Is FFXI Dying?

So we are now comparing literal drug addictions to a video game, love it! This truly is a great thread.

The only one addicted is Eiryl. He wants to quit but he cant, he needs his supply forcibly cut off. Thats why he keeps begging people to stop paying SE to keep the lights on, even though hes out there paying more than all of us combined.

I enjoy my 6 times a month I play ffxi with 5 friends who helped gear me to the teeth. When we beat bumba and R30 our gear we can enjoy talking about it for years to come.

I don't think I could say that doing sortie everyday for a Rank5 prime.

FFXI could be dying, but it seems like that Bumba is living well and healthly, safe and sound

It sounds crazy to people like us who aren't affected, but IGD is real. People leave their newborn babies alone to die because they can't pull themselves away from a game.


There are plenty of people in this community who rationalize their cheating because they're paying SE more money than we do. Somehow they think they're more responsible for the success of the game, but they don't realize they're actually more responsible for ti's downfall.

MMOs specifically target these people, with their dailies, and login bonuses, and limited time offers.

Every minute you don't play, every minute you devote to something else, someone gets ahead of you.

I'm sure I'll make a stage 5 eventually, but that's definitely not my motivating goal. It's just playing with people I know and progressing. Idk if Bumba RNG is nearly as bad as running hallways for an hour, but I feel like you could have the correct tolerance for madness to be able to enjoy this if you had people to enjoy it with.

Watching my wife get almost every +2 earring she could want is also extra fun. I feel like it's much better when people are happy for others luck instead of bitter and jealous.

I came back for a few months, but I'm probably on my way out. It was fun visiting but things kinda get old fast.

I mean in about 18 mins into bumba you have an idea if you lost or have a decent shot. RNG can still stick its finger in your bum but you at least get the adrenaline pumping until you get slapped like chris rock.

An XI player was jailed for this very thing many years back IIRC.

I'll offer the less popular opinion and say that the game may not be what is used to be in terms of total population, but if you want to play and get stuff done, people are still very much interested. Our little group has been progressing nicely so far, and I had more responses to join than spaces available, unfortunately. So if you're still wanting to run Odyssey or make a prime or whatever else, don't think its too late or impossible. I always laughed at the "if you build it, they will come" line but its true.

I knew a guy who would constantly ignore his special needs daughter. :/

If I was a dad, my kids would be my #1 priority. I just don't get it.

People who pretend XI is some kind of addiction are being dumb as hell, there are plenty of brand new games out there that have no sub and offer instant dopamine hits far in excess of what XI can offer.

Video games can be addictive but that has nothing to do with why people still play XI, they like what it offers and enjoy the game for what it is.

The slow pace and laid back nature of the game is one of its greatest strengths imo.

Sell.

There are multitudes more active accounts than there are players of this game. When the greater majority of our population exists for the sole purpose of 'faster, easier and more rewarding'... I'm sorry, but no.

If people really cared, they wouldn't be cheating and risking their accounts for the sake of getting over. It's a far cry from leaving a newborn in a crib by itself, but it's definitely over the line for anyone who actually cares.

FFXI only really dies the last time someone asks this question.

But...Yes. lol

Speaking of, at what point did SE know it was going to be an issue and they decided to add the "A Word to Our Players"? Or was this always in the game on release?

I kinda miss the older version of the game.
Even the abyssew/vw era was so much better which is kinda sad to say that.

I quitted because of abyessa and wing of goddess, that period really was for too addicted players, was tottally not for me.

I enjoyed playing ffxi 2015 onwards.

If you're talking about the warning to players not to ignore family, life, that's always been there. Nobody ever sees it because most people stay logged in.

I miss the update cycle of abyssea 1, 2, 3, void watch, dynamis rework, meeble burrows, and then a surprise expansion. Lots to do and lots of people to do it with. If only Tanaka could magically fail at another MMO and I would get another expansion out of nowhere.

I'm guilty of this lately myself, but I'd say 99% of people are not going to set up a run of anything. They want to just join and be told what to do, because it's easier than setting up and coordinating the event yourself. I was shocked when I was on Asura at the number of people who think it's impossible to set up a VD Ambuscade run.

As a reminder, this thread was made in 2009.

But it never gets old

It's not what it used to be, I agree that it doesn't get old, but the old FFXI is dead, and now we have this new one!

I've been there too, as far back as OG Dynamis or Sky farming. It IS easier to just show up, but once you start to get to know your group, you are no longer doing it all by yourself.

As for Asura shout groups, I don't know if we're too far gone or if there is still hope to bring back PUGs that aren't afraid to try different things and maybe fail. When the alternative is to throw down 5m and afk, its an uphill battle for sure.

For now I'll settle for being happy to find people to play with rather than worrying about how to fix the whole community.

Well, this new one you have now is made for bot lovers. Most of the time, if not 99%, people don't actually play. They let their bots do all the work. SE knew it, so that's why SE increased the insane amount of time-grinding stuff, so players would stay subscribed.

The old one makes sense because Windower, addons, cureplease, gearswap, and stuff like that were never intended for the average player.

Well, I know at least 50 ppl I use to play with that got a 3 days suspension because they were botting birds, as a result they all left straight out the game as they see it different. In those 50 at least 50% had more than 2 accounts, 10 had 6. And that’s just people I use to play with. On phoenix, just the ban for botting birds has impacted the game. Server went from 8-900 to 3-500 in a matter of months. Ppl bot because they have family, and the 1 to 2 hour of gameplay they have they want to do actual content, dyna seg omen unm… with friends, not killing birds senselessly for 3 months for a single job. So yes botting and more specifically the banning of non game impacting botting (not talking about Gil type botting like savage and such) has lead to the game "dying" and that’s on you and the like.

If SE look into the actual data go single 3 day suspension and the % of them playing still they will see those were players, genuine dudes and ladies, fun to play with, helpful and the kind you want to keep.

I miss my friends

Edit: that doesn’t include all the folks that left because that blew up their group. But guess what, they still play together, but on other games, talk to them on discord all the time. So yeah, groups of friends tend to stick together, get rid of 1, 10 leaves… all because of game puritain, or mundane vengeance. And then those same ppl complain less ppl playing… sortie ain’t perfect but jeez some of the players are worst by many fold.

No I don’t have no warning or otherwise but in a way I can’t wait so that sword hanging on top of my head finally fall and I will join them on CIV or other games.

#letpeopleplay

I'd say the entire Final Fantasy franchise has one foot and five toes in the grave. But that's a different thread.

Don't bot ML.

Aside from being ban worthy, it's about the least efficient use of your time if you're trying to make gains. All you need is gear and understanding, but they're not getting any of the latter if the game is playing itself.