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I first had some apprehension toward playing a MMORPG, but those feelings have since gone. Last summer, I started playing FFXI, and had a blast. I had to quit because of school, and sold the game. I wanted to get back into it, but didn't want to spend the money again to rebuy the game, and then get the expansion. Fortunately for me, they decided to release this collection! I snatched it up and spent most of my time since playing it.
Now for some game details: The play control, graphics and sound are all top notch. I'm using a P4 that's about 3+ years old with a Geforce MX 420 card, and I"m still dazzled by the image quality. The game is designed for endless fun. Many people complain that it takes a while to accomplish anythign with the game, but that's the whole point. The game designers made Final Fantasy XI for those that want a game that really never ends, but still keeps delivering a new and exciting experience over and over again.
Another complaint is the monthly fee... well, sure $13 per month can be a lot if you don't plan on playing frequently, but if you're an avid gamer that likes to get sucked into one game, this may eventually save you money since you won't have the time to do other things!
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Just a little background about me before I begin...Level 75 Summoner
Level 74 Black Mage
Level 65 Bard
Level 60 White Mage
These are my main jobs, although I have all of the jobs open (w/ the exception of the 3 new jobs due w/ the expansion in the next few days).
I've been playing FFXI for 3 years and I'll share some of the pros and cons I have personally experienced: (Please remember that this game requires one MAJOR thing... TIME, it IS an MMORPG, so Duh! ;p)
Pros:
Great music, story line(s) (via Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promanthia and soon Treasures expansions). Great zones. Beautiful landscapes and incredible monsters to battle. Each job has it's own Artifact armor which provides incredible enhancements to the job. Jobs from lvl 52 60 allow you to equip that specific jobs Artifact (or job specific) gear. Which looks awesome! Quests for other, rare gear is also available to be taken advantage of by others. Missions, require party's in many instances, to complete tell incredible stories and provide breathtaking cutscenes. Spells truly come to life on screen... Flare from a Black Mage, Summon Ifrit or Shiva or Fenrir... Cast White Mage magic and watch it come to life on screen... Use a wyvern as a Dragoon and watch it grow in power... the list goes on and on.
Cons... the game isn't perfect but the biggest beefs most seem to have is getting money (gil) in order to get around in the game. The mechanics to do so have been provided synthesis. This provides you the ability to craft items and then sell those items to others for gil. (The system is more complex than that, but that's the basic premise.) Time is another major issue... as u level up in the game, and depending on the type of job you are---you may be seeking for party for a VERY long time. This is primarily because most players tend to rely on a basic formula to create a party which is most effective: A tank, a healer, a refresher, and three direct damage jobs). If ur job doesn't necessarily fit into any of those catagories, then invites to party would be very slow and as such, players tend to sit around for hours waiting for an invite. Now, some players create their own party's... these folks don't mind taking leadership roles in a group and either (a) have one of those jobs that truly don't necessarily fit well in a conventional party set-up or (b) don't care either way but just want to party regardless. Since your paying a monthly fee, play the game the way you want to play it... just be mindful that this game was created w/ partying/grouping in mind... in order to get far in the game you must party... u MUST group together.
Granted partying and grouping is practically required, but there are viable alternatives. Some jobs solo better than others... white mages can't solo very well, even at lvl 75, compared to say... a summoner or paladin. So you have to pick and choose your job carefully, the one you want to grow with.
There is a way to make things easier, which players who post to these reviews and online forums fail to mention; the use of Linkshells.
A linkshell is a network of players who's sole purpose to get together and help each other out. In FFXI there are thousands of linkshells, always looking for members... these linkshells can vary from goal specific to just general social linkshells. Some are job specific (black mages only) and some are mission specific (Chains of Promanthia linkshell only). But these "tools" help you group with others who are doing the same thing you are generally trying to do. Finding these linkshells, is as simple as "shouting" in the middle of town of your linkshell interest and waiting for a response from someone --believe me, there's always someone looking for new members for their linkshell.
The Time issue is another more important detail, which many others have touched on... and it is important because if you don't have TIME to invest in the game... you won't feel the connection to continue playing.
This game requires a lot of time, dedication and patience. At higher levels, past lvl 60, you'll need to realistically spend at least 5-6 hours per night or at least 3 4 times per week in a specific job in order to progress. Level 75 is the maximum level in the game, but that doesn't mean your character stops growing. Merit or Limit points can be acquired when a character reaches level 75. These points can be assigned to many different attributes for a job to increase maximum hitpoints, increase maximum magic points, increase Strength stat, vitality stat, etc. So if you want to make your Black Mage cause more damage with his/her spells, and they are level 75, just keep fighting in experience party's and earning merit/limit points. Then you can assign points to the Black Mages' INT (intelligence) statistic...this will make your Black Mage's spells cause ALOT more damage.
So as you can see, leveling to 75 can take time but the rewards do not stop at lvl 75, they get better. Also at level 75, opens the door to newer, more powerful, and rare armor that you can't get from any place else... and new realms/dimensions become accessible. These new realms have monsters in them that even at lvl 75, you must party together with 50-60 or more members (creating what's called alliances) in order to accomplish a common goal and get the rewards. These drops of ancient armor are extremely rare and require multiple trips into these dimensions.
FFXI is more than your typical MMORPG. If you are looking for something rewarding and that you can play for YEARS and still not accomplish everything, this is the game for you. Good luck to all and I hope this gives you a bird's eye view of what this game has to offer -btw, this review doesn't even touch on what the new expansion offers... that's a WHOLE nuther bag of chips. But things just get better! ^-^''
Best Deals for Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection - PC
First of all, I just want to point out the fact that you will not find another MMORPG like this. It's simply the most involving, the most up to date, and the most eventful game you will EVER play! I am going to go through each aspect of the game, simply so you can see how well the game is overall.First of all, let's talk about the sound / video. The game's graphics are very good. They are not top notch, of course, but they are EXCELLENT when compared with the sound and the gameplay. The sound is excellent, I love the music from the game. I loved it SO MUCH that I had to buy the soundtrack. This was a five star rating for me, overall. The graphics are about four stars.
The gameplay is wonderful. I LOVE the game itself because fighting is fun, and it takes time. You have to work with your team and stay on task to win, and that is what is so wonderful about it all! If you wish to stay alive, however, you need to watch where you are. There is a lot of wandering monsters that would LOVE to eat you alive, if you know what I mean... This adds to the thrill of the game. Five stars.
The overall game is wonderful. You will get a lot from this game. It's tons of fun, and it has a lot to do inside the game. You WILL be fighting a lot, but you will also be questing a lot. You just have to have patience, and the game will grow and become better.
Honest reviews on Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection - PC
I enjoy this game so much I bought it for both my computer and playstation. Both versions are great, although I find that the keyboard on the computer makes communicating with my party members in chat easier. This game is designed so that there is a terrific amount of world to explore, quests to do, items to collect, games to play, and a community of players to meet and spend time with as well. New players may find it frustrating initially because they may have some large downloads. Some parts of the game are geared towards team play, but you can make friends pretty quickly in the game and get through those areas easily. The servers are very well kept up and seasonal events occur regularly as well as all sorts of special events that give special items.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection - PC
Welcome to FFXI or as I like to call it, Melo-drama online! The game is very good. I've been playing for about 2 years now and haven't got bored with it yet. The servers are well maintained and the game looks great on max graphic settings. There are tons of things to do, you will never get tired of the game. But be warned, the game is infested with drama. People will use you, abuse you, and spit you out. I don't reccomend this game for highschoolers or anyone on depression therapy. The only downside to this game is that some people take the game way to seriously and it basicly becomes thier lives. It is disturbing to witness. Don't let this happen to you! Heed the disclaimer as FFXI boots up. Welcome to Vana'diel, errr... Melo-drama.
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