While some MMOGs might be content to throw meaningless level grinding quest templates at you over and over again to see you rise the ranks, FFXI's missions all have some kind of meaningful story attached, the majority of which even come with ingame engine powered cut-scenes.
The importance of this cannot be overstated. The single biggest thing that puts most people off playing a MMOG is the fear of the grind. Repetitive rat killing for hours on end does not make for a enjoyable night's gaming.
With everything here having some sort of purpose whether it's simply helping a small boy find his father, or teaming up to kill a giant dragon wyrm in a far-flung cavern , you not only enjoy your time in the game, but you actually feel as though you're making some sort of difference to the world.
I haven't mentioned FFXI's own brand of game mechanics, and for good reason. The game does things like combat, crafting, skill advancement and levelling in its own way. Combat follows traditional FF styles, only with a real-time element thrown in. Crafting adheres to the mystical backdrop of the game world, involving fusing crystals with energy rather than hitting bits of metal with a hammer and tongs. Levelling is a mixture of individual skill ratings and overall character experience points.
All of it is horses for courses or chocobos for, uh, track-obos You'll either like the way it works or you won't. There are better gaming systems, there are worse. Everything is solidly built and there are precious few instances of fighting the mechanics rather than the monsters on show. Combat is a touch random in places, and in large group situations it can often be very confusing as to what is making an impact on the enemy and what isn't.
But apart from that, there's not much you can criticise in the game's overall construction. From a social standpoint, FFXI is something of a curate's egg. After all, you might have the most polished game in all of Christendom, but if your inhabitants all avoid each other like the plague and interact only to shaft each other in the marketplace, you might as well be making Streatham High Street Online.
With the game having been available to Johnny Foreigner already, the sudden influx of European adventurers exploring the lower reaches of the world provokes different reactions depending on your server. Despite officially sanctioned endeavours such as linkshells personalised chat rooms , mentor systems old hands helping out the newbies and even authorised wedding ceremonies all encouraging the denizens of Vana'diel to play happily together, FFXI tends to be one of the more insular MMOs in community terms.
Hopefully we'll see this change as our European style, grace and savoir faire slowly wins hearts, and if not at least we'll have each other to share time zones with. And the competition? True, the noises coming from the World of Warcraft camps are already proclaiming it as a new dawn in online gaming.
The EQ2 beta test is winning almost as many plaudits and since it'll only be a few more months before they get here, what chance does FFXI really have?
Well, having sampled all three I can state that Square Enix's effort will be able to hold its own. A half million-strong community is a hard thing to shift so you'll not be lost for things to do and people to do it with if you can get them talking. Plus we Euronauts get to enjoy the latest expansion, Chains Of Promathia right from the get-go so there's plenty of scope for exploration.
Basically, Square Enix has had one hell of a headstart on the other contenders and has managed to construct a solid, enjoyable and absorbing world that doesn't resort to grinding. Final Fantasy XI is finally here, and damn, is it a 10, hit-point monster. But be warned: This isn't your little bro's Final Fantasy. Chocobo trappings aside, it shares more similarities with massively multiplayer online role-playing games like EverQuest Online Adventures and Asheron's Call PC than it does with classic Fantasy titles.
And that means it may not only threaten to take over your life, but also frustrate the heck out of you. Yet, you'll find few games as rewarding and addictive , provided you're the kind of person willing to put in the time. Just don't expect to hit the ground running. You ain't gonna save the world from Armageddon or Sephiroth , fight three-story-tall hell spawns, or pilot a state-of-the-art flying galleon--at least not at first.
Rather, you'll perform the occasional delivery mission for a beleaguered townsperson, kill dozens upon dozens of lowly and often cute critters, and hawk animal parts in the game's virtual auction house. Sound like fun? Well, it is. Every tiny success in Final Fantasy XI--be it selling a valuable item at the auction house or completing a mission you've been gnawing at for days--brings with it an immense feeling of accomplishment. And soon enough, your character stops being a total chump, and you're able to explore the enormous, beautiful world of Vana'diel at your leisure.
First, after about 15 hours of play, it becomes basically impossible to get anything done without a big group, which usually takes some time to assemble though usually less time than in EverQuest. And second, it's a pain in the ass to play with your friends.
You have to buy an expensive in-game item called a World Pass and give your pals the pass number, and then they have to create all-new characters on your server. Call it psychosis, call it true love, call it whatever.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a chocobo to ride. Ever since EverQuest Online Adventures tried and failed to do it on PS2, I've wondered whether it's possible to create a vibrant, massively multiplayer role-playing community on consoles.
FFXI does something brilliant: It throws console gamers right into the mix with a community that's been brewing now for over a year in Japan and many months on PC. The results are astonishing. I was never at a loss for a good group--in fact, I had to fend off eager role-players itchin' to score with me loot and experience, I mean! Whenever I had a question, veteran players were always willing to take a minute to show me the ropes.
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