Goodbye, FFXI - and why I won't ever play another MMO again
Posted by Huy Dinh
Mar 20
It's finally happened: Over six years after the EU release of Final Fantasy XI, I've managed to let go of it. I haven't been around for the whole time, because of studies, but it was a good time as a whole. I have made a bunch of new friends, I have been through a lot with them in-game and, most important, we had many good laughs. Despite all those great memories, I have lost all my drive to remain a part of the Final Fantasy XI ecosystem. So instead of trying to preserve a relationship with XI by any means, I decided to just break up. In the end, it probably is better for both parties.
Why I left Final Fantasy XI...
To me, MMOs have been all about slaying (big) stuff with a rather large bunch of people. Sure, such big groups always come with a multitude of possible problems. Loot whores, drama llamas, social conflicts, many iterations of the same thing over and over again, and more. But that's what emphasizes the "MM" part of "MMO", in my opinion. When multiple different personalities crash, problems will arise. And most of the time, those personalities will have to find a way to solve those problems, or someone (e. g. a "leader") will have to do so. This kind of social component is what enticed me to pick up an MMO back then.
Sure, I do prefer doing things with close buddies, if possible, but the addition of other people, be it other LS members or complete strangers (hooray to pickup groups), is a relevant factor for the first "M" in "MMO". The way SE is taking Final Fantasy XI however does not imply any "massive" multi-player anymore. You probably could do most of what XI has to offer with a handful of people. I dislike this, but I know a lot of people who appreciate this, seeing how they finally get a chance to do stuff without having to deal with people they don't know. At this time, it seems more than unlikely SE will provide new content like Dynamis or Einherjar in the near future, but it's drifting more towards low-man events only.
Whether this is the purpose of an MMO, that's up to you.
The undying topic of difficulty
I know there's no feasible way to properly measure difficulty in Final Fantasy XI. Is it the minimum number of people required for something? The amount of time you have to put into something to get it done? The number a random number generator gives you? No, I don't know how to quantify difficulty, even as an estimate. As such, whenever I claim something to be "easier" than something else, that's my own perception. And it can be erratic. But I'll try to be as non-biased as possible when talking about difficulty in Final Fantasy XI.
Long story short: I think the game has become a lot easier than it used to be. Part of that opinion is first-hand experience, seeing how easy many fights in Abyssea have become, even with small numbers, and part of it is of theoretical nature like concluding difficulty from lowered Primeval Brew when in possession of the Abyssite of the Cosmos. (Though people might argue that SE deliberately made brewing cheaper, so they could put in fights where brewing is a necessity and it is going to be difficult even with brews...) From what I have seen in Abyssea before I quit, there are no real sings pointing at an increase in difficulty anytime soon.
What I have observed, however, is that small groups that had trouble dealing with level 75 content (Nyzul Isle, Assault in general and the likes) now are doing well in Abyssea. Of course it's no conclusive evidence, and there is a fair chance they just have improved, but there as well is a chance that the game has become easier, as a matter of fact. Even if aforementioned problems were based on the lack of members alone, the game likely has become easier by providing content that can be beaten with even smaller numbers.
Oh, and I am well aware of both how the enemy TP system works, actually favoring small numbers at times, and the fact that "compressing" groups by making them smaller is not bad by definition, as each member of the group has more stuff to take care of. But frankly: Would people able of doing that pre-Abyssea have deemed level 75 content troublesome at 75? And why would they have improved suddenly?
...and why I won't play an MMO again
Despite all this, many people have been enjoying Final Fantasy XI more than ever before (and those who don't probably have quit some time ago), claiming they finally are rewarded for putting in effort and such other fancy lines.
Maybe it's just me who's trying to unleash his full potential, no matter what he's doing. Which includes being prepared, not doing anything seriously distracting when doing something and reflecting at least every now and then, as well as trying my hardest to achieve a goal. As such, I consider the concept of "You put in some effort, you get rewards" somewhat wacky, because it never takes not putting in enough effort into consideration. With this attitude, Final Fantasy XI at times felt like a lot of work, I admit. But the prospect of rewards made it enjoyable. And even though I never expected anyone I've played with to be the crazy idiot I have been, I did expect everyone to be one thing: Doing their best at the run itself. Which is increasingly difficult in an on-line world where means of distraction are waiting around every single corner. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, whatnot. And that's not thinking about real life distraction yet. Therefore, it is unlikely that I will meet a critical mass of people with a mindset at least similar to mine.
After all, when you play a game, you don't really want to see it as a second work place. You just want to relax. Which just is a bad combination with what I'm demanding of people. Plus it's even worse. You know all the "It's my $13 (or whatever your game is a month), so stfu!" people. Then, there's all the people just shouting "GIMP!!1!" at other people (more often than not some aforementioned "It's my $13!" people), instead of giving constructive advice on how to become better. But why even bother trying, you don't need them anyway. You're fine in your little world. Across Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft, and Lineage 2, this is an observation friends of mine and I have made. There's a high chance other MMOs suffer from the same problems, as well. Both the lack of friendliness and dedication of most people indicate that there's no MMO I'd be happy in.
No, Thank You!
It's sad to leave Final Fantasy XI because of this. ;-(
Without any particular order, I would like to thank all of Integral, OmgWtfLinkshell, DSM, Virtuous, Origin, and former Atomic members. You have made my stay in Vana'diel more than enjoyable and we've done many great things together. Thanks a lot for many priceless memories! Those interested in staying in touch with me (and don't have any means of doing so yet), feel free to drop an email at mail@huydinh.eu - we'll most certainly find a way!
If you see this fake Taru running around on lolQuetz, he's Lechero's property now. I'm sure he'll forward any relevant messages you might have for me, though. ;-D
