Real talk: If you want to do anything worthwhile in XI, prepare to sit down for about 2 to 3 hours at least. Just yesterday I finished doing some "spring cleaning" of my inventories across 5 characters (4,800 slots, mind you) and it took me 10-hour days over 3 days, tossing useless pop items, selling other stuff, and organizing gear and weapons.
@@cg56578 It wasn't and it's not, but that's just something I have to do once a year due to the thousands of items I've collected. The rest of the game is much more fun, but it does take a certain kind of person that's more patient than most gamers these days.
The simplicity of the UI is one of the best features of FFXI to me. Modern MMOs have random icons, actions buttons, maps, timers, inventory grids, and all manner of other things which break immersion. Often new games feel like you're just watching cool-downs rotate, following pointers or quest trackers, and spending less playing your character in an RPG sense. Bah! The depth the jobs system in FFXI is completely unmatched. While job balance has become an issue, at least, each job feels very different. Character creation in FFXI is quite limited. It's one issue I wanted improved, but will never happen. Also, the Level Sync system is still the best to ensure players of all experience levels can grind exp together without lopsided, overpowered end-gamers carrying new players through every battle. I'm looking at you Elder Scrolls Online, FFXIV and DC Universe Online (there are probably many more).
So I’ve been playing lately thanks to someone who commented on this video and I followed a guide to make the game run better and holy hell it’s beautiful
I played from US launch until ToAU. I came back in September, by October I was playing everyday like a crackhead again. I'm having a blast going through all the story content, and I'm in a very nice linkshell(guild) with helpful players who drop anything to help any players. FFXI has always had the nicest most helpful community, and it still does. I tried every MMO since Ultima Online, but FFXI is home
Thanks! I’m getting some mixed opinions of people saying I didn’t go in depth enough or that it was biased or flat out wrong but I tried! I at least say in the video that if you like MMORPGs FF11 deserves to be experienced
This is the kind of game that if you have the nostalgia for it, it haunts you. I have played this game on and off since my friends left it back when 14 came out in 2010, I was also a bit of a late bloomer playing the game 3 years after original release but lucky enough to still play it in its prime, and I'm still addicted to this day. I can understand people choosing to play 14 over this one given 14 is alot easier to play around a busy schedule be it faster paced, easier to get things done, less time consuming and more laid back, it just didn't do it for me, I played 14 for 2 months mainly to spend time with friends but i got no other enjoyment out of it so i quit, tried again when shadow bringers came out only for the same result. (Not to judge anyone who plays it, you do you.) I only enjoyed the PVP but i found the community to be a bit of a mixed bag, but hey that's just my experience. I can see FFXI game being hard on new players and I can understand not wanting to pay for a subscription for a game as old as this but i would 100% recommend giving the game a try if you ever find the chance and have never played, more so if your a final fantasy fan, plus with the addition of free servers there's plenty of option out there for what Era of playstyle you desire.
I've been playing 16 years, and I thought I ought to point out that SE actually is in the middle of releasing brand-new add-on (mini-expansion?) content for the game with The Voracious Resurgence. The story is scheduled to conclude with the 20th anniversary of the game, so likely we'll see new endgame content there! Also the story is actually really good if you do the expansions in order. The 3 nations are pretty basic, but Rise of the Zilart gets better, and the really fall into their stride with Chains of Promathia and subsequent expansions.
I went back to 11 last year and don’t regret it one bit. As for what we will get for the 20th anni? I’m betting on empy +3, but time mage or chemist would be great!!!
Word of warning to the uninitiated: Cutscenes in some of these expansions are VERY long. I was watching a cutscene in Treasures of Aht Urhgan for almost half an hour the other day.
FFXI in it's prime was simply amazing, everything was earned teaming up with friends and working for one another made earning things and progress special. I will never forget those times or people I still have a list and memories to go with each name the entire server then was my home so many faces and names I knew from this or that. By far the best game I've ever been a part of it was a grind but you turned those coals into diamonds. I played at launch on ps2 all the way past buying an xbox360 for it and stopped playing with a friend to try another game known as wow in 2008 with her. I came back to FFXI and started all over again 2020 FFXI still has lots of magic to give and lots to do and see even if you think you know it all, I'd not focus to much on guides unless you are 200% at wits end and lost cause the fun for me was just how nice it was to find and figure out stuff on my own made even tiny things rewarding, I've many new friends and met some older ones again back on my home server I started this adventure in the games 18th birthday and I will be here till 2023 if they are I have 2 accounts and now play on pc I love this game. I can see how it's not for everyone but if it clicks with you, it is worth it to invest 100s of hours in to enjoy. The sign up and new player process tho is lacking but reach out to people also SE is trying to mend this issue currently as an active project. Helping others was a big part of my FFXI experience and I too as a new player again got lots of help I have tons of questions still but FFXI is the only game I want to be playing
There is no game that fills me with nostalgia like Final Fantasy 11. I put thousands of hours into this game initially on the PS2 and then on the 360 - this was in the brief era between Napster and Limewire, and I would actually buy music to listen to while I played this - I'd buy a single song and listen to it five hundred times over and over while grinding on FF11. I remember first making it to Jeuno and being so insanely proud that I made it. The fact that you lose XP when you die was so brutal. FF11 is so interesting because it existed in this world before WoW where a lot of the ideas that were standardized for MMOs hadn't taken hold yet. You had to literally wait for the airship to arrive if you wanted to be taken across the continent. Like, the airship came at a specific time every hour and if you missed it you were waiting another hour. All to randomly be attacked by pirates or something, die, lose tens of hours worth of work, and then have to wait for the airship again, haha. So many terrible quality of life decisions that I LOVED NoClip's documentary on FF11 vs. FF14 is really interesting and shows how the devs struggled with accepting that WoW beat it, and that they needed to update with the times.
If SE had stopped the level cap at 80, I think many people would have stayed and many more would have joined due to the slight ease of the endgame bosses and the many easier way of leveling but still kept the dynamics of the party system. 80 was the perfect balance of freedom to be flexible in many hardcore situations, old gear being still relevant, and maintaining the need for creative teamwork. Level 99 destroyed what took 8 years for many people to achieve and obtain to be useless. This alone drove thousands to leave. Ironically it was their dedication to the PS2 community that kept SE from implementing the "softer" touches to the game to attract new players, eg faster battles and icons UI. Just those 2 things could have saved FFXI. But nope. PS2 couldn't handle that. Still, FFXI is hands down the greatest testament to what an MMO can do to bring people together and make them into better people through the crushing need to cooperate and corroborate.
This video was exactly what I was looking for. So much detail and information. The 19 minutes felt like 5 the way the info was so nicely organized made it comfy.
Awesome video! Brought back great memories playing this game years & years ago. I only wish I had time to delve back into the game from time to time to see how it has changed. One of my favorite things I heard in the game was if someone was zoning a train of tough enemies that would destroy multiple parties camped at the zone. Annoying yet classic memories! “Zoning bats!” “Are those Citadel Bats?” “They are!” Level 30s party in Garlaige. Thanks for keeping this game alive with videos like this!
This game is outstanding and another MMO like it will never be seen again. I'm biased as it was my first MMO back in 2002, if you cant get passed the menu system (understandable); use a PC controller and it makes a phenomenal difference. You can also download some nice 4k texture packs and mods to make the game look beautiful. Also, this game used to completely rely on parties and other players to progress, however, now you can solo almost everything including to lvl 99 and the thousands of hours of expansion content/quests. Dont wait for your friends to play, you for sure want to experience this mmo. Many great linkshells still and a great community.
The Steam version is definitely not easier to make an account for. It just gives you a key to apply to the account you make through the regular process, same as if you bought the physical discs back in the day.
I played this game for 5 years. It was easily the most fun and most memorable MMO I had ever experienced. From all the people I met in my Linkshell to the memories of the music alone in each area. All of this hits such a warm place in my heart and mind and was one of the happiest/funnest times I’ve had with a game. I’ve tried FFXIV and while it is an amazing game, it doesn’t hit as hard as 11. Rose tinted glasses I suppose. Great video.
@@VagrantVideos that could be exactly it. Thanks for this video, as alive as FFXI is, I hardly see any content on it which is understandable for such an “old” game.
I have so much that I could say, but I'll try to keep it brief. I played this game as my main MMO from 2004 to 2009. I spent thousands of hours with the game, and I loved and hated every moment of it. I really do mean it. I both loved and hated the game. A dialectical tension if there ever was one. The game is both simultaneously rewarding and crushing. Never have I experienced such contrast in a game since Final Fantasy XI. Would I recommend the game to somebody who has not played it in the past but is curious about what older MMO's were like? Absolutely not. The experience that is there today is nothing like the experience that was there before. The community that is there today is very different than the community that was there before. The game is entirely different from what it was in the past. If you are interested in the original version, there are some private servers. With that said, if you're coming into this game with the mentality that most contemporary MMORPG Gamers have, you're probably going to hate the game. And even if you don't dislike the game, you might find that the private server version, which is closer to the original, demands so much of your time to make marginal progress. It just might not be worth your time. We had different expectations of games back then. A different understanding about the time and effort that playing a video game online with others could and should take. We had a completely different mindset about what an accomplishment in an MMORPG would entail. I was one of only seven people in my server who had a Dragoon at 75 for like a year. Getting a job to max level was considered a major accomplishment, especially if your job was unpopular (who remembers DRG hate in 2004-2005?). I have great memories, but that is where they should stay. If I try to relive that today, I would I hate every moment of it and quit within days. I'm in a completely different point in my life, with a completely different mindset about gaming. My expectations for my online games have drastically shifted. You have to understand that mindset to really understand why people put up with Final Fantasy 11. The fact that you could even communicate online with other people, play a game with other people, that was seen as incredible and revolutionary. It was unheard of for so many of us. I just don't know if we could ever go back to that anymore. And I don't mean the game itself only, I really do mean the mental shift, dare I say, a paradigmatic shift about how we perceive social interaction online, that would be required to enjoy the game at its fullest.
Have so fond memories from this game. Played it day and night with my friends. I even had to pay the subs for one of my friends because his parents didn’t allow him to use their credit card. I got back into the game last week to try the new Story quest they released with the voracious recurgend. And have to many nostalgic feelings.
This is really the only game in which I had 2 years in play time over a 6 years span. It was addicting, time consuming, but it gave me so many good memories. Thanks for the fun, FFXI and all of the players of servers Fairy and later Sylph.
I played 11 from 2002-2013 and I loved this game so much. Multiple level 99 jobs and completed all expansions except Adoulin. The game was a bitch to deal with but felt soooooo accomplished once you completed a tasks
i still remember going over to my grade school friend jordan's house and watching him play final fantasy xi online on his pc. it blew my mind. final fantasy...oN THE INTERNET?!? whaaaattttt
This game was my go to back in its prime. I ran two accounts s one, and carried around a pocket white mage for outside group heals when I was tanking on my main. It was such a boon with a pocket healer, I was tanking on my Dark Knight. When I tell you I could get a group in seconds having that outside healer.....man it was fun as hell. I want to get back into it, but I’m decently invested in XIV and am torn on trying to dive back into XI
If you think it was annoying to set up an account in 2020, imagine how much fun it was doing it ALL in Playonline launcher back in the day. That was fun times.
For a few more links, bg-wiki.com is a more recent wiki that covers newer content in greater depth with fewer ads, and ffxidb.com is pretty useful to find stats on which items drop from which mobs and where.
I've played thousands of hours of 14, am too young to have nostalgia for 11, and having played almost all mainline FF games + spinoffs can say definitively: 11 is a better game. Playonline is dated, some UI elements are dated, but the systems in the game are completely fine and reminiscent of earlier FF games, if you actually play video games they are not hard to grasp. It's fairly annoying to constantly hear about mechanics and systems being "dated" in 11 because what it really means is "is not WoW derivative," I think WoW is a fine game, I think 14 is a good interpretation of the design philosophy, but it is not and shouldn't be treated like the only way that's acceptable to make an online RPG. 11 is truly a mainline FF game with its key feature being that it is online, 14 is good but is only FF in aesthetic.
Very true but realistically nowadays it would be hard to get new people to play this game. This came out during a different era in the mmorpg genre. That’s why I say it’s worth checking out for at least historical sake and at best to play it as a main mmorpg :)
@ what are you even talking about lol, I said 14 is a good game, I'm by no means an "XI fanboy" considering I started playing it within the last 2 years, long after I started playing 14 - if anything you are the one acting like quality is mutually exclusive between them. also, while you're conflating popularity with quality, I think it's worth noting that 11 is the 2nd highest grossing FF game, so... far from the least popular, let alone "by an absolute landslide." If anything I'm a fanboy of FF in its entirety, I really have no stake in 11 exclusively, nothing to gain by putting it above 14 for no reason lol. so no I'm not mad that it's "far more successful" than 11 cuz one, that's not true, and two I'm glad 14 is successful because I enjoy it for different reasons than 11. pre ironic you say the fan base of 11 is "single minded and myopic" when you're the one writing a paragraph about why a game you obviously haven't played is bad.
@My Small Lactose_ルイージ I've played every popular mmorpg from WoW, GW2, FFXIV to ESO for over 6 months each; They are all good games; have their merits. So far FFXI is tops for me personally. @Vagrant making friends is what the game was all about, playing in small cliques with real life friends was the exception, not the norm. Lot of WoW players did the same back then too, it's just how things were when mmos were new and you needed more than a couple people to reliably endgame
@ You are taking out your ass, the game was very popular during the mid 2000s and was still crowded even after WoW launched. I've played pretty much every popular mmo save for black desert, and unlike you have played them long enough to judge. FFXI is far from mediocre, one of it's best attributes is its learning curve keeps toxic overly judgemental morons like you out. XD
Had to come and comment - this is an excellent video man. I love this game so much for the fact that I've played hours and hours... and I still know pretty much nothing.... I love the design philosophy you mentioned that encourages people to truly explore, I find it completely charming and wish other games could do that in this day and age. Unfortunately nobody will because it would never survive hahaha
Something I'm not sure if you touched on or not (I'm lsitening to this in the background) is that the game has amazing environments. The graphics themselves may dated, but the art design, the varied environments, the speed with which you travel through those environments, as well as the environmental sounds all combine to make the best environments in any game I've played. That and the sense of exploration in this game (especially in it's prime) is unparalleled
I met a wife and a handful of Lifetime friends on this game, the fact that others have stated, that you had to rely on others and make friends and groups to succeed was really a benefit. The Nostalgia of this game is intense, and I still listen to some of the music.
Great video :D I bought Final Fantasy XI from steam and yes its nightmare to install this lovely MMO classic. You actually download client which is identical from Square web page. I played on PC a Xbox 360 and i have great memories on this game. I have met really great people who helped me in this game.
Been playing since day 1 of NA PS2 launch (Mar 2004), and i still love this game. A lot has changed over the years, but I would still recommend FFXI to anyone even slightly interested in final fantasy to at least give it a try. There is a free 14 day trial available to get a feel for the game. And ever server is full of people that would love nothing more to help you in your journey.
@Fe Quimada can go here to download the free trial and there's a walk through on this page: www.playonline.com/ff11us/download/media/install_win.html I think u can download that through steam also, but I always just did stuff from the official site.
I love games with a sense of exploration and linearity isn't there to stop you. I feel like after 3.0 this feeling kind of faded. I realize they did this to tighten up the storyline and keep you from getting lost, but I miss the being underleveled and wandering into Coerthas. Scary but exciting at the same time. I probably would dig the design philosophy of this and even some of 1.0, where you're playing a role in a living world. (Not sure how I feel about this tbh) It would be cool to just be a crafter/gatherer and have that just be my thing too. Honestly don't mind the "dated" slower combat either. Do you think this would scratch that itch, or are there modern games that would too? I love XIV but want to try new things and hear opinions from other people.
If you are used to 14, 11 will feel like a snails pace in comparison. But many Retro mmos are like that since their gameplay loop revolves around experiencing the world and the people in it rather than the endgame dungeons.
Still play the game, been playing since 2003. I've taken breaks, played 14, still have that "active" but i focus on XI more. There are certainly flaws in the game, and i compare it to 14 a lot. I personally didn't enjoy 14 as much. As you said in the vid, completing something in XI gives you an amazing sense of accomplishment. I never felt that in 14, it may be the faster play style, so you just move on from things too fast. I too prefer that the quests and missions didn't fully hold your hands like they did in 14. 14 for me turned into talk to person A at the point on the map, go to person B marked on the map, repeat with no real reason or understanding of why. Sometimes a little mystery is a good thing. Now, that being said, sometimes things could certainly be explained better. And also as you said, Key for me for having fun in this game is having people to play with. Sure you Can do things solo with trusts, but then you may as well be playing a console game. Part of the focus of the game is grouping, and if you lack that, you miss out on a large part. Now, that being said, with Any community, there are always bad eggs. Overall i think the good out weighs the bad, with one Glaring exception. Time. This isn't a light game you pick up for a month and expect to finish. This game is an incensement, a second Job. The times i put it down, was for those reasons. If you don't have time to invest, you can't get a full reward out of the game. But i'm not even just talking an overall large amount of time, even small bits. For example, with a game like Animal Crossing, you can play for 10 minutes a day and get something done. You can't do that with this game. We did an event last night, and we played for 4 hours. There is no easy button, there is no quick way to do things. Some of that could be improved upon, some has been, like the Chocobo Quest which Used to take 6 RL hours, now takes 6 minutes. But there are still road blocks for progress tied behind game day waits, or RL day waits. TLDR version, yes the game is worth playing, If you have time for it, but don't pick it up as a quick adventure, and play it with a friend. Will be much more rewarding that way.
the trusts i see here made my jaw drop! please let me know what thats about. last i played i was soloing about constantly alone as a beastmaster/dancer. I also miss its UI. seriously. the game for me is perfect, with many fond memories. im mostly held back by personal reasons. ...IS THAT A CRAWLER AS A MOUNT!?!??!
If you want to experience a time capsule of a 2nd Generation MMO; FFXI is the game for you. Because every other 2nd Gen MMO today which is still online (all 5 of them, out of about two dozen which have all been long since shut down) they have been updated and modernised to the point where all the 2nd gen MMO mechanics have long since been stripped from them, those being EVE Online, Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, RuneScape and Lineage II. (For Reference, arguing first examples of generations of MMOs: First Gen MMO: Meridian 59; Second Gen MMO: Asheron's Call; 3rd Gen MMO: Everquest 2; 4th Gen MMO: TERA: Rising)
The only reason I downloaded this game recently was because I could never get it running on my 360 back around the time it launched. I was like 10 years old, and I'm pretty sure I could never figure out how to make a playonline account, but I had watched a friends older brother play it. I thought it looked so cool, cause at the time it seemed much more innovative than FF10, which was already a great game to me.
ff11 was actually pretty huge. It was square enix most profitable title and one SE exec said it was the most representative ff title in the series. Also without 11 there would be no 14x2. Remember 14 was made twice. FF11 funded that and kept SE alive as a company that's how significant the title was. So i find it silly when people think ff11 was so obscure.
I still have my character from launch, now a 99 BLU, but havent played in a couple years. I was just reading a 2019 article how they plan to keep the game going until "at least 2021"; its hard for them to say as they go on a year to year basis and it depends on player activity vs budget etc. Although it is unlikely they would discontinue the servers anytime soon (new content planned for this year 2021), IT got me thinking how devastated I would be if the game were to ever shut down completely; so Im just gonna keep my account active from now on, even if I cant find much time to play lol.
@@chrishorsey3277 I actually think I'm gonna stick on siren. It'll be kinda nice for me and my friends (that I eventually convince to play FFXI) to have the place for ourselves to explore, without being too distracted. Idk, never played an mmo before this, so I feel like having a ton of players around would be exciting, but hectic
@@mememcqueen5052 you should come to FFXIV if you haven’t already. As great as this game was it can’t hold a candle to XIV in terms of combat and story telling
I have been playing FFXI on and off since it came out on the PS2. Back then you could buy a guide which was extremely helpful. Would be nice if the folks that made that guide created an online version as it had the recipes for crafting as part of the guide. I did migrate to FFXIV when it came out (1.0) but still kept my sub to FFXI going too as at that time you got a discount for one if you had the other. Some friends recently told me they were playing again, so I downloaded FFXI on my computer and plan to play there. I loved the game when it first came out and still do all these years later. Come dip your toes into FFXI and see if it might be for you.
There are many different ways of travelling around the world, sadly these are obscured to new players; even guides do a pretty bad job of emphasising them early on. The most relevant ones for new players are Unity warps, Home Points, Survival Guide. I put Unity warp first because even though you died in Sanctuary of Zi'tah you could have warped back via Unity (unlocked merely by zoning there) in a pinch.
For those interested in this game, here are a couple more great resources: bg-wiki.com ffxiah.com FFXIclopedia is a bit outdated I would say, and the site itself kind of sucks. It is a bit more fleshed out on the game's oldest content though. BGwiki is basically a modern FFXI wiki that most players use when they need information; I would recommend this site above all else for those looking for guides on quests or better descriptions on terms/job abilities/traits within the game. It's generally more organized and clean looking as well. ffxiah is a great resource for checking if certain items are up on the auction house without actually having your character physically at the auction house; it also houses a large forum section for each job and other FFXI-related stuff. If you want to hit up a populated or quiet server, I'd recommend asking around in the forum. Asura in general is the most populated for reference. Keep in mind that while a large population can be great, Asura in particular can have issues where there are TOO many people trying to do instanced events, leading to congestion due to lack of available instances for that event, so there are some drawbacks in that regard. I think lastly, I would just say that if you are brand new, try not to be overwhelmed at the vast majority of stuff that can be available. I'd suggest first just lvling a job a bit and getting a feel for combat/exploration until you feel comfortable (lvl 30~ or so), and then eventually looking up Rhapsodies of Vana'diel (known as RoV) on BGwiki, which is a storyline that intersects with the other storylines/expansions of the FFXI; essentially this'll help guide you into getting into the various expansion stories and content. And finally, when it comes to combat, just know that while it totally is slow at the start; it gets MUCH deeper and way more fast paced as you lvl up (generally speaking lvls 75+ you'll see a spike in speed, and then full speed at 99). If you need help, be sure to ask! Have fun!
I want to get back into this but SE being greedy and not combining subs for both FFXIV and FFXI. You'd think by now they'd do that. Correct me if I'm wrong here please, but would like to know.
Good video, really informative. As someone who's only just getting the hang of FFXIV (88 hours or so, my first MMORPG), I think FFXI would be overwhelming to me. I'd like to try it after I've fully understood FFXIV but I hope there is a free trial or something like that so I can try to learn the mechanics.
Hey Vagrant, did you at any point realize you were playing on a 4:3 ratio making everything look squished? Funny enough, if you change the ratio on the main menu, it will NOT affect ingame but only the menu. You'd need to change the ratio ingame as well.
@@VagrantVideos if you have the same class but you had a tarutaru vs galka the galka would have nearly double the hp and the taru nearly double the mp if you're using one of the more balanced race you would have less noticable difference then it would probably come down to gear. Sorry if my spelling is off.
Here's my two cents as someone who prefers FF11 to the other MMORPG offerings on the market. FF11 is, in truth, split into two games as of 2020. The first is the level 1 - 99 beginner experience, where you play through the storyline, unlock jobs and areas etc. Many people will come back for this, and then drop out once they're done. The second is a very engrossing endgame, where progression has remained horizontal and relevant for many years. It is, in a way, the fantasy EVE Online. An example of this is the Defending Ring. A ring which has been in the game well over a decade, but is still the best in slot for a minus percentage damage taken set. These 'sets' I refer to are what separates FF11 from other MMORPGs on the market, and also what keeps progression horizontal rather than vertical. In FF11, you can wear a different set for any action you may do. As such, my Corsair, for example, has entire gear sets for: Attacking (when high accuracy is needed), Attacking (when not haste capped from certain buffs), Snapshot (before shooting, to increase speed of shot), Midshot (to add damage to the shot before it goes off), Fastcast (to increase casting speed when using Utsusemi) etc. etc. I have about 15 sets in total. If this sounds complicated and convoluted, it is. Not to mention many further byzantine systems you will have to master to be accepted at endgame. The gulf between these 'two games' is huge, and hence why many players drop off after finishing the story. But if you're like me, and the linear, uncomplicated nature of games like WoW and FF14 leave you frustrated, taking the time to penetrate FF11's ivory towers will allow you into a secret, niche classic MMORPG community that stands entirely unique amongst the genre. For more information on modern FFXI's current content and gameplay (by which I mean, the second of the 'two games' I mentioned earlier), I highly recommend Ruaumoko's channel: ruclips.net/channel/UCCEg2gnysc6Ze_WPHJKSBeA Hope to see you in Vana'diel :)
The sheer amount of content 11 has versus other MMORPGs is also something to be commended. I still wonder why they chose to make another mmorpg and abandon 11. Seems like they should have just upgraded 11s engine.
So I didn't read all of the comments but I just wanted to add a correction. When picking a race the stat attributes aren't minimal. You would RARELY every see galka being mages in a major party, and the same with tarutaru being physical damage dealers/tanks. Everything else is fair game though.
@@VagrantVideos it might be different now because of some of the weapons and armor that have come out within the last year or two but I definitely remember galkas not have much mp at all. People still leveled it but it was more for the laugh and they never were the mains for bosses etc.
It’s different now. Pretty much HP and MP got evened out very closely. It’s still the same HP Galka MP taru game, but we’re talking about amounts not worth mentioning. Astral rings are useless now. All base stats are also irrelevant. If you were playing before, you knew every stat mattered, but in today’s final fantasy stats go up to the 300-400s and the 10 Dex racial difference is hardly relevant.
Mmm i really wish i could get into this one. I think ill ever feel sad and envy about being unable to enjoy it first hand xD but watching content about it is always enjoyable.
Playing it sounds like training to become a Kung Fu master. It will take lots of time of effort and it's not for everyone. But it's fucking great in its own way.
The knowledge you gain from learning this game is like no other, let me tell you. If you can navigate XI's complex, sometimes-nonsensical layout and moon logic quests, you can breeze through almost any other game.
I started back when it was released on PS2, and played on that and 360 off and on for ten years. Been thinking about a revisit now that I have a decent enough PC...🤔
It's becoming increasingly apparent to me as I watch more and more of these videos talking about games that I started playing in my early 20s that I am getting older by the day. Almost every RUclips video I see mentioning games from the early 2000s mentions that the commenter played them "as a kid." That's really rough on me, but I know it's an inevitable part of growing older. When I was a kid, I was playing the OG NES and Super Nintendo in the late 1980s-early 1990s. But yes, FFXI is a fantastic and deep game that doesn't hold your hand and respects your brain power to figure things out. Yes it's beset by mercenaries and full of typical modern quality of life improvements with multiple updates since it came out, but it's still a game with a deep story and mechanics and you should absolutely play it.
I was on and off with XI before XIV, and though I get twinges of nostalgia-soaked urges to dip back in, I know it's not worth it to start all over again and essentially re-learn a version of the game that's now alien to me. Hoping they go free to play at the 20th anniversary so it can get a new lease on life.
@@VagrantVideos Same; I remember at the 10 year mark, after XIV was announced, people were spreading rumors about it going ftp, but they didn't even reduce subscription costs or the prices of add-ons to match the newer game, which is insane. Maybe something will change if it turns out Nexon actually /was/ working on the FFXI Mobile port this whole time. Edit: Whoops! Looks like they confirmed the mobile port is cancelled a week ago.
But how are they gonna survive if going F2P. The game is sustaining because of subs. Just like any other MMO subs game. Without the money, it’ll just die and no content coming anymore
Only people who played this will know this is the best, most magical game ever, forever wishing they would make 14 and not to over the top without magic like it is, like this or 11 with today's graphics
@@VagrantVideos i never had my friends play it though it would of probably been cool but it actually pushed me to meet new people and I loved the linkshell I was in sometimes think about it to to this day 12 years later.
@@Daveanoncomedy What makes it an MMO or not isn't the party size. The hub can take over a hundred players and harbored thousands across servers. Not to mention the social features involved.
I just restarted the game. not played in 11years. and i am not disappointed.. sure as shit, it was almost impossible to actually make an account and pay for the subscription. but once i figured it out.. sandoria to ronfaure, and the music is still beautiful. 2weeks in and im lvl60 dragoon. gonna put a few hours in tonight.
I think this video really struggled to make any compelling points. I don't mean to be rude, but I love this game and played it back in 2004 (and decided to revisit it) and I feel like you could have touched on a lot more than you did, because as it stands this is a pretty barebones and surface-level review. Granted it's also the first video I've seen from you so I don't mean to bash something I'm unfamiliar with, but consider this constructive criticism. You spent the entirety of the video playing one of the most generic songs in the game, that being the battle song, for more than 15 minutes when there are over 200 other songs you could have touched on. I can see you made it to Adoulin so there should be no inability to access these places and discuss the music if not just to say "hey listen to this, it makes me happy" or "this is a really emotional song" but it seems like you only perked up at the stardom factor for Nobuo Uematsu when in reality I would argue that in spite of Uematsu's legendary status Naoshi Mizuta did an even better job, even scoring the OST for the FFXV Episode Prompto DLC which really shows his versatility. Like San d'Oria is an Elvaan city where the NPCs are literally mean to you if you aren't an Elvaan, and the music is a bunch of grating-yet-proud bagpipes to reflect that, but the Ronfaure area on the outskirts (which was composed by Uematsu) sounds straight out of the Renaissance period and fits in thematially with the grandiose castle aesthetic of the capital city. Bastok is a similarly industrious city with a lot of emphasis on the technological revolution and as a result the immediate outside world is barren and inhospitable, like it's a world full of dangerous creatures with Bastok being the city that more rugged adventurers will choose to call home. And Windurst is this peaceful, playful magical city with a large focus on nature, tranquility, pacifism and two races, the Mithra and Tarutaru, that seem like they'd feasibly be able to live in harmony. Then you go outside and hear Sarutabaruta's gentle strumming and realize it's this super chill, laid-back sort of vibe that you'd listen to while relaxing by the river. All of the music for the most part has A and B sections, aka parts of the music that change drastically and transform the track. Hell, Ru'Aun Gardens' music is a great example of this as it starts off so simple and majestic but eventually transforms into something more complicated and ambitious. I get that not everyone has the know-how to discuss music, but I wish you tried. The thing that makes FF11 a stupendous game even presently isn't the outdated battle mechanics, the limit break level cap quests, the archaic crafting systems, the terrible economy or any more mechanical stuff like that. It's the world, the music, the storyline. A lot of it involves time travel as a main motif which is something I think is really cool. The Wings of the Goddess expansion was so interesting because you get to learn the origin stories about a lot of NPCs that you've interacted with in the present day and learn a bit more about them. The Dancer job unlock quest is a quick example of Time Travel in an mmo being a unique way to flesh out a single character in an interesting way. I understand the need to rush things along a bit since the RUclips algorithm rewards you for frequent uploads but I think taking your time and writing a more meaningful video script to talk about any games you're really passionate about would add some much-needed personality to your videos. Also if you need any tips on audio mastering or soundproofing then feel free to hit me up on Twitter and I'd be happy to help. I don't bring any of this up to discourage you, but to point out that I think you have a solid foundation but could afford to be a little more polished in some ways. And in the unlikely event that you're around the Asura server, maybe we could play together sometime!
The problem with videos like this is I can play for 100+ hours, try as hard as I can to interact with the community, ask for help, do research and genuinely put tons of effort into a video and unfortunately there will always be someone who said it wasn’t enough. My timeline for this video was I announced it about 2-3 weeks before I made it. I played that whole time when I could putting around 3-4 hours a night. That whole time I streamed the game, asked people questions and genuinely seemed help and no one said a peep. Either way I like the video because I got my opinion out as someone who was new to the game and always saw 11 as an amazing experience I missed out on. I always get comments like this saying, “Why didn’t you cover X or Y or Z, I think you flat out wrong about A.” Can’t please everyone, that’s the nature of RUclips. If you seen how often I upload it’s far against the RUclips algorithm since there will be periods where I don’t post for 2-3 weeks because I’m busy playing the game I’m TRYING to make a video on. Trust me I wish I had help on all these videos, I truly do but I’ve literally been offered help in general maybe once or twice and that’s it.
@@VagrantVideos I just think the main thing about FF11 that made it stand out from the crowd was the music and atmosphere so I was perplexed that you hardly touched on it, definitely wasn't trying to be demanding or difficult to please. I make loads of videos that usually include a beefy section on soundtracks so maybe I'm a bit biased, but this game seemed like the sort where one would have to make a conscious effort to avoid discussing the OST. I understand the crunch and the lack of help, hence why I offered to help you on the audio side of things. My Twitter's around if you want to chat.
I spent 3 years playing this game back in 2007- 2012... with my ex girlfriend. Spent hours a day. Forming parties. Experience points. Wow... nostalgia.
I'd recommend if anyone wants to try FFXi for a first time, you should look up a private server to join (Eden, Wings). Many of them cap at level 75, when the game was at its height, with social play important to get anything done. It's also free. Eden caps at Treasure of Aht Urhgan's expansion, and Wings caps at Wings of the Goddess expansion. The populations are growing and it's a lot of fun!
@@VagrantVideos that's great! I love Eden. Currently giving Wings a try out of curiosity (and enjoying it too so far). I wish SE would have made their own classic server. They'd have lots of interest.
Phantasy Star Online was around the same time period. I miss that game, but it didn’t age nearly as well as FF11. And that’s coming from a huge PSO fan.
ffxi was released in japan only on ps2 first, then within the year it was released on pc first in north America, it wasn't until the next year that it was released on ps2 in north America, followed by box 360 the next year I believe.
This game is the reason I have no friends. I mean that. Holy **** this game stole my heart, mind, body, and soul. Straight up ran away with it. I was a late bloomer (started in 2005-2010) but man did i have sooooo much fun trying to play and understand this game. It was different and I loved it. Back then WoW was the most popular MMO and even then FFXI was so unique that it made WoW look empty in terms of creativity. I would stay up all night playing FFXI only to sleep what seemed like a few minutes before i was back in the world of Vana'diel. Not to mention this was my first MMO ever. The game has drastically changed throughout the years from its golden days, but I really can not say the game is bad at all especially compared to majority of the modern MMOs we have today. I'm actually considering jumping back in and checking out all the content I have yet to experience (pheww which alot). Anyone remember besieged? :D
Thats like the HappyConsoleGamer’s story about this game where he would literally ignore people in his life just to play. Man I remember those days when I would do that with RuneScape lol
you forgot the mog graden in the adoulin reigon!, Also the launcher was made when the game was released it was ahead of its time and they never updated it or fixed it, which kinda sucks
Long time FFXI player here and one thing about FFXI you have to understand is the game was designed from the perspective of everything is multiplayer. Every. Single. Thing. back in '03, '04 when it was released in North America, Dial up was the majority of the peoples internet, I remember begging my dad to get highspeed so I could play this better, but "highspeed internet was like 2g cellphone internet. You HAVE to have people help you out in this game. wanna unlock a new job? get a party. want to level in any zone? party. want to do the story? party. People in the game had to walk you through the game because you probably could not have a wiki open and the game at the same time. It would lag you out. The trust system introduced in recent years helps with the combat portion of the game, but Trusts don't talk with you, they dont walk you through what you need to do. they dont show you how the hell to navigate the yhoater jungle or where to go in the sanctuary of zi'tah for your SAM job quest. The good thing about this system is it makes cooperation mandatory, and thus, the most friendly and helpful community ive ever seen in a MMO, since being kind will in turn reward you when you need to find a party. you remember people, you start to network and form a sense of community. Being even just slightly rude would leave you outside selbina with your invite to party icon up for hours, because nobody will invite the guy that wouldn't help out that one time. As a result, in the modern day FFXI tho, it is still a nice community, but not nearly as much. You dont get strangers offering to help you. If you ask you are often told "just go look it up" and so you end up alone in the sanctuary of zi'tah for an hour or so and the game is not nearly as much fun. The combat is slow becuase it was designed to give time to type up a strategy. quests where long because you where usually playing with 6 people and conversing about the game the whole time so the time flew by. FFXI only flaw truly is that it got old. The world changed around it, and like most things and people aging, it didn't change with the times. Additionally, the menu system was that way to mimic the other older FF games. FFXIV is great, but its more of a Final warcraft fantasy in game design(not story) than a final fantasy.
I’m doing the same thing for WOW Classic, I have the wiki up with guides and such and it’s so much fun. 11 feels like an epic journey, each accomplishments feels so amazing, I wish more games made their gameplay revolve around community and accomplishment. All my old school game videos stress that I miss those types of MMORPGs. Like I’ve said to others it’s a good thing and a bad thing they square stuck to their design guns for 11, instead of fully changing everything to adapt to modern times, they kept most of their hardcore feel. Gotta love that.
Wish I could have played at the height of its popularity, but my parents never gave up their credit card 😂 People that are interested in mmos owe it to themselves to at least try this one for a couple of months. Personally, I gave up during one of the limit break quests lol, but who knows? you might get hooked.
The UI is initially very backward, but after you learn how to use it, it becomes very powerful. The macro system is still superior to many more modern UI systems, IMO.
For anyone who still play, what server are you guys on? Edit: For anyone that played in the past and want to get some feeling of the game, look for the videos Recollection and Recollection 2.
@@VagrantVideos As far as I know, it's still the most populated server in the game. I play on a smaller scale server, I appreciate the smaller community. It's a lot easier to make friends and find good linkshells in my opinion. Also, my original server got merged to the one in on now, and I just didn't feel like leaving lol.
@@VagrantVideos i contacted stream a few min ago. I don't have my old email or cell number from then but I do remember them and the password so hopefully they reach back out and I can access it again!
@@VagrantVideos i don't have access to the old email or old credit cards that was way back in 2012 last time I paid for a sub so hopefully steam can work with me. I played for almost 7 years so hopefully they can fix it.
What should we cover next ladies and gents?
Sorry, in late ;(
Good video, i need M O R E
@@r1cky_212 oh SHIT. *rushes to editing computer*
@@r1cky_212 qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqp
Thank you for covering the best mmorpg ever made no debate
Honestly at this point only way i see myself playing this game if someone gave me extra 5 years of life that i can only spend playing this game.
Haha or just let us never work anymore
Real talk: If you want to do anything worthwhile in XI, prepare to sit down for about 2 to 3 hours at least. Just yesterday I finished doing some "spring cleaning" of my inventories across 5 characters (4,800 slots, mind you) and it took me 10-hour days over 3 days, tossing useless pop items, selling other stuff, and organizing gear and weapons.
@@Nightweaver1 Sounds like fun and engaging gameplay
@@cg56578 It wasn't and it's not, but that's just something I have to do once a year due to the thousands of items I've collected. The rest of the game is much more fun, but it does take a certain kind of person that's more patient than most gamers these days.
The simplicity of the UI is one of the best features of FFXI to me. Modern MMOs have random icons, actions buttons, maps, timers, inventory grids, and all manner of other things which break immersion. Often new games feel like you're just watching cool-downs rotate, following pointers or quest trackers, and spending less playing your character in an RPG sense. Bah!
The depth the jobs system in FFXI is completely unmatched. While job balance has become an issue, at least, each job feels very different.
Character creation in FFXI is quite limited. It's one issue I wanted improved, but will never happen.
Also, the Level Sync system is still the best to ensure players of all experience levels can grind exp together without lopsided, overpowered end-gamers carrying new players through every battle. I'm looking at you Elder Scrolls Online, FFXIV and DC Universe Online (there are probably many more).
14 has level syncing pretty heavily and does it forcibly when doing content. I never thought of a decluttered UI, very valid point!
A remastered version would be great! Everything the same as it came out, I'd pay for it.
So I’ve been playing lately thanks to someone who commented on this video and I followed a guide to make the game run better and holy hell it’s beautiful
@@VagrantVideos what guide did you use to make it run better?
not sure if it'll be remastered but they just announced new story 😱
@@VagrantVideos what guide and video? I like to try it.
@@skillz8107 search make ffxi beautiful in 2020 by nextgames it will take you through step by step
I played from US launch until ToAU. I came back in September, by October I was playing everyday like a crackhead again. I'm having a blast going through all the story content, and I'm in a very nice linkshell(guild) with helpful players who drop anything to help any players. FFXI has always had the nicest most helpful community, and it still does. I tried every MMO since Ultima Online, but FFXI is home
We all have that one mmorpg that we always return to
you are so right. i never met a nicer community than the ff11 one
As a FF11 veteran I have to say your video is very thorough and very accurate a current day experience. Well done Vagrant.
Thanks! I’m getting some mixed opinions of people saying I didn’t go in depth enough or that it was biased or flat out wrong but I tried! I at least say in the video that if you like MMORPGs FF11 deserves to be experienced
People still play this???
This is the kind of game that if you have the nostalgia for it, it haunts you.
I have played this game on and off since my friends left it back when 14 came out in 2010, I was also a bit of a late bloomer playing the game 3 years after original release but lucky enough to still play it in its prime, and I'm still addicted to this day.
I can understand people choosing to play 14 over this one given 14 is alot easier to play around a busy schedule be it faster paced, easier to get things done, less time consuming and more laid back, it just didn't do it for me, I played 14 for 2 months mainly to spend time with friends but i got no other enjoyment out of it so i quit, tried again when shadow bringers came out only for the same result. (Not to judge anyone who plays it, you do you.) I only enjoyed the PVP but i found the community to be a bit of a mixed bag, but hey that's just my experience.
I can see FFXI game being hard on new players and I can understand not wanting to pay for a subscription for a game as old as this but i would 100% recommend giving the game a try if you ever find the chance and have never played, more so if your a final fantasy fan, plus with the addition of free servers there's plenty of option out there for what Era of playstyle you desire.
Not to mention there is a free 14 day trial available for those who want to give it a try!
I've been playing 16 years, and I thought I ought to point out that SE actually is in the middle of releasing brand-new add-on (mini-expansion?) content for the game with The Voracious Resurgence. The story is scheduled to conclude with the 20th anniversary of the game, so likely we'll see new endgame content there!
Also the story is actually really good if you do the expansions in order. The 3 nations are pretty basic, but Rise of the Zilart gets better, and the really fall into their stride with Chains of Promathia and subsequent expansions.
I THOUGHT so! But I couldn’t find any info on a new expansion coming soon! Man that’s awesome, any new classes maybe??
No new jobs with the add-on, but they say something big is coming for the 20th anniversary (in 1.5 years!)
www.playonline.com/ff11us/resurgence/
I went back to 11 last year and don’t regret it one bit. As for what we will get for the 20th anni? I’m betting on empy +3, but time mage or chemist would be great!!!
Word of warning to the uninitiated: Cutscenes in some of these expansions are VERY long. I was watching a cutscene in Treasures of Aht Urhgan for almost half an hour the other day.
FFXI in it's prime was simply amazing, everything was earned teaming up with friends and working for one another made earning things and progress special. I will never forget those times or people I still have a list and memories to go with each name the entire server then was my home so many faces and names I knew from this or that. By far the best game I've ever been a part of it was a grind but you turned those coals into diamonds. I played at launch on ps2 all the way past buying an xbox360 for it and stopped playing with a friend to try another game known as wow in 2008 with her. I came back to FFXI and started all over again 2020 FFXI still has lots of magic to give and lots to do and see even if you think you know it all, I'd not focus to much on guides unless you are 200% at wits end and lost cause the fun for me was just how nice it was to find and figure out stuff on my own made even tiny things rewarding, I've many new friends and met some older ones again back on my home server I started this adventure in the games 18th birthday and I will be here till 2023 if they are I have 2 accounts and now play on pc I love this game. I can see how it's not for everyone but if it clicks with you, it is worth it to invest 100s of hours in to enjoy. The sign up and new player process tho is lacking but reach out to people also SE is trying to mend this issue currently as an active project. Helping others was a big part of my FFXI experience and I too as a new player again got lots of help I have tons of questions still but FFXI is the only game I want to be playing
In an era where games typically bend to casualization I would have to commend FF11 for staying true to roots.
There is no game that fills me with nostalgia like Final Fantasy 11. I put thousands of hours into this game initially on the PS2 and then on the 360 - this was in the brief era between Napster and Limewire, and I would actually buy music to listen to while I played this - I'd buy a single song and listen to it five hundred times over and over while grinding on FF11. I remember first making it to Jeuno and being so insanely proud that I made it.
The fact that you lose XP when you die was so brutal. FF11 is so interesting because it existed in this world before WoW where a lot of the ideas that were standardized for MMOs hadn't taken hold yet. You had to literally wait for the airship to arrive if you wanted to be taken across the continent. Like, the airship came at a specific time every hour and if you missed it you were waiting another hour. All to randomly be attacked by pirates or something, die, lose tens of hours worth of work, and then have to wait for the airship again, haha. So many terrible quality of life decisions that I LOVED
NoClip's documentary on FF11 vs. FF14 is really interesting and shows how the devs struggled with accepting that WoW beat it, and that they needed to update with the times.
So many nostalgic things in this game even though I never got far. I always wanted to but no one played it
If SE had stopped the level cap at 80, I think many people would have stayed and many more would have joined due to the slight ease of the endgame bosses and the many easier way of leveling but still kept the dynamics of the party system. 80 was the perfect balance of freedom to be flexible in many hardcore situations, old gear being still relevant, and maintaining the need for creative teamwork. Level 99 destroyed what took 8 years for many people to achieve and obtain to be useless. This alone drove thousands to leave. Ironically it was their dedication to the PS2 community that kept SE from implementing the "softer" touches to the game to attract new players, eg faster battles and icons UI. Just those 2 things could have saved FFXI. But nope. PS2 couldn't handle that. Still, FFXI is hands down the greatest testament to what an MMO can do to bring people together and make them into better people through the crushing need to cooperate and corroborate.
This video was exactly what I was looking for. So much detail and information. The 19 minutes felt like 5 the way the info was so nicely organized made it comfy.
I tried to give as much info as i could from a new player perspective
Awesome video! Brought back great memories playing this game years & years ago. I only wish I had time to delve back into the game from time to time to see how it has changed. One of my favorite things I heard in the game was if someone was zoning a train of tough enemies that would destroy multiple parties camped at the zone. Annoying yet classic memories! “Zoning bats!” “Are those Citadel Bats?” “They are!” Level 30s party in Garlaige. Thanks for keeping this game alive with videos like this!
I only talked about it in passing, there are much better channels that keep it alive! I just love MMORPGs. :)
Skill chains are still the most fun combat feature I've seen in MMORPG's.
Dont forget combo magic
@@VagrantVideos And don't forget thief's SATA and other enmity juggling
someones got nostalgia blinders on
This game is outstanding and another MMO like it will never be seen again. I'm biased as it was my first MMO back in 2002, if you cant get passed the menu system (understandable); use a PC controller and it makes a phenomenal difference. You can also download some nice 4k texture packs and mods to make the game look beautiful. Also, this game used to completely rely on parties and other players to progress, however, now you can solo almost everything including to lvl 99 and the thousands of hours of expansion content/quests. Dont wait for your friends to play, you for sure want to experience this mmo. Many great linkshells still and a great community.
Totally agree on every mmo fan trying this game!
The Steam version is definitely not easier to make an account for. It just gives you a key to apply to the account you make through the regular process, same as if you bought the physical discs back in the day.
LOL, well sheesh, they really need to make that process easier
The direction this channel has been going towards the past 1.5 years is remarkable. Your efforts show, Glenn!
Thanks Golden!
I played this game for 5 years. It was easily the most fun and most memorable MMO I had ever experienced. From all the people I met in my Linkshell to the memories of the music alone in each area. All of this hits such a warm place in my heart and mind and was one of the happiest/funnest times I’ve had with a game. I’ve tried FFXIV and while it is an amazing game, it doesn’t hit as hard as 11. Rose tinted glasses I suppose. Great video.
Sometimes the older game is just better.
@@VagrantVideos that could be exactly it. Thanks for this video, as alive as FFXI is, I hardly see any content on it which is understandable for such an “old” game.
I have so much that I could say, but I'll try to keep it brief. I played this game as my main MMO from 2004 to 2009. I spent thousands of hours with the game, and I loved and hated every moment of it. I really do mean it. I both loved and hated the game. A dialectical tension if there ever was one. The game is both simultaneously rewarding and crushing. Never have I experienced such contrast in a game since Final Fantasy XI. Would I recommend the game to somebody who has not played it in the past but is curious about what older MMO's were like? Absolutely not. The experience that is there today is nothing like the experience that was there before. The community that is there today is very different than the community that was there before. The game is entirely different from what it was in the past. If you are interested in the original version, there are some private servers. With that said, if you're coming into this game with the mentality that most contemporary MMORPG Gamers have, you're probably going to hate the game. And even if you don't dislike the game, you might find that the private server version, which is closer to the original, demands so much of your time to make marginal progress. It just might not be worth your time. We had different expectations of games back then. A different understanding about the time and effort that playing a video game online with others could and should take. We had a completely different mindset about what an accomplishment in an MMORPG would entail. I was one of only seven people in my server who had a Dragoon at 75 for like a year. Getting a job to max level was considered a major accomplishment, especially if your job was unpopular (who remembers DRG hate in 2004-2005?). I have great memories, but that is where they should stay. If I try to relive that today, I would I hate every moment of it and quit within days. I'm in a completely different point in my life, with a completely different mindset about gaming. My expectations for my online games have drastically shifted. You have to understand that mindset to really understand why people put up with Final Fantasy 11. The fact that you could even communicate online with other people, play a game with other people, that was seen as incredible and revolutionary. It was unheard of for so many of us. I just don't know if we could ever go back to that anymore. And I don't mean the game itself only, I really do mean the mental shift, dare I say, a paradigmatic shift about how we perceive social interaction online, that would be required to enjoy the game at its fullest.
I love this comment, we grew up and we changed along with the industry. Personally though i could go back to hardcore and love it.
I did pretty much the same, from PS2 launch for ten years off and on. I think my playtime was about 500+ days when I called it quits.
I still can't believe you don't have more subs and twitch viewers, you are genuinely a great content creator.
Absolutely!
Have so fond memories from this game. Played it day and night with my friends. I even had to pay the subs for one of my friends because his parents didn’t allow him to use their credit card. I got back into the game last week to try the new
Story quest they released with the voracious recurgend. And have to many nostalgic feelings.
Good nostalgic feelings I would think
This is really the only game in which I had 2 years in play time over a 6 years span. It was addicting, time consuming, but it gave me so many good memories. Thanks for the fun, FFXI and all of the players of servers Fairy and later Sylph.
I am legit impressed you did so much in one week.
I feel like I barely touched the game man lol
Somehow RUclips recommended me your wonderful video. I also wonder why this isn’t released in English. Many Love from DQX player in Japan.
I played 11 from 2002-2013 and I loved this game so much. Multiple level 99 jobs and completed all expansions except Adoulin. The game was a bitch to deal with but felt soooooo accomplished once you completed a tasks
As long as you follow the multitude of guides out there this game is amazing
i still remember going over to my grade school friend jordan's house and watching him play final fantasy xi online on his pc. it blew my mind. final fantasy...oN THE INTERNET?!? whaaaattttt
Exactly what I thought I was like...multiplayer final fantasy????
This game was my go to back in its prime. I ran two accounts s one, and carried around a pocket white mage for outside group heals when I was tanking on my main. It was such a boon with a pocket healer, I was tanking on my Dark Knight. When I tell you I could get a group in seconds having that outside healer.....man it was fun as hell. I want to get back into it, but I’m decently invested in XIV and am torn on trying to dive back into XI
14 is a very different mmo though so its really based on your tastes
If you think it was annoying to set up an account in 2020, imagine how much fun it was doing it ALL in Playonline launcher back in the day. That was fun times.
Haha!! I can’t even imagine
@@VagrantVideos and on dial-up :D
@@Johan87577 dude....🤮🤮
For a few more links, bg-wiki.com is a more recent wiki that covers newer content in greater depth with fewer ads, and ffxidb.com is pretty useful to find stats on which items drop from which mobs and where.
I wish the modding sites were a bit more straight forward on how to install their stuff but I got it once I read their guides
Just hearing the soundtrack play during your video gave me emotions. I spent so many years in this game and can never forget it. ❤
Always a good time to come back and relive some of that nostalgia
I've played thousands of hours of 14, am too young to have nostalgia for 11, and having played almost all mainline FF games + spinoffs can say definitively: 11 is a better game. Playonline is dated, some UI elements are dated, but the systems in the game are completely fine and reminiscent of earlier FF games, if you actually play video games they are not hard to grasp. It's fairly annoying to constantly hear about mechanics and systems being "dated" in 11 because what it really means is "is not WoW derivative," I think WoW is a fine game, I think 14 is a good interpretation of the design philosophy, but it is not and shouldn't be treated like the only way that's acceptable to make an online RPG. 11 is truly a mainline FF game with its key feature being that it is online, 14 is good but is only FF in aesthetic.
Very true but realistically nowadays it would be hard to get new people to play this game. This came out during a different era in the mmorpg genre. That’s why I say it’s worth checking out for at least historical sake and at best to play it as a main mmorpg :)
@ what are you even talking about lol, I said 14 is a good game, I'm by no means an "XI fanboy" considering I started playing it within the last 2 years, long after I started playing 14 - if anything you are the one acting like quality is mutually exclusive between them. also, while you're conflating popularity with quality, I think it's worth noting that 11 is the 2nd highest grossing FF game, so... far from the least popular, let alone "by an absolute landslide." If anything I'm a fanboy of FF in its entirety, I really have no stake in 11 exclusively, nothing to gain by putting it above 14 for no reason lol. so no I'm not mad that it's "far more successful" than 11 cuz one, that's not true, and two I'm glad 14 is successful because I enjoy it for different reasons than 11. pre ironic you say the fan base of 11 is "single minded and myopic" when you're the one writing a paragraph about why a game you obviously haven't played is bad.
// 11 is a better game.//
No.
@My Small Lactose_ルイージ
I've played every popular mmorpg from WoW, GW2, FFXIV to ESO for over 6 months each; They are all good games; have their merits. So far FFXI is tops for me personally. @Vagrant making friends is what the game was all about, playing in small cliques with real life friends was the exception, not the norm. Lot of WoW players did the same back then too, it's just how things were when mmos were new and you needed more than a couple people to reliably endgame
@ You are taking out your ass, the game was very popular during the mid 2000s and was still crowded even after WoW launched. I've played pretty much every popular mmo save for black desert, and unlike you have played them long enough to judge. FFXI is far from mediocre, one of it's best attributes is its learning curve keeps toxic overly judgemental morons like you out. XD
Great choice using Zi'tah music :D
I love a lot of the music in this game! Composers did an amazing job
Had to come and comment - this is an excellent video man. I love this game so much for the fact that I've played hours and hours... and I still know pretty much nothing.... I love the design philosophy you mentioned that encourages people to truly explore, I find it completely charming and wish other games could do that in this day and age. Unfortunately nobody will because it would never survive hahaha
Many of the old retro MMORPGs have that spirit still. I’m playing wow Classic currently and I can say that game still also has it
Once again man you totally killed it.
12:47 The Samurai reaction meme! 😂🤣
My takeaway from the video: The game enjoys inflicting pain to you. Lol great video man.
LOL, I knew you would love that part.
Great video my love! Game does seem confusing. Buy your video on the game is awesome!
Thanks babe!
I remember this game took over my life when it launched on PS2. Probably my favorite MMO I've ever played.
I remember wanting to play it so much as a kid
Something I'm not sure if you touched on or not (I'm lsitening to this in the background) is that the game has amazing environments. The graphics themselves may dated, but the art design, the varied environments, the speed with which you travel through those environments, as well as the environmental sounds all combine to make the best environments in any game I've played. That and the sense of exploration in this game (especially in it's prime) is unparalleled
Not to mention if you get some mods downloaded for enhanced textures the game looks great!
I met a wife and a handful of Lifetime friends on this game, the fact that others have stated, that you had to rely on others and make friends and groups to succeed was really a benefit.
The Nostalgia of this game is intense, and I still listen to some of the music.
I still miss that sort of gameplay in MMORPGs, making friends
Congrats to you & your wife 😊it's always beautiful hearing about finding your significant other
Great video :D I bought Final Fantasy XI from steam and yes its nightmare to install this lovely MMO classic. You actually download client which is identical from Square web page. I played on PC a Xbox 360 and i have great memories on this game. I have met really great people who helped me in this game.
Thanks for watching! I still have my copy of FF11 on 360. Nostalgia bomb for me
Been playing since day 1 of NA PS2 launch (Mar 2004), and i still love this game. A lot has changed over the years, but I would still recommend FFXI to anyone even slightly interested in final fantasy to at least give it a try. There is a free 14 day trial available to get a feel for the game. And ever server is full of people that would love nothing more to help you in your journey.
11 has a pretty friendly community, most people want to help as much as possible to keep players around
@Fe Quimada can go here to download the free trial and there's a walk through on this page:
www.playonline.com/ff11us/download/media/install_win.html
I think u can download that through steam also, but I always just did stuff from the official site.
I love games with a sense of exploration and linearity isn't there to stop you. I feel like after 3.0 this feeling kind of faded. I realize they did this to tighten up the storyline and keep you from getting lost, but I miss the being underleveled and wandering into Coerthas. Scary but exciting at the same time.
I probably would dig the design philosophy of this and even some of 1.0, where you're playing a role in a living world. (Not sure how I feel about this tbh) It would be cool to just be a crafter/gatherer and have that just be my thing too. Honestly don't mind the "dated" slower combat either.
Do you think this would scratch that itch, or are there modern games that would too? I love XIV but want to try new things and hear opinions from other people.
If you are used to 14, 11 will feel like a snails pace in comparison. But many Retro mmos are like that since their gameplay loop revolves around experiencing the world and the people in it rather than the endgame dungeons.
@@VagrantVideos Thanks for the reply! I might look at some more videos and see. 😊
Still play the game, been playing since 2003. I've taken breaks, played 14, still have that "active" but i focus on XI more. There are certainly flaws in the game, and i compare it to 14 a lot. I personally didn't enjoy 14 as much. As you said in the vid, completing something in XI gives you an amazing sense of accomplishment. I never felt that in 14, it may be the faster play style, so you just move on from things too fast.
I too prefer that the quests and missions didn't fully hold your hands like they did in 14. 14 for me turned into talk to person A at the point on the map, go to person B marked on the map, repeat with no real reason or understanding of why. Sometimes a little mystery is a good thing. Now, that being said, sometimes things could certainly be explained better.
And also as you said, Key for me for having fun in this game is having people to play with. Sure you Can do things solo with trusts, but then you may as well be playing a console game. Part of the focus of the game is grouping, and if you lack that, you miss out on a large part. Now, that being said, with Any community, there are always bad eggs.
Overall i think the good out weighs the bad, with one Glaring exception. Time. This isn't a light game you pick up for a month and expect to finish. This game is an incensement, a second Job.
The times i put it down, was for those reasons. If you don't have time to invest, you can't get a full reward out of the game. But i'm not even just talking an overall large amount of time, even small bits. For example, with a game like Animal Crossing, you can play for 10 minutes a day and get something done. You can't do that with this game. We did an event last night, and we played for 4 hours. There is no easy button, there is no quick way to do things. Some of that could be improved upon, some has been, like the Chocobo Quest which Used to take 6 RL hours, now takes 6 minutes. But there are still road blocks for progress tied behind game day waits, or RL day waits.
TLDR version, yes the game is worth playing, If you have time for it, but don't pick it up as a quick adventure, and play it with a friend. Will be much more rewarding that way.
Amazing comment, agree on all points. I need to check out some of the private servers
the trusts i see here made my jaw drop! please let me know what thats about. last i played i was soloing about constantly alone as a beastmaster/dancer. I also miss its UI. seriously. the game for me is perfect, with many fond memories. im mostly held back by personal reasons.
...IS THAT A CRAWLER AS A MOUNT!?!??!
Great video king. Don't give up on RUclips!
Can’t promise anything currently, not a lot of motivation. Literally have a video started like a month ago and haven’t worked on it lol
@@VagrantVideos have you tried using keyword research tools to grab content idea suggestions on what people are looking up?
Like to tag the videos? Yeah I usually grab similar tags based on the top video of what I am making.
@@VagrantVideos no like keywords for the title and description. Tube Buddy, vid IQ, morning fame and the like
Oh I mean I have to make the video first. Never heard of those things though
If you want to experience a time capsule of a 2nd Generation MMO; FFXI is the game for you. Because every other 2nd Gen MMO today which is still online (all 5 of them, out of about two dozen which have all been long since shut down) they have been updated and modernised to the point where all the 2nd gen MMO mechanics have long since been stripped from them, those being EVE Online, Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, RuneScape and Lineage II.
(For Reference, arguing first examples of generations of MMOs: First Gen MMO: Meridian 59; Second Gen MMO: Asheron's Call; 3rd Gen MMO: Everquest 2; 4th Gen MMO: TERA: Rising)
I do love that 11 hasn’t changed TOO much to remove it’s difficulty. I do wish it was still hardcore but thats what private servers are for!
The only reason I downloaded this game recently was because I could never get it running on my 360 back around the time it launched. I was like 10 years old, and I'm pretty sure I could never figure out how to make a playonline account, but I had watched a friends older brother play it. I thought it looked so cool, cause at the time it seemed much more innovative than FF10, which was already a great game to me.
ff11 was actually pretty huge. It was square enix most profitable title and one SE exec said it was the most representative ff title in the series. Also without 11 there would be no 14x2. Remember 14 was made twice. FF11 funded that and kept SE alive as a company that's how significant the title was. So i find it silly when people think ff11 was so obscure.
Back when it was their main mmorpg, everyone I knew played WOW and never even knew ff had an mmorpg. I think it was just ignorance in the west.
I played from the US launch for about 15 years. I plan on coming back this year. For me I prefer the no quest markers approach
I still have my character from launch, now a 99 BLU, but havent played in a couple years. I was just reading a 2019 article how they plan to keep the game going until "at least 2021"; its hard for them to say as they go on a year to year basis and it depends on player activity vs budget etc. Although it is unlikely they would discontinue the servers anytime soon (new content planned for this year 2021), IT got me thinking how devastated I would be if the game were to ever shut down completely; so Im just gonna keep my account active from now on, even if I cant find much time to play lol.
I just started playing final fantasy XI, and I'm really liking it! I play on the siren server, so there's like never any players to see though
I played on Bahamut there was a decent population. It might be a good idea to check server populations and see where you can meet some friends!
Asura is the best populated server and recently has been picking up alot of newer players too. It's around 3000 - 4000 at peak. Come on over ☺️
@@chrishorsey3277 I actually think I'm gonna stick on siren. It'll be kinda nice for me and my friends (that I eventually convince to play FFXI) to have the place for ourselves to explore, without being too distracted. Idk, never played an mmo before this, so I feel like having a ton of players around would be exciting, but hectic
@@mememcqueen5052 you should come to FFXIV if you haven’t already. As great as this game was it can’t hold a candle to XIV in terms of combat and story telling
I have been playing FFXI on and off since it came out on the PS2. Back then you could buy a guide which was extremely helpful. Would be nice if the folks that made that guide created an online version as it had the recipes for crafting as part of the guide. I did migrate to FFXIV when it came out (1.0) but still kept my sub to FFXI going too as at that time you got a discount for one if you had the other. Some friends recently told me they were playing again, so I downloaded FFXI on my computer and plan to play there. I loved the game when it first came out and still do all these years later. Come dip your toes into FFXI and see if it might be for you.
This game took my mmo virginity in xbox 360 and Im glad it did. Special place in my heart
I still got my copy on Xbox 360!
@@VagrantVideos Me too. Original box with codes and everything. A relic
There are many different ways of travelling around the world, sadly these are obscured to new players; even guides do a pretty bad job of emphasising them early on. The most relevant ones for new players are Unity warps, Home Points, Survival Guide. I put Unity warp first because even though you died in Sanctuary of Zi'tah you could have warped back via Unity (unlocked merely by zoning there) in a pinch.
Theres so much in this game its insane, there was no way I’d know everything lol
Interesting history behind this one.
For those interested in this game, here are a couple more great resources:
bg-wiki.com
ffxiah.com
FFXIclopedia is a bit outdated I would say, and the site itself kind of sucks. It is a bit more fleshed out on the game's oldest content though. BGwiki is basically a modern FFXI wiki that most players use when they need information; I would recommend this site above all else for those looking for guides on quests or better descriptions on terms/job abilities/traits within the game. It's generally more organized and clean looking as well.
ffxiah is a great resource for checking if certain items are up on the auction house without actually having your character physically at the auction house; it also houses a large forum section for each job and other FFXI-related stuff. If you want to hit up a populated or quiet server, I'd recommend asking around in the forum. Asura in general is the most populated for reference. Keep in mind that while a large population can be great, Asura in particular can have issues where there are TOO many people trying to do instanced events, leading to congestion due to lack of available instances for that event, so there are some drawbacks in that regard.
I think lastly, I would just say that if you are brand new, try not to be overwhelmed at the vast majority of stuff that can be available. I'd suggest first just lvling a job a bit and getting a feel for combat/exploration until you feel comfortable (lvl 30~ or so), and then eventually looking up Rhapsodies of Vana'diel (known as RoV) on BGwiki, which is a storyline that intersects with the other storylines/expansions of the FFXI; essentially this'll help guide you into getting into the various expansion stories and content. And finally, when it comes to combat, just know that while it totally is slow at the start; it gets MUCH deeper and way more fast paced as you lvl up (generally speaking lvls 75+ you'll see a spike in speed, and then full speed at 99).
If you need help, be sure to ask! Have fun!
Now this is a stand up gentlemen, I hope if anyone joined after watching this video they find you and many other friendly players!
I want to get back into this but SE being greedy and not combining subs for both FFXIV and FFXI. You'd think by now they'd do that. Correct me if I'm wrong here please, but would like to know.
Good video, really informative. As someone who's only just getting the hang of FFXIV (88 hours or so, my first MMORPG), I think FFXI would be overwhelming to me. I'd like to try it after I've fully understood FFXIV but I hope there is a free trial or something like that so I can try to learn the mechanics.
11 does have a free trial I believe
@@VagrantVideos 14 days free trial atm
Hey Vagrant, did you at any point realize you were playing on a 4:3 ratio making everything look squished?
Funny enough, if you change the ratio on the main menu, it will NOT affect ingame but only the menu. You'd need to change the ratio ingame as well.
My recording (SLOBS) seems to do that. Idk how to record with it most effectively
I don't know about race making minimal difference it makes a huge difference to end game stats or at least it did when I played.
Most guides I saw said it makes little difference unless you want to super mid max since end game gear gives you tons of stats
@@VagrantVideos if you have the same class but you had a tarutaru vs galka the galka would have nearly double the hp and the taru nearly double the mp if you're using one of the more balanced race you would have less noticable difference then it would probably come down to gear. Sorry if my spelling is off.
@@vincecourts8740 In 75 era it mattered a ton, at ilvl 119 99 era it doesn't matter.
Here's my two cents as someone who prefers FF11 to the other MMORPG offerings on the market.
FF11 is, in truth, split into two games as of 2020.
The first is the level 1 - 99 beginner experience, where you play through the storyline, unlock jobs and areas etc.
Many people will come back for this, and then drop out once they're done.
The second is a very engrossing endgame, where progression has remained horizontal and relevant for many years. It is, in a way, the fantasy EVE Online.
An example of this is the Defending Ring. A ring which has been in the game well over a decade, but is still the best in slot for a minus percentage damage taken set.
These 'sets' I refer to are what separates FF11 from other MMORPGs on the market, and also what keeps progression horizontal rather than vertical.
In FF11, you can wear a different set for any action you may do. As such, my Corsair, for example, has entire gear sets for:
Attacking (when high accuracy is needed),
Attacking (when not haste capped from certain buffs),
Snapshot (before shooting, to increase speed of shot),
Midshot (to add damage to the shot before it goes off),
Fastcast (to increase casting speed when using Utsusemi) etc. etc.
I have about 15 sets in total.
If this sounds complicated and convoluted, it is. Not to mention many further byzantine systems you will have to master to be accepted at endgame.
The gulf between these 'two games' is huge, and hence why many players drop off after finishing the story.
But if you're like me, and the linear, uncomplicated nature of games like WoW and FF14 leave you frustrated, taking the time to penetrate FF11's ivory towers will allow you into a secret, niche classic MMORPG community that stands entirely unique amongst the genre.
For more information on modern FFXI's current content and gameplay (by which I mean, the second of the 'two games' I mentioned earlier), I highly recommend Ruaumoko's channel:
ruclips.net/channel/UCCEg2gnysc6Ze_WPHJKSBeA
Hope to see you in Vana'diel :)
The sheer amount of content 11 has versus other MMORPGs is also something to be commended. I still wonder why they chose to make another mmorpg and abandon 11. Seems like they should have just upgraded 11s engine.
Great video, thanks for this.
No problem! Wanted to share the info
So I didn't read all of the comments but I just wanted to add a correction. When picking a race the stat attributes aren't minimal. You would RARELY every see galka being mages in a major party, and the same with tarutaru being physical damage dealers/tanks.
Everything else is fair game though.
Most guides I read and videos I watched said it really wasn’t a big deal UNLESS you want to min max.
@@VagrantVideos it might be different now because of some of the weapons and armor that have come out within the last year or two but I definitely remember galkas not have much mp at all. People still leveled it but it was more for the laugh and they never were the mains for bosses etc.
It’s different now. Pretty much HP and MP got evened out very closely. It’s still the same HP Galka MP taru game, but we’re talking about amounts not worth mentioning. Astral rings are useless now. All base stats are also irrelevant. If you were playing before, you knew every stat mattered, but in today’s final fantasy stats go up to the 300-400s and the 10 Dex racial difference is hardly relevant.
Nice AVGN reference! Worthy of a sub for sure
I’ve watched AVGN since the dawn of youtube lol. Thanks for checking my content out!!
Mmm i really wish i could get into this one. I think ill ever feel sad and envy about being unable to enjoy it first hand xD but watching content about it is always enjoyable.
I love watching the end game raids personally
Playing it sounds like training to become a Kung Fu master. It will take lots of time of effort and it's not for everyone. But it's fucking great in its own way.
I like that analogy lol, kung fu master of 11
The knowledge you gain from learning this game is like no other, let me tell you. If you can navigate XI's complex, sometimes-nonsensical layout and moon logic quests, you can breeze through almost any other game.
I started back when it was released on PS2, and played on that and 360 off and on for ten years. Been thinking about a revisit now that I have a decent enough PC...🤔
Definitely give it a try!
It's becoming increasingly apparent to me as I watch more and more of these videos talking about games that I started playing in my early 20s that I am getting older by the day. Almost every RUclips video I see mentioning games from the early 2000s mentions that the commenter played them "as a kid." That's really rough on me, but I know it's an inevitable part of growing older. When I was a kid, I was playing the OG NES and Super Nintendo in the late 1980s-early 1990s. But yes, FFXI is a fantastic and deep game that doesn't hold your hand and respects your brain power to figure things out. Yes it's beset by mercenaries and full of typical modern quality of life improvements with multiple updates since it came out, but it's still a game with a deep story and mechanics and you should absolutely play it.
Play it ladies and gentlemen, you owe it to yourself
I was on and off with XI before XIV, and though I get twinges of nostalgia-soaked urges to dip back in, I know it's not worth it to start all over again and essentially re-learn a version of the game that's now alien to me. Hoping they go free to play at the 20th anniversary so it can get a new lease on life.
I’m surprised it actually never went F2P
@@VagrantVideos Same; I remember at the 10 year mark, after XIV was announced, people were spreading rumors about it going ftp, but they didn't even reduce subscription costs or the prices of add-ons to match the newer game, which is insane.
Maybe something will change if it turns out Nexon actually /was/ working on the FFXI Mobile port this whole time.
Edit: Whoops! Looks like they confirmed the mobile port is cancelled a week ago.
But how are they gonna survive if going F2P. The game is sustaining because of subs. Just like any other MMO subs game. Without the money, it’ll just die and no content coming anymore
Only people who played this will know this is the best, most magical game ever, forever wishing they would make 14 and not to over the top without magic like it is, like this or 11 with today's graphics
I curse that my friends never wanted to play this with me back in the day, instead they fell in love with WOW.
@@VagrantVideos i never had my friends play it though it would of probably been cool but it actually pushed me to meet new people and I loved the linkshell I was in sometimes think about it to to this day 12 years later.
@@VagrantVideos WOW was crap, I played it once and found if just looking too childish like a Disney movie.
Loved this game. Gm jail !! I may try to recover my account if even possible.... if not I'll just start over!!
Never heard of the GM jail thing, not even on youtube
@@VagrantVideos ruclips.net/video/m1kPiwKZm0M/видео.html theres are videos around. Heck I didnt even have a capture card back then.
@@patrickperkins7962 GM Dave's blog is still around
What guide would u recommend
0:23 so we're just going to ignore Phantasy Star Online just like that huh?
A 4-player co-op isn't really an MMO.
@@Daveanoncomedy What makes it an MMO or not isn't the party size. The hub can take over a hundred players and harbored thousands across servers. Not to mention the social features involved.
I just restarted the game. not played in 11years. and i am not disappointed.. sure as shit, it was almost impossible to actually make an account and pay for the subscription. but once i figured it out.. sandoria to ronfaure, and the music is still beautiful. 2weeks in and im lvl60 dragoon. gonna put a few hours in tonight.
Hope you are having fun man, definitely sounds like it!
Ah this is an amazing video to go by, though i might not play it after this, the video sure is helpful
It’s a very fun game, I’d say at least give the trial a chance
I think this video really struggled to make any compelling points. I don't mean to be rude, but I love this game and played it back in 2004 (and decided to revisit it) and I feel like you could have touched on a lot more than you did, because as it stands this is a pretty barebones and surface-level review. Granted it's also the first video I've seen from you so I don't mean to bash something I'm unfamiliar with, but consider this constructive criticism.
You spent the entirety of the video playing one of the most generic songs in the game, that being the battle song, for more than 15 minutes when there are over 200 other songs you could have touched on. I can see you made it to Adoulin so there should be no inability to access these places and discuss the music if not just to say "hey listen to this, it makes me happy" or "this is a really emotional song" but it seems like you only perked up at the stardom factor for Nobuo Uematsu when in reality I would argue that in spite of Uematsu's legendary status Naoshi Mizuta did an even better job, even scoring the OST for the FFXV Episode Prompto DLC which really shows his versatility.
Like San d'Oria is an Elvaan city where the NPCs are literally mean to you if you aren't an Elvaan, and the music is a bunch of grating-yet-proud bagpipes to reflect that, but the Ronfaure area on the outskirts (which was composed by Uematsu) sounds straight out of the Renaissance period and fits in thematially with the grandiose castle aesthetic of the capital city. Bastok is a similarly industrious city with a lot of emphasis on the technological revolution and as a result the immediate outside world is barren and inhospitable, like it's a world full of dangerous creatures with Bastok being the city that more rugged adventurers will choose to call home. And Windurst is this peaceful, playful magical city with a large focus on nature, tranquility, pacifism and two races, the Mithra and Tarutaru, that seem like they'd feasibly be able to live in harmony. Then you go outside and hear Sarutabaruta's gentle strumming and realize it's this super chill, laid-back sort of vibe that you'd listen to while relaxing by the river.
All of the music for the most part has A and B sections, aka parts of the music that change drastically and transform the track. Hell, Ru'Aun Gardens' music is a great example of this as it starts off so simple and majestic but eventually transforms into something more complicated and ambitious.
I get that not everyone has the know-how to discuss music, but I wish you tried. The thing that makes FF11 a stupendous game even presently isn't the outdated battle mechanics, the limit break level cap quests, the archaic crafting systems, the terrible economy or any more mechanical stuff like that. It's the world, the music, the storyline. A lot of it involves time travel as a main motif which is something I think is really cool. The Wings of the Goddess expansion was so interesting because you get to learn the origin stories about a lot of NPCs that you've interacted with in the present day and learn a bit more about them. The Dancer job unlock quest is a quick example of Time Travel in an mmo being a unique way to flesh out a single character in an interesting way.
I understand the need to rush things along a bit since the RUclips algorithm rewards you for frequent uploads but I think taking your time and writing a more meaningful video script to talk about any games you're really passionate about would add some much-needed personality to your videos. Also if you need any tips on audio mastering or soundproofing then feel free to hit me up on Twitter and I'd be happy to help. I don't bring any of this up to discourage you, but to point out that I think you have a solid foundation but could afford to be a little more polished in some ways.
And in the unlikely event that you're around the Asura server, maybe we could play together sometime!
The problem with videos like this is I can play for 100+ hours, try as hard as I can to interact with the community, ask for help, do research and genuinely put tons of effort into a video and unfortunately there will always be someone who said it wasn’t enough.
My timeline for this video was I announced it about 2-3 weeks before I made it. I played that whole time when I could putting around 3-4 hours a night. That whole time I streamed the game, asked people questions and genuinely seemed help and no one said a peep.
Either way I like the video because I got my opinion out as someone who was new to the game and always saw 11 as an amazing experience I missed out on.
I always get comments like this saying, “Why didn’t you cover X or Y or Z, I think you flat out wrong about A.”
Can’t please everyone, that’s the nature of RUclips. If you seen how often I upload it’s far against the RUclips algorithm since there will be periods where I don’t post for 2-3 weeks because I’m busy playing the game I’m TRYING to make a video on.
Trust me I wish I had help on all these videos, I truly do but I’ve literally been offered help in general maybe once or twice and that’s it.
@@VagrantVideos I just think the main thing about FF11 that made it stand out from the crowd was the music and atmosphere so I was perplexed that you hardly touched on it, definitely wasn't trying to be demanding or difficult to please. I make loads of videos that usually include a beefy section on soundtracks so maybe I'm a bit biased, but this game seemed like the sort where one would have to make a conscious effort to avoid discussing the OST.
I understand the crunch and the lack of help, hence why I offered to help you on the audio side of things. My Twitter's around if you want to chat.
I spent 3 years playing this game back in 2007- 2012... with my ex girlfriend. Spent hours a day. Forming parties. Experience points. Wow... nostalgia.
I have the original CDs for PC since back then but I never managed to make the game play at all. Any guidance?
Make the gameplay?
Yes I never managed to get it to work. Is there a windows 10 version? Also where can I make a new account?
Vana'diel
I really want to start playing the classic style private servers
The collection is on sale on steam for only 10 bucks I'm thinking about getting it
Might be a good time to spend on the weekend, hanging out in an classic mmo
9:00 Do I spy a Stormlight Archive reference or nah
Probably not lol
I'd recommend if anyone wants to try FFXi for a first time, you should look up a private server to join (Eden, Wings). Many of them cap at level 75, when the game was at its height, with social play important to get anything done. It's also free. Eden caps at Treasure of Aht Urhgan's expansion, and Wings caps at Wings of the Goddess expansion. The populations are growing and it's a lot of fun!
I plan to cover Eden I believe in a play it private episode :)
@@VagrantVideos that's great! I love Eden. Currently giving Wings a try out of curiosity (and enjoying it too so far). I wish SE would have made their own classic server. They'd have lots of interest.
Phantasy Star Online was around the same time period. I miss that game, but it didn’t age nearly as well as FF11. And that’s coming from a huge PSO fan.
Pso2 is super fun though at least so the franchise is still alive and well
idk why square enix insis on putting a main line number on their mmo's
You know thats a good point, wonder why they aren’t just spin offs
Probably because Sakaguchi was head-over-heels on Everquest when he made the decision to make an online FF.
Ok review. Few things would suggested is item swapping, also weather and uts affects and time if day for monsters
I feel like even if I covered absolutely everything people were gonna give me hate lol
@@VagrantVideos i hear ya, not so much hate, but its interesting the things the game had in 2002, unique, but modern mmos dont
Is it possible to get access to very old characters if you still know what email you used back then?
Potentially, im not sure
ffxi was released in japan only on ps2 first, then within the year it was released on pc first in north America, it wasn't until the next year that it was released on ps2 in north America, followed by box 360 the next year I believe.
Yep, ps2 in 2002 in Japan. Pc in NA in 2003 with the ps2 port in NA in 2004
This game is the reason I have no friends. I mean that. Holy **** this game stole my heart, mind, body, and soul. Straight up ran away with it. I was a late bloomer (started in 2005-2010) but man did i have sooooo much fun trying to play and understand this game. It was different and I loved it. Back then WoW was the most popular MMO and even then FFXI was so unique that it made WoW look empty in terms of creativity. I would stay up all night playing FFXI only to sleep what seemed like a few minutes before i was back in the world of Vana'diel. Not to mention this was my first MMO ever. The game has drastically changed throughout the years from its golden days, but I really can not say the game is bad at all especially compared to majority of the modern MMOs we have today. I'm actually considering jumping back in and checking out all the content I have yet to experience (pheww which alot). Anyone remember besieged? :D
Thats like the HappyConsoleGamer’s story about this game where he would literally ignore people in his life just to play.
Man I remember those days when I would do that with RuneScape lol
Your video makes me feel old but still great video.
Lol thanks man, we getting up there
you forgot the mog graden in the adoulin reigon!, Also the launcher was made when the game was released it was ahead of its time and they never updated it or fixed it, which kinda sucks
Oh hey did GretheB draw your banners and stuff? I'm asking but I can spot that art a mile away.
Yup that’s her!
Long time FFXI player here and one thing about FFXI you have to understand is the game was designed from the perspective of everything is multiplayer. Every. Single. Thing.
back in '03, '04 when it was released in North America, Dial up was the majority of the peoples internet, I remember begging my dad to get highspeed so I could play this better, but "highspeed internet was like 2g cellphone internet. You HAVE to have people help you out in this game. wanna unlock a new job? get a party. want to level in any zone? party. want to do the story? party. People in the game had to walk you through the game because you probably could not have a wiki open and the game at the same time. It would lag you out.
The trust system introduced in recent years helps with the combat portion of the game, but Trusts don't talk with you, they dont walk you through what you need to do. they dont show you how the hell to navigate the yhoater jungle or where to go in the sanctuary of zi'tah for your SAM job quest.
The good thing about this system is it makes cooperation mandatory, and thus, the most friendly and helpful community ive ever seen in a MMO, since being kind will in turn reward you when you need to find a party. you remember people, you start to network and form a sense of community. Being even just slightly rude would leave you outside selbina with your invite to party icon up for hours, because nobody will invite the guy that wouldn't help out that one time.
As a result, in the modern day FFXI tho, it is still a nice community, but not nearly as much. You dont get strangers offering to help you. If you ask you are often told "just go look it up" and so you end up alone in the sanctuary of zi'tah for an hour or so and the game is not nearly as much fun. The combat is slow becuase it was designed to give time to type up a strategy. quests where long because you where usually playing with 6 people and conversing about the game the whole time so the time flew by.
FFXI only flaw truly is that it got old. The world changed around it, and like most things and people aging, it didn't change with the times.
Additionally, the menu system was that way to mimic the other older FF games. FFXIV is great, but its more of a Final warcraft fantasy in game design(not story) than a final fantasy.
I’m doing the same thing for WOW Classic, I have the wiki up with guides and such and it’s so much fun. 11 feels like an epic journey, each accomplishments feels so amazing, I wish more games made their gameplay revolve around community and accomplishment.
All my old school game videos stress that I miss those types of MMORPGs. Like I’ve said to others it’s a good thing and a bad thing they square stuck to their design guns for 11, instead of fully changing everything to adapt to modern times, they kept most of their hardcore feel. Gotta love that.
Wish I could have played at the height of its popularity, but my parents never gave up their credit card 😂
People that are interested in mmos owe it to themselves to at least try this one for a couple of months.
Personally, I gave up during one of the limit break quests lol, but who knows? you might get hooked.
DUDE same here, my parents were so hard to convince just to let me play RuneScape when it was 5 bucks a month. Sheesh
The UI is initially very backward, but after you learn how to use it, it becomes very powerful. The macro system is still superior to many more modern UI systems, IMO.
Those If Then statements lol
I played this game for years and loved it, but I would never go back without friends.
Its hard to nowadays, it can feel very lonely
Hey I was wondering if you had any og dc names I could have like that Fog name
I don’t sell stuff man sorry lol
I am actively playing Final Fantasy XI. Like... literally right this second.
What’s the ost used throughout the video?
The ost for the game itself FF11
@@VagrantVideos that’s so odd, I’ve never played 11 yet I swear I’ve heard this ost in another game. I got a sense of familiarity from it. Thnxx btw
For anyone who still play, what server are you guys on?
Edit: For anyone that played in the past and want to get some feeling of the game, look for the videos Recollection and Recollection 2.
Asura seemed like a good server
@@VagrantVideos As far as I know, it's still the most populated server in the game. I play on a smaller scale server, I appreciate the smaller community. It's a lot easier to make friends and find good linkshells in my opinion. Also, my original server got merged to the one in on now, and I just didn't feel like leaving lol.
I wish I knew my login information from 2012 this video make me want to jump back on
Try to recover it if you can!
@@VagrantVideos i contacted stream a few min ago. I don't have my old email or cell number from then but I do remember them and the password so hopefully they reach back out and I can access it again!
@@Chuckdee420 look through old emails of confirmation of payment, companies love that for proof of identity!
@@VagrantVideos i don't have access to the old email or old credit cards that was way back in 2012 last time I paid for a sub so hopefully steam can work with me. I played for almost 7 years so hopefully they can fix it.
@@VagrantVideos got my account back! Reinstalling right now, last time logged in was 2/17/2012 :o
This is still the gold standard for MMOs. Even with the dated UI.
Its funny to think trying to have someone learn macros in today’s society.