EDITORIAL: Will FFXI Survive the Rapture?Follow

Nah, all they need to do to keep players is make an announcement "New job updates FOR YOUR JOBS coming soon", but then just let it go year after year without doing anything.

We are suckers like that who actually hang around to see when things like improved THF 2 hour is coming.

I honestly think that both games will eventually balance each other out due to the economic cross effects that both games will experience after the release.

In FFXI, one of two things will happen: inflation will massively grow (if people start donating their remaining gil to their friends) or massively decrease (due to a glut in items on the AH and in bazaars). Needless to say, this will result in the players who remain to actually be able to afford that piece of rare equipment that they have been unable to attain due to exorbatant prices). Additionally, with a smaller player base in FFXI, there is the potential for more flexibility in partying due to party leaders not being able to be as picky as to their party setup. (perhaps then even a puppetmaster or blue mage can consistently find parties). These two factors will definitely encourage the remaining player base, as well as may potentially draw back a few others.

At the same time, FFXIV will provide a truly level playing field for all characters, providing SE does a worldwide simultaneous release. There will be no "uber" players, or massive inflation of item prices. The level playing field for all players starting out is definitely a big draw for me, as well as getting to experiment with play styles and character development.

In essence, I believe that the release of FFXIV will be a boon to both games, as it will ease economic and logistical burdens on both systems.

I disagree with it also. The difference between this post and others is that the post content is actually good. It's a nicely written and has nothing wrong with it. On top of that, since everyone is so quick to use the admin card, he wrote an editorial. Not a normal forum post. It was on the front page and he copied it over to the forums. Front page allows comments but forums can get the most feed back.

Long story short; ******* be hatin'.

Agreed. I read it and i agree with most of it; FFXI will hurt after FFXIV comes out and if its good then that hurt will be long term. Server merges will likely happen...but this is old news.

This isn't doomsday; its not like FFXI was killed off in its youth and having dreams about the end of FFXI is worrying. If the end of a MMORPG is going to hurt you that badly then dam...i hate to think how you'd get over something more serious.

Finally, for many people like me, this is a chance to take the friends i have made in FFXI and explore a new world together. Enjoy a game like it should be, without the daily ******** of endgame and strict pop windows to measure life within. Sod that, what a waste; and it stopped being fun several years ago. I can't wait to feel excited again!

A well written and quite eloquent "XI is dying, OMG" post no doubt, but as others have mentioned, does this even add to any substantive conversation... for either XI or XIV? Maybe it does for the XI subscribers, and it's placed in the right forum, but a link on the XIV front page seems overboard. It's hard enough to reassure the "Sky is Falling" crowd on the XIV forums without having this be one of the primary "Topics" on the main page of the barely created new site.

I know it may sound insensitive, but its a video game. And all video games end eventually. The fascination with XI's end has lasted longer than it's even been around North America, and will go on for years to come. I've been a part of both sides of this discussion for several years from the inside of the MMO. I've spent time since my retirement reassuring RL friends and various internet chat forums that XI is going nowhere... and frankly, it's gotten old.

If you think the end is upon you, then it's a self fulfilling prophesy. And promoting these kind of articles will only help accelerate the opinion that XI will not be a viable MMO once XIV arrives. It's not an opinion I share, but one that many passionate XI players seem obsessed with. It's like dating a gloomy goth chick, without the good days.

>.<

Thay, was this REALLY necessary? I mean, it's better written than most of the FFXI IS DIEING posts... but really... really?

And yes, as well written as this is, if it were not an admin (since they have no arrows) he'd get a big red arrow from me.

- We know nothing of this new game, it could be terrible
- We know nothing of the payment scheme yet
- We know nothing of any guild system

In short, I see no reason to get excited by what amounts to a cutscene and rampant rumor. When it's launched, I'll see if I bother. And before that, I couldn't give a **** about articles like this.

0/10, would not read again, rate down, et cetera.

I was saying I have a pretty good idea of how the FFXI Main forum reacts to people talking about the end of FFXI in earnest.

It's one of the occasional examples of when an admin might be sub-defaulted. This topic is a crusty old dead horse and an admin got out the beating stick. Nothing to see here.

Hey Pawk, I appreciate your honest feedback, as well as the feedback from everyone else who replied. As you can see in the responses, there are many people who believe these questions are dead-horse issues. There are also just as many who are outwardly concerned about the fate of FFXI.

It's unfortunate that so many people have labeled this simply as a "FFXI IS DIEING" post, when, in fact, I state I believe the game will go on. In my opinion, the real question isn't simply will FFXI die, but what will FFXI be like after the new game is released? Will the game be more fun? Less fun? More sterile? More stagnant? Less populated? No changes because of server mergers? Perhaps there will be no notable changes at all?

I used to share your feelings about the "IS FFXI DYING?" question. It was a pointless question to ask, because there was no valid reason to even consider that would happen anytime in the foreseeable future. However, that all changed the minute FFXIV was announced. For the first time ever, a valid argument can be made (agree with it or not) that the survival of FFXI will be threatened.

As for diving for the red arrow simply because of subject matter... that's your choice. However, I strongly encourage people to rate posts based on the quality of their content, not by the topic the poster is writing about.

I know that's not likely to happen on a widespread level, which is why these editorials are important; they allow community members to discuss these controversial issues without anyone having to sacrifice his or her karma to do so.

Edited, Jun 16th 2009 8:20pm by Thayos

This is a "FFXI is dying" thread only you're not intelligent enough to see the handwriting on the wall. Look at this example if you have any doubt. What would happen if your server was scheduled to merge with another. Now before you answer, let's say your Dynamis or other event LS manages to stay together though the transfer. On my server now, we have a good system with all leaders posting a schedule in advance so we don't step on each others toes. So imagine what would happen if your time/schedule is now threatened because of this. Nyzul would be ok, but events such as Dynamis will be a major issue.

That was a best case scenario by the way. Let's say you lose half your event LS because they either jumped with friends to another server or quit to play FFXIV. The drama alone because of these issues is bound to break a good majority of LS's. If you ask me, SE should start the server mergers now. Announce plans to close servers that way when the drop off from FFXIV comes, it won't hurt so much. Right this very moment, 1367 people are logged in game on my small server. A good portion of them are RMTs. On a good day, we have 2k.

If you read my last post, you'll know I mentioned having friends(retired FFXI) that have contacted me to join the beta for FFXIV. They want to move our LS in personal/name to the new game. This is just a taste of what's to come. I was shocked to hear some of the people that plan on returning to FFXIV.

Now I'll address my vision of FFXI after 18months if it's still online. Remember Lower Jeuno prior to ToAU? Now look it at now. It took choco racing, Mazing, free bazaar, Limbus, OP to Whitegate and countless other things to attract people there again. I see the same type of ghost town, only this time it won't be a change of location, but a change of game. If you get lucky to have a healthy server, you probably won't be as affected as much. As for the rest of us, the situation is dire. Unless you log in for soloing and chatting with friends, I don't see how this game will offer much else. Oh yeah, almost forgot all the 'JP onry' crowd we have on my server. Oh yeah, so that 1367 number is even lower right now.

Lastly, you're in error about the karma. While the Admin can't be sub defaulted thanks to your crappy karma system, a lot of the people that have replied have been defaulted so again you're wrong. They were rated down for discussing the issues and the failure by some to see the truth.

Fair enough Thayos. What are your real feelings on the subject of FFXI dying? Like on a scale of 1-10, do you think the odds are closer to 10 now. Like as you mentioned, now we have a real threat in FFXIV.

My feelings are this. SE's attempt at piggy backing our friend's list and familiar char models will only help the transfer more easily. PS2 limitations have helped to make this game stagnant. Now before anybody shoots me down for saying that, I was on the PS2 for several years. I'm ready to move on to a new game. The way I see things, most of our friends are coming along for the ride. That kinda seals the deal for me.

As long as FFXI is making a profit for SE, and keeping the servers going does not result in what is known as a large "lost opportunity cost", FFXI will continue for years.

No doubt, 14 will be a high quality product, that is a hallmark of this intellectual property. However, despite their best intentions SE from time to time puts a lot of effort into designing things that players do not embrace. Choco raising and pankration come to mind and the pvp system in ffxi is not popular. My point here is that 14 could be a smashing success that keeps growing after the newness wears off, or it could be a slow starter.

If SE cannot stay ahead of the curve in terms of most players getting through the content faster than se releases it, then i suspect many people will return or linger in ffxi. I am of the opinion that CoP was the high watermark for play before they nerfed the difficulty. There is no doubt I will try 14 and I hope it is a success. However, 14 needs to be not only significantly better than 11 but also superior to other MMO games that are in the pipeline.

Thayos, you need to re-read the article if you sincerely think this isn't a standard, if well written, FFXI is dying post. Here's a few highlights:

I mean, that right there hits all the major "FFXI is dying critera:

- Loss of friends and interest in the game
- Speculation that XXX game will remove players from this one
- Talk of where you will be when the end comes

And here's where you state that the game will go on (sorta):

Not being surprised, hoping and not giving up on the game =/= stating that you believe it will go on.

I realize the game may have you in a melancholy mood since the loss of your social, and that could have been more the genesis of this article than the launch news about FFXIV, and it's ok to say that. However, I need to call a spade a spade. This is all about FFXI and how it will be killed by the new game we know nothing about.

This same thread has been made about many MMO's, and the topic is no more valid just because it's made by Square. If anything, it's less. Keep in mind how badly handled this game was in the beginning. Look at their track record for other issues with the community. Unless there were a complete 180 in policy, FFXIV is not the defacto replacement for FFXI. It's just another MMO.