of a stereotype and can be said of anyone regardless of accomplishments.

9
Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?

Windower is generally accepted among NA players.
Even though people don't like to admit it, 3rd-party tools used for claiming NMs are becoming more and more accepted as they've almost become a last resort on some servers. When a linkshell is known for having 5-10 characters botting in Dragon's Aery, it can be stressfull when competing for claims if other linkshells don't follow suit; especially if GMs don't do anything about said linkshells.

RMT and gil farmers that support RMT are widely hated; expecially RMT now that they're going to excessive means to illegally gain access to our accounts.

10
In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?

There are a few NA players that are subligar fanatics, but nothing that could possibly start a trend. Off the top of my head I can't think of any particular piece of gear that people wear for that reason.

-Bananas are part of the meal, not dessert.

[Demus]

1
Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?

Of course. People can be dicks no matter where they come from. I don't hold a grudge or try to get even, but I do avoid players like that if I can.


2
I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?

If there is I haven't seen it yet.


3
I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?

There's no real benefit to inviting a JP player from my standpoint. If they can do their job well enough to not need much communication then I really don't care where they come from. For the most part I try not to invite JP players unless I'm desperate to fill a certain role in a party because I know most won't accept.


4
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.

I've been insulted by JP, EU, and NA players in the 5 years or so that I've been playing FFXI. I can't say that I find anything particular to be disagreeable from the majority of JP players, but some EU and NA players are offended when they see "JP ONLY" in a search comment or are otherwise denied a party. Some see it as racist/elitist/selfish when they see it and it tends to widen the gap between the in-game communities, which is really a shame.


5
Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.

I shout in auto-translate to target everyone, not just NA and JP players. I've had some good experiences with EU players. If it's an easy assault like Golden Salvage or Breaking Morale then there's shouldn't be much worry about communication.

6
I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?

/blacklist them and be done with it. They are a very small minority of non-JP players.


7
A lot of time has passed since service began in Japan, and you barely see any new subscribers coming in. Are there new NA players still joining?

Every week or so I'll see one or two topics on GameFAQs from people starting the game and asking for advice, so I'd answer yes to that. However, I don't know if any of them actually keep playing past level 30.


8
In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?

Yeah, we call them nerds.


9
Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?

Of course. Windower and FFAssist is seemingly more accepted in the US than it is in Japan, but for the most part the other tools (flee hacking, claim bots, fish bots, etc.) are highly frowned upon by the general public here. If anyone in my LS is guilty of RMT and caught they get kicked immediately. I hate gil farmers.


10
In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?

The Adaman Hauberk is especially popular. Is it purple or blue?

[Bluefrostie]

1
Have you ever had someone from your own country do something bad to you? For example, they invite you to replace someone, and when you get there, they just disband. Do you hold a grudge against the person who invited you in that case, or do you think “Oh well,” and just forget about it?

I hold a grudge. It doesn't matter who does it, that's not right. You should always announce when you're leaving, whether it is in 30 minutes or 5 hours.

2
I heard that on foreign boards there is a list of useful Japanese players that will help people out. Do you really have such a list?

Never heard of such a board.

3
I don’t go out of my way to invite NA players to my party, but NA players often invite Japanese players. What are the benefits and drawbacks of inviting a Japanese player to your party?

Hmm, I generally try to avoid inviting Japanese players since a lot of them tend to not want to party with me. But when I do invite JP, I make sure to invite other JP players so they can converse, since I hope they'd do the same for me. I can speak very limited Japanese, but sometimes I'm able to translate simple sentences from English to Japanese and vice versa. The drawback is when I tell them I speak limited Japanese, they throw all this Kanji out and I feel bad because I don't understand.

4
Has there been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted you? Also, what are some actions that are normal for us that you find disagreeable? I’m interested to know and would like to hear your thoughts.

Of course, many times. There is one particular JP on my server that bothered me for a month because I examined her once. She invited me to parties, added me to her friends list, and harassed me. But I know that most JP aren't crazy like her.

There was another JP on my server which I had examined, and he threw a fit. After that, (not apologizing but) he and I became very friendly. Whenever I see him I ask in romaji "o genki desu ka?" and he always replies in romaji "GENKI DESSSSSSSSSSSU"

5
Lots of NA players exclusively use Auto-Translate when recruiting for Assault and other activities. Does this mean that you are targeting Japanese players as well? I’m fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Missions and Assault, but I barely know any English, and worry if I should even send a tell.

Sometimes. To me, it's easier to type out half the word and press Tab-Key. But since I know a little Japanese, I am biased, so to invite a JP player wouldn't be that weird for me. I love reading and learning Kanji.

6
I’ve had a foreign player say to me, “I hate Japanese people.” But Final Fantasy is a Japanese game. If you hate us, why play?

Hmm, for me, it's the extremists that I hate. The people that say "I don't like him, only because he is American (or foreigner)." It goes the same for Americans. If someone said to me "I don't like him, only because he is Japanese." I wouldn't want to party with them. I don't party with stupid people.

7
A lot of time has passed since service began in Japan, and you barely see any new subscribers coming in. Are there new NA players still joining?

Not that I know of.

8
In Japan, players that play long periods of time, have many Lvl 75 jobs, possess tons of high-level equipment, and who are usually filled with prejudice and contempt are called 廃人 <[ ( hai jin ) " High Level person but disable from living real life " ]>. Is there a similar name you use for NA players who are like that?

Yeah, a loser.

9
Is there opposition against the practice of RMT or the use of third party tools? What do you do if your friend or Linkshell uses them? How do you feel about RMT業者 (gyou sha) or gil farmers?

One thing that makes me very happy is when I see RMT do something and die attempting to do it. I used to be friends with 1 particular RMT, and I camped some NMs with them to see how they work, and it was fun to watch everyone MPK each other.

10
In Japan, there are some people who are huge subligar fans. Are there any amongst foreign players, or is there another piece of equipment that is especially popular?

Subligar seems to be both hated and loved. I am a girl so I like wearing (and watching guys in) subligar.