10 Questions from JP Players

[Jeryhn]

I really look down on people with gears like Ridills or Defending Rings: it's like wearing a T Shirt saying : "I'm a cheater".

(Nearly forgot to reply to this.)

Kill yourself.

[Diametric]

1. I've had this happen a lot of times, especially when I was first leveling up. It really depends on how that player handles it - sometimes things happen that can't be avoided, and I won't hold a grudge if the person is courteous when explaining this to me. If I arrive at camp only to find that the person never told the party leader they were inviting me, or something like that, then yes, I'll remember it.

2. I've never heard or seen anything like that. Some of the websites I used to visit used to have "White Lists" of generally nice and helpful players, which included a few Japanese players, but none specifically for them.

3. The drawbacks are rather obvious - the language barrier makes communication difficult sometimes. In a good party this usually doesn't matter, but if something goes wrong or we need to disband suddenly, I always feel really bad for any party members who can't speak English, since it makes it very difficult to explain things to them. "I'm sorry, the hedge just caught on fire, I need to go!" isn't in the autotranslate system (and yes, I heard that excuse once). The benefits are that you can fill out your party quicker and be able to actually make some EXP, and most of the Japanese players I've met have been pretty cool.

4. There have been a few times. One time a friend of mine got cussed out in autotranslate/broken English for /checking someone who had a bazaar up. Another time a friend and I went to level our BLMs in Movalpolos. There was a Japanese BLM camping at the entrance, so we went deeper in. After a while, we did a /sea and noticed that he had left, so we moved into his camp. He logged back in about five minutes later and got very angry with us when we refused to move. Eventually he left, came back on his 75 NIN, and started killing our EXP mobs. I can't think of any particular mannerisms that are Japanese-specific which annoy me right now (other than "JP ONLY").

5. I don't think people are specifically targetting Japanese players when they do mission shouts. Using autotranslate has sort of become ingrained in English players, I think. For instance, I just got out of a party with all linkshell members, and everytime someone dinged you would see [Congratulations!] X5 followed by [Thank you.] even though everyone only spoke English. That being said, I don't think anyone would turn you down if you asked to come.

6. Nobody starts playing FFXI thinking "I hate me some foreigners." But after playing for a while and hearing "JP Only," etc, so many times, it can really get to you. Even then, people generally don't mean that they hate Japanese players - what they really mean is that they hate the way Japanese players tend to treat them.

7. A few, but not too many. The recent changes have helped some, though.

8. I can't think of a name or a term specifically. As someone else said, if they have a ton of rare/ex gears, etc, they might be called a Loot Whore, but that's not really specific to that type of player.

9. There is a great opposition, at least among the people I hang out with. One of the most hated characters on my server back in the day was a samurai who bought a ton of gil and then paid exhorbitant prices for samurai gear on the AH (this is pre-Christmas 2005). As for third party tools, the linkshells that I'm in have a policy of "If you're caught using them, you're kicked." RMTs aren't such a big issue now with the STF, I think; the main worry people have nowadays is being hacked.

10. There's a tank in my HNMLS who always, always tries to wear his subligar to events and we *hate* it. >.< Stocky Hume man thighs = [No thanks.]

[Obev]

1. Yes, there are morons playing FFXI from the UK. I don't hold grudges, and since I've quit I don't really care one way or the other.


2. I don't, and I don't think anyone does. There's probably a list of people who won't help, because we're bitches like that.


3. Benefits for me would be practising my Japanese. Drawbacks would be getting banned for using Windower IME to type kana. I invited good players, didn't matter where they were from.


4. Don't recall being hurt or insulted, but there was some guy who kept out-pulling me at Nyzul Colibris. Actions that are normal for you that we find disagreeable... commercial whaling. Oh wait, this is a FFXI survey? Oh. Then in that case nothing.


5. If it's something that can be communicated in auto-translate, it's usually rather simple, so there's no problem communicating. I rarely shouted for assaults or missions, but if it was something easy like "Excavation Duty" 「土竜作戦」I'd do it in auto-translate, so anyone could join. For more complicated things, I'd just wait for friends to do the missions with me because it's difficult enough to organize my thoughts in one language, let alone two or three. Also, it's not just for the benefit of Japanese players; apparently French and Germans play as well.

• easy things like excavation duty = autotranslate yesplz
• complex stuff = can't be bothered, wait for friends
• frenchies

6. Yeah, some people are stupid like that. They'll probably have a Sony laptop and drive a Honda as well. He was probably one of the idiots that bases their entire judgement of a nation on their bad experiences of a few of its people. I don't hate you, but I don't play any more so uh...



7. Can't speak for the Americans, but there's a rather limited amount of European players, and most of them seem to be veterans rather than newbies.



8. I actually adopted 廃人 because there isn't a word that expresses it in English as well. "Wankers" wasn't specific enough.



9. Sort of. People buy gil, people use third party tools. Among my linkshell there was an attitude of contempt and disdain towards those that did. The LS leader was pretty heavy on the whole "no third party tool claiming" thing. However with the North American and European players of FFXI there is an acceptance of limited third party tools. I for example used Windower primarily to access kana input to the game, which was useful to me. As the only way to gain Japanese text support on an EU/NA copy of FFXI is (as far as I know) to use Windower, it does make us perhaps a little more forgiving of third party tools. I didn't use anything other than windower, but I do know people that have used more malicious third party software to run faster than a speeding chocobo, be more powerful than an airship, and claim tall Fafnirs in a single bound. I didn't approve.

Gil farmers didn't bother me directly, but their influence on the in-game economy was annoying. Oh, and there were those guys in Sky who camped Ullikummi 24/7, but I'm not sure if those were gil farmers or just people who really wanted Byakko's Haidate.

• people don't like intrusive 3rd party tools
• people use Windower for convenience's sake
• do Superman references work in Japanese? Anyhow running faster than chocobos is bad, m'kay
• didn't bother me directly, influence on economy was bad

10. ъ(｀ー゜)サブリガ！

I wore my subligar with pride and honour. From level 25 to whereever I stopped playing, my Monk wore only the finest in steel underwear. Along with my linkpearl and echo drops, a Bastokan Subligar signed by one of my friends never left my inventory. If you search "Subligar" on Google, about 90% of the results are related to FFXI. However, not many people shared my bizarre delight in the glories of subligaria. They liked Mithra RSE, which was both boring and depressingly predictable.

• Subligarsubligarsubligar
• mithras are boring but Europeans and Americans seem to like to see them naked
• did I mention subligar?
• http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/2594/14260kq6.jpg

Bananananas

Bananas confuse people. They have wrappers like chocolate bars but are healthy. I'm going to sit on the fence on this one. It's probably a question of whoever's in charge's discretion. If all else fails, hide the banana in your subligar.

[Siegtaru]

1: I do notice trends in players who do not play well or as well as they should, in terms of respect towards other players and actual play skill. It can change my opinion of a person from there on out.

2: Um... help out? I guess there's a list of Crafters and it includes Japanese players.

3: When I get a Japanese player in my party, they usually seem to know what they're doing in a party and know how to function well and do their job properly, as opposed to the majority of the English players I party with. Only bad thing is language barrier. A good player can work around that, though.

4: Well, there have been times, camping kings, where Japanese shells camping the same king will start to try and start shit with my shell or other English shells in the area. That's about it, though.

5: I know that when I use completely auto-translated shout messages, whether it be for a teleport, assault, or mission, I would love if Japanese players stood up to help, whether or not I could understand them, they're still a great deal of help compared to the English players who don't care.

6: I don't hate Japanese players. I'm actually friends with quite a few. I do not, however, like the RMT who speak foreign languages. They are, I hope, a common evil between us.

7: It's not like they come by the busload, but we do every so often get new players. Usually friends of ours lol.

8: Elitests?

9: Personally I don't like RMT at all, for obvious reasons, like ruining economy. I don't usually act upon it, seeing as I can't do much but report to the GM's, which I will do if I observe 3rd party program or RMT actions.

10: Uh... I know a guy who's fanatic about Subligars. But not me. xD

[Pamelita]

1
Yes, they have been rude to me. Most of the time I forget about it. If they did something that was very selfish I sometimes hold a grudge.

2
I've never heard of such a list. Sometimes friends and linkshells talk about Japanese players, but they talk about their equipment more than other things.

3
There has been a belief in the NA population that Japanese players are very knowledgeable and efficient. Personally, I think there are excellent players in both the NA and the Japanese population (and other countries), and of course, there are bad players in all populations too. I've had both good and bad experiences with all the players, not just Japanese.

4
There hasn't been a time when a Japanese player has hurt or insulted me. The one thing that bothers me sometimes though, is when we are in EXP parties and some have just said "See you again" then they disband without prior warning. I usually don't hold grudges for this though.

5
Most of the time yes, it means that everyone is welcome, even if they don't speak English. I understand the language difference can be very frustrating, so I'm not surprised or dissappointed that I don't get tells from Japanese players.

6
I think they were probably upset. Although FFXI was built by Japanese programmers, it is hardly just a Japanese game because people from all over the world play. Personally, I wish the auto-translate option had more prhases and words to better communicate and maybe do more fun things together. It dissappoints me that I can't do more with Japanese, German, French, etc. players because I don't speak their languages. Not many people have time to study all of these languages.

7
Yes, there are some NA players still joining, but not as many as a there were a couple of years ago. Now that there are many other online RPG games many people are inclined to try other games before they try FFXI.

8
I suppose we call them No Lifers, or just insult them with names and phrases like assuming they still live with their parents at an older age, or assuming they don't have girlfriends or boyfriends.

9
The use of third party tools is not really opposed by the vast majority, although there are some people who still do. The use of tools to claim or to move around an area are less usual than windower, but the bigger part of the players are ok with them. Gil farming and selling, however, is considered very bad by the majority of the players. Anyone who buys gil is mocked. Personally, I don't agree with either and I wouldn't use tools to claim or to move around an area. But if I found out a friend did, I wouldn't stop being their friend. As long as they are not rude towards me or others, I don't really care.

10
Some people like the funny look of subligars because it's not something you would wear in real life. In a broader sense, we are fans of "town gear," gear that we are very proud to have obtained, but that isn't necessarily optimal in EXP parties or for HNM fighting; so the only place we could wear it witout worries of affecting our fighting stats is in town. More than anything, a big thing among NA players is to data change the gear files, modified body gear is very popular, especially among female characters. We like to look pretty, hehehe. I, for example, have changed the data file of Blessed Trousers to look more like Healer's Pantaloons.

[FailureMidgard]

1
Yes, there are rude people everywhere. As for whether I hold a grudge, it depends on the situation presented. If someone invites me as a replacement, then the party disbands, I generally hold no grudge. If someone brings a party to camp on top of mine, I will generally refuse to play with that party leader in the future.

3
Clearly, language and communication can be a drawback, however, I generally prefer to play the game rather than sit around in Whitegate. As such, I generally am willing to take anyone who responds if I am shouting, just so I can go out and actually play the game.


5
Generally, yes. I am looking for anyone that responds (there are also Europeans that do not have English as a first language). It is also simpler, faster, and more precise than typing many times.


6
A lot of immature people think it is funny to make comments like that.


9
RMT is bad, especially when they start targeting other people's accounts and resort to stealing. Windower I think is the best thing that has ever happened to FFXI. It makes playing the game far more enjoyable and convenient to me, and does not harm others at all.

[Korremar]

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've had far more negative experiences with North American players then with anyone else. Admittedly I deal with NA players much more then EU, JP, or anything else, so I guess that's to be expected. If it's minor, I will usually forget about it shortly after the fact, but some people are rude enough to cause a grudge.

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 don't know of any such list. I do know a number of helpful JP players in-game though.

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 wouldn't say there is a definite benefit or drawback of inviting a non-NA player to an NA party. It can be beneficial to invite people you wouldn't normally invite, to see how they do things, but if there's a language barrier it can hurt communication. I think that if everyone involved is willing to work past a potential language barrier though, it is a positive thing.

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 know that it has happened, but no incidents were serious enough to be grudge-worthy. As for actions that I find disagreeable, I used to think that being so insistent on people not checking was a little bit standoffish, but I learned the reason when the NA community posed 10 questions to you.

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 can't speak for every player, as I'm sure some do it only out of habit, but I know many people who are open to both English-speaking and non-English speaking players for Missions and Assaults. Between careful Auto-Translate and careful English word choice, in addition to a little bit of Japanese that I know, I can usually discuss the 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?

Unfortunately, some people are intolerably rude, or irrationally racist. The actions of a single person should not reflect on us as a whole.

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'm not sure about it as a whole, but I regularly see new players joining on my server. Our linkshell usually tries to pick them up when they are new, and teach them good habits, so that they become good players.

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 have many colorful terms for them, but I'm not sure that any are appropriate to use in polite company haha. I don't think that we have a formal term for them though.

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?

While there are of course players that support RMT or the use of third party tools, it is generally very strongly frowned upon. In my experience, our linkshell leaders and officers are on the lookout for such things, and we come down hard on those we find using them. To support RMTs is to support the destruction of our economy.

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'm not sure I would call them popular, but they certainly provoke discussion haha. Many players wear similar gear on occasion, to try to get a rise out of people.

[.Elphie.]

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'm fortunate enough never to have had anything terrible done to me. Most of the people I interact with are pleasant and entertaining. I don't particularly like being a replacement in a party nor do I like looking for replacements. I'd much rather the party break and then flag up again.

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 don't have any knowledge of such a 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?

The only drawback that I can see is with communication. The auto-translator is lacking in many areas.

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 and.. I'm not sure? What's the norm?


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 the auto-translate feature to reach as many people as possible and also to show an openness in partying with non-English speakers.

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'm not a hater ^^;; Maybe some people draw a line between the people and the product?

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've seen many characters with ? running about, but I'm not certain if they are mules or legit characters. It doesn't feel like there are many new subscribers, 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?

Same one.

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?
There is a lot of opposition against RMT & gil farming. I have no love for RMT/gilfarmers and would happily sit by watching them die (in-game >.>)


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?
After many levels of wearing the subligar, I've gotten tired of it. However, Yukata, Savage Loincloth, Lilac Corsage and Kung Fu shoes is a favourite outfit of mine ^^;;

[AzazaelFenrir]

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 make a not be wary of that person next time they invite me. I won't hold a grudge, but I don't forget it.

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?

My list starts Elmer the Great.

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 try to invite anyone who will fill the role needed. The general thought is Japanese players take things more seriously

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.

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 use the auto translate it is often to let anyone (NA/JP/EU) know exactly what I am looking for.

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 think this is more of a question for the individual. I personally don't hate Japanese people, just the attitudes some take towards us.

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 think there are many new players joining, however I have had a lot of friends start playing again.

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?

Losers who live in their moms basement.

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 of the Linkshells I have been in will remove a member for buying gil. I realize gil farmers are just doing their jobs, but I do not like the fact that they are doing it.

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 many people who like the subligar on a beared hume.

Bonus:
The Banana is lunch, not a snack.

Additional:
I would like to see less JP ONLY and more cooperation between the players. I use the auto translate even though I know that it doesn't always have the same meaning (ie. Reward). I used to have a small list of phrases I could use, but have since lost it.

[Frenzy]

1
I'm a rather vengeful person. So yes, I hold grudges for a very long time, although from time to time my memory might lapse.


2
I have never heard of one.


3
You get another player, sometimes you just need another one and nobody else is on. It might not be much of a problem for the NA gamers, but we Europeans share quite some play time with you. For us it is sometimes very frustrating to see several JP players seeking, but none want to play with us.


4
I can't think of anything.

5
If I'm querying via Auto-Translate, I'm happy about everyone who wishes to come. Although I expect that the people have at least a general idea of what awaits them.
Communicating via Auto-Translate takes time ind is difficult, but with good will on both sides, one can go far.
Send a tell, I'm from Germany, chances are some of the Linkshell members I conned into helping me, know as much English as you do.


6
People are hypocritical, and tend to forget where the things they use come from, especially if it goes against their biases.
I don't hate Japanese players, I hate bad and annoying players no matter where they are from.


7
I don't know about NA, but there is a moderate amount of German players joining from time to time. Especially since FFXI is now available in German, too. Many people were daunted by the whole game being English.


9
Against RMT, yes. Unfortunately it seems like more and more people can't live without their third party crutches.


10
Many of the "manly" male gamers fear their manliness is threatened by the Subligar.
The Opaline dress and the summer event clothes are well-like for female characters.

Bonus: Given that I have gotten Banana in prepared lunch packets, I'd say Banana is lunch.

[rath]

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 blist them, I usually clear my blist once a month of people I do not recall why they are on it.
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 have seen lists of players on what most consider "low-level" boards that contain people others have been helped by and wish to make note of. They contain JP/EU/NA players.


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?

Players are players. If a JP player is seeking and wishes to join my party, why should I leave them seeking and continue to search for a party member. I understand how difficult it is to seek outside of your timezones main playtime, so someone doing so will usually accept an invite. Sometimes they will warn about not being fluent in english, so we will do our best to convey our intentions to them at all times.

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.
Yes, I find <English> <No Thanks> to be offensive, and have put <Japanese> <No Thanks> in my seek message before to show them how it feels. It did not have the intended effect though, it usually provoked tells from NA players. Some Japanese players did notice it and offer invites though, they were usually those that could communicate in both English and Japanese. These parties were usually better then normal Japanese party invites, as they went out of their way to explain most Japanese chat log to me. I have since changed it to the "I don't not understand Japanese" 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.
I find it annoying when some people use it incorrectly. There will be words that are proper in English, but clearly not intended as that word. Things like the <reward> Job Ability being used to offer payment. But, I do not find these players lazy like the players that use English for short words and TAB-key all the longer words. I will put in shout <Japanese> / <English> <Party> if I have someone able to communicate with a Japanese player for missions and BCNMs.

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 see this a lot during Dynamis times because of the situation below.

My linkshell goes at about 5am JST, and this year a JP shell has started to exclusively do ice zones at this time. We attempted to negotiate with them and had it worked out where we would take turns, but recently they have started to gather outside xarcabard and attempt to enter while we gathered. We have had to go early to get the zone we wanted, and they have resumed communication. They have gone so far as to post their schedule in English on their site, we have added Japanese to our schedule and registered one of their officers. A lot of our members are still very upset with Japanese players because of this.

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 a very old "starter" linkshell from 5 years ago that I still frequent from time-to-time. It now has a good 20+ long-time members that are multiple 75s, but it always has a steady influx of new players. Usually they recruit any players they encounter while leveling new jobs in low-level areas. The fact their is almost always people I do not recognize leads me to believe my server continues to gain new players.


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?

This covers a lot of the end-game NA players on my server. They can spend 5 hours on HNM camps and still level a job to 75 within a few weeks. They usually dual-box/RMT accounts, and have the best gear money can buy (RL money or gil). I think they quit their jobs and just make money in account trading and gil selling now. Most of these players are officers or LS leaders on my server, so they call themselves "veterans".

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 HNM shells on my server bot, and RMT/trade accounts/gil. There was a time they even teamed up with "RMT" in areas like sky. They justify it by "everyone does it" and "I don't pay money to have the second best items". I tend to ignore them now, since GMs do nothing about it.

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 that is obsessed with making her friends wear the lvl 50 JSE subligars for the quest "Brigid the Stylist Returns" in order for her to take screenshots.

Bonus.
A banana is a fruit, and should be part of lunch. I find it interesting to note that Japanese students are limited in the ammount of snacks they can bring. NA students need something similar.

[liggy 0]

1. i don't think i've met a person that hasnt have that happen to them outside of partying with friends/lsmembers. i'll just make note of the said person. If the camp is close to town, i dont mind taking a risk of accepting an invite as a rep. Out of the way camps, i'll always double check on party status.

2. a conpiracy created by the NHK or something lol. never heard of it.

3. a party is just a party, no real benefits/drawbacks if they are of a different nation. sometimes i'll talk in party, sometimes i wont. i still have Flist/vent/LSchat to keep me company. partying with JPs is just as fun as partying with NA/EU etc. if i get morsal snatched and express my grievences in party. the JPs understand n laugh with me lol . some things are just universally understand n can still be fun. few years of japanese helps too ^0^

4. my kanji is terrible so... i wouldnt know. Probably what everyone else thinks about JP onry. i know a few times where people weren't open to change in tatics, JPs included, but thats just everyone's unwillingness to try something new.

5. like everyone auto-translate, is just meant for everyone. and it stands out better in shout with red "<" and green ">". just another form of making your shouts bold.

6. Another comperacy from the NHK lol. never heard anyone hating JPs, except for the..."oh look brd we need to get a pt goin has a JP onry in his comment". From what ive seen everyone on equal terms, except canada because thats not a real country

7. few

8. Maats cap

9. yes there is. me and a few friends use to MPK RMTs or claim all the goobbue and sleep them/CFH them till fafnir window...good times Gil buyers or botters are looked down, but nothing you can do about it till the GMs get off there asses to do something..

10. galka - pumpkin head, elvaan - subligar = /cry. beastman headpiece was 2006. i <3 my apron



OH and banana is definitely a snack!

[NHK reference to the anime lol, dont need some international incident here]

[Athas]

1) Something like that happens every so often, it's pretty annoying. I probably wouldn't party with that person again.

2) If there is such a list, I don't know about it.

3) Sometimes Japanese people are the only people left seeking and I'd invite them to fill out a party. I try to get all english speaking party members just because it makes communicating easier but in a pinch I'll invite non-english speaking players, not just JP but German or French for example.

4) Not really hurt or insulted but I've had one very strange incident with a JP player - once I was teleporting a party full of people in Jeuno and I invited a JP player. He asked for a teleport-holla, but I did -dem first because there were more people who were going there and while I was casting he kept saying (|Teleport-Holla|) over and over in /party. After that I casted -holla and warped back to Jeuno, but then he starting sending me /tell (|leave|) (|leave|) (|leave|) (|leave|) over and over for a long time, completely flooded my log. I didn't understand why and had to blacklist him.

5) Most people just want to fill a party and don't really mind where each player comes from - again not just JP, but any non-english speaking players. Some people just hit tab because it's faster then typing out each word, lol.

6) I don't hate you. :O NAs players like that are a very small minority, but they are the most vocal.

7) Not really, not since FFXI hit the XBox 360 anyway. At Christmas there's sometimes a bunch of new players, but that's it these days.

8 ) A lot of NA players use "haijin" too, lol. Though there are a few others like, "poop-socking." >.>

9) I'm against RMT and their practices, I really dislike players who buy gil as I work hard to get the best equipment I can for my character. I'm against third party programs as well; the only exception is the Windower, just because it's more convienent then the official FFXI windower (and there wasn't even an official windower for wuite some time).

10) Yes! Rebublic Subligar forever!

Bonus) Banana is not a desert! D:

Edit: Damn smilies ><

[tyraravenlocke]

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 simply blist them, or get even. Turn about is fair play.


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 have never heard of such a thing.


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?

- When I invite people, I invite NA first, but only because of the language barrier. After that supply has been exhausted I branch out. I think this is a fairly common practice.


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.

- Sure, but much less so than with NA players, again the language barrier makes meaningful interactions difficult at best. So its much harder to really get insulted in this manner. As for actions that are normal, well I'd am disapointed in the amount of japanese players who never ever try to converse in English. I have taken the time to learn basic conversational Japanese, and I know English is a very commonly taught subject in your school system, so why the utter refusal to attempt to communicate?


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.

Yes, if a person can understand auto-translate that's good enough for me. I'll give anyone a fair shot once ^^

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 hate japanese people, so it doesn't really apply to me. But to be fair.. the wall of silence that divides the two player bases is oppressive, so it doesn't surprise me that either side has deep resentment.

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?

A trickle at best.

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?

A specific name? no.. but we generally pick the most egregious linkshell on the server with that behavior and pick on them instead.

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 think we are united on this one, gil farmers and their activities severely reduced the fun of the game for a very long time. Down with the RMT.

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?

Yeah.. we have subligar freaks in my linkshell.. it makes me shudder.. but what can one do?

Bonus:

Couldn't you simply get a slightly larger bento box, and slice the banana up and place it in there? Thus eliminating the problem?

[*Fightmusician*]

1) Happened to me plenty of times. I would just blist them or remember the name and not party with them again.

2) Only list I know of is the list of crafters on wiki. Besides that I dont know of anything.

3) Part of the reason I love FFXI is because people from all over the world no matter what language they speak can play the same game together.

4) None that I can recall.

5) Sure. It's worth a try its only exp. Auto translate is ok.

6) Thats taking one persons thoughts and saying all NA believe that. I have yet to meet a person that looks down on Japanese in this game. More or less we are more interested in your culture!

7) I see a few. But I know of more quitting.

8 ) FFXINERD

9) Glad to see that SE has really cracked down on the RMT. 2 years ago things were really out of control.

10) Subligar.. oh yes SUBLIGAR!

Bonus: I is poor. Banana is dinner!

[Mumble]

1
Yes. There are a lot of stupid people out there that do stupid things. I usually just think nothing of it if it's not a big deal.


2
If there is, I haven't seen it.


3
I honestly don't think there is. From my experience, although, I have met a lot more stupid NA/EU people than JP.


4
Yes. Not responding to my party invites. The least you could do is tell me No thanks.


5
No, it's just that a lot of us are too lazy to type it out fully.


6
Not everyone hates you.


7
Some, but not a whole lot.


8
No lifers.


9
RMT is very looked down upon, as well as third party tools.


10
Santa hat is my favorite. Not a whole lot of people do the subligar thing. Beastmen hats are pretty popular.

[Starless]

Late reply that probably won't be payed attention to! /hurray

Q) 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?

A)If the reason why they disbanded was understandable, then I would be a bit perturbed, but I wouldn't hold it against them. They can't help that after all. But if they invite me to replace someone and when I get there the person I came to replace comes back after an extra long DC and they say {Tough} {Luck} to me, then I get angry. If I had a better memory I'd probably remember them.

Q) 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?

A) I'm sure such lists exist but I've never heard of one. Allahkazam has a "white list" where you can give a shout out to someone who you feel deserves praise, but that's all I can think of.

Q) 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?

A) I don't distinguish between nationalities at all when inviting. A Japanese player simply means I have to pull out my skills in Auto-Translate Fu to speak with them.

Q) 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.

A)I took Japanese in high school and (although I forget most of it now) I tried to put it to good use once by replying to "日本人か?" with "御免, アメリカ人です." (Please correct me if I said that wrong) I was rewarded with angry ellipses and was promptly ignored for the rest of the party. As for actions we might find disagreeable, I can't really think of any. Living in the US for 22 years, where foreign cultures bombard me every day, it's kind of become second nature to pay customs I find strange little to no mind.

Q) 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.

A) I can't speak for others, but I'll take any help I can get with things like that. I have noticed however, that even people who are not targeting peoples of any nationality will still use the Auto-Translate function, as if they were told to at a young age and now can't ask for help any other way. A select few even talk in my linkshell (which is all English-speakers, mind you) using the function, clinging to the dried excuse "I'm too lazy to type it all out. ... This warrants further investigation. {Taking a break.}

Q) 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?

A) One foreign player does not equal all foreign players, young Padawan.

Q) 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?

A) Blame World of Warcraft. It's started a tidal wave of mediocre and incredibly easy MMORPGs that most people would rather play than a game like Final Fantasy XI which is anything but easy, and unfortunately not very accessible like other MMOs. There are also very few new people on this side of the pond joining either.

Q) 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?

A) "Elitist". They are very pompous people, and you can find many at a forum called BlueGartr. :D

Q) 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) We detest them from the bottom of our heart. If someone we see as a friend is found buying gil, that leaves a stain on their reputation for all time.

Q) 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) I've never met a "Subligar Fan" but I know they exist. I do know however, plenty of people who I never see in anything other than Opaline Gear.

BONUS: Dessert in the US only applies to dinner. In the traditional sense, there is no dessert after lunch. (I say traditional because some people's eating habits over here are very messed up.)

[Ceiyne]

1 Grudges
A lot of people have replied that they wouldn't hold a grudge, but would remember that person and avoid them in the future. Well... that sounds an awful lot like a grudge! I freely admit that I will hold a grudge if someone wrongs me intentionally.


3 Inviting Japanese Players
I don't have a preference to any region when inviting players. However, when you're selecting from a list of people you don't know, you don't have much to base a decision on. You can only see their job, level, rank, name, and seacom, so I use these things to choose who to invite. I will generally pick the person with the higher rank, a seacom filled out, or whoever isn't named something like Xxsephirothxx.

There have been very few times when the language barrier has been an issue for a party I was in with a Japanese player. The auto-translator is missing a lot of key phrases but you can usually find some way to express yourself.


4 Insult from JP players
There have been a few times where JP players were rude to me and my friends. However, I don't draw conclusions about all JPs based on these times. For the most part, JP players seem about the same as any other players -- generally agreeable and polite.

Years ago, before the MPK patch, my party zoned a mob that proceeded to attack a JP player that happened to be in the area. It didn't kill him, but he was extremely upset about it. He yelled at us, called a GM, and continued to try to MPK us the rest of the night. He even tracked us down the next day and tried to MPK us again.

There used to be a JP LS that did Dynamis at the same time as my NA LS. Almost every week they would show up at the same zone that we wanted to do. We tried to talk to them every week and offer a compromise -- for instance, my LS would let them take the zone this week if they would let us have it next week. They always refused and just spammed trade when it was available (which they usually knew first about because the LSes that were in Dynamis before us were also JP).

(These stories are so old they just sound like lame QQing now... but you asked!)


5 Auto-translate
I use the Auto-translator frequently, and I do so to try to reach the widest audience possible regardless of native language. It doesn't matter if you are NA, JP, French, German, or anything else. I don't shout in town much, but I will use Auto-translate in things like seacoms.


6 Racists
I think its been said many times over in these responses, but I'll say it again... a few idiots making outrageous comments do not represent the majority of NAs.


9 RMT/Tools
Almost all NAs will say they hate RMT. There are some who will buy gil in secret, but if they are found out, other people usually look down on them.

Third-party tools are a different story. There are many opinions on these and what really constitutes cheating. It's almost like a religious thing. Most people would say that botting is bad but many of them use Windower with a variety of plug-ins. I don't personally use any third-party tools, but many of my friends do use things like Windower. None of them cross the line into things like botting though.


Banana
I would say the banana is a snack.


Thank you, Elmer!

[Avelyn]

I have been waiting impatiently for questions from Japanese players since the answer thread. Let's give it a go...

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, there have been many occasions where somebody from my own country has done something "bad" to me. I don't tend to hold grudges, however, and quickly forget about any wrongdoings done. It is a game after all, there is no use fretting over something going awry.

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 know on some forums there are lists of players that are willing to give advice and help people based on server, but these are just a general list, and aren't restricted to any players origin.

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 do not intend on insulting any Japanese player by saying this, so I apologize in advance if I do, but there is no benefit to inviting a Japanese player over an NA player for party composed primarily of NA players. Any player can perform as well as any other player, and any other player can perform just as poorly as any other player, and that is not limited by the country of your origin.

A major drawback is the language barrier. In the Q&A session where Japanese players answer NA questions, it was mentioned that it was hard to convey messages clearly over auto-translate. It is often the same for NA players to convey messages clearly to Japanese players through the same method.

Another issue is many NA players don't know even the tinniest bit of Japanese, and it is frustrating for many of us who wish to communicate clearly with Japanese players, but can't because many of us don't have the means to learn the language properly. So while communication at all might be frustrating, a further draw back is it makes many of us feel bad that we can't communicate.

I feel like I should elaborate on that last one: Many language courses in American schools in the country prioritize two languages: Spanish and French, the major languages of the countries bordering us to the north (Canada) and south (Mexico). German and Russian are also somewhat common for those wanting to visit Europe. But finding a good Japanese course in American schools can be a challenge for many, and while there are alternative ways to learning it, the language is beyond most of us.

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.

Yes, but these are generally few and far between, limited to those Japanese players who only think "NA <Too Weak>". Those are the only Japanese players that have insulted me.

Past that, there are no actions Japanese players do that I disagree with that come to mind. NA players can do many disagreeable things too. I just disregard many of such actions so I can play the game and have fun.

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.

Many people use auto-translate in shouts like that to lessen the amount of typing they have to do. However, don't worry about the language barriers if you can understand the jumbled shouts for assault and mission recruitment: If you can understand the message conveyed through the auto-translate, you should be able to understand anything you need to through regular activity in the shell.

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?

Many NA players in the game have been openly scorned or shunned by Japanese players and tend to hold a grudge. For many, they do not mean "I hate Japanese people." but "I am biased against Japanese players because of a select few disrespectful people among your player base." Think of it as the mirrored thought that some Japanese players have about all NA players because of a few disrespectful NA players among us.

Also, keep in mind: There is a high chance that if an NA is disrespectful to you, that said NA player isn't respected by a majority of the NA player base either.

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 am seeing less new players than I did when I first started playing several years ago, so I can agree that new subscribers are happening less and less. Yes, NA players are still joining, just at a much slower rate. In fact, just a couple months ago I invited a few friends into the game, and they are so far enjoying the experience.

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?

The phrase you use, hai jin, when translated into English, is quite close to the phrase we use. We just refer to such players as "People with no lives."

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 wanted to answer a question like this since I saw mention in the Japanese answer thread that RMT spiked considerably when NA started to play.

Many NA players are openly against RMT, and to an extent, third party tools (ie many of us don't respect people who use bots, yet many of us openly praise and recommend use of the third party windower as an alternative to SEs windowed mode). I am against RMT entirely myself, and whenever possible try to hinder their efforts in farming gil and hindering certain parts of the economy.

However, yes, there are still many NA that believe that enjoyment can be bought, even at the expense of others, and will openly praise RMT. In their own circles they tend to say "Everyone is doing it, what's the problem?" while legitimate players will shun them.

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?

It is good to see a joke question coming from the Japanese after two of our joke questions were answered seriously.

So I will answer seriously as well: subligar can be very entertaining. In fact, I have been a part of, several times in the past, many missions and events in which the only piece of armor allowed was a Bronze Subligar.

Good times.

There is a problem argued from old days in Japan.
This problem is not yet settled.
It is "Is the banana included in a snack?".
Ex, "The snack expense of the excursion is less than $5"
Do you think the price of the banana is included in a snack expense or not ?

A banana, a healthy fruit, should not be included in the snack expense.

But it's good enough that you'd feel guilty not including it :3

[Icestunna]

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, but lifes too short to hold a grudge. I usually seek with "replacement, No thanks!" and search whomever /tells me.

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?

-Nope

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 look for Jobs not nationality, at most I'll see a JP player seeking and expect them to not answer my /tells.

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.

-A JP player told my friend in auto translations "English Death No Thanks!" when he asked for a pearl to his linkshell....Calling everyone who isn't JP "Foreigner" is racist.

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 can't speak for everyone but when I shout for a mission anyone who wants to come is welcome.

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 see how that would matter, but that "foreign" person sounds like an idiot.

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 a few, not many.

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 a distinct word for 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?

-RMT and botters are a complete waste of human existance. Most of the gil buyers and botters are people who don't want to work for anything in their life.

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?

-Not that I know of.