FFXI's Shortfalls

Theres a few, of course, nothing is perfect.

Key notes: Interactive = Play = Fun.
Staring/waiting = X.

1) Wasting an incredible amount of peoples time. Its one thing for progress to be slow in game, its another when no progress goes on at all. For example trying to pop a tier2 (of course this isn't the only way to get seals, but in some cases its the only means in a practical sense, as other nm's may require more people than you can help to bring along with you) nm in the midst of competition. It would be one thing, say if SE decided to make it a requirement of 20 body seals to get af+1 to slow progress, but instead they choose to make one tier2 pop at a time. Meaning the group or person not getting the pop isn't getting to do really much of anything at all, and if he doesn't wait hey may miss his turn, or his chance, the video game ceases to be a video game that you're actually "playing" or being interactive with, as much as your just staring at a computer screen waiting for someone else to finish doing something. (There are quest to obtain seals, that can be done any time without delay, but the chance at the correct reward is incredibly slim, and a HELP I AM TRAPPED IN 2006 PLEASE SEND A TIME MACHINE repetitive quest does not = fun in any sense, especially when the reward vie an nm is so much greater, and so much funner (ie a battle) in respect to those quests.)

The distinction I'm making between slow progress in respect to not playing and slow progress vie just because the nature of the process taking long is a very important distinction. IE there is no "fun" in waiting, or in NOT playing as can be found in a process that would take equally as long but allows you to actually do something in respect to that goal.

2) Another example of just staring at the screen in ffxi as opposed to being interactive is lfp. Especially for certain jobs (and before 76), (brd whm), the video game turns into staring at a chat log waiting for purple letters to pop up that say (party?), it isn't till then that you're actually "playing". It wasn't for years till SE finally came up with /dnc, that helps in some cases, but this is still incredibly slow progress in comparison to group play and again can't really apply to all jobs.

3) Lack of reward or incentive for people to help you. Most things in ffxi require groups or parties (obviously). LS's usually require point systems or something to that like. Heroes of aby nms is the only example I can think of wherein this has been somewhat changed/helped by the implication of "trophies" in kills. I don't mind helping for example in respect to a Rani cause it gives me the chance to get an augmented body, but again, this is a rather new thing and is only found in heroes, quite pathetic. (One could also argue abyssitse and or atmas, but these are temp things, once done they're done, trophies on the other hand can relate to multiple jobs and require random augments that can take multiple times on each)

Shaddap

Nope

I do not see where you are going with this, what is the point of it all?

The game is 10 years old, do you really expect it to be perfect?

Recommendations? I doubt anyone of any importance is listening, sure, but surely no one listens to something thats never said.

Not saying all new games are better than old ones, but they sure got better resources these days than 10 years ago:P

Also, its a Final Fantasy game.
They'r based on having a group of people.
Pretty sure that's how they built the game, based on needing a group, like you allways have in all the older FF games.
Ofc they've went away from that view slowly over the past few years, but yeah.

Sure group play, but like I say in #3, group play doesn't have to be rewarding for only a few (ie the few that get a drop)

I wouldn't post in a video game forum about a video game if i wanted to feel smart (I guess you would?) I would post a philosophical or scientific argument in a science or philosophical forum.

Looks to me he is bitching because bigger shells are hogging VNM (More people or using a radar) to pop it over him.

Having to wait for XP parties .. maybe he didnt level paladin back in 03 where you lfp 5+ hours between lv 40-60 (Damn ninja's)

And Lack of people helping him.. and tbh the only zones that are ***to get help with is the first 3 zones of abyssea. Everything else you can make a party to get seals if you are not lazy.

In summation:

You want a game with instant gratification go play World of Warcraft, Rift, or DC Universe..

For the rest of us we enjoy a game that doesnt let you go BAM done

It's not rewarding getting your friend a drop? I think so. Also;


Call the press, an MMO asking you to interact with other players. Be thankful it takes like one friend to successfully do almost anything, and not 18 like 05.

Taking time out of your busy lifestyle of date after date I assume?

You can call it bitching or QQ I guess if you want. Other people just leave the game and do exactly as you say. A non-popular (or decaying in such) game is going to get less attention (and from its developers), and become even less fun or boring for me and you. But because the alternative is I guess to "***" we'll just watch its players go and see the servers having to merge.

Well the game is much more entertaining now, before it would take 3 hours to make a party and sometimes up to 2 hours to find an open camp and have everyone get there, now it is more than easy to get exp.

As for people doing the NM that you want to do, either wait it out or do something else, i usually log off and play a single person game for a while when i get bored or i chat with my online friends.

Yea aby has helped a lot with these things (for example nm's don't just drop one job'ss seals). But the fact that you have to turn off the game or do something else sort of makes a sad statement about that very game.

Every game i have ever owned i have turned off and went to do something else, the thing about FFXI though is that up to this point i have always wanted to come back and play, it is good to chill and relax for a bit or play something else specially when things are crowded some days are just not the best, the important thing is that it holds your attention, i myself play 5+ hours a day.

O I see what you did there.

Work, School, and no more dates, @gf. Sorry to kill it.

#4) That Broki has made me realize. Alot of people on a server creates a problem currently (at least within aby), realistically, it should be the exact opposite of an MMO.

Two other things, A) I say ahead of time in the first post its obvious it requires group, so your sarcastic nudge at "call the press" is more so dumb quote mining than anything. B) That's rewarding sure, but because thats rewarding your char shouldn't get something as well? Sure thats satisfying, but that doesn't mean it can't be and more.

If this game is so terrible and annoying, why do you even play it?:P
Personally I allways find something to do if I want to.

This thread is based on a lists of cons, this doesn't mean there isn't also a list of pro's. Like I say, nothing is perfect.

I think that makes you seem dumb, first acknowledging that things require other people, then complaining because things require other people.
Yes rewarding self should happen too, but like I said, 2 people is pretty much all you need, I doubt a friend you duo with will lot all your ***. As for VNM though, yes they are a horrible system.

You're being too general. Its important to make a distinction, there's two diff scenarios we're talking about in respect to population. 1 = Competition, wherein a lot of people = bad ie the fact that only 1 tier2 vnm can pop at a time or trying to collect a KI pop set vs people that can even be botting. 2 = Killing something, trying to get help to reach a goal from people that won't receive ANY type of reward, in heroes we have seen this change somewhat like I noted, and in a positive way.

Although the VNM system can be bad it is like everything else in the game when it is new everyone spams it but it eventually dies down, few months ago Turul, Brooder and Ovni to name a few were hard to claim because of the massive competition but once people started getting drops they became much easier to claim many times uncontested, just wait it out if it causes you so much grief, in a few months it will be much easier.

Edit: Please start camping Turul again i hate getting random agroo from him.

Well...thats true to a degree, sure, but ovni was an equipment drop, that can apply to many jobs, the diff with seal nms is that they don't just require one item, (sets of 10 rather that only apply to one job), and people are now hitting these jobs at a faster rate (aby). So thats true, (and even more so because of the fact that new people don't generally come into this game anymore) but it will be a much longer time till thats actually realized I'd argue, a much much longer time.

Edit: Even longer for people like me on servers merging.

BTW spicy it boggles me that you think this was somehow related to me needing to feel intelligent, being that this has nothing to do with intelligence, is it because in my thread about the best job I pointed out that your means of discussing such is dumb and empty? Or is it just a coincidence that you brought up intelligence? You seem popular and pride yourself on being an *** here or so it seems, to me its slightly different, still an "***", but rather starting with "dumb" ;-)

Dang i will admit your situation looks grim, all i could recommend at this point is find out who is doing the VNM apart from you if it is just one other group find out if they would agree to the idea of taking turns, if it is a duo which is likely find out if they need the seal you are after and offer to get on a trigger job if you have any, i will admit though since this is not an NM you can camp the ??? for, taking turns will be difficult but sometimes it does work out to your advantage. There are other options for seals but i assume you already know them well and VNM is your best bet hence your dilema, but it might be good to double check because this does seem pretty bad, i would argue a ??? pop NM would be better because it is much easier to take turns or even team up.