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WoW vs. FFXI

S

SD-Ness

Member
I want an MMORPG that I can enjoy. I subscribe to WoW, but am debating whether or not to get back into it or scrap it for FFXI.

The reason I got WoW is because a lot of my real life friends were playing it and I only play online games to play with friends. I enjoy the camaraderie. Unfortunatly, I don't like to let myself get as addicted to games as much as my friends so I was always several levels below them.

Most of the people at another forum I go to have chosen FFXI and I realize I would already have a community to play with. For someone who has played WoW, what will FFXI be like? How much does it cost monthly? Is it harder/more tedious?
 
FFXI's option to change classes was freaking great. I loved not having to start a new character to try other classes. And the Class/subclass thing was great. Just the XP loss and the chaining required to actually get XP was annoying.
 
do you hate fun? if yes, then definitely switch to FFXI. "tedious grind" is an absolute understatement. plus the UI is horrible and the class/job system is screwy (imo of course)
 
Post 60 WoW is more tedious than any game I have ever played. At least grouping in FFXI is fun. What kills FFXI for most people is the broken economy and the fact that certian 3-4 hour quests are required to advance and some are basically impossible without high level help.
 
SD-Ness said:
Unfortunatly, I don't like to let myself get as addicted to games as much as my friends so I was always several levels below them.
Click to expand...

For that one reason I wouldn't recommend FFXI. Level restrictions are far harsher than WoW and the grind is much longer.

FFXI is a very good MMO, but requires a great deal of time and dedication to get anywhere.
 
I try not to get too addicted to games myself, but having said that, i have almost 7 full days of play time since i got the beta 3 weeks ago... easily addicted, stay away.
 
I didn't like FFXI when I tried it, but I tried it VERY briefly. To be honest, I didn't like WoW all that much either. The core mechanic of the gameplay-- the whole combat thing-- just didn't interest me.
 
FFXI would be a ton better if you could get somewhere without a group

Edit:

And yes, beastmasters can sorta solo, but you need to get to 30 so you can do the access quest.
 
Tons of people have pointed out FFXI's shortcomings already but I'll reiterate:

You almost have to group to level and the inflexibility of the group mechanic (e.g. players become very specific regarding what classes they need for a party) makes leveling quite tedious. Especially considering you'll spend hours upon hours killing the same two creatures -- worms and crabs.

That is, unless expansion have created new favored zones for grouping and leveling characters.

But FFXI has something over World of Warcraft, which is interaction between all consoles and regions. So, if you like the idea of partying with Japanese players or console players, then you might want to give the game a try.
 
Suikoguy said:
FFXI would be a ton better if you could get somewhere without a group
Click to expand...
It's not even just that, it's that for so many things (missions, quests, decent xp) you have to have a damn large group. 5-6 minimum for good xp (though it can be possible with less with certain classes) and upwards of 12-18 for many of the higher level quests and missions.

If I could've just done stuff with 1 or 2 of my LS mates, I'd still be playing today. There is so much to love about FFXI, but it's so frustrating that a few major flaws hold it all back so much.
 
SD-Ness said:
The reason I got WoW is because a lot of my real life friends were playing it and I only play online games to play with friends. I enjoy the camaraderie. Unfortunatly, I don't like to let myself get as addicted to games as much as my friends so I was always several levels below them.

Most of the people at another forum I go to have chosen FFXI and I realize I would already have a community to play with. For someone who has played WoW, what will FFXI be like? How much does it cost monthly? Is it harder/more tedious?
Click to expand...

I'd recommend FFXI for you... the game is very community focused. Team work is often a requirement. If you can do that with RL friends, all the better. People whine about the game being difficult... it is... but that's also what makes it so rewarding.

If you're used to console rpgs, or have played other FFs, you'll probably get a kick out of seeing how it translates to an mmo. The world also has a really well-planned and deep storyline, if you are in to the lore side of things.
 
The only thing difficult with FFXI was finding an optimal group. As long as you had that you pretty much could put your brain on autopilot.


Never once did I thought to myself "Wow it's really hard being a (blank)" Many times I thought "Wow it's really hard finding a group within a 4 hour timespan"
 
Why FF11 sucks


1. Most JP players won't play with you ^_^;;

2. You need a white mage to gain any kind of XP

3. People bitch at you when they die

4. It's boring.
 
joaomgcd said:
I have always wanted to ask this: what is grinding?
Click to expand...

Just killing stuff with the only purpose of leveling. Usually the same type of monsters, in the same area, for vast amounts of time.
 
Reilly said:
spending the majority of your playing time leveling up.
Click to expand...

But isn't that the goal in every MMORPG? Leveling up? Or is grinding a tedious version of leveling up?

Edit: Oh, ok Ferrio made it more clear.
 
If you want to be dissuaded on FFXI, then listen to Ferrio. He, at least, actually played the game

FFXI isn't for everyone, but then again, neither are MMOs. I say stay away from both, to be honest
 
For some reason I have an extra copy of WoW I'll never ever play, so here's my chance to get rid of these things.

WoW CD authentication key:
86EVNM - RTGN - T2YPXJ - CTGT - BYB6X6

Guest Pass:
EH4887 - DXFV - ZG2FEZ - RECV - R86DN9
 
But FFXI has something over World of Warcraft, which is interaction between all consoles and regions. So, if you like the idea of partying with Japanese players or console players, then you might want to give the game a try.
Click to expand...

flip side also works - there is some animosity between the two groups.

If you want REAL pain though, try FFXI beta on X360.
It's like there is a limit on the words 'fag' and 'queer' often coupled with a whole host of racial slurs!

"Gii ve m e giill , yuo jewfagnigger!"

seriously, what Xbl needs is the ability to electrocute people - if enough people electrocute the same arsehole at the same time, then his head explodes a la Scanners...
 
DCharlie: that wasn't an issue at all during my playtime of FFXI, but I did begin to see it cropping up after I quit. Supposedly, the XBL Beta is the worst it's ever been
 
did they ever fix the horrible control system that the PC version of FFXI used? Also the interface was horrible...
 
If you're looking for a group focused game, FFXI is it. It's optimally played with 6 people and you can fill in the alliances with pick up groups or folks you meet in game. The type of chemistry between players in FFXI really is something different and it's definitely rewarding if you're patient. The steep overall requirements for the game (time intensive unless you have a group that is always on at the right times and can get their act together quickly, lack of true solo play, borked economy, and a host of other things that I could get into detail about) might be a good reason for you to stick with WoW.

Reilly said:
1. Most JP players won't play with you ^_^;;

2. You need a white mage to gain any kind of XP
Click to expand...

Not true but I don't expect much from this forum in regards to this topic.
 
I really liked FFXI's party mechanics. They required much more focus than those of WoW.

That said, the XP loss and the economy are a mess. The need to farm every few levels simply drove me out of the game. My character was BLM33/WHM20/THF7 when I stopped playing.
 
It should also be noted that those who find satisfaction in achieving very difficult goals find satisfaction in FFXI. Farming rare drops is very difficult and competative -- making a score all the more enjoyable.

While waiting for groups often sucked. Dying in a bad group quite often sucked more. But when you got a group who rocked and could pull off combos every time the opportunity arose, it felt very rewarding.

And if you're cool Japanese players will play with you. You just have to be polite, have a good sense of humor and not be a dick.
 
funnellpd said:
For some reason I have an extra copy of WoW I'll never ever play, so here's my chance to get rid of these things.

WoW CD authentication key:
86EVNM - RTGN - T2YPXJ - CTGT - BYB6X6
Click to expand...

Thank you so much! Free month and everything! You rock! :)
 
WoW = If A) You don't have much time. B) You're a weaksauce gamer. C) Want to play solo in a massively multiplayer online rpg. (I never got this)

FFXI = If A) You like sense of accomplishment from the challenge of getting things done. B) Want to play the deepest MMO battle system. C) Enjoy playing with groups of people and accomplishing things as a team.
 
I just started playing FFXI today (thanks Dazzla) but I have no clue what to do now... :( Is there any way to know what to do first? How to get things done? Would be nice to hook up with a couple of GAFers that enjoy the game. I'm enjoying it myself, but couldn't get anything done.

If you're willing to help a total newbie, add KryptoSaaurus to your friends list in PlayOnline. :)
 
Reilly said:
1. Most JP players won't play with you ^_^;;

2. You need a white mage to gain any kind of XP
Click to expand...

Not true.

A) Most JP players are actually very friendly and will party with you as long as you're polite and go the extra effort to try and communicate with them (auto-translator or basic romaji (I printed off like a 10 page list of phrases and learned them)).

B) WHM aren't actually that useful later on. I rather go BLM/BLM/RDM for mages unless a BRD is available. Only pick up WHM for Demons in Ule or other general hard hitters (Spiders). Also when fighting mobs with attacks like stone.
 
I played FFXI for about a year and a half, was a 75 ranger on Midgardsormr. Looking back upon the experience, I feel it to have been an utter waste of time, and your choice of the word tedious is spot on. That being said, I did try to make the transition to WoW, twice, and just could not get into it. I got to level 57, mostly solo, and found it to be rather soulless, though that is probably a result of how I played it. Being a FF fan at heart, and adverse to MMOs in general, I could not obtain the same kind of emotional connection with the WoW universe. I imagine however, that going the opposite direction would have been similarly difficult, perhaps for different reasons.

For your circumstance, all I would add is that it seemed WoW was far more friendly towards allowing players of varying levels to still have some meaningful interaction, where as FFXI goes out of its way to discourage it, at least from a leveling perspective. Generalizations, and there are exceptions, but they do vary greatly in this way, and it seems pertinent to your situation of not becoming as addicted as your friends.
 
joaomgcd said:
If you're willing to help a total newbie, add KryptoSaaurus to your friends list in PlayOnline. :)
Click to expand...
Sure, I'm more than willing to help you get into the game. I'll add you to my POL Friends List in a minute. And, if you want, you can hop in the GAF IRC channel (#ga on irc.gamecubecafe.com) or PM me an AIM nick or something, as those would be a lot quicker methods than using the POL messaging interface. :P
 
FFXI is garbage becuase of this list-
-I said so and my opinion = fact!
-it's graphics showcase their console origins and are locked at 30FPS with slowdown no matter your systems quality.
-The game is flatout boring as shit. Your first 2 hours will be spent killing wasps in your starting city to gain 1 level , followed by 3 hours of killing small bats and wasps, perhaps some evil shrubbery to gain the next 2 levels. At this point you can attempt a main game quest, likely die horribly and lose 10% of your experience , possibly causing you to level down. Penalties for dieing in these games shouldnt' be nearly so harsh. Send me back to the town and make me lose some gold or whatever items I collected but not experience. It makes the game artificially difficult becuase you never wanna risk fighting enemies ranked above easy for fear that they may kill you. To make up for this the game has a horrible party system but the allready meager experience points are then divied up, possibly eliminated altogethor if the enemy is too weak for just 1 member of the party. The user interface is also very ugly and basically the game generally feels aimed at people who have allready played an MMORPG and really like the aimless grinding and pointless partying.

WOW on the other hand , in its first 2 hours you'll gain as much as 4 levels, complete 3 or 4 quests, gain a bunch of items and money, learn a bunch of techniques and you'll do it fighting giant wolves , normal sized wolves, gnolls and theives. Instead of giant insects and malignant shrubbery. Also, despite that a proFFXIer said otherwise, you can solo in this game and it makes it 100 times more enjoyable. Partying is there when you need it for the quests which involve the elimination of certain enemies but it is not required and unlike FFXI when you beat a quest in this , everyone gets the questing item instead of just 1 guy. It's just a much more instantly gratifying game and doesn't feel like nearly as much of a chore , like ffxi.

So go ahead, if you want to waste the 30 bucks on FFXI and pay 3 bucks a month to waste a 100 hours then by all means.

Wow is just better in every way though, 5 million subscribers cant' be wrong.
 
FFXi is nice, and I still play reguarly.

I will agree with the level grinding feelling, and that although i dont mind loosing exp when i die, deleveling just sucks.

I will say that the game has a FANTASTIC storyline to follow. Ive tried other MMO and by it's very nature I would hav enever imagined a good story possible, FFXI does it though. FFXi also looks great even after 3 years. I find FFXI's end game to be ejoyable and fulfilling, lots to do, and lots of fun battles.
 
Axl said:
I played FFXI for about a year and a half, was a 75 ranger on Midgardsormr. Looking back upon the experience, I feel it to have been an utter waste of time...
Click to expand...

In essense, any damn game you play, when you look back, is an utter waste of time. Come on now. This statement needs to not be said ever, ever again.
 
Pachinko said:
-The game is flatout boring as shit. Your first 2 hours will be spent killing wasps in your starting city to gain 1 level , followed by 3 hours of killing small bats and wasps, perhaps some evil shrubbery to gain the next 2 levels.
Click to expand...


Exaggerate much?

You must be the worst player, EVER, if it took you 2 hours to gain 1 level, considering the wasps gives you 50exp and you just need to kill 10 for level 2.

Even a naked Taru can level faster than that.
 
Tabris said:
WoW = If A) You don't have much time. B) You're a weaksauce gamer. C) Want to play solo in a massively multiplayer online rpg. (I never got this)
Click to expand...

I'd like to add a couple comments to that.

First off, FFXI isn't hard. Getting a group together to XP is hard. Getting the level 50 level break (forget what it was called) was difficult to stay away for. But by no means is FFXI hard. WoW isn't hard either, but it also doesn't punish you every step of the way. Punishment isn't fun. Unless of course if you are a masochist.

Secondly, people don't want to play an online game solo, they just want to be able to play when they want, on their own terms. Time constraints can make group play very difficult, and hell, it's nice to be able to pop on, XP for a 1/2 hour and leave.

Actually one more thing: I played FFXI on Bismarck and the community was abysmal. As bad as WoW gets slagged for it's B-net kiddies, they don't compare to the JP/NA war and ludicrous guild drama that plagued that server. I learned one very valuable lesson from playing FFXI. Never play an MMO with an international population. Keep North American and Asian servers separate. It helps control drama. Kinda sad for me to say that because I LOVED playing PSO with JP players back in the day.
 
Nobody parties in WoW unless they are doing instances. Bascially how it works is you solo untill 60, occasionaly needing a parter to complete some of the more difficult quests, then if you get 60 you run the same instances over and over for a chance to roll on the gear you need to pvp. When you start pvping you realize you will get destroyed on your own (it comes down to whoever has more people wins) but nobody you know will pvp with you because they are busy farming gear. FFXI is a more social experience and far more rewarding.
 
Grifter said:
Play WoW, replace gnomes with tarus, and you truly get the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...

Yup. All my Alliance characters are Gnome these days. They're just too damned cute!

Female Gnome /chicken is the best thing ever.
 
I would just like everyone to note that while this thread has mainly been about bashing FFXI, no one has been singing praises for WoW either.

(hint: both games suck, just jerk off and save yourself some money and importantly a lot of time).
 
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