The History of Final Fantasy XI (A Retrospective Review)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
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Final Fantasy XI was and still is a unique entry into the fable Final Fantasy franchise, but when it arrived it brought with it fundamental changes to what had come before.
It was originally conceived by Hironobu Sakaguchi soon after he had moved to Hawaii and he turned to Hiromichi Tanaka (who went on to work on Final Fantasy XIV) and Kenichi Ishii to help bring his vision to life.
They had all worked on Final Fantasy I, II and III together and they believed that Final Fantasy XI could act as the ultimate Final Fantasy experience. And to make this a reality they called upon classic elements like Jobs, Chocobos, Moogles and they centered everything around a compelling narrative that would be based in the expansive realm of Vana'diel.
►KEY POINTS WITHIN THIS FINAL FANTASY XI RETROSPECTIVE
1. Final Fantasy XI Gameplay
2. Final Fantasy XI Review
3. Final Fantasy XI in 2019
4. Final Fantasy XI Character Creation
5. Final Fantasy XI Music
***
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Thanks for watching!
Final Fantasy XI was very different from every Final Fantasy that had come before, but even if you didn't end up playing the game, we hope you can all appreciate the story behind how it came to be :) ~Darryl/Lauren
I don't want to cause waves but Squaresoft was only considered and still is considered the most advanced RPG. Recently CD Project Red has been making waves in that genre💯 Plus I still think Enix is held them back for awhile 💯
@ 1:19
You show and said "The Bouncer" but you typed in on the screen "Chrono Trigger (2000)"
Is this an inside joke or a mistake? Lol. Great Video!!!
At 22:35 you mentioned December 2012 launch. Is this an error? Seems more relevant to FFXIV.
I hope they do a ff classic cause I would of loved to of played but I didnt have internet then so I got 12
I'm literally playing right now 😂
I remember Japanese players saying whenever I leveled up. It was a cute way of saying Congrats to an English speaker through the translation speech, that I still say it to myself when playing online games.
"wwwwwwwwwwwww" I remember a lot of that in chat by JP
lol love the translator, I had fun with it and it was great talking to people who doesn't know your language.
That is
LOL, reminds me of the time when Japanese players used "ORZ" to say sorry and all the Western players were confused going...What does that mean....LOL!
Conlations!
Love this game. Started playing around 2006. Met my wife on it. Still together, with two little gamers of our own.
Zapp Brannigan graduate to XIV :3
Thought Criminal we did when it released lol. Zapp Brannigan, goblin server.
you sound like my friend Rohenda XD I think he got married with 2 kids
Nasomi Private server is free come join US!
Yeah I play on Nasomi current XI is bad and OG XI is Superior to XIV
Nothing can ever compare to FFXI in terms of memories for me. The friends I made. The hours chatting away with total strangers while playing this incredible, incredible game. It's almost depressing to wish so bad to return to those simple times knowing I'll never have that again in a game world.
Well put.
So true. No MMO has scratched the itch that XI provided. But I still chase it. I love XIV but, it's just not the same.
There's never been a game like it before or since. XI will always be #1 in my eyes.
FFXI....man. That game is something special. The friends. The memories....ugh the feels!
Chase Pilon join us on Eden!
Or Shiva! I quit in 2007 cause of real life. Returned Feb. last year. Game charged to hell and back but still fun as heck! Worthy another visit.
Eden is a 2006 era server pre WoTG
@@sea4our how can I experience ffxi classic? Before whatever update seems to have ruined the game
@@bboyg1 you can Google Eden or Nasomi and they have their download clients to join their own server, it's really easy to install, you just install it on your PC and your ready to go. Eden is less populated than Nasomi but Eden is a true FFXI classic with no bugs, exploits ,crashes and glitches.
And Eden has 5 people working on the game while Nasomi just has one and it's Nasomi himself
I find it ironic that everyone is harping on about how "hard" WoW Classic is right now when at the time, vanilla WoW was called "the casual mmo" when compared to FF11 and its ilk.
Yeah. When WoW launched friends begged me to try. I played it for the 1month included in the box. I got to level 50, said this is lame, and went back to FFXI where I was trying to get my second job to cap, but I was long way off with many deaths, and we leveling along the way.
Having all the summons, and showing them off would gather crowds of people /clap'ping and /cheer'ing.
For my black mage my goal from the start was to get clothes to look like Vivi from FF9. A Taru was wearing them in the intro so I figured they were in the game & that was my goal and it took me a year at least.
I played on PC & my girlfriend was WHM on the PS2 and we played together in the same room. Ever wanted to tell at your WHM? Don't do it when it's your girlfriend in your bedroom! She left the party, and joined another's. I got no love that night & learned my lesson
Yeah. I'm playing WoW for the first time ever in Classic. A month and half into release and I'm already raiding Molten Core, the "hardest" current content available. In FFXI it took 6 months just to reach max level...
It is. FFXI is way harder than WoW Classic. I got my Shadow Priest to 60 cap in a week mostly solo. Pre-Raid best in slot in 2 weeks. It can take months to get a single job to 75 in FFXI and you can't do it alone on most classes either. It takes a staggering amount of teamwork and help to get a FFXI job to end game. You lose EXP when you die and you can die in a few hits from monsters even your level. The end game in classic is also kind of a joke too in WoW classic. Ragnaros Vs Absolute Virtue... Not even close in difficulty. FFXI created some of the hardest and most iconic boss fights of all time. XD
@@Rem694u2 And who can forget everyone's favorite boss fight that took some 18 hours to beat. Square went to the point of stupidity with their difficulty.
XI's still harder then WoW classic is currently.
I love that bringing cultures together was a core idea in FFXI's production. You can really see it in the final product, and it was such a unique game in that respect. The thoughts on the economy too were spot on. Having the economy be a core aspect of the game really did make it something truly special. Amazing video!
I kind of wish there was a part 2 to this though Huntin. There's a wealth of history to XI outside of just its production. I believe the way in which it was maintained and innovated upon over the years is hugely important to discuss as well. RMT countermeasures, job balancing, expansions, SYSTEM LIMITATIONS and how they were overcome, quality of life improvements; all wonderful things to touch on as they affected xiv's development and even vice versa since things came to XI from XIV as well. XI will always be one of the most fascinating games in history to me not just because of what it took to create, but also what it overcame in order to grow. Incredible.
I have to both thank you and curse you for getting me to play FFXI once again, on Eden lol. It's been really fun reliving a lot of old experiences. I guess people really do love memberberries!
@@Tanukey6807 We can leave all that history to Hunting 4 Games to make his awesome FFXI videos. :D
"there's no new story content coming anymore"
the two guys still on the dev team: hold our beer
I love 11 but it ruined other mmos for me, they just don't compare to the greatness 11 has.
Edit: I'm glad people feel the same way about 11, it was a special game and I'm sorry that the people who disagree missed out on its glory. I play 14 to this day but it feels like a chore these days, 14 is not even close to how good 11 was but good times always come to an end.
Agreed but the payment wasn't an issue for me. Was you couldn't solo for most classes after 15.
The feeling of finally getting a great party and playing all night has never quite been reached since. The difficulty was so unique.
@svenm sandity wow took them from 06 to 14 to fix it? I love ff but I don't think I could have waited 8 years.
Not even ff14?
@Thien Truong The games aren't even comparable.
I almost cant watch this, the nostalgia is so painful and amazing all at the same time. Re-living that time in my life where everything was amazing and had my whole life ahead of me to adventure. FFVII changed my soul in a wonderful way, but FFXI............nothing can ever compare to the times and adventures i had on there. I ty for making this.....even tho it hurts, it feels good to reminisce about days gone bye.
Nasomi Private server is free come join US!
@@vi683a I may just take you up on that ;)
@@skeptischism1324 Dreadlee is my Character. I await thee, should you choose the tru path of light!
Ghost Dogg I’m not sure if you recall this message. But I joined nasomi. My toon is saint. I’m in nasomi. I hope to see you Dreadlee. Thx for telling me about it!!!!!
absolutely. I feel torn as well.
I devoted 15 years of my life to FF11 and would do it all again. Love this game and thanks for the video!
Nasomi Private server is free come join US!
Eden is another Free Private server
Greg Walter how is it free and how to join o.o
@@Albal87 go to edenxi.com/ and select Install on the left side. Download and run the installer. Just follow the directions on the site. You will also have to register on the site to create an account. Good luck and I hope to see you in game. My character name is Artho.
@@Albal87 Eden is a hella good server. Come play again! Totally free, great community.
I have never had any other experience in a video game like the day I finally made it to Jueno!!! It was like walking into heaven... It was so pretty looking so many more things unlocked just by getting there itself...
Got to love those mages who raises all those dead bodies along the way to Jueno. XD
@@sola4393 I solo'd the run there... Scary scary shit!!
@@sola4393 once place I got hammered was on the way to unlock blu mage I was 30 but even with a 75 warrior those chigoes were nuts...
Everyone always remembers their first Jeuno run. It always comes back to that triumphant memory! XD
@@Rem694u2 I got assistance from a Mithra Black mage, still remember that run. We went via Jugner Forest. She stopped to fish from time to time..
FFXI was my first dip into the MMO world. Man. Such an immersive game. Quests that you actually read. Music that adds to the atmosphere. A dangerous world easy to get lost in.
FF11 is a legend and it basically invented cross platform gaming ♥️
Not only that, but international gaming crossing language barriers even!
@@Rem694u2 PSO had a built in translator in 5 languages, so in that regard FFXI wasn't the first.
I started playing again about 4 months ago. It's been more fun than any game I've played since leaving back in 2006. It has so much appeal and so much content. I am still incredibly impressed with this work of art.
The best world i've ever visited/lived in. I love you Vana'diel! Pandemonium~
I was on Pandy too! My character's name was Fablinix, LS was named HoboNation. Fond memories. What were you called ign?
I was on pandy as name was Mangiao
I was on pandemonium too! It got merged shortly after I quit 😭 I was DigiDude.
That name sounds familiar lol
Pandy for life, son!
WoW: Here's your agenda, don't worry if you fail, just have fun kids.
FFXI: You kids better work together or else!
UO: do whatever, idgaf
Tokorai UO 🖤
Well, fixi leveling is far more to WoW now these days.
Play now. Dont have to party anymore..a shame rrally
LOL. If you're at level 15 with no party, you were screwed...
well ya mmo should be about working together. I hated how solo friendly wow was it was dull and lonely.
I'll never forget my time in FFXI. I don't regret how much time I dumped into the game at all. I made so many good friends and had a ton of fun, it was a great time. I'm glad I didn't miss FFXI's prime. I'm still subbed to it, tbh. Don't play it as much as I used to when I was a teen, but I still log in and do things
Hi man !! Can we still play ON PC ? I saw playstation 2 and xbox servers are closed
I first watched my uncle play this back when I was around 9 years old and I was entranced, enthralled, and overall amazed by this world. I was so obsessed I worked for two whole years (doing chores, mowing lawns, cleaning houses, skipping school lunches, etc...) and saved every penny I had to purchase the PS2 and the HDD/Game. It was the most incredible experience I’ve ever had. Some of the best memories of gaming and in life were in this MMO. I will never regret the sacrifice I made as a kid, and putting in such hard work for something that I wanted so bad. Forever Caitsith server.
I can't stress enough how impressive the fact at 25:00 is. Especially when you consider that FFXI predates and has completely endured WoW.
Eh, I wouldn't say "endured." The FFXI playerbase is pretty much a cult following at this point(but there's nothing wrong with that, cult fanbases are the best fanbases). WoW is really only losing players because MMOs as a genre are becoming less popular. I mean, Ultima Online predates FFXI and EQ, and still has a pay model that people use, but I wouldn't say UO is "enduring" at this point.
To be fair, more people play on private servers than retail. It's really only subscription still because they can and it costs them almost nothing to keep online.
Guild Wars 1 is the same way. It's still B2P like it always was, without being extremely cheap, and has been running since launch. ANet said that it's so cheap to run that they'll keep it online until they go bankrupt.
@@Julietmateus Is Guild Wars 1 still sub based? Cuz I bought Guild Wars 2 and it isn't. Also, SE was creating content for FFXI as recently as last August (I believe) and still updates the games. So they must feel they are getting enough back to be willing to put resources into still some 17 years later. I've seen countless MMOs that were sub based, going to ftp with premium features for members, but that transition is usually the kiss of death for a game.
@@TheDraykon Again it's buy to play, not sub. You have to buy all the games which runs you about $40 off sale. One of the key marketing points of GW1 was that it wasn't a subscription. lol
How is there subscribers if the game is offline?
This video warms my soul. FFXI was my first love and I long to feel the magic that game once gave me. FFXIV is a fine game, but it never gave me that feeling FFXI did. I played from 2004 until 2012 on the Valefor server.
Nasomi Private server is free come join US! Its Era style game at its finest!
Valefor FTW!! My character was Misfitdanzig. Capped Ninja and Redmage. Damn I miss that game.
Delusional to even think this game compares to FF14
I was born 2001 so I really couldn’t play it during its prime but I watched my dad play it all of my childhood and I fell in love watching him play this game and I remember him letting me fight the skeletons on the ferry’s to Mhaura so this game has a special place in my heart so much that I started playing it 2 months ago I’ll be 19 this year and I am now playing it I’ve never been so happy about a game in my life it’s a great experience to play what my dad got to enjoy I’ll never stop playing this game no matter what it’s a great place to go on adventures and make the best memories with friends😃 (my dad is still alive though he just doesn’t play ffxi no matter but he gets excited when he sees me play it) and also me and my dad lost my mom 4 years ago so me and him sort of distanced away from each other we wouldn’t talk much but ever since I’ve started playing this game our bond has grown stronger and I am so happy thanks to this game me and my dad are back and stronger then ever So ig what I can say is thank you ffxi for bringing me and my dad back and for being the best rpg mmo in the universe😃😃
Bless you for making this video, FFXI meant and still means so much to me. The friends I've made and the adventures with them were, imo, the biggest reason I could overcome my social anxiety.
May paradise open it's gates to us all, brothers and sisters.
PS: Shout out to all my Ragnarok fam!
Vanilla FFXI was amazing, what an incredible experience. Played from day 1 to Hereos of Abyssea. I was on Ifrit server. Can still remember my first run through Konschtat Highlands to Valkrum Dunes from Bastok like it was yesterday. Same with getting to Jeuno & getting my Chocobo. Dial-Up sucked, but at the time it was incredible. Can't forget that 1st goblin aggro in the Dunes & running for you life to Selbina 😬. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
"Guys someone told me if you run into the oasis they won't hurt you... " ::makes it to oasis:: WACK WACK WACK (| Raise |) (| Do you have it? |)
Can you make a video about the story of Final Fantasy XI? As a Final Fantasy fan that never played the game, and probably never will due to time constraints, I really would love to know.
Just an FYI, almost all of the story can be done by yourself these days. It'll be great to have a place to watch it again here.. That was always one of of my gripes about FFXI. There was no way to challenge old story content without finding a newbie to go in.
@@dalm312 How easy is it to go in and just play the story? I'm interested in trying it out.
@@kahntrast Fairly easy. Time consuming considering how much there is now, but very much so worth it imo. Everything is soloable, and leveling is easier than ever as of now so picking up a new character, hitting cap and running through the missions at cap is very easy. Also for walkthroughs there is ffxiclopedia, and bg-wiki.
@@pugetsoundlocksmith4854 Thank you!
Same. I never got the chance due to time, finance and internet connection.
I'm so glad this game isn't dying any time soon. It's a shame I lost my original account but have picked it back up here recently and am loving it like I used to.
Such nostalgia. Played this game for nearly 15 years. - seeing clips brings back so many memorys
I played as an Elvaan Red Mage from San d'Oria. I remember beginning and could find parties. But when I reached around lvl 20, nobody really wanted/needed me because I wasn't useful. But once I leveled high enough to get 'refresh', it was INSANE! I'd hide my "job/class" in searches, but people remembered my NAME 'Crexian' and I would get constant requests to join a party. It was a weird feeling. I went from having a good time, to being terribly lonely, to being desperately needed.
Also, I said "job/class" because I couldn't remember which was proper to say... It's been a long time lol.
Totally. The whole society of ffxi was so real and intense. I remember how popular bards were. If you could snag a good bard, your xp skyrocketed. RDM after refresh was a must! The game was def tough if you were a less popular job or didn't have a lot of use yet, but we all made it work. My main was summoner, which i thought i'd be able to be a DD with. Turned out I could only level with /whm and badly at that. I hated it but I loved SMN and wanted to reach 75. I made it, painstakingly. My next job was bard and not only was it WAY more fun than SMN but I easily reached 75 and everybody loved me in their party haha.
I remember buying the strategy guide for FFXI when I was in middle school, and reading it for a year before I was finally able to get the game with it's big HDD for PS2.
Best game ever. They need to put it on consoles again I believe Vana’deil will come back to life if they do. I for one will come back home.
Gaming climate has changed. That’s why they released A Realm Reborn to compete with WoW. You can always mimic a PS2 or Xbox 360 by hooking up your computer to an HDCRT or any old flatscreen and connecting either a PS2 or Xbox 360 controller to said PC adapters or otherwise. You can go for the 75 experience with Nasomi or the retail level 99 one. My gripe with retail FFXI is it takes you a long time to start playing with people again.
Private servers still exist for FFXI. Check out Eden. It's PC only though.
You can play the game on a fucking toaster. No need for consoles.
Rem eden was shut down
@@smallville4351 stop lying everywhere dude it's up
I remember screaming down the hall for people to log on and PL... (power-level) me at Virginia Tech. We were had almost ten people in my dorm that played.
@@paddyotterness I would've loved some Civilization sprinkled in. I don't know if Physics would've survived adding it to the rotation, but there is no cow level, and I am ecstatic for the PS4 port coming soon
My God here I am 3 years later seeing your video and it just brought a huge smile to me when you brought up your greatest memories of your linkshell and your first friend. I remember logging into Lakshmi server in 2004 on the PS2, running through to Tahrongi Canyon and got lost int the Maze of Shakrami. Running down the tunnel I was lost in awe when a Summoner ran by with Ifrit. His name was Niacin. I remember getting 1 shot by a mob and he stopped and razed me. He later became my first international friend on the server. ❤
Amazing. Thanks for this. We're all very lucky to have been able to experience this game. Based on the way society (and games in general) have changed, it's unlikely that anything like it will ever exist again. The mindset of the developers was clearly about developing community and building bridges between cultures, as you brilliantly articulated. Bravo.
*FAVORITE* mmo right here. Such an amazing game.. so many memories.
I never knew that "The bouncer" is spelled, chrono trigger in English. That's why I love FFU, learn something new every day!
We'd like to say it was because we're hinting at a fascinating story to tell about the cross over between Chrono and The Bouncer, but in reality it's a mundane copy and paste error 🙁
@@FinalFantasyUnion Lol, well great video. One of my faves because of the depth you went into Squares mentality in that era and one the decision behind FFXI.
You know, it’s funny. I met my first online friend in XI, back in 2002. We’re still friends to this day, despite being half the world apart. What an amazing link this game gave us.
This video is so good. I played FFXI for 400+ days on in game time or nearly 3000 hours. I can attest that between every single FF game that FFXI has by far the best story they've ever come up with and I'm only talking about Base + the Zilart Expansion. I played FFXI since the PS2 Beta (I have the PS2 game in case that clearly states its Beta) and have loved it forever. It caused me to play FFXIV and become involved in several world first boss kills but nothing can compare to the community that FFXI just completely forces you to be a part of. Nothing right now can ever compare to that experience.
I noticed the LS shoutout at the end.,.... I played 75 WHM for raids, DRK, MNK for Dynamis as part of NotED. In FFXIV I was part of BlueGartr as MNK mainly. Hopefully anyone else playing these games I'll see you in the 3rd iteration of FF Online!
I remember when I first got the game for my PS2, I was still in school at the time and my mom promised to get it for me if I did well in my classes that semester, I got like all A's and one B so we went to circuit city (yeah, remember that place? lol) and bought the bundle with the PS2 HDD. I got home, spent...god knows how many hours installing the game and updates with my best friend sitting next to me. Once I got into the game I made my character, a Male Hume named Astril, and logged in. I remember looking around Bastok in wonder, I had never played an online game like that before and it was amazing to me to see all the other people running about doing stuff. One person ran up to me, typed "Happy Independence day! (I literally started on July 4th lol) and opened a trade window with me then it closed. I was super confused at first but then I noticed he had given me 10k Gil, that was my first interaction with another player on the game.
Gotta love that. I started playing on Nasomi a few years back and had the same kind of thing happen, and have paid it forward multiple times. Escorting new people to Jeuno, offering tutorials, giving gil. It's so rewarding to help out because you know what a challenge it is.
A game where saying congrats when leveling up felt needed.
Fond memories of hitting level 33 five times in the same day
I still play even though the game is a shell of itself and what it once was. The memories and adventures, second only to the amazing people, are what keep me coming back. Bismarck /wave
I love 11, played it from NA PS2 release until 2015. I made some many friends that became real life friends that i keep in touch with and played other games with till this day. Sucks that 14 online did not have the same social ascpect like 11 as I hardly spoke to anyone outside my FC/LS in the 3 years i played and quit.
Same here, I quit 14 right before Heavensward came out and I don't remember a single person I played with. It didn't matter. I never really had to connect with anyone on any real emotional level so they were just a means to an ends to get the dungeon done. Like when you play WoW with dungeon finders. Everyone is just replaceable.
These videos only serve to feed my deep love of these games, the worlds they exist in, the characters, stories etc. It's incredible to me that these become more than just games. They're truly novels packed with lore. Now, they're even serving as a way for my oldest daughter and I to connect (she's 6 and LOVED when we played through FF 15 together. We're playng FF9 together right now).
Keep at it brother! Thank you!
CoP was imo the most information withheld game I've ever played. The monumental task of finishing this expansion is on of my most memorable mmorpg experiences
A few days after the FFXI NA launch, I remember starting an account and not knowing what the heck to do. During one of the more difficult missions, I was asking around for someone to help me. A lone Japanese person started answering me in the translation words and offered to help. I was able to complete one of the first missions I thought was very difficult thanks to him/her which became a big reason why I continued the game even though it was quite difficult for new comers. In the end, I played the game for many years and learned the Japanese language thanks to this game.
FF XI was the first mmo I ever really got into and to this day I don't regret a single second! Amazing game with an amazing community
I met my love on FF11. We are still together. We loved the game and I can't help but compare all MMORPG's to it. They can't compare in my eyes. I hope one day there will be a game with equal greatness.
Love this game. I loved being able to play with Japanese players and loved how everyone worked together. No bad memories of this game. It had its faults the economy was broken but still a great game
Economy was only broken because of RMT's. :(
@@Rem694u2 Ehehehe...wasn't just the RMTs, though they definitely didn't help any ^^;;
Still playing this game after 17 years. Great job on this history.
Same :)
I'm so glad that this came out when it did. I resubscribed to FFXI 3 days ago and have been yearning for new XI content. I know I could watch a streamer or something to scratch that itch, but I haven't dived into any item level content yet, so something nostalgic like this was exactly what I needed.
Thanks for commenting Gloppagus! What spurred you on to resubscribe?
@@FinalFantasyUnion Mostly the state of BLU and SMN in XIV. I kept going on and on to my friends that they're amazing in XI, and that what was done to them in XIV wasn't right, and eventually one of them said I should just resub to XI if it's so great. I just said "that's a great idea, I will". I even managed to drag one with me, and now he's trying XI for the first time.
@@BeauxPhades got an update? I'm hoping you dragged even more people to FFXI from FFXIV ;D
@@occams_blazer Just one. Played with several people I met in XIV in XI that had previously played, though. Been subbed to both games since I made that comment and I'm currently cleaning up Rhapsodies of Vana'diel so I can start Voracious Resurgence.
I'm 55 years old and been playing games since the late 70s which back then meant really arcade games. All thru the micro era (ZX81, Spectrum Commodore 64, BBC/Electron, Amiga, then Playstations and XBox etc. I think it's safe to say I've played many, many titles. FFXI for me though was life changing, in that I met real life friends that I still speak to today. I started in 2005 and "quit" in 2013 and had an 8 year break. Just came back recently. The best game I've ever played, hands down, and still playing.
I loved this game. I would spend hours playing with my friends before or after work everyday. Greatest achievement for me was getting my Summoner to Level 75.
Still remember how hard my heart was pounding during my fierce battle with Shiva ahaha xDD, or meeting up with other summoners infront of cities to spam summon them again and again, aaah good times haha! :D
Umpteen years later...still my fav game. Ps5 watching me sadly while it collect dust...
I miss playing FFXI SO MUCH!!! so many memories. this game taught me so much about myself too. i just wish i had more time everyday to spend it all on this game.
I'm playing it right now, 3 accounts
That's so awesome to hear Davie! How much more content do you have to complete?
@@FinalFantasyUnion ive been playing since launch pretty much so i have like 20+ ultimate weapons, typical mmo though so it never ends xD, they still do monthly updates and add more content
@@FinalFantasyUnion you know ive always got all that FFXI knowledge when i come to the fan gatherings xD
Definitely makes your teams a dark horse in the quiz :D
I also play ffxi as of today... working on my Nirvana
I love that this game still has a dedicated following!
Amazing video. I've played the game for 7 years and loved every single second of it. The game was amazing, playing on PS2 and then on XBox and PC. I've made a bunch of friends on this game and had such amazing memories. Some of the scenes you've included on the game brought back some of those memories and that was very emmotional! Amazing video!
Final Fantasy XI was my first MMO back when it was brand new and it still remains one of my top favorite MMOs ever. I don't sub to it anymore, but the sense of community and challenge the game had just doesn't seem to exist at all anymore. I do enjoy FFXIV, but even it doesn't compare to FFXI in it's early days.
It saddens me that MMOs are focusing more on single player gameplay. I miss walking into a zone and being like "YO WHATTUP WHM IN THE HOUSE" and just getting spammed with invites. The lack of skill chains and magic bursts in FFXIV really killed it for me. It barely feels like you're a team, you're just a bunch of random people who happen to be attacking the same guy.
Agreed. I’m glad FFXIV was made but nothing will replace what FFXI was back then. It’s awesome that it still exists though, and you can go on nostalgia tours through Vana’diel if it strikes you.
@@Tokorai "you're just a bunch of random people who happen to be attacking the same guy" this just fits it perfectly.. was playing it the last days and wondering why I'm even doing this to myself.. doesn't even feel like an mmo, just go in, spam your rotation and dont see anyone ever again. not to talk about the 100mainquests between each freaking raid..
@@Bankai90 wait wait wait, you're saying clicking a text box a hundred times just to teleport halfway across the world and click another text box a hundred times isn't fun and rewarding gameplay?
/s
Yeah I totally agree with you, that is why I now play on a private server called Eden. It's 75 cap classic FFXI that never goes past the Treasures of Aht Urghan expansion so you can relive the glory days without all the casual stuff added that ruined the game. With the exception of a few quality of life improvements like level sync. Kind of a necessary evil. Helps making parties SO MUCH.
This video got me really nostalgic. I played from 2007 till 2012 and during this time I made a lot of friends who I'm still hanging out with to this day.
Because of FFXI I met my husband, my best friend (who in turn made me godmother of 3 children) and people worldwide. From today's viewpoint base idea of doing things together was absolutely awesome - even with the hours of grinding and waiting for a party. It made forming lasting friendships easy. Something I really miss in FFXIV.
I didn't stop playing FFXI because of burnout - I was far from it. No, I stopped playing because I lost my husband and having made so many memories in this game with him playing was too painful.
I've never felt as immersed in a game as I did with FFXI. The world was so full in it's prime. There were all kinds of people. You could really make a name for yourself within the world. No game has ever done that for me. I tried FFXIV but it's not the same. I think FFXIV is more mainstream. It's more for ppl who like WOW. FFXI was not the WOW style. It was super in depth. Really difficult. But very rewarding. I can't explain it. There was a lot wrong with it but it also forged greater bonds since it forced you to join other players to do anything at all. I liked it a lot.
This MMO was an experience I still think about to this day. My college years were spent on this game meeting some really great people that I still keep in touch with. The world, music, and just overall great community the game had is something that I haven't been able to experience outside of FFXI.
Doridori/Endless - Titan
I use to work for Square and was a GM for FFXI. Was the best job I've had.
Oh that moment my good friend helped me get the SMN job and the summons such a beautiful memory. Man partying then, was serious. Set times to nap and get back up literally was the highlight of my high school life. Man, the emotions this game brought and friendships was so deep. FFXI lives on ❤️ Love FFXIV but, it’s really different.
what a fun video! it was nice to live in this nostalgia for 30 minutes. have me missing my smn/whm!
it is the year 2022. logging in for the first time in 9 years to adventure again.
other games still can not compare.
Great video. I was in college for seven years because of this game. Shout out to Fairy, 2003-2008.
I love that last little story about the guy you met in the game. I have so many of those little friendships that came and went that you never heard from again. You never said anything, it just turned out that way.
I wish they would remaster it with UI upgrades or just rebuild it in a new game engine. SE would make buckets of money either way.
all they gotta do is use the 14 engine.... i mean nobody can bitch or they can't get sued its there game >.>
I still love this game. The years and so many hours of time I put into it was worth it! Please make a remastered version so I can start playing again!
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR HIM TO REALESE THIS VIDEO!!!!!!
I don't play FFXI anymore, my account was hacked in 2008 and never got it back, but I love XI so much and think of going back occasionally. So many fond memories of the game and everyone I met while playing. And this video brought back so many of those memories. 😊
No game, film, piece of music or anything that can be classed as "art" will ever come close to having the effect on me that FFXI did. I restarted last week and all the memories coming back has been amazing. All the QoL things I would have hated 10-15 years ago when I last played make me love the game as much now as I did then.
I know this is an older video, but since I believe the population has had an uptick since 2020 . Shame we didn’t get a remake/remaster announcement.
11 was an extremely special experience for me. It's saddening to see it's successor stray from the noble intentions it started
FXIV 1.0 was unsuccesfull because they basically created the same game as 11 with the same hardships that people did not want to put up with like completely rng based crafting as well as difficulties in the engine like almost no movement (as in animation) during combat, being poorly optimized and resource heavy to the point of lagging on high-end hardware and shitty servers that had insane lag (There are multiple videos that discuss why and how it flopped). FFXIV is a miracle in itself because Naoki Yoshida managed to make the clusterfuck he was given into the beautiful game it is today. I never played 1.0 but the Videos I've seen make me kind of glad I didn't because ARR and beyond is SO much better.
2.0 Yoshida killed the game and made it a wow clone. still fun tho. but not unique
@@spookytalesfromthebayou3390 Yoshida saved the game from death
@@elecrom_9757 1.0 was nothing like FF11 wtf are you smoking?
I played 1.0 for the entire time it was up it got better as the months went on it did start to feel like 11 later
After 18 years, I have finally started my journey on FFXI and funnily enough I have chosen to be Black Mage Tarutaru on the Ragnarok server. I know I am very late to the party and this video but thank you FFU for a rather touching video on the MMORPG. It also has reminded me to go back to my FFXIV journey too...
I wish they'd made an offline game set in Vana'diel. I miss XI, but also I think I've got some pretty rosy glasses on, considering I was never even able to make it past level 40!
pandoradoggle join us on Eden!
It's crazy how many lves this game had changed. Funny thing is i'm here Youtubing to get that nostolgic feeling again. Just the friends, the music of certain zones, and the teamwork needed. I feel if i'm ever reborn i'll play this again! Too bad we all had to grow up and move on. Love this game and the friends I met behind it!
I got kinda emotional watching this
Thank you so much for this. I've been trying to find this documentary type content for ffxi for a long time.
Video was heartwarming.
I played FFXI quite actively from late 2003 till 2013, and I stayed subscribed until 2019, went back finished expansions I hadn't concluded in 2017. In 2003 my brother had obtained it on PS2, and I remember most people were put off by its high price, the online nature and subscription, but we just wanted to play it as much as possible. Unfortunately, due to our internet connection being dial-up and living amongst parents and our other brother still, it wasn't until early 2004 when we got DSL that we were able to play the game in a stable, consistent fashion.
When I first started I wanted to be a Red Mage / Dark Knight, because it sounded like it would be incredibly powerful, the best a melee/magic fighter could possibly do! Instead, I wound up cycling through 4 of the 5 races until I decided if I never made up my mind I'd never get to the "end" of the game. I rolled a Hume, and got back to work in a familiar fashion, having sent all my previously acquired gear to a loyal friend, who sent it back to my new character each time I had started over. I spent all of 2004 getting a feel for the basic mechanics, leveling to level 32 and repeating the subjob quest, the airship key quests, the 2-3 shadow dragon mission, and making my friends think I was insane.
By early 2005 I was catching up to them steadily, but certain things really slowed me down, like having to quest for Norg fame to obtain Utsusemi: Ichi. I remember a random 60 something Paladin helped me navigate the Sea Serpent Grotto to find the treasure room for that quest, fending off Sea Monks and Sahagins in his Vermilion Cloak. By the end of 2005 I was approaching the mid 50s, but I got grounded(I was 15) for excess TV hogging and disregarding bedtimes. So I had an involuntary hiatus from about October of 2005 until March of 2006. I used that time to play older FF titles on a ZNES emulator. I beat FF5 during that hiatus, and at the time it was rather challenging for me(I hadn't learned to use Gamefaqs or the internet for game guide help). When I did return to game, I fell back in with my old friends, my brother bought me Chains of Promathia, and I asked for Treasures of Aht Urghan for my birthday in May, but begged to receive a few weeks early for the April release. My brother had moved out on his own in another state by then, and we were playing different characters together now.
When I hit Aht Urghan, everything sped up. I went from level 56 to 61 in just week or so. Then 61 to 65 in another week and a half. There was a stymie having to get Staging Points, trying to make money on Assaults, and figuring out the new camps for EXP. Winding up at Imps in Caedarva Mire from 65 to 72, I think, with occasional days spent at Bibiki Bay Goblins/Dhalmels? That was really pushing it, but I remember having a bard party out there and tearing up the whole area so badly, that other parties trying to camp there left, cause they couldn't snag even the Jnuns or Spongilla Flies(CM). Then it was onto Greater Colibri, or Trolls in the Troll stronghold, or older camps like the Rocs at Bleublade Fell portion of the Lufaise Meadows on the COP related Tavnazian Archipelago. Of course, you had to stop every 5 levels after you hit level 50 to do the level cap raising quests, the Maat Genkais as we called'em.
50-55 was getting an Exoray Mold, a Lich item... Ancient Papyrus? and a Bomb coal or heart or something like that.
55-60 was fighting these weird Nortorious Monsters that had exceedingly high HP but took and dealth exceedingly high damage in Xarcabard.
60-65 was going to the deepest part of every Beastman Stronghold capital, and obtaining the key item from the location.
65-70 was really easy. I think you only had to give Maat something like 10 Kindred Seals? Or maybe it was less, and he had you go give them to certain people? It was a cake walk due to online guides with datamined quest information by that point in the game's life.
Then the finale... Shattering Stars. Level 70-75. Farm a Testimonial paper corresponding to your job, present it to Maat, and then fight him one on one with him on that same job, though keeping his unique Monk-main weaponskills to make up for his lack of a weapon.
There were more level caps after that, but I hit level 75 at the very beginning of the summer of 2006, right as school let out, which then saw me saddle up with an Endgame Sky LS with a focus on getting people through the early COP missions, the final goal being Sea access. I'd been working on COP since the end of winter, and it was an expansion you could work on as early as level 30 because the earlier portions of it were level cap/level sync'd for each chapter. 30 > 40 > 50 > 60 > uncapped eventually. All of the hardest missions happened in the 60 and below range, due to the restriction on player ability(except those damn 8-3 pots). The party I rounded up for Mithran Trackers musta died about 19 times in a single day trying to beat that portion of Chapter 5-3. It was especially gruesome cause within the next few days they did an update where you no longer lost EXP from failing mission fights, or lost a lot less or something. It took a long time to beat COP for me. I don't remember if it was 10 full months or a year, but it felt even longer, because a lot of people I knew were already jamming around in Sea doing Limbus.
I could TLDR about FFXI all day and all night.
Damn these FFXI videos still hit me right in the feels...just hearing the music brings tears to my eyes. Played for 5 years on Leviathan and have been sorely tempted to go back lately. I know it's not the same game anymore as when I played but damn if it still doesn't look like home whenever I see a video about it. Pretty sure no game before or since captured my heart (and wallet XD ) so utterly and completely.
I miss this game so much. Great memories ! 😌
I played 10.5 years on this game and i can say it had a huge impact on who i am now.
The difficulty you had to overcome and the bonds you create to achieve it was a beautiful experience.
I love and appreciate this video soo much! I still go back to 11, when I get bored of 14 or have the free time. Lost my original account so had to start all over (:( But for me 11 and GW 1 are gold for me. Not a single complaint and would continue to play as long as I can
I remember playing this near the released date. It was literally my first MMO, and I had made good friends there. After I stopped playing, I lost touch with my two best friends 'Cherrika' and 'Richardd'. To this day, I still wonder if they're doing ok. They were great people.
Something I want you kids to understand is that FFXI is an absolute masterpiece of a game, despite its age. FFXIV is NOT the only Final Fantasy MMO out there, and this game is still running, and will be for a long time to come. The story in XI is unmatched. I have over 20,000 hours on my main character, Asukalangley, and I still dip into it from time to time, though she's mostly retired now. Don't let 14's flashy visuals fool you -- for my money, THIS is the superior game, and always will be.
Yeah, i never got the hype for 14... its literally world of warcraft with ff elements, even yoshi p said that without WoW, FF14 wouldn't have been a thing.
Everything they put in to the game, concepts, dreams, etc. It worked.
The game has most of my most fondest memories in any gaming experience. From being new and trying to be a solo player, winding up being poked at by a community, offering but not even pressuring to join them, but being offered tips and such on how to improve and where to go. To things as goofy as multiple people sitting on a boat, none of which spoke the same language, and laughing over someone pulling a sea monk on board that proceeded to kill everyone. XI was a proper MMORPG, and didn't shy away from trying to get people to get accustomed to stepping out of their comfort zone to try and be better in general.
And even down to minor bits of like asking for help, everyone was well aware of what everyone has to go through and was bound to go through, so there was never a short supply of people more than willing to drop what they were doing to offer a hand with something, or try and lead you to where you wanted to go in the easiest route you could take. ie. People helping you open the door for Garlaige Citadel, running a bazaar alt to Jueno, farming up stuff for your airship pass and things like your gobbie bag. Heck, even if all they had to rely on was auto-trans to try and guide you, people would dump time into trying to help or for however long they had free.
"Red Mages then fulfilled the jack of all trades role, able to deal damage or heal, depending on the situation." Yeah, it was always a pleasure inviting a red mage to your party and the first thing he does is draw his 1 handed sword and melees for 1 damage, causing the goblin to do non-stop bomb tosses.
{Enfeebling Magic} {Do you have it?} {Please...}
@@RoninXDarknight ... I still have that xD
I loved this game, and every square inch of that world. You had to be there, it was a magical moment in mmo history, I never expected that after experiencing something special in EQ, I would actually get the chance to experience that feeling again so soon, and to an even greater degree. I lived in that world, I was as much a citizen of Windurst as America, I can remember every twist and turn of Giddeus, I can see East and West Sarutabaruta in my minds eye so clearly. I can remember my exact route for naked level 1 runs to Junon, either to get a mule there or for holding a race to place bets. Met so many cool people, including Japanese players, and experienced so many highs and lows fighting over nms and hnms, it truly was a game that brought people together. After playing for hours with my LS Mates, I would just park my character in Windurst or one of the Sarutabarutas, or Altepas or the Oasis and let the zone music serenade me to sleep, I had a hard time logging off. Haven't had an mmo experience like it sense. So glad I missed the boat on WoW, that game seems to have aged like milk, and it always felt like too much of an EQ clone. FFXIV is a pale imitation in comparison, reversing a lot of what made XI special, imo at least.
XI is great I spend most of my life playing it from 2003 till 2009 and recently picked it up again since 2-3 months. Sucks I do not have the time I used to have with a full time job and a kid. But goddamn I can honestly say Final Fantasy XI along with Final Fantasy VII are 2 of my favorite games of all time. There is a Final Fantasy XI history wiki on BG Forums. Google it.... Its amazing. Keeps up to date with the game since 2000 each month with updates/ beta / screenshots pictures etc.
Thank you for mentioning that for me! I just released 2010 in August, and I'm going to start 2011 soon.
@@Funkworkzz Dude I had so much fun reading it. It bought back so many memories. I have it bookmarked. And will defintely be checking back to continue reading.
@@Funkworkzz Btw if you are intrested in FFXI. I have quite a few videos on my channel. Sanoshin (he made a lot of videos in the early days) was a linkshell member of mine and I used to host some of his videos on my final fantasy fan website (ffevolution.net). Website went down alot when I began hosting his videos due to bandtwith haha. :D Along with some personal videos etc. :)
This was fantastic. I've always been curious about the origins of FFXI and how such a remarkable creation got off the ground. Thank you
Heh. I remember so many people trying WAR/WHM, back in the day. Yeah, awesome, a WAR that can heal himself, what's not to love? Answer, the fact that you still die because you ain't got enough Hp or MP to really make that work! WAR/MNK existed for a reason, and that and other combos meant that, unlike some games, the starting areas were always populated with someone raising a new subjob or recently unlocked job.
Also, I fondly remember the fundamental law of FFXI... no matter how tough, no matter how equipped, no matter who or what you are... somewhere out there there is a bunny-rabbit that can KICK YOUR ASS TO THE MOON. (Damn rarabs were OP, I tell you...)
OMG your comment just made my day! I still play today, and as I say to many people that have played, still play and never played, that no matter how high your lvl, no matter your job/sub, there is a bunny out there that can kick your ass!
@@Matpara411 It's funny because it's true.
Well, it's not that funny when the bunny is eating your entrails, but you get what I mean.
i'm from Ragnarok and the British Geezers LS was still going in 2013. amazing video and nostalgia. great memories. thank you for making this.
Everyone needs to come back to final fantasy xi and come to Asura server! 2,000-3,000 players always online!
15:48 that right there was an absolute important idea.
Love your video.
I miss my time on XI a lot, even as an active XIV player. Recreating that experience would be impossible today, I think. Dark Souls is about as close as it gets.
Hello, Union and all members of this family. ^_^ Am a new subscriber, and love these vids about old and new games and content in the FF series. Became a big fan of the franchise ever since VII came out on PsOne back then. That gave this console-gamer a rpg-series favorite towering about all the others out there. Bought XI for Xbox 360 many years ago and did get some years of joy and experiences with the series' first online-game until the version got shut down. Specially loved the Adventuring Fellow function; having a customisable npc-AI 'ish tagging along on your journey, was real cool. :D Joined a linkshell named TheDarkLords, with lotsa nice and fun people.
Nasomi is a free private server,..... come back ,,,come back
Played this game for 7 years. It was an amazing experience. When they changed dynamis it kind of ruined it for me. I ran that twice a week and loved pulling for it. Skill and friendship is what let you move up in this world. Now it's much more solo friendly...I get why they changed it, but for me it made the game worse. I stopped playing because I didn't have the time to put into it, but I wish they didn't make some of the changes. It's better for the people who continued to play but the game as a whole used to be better in my opinion. Skill + teamwork is so much more satisfying than soloing and just being overpowered.
I've played FFXI just about every day since EU release and still learning every day. My favourite game of all time, and I've been lucky enough to stay up-to-date with games since 1982 and played the best games in every generation since then. Nothing comes close to FFXI.
The video is right though. It has stuck so well because of the initial brutality of the exp penalty on death and inability to solo content that encouraged real cooperation between players and forged lasting alliances. "Pick up groups" would still have been too weak to complete the tougher content in many cases so you had to actually practice together and get to know your team. New players won't experience that so much (at least not until high endgame) which is a pity.
Old dinosaurs like me are so affected by those old days that we will stick to the game out of pure nostalgia until the day they pull the plug out of the big machine in Japan. I just wish modern MMO makers were in a position where they could try this kind of format. After I trawl through all the daily rewards and close all the window popups with fragile attempts to sell me things when I log into a modern MMO I'm so pissed off I generally just crack on with FFXI again. Even Playonline login beats all those popups.
Final Fantasy XI was in truth, my first MMO. While I did play Everquest for a week, I never got into it. being a Final Fantasy fan Final Fantasy XI drew me in, and while I played on several servers Shiva ended up being my home. an elvaan from San d'Oria, Laurion, I mostly played Dark Knight and Dragoon until later focusing on Corsair. I met people in that game that I am still friends with today. Final Fantasy XI was not a perfect game, and I can point out a lot of personal faults I saw with it through out it's time, but I still loved it and at times miss the game and consider logging on just to run around and see the sites again.
I was a poor little Taru named Pindle on the Kujata server. I spent so much time on the game. Such a good time.