"It doesn't matter if it gets views, this is my time capsule" This is such a beautiful line. This series has expanded my FF knowledge and been absolutely awesome, amazing work!
Is it... bad that hearing all of this really makes me want to play FFXI when I previously never had any interest in the game? Something about the haunting and existentially depressing atmosphere designated by soul-crushing gameplay systems reminds me of games like Pathologic, in a way. Even if that clearly wasn't the intention here. Either way, I have to say I admire how much time and energy you poured into this. Perhaps I shouldn't say something that might encourage you to go on similarly seemingly self-destructive paths, but this was incredibly engaging, and to pretend I don’t respect your commitment would be a lie. You deserve the praise.
I'll say this much. 11 does need a heavy remaster that changes everything. The missions are the main quest whilst the actual quests you get from the citizens of Windurst, Bastok, San'doria, and Jeuno. just give you an incremental amount of Fame. Also another way to level up the character is by using the records of eminence since they have their own unique quests that give you a boost of exp. and they can give you some equipment that you can use.
Dude, this story was nuts, I was cracking up all through the last 20 minutes. I've never played an MMO but I've always been curious about what FFXI was like. Thanks for suffering through this so the rest of us could get a glimpse of the experience!
still going on the journey through your series, took me a couple sessions, but i made it through the video. i know it was not your intention, and i know you'll tell me not to, but i really wanna go back to 11 again. i didn't get super far last time (maybe around 40 in 2012) but i actually kinda liked the game, so if you could beat it despite how much you despised it, i think i can too
You wouldn't be the first who started playing it because of this video haha. Looking back a year after I started, I do have fond memories and nostalgia for it. But I would never go back.
I have tried twice to get into FF11. First time, I really enjoyed the combat, but hated how lonely it felt, so I quit. Second time, the game had the Trust System, and I thought it made the game too boring. There was a mobile phone remake comming out, I was really hoping to play, but they canceled it. I think they realized there's really no saving this game, in the modern day. It's a shame I never got to play the game in its prime, but I couldn't afford it as a teenager. A PS2 Modem, and a monthly fee was just asking too much of a middle class teenager, who was lucky to get new game at christmas, if that.
I feel you. Luckily my brother shelled out the money on the PS2, then I started using PC soon after. FFXI will always be a fond memory for me, but Tom is right, the game that exists today is a stitched together THING that hardly reflects what made it special in the first place. Hell, the trust system and level sync system may have made it 'more accessible' but ruined the point. It was designed to be forced socialization. Once it got top heavy, there wasn't really a place for new comers anymore.
75-era private servers are the way to go. Trust me, I started this game in 2010 when Abyssea and while it was still very much social until a few years after Adoulin, once 2016 came around, the game became too easy and soloable. But I've come to the HorizonXI private server, and have been there since December 2022. I implore you to try it out! It gave me the same feeling that I saw when my dad first got this game, back in 2006 or 2007. Impossibly magical.....
Watching this video now, about 20 minutes in. I played through XI for the first time about a year or two ago, soloing most of the game and I LOVED it. I beat all of the expansions (including the Voracious Resurgence which just finished a couple months ago) and ended up falling in love with the game. I only needed help for a couple endgame fights in some of the later expansions, but honestly, I had a blast with the game. Looking forward to seeing your commentary on the expansions when I get to that part of the video. I like your channel and have subbed, and I like how you're playing a lot of the lesser known games in the series. I did a series of video essays on the games that you might appreciate as one Final Fantasy fan to another. Though unlike you, I loved The After Years, so take that for what it's worth. :P
I will say, my opinions of FF11 have evolved since this video, especially after playing 14. I talk about it a bit in that video. I love the idea of ranking them all by different aspects, I'll have to check those vids out once I'm through!
@@TomLazan Cool, hope you enjoy them. The ranking is just the first 15 mainline games plus Tactics, so it's safe to watch after you beat XV. Also, you get better stats if you have a subjob, so it's worth leveling a subjob for the stat bonuses. You end up nerfing yourself if you don't have a subjob, abilities aside. The way I played XI was getting my Red Mage job to 99 (doing the limit break quests), leveling up Black Mage to 50, getting some quick and easy level 119 gear, and then just plowing through every expansion without any need for leveling after that point. I found the game vastly enjoyable when played that way.
Also, I'm a big fan of the story of this game (it's the main appeal for me). The best way I found to tackle it is to do all the level cap quests first as soon as you can, and do Rhapodies missions in between you doing each expansion one at a time. So, beat all of base XI, then move on to Zilart, then do Chains of Promathia, then to do Treasures, etc. and just do Rhapsodies missions as they unlock. Mixing all of the expansion storylines together doesn't sound like an appealing way to experience the game, but if you focus on one arc at a time, you can beat most expansions within a couple weeks of playtime. Beating ALL of XI took me around 6 months of playing the game, but I treated each expansion basically like it's own game except my stats and equipment carried over. Absolutely loved it.
Haven't even watched the whole video yet, but honestly the loss of community feeling is how I felt playing WoW Wrath classic. The people that were there new exactly what to do and were really just blazing to get to endgame. No one cared about the journey. If I have to spend 3 quarters of a game reading info that's already out there then where's the fun? Maybe that's me though
No, that's definitely where a lot of the problem comes in. Playing FF14 now and I'm still experiencing that even though that game is full of new & old players. No matter what, the old veterans are the majority queuing up so you always get matched with them and they just blow through everything leaving you in the dust.
Don't get me wrong, I like that you took the time to play, and I like the video... but watching it hurts at times. It actually hurt when you said you chose RDM because it is good in the end game... then proceeded to show the AF for WHM. At release, 100% of the appeal was the fact that it forced you to network, make friends, be mentors, what-ever. No level-sync, literally couldn't solo past level 20 or so. Tedium was real. Got a PT invite to Kazham? Cool, 20+ minutes till you can even get there. Hope the party works out and you can get 2 levels over the course of the next 5 hours, cause it might just fall apart as your airship is pulling up. If you want to play FFXI today, I feel like you have to play a private server. I believe I stopped playing the official servers about 7 years ago when my daughter was born, and even then I had been casual since 2010, only renewing my sub every couple of years.
Okay hopefully you didn't have to go and defeat the Absolute Virtue boss, because that thing Nowadays after the level 99 update it despawns after 2 hours of combat. Also I presume that the 13.95 a month is just to keep the playonline running. as well as the fact that the 30 dollars to buy the game to keep the servers that remain running.
Mad respect. I'm on my own FF journey, playing chronologically and watching your videos along the way, but I only play main games + sequels, but this? Screw this game, not gonna touch it. :V After Dirge Of Cerberus it's time for FF XII.
"It doesn't matter if it gets views, this is my time capsule"
This is such a beautiful line. This series has expanded my FF knowledge and been absolutely awesome, amazing work!
To hear you say FFV is one of your favorite warms my heart cause it’s my absolute favorite ever since I played it
Is it... bad that hearing all of this really makes me want to play FFXI when I previously never had any interest in the game? Something about the haunting and existentially depressing atmosphere designated by soul-crushing gameplay systems reminds me of games like Pathologic, in a way. Even if that clearly wasn't the intention here. Either way, I have to say I admire how much time and energy you poured into this. Perhaps I shouldn't say something that might encourage you to go on similarly seemingly self-destructive paths, but this was incredibly engaging, and to pretend I don’t respect your commitment would be a lie. You deserve the praise.
You deserve so much respect for this one in particular
I'll say this much. 11 does need a heavy remaster that changes everything. The missions are the main quest whilst the actual quests you get from the citizens of Windurst, Bastok, San'doria, and Jeuno. just give you an incremental amount of Fame.
Also another way to level up the character is by using the records of eminence since they have their own unique quests that give you a boost of exp. and they can give you some equipment that you can use.
Yup I started using those about halfway through
Dude, this story was nuts, I was cracking up all through the last 20 minutes. I've never played an MMO but I've always been curious about what FFXI was like. Thanks for suffering through this so the rest of us could get a glimpse of the experience!
still going on the journey through your series, took me a couple sessions, but i made it through the video. i know it was not your intention, and i know you'll tell me not to, but i really wanna go back to 11 again. i didn't get super far last time (maybe around 40 in 2012) but i actually kinda liked the game, so if you could beat it despite how much you despised it, i think i can too
You wouldn't be the first who started playing it because of this video haha. Looking back a year after I started, I do have fond memories and nostalgia for it. But I would never go back.
I have tried twice to get into FF11. First time, I really enjoyed the combat, but hated how lonely it felt, so I quit. Second time, the game had the Trust System, and I thought it made the game too boring.
There was a mobile phone remake comming out, I was really hoping to play, but they canceled it.
I think they realized there's really no saving this game, in the modern day.
It's a shame I never got to play the game in its prime, but I couldn't afford it as a teenager. A PS2 Modem, and a monthly fee was just asking too much of a middle class teenager, who was lucky to get new game at christmas, if that.
I feel you. Luckily my brother shelled out the money on the PS2, then I started using PC soon after. FFXI will always be a fond memory for me, but Tom is right, the game that exists today is a stitched together THING that hardly reflects what made it special in the first place. Hell, the trust system and level sync system may have made it 'more accessible' but ruined the point. It was designed to be forced socialization. Once it got top heavy, there wasn't really a place for new comers anymore.
75-era private servers are the way to go. Trust me, I started this game in 2010 when Abyssea and while it was still very much social until a few years after Adoulin, once 2016 came around, the game became too easy and soloable. But I've come to the HorizonXI private server, and have been there since December 2022. I implore you to try it out! It gave me the same feeling that I saw when my dad first got this game, back in 2006 or 2007. Impossibly magical.....
This video is a beast ... in fact you are a beast !!! 😂😭❤
The most beautiful REFFOID quest to date
Watching this video now, about 20 minutes in. I played through XI for the first time about a year or two ago, soloing most of the game and I LOVED it. I beat all of the expansions (including the Voracious Resurgence which just finished a couple months ago) and ended up falling in love with the game. I only needed help for a couple endgame fights in some of the later expansions, but honestly, I had a blast with the game. Looking forward to seeing your commentary on the expansions when I get to that part of the video.
I like your channel and have subbed, and I like how you're playing a lot of the lesser known games in the series. I did a series of video essays on the games that you might appreciate as one Final Fantasy fan to another. Though unlike you, I loved The After Years, so take that for what it's worth. :P
I will say, my opinions of FF11 have evolved since this video, especially after playing 14. I talk about it a bit in that video. I love the idea of ranking them all by different aspects, I'll have to check those vids out once I'm through!
@@TomLazan Cool, hope you enjoy them. The ranking is just the first 15 mainline games plus Tactics, so it's safe to watch after you beat XV.
Also, you get better stats if you have a subjob, so it's worth leveling a subjob for the stat bonuses. You end up nerfing yourself if you don't have a subjob, abilities aside. The way I played XI was getting my Red Mage job to 99 (doing the limit break quests), leveling up Black Mage to 50, getting some quick and easy level 119 gear, and then just plowing through every expansion without any need for leveling after that point. I found the game vastly enjoyable when played that way.
Also, I'm a big fan of the story of this game (it's the main appeal for me). The best way I found to tackle it is to do all the level cap quests first as soon as you can, and do Rhapodies missions in between you doing each expansion one at a time. So, beat all of base XI, then move on to Zilart, then do Chains of Promathia, then to do Treasures, etc. and just do Rhapsodies missions as they unlock. Mixing all of the expansion storylines together doesn't sound like an appealing way to experience the game, but if you focus on one arc at a time, you can beat most expansions within a couple weeks of playtime. Beating ALL of XI took me around 6 months of playing the game, but I treated each expansion basically like it's own game except my stats and equipment carried over. Absolutely loved it.
Haven't even watched the whole video yet, but honestly the loss of community feeling is how I felt playing WoW Wrath classic. The people that were there new exactly what to do and were really just blazing to get to endgame. No one cared about the journey. If I have to spend 3 quarters of a game reading info that's already out there then where's the fun? Maybe that's me though
No, that's definitely where a lot of the problem comes in. Playing FF14 now and I'm still experiencing that even though that game is full of new & old players. No matter what, the old veterans are the majority queuing up so you always get matched with them and they just blow through everything leaving you in the dust.
Finally after 1000 years.
Don't get me wrong, I like that you took the time to play, and I like the video... but watching it hurts at times. It actually hurt when you said you chose RDM because it is good in the end game... then proceeded to show the AF for WHM.
At release, 100% of the appeal was the fact that it forced you to network, make friends, be mentors, what-ever. No level-sync, literally couldn't solo past level 20 or so. Tedium was real. Got a PT invite to Kazham? Cool, 20+ minutes till you can even get there. Hope the party works out and you can get 2 levels over the course of the next 5 hours, cause it might just fall apart as your airship is pulling up.
If you want to play FFXI today, I feel like you have to play a private server. I believe I stopped playing the official servers about 7 years ago when my daughter was born, and even then I had been casual since 2010, only renewing my sub every couple of years.
Just some foreshadowing
Okay hopefully you didn't have to go and defeat the Absolute Virtue boss, because that thing Nowadays after the level 99 update it despawns after 2 hours of combat.
Also I presume that the 13.95 a month is just to keep the playonline running. as well as the fact that the 30 dollars to buy the game to keep the servers that remain running.
Mad respect.
I'm on my own FF journey, playing chronologically and watching your videos along the way, but I only play main games + sequels, but this? Screw this game, not gonna touch it. :V After Dirge Of Cerberus it's time for FF XII.
HorizonXI