FFXI Review

[JonnyG]

Gamespy (http://www.gamespy.com) has reviewed Squares MMRPG.Pros - Flexible Job system; focused design; beautiful graphics.
Cons - May feel too limited to MMORPG fans; unintuitive keyboard/mouse controls; lacking gameplay information
Want to know what they think, full review (http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/november03/ffxipc/).

I haven't played it so I don't know. For those that have how does this compare with your opinions?

[Scarne]

Sounds about right. One thing he doesn't touch much upon is that as you go up in levels, grouping is more and more required to be able to level at any 'reasonable' pace. For the Cons not sure what he means by 'May feel too limited to MMORPG fans' and 'lacking gameplay information'. The keyboard controls are ok. The biggest thing about them is the default has movement in the unituitive spot of the numpad. But the keyboard can do everything a controller can do (obviously other than slight directional factors from using the analog stick). The biggest thing being that trying to use the mouse at all doesn't really help much so your best bet if you don't have a controller is to just use the keyboard and forget about the mouse.

[Dankus]

A question for all you FFXI players. I've never even touched any of the FF's. Would jumping into FFXI be okay, or will I not like it. I'm pretty graphic demanding and well, I guess I really don't know what to expect out of FFXI. Any thoughts?

[esion]

You can jump in and love it...the fighting system is a little wierd if you havent played any of the FF games, you click on a "move/spell" that you would like to perform or cast then pick the enemy you want to deal it to.

I enjoy the game, I think its fun. The game controls are pretty tough to get used to but after a few hours you have it down. The easiest way to play is first person with lots of macros.

The graphics are amazing, so are the spell animations, they really kept to the FF theme, and its really good.

[Dais]

I plan to play it when I return home from my extended vacation to Iraq... anyways, from what I know it can be either a great game, or a bad game depending on if you can dig the style of the game, it has a Japanese Anime feel which I like, and a pretty deep combat sysstem with the skill-chains and magic bursts.

The Job system is very novel, and leads to some great versatility, on the part of the players. I think it will make for a fun time at least until Mythica gets rolling.

Gods... I want to be a God. :)

[Ævar Hrafn]

I like Japanese movies, but I hate most anime, Other than Akira and Ghost in the Shell (btw the next movie that happens in the Ghost in the shell universe is about to come out and the name of the sequel is =>Innocence: Kokaku kidotai, but I wont play the FF MMORPG because, I in general dont like the anime\pokemon type of graphics it has (I loathe Pokémon and every thing that resembles it)

[BigJonno]

FFXI resemble Pokemon? No more than any other anime.

[Ævar Hrafn]

thats why I said...I in general dont like the anime\pokemon type of graphics

[BigJonno]

You make exceptions for Akira and Ghost in the Shell, so you shouldn't judge it on that.

[Ævar Hrafn]

No Ghost in the Shell and Akira Look is just as bad, but the movies are good is what I mean...the Storie is so great I can tolerate the graphic for 1 and a half hours.

Does not matter though, was just stating that I could not play the game because the graphic would annoy me did not mean to start an argument about whether they are any good or not...because I dont like Picasso paintings, and alot of people do.

[Leageth]

My friend is obssessed with this game(nothing wrong with that, its just the intro to my post :)) He plays a white mage, but he complains alot about how white mages basically have to sacrifice themselves every 20mins to save the group, he's become "famous" on the server for saving groups and lots of people want him in their group, I thought that was kinda cool, but can anyone here who plays a white mage expand on that? Suicide to save a group sounds like bad gameplay to me.

[Leageth]

EDIT: the suicide is a spell that gives the group health and brings you to 10% health I think, and causes the mob to go full aggro on you to save everyone else

[Scarne]

You are talking about there '2-hour' ability, Benediction. Insta-cast and uses no mana. It heals everyone in the group for a big chunk of hp, even the white mage himself. The reason why its suicide is that it nearly impossible for tanks to get the aggro off of the white mage at that point. And beyond the newbie levels, when fighting against stuff that gives worthwhile xp, a white mage can only take 3 or so hits before dying. So the ability itself isn't suicide, but unless the critter was already on the brink of dying, it is essentially suicide.

[esion]

Benediction has saved my group several times...especially up at the Ghelbsha Ft...there are so many high level agro things, with fairly quick respawn rates that sometimes you have to do it...especially when my mana is completely gone and its my last hope. Normally when I group, I have full confidence that the tanks will be able to get the agro off...even after using benediction, if two tanks use Provoke it will come off the WHM. Then again, there have been times with mulitple mobs, that if I use it, the one mob that isnt being tanked will kill me in one hit...

[DX_Mage]

What is your guys rating of the game?

[esion]

I like it, wish I had more time to play...but overall I think its in my top 5 mmorpgs...