Grabbed some friends and jumped into the FFXI Eden server, which is the classic experience from 2006 with all the tough old stuff preserved. The game is genuinely fun to play. It really feels like a proper final fantasy. No nonsensical abilities to cycle through, just attacking like a real final fantasy game until you decide to do something different. Menuing can be a tad clunky but I honestly quite enjoy it overall.
It's not pretty, but it's genuinely satisfying to level up like it was in the original dragon quest. I can't believe how much I liked it. We're now two days into it and it's a surprisingly fun time.
Anyone else played Final Fantasy XI? What are your thoughts on retail?
Retail is better because you don't have to camp Valkurm Dunes for like five days straight to go from 10-20 and then have your progress reset when you try to go back to your home city.
The fact you can tele to any city easily rather than waste your time walking around also makes it better.
Hunter White
Started playing retail a few days ago, I'm surprised at how much I'm liking it too OP. I always loved FFXII and this one is essentially what it was based on. Plus it's much harder. I just unlocked DRK and I'm wondering if the Deathbringer is worth getting since I can level to 30+ in a few hours on retail. Is it like an upgradable weapon that I'll use again later on or should I just skip it?
Grayson Robinson
From what I remember I think you HAVE to get Deathbringer, but only because it unlocks the relic armor set quests, which you then can upgrade to be some seriously busted gear much, MUCH later in endgame.
Liam Cooper
My friend I'm only two days into Eden which is 2006 XI. This game is a slow grind with my friends. Maybe retail is better. I'm just barely level 8.
David Morris
I both love retail but also realize that in no way would I ever be able to enjoy FFXI like back in the day. I just don't have time in my day for 12 hour long exp parties.
I really want it but I know that it is something I will never be able to experience again. Maybe if this game is alive in 30 years when I potentially may be able to retire...
Wyatt Hernandez
Classic FFXI might sound cool at first, and there are some geniuenly interesting and cool things you miss out on in Retail, like the horizontal gear progression making it so that even at endgame you use gear of mixed sources and level reqs, but it's so fucking frustrating and artificcially elongated.
God you can't even imagine how much easier and more convenient Trusts make the game.
Cameron Edwards
My friends and I have been doing 4+ hour sessions. I'm healing.
Can you tell me what makes retail different from classic? I'm considering buying it since it's on sale...
Jack Rivera
I'm playing it with a party of irl friends so I'm not so concerned. Can you answer what's different about retail?
James Clark
The main draw is you get Trusts which are just AI party members based off NPCs from the story. So you aren't beholden to grouping with other players to get to level your jobs. It's still better to party with other players at level 99 though to farm job points or do end game content.
Jayden Rodriguez
Well first of all, you get gear much easier thanks to Sparks, right up untill Level 99, which means minimal or downright no grinding for NMs during levelling, which as its ups and downs.
Monsters drop much more EXP even when they're Easy Prey.
Trusts (party NPCs) allow you to solo level grind and solo dungeons. They're pretty stupid in the sense they won't attack enemies unless you attack them, but it's by design to avoid AFK farming. This makes doing missions a million times less frustrating and time consuming.
The Rhapsodies of Vana'diel questline can give you some massive permanent passive buffs that make the game much less frustrating, foremost of all it gives a permanent buff to XP gain.
Game in general has a lot more QoL and allows you to teleport from and to any Home Point (crystal) you've interacted with, so inter-city travelling is a lot easier, and adds Survival Books that allow you to tele into most dungeons and field zones as long as you arrived there on foot at least once.
Also Mounts. They're like Chocobos except a million times more convenient.
Liam Harris
>Filled to Capacity >Over Capacity >Way Over Capacity What the fuck SE?
Robert Hernandez
Isn't that Raven Scythe from the Dark Legacy quest? I'm looking at bg-wiki and the quest chain seems to imply as much.
Jeremiah Torres
I'm only going to play with my group anyway. We never have less than 2 but typically 3 or more. Total party is 6.
EXP Boost is the only thing I can really say I care about. I like having to go everywhere by foot. Warp is a spell, after all. I'm a White mage so I'll be handling that I think. Teleportation should be earned.
Eli Barnes
>have a group of 4-5 friends >all from my days playing WoW so I know for 100% they would not enjoy this game Feelsbadman
>cool things you miss out on in Retail, like the horizontal gear progression making I still use lv75 accessories in my sets on retail regularly. That being said, at very highest levels of gear, augmented odyssey sets are kind of a step above everything else, so I hope more sources of equivalent loot are added.
Brody Reyes
I wish they add more High Tier Mission Battlefields. Whenw as the last time they added one?
Josiah Johnson
>God you can't even imagine how much easier and more convenient Trusts make the game. This is a double edged sword for me. I accept that Trusts are not as fun as a conventional party but I also understand that without Trusts I really wouldn't have the time to play FFXI.
Dylan Gonzalez
Shinryu. Which was October last year, I think.
Michael Phillips
This. The timesink style of play doesn't really gel with modern life. Not the way it did two decades ago. I appreciate the retail version for its own reasons. Private servers are shamefully incomplete too, missing about 9/10ths of the game's content at this point.
Grayson Mitchell
Trusts are significantly more fun in running dungeons since they don't require to rest and aren't going to accidentally pull enemies like real players do.
I went in Delkflutt Tower for the mission at level 29 and came out of it at level 37 because I just unga bunga's all mobs that aggro'd.
Adam Harris
I REFUSE to spend time on private servers. It has been statistically proven that they are all run by completely retarded autists and like a powder keg it's just a matter of time before they implode. Wings is just the most recent example.
I will not invest time and effort into something so ephemeral.
