FFXI Merry-go-round

[Hyan]

I never quit, but was close to once (at lvl65 before the total exp nerf, figures). It was a good thing that SE was thinking about me and lowered the exp needed to level so I could finish my Monk (after 2 years of playing, I'm so fast!). After getting into endgame I haven't thought of quitting once, probably because I never touched HNM's or NM's in general.

However in 2 months I've gotta quit/take a long break, and it has nothing to do with the game. I'm actually gonna miss the game quite a bit (unlike many of us who quit, heh) and have no regrets since I've accomplished everything I've wanted to in the 6 years I've played. I'll probably come and take a visit every year or so to do most of the missions and quests that have come out in that time, but won't really do anything else like events or level a new job.

[Kyten]

2 times

[Knyghtmayre]

Knyghtmayre
Started playing Dec 2004
Quit July 2006
Started again Sept 2006
Banned Aug 2007 (See avatar?)

Knyghtwo
Started again Dec 2008
Still playing May 2009

[Desideratum]

Let's see.

Started around the PS2 launch (though I bought for the PC). Created an Elvaan female for some reason, leveled to the mid 40s on DRG and PLD and met some pretty cool people, but hated being Elvaan and so when some friends on the newly created Asura server asked me to come and join them there, I said "fuck it" and deleted her.

Created a Mithra on Asura, leveled her in a static to 60 PLD, then all of my friends quit, so I quit too, and went to go play World of Warcraft.

Six months later or so, I returned to the game, but didn't want to be on Asura anymore (for some reason). I mean, the character was still there, but I guess I didn't want to be a mithra? I don't know. I can't remember my thought process there now. So I created a hume female on Seraph (my original server) with the same name as my original character. Got to 60 WHM or so before getting burnt out and quitting again. I think I went to go play EQ2 then or something equally stupid. I even threw away my disks and registration booklet, so Miravelle with her height of inflation 30m liquidated inventory (I sold everything before quitting) was lost to the ether for ever.

When TOAU launched a few months later I bought a new copy of the game and returned again, picked Bahamut for some reason, and created an Elvaan male named Aelathir. Got him to 30 WAR and then 20+ on every single job in the game before deciding that I didn't really like being Elvaan (something I had figured out in 2004, but forgot), so I made a Taru named Murphie, who I leveled to 75 RDM, and am now working on DRG, BRD, PLD and BLU.

Murphie is pretty awesome, and I like him and everything, but I still take breaks from the game, and switch servers (back on Seraph again), and don't have the time to play like I did back when I first started. So his progress is considerably slower, and the friends that I made on previous characters are like, light years ahead of me. It kind of sucks.

[StareDownTheBarrel]

Started in 2004. I didn't do any grinding back then. I played the game for fun.Took a break for a couple of months. Came back. Didnt get my first 75 until late 2005. Took another break and decided someone else could be using my account. Lent it to a friend. Missed the game, asked for my account back in mid-2006. Friend refused. Not exactly sure when in the timeline this happened, but SE implemented the 8-alphanumerical password rule, and changed my password; So the person who essentially stole my account came back to me for help. I got the account back and gave him his pop items or w/e. Played for about 5 months. Took a break. Came back this January. Let's see how long I last this time. Sitting on two 75 jobs and no real accomplishments.

My friends always tease me for "vanishing".

[Kyari]

I have lost count of how many times I've quit FFXI only to start playing again at a later date. Sometimes I forget that I'm still subscribing and waste 3 months of subscription fees or what have you. I've never had them delete my character though.

[rithridan]

I always get my dates mixed up, but I started around the US PC release (late 2002?) on my brothers account as a Hume. Took me about 2-3 weeks to decide to get my own account and restarted as my current character (Mithra). Quit once around mid 2003 out of pure leveling frustration. Since there weren't many europeans playing (especially not on Gilgamesh) I had a really hard time to find ANY sort of party. JPs ignored me and US was mostly asleep during my playtime. About 3 months later I got invited by my brother to static with him and a couple of friends (RL friend of his and 2 crazy americans) so I restarted. I've kinda been playing since then, not really had any breaks.

[McGoonagle]

This is a post I found a while back from December 2004 from someone named Ginthaeriel giving his reasons for quitting. I'm not going anywhere because I actually enjoy the game, but I've become a little bit obsessed with this quote for some reason.



quoted from Ginthaeriel

"I'm a lowbie (quit when I was a level 50 paladin) who never even had to encounter a gilseller in my time playing (since I quit before the gilsellers started coming in).

I quit because this game was a waste of time.

endquote

Doesn't matter your interest is, you'll find people like this. They sign out with a message along the lines of "I get it and you suckers don't!" Sometimes they had unrealistic expectations, sometimes it just wasn't a match in some psychological way, sometimes they're just not very good at whatever it is.

If he quit as a 50PLD, he really didn't do much beyond getting his foot in the door and a look at the hallway.

I'm a bit further along now than he was when he quit (62DRK), and yes, that is a difficult time, but now I'm getting a handle what comes next, and that is going to be a lot more interesting than getting a bunch of jobs to 37. (Actually, that part is kinda fun.)

[Dench]

I've only quit twice in over 5 years. One time was not my decision, as I had financial obligations that absolutely trumped playing a video game. The second time was one of an emotional freak out to try and clear my system and get myself back on track in life. Sounds really super emo, I understand but it had to be done.

Now the fun begins of trying to purchase lots of expensive gear again. I never did delete my character, however. I kept my head clear enough to know there was a chance I'd be back.

[Eticket]

I've played a bit over 5 years and never quit or taken any extended break.

One of my best friends has quit and restarted about 6 times. The last time, he gave all his info to an ls member, burned his manuals and reg codes, broke all his discs and made the guy promise he wouldn't tell him what the new password was. Within 4 months he was playing again.

[Tythera]

Started at PC release
Played all the way through college (my grades felt it but I can't attribute that all to the game)
Quit when I got a job last July
Came back at the end of January
Quit again at the start of March

I've been clean ever since, it's nice to have time to do things.

[Sol-Blackguy]

This is a post I found a while back from December 2004 from someone named Ginthaeriel giving his reasons for quitting. I'm not going anywhere because I actually enjoy the game, but I've become a little bit obsessed with this quote for some reason.



quoted from Ginthaeriel

Spoiler: show

"I'm a lowbie (quit when I was a level 50 paladin) who never even had to encounter a gilseller in my time playing (since I quit before the gilsellers started coming in).

I quit because this game was a waste of time.

You spend an hour looking for a party, and when you do get one they all disband because the WHM leaves. You fight the same old monsters hitting your same old macros ctrl1, ctrl2, ctrl3 every single fight, then you rest for five minutes. You have to put up with other parties moving in on your group, and then when's all said and done you have to farm your ass off just to get *required* items, not uber items- *required* items. What kind of twisted game makes you get some sort of incredibly rare and expensive luxury item just in order to get parties?

The game gives pathetic rewards for incredible amounts of time clocked into the game. I'm sorry, but if you really think that the fact that you actually managed to make it through the timesink as a reward in itself, then you are a moron. Rewards shouldn't be based on how much time you spent on it, rewards should be based on your own personal talents and skills. I would feel a lot better about myself after I aced an exam or painted a beautiful picture than spending nine hours camping leaping lizzy and finally getting the pop.

Games were meant for enjoyment, and if you find enjoyment from the relief after suffering, then you are by definition a sadomasochist. This game is equivalent to self-flagellation. Sure, it feels great to stop getting whipped, but you know what feels even better? Getting a blowjob.

I'm sorry if I offend you, but any attempts to justify this game is self-delusion based on attachment to your character: this game is a tedious stinking waste of memory. Monotony is not fun, the entirety of this game is nothing but. The same areas, the same mobs to kill (crabs, crawlers, crabs, mandras... oh and did I mention, crabs?) the same damned amounts of EXP, the exact same strategy to every single mob (set up for SATA, provoke, sentinel, cure III, provoke, shield bash), the exact same equipment everyone else is wearing, the exact same avatars, all this is not really worth standing in a three hour long queue for.

This game has absolutely no skill. In fact, being at the commonly accepted highest possible level of skill is considered the norm. Anyone who doesn't know how to SATA, or pull, or have incredibly tricked out macros, or whatever, is considered a noob. You have a set of abilities which never change across the board. At first, when I started playing this game, I went totally overboard trying to be the most knowledgable character on my job (Paladin). I would read forums, guides, ask higher level paladins whether I was doing a good job, get the best equipment for my level, check other paladins, etc. Then when I realized that a paladin who wore a leather ring, didn't have the RK/TK shield, and didn't even know that sentinel drew hate could get by just as well as I did... well, what's the point? I might as well just make a WHM named "flaminghomo" and piss off every character I can by spamming protectra and curing the blackmage and letting the tank die and refuse to raise him. I'm still going to get invites anyways.

This game may not be the most frustrating and timesinking, as I've heard everquest is. But it *is* the most tedious and boring. This game is a chore to play. If you want a chore, I suggest you go do something productive instead. Games were not made to require eight hours of play, thats what a job is for. It took me nearly nine months to realize that and as a result I am never touching another MMORPG ever again in my life. Maybe if they evolve the concept to the point where they're not actively robbing you of your money by psychologically mugging your soul until its too beaten down and psychotically obsessed with your character every month. Guild Wars seems like a step in this direction.

You might argue that your enjoyment is yours. I understand that, and if you want to continue spending eight hours a day for years just so you can see a little message on a screen saying "You have made level 75" when in the end it's nothing but digital information stored in a server and it represents nothing but the fact that you can now either be totally useless at killing a monster (or find it pathetically easy, as the case may be) after waiting twenty four hours just so you can attain a weapon that you'll never use... well be my guest. I'm not stopping you.
__________________
retired because I think this game sucks."

endquote

Aside from the insults, I fully approve of this post and have something to add on the topic of elitism:

I believe that SE made a point not to express what stats actually did for a reason. When you know everything about something, the topic begins to lose its relevance. It's like taking a peek at a your Christmas present and having to pretend to be surprised. When jobs start looking better than others you wind up with DRKs/DRGs/PUPs or whatever else isn't the flavor of the month sitting around Jeuno playing the popular and un-intentional mini-game within FFXI: waiting. It doesn't help that the game initially had 3 jobs for tanking, a plethora of melee/DD that essentially did the same thing and 4 mage jobs that have a higher priority over everything else, but having charts/parsing/opinion that says this job is better than this only threw more fuel over the fire.
As a WAR, I've been booted for not having a 19,000,000 Haubergeon even though I had my Hauberk ready in 3 levels, forced to open a skillchain so a SAM can show off after I had Raging Rush, booted and replaced by a RNG pre-nerf because the BRD threatened to leave, witnessed a party disbanding only to reform with a NIN behind my back because the WHM said my WAR/MNK was a mp sink, and even D2'd/booted for not having dual Sniper's Rings. Pretty fun huh?

[Araius]

I've played a bit over 5 years and never quit or taken any extended break.

One of my best friends has quit and restarted about 6 times. The last time, he gave all his info to an ls member, burned his manuals and reg codes, broke all his discs and made the guy promise he wouldn't tell him what the new password was. Within 4 months he was playing again.

Don't say that like it's not all your fault.

...

I have a problem

[ferigor]

I always get my dates mixed up, but I started around the US PC release (late 2002?) on my brothers account as a Hume. Took me about 2-3 weeks to decide to get my own account and restarted as my current character (Mithra). Quit once around mid 2003 out of pure leveling frustration. Since there weren't many europeans playing (especially not on Gilgamesh) I had a really hard time to find ANY sort of party. JPs ignored me and US was mostly asleep during my playtime. About 3 months later I got invited by my brother to static with him and a couple of friends (RL friend of his and 2 crazy americans) so I restarted. I've kinda been playing since then, not really had any breaks.

Just nit picking, but US PC release was Oct 2003. JP playstation release was May 02, and PC release was Nov 02.

My account has been active since Dec. 03. I was able to fight it off for 2 months before it went terminal. ; ;

[Hiroshima]

I've never actually suspended my account but I have taken breaks that lasted a couple of months. It seems that most everybody has at one point or another.

[Reiamoure]

I take breaks every once and a while, longest was right after I bought the damn game.
I like the people I play with on the server I'm on now quite a bit so I try not to stay gone for too long.

[Tekumel]

Oh dear god. Let's see...

Started around October 04 on Garuda.
3 months later, all of my R/L friends quit playing on Garuda. Think I was ~30 WHM.

Restarted on Midgardsormr with some other R/L friends. They quit 2 months later. I pushed on, getting to 58 BRD before getting bored. Took a break for a month or so.

Came back, restarted on Siren with another friend who was sick of his server. Played there and got to 67 BRD.

Quit for 7 months, went to play WoW.

Came back, restarted because I thought my old account would be deleted (it wasn't as I found out later). Started Tekumel on Kujata. Moved to Hades to hang out with IRC people. Moved to Ragnarok when all of those IRC people more or less quit. Pondering my next server on my trip around the world...at this rate I might as well visit 'em all.

[urat]

Technically I quit 4 years ago, but that was simply to delete my character and move to a new ID so my dad and I could dual box.

Took me forever to get my first 75, dinged it about a month ago. up until wotg I was very ADHD about my jobs, had trouble picking one up and playing it, would generally hit level 20 or so and get bored.

Monk i took to about 40 over a year and a bit, but I just found the monotony of grinding to much to bear.

About halfway through dancer I had a close to leaving moment. I was grabbing for money at the time, was in that low point of exping with beetles and bats in basement of garlaige which just sucked, had gotten out of like 3 consecutive bad parties, and then died twice.

Took a month break or so, came back fresh, and grinded the living hell outta dance.

I've found ways to break the monotony of ffxi, chocobo raising, fishing, woodworking, fields of valor, campaign... I just set a very obtainable goal to get by the end of the week and go for it.

My rule is, the moment ffxi turns into a job for me I'm quitting right then and there, but as long as it's fun and I enjoy it, no problem :D