10 Questions from JP Players

[Elmer the Pointy]

OK, so here are 10 questions I gathered together. I think there's a good mix again this time. Some serious, some lighter fare, and a subligar question to top it all off.

Where they say "NA players" and such, I just left it how they initially wrote it. So feel free to reiterate that not all foreign players are NA, if you want to fit that into your answer. I'm going to try and include somewhere around 25-30 comments for each question like I did last time.

Try to keep points clear and concise, if you need to write a huge amount, include a summary that would be easier to translate and present. Answers will be kept anonymous unless you specifically include character information as part of your answer for whatever reason.

Discussion, comments, etc are allowed, but if you want something to specifically be considered as an answer, stick the corresponding question number next to it. I'll probably include an "Additional Comments" section as well.

OK, I think that's it, go ahead.

---

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?


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?


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?


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.


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?


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?


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?


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?


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?

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:

日本では古くから議論されている問題があります。 
それは「バナナはおやつに入りますか？」です。 
NAではどのように考えますか？ 
以下翻訳ソフトで英文にしてみました。 

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 ?

Here's an explanation of what this means:
In middle school they have school trips, just like most of us do. They are allowed to bring a bento (lunchbox meal) along with them. The bento is made at home and includes a sandwich, fish, rice, veggies... some combination of those things.

Students are also allowed to bring snacks, but there is a limit (usually 300 yen) set on the amount of snacks they can bring, since those are desserts, candies, etc. A banana, being a fruit, remains on the fence between lunch and dessert, and gave rise to this running gag. Is a banana part of lunch, or must it be included in snacks, which have a price limit?

It's nothing to think too deeply about, but feel free to give your opinion on the matter.

[Reality]

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, there are many players regardless of their country who are discourteous when playing the game

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 players, in fact I enjoy partying with them and enjoy my linkshell which is primarily japanese

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 think we call them Haijin too, 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?

Most NA players frown upon RMT. If I found out one of my friends supported RMT, I would be very disappointed. I hate RMT/Gilfarmers, and generally go out of my way to make the game displeasuring for them as long as it's not against the rules

[Qbertian]

In response to #5: I think most NA use the auto-translate function in /sh to imply that any player is welcome, regardless of how little English they speak. In fact, I almost always enjoyed trying to use what little Japanese vocabulary I had, combined with the auto-translate function, to make some sort of connection with the Japanese players. It was like a language puzzle of sorts and was always really satisfying when the two parties finally made a connection.

*Edit:* Oh, and in response to #10: lolsash. Good luck trying to explain that one, Elmer!

[Ayvaen]

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?

If they apologize and seem sincere I will forgive them, otherwise I hold 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?

Never heard of 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?

I don't care what nationality a player is when I invite them. I only care if they can do their job. Partying isn't about communication for me as most players regardless of race or nationality know how to XP

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.

Every time a Japanese player turns me down on the basis of race it is an insult.

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, I don't care who I go with as long as they can get the job done.

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?

People often make statements without thinking it through. That was probably a reaction in frustration because of something that occurred with 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?

Yes, but 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 that I can think of.

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?

NA players pretty much universally hate gil farmers and buyers with only a few exceptions. I don't like third party programs, but windower has been heavily embraced by the NA community (much to my dislike).

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?

Mithra RSE.

[Merovingian]

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.

The reason we use Auto-Translate is mostly as a shortcut for long words, for me at least i can write faster if i use Auto-Translate, sometimes you can just write first 2 letters and use the Auto-Translate to finish it.

[montgomery]

1. This has happened to me a few times, in the cases it does I'm often left frustrated but I don't hold any grudges, so I guess it's just an "Oh well," though I try to avoid being a replacement if I can.

2. I haven't ever seen a list like this. But then again, I don't go looking for help from people outside of my linkshell or friends list.

3. Being able to get a party going without having to spend a long period of time waiting for someone that you know for certain can speak english would be the benefit I see, and the drawback would be.. the language barrier, if they can't speak english it's not very easy to communicate details with the party. That said, I've had some very excellent parties where I was the only one who didn't speak Japanese, and the others didn't speak any english.

4. I don't recall ever running into the "JP ONLY" reply from a japanese player I've invited. Also I usually avoid inviting people that have the "{english} {no thanks.}" tag in their /sea com to be courteous to them.

5. I don't think all might be targeting Japanese players, as much as they are using it to be lazy and type less. but I don't mind a Japanese player join if they know what to do and we can do the mission/quest/assault despite the language barrier.

6. I don't have an answer for this one, though you could argue it's also a French game, a German game and an American game as it comes in all of those languages as well.

7. Occasionally a new player will pick up the game but it doesn't seem so often on the NA side either.

8. Yes, we call them "No Lifers." That pretty much means the same thing you call them.

9. Yeah, there is rather heavy opposition to the RMT (both farmers and buyers) and people would often MPK the farmer and redicule the buyers publicly.

10. Subligars aren't so popular amongst NA players (unless they are on female models, lol.) Though equipment like the Lilac Corsage and the other Opaline gear are very popular on female models.

[Qbertian]

Don't quote the question in your response, or this thread is going to be ridiculously long and difficult for Elmer to read.

[Alvinho]

1 - Yes, this has happened to me many times. There are a lot of rude people form all over the world playing this game. I make a mental note of the person's name, but do not hold any grudges.

2 - I have never heard of such a list.

3 - I personally don't care where the player is from as long as he/she understands his/her role in the party, and does it well. I don't choose party members based on nationality.

4 - I used to do Dynamis with a Japanese linkshell, and sometimes, they would change the rules on a whim, to make sure that my group of friends and I weren't awarded more AF2 than the Japanese players. We would be told to pass on certain drops after leaders of the linkshell discussed the drop amongst themselves (in Japanese). My friends and I all thought this happened because we weren't Japanese.

5 - When I use auto-translate to recruit party members, I'm targeting anybody who is willing to participate in the event. Auto-translate enables me to be sure that everyone reading will understand what the event is, regardless of nationality.

6 - I don't hate you. Or anyone else, for that matter.

7 - Most likely, but not as many as before (say, years ago).

8 - In my experience, the majority of the playerbase will label a Maat's cap owner as ‘‘someone who has no life’’, or ‘‘someone that needs to get laid’’.

9 - There is a lot of opposition to the practice of RMT, but a lot of people do it anyway. Most people that do buy gil or use claiming bots will never admit to it though, even when exposed. Sadly, it has gotten to the point of the ‘‘if he does it, I'm going to do it too’’ mentality, which pretty much ruins the game for everyone.

10 - I'm sure there are, and if they're Elvaan, it makes it very disturbing.

[Meropi]

This was very common for a long time, and would irritate me. I ask if the spot is a replacement, if it is I usually will decline the invite unless I know others in the party. I don't hold grudges in this case, NA players tend to not give a lot of notice when they leave so it can be hard to judge if the party is going to last.


2
I am not aware of any such list.

3
I think NA players simply will invite any appropriate job that is seeking. For the most part I don't take into consideration the language when building a party unless there are a lot of that job seeking. NA and EU players do the best they can to communicate with the Auto Translate function, which I understand is more difficult for JP players to utilize quickly. A well rounded/functioning party doesn't need a lot of chat, so the language is irrelevant.

4
"JP only" is extremely frustrating when building parties, especially if the JP player is the only one seeking in the level range and refuses based on language barriers. I have not had a specific JP player insult me directly, it is more like the JP community seems to shun NA's on my server.

5
It means we are targeting any player that wishes to join in the battle, whether it be JP, EU, NA, or otherwise. NA players are more likely to work with a language barrier, even if that means taking longer to come up with a battle plan (due to the horrible lack of good auto translate phrases). NA players do not care if your English isn't perfect. Half of the NA players on my server can barely speak correct English, lol. Please, send a tell and join the fun!

6
Final Fantasy is not a Japanese game in our opinion. It is a world-wide game that allows us to interact with players from many different cultures. It is possible that you were speaking to a person who was bitter about having a JP player decline a party invite based on "JP Only," or who was simply having a bad day. I'm sure every server has its fair share of racists, but for the most part I doubt players truly hate a whole country.

7
Not very many. I have seen a few new players in the past year, most of whom began to play because they have real life friends who play.

8
I would call them Elitists. Not in a nice way.

9
I do not participate in endgame anymore partially because I do not believe in the use of third party tools. It has become too accepted in my opinion. RMT is just as much the fault of the playerbase as it is the fault of the companies that practice it. To my knowledge I am not friends with any such people, but you can only know someone as well as they let you.

10
There are a few people who love subligar (mostly as a joke), and a lot of female characters will wear the bathing suit or RSE or Opaline when in town to "show off." Other than that, most NA players wear their "best" pieces when in town, which probably makes JP players wonder why we would wear such things together.

[Zhais]

1
Quite a few times, but I don't remember nationality. Probably from all different countries. I don't necessarily hold a grudge, but I remember them for next time.

2
Not to my knowledge.

3
Not really a matter of benefits and drawbacks, but if there is a person seeking who's job fits the party, I'd prefer to invite them regardless of language if it makes the party better. It does kinda suck when the language barrier comes into play, but I try to deal with it the best I can.

4
The '/check' issue has always amused me, but it's understandable. Otherwise, there is not much that I find bad about normal actions from japanese players.

5
It is partially habit and game stigma, but most people that do that probably would not have a problem using the auto-translate feature to their benefit in order to get another member for assault. I know for me, auto-translating things can be a shortcut when typing. Instead of typing out the full "Ilrusi Atoll Staging Point", I can type "Ilrusi", hit tab, and select the rest. That may have something to do with it.

6
It started out as a japanese game, but it has evolved into a globalized game. Wether that was the intent to start out with or not, that's the way it has happened.

But ignore those people. They are just ignorant.

7
I still see the occassional new player join to play with friends.

8
No-life Zombies.

9
Most all of nationalities seem to hate RMT and their practices. Third party tools on the other hand are a slightly different story, depending on their purpose. We use Windower and its plugins along with chat parsers to accomodate our gameplay. Those are generally accepted amongst level-headed people. But tools that change gameplay mechanics to allow constant Flee, ultra-fast claiming, or anything of the sort, are definitely frowned upon.

10
Subligars are equally as popular for the hilarity of the equipment. Otherwise, definitely the beastmen hats are popular for americans.




Btw, Elmer rules

[fren.]

10. Subligar panties never go out of style.

[Paralyzed]

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 would think this is commonplace for anyone. Some people from any culture or country are always going to be rude. I don't necessarly hold a grudge if I get invited to a party that disbands when I get there if it's not the leader's fault. If they knew when they invited me, I guess it might leave a bad taste in my mouth so to speak.

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 personally, no.

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?

Japanese players are usually more reliable to know what is expected of them when they are invited. Drawbacks are obviously the language barrier. Of course this isn't always true.

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 remember off hand anytime a Japanese player has been rude to me, at least enough to stand out. Most are usually politce. I don't agree with the need to /tell before checking, I feel people who get offended with this should just filter it.

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 target anyone who wants to help. I don't mind if people can't really communicate if they already know what to do. Auto-Translate can fill in the small gaps from there usually.

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 can't answer for that player, but I play because of my friends.

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 sure there are, but not nearly as much as there used to be. I think it's more people in europe that seemed to be joining on my server than NAs.

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?

As far as I remember, most of the NA's on my server have used "haijin" as well to refer to the same people.

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 third party tools in general are looked down apon in the NA community as well. I think most of the NAs have just come to accept the fact there isn't much to do to combat these issues and they will always be around.

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?

Mostly the holiday event items seem to be the popular ones. As for subligar, it always seems to be an Elvaan that wears it..

[Arkanna]

1
Of course. I don't usually hold grudges against simple stuff like disbanding a pt as soon as I arrive, but I remember names of especially retarded, poor-mannered, or horrible players so I don't have to deal with them again.

2
I've never seen one, but I suspect that certain Japanese players become "icons" just like our Ruke, Wafik, etc. For instance, there's a JP player on Lakshmi named Jangula that pretty much everyone knows of.

3
No real drawbacks. JP players are on-par with us, imo. Some are terrible, some are awesome, and most are in-between.

4
Not really. The only thing I can think of to say here is how most Japanese players don't seem to give warnings when they plan to disband. It's nice to know even 15 minutes ahead of time instead of being met with "{I'm sleepy.}{Goodbye.}"

5
I think it's just the "in" thing to do. Complex Assaults that require co-ordination should probably be left for either pure JP parties or pure English-speaking parties imo.

6
The people that say that are usually the shittier players among us, or the less mature. I for one do not hate Japanese players, nor do I know anyone that does.

7
There are some new NA players. Probably less now than ever, but there's still some flowing in.

8
Don't know about this one, sorry.

9
There's lots of trash-talk about RMT and 3rd party tools thrown about all the time, but I suspect there's a lot of hypocrites among them that have in the past or currently do partake in one or both. In this community in particular though (BG), we've become so used to it that many of us are desensitized to it and even make fun of others for commenting against it. ("You're complaining about botters? 2004 is that way ")

10
I don't know, but I still see far too many of those fucking hideous pumpkin heads running about. >.>;;

[Tormentormike]

1. Mostly an "oh well" situation. Sometimes shit happens etc.

2. Not that I'm aware of >_>

3. Not really a benefit/drawback situation, if I have a party and we need x job, and you're seeking as one, I'll ask you.

4. I remember one party where a Japanese SAM told me he would kick me if I didn't help him break his Tachi of Trials latent during the party. Most Japanese people I've partied with just up and leave when they feel like it, that's annoying.

5. Yes. Most assaults/missions are pretty straightforward, and just need you to kill something etc. For ones like T2 Lebros Cavern where you have to constantly relay how much you've fed an NPC and time is critical, I would be hesitant as well.

6. This is just ignorant. Yes, it's made my Japanese people, but it's also translated and released everywhere else. You're not special. I've played almost all of the Final Fantasies, if I had a grudge against you, wouldn't matter to me. Just ignore you and move on.

7. There's still some new people joining, but I don't think many make it that far due to the economy and the fact that it's hard to get people for limit breaks and what not.

8. I for one don't use the term haijin, I'm sure some do.

9. People oppose it, but it's common knowledge people do it. If my friend used bots, I'd have him hook me up with some fat lootz. Linkshell? Hi2004!

10. Septimus has his love for Galka.

[Xerlic]

3. The language barrier is a huge drawback for me, in terms of partying with non-English speaking players. I'd only invite a Japanese player if they were the only option. I'd rather party with someone I can communicate with assuming it is random people.

4. When I first started playing, the JP ONLY tag was seen as racist. In America, stereotyping and racism is a stigma and generally not accepted, so it was pretty insulting to see that at first.

8. No Lifer.

9. RMT is frowned upon in our community. Anyone who admits to buying gil is usually ridiculed.

[Kirbyprime]

1

I don't replace people in parties. But for people who rub me the wrong way, depending on severity I would probably just blist them and move on.


2

Never heard of one. Maybe back during launch. Doubt such a list exists today.


3

I don't "go out of my way" to invite JP. I invite whoever is seeking at the time. If they're JP, then so be it, we all play the same game so don't see why I should discriminate against them. Benefits? I guess to see how different people play. Drawbacks? Can't really chat with them. Never had much of any trouble with basic communications though.

4

Most of the time, if they were insulting me, I wouldn't know since they wouldn't say it in English. Don't think there's really any actions that's normal for you that I find disagreeable.

5

While I normally use Auto-Translate for the speed factor. I don't discriminate against JP and or EU players when I shout so if they reply (sometimes happens) I'm happy to have them in the group. As a bit of a praise, I found that JP players seem to be more knowledgeable when it comes to events when they reply and so rarely require that much additional information aside from basic coordination. NA seems to be hit and miss with this and sometimes you get replies from people who don't even know if they can do the event let alone know what the event is about.

6

Some people are immature. I'm pretty sure every country as a few of those. I don't hate JP in any case.

7

I've seen a few people with the (?) sign on them. Whether or not they're new subscribers or just mules I can't say.

8

I have a few Japanese friends that I chat with so I've adopted the term Haijin. To my knowledge though there's not specific NA term for that sort of person.

9

RMT? Hate them. 3rd Party tools are a bit of a grey area. Things like Windower are fine by my book. Bots, no. Hacks, no.

10

I'm an avid believer that male characters should not wear subliger. If there's any piece of gear that could be considered popular I would have to say sunglasses.

[Xyle]

1
It happens unfortunately. Especially to the "lol" jobs Dragoon and Puppetmaster. I have heard horror stories of one of my firends getting all the way to camp, only to have the PT leader kick him after saying "lol Dragoon."

...and don't get me started with ninja lotting, people server hopping stealing their LS bank, etc. etc.

As for holding a grudge, it honestly depends on the situation, but more times than not, people will hold a grudge against that person to the point that he/she will never party with him/her ever again.

2
There are occasionally people that post that can assist with something, but these instances are few and far between. As for the list, I honestly can't say I've seen it.

3
Benefits, generally speaking, is that the Japanese player knows how to play their job. Which makes for faster exp and better reaction to a new situation.

Drawbacks, of course, would be the language barrier. Auto Translate is nice but it really can't say everything. NAs usually make up phrases in auto translate that JP players would not be familiar with. These two seem to befuddle some JP players that I party with:

{Warrior} {Meat} {Shield} = The Warrior should be the tank.
{Thief} {Fisherman} = The Thief is the puller.

4
I honestly never had that happen. All the JP players that I partied with are good matured and easy to get along with. Not to mention really helpful.

5
Usually this means we are looking for anyone from any language that can assist. Don't be afraid to send tells as most NAs are very aware of the language barrier and will try to work with you. ^^

6
This is a question that really doesn't have an answer. But I can attempt to describe why someone would say something so outlandish.

You see, we have a large spectrum of the gaming community play games such as First Person Shooters (Halo, Call of Duty, Gears of War) and many of those people don't see any consequences for their outlandish behavior. Apparently, swearing and talking about someone else's mother over the microphone is "cool" and these players bring that attitudes with them to their first MMOs. Now, not everyone is that way, it more has to do with upbringing and culture and a rude awakening will usually occur.

Another reason is that some people harbor racist attitudes that have no logical founding.

For people like the two above, /blist is your buddy.

7
We are having the same problem. There are free trial CDs for really cheap in the US but the new players are usually obtained from friends that want to give it a shot.

Who knows? Maybe with this new level sync system, we might get some more people. :3

8
Elitist, is a term for people like that. Although it can be taken not as an insult at times.

9
We hate RMT just as much as the JP population does. We've been having a serious issue about account hijackings by the use of Key-loggers and viruses which mostly originate from China. Being the Technical person in my linkshell, I'm always the first person people go to if an account becomes stolen. It's very frustrating.

10
I am quite partial to my Black Mage AF hat. I wouldn't mind my Relic hat dropping anytime soon. (Been about 8 months since I've seen one drop.)

Closing Comments:
Invite an NA occasionally. Who knows? You might be surprised. We aren't all egotistical gear grubbing Elitists. Many of us enjoy the game just as much as you do and the last thing most of us would want to do is belittle someone else just because he/she is from another country.

[Aghaiz]

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?

There are good and bad people wherever you go, so yes I have met NA's JP's Spanish, French, etc. that have been overall nasty people some require GM or blacklist action. For the most part I'm playing the game to enjoy myself so if someone is annoying me I do something about 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?

Never heard of 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?

All I look for when forming a party are experienced players that will do their job regardless if their JP or NA (I don't go out of my way to get NA or JP etc. I just want to have fun). Rank use to be a good option but no longer is that a good way to determine a good from bad player (Suggest SE implementing a system for this)

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 speak no japanese so if someone did insult me I doubt I'd know about it. The only time I'd feel insulted is when I'm turned down for a party invite before I'm given a chance because I'm 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.

A lot of people are lazy and butcher the Auto-Translate so they do not have to type everything out. I see JP shouts in whitegate and don't even attempt to join because you can't get anything done. The auto-translate is a neat idea but there are too many gaps in translation that causes nothing but a headache.

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?

Some people are just ignorant, remember there are people not even matured playing this game so things they say can be pretty stupid.

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 see some new NA players coming in but there are a lot of spanish players coming in now.

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 there is a word to describe it, they're just referred to as having 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?

My linkshell has a strict policy against 3rd party tools and are kicked from the linkshell if they are caught. Besides the gil buyers I have yet to meet any NA's that like RMT. They are a nuisance to the game and we try to mpk them if the chance is given to us.

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?[/QUOTE]

Well... I say I hate wearing subligars but I have some useless JSE Level 50 Subligars in my storage and bring them out for a good laugh. Other than that there isn't a big heist for 1 specific or type of equip.

[Mizango]

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 this has happened to me many times. I pretty much will stay away from the person if the reason for leaving is not a valid one.


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?

A list? No, but I am always aware of who are friendly and who are not so friendly.


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 invite Japanese because I don't hate a players nationality for no reason. This is a game, and discrimination should be erased and handled in the real world if a problem persists. I don't go out of my way at all to invite a Japanese player, I see talent as talent.


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 whole Japanese Only thing is a bit silly, it reminds me of a child saying he doesnt like you because you look different. And yes, I have had japanese in party talking in Japanese and say the word "nigger wwwwww" but I did not let that influence my attitude towards Japanese players.

It is also strange that many of you think we all are rude because ONE person did something stupid in party. That is just silly.


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.

No, it shows that EVERYONE is welcome, not just NA. NA dont have a boner for Japanese, it just helps bridge the language barrier.


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 have had Japanese say "I hate NA people" so why not quit and move to another game? Again, you are condemning an entire nation because of something a 13 year old said. Thats silly.


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?

Yes, all the time.


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?

Yes, a douche bag.


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?

If they knowingly use we kick them from LS, friend or not. It makes no difference. A cheater is cheater. RMT and anyone that uses their services are trash and should leave the game forever.


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 used to be in a japanese linkshell named subligar. Are you obsessed with penis? Im kidding.


You rock Elmer, keep up the good work my friend!

[Tarage]

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?

>All the time. My responce depends on the incident. If it's minor, or if they apologize, I don't worry about it. However, my blacklist is filled with such people who have wronged 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?

>I have never heard of such a list. I would love to have a list, because it is always good to know people who are willing to help. This is a great idea, and there should be a NA list as well.

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?

>Mostly, I invite Japanese players to fill a need. If there aren't any NA players for, say, a tank job, I'll try to ask a Japanese player using the auto translate function. Everyone has their own playing style, so I don't distinguish someone based on where they are from. And if you want to invite a NA player, please do. Most of us will try our hardest to do the best job we can do.

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 say I have ever been insulted by a Japanese player. Most actions in game, as long as they aren't detrimental to me, are fine in my book. I suppose though that I don't interact with enough Japanese players to see the 'jerks'.

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.

>Please don't hesitate to send a tell. Most NA players I know will go out of their way to accommodate a Japanese player, or anyone else. Whenever I am in a Japanese party, I do my best to use the auto translate function as much as possible, and do what I am told. Don't be afraid of us, we're all playing the same game, so we should all get along.

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 players, but this feeling might stem from the 'Japanese Only' search comments and shouts. We want to play with you, not against you. And while the game did start in Japan, you can't say it is a Japanese game anymore. People from around the world play, so it is a world game.

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, but we are also seeing the dwindling numbers. I think this has to do with the poor customer service SE has provided. It is sad, because FFXI is a wonderful game.

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?

>Yes, sadly. We call them elitists. I don't know if that will translate, but rest assured, they exist for us as well.

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?

>We hate the RMT just as much as anyone. There is a slight disagreement on tools such as the third party Windower, but most people agree that anything like this is cheating.

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?

>This is a tough one. There are some people who wear subligars to be... weird. I don't think there is one piece of equipment that can be singled out as popular. Most of us simply try to get the best gear we can.

BONUS
>A banana is a banana. Don't think too hard about it, unless you're a monkey or a mithra.