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Thinking of starting; how is it compared to FFXI?Follow

#1 Oct 25 2013 at 6:00 PM Rating: Good
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As the title suggests, I'm an old FFXI player (Xodious from Bismark) looking to jump to FFXIV: ARR. I've seen great reviews and heard good things about the game....I guess I'm just wondering...

-How is it compared to Final Fantasy XI? (I don't anticipate that it's a carbon-copy of the game, nor do I want it to be. Just looking to see if there's some common ground between the two.)
-Is leveling solo-friendly?
-Is making gil a constant grind?
-What's the endgame scene like?
#2 Oct 25 2013 at 6:31 PM Rating: Good
Quote:
-How is it compared to Final Fantasy XI? (I don't anticipate that it's a carbon-copy of the game, nor do I want it to be. Just looking to see if there's some common ground between the two.)


Artifact gear shares the same names. Some weapon skill names you might find familiar. Job abbreviations (PLD MNK SCH) are the same, and common things you see in Final Fantasy (moogles, chocobos, airships, Cid, victory theme). That's about it in similarities, though.

Quote:

-Is leveling solo-friendly?


Yes. But you can also do FATE parties or queue for 4-man dungeons to level up.

Quote:

-Is making gil a constant grind?


You don't really need gil for progression. Most quests give gear and dungeons give the best gear for your appropriate level.

Quote:
-What's the endgame scene like?

Very clear cut progression based. You start off doing low level tier events (like Ifrit hard mode, Wanderer's Palace, Amdapor Keep) to be able to get gear to do more difficult content. (Titan Hard Mode and Bahamut's Coil).
#3 Oct 25 2013 at 6:44 PM Rating: Excellent
lets remove FFXI.

-Solo friendly, yes. You will actually solo a lot, but do story mode. It is where the story is at :p through it you will do group dungeons of 4 members. They can be a butt, but once you understand the mechanics they usually are not that bad :D

-Making gil is stupid easy. They basically made it kind of useless. I farm here and there, but there is really no reason to. I don't craft (yet) so my gil is used for food, gear (I upgrade every 5 to 10 levels), repairs and teleports.

-Can't talk about endgame, because I'm still leveling. But it is easier stuff, to do harder stuff type of deal.

What makes it a Final Fantasy game:
-Races are basically upgraded versions of FFXI ones.
-Crystals
-Class/Job (but class job system is in no way like FFXI's).
-Final Fantasy stuff
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#4 Oct 25 2013 at 6:44 PM Rating: Decent
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What are battles like? They simplistic like FFXI or are they more action-oriented?
#5 Oct 25 2013 at 6:52 PM Rating: Good
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More action-oriented fights, environmental mechanics plays a big role in every boss fight. Compared to FFXI it would be like a DD using different WSs ever 2.5 sec (global cool-down).

This also makes the fights more interesting (I'n my opinion) than the "engage, ws, killl" scheme most of us have lived with for 10 years in ffxi.
#6 Oct 25 2013 at 7:00 PM Rating: Decent
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Excellent. This is probably damn early...but do you guys think this game will have the same (if not longer) lifespan than FFXI?
#7 Oct 25 2013 at 7:28 PM Rating: Excellent
It's possible. XI is still going, though. So at this point XI's lifespan is theoretically infinite.

It's not the same game as XI. Not any better, not any worse, just different. Much how like both VI and VII are vastly different games, yet both are still enjoyable.

Disclaimer: I still play XI part time.
#8 Oct 25 2013 at 7:47 PM Rating: Decent
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I guess the better question...do you think it has the content / potential to stand the test of time like XI has?
#9 Oct 25 2013 at 8:23 PM Rating: Decent
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Xod wrote:
I guess the better question...do you think it has the content / potential to stand the test of time like XI has?




Couldn't speak on endgame at all yet but I can say the storyline quests and dungeons are fun. The new end game content coming out should extend the life of endgame and the housing system that you and your crew can eventually buy sounds pretty cool as well.

I'm guessing its this.. its an mmo--it has as much potential as square enix has money to throw into new content. So far so good for the couple of months i've put into it.
#10 Oct 25 2013 at 8:32 PM Rating: Decent
Xod wrote:
I guess the better question...do you think it has the content / potential to stand the test of time like XI has?


Maybe. IMO it is better then FFXI.

FFXIV is like a mix of:
Final Fantasy (well, duh, right?), WoW & WoW's UI (Button smashing. Link attacks to do your own "SC") and RIFT (In RIFT, the rifts are called...rifts..in FFXIV they are FATES. Basically open world event. No need to group to do them [better to, but not needed], just show up and help win)
It borrows ideas (races, monsters, craft system, some of the jobs) from FFXI.
In a way most MMOs have to go up against some of the big MMOs that have made their mark. If new MMOs don't stand up, people go back to what they know/enjoy. I think FFXIV has the potential to be a long lasting MMO, but only time will tell.

Edited, Oct 25th 2013 9:34pm by Sandinmygum
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#11 Oct 25 2013 at 8:55 PM Rating: Decent
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IMO, it feels more like a FF game then xi did... And I played xi for, well, lets not mention that. I think all vet xi players could enjoy the game. It is super easy to get into... looks great and the mechanics, although very different from xi, are fun (but may take some time to become accustomed too).

That being said, I wouldn't expect that you will come in and have the same experience like we did with xi. I can't yet put my finger on it, but it is totally a different beast. They did a very good job reviving the game and now that the 'new-born' phase is over (it ****ing and ****ing all over the place with launch issues), I would definitely recommend the game.

PS. If you do start up, I would suggest taking the time to tweek your UI/HUD right away. Made a world of a difference for me. GL!!!

Edited, Oct 25th 2013 11:00pm by chomama
#12 Oct 25 2013 at 8:59 PM Rating: Excellent
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Catwho wrote:
It's possible. XI is still going, though. So at this point XI's lifespan is theoretically infinite.

It's not the same game as XI. Not any better, not any worse, just different. Much how like both VI and VII are vastly different games, yet both are still enjoyable.

Disclaimer: I still play XI part time.


Indeed. Rather than say it's better than FFXI, I'd say FFXIV has been better for FFXI. Yoshida has definitely influenced SE to be more open and communicative with its players in its online communities. I don't think there would have been as much effort put into things like creating an official forum for FFXI had it not been for this new direction.
#13 Oct 26 2013 at 5:09 AM Rating: Good
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The major differences that I have seen so far:

-There is no resale of used gear. Once you use it, you can't sell it. Most of it can be turned into materia or GC money after it is no longer useful. This is a nice gilsink that keeps inflation down.
-Everything except gear stacks to 99, and you have 600 spaces to put it all in (after level 16ish, early in the game) Crystals don't take up space.
-Crafting takes skill, and the interface to craft is a hundred times more user friendly.
-The level grind parties are much different. Instead of going to a camp with a group and fighting mobs, you join a group and watch your map until a FATE pops up, then rush there to fight mobs. You can be waiting for 10 minutes, or charge from one fate to the next. In this level grinding, skill and teamwork mean little; it's usually about doing damage before the mobs die. Imagine small scale version of the beastmen raids of the city at Aht Urhgan at all levels, without any advanced notice, in every non-city zone.
-There are no NM's. There kind of are in some fates, but not like FFXI.
-After you claim a mob, anyone else can still attack it. You'll still get full exp and drops as long as you do enough damage, and the other people attacking can also get full exp and kill credit if they do enough damage.
-Instanced fights are a big part of the game. They are much like BCNM/KSNM fights, except without the need for seals. Some are one big fight, some are extended dungeons with mini-bosses and a big boss. The duty finder lets you que up one of them, then go about your business doing something else. When a team is ready, you have a 45 second window to get back to your class and accept. You can also skip the duty finder and form a group up yourself. This is a huge improvement.
-It's too early to really talk end game. At this point, very few people are in full top gear, and that gear will likely be mediocre in six months.
-Making gil is much easier (except for the exploits), but spending gil is not necessary to make it to well geared end game.
-As far as solo, you can level up solo, but the main quest line unlocks most of the major features, and requires instanced group fights periodically, very similar to the FFXI missions, but with a lot more busy work running around.
#14 Oct 26 2013 at 6:41 AM Rating: Decent
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One thing to note, you can get one job to max level with a combination of quests, Hunting Logs, and FATEs but levelling subsequent jobs is a real pain in the ***** Depending on your job choice you could spend over an hour to queue for an instance that will yield you around a third of a level and chasing FATEs around zones and spamming abilities on mobs that often don't even appear on your screen gets old very fast.
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#15 Oct 26 2013 at 7:18 AM Rating: Excellent
Releaser wrote:
One thing to note, you can get one job to max level with a combination of quests, Hunting Logs, and FATEs but levelling subsequent jobs is a real pain in the ***** Depending on your job choice you could spend over an hour to queue for an instance that will yield you around a third of a level and chasing FATEs around zones and spamming abilities on mobs that often don't even appear on your screen gets old very fast.


The leveling isn't THAT bad since you get a 50% exp bonus for all your additional jobs. I just took LNC to 34 in 2 days for Blood for Blood and my playtime was pretty limited. If you dedicate 2-3 solid days for dungeons + FATES, you can easily hit 50 on a 2nd job.
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#16 Oct 26 2013 at 7:19 AM Rating: Good
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Releaser wrote:
One thing to note, you can get one job to max level with a combination of quests, Hunting Logs, and FATEs but levelling subsequent jobs is a real pain in the ***** Depending on your job choice you could spend over an hour to queue for an instance that will yield you around a third of a level and chasing FATEs around zones and spamming abilities on mobs that often don't even appear on your screen gets old very fast.



^ This one is doing it wrong. Let these ones explain.


The key component in getting through leveling secondary classes is having people with you. Queues are instant if you have a healer, or bring a healer with you, and dungeons can give you a whole levels worth with rested XP, Chains, and the 50% XP Bonus you get for leveling classes that are lower in level than your highest.


FATES are hands down the fastest XP in a party, FATES that involve killing lots of enemies tend to yeild great XP when you're netting XP from claims everyone in your party manages to tag - letting you net 2 levels in as many hours if you are lucky. There are frequent 'hubs' in which people gather together to do FATEs together in parties with, you need only shout for an invite.

Some of the camps I remember off hand, and this is not a complete list.

Quarrymill
Costa De Sol
Dragonhead
Cerelium Processing Plant

The point is not to get burnt out. There are seasonal events, crafting, and just chilling out to do. Right now endgame is pretty sparse due to it being before any content updates. Play casual, don't forget your favorite TV shows, play some other games once in a while and don't sweat falling behind, as the entire system in endgame is sort of a treadmill anyways.
#17 Oct 26 2013 at 8:40 AM Rating: Excellent
Quote:
The point is not to get burnt out. There are seasonal events, crafting, and just chilling out to do. Right now endgame is pretty sparse due to it being before any content updates. Play casual, don't forget your favorite TV shows, play some other games once in a while and don't sweat falling behind, as the entire system in endgame is sort of a treadmill anyways.


This. It took 3 months of labor to get to 75 if you played steadily in XI back in the grindy old pre-Abyssea days. You can really push yourself and get to 50 in a week in XIV, but you'll hate it. Spread it out over three months like we did in the old days of XI and it'll go a lot better.
#18 Oct 26 2013 at 10:51 AM Rating: Good
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I'll give you my experience so far:

-How is it compared to Final Fantasy XI? (I don't anticipate that it's a carbon-copy of the game, nor do I want it to be. Just looking to see if there's some common ground between the two.)

There are some similarities, but they are mostly skin deep. Some of the graphics models seem or are familiar to 11, some of the music sounds like homage and FATES remind me of GoV groups. If anything it's a combination of FFXII and WoW, but really FFXIV is its own game.

-Is leveling solo-friendly?

Yes, very. However the game is most fun when you group up in dungeons. And the game holds your hand until about 30 so that you can learn the party mechanics (especially if you pay attention).

You mostly level by quests on your first class/job, FATES, dungeons, guildhests, guildleves and, then a mix of job quests and hunting logs. Your subsequent classes, still have quests that you didn't complete the first time around along with everything else.

-Is making gil a constant grind?

In short, for most of the game gil is irrelevant. However at endgame you need to grind out gil if you want to buy some of the more expensive crafted items.

-What's the endgame scene like?

Dungeons, relic quests, and tome farming for better gear. Leveling other classes to optimize your main class. Doing high level crafting, etc. More and more content will be added over time.
#19 Oct 26 2013 at 1:35 PM Rating: Excellent
since everyone seems to be focus on the good I'll play devil's advocate.

Well in my experience, FFXIV needs a lot of work. Progression is far too linear. Global cooldown is a nice idea in theory but makes it more like busywork, spamming button presses for glorified auto-attacks. Position checking is very slow for a game that puts so much emphasis on positioning.

As for the story, it's a FF world for sure. The settings, music, and enemy design (the original ones) are all nice and creative. It has chocobos and crystals. That said, the leaders, main characters, and villains of the story line are all incompetent, borderline too stupid to live. Can't go on because of spoilers.

It will not last nearly as long as XI for a simple reason. FFXI had a niche with its focus on lateral progression. FFXIV focuses on vertical progression, ilvls, and smaller groups, making content last less time overall because once you climb to a certain point you never really need to go back ever, new content will eclipse old as a focus point, and at any given point, once you get to endgame, there's only a small amount of endgame available compared to a game like old FFXI. This system won't last as long with SE.

That said, the popularity of this game hinges on the next major update. It they add new progression paths, more means to exp, and enough endgame content, the game will be greatly improved and good to go for a while.
#20 Oct 26 2013 at 1:45 PM Rating: Decent
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Quote:
Global cooldown is a nice idea in theory but makes it more like busywork, spamming button presses for glorified auto-attacks.


As a monk, my rotation is 7 abilities without using cooldowns. I'm not sure how that's glorified auto-attacking.

Quote:
Position checking is very slow for a game that puts so much emphasis on positioning.


I don't know what that means.

I get that you're trying to play devil's advocate here, but the fact is most of what you're talking about requires precognition to know for certain and is therefore not factual.
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#21 Oct 26 2013 at 2:46 PM Rating: Excellent
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I went ahead and purchases FFXIV:ARR today, installing it now!

Honestly, I guess I'm just wanting to make sure the longevity is there, and by the sounds of the responses here, it has that. Reviews of the game have said the same thing.

To that end, I would argue that FFXI simply isn't as good as it used to be. Abyssea was fun, but it killed any form of ability needed in that game. Back in the sea/sky days, players would develop a reputation due to their performance in either experience points parties or in endgame. Now, anyone can get to level 99 in a day or two. It's too easy.

FFXIV, while I'm sure is imperfect, looks like a great start of something new. I'm looking forward to it!

It also dawned on me that it's almost an impossible question to speculate how long any MMORPG will last. Regardless, people said FFXI wouldn't last nearly as long as it did, and people are surely saying the same about FFXIV now.
#22 Oct 26 2013 at 4:08 PM Rating: Excellent
well welcome to the game!
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#23 Oct 26 2013 at 4:45 PM Rating: Good
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Welcome to FFXIV!
#24 Oct 26 2013 at 6:05 PM Rating: Excellent
I'd have to say my biggest favorite thing about FFXIV compared to XI is no mid-battle gear swapping. You have your gear and after that the fights are dependent on your skill, dodging ability, and memorization of the terrain mechanics (assuming your gear is good enough to do/take necessary damage). Not swapping into STR/DEX gear for one move and then INT gear for another.

Edited, Oct 26th 2013 5:06pm by UltKnightGrover
#25 Oct 26 2013 at 6:26 PM Rating: Good
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UltKnightGrover wrote:
I'd have to say my biggest favorite thing about FFXIV compared to XI is no mid-battle gear swapping. You have your gear and after that the fights are dependent on your skill, dodging ability, and memorization of the terrain mechanics (assuming your gear is good enough to do/take necessary damage). Not swapping into STR/DEX gear for one move and then INT gear for another.

Edited, Oct 26th 2013 5:06pm by UltKnightGrover


I was happier than I thought I should be when I realized that XIV wouldn't have that .. ahem .. "feature" in it.

I tried to go back to FFXI after several years of not playing it. And the one thing that reached up and punched me right in the nose was the fact that I had absolutely no clue on the entire planet how my gear swapping was supposed to be set up anymore. I knew when I was playing actively... but not several years later. And it isn't exactly intuitive.

For someone like me that was a dealbreaker for returning to FFXI, because I knew I would probably never be able to perform to my potential with even the gear that I had (which was 24 levels out of date of course).

With XIV or WoW or SWTOR or whatever, all I really need to do is sit down for a little while and read tooltips. I quit SWTOR after 2 months. I'm 100% sure I could pick that game back up and be doing just fine again within an hour. FFXI? Definitely not.
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#26 Oct 26 2013 at 7:43 PM Rating: Good
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Archmage Callinon wrote:
Quote:
Position checking is very slow for a game that puts so much emphasis on positioning.


I don't know what that means.

I get that you're trying to play devil's advocate here, but the fact is most of what you're talking about requires precognition to know for certain and is therefore not factual.

Position checking probably refers to the communication between the client and server knowing where your character is. SE had to adjust your 'hitbox' from being a circle around the outer limits of your character, to a much smaller circle inside your visual 'hitbox'. This one was pretty clearly broken and players were quite vocal about it. Definitely factual.
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