The September version update was recently announced, and I'm certain that many people are eager with anticipation to see what comes next. I'm personally excited for more of the WotG storyline to unfold now that we have the individual city stories resolved. I'm also anxious to see the story behind the Abyssea and if there is any connection between that and WotG since they both share the cavernous maw that has been symbolic with Atomos.
My biggest source of anxiety comes with another arrival due in September: Final Fantasy XIV.
I'd be a fool to completely overlook this, and I'm fairly certain that many others have this on their heads as well. I don't think there is going to be a mass exodus of people from XI to XIV, but I'm certain that the presence of this new arrival will be felt.
In some instances, this is good, but I am on the fence. As I've talked to people more and more, I'm seeing a particular pattern. Those who have played XI for several years or more and are still active have the mindset of not wanting to leave XI. If they do leave, it will not be for XIV, but they will probably just leave altogether.
On another hand, there are people who haven't been here as long, and are very eagerly awaiting the arrival of XIV because they fear that they have missed the boat on XI and are simply too far behind to really enjoy things. I think these will constitute the majority of the people who make the initial switch. These people and the ones who quit FFXI awhile back.
Then you have people like me. I'm not a veteran to Vana'diel, but I also have been around long enough to have memories of "the good old days." Before Fields of Valor and Campaign Battle, when Hagun was 4 million+, and even before Ninjas were granted sneak and invisible. A lot has happened to this place in 2 years, it seems. If I'm not mistaken, I was here before Dancers and Scholars had relic armor and group 2 merits.
I digress. For me, there is still so much to see and explore in this world. At the same time, I want to experience it with those closest to me. A big majority of those people are the ones who have been here for so long. The veterans, if you will. When XIV arrives, what will happen then? If they decide that it's time to leave XI, then what is left here? I don't think this place will be empty by any means, but a world full of strangers has very little difference than an empty one. If I'm going to explore an empty world, I would rather it be one that I am unfamiliar with, and not a world where I find myself constantly wishing for the company of those who were once there with me.
So, I am left with a question that will require an answer very soon. Decisions, decisions. What about you? What have you decided for your FF future?
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It's not always sunshine and rainbows.
4 comments:
I'm going for the "Wait and see" route.
While joining at release would be cool and all, I hate the idea of jumping in with no knowledge base. So I figure I'll wait until the PS3 release to see how the game shapes up.
I'm inclined to just stick with FFXI for now though because I finally settled down with some good people to play with and there are some goals I want to complete before I leave Vana'diel. Namely: the pimp suit, beating up Maat and hitting level 75.
Fay and I will most likely stay with FFXI but will try FFXIV when it comes out for the PS3(price dependent for me). Even before the level cap, Abyssea, etc., we already had a lot of things that we want to finish before we pack up and leave. Not even end-game crap either...crafting and the little things we like to do to enjoy the game. I don't care what anyone says about the graphics either. It's still IMO one of the best looking MMOs out there.
I can fall into that category of getting into areas of the game that no longer has any validity any more. Funny thing is...if going by years on the game, I would be a Veteran. Think I started shortly after when CoP released and the PS2 was a decent choice to play on as a platform. :P
What I've seen of FFXIV has left me thoroughly unimpressed. The combat looks pretty similar to FFXI's except more micro-managey and stance-based. The "there's no levels!!!" and "your weapon will determine your class!!!" stuff also seems either massively dumbed down from what I'd expected or missing entirely.
It's HD and pretty and shit, but I don't really care.
I'm going to continue playing FFXI for the next year and decide where to go from there. I may stick around in XI beyond that. I'm not sure yet. I definitely won't be starting up FFXIV. I've spent waaaaay too much time playing this. I'm not going to dump that much into another game.
I'm also puzzled by the media comments I've seen about FFXIV. It's usually, "FFXI sucks and the people who play it are stupid, but I'm really looking forward to trying out FFXIV when it comes out." Aside from apparently taking some cues from Monster Hunter it doesn't look vastly different. Sure I've only seen footage from the beta, but still.
I'm staying on FFXI. When the time comes I'll quit FFXI but I have no plans on going to XIV for the main reason that my wife would kill me if I started a new MMO. lol
But like someone else has said, FFXIV looks like a pretty version of WoW, and that is a game I hate. I enjoy the challenges of FFXI. The fights that you can't stand to do, but when you beat them, you feel you really accomplished somthing. I would think I would qualify as a Vet as I've been here since Hades was started. But yeah, I'm staying. so at least you wont be completely alone when the exodus of XIV comes.
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