WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

[Alzar]

Just out of curiousity, since I haven't played FF XI, of those who have played both, how do WoW and FF XI compare? One of my friends is hooked on FFXI and tells me how great it is, but I'm not exactly going to play 2 MMORPGS at the same time...

[Caciss]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

WoW.

[Nixon]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

I haven't played WoW, simply because I don't want to start up another expensive "habit." I think your preference would depend on how you want to play.

FFXI is almost always going to be a team effort, unless you play as a BST and solo everything, all the time. But the game forces anyone else to find a solid party of 5-6 for any exping. This is what eventually turned me off on the game. I got to the point where I couldn't just get online and have fun, it was like a job and a hell of a lot of effort just to find a team, get organized, and hopefully not get slaughtered wandering around some horrible dungeon. It was a lot of fun when it worked, but it just takes so much effort from everyone that it can easily turn into a big hassle.

From what I've heard from my old FFXI buddies (who now play WoW), soloing is easier and the quests/missions aren't as much of an undertaking. I would actually be playing it right now if I hadn't sworn off the MMORPGs until the next PSO.

There are a lot of people who played FFXI that switched, and hopefully they can shed more light on this subject and get you some better answers.

[Jeroak Nelave]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

I would still be playing FFXI if i could just solo effectively. But unfortunately, you cannot solo without taking a week of almost nonstop play to gain half a level. And if it did not take 2 or 3 hours, or more to find a decent group. WoW is just so much more enjoyable and easygoing experience than FFXI. But I loved FFXI, and it had forsaken me. I guarantee you, that if it was easier to gain levels in FFXI, or there were more quests, or quests that gave you exp, or atleast didnt take a million years to get a group, or...well, you know

[Caciss]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

Yeah, if the game wasn't a chore.

WoW is all around more fun.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

Yup, after level 10 (and for some, before it), you pretty much had to start getting large groups together. 'Cause not only are later monsters dang tough to fight alone, but you don't get much XP that way. And XP comes by EXTREMELY SLOW. It's like a special event anytime it does happen once you get to the higher levels. Also, quests are a bit of a pain. Especially quests that require obtaining items from monsters. 'Cause those monsters rarely give those items you want to get, while WoW gives you those quest items at least most of the time. It's because of that that people tend to run off to the nearby Auction House and buy the item they're supposed to find instead. Also, you pretty much have to use your characters a certain way in order to be accepted by other party members. At one point, I had a party that didn't like me too much because I was a White Mage with a Warrior subclass. Also, you have to pay an extra $1 a month for every extra character you create. About the only advantage FFXI has is how you can change your class, whereas WoW you're pretty much stuck with the class you started with. But even that isn't a problem, since creating a new character in WoW is both easy and free. It can also be a bit difficult finding a place to camp in FFXI, at least in certain places. You also find a few people who are a little less than nice to you. You know, people who are constantly taking monsters that you were hoping to fight, or bringing those monsters to you, when you're nowhere near strong enough to fight the monster. Dunno if that's a problem in WoW. I'll admit I wanted to like FFXI, and stick with it until the end of time. But WoW just seemed so much better.

[Fushigi na Renamon]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

Mooooonster pooooost.

Draygone had many good points. The exp gain was horrible. You'd have to spend hours looking for a party, then hours levelling. Those parties wouldn't even invite you if you didn't have the "proper" subjob. 200 exp per monster with 13000 exp left till level? Couple that with the fact that most places are already overcamped with exp parties who are all fighting the same monsters mean that you have to wait for more to spawn, then fight over them with the other parties. So that averages to about five monsters an hour, = 1000 exp, = brutal. It's impossible to solo after level 10 - 12 unless you're a beastmaster, which means that one has to party with random morons all the time.

What also really bugged me is that FFXI's economy was so inflated that people had to worry about their gil situation almost as if it were real money. Gil farmers made all the rare items hideously overpriced, and the result was having to scrimp and save and farm for hours on end trying to make enough money to buy one piece of armor only to have it rise in price by 10,000 gil a day. Trade skills were so hard to level, and you could fail in your synthesis and lose valuable items in the process. Very expensive.

I admit I had a great time playing the game while I was on it. The world is pretty, the characters are pretty, it had great music, and sometimes it could be fun. However, I mostly enjoyed it because my friends were all there - the social aspect is the only thing that saves the game's fun value. Once you get to the higher levels, it gets really crappy and loses that value. I'd probably go back if it wasn't for the money situation/levelling system, but eh. Otherwise, nothing could force me to play that again! It just isn't worth the time and effort. You spend five hours to get one level, and for what? To brag to your real life friends that you're a level 45 red mage? Whoop dee doo. I'm glad I quit.

WoW kicks the crap out of FFXI. You get experience just for doing quests and you can solo at any level. Parties are only needed for instance dungeons, and instance dungeons are made so that when a party goes into them, it is like their own private dungeons. NO sharing mobs with other parties! Sexy. You get to keep your mount once you have it, unlike the whole expensive rent-a-chocobo deal in FFXI.

I will admit that the graphics and character designs aren't as pretty as FFXI by a long shot, but the fun factor is definitely there. Not only can all characters dance, but they dance as long as you want them to. There are all sorts of emotes and voice emotes that make the game really interesting and a good laugh. It has some pretty cool environments. There are a vast number of enemies and not the same kind of enemy everywhere with a different name. There are many, many different types of armor, and you can also buy clothes to wear just for fun and to look stylish. Trade skills are less expensive and easier to level - synthesiss NEVER fails and items are NEVER lost. Weapon skills level quickly. It's easier to make money, and auction house prices are reasonable. The classes are all super fun to play. There's even a nifty little in-game mail system that allows you to send letters to friends. You can even get little pets that follow you around. Mine is a mechanical squirrel named Gizmo! *points to avatar*

It's not perfect - there are realm latency issues at times, but all of the good things in the game outweigh that, I think. I encourage people to at least give it a try. I was dead set against it until a friend coerced me into trying it out, and it was great.

What I like best about WoW is the fact that you can accomplish something in a short time. With FFXI, it took hours to do anything. On a chocobo, it took about 15 minutes to travel from one city to another, for example, or an hour to do a simple quest just from all the running around you had to do. It was hard to go afk because you couldn't leave your party hanging, and if you said "brb" mostly they'd freak out. It was really hard to put the game down, and those of you who've played will know this. WoW is addictive, but it's really easy to say "I've got to go now!" and sign off.

I do agree with Glueme, though. It is a matter of preference, and if you're hooked on FFXI it takes a long time to realize that the game is unfair and sucky. It took me eight months to figure that out.

[Thief of Dreams]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

WoW is everything that i wanted FFXI to be.

i can log in and solo to my hearts content. im lvl 36 now, and the only time i have ever partied with other people was so that i could takle an instance dungeon. and for anyone that doesnt know what an instance dungeon is: its a whole dungeon filled with mobs and bosses that is made up just for you your party. no contending with other groups at all.

oh, and has it been mentioned that the only penalty for dying is a 10 min resurrection sickness? and that is only if you dont wait for a raise. if a priest, druid, or pali raise you, no sickness at all.

and if your looking for things like advanced jobs like in FFXI, Blizzard has announced that they are going to be incorporating Hero classes.

needless to say, FFXI is in its 3rd year and to me has become quite the job. i did love the game, but with all the REQUIRED grinding, rediculous party limitations(cant party with people 3 levels difference without a HUGE xp hit(which WoW give an xp BONUS instead!)) and an incredible messed up economy i just couldnt stand to waste my time in it anymore. especially with more important things in my life.

now with WoW, i can seriously log in for an hour, kill some monsters 3 levels higher than me SOLO, maybe find a cool rare dagger, and earn some cash without any problem at all. EVER!!!

oh, and there isnt a single load screen in WoW unless you are entering or exiting a dungeon. the world is seemlessly put together.



EDIT: damn you fushi lol i wanted to be the long post

[Thief of Dreams]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

Moral of the story is in FFXI you do have to play your role and not jerk around
with odd combinations or you make it harder for everyone else in the party, so
you might as well do it and not complain or you won't get anywhere.

this right here is the mindset of FFXI that makes it a horrible game. having to play YOUR game by other peoples standards is a joke. sure i got frustrated when i would party with people like this, but that is only because the game design of FFXI would MAKE it frustrating.

and before anything gets said like "you were probably one of them" im sure you can ask anyone here to find out that i always had THE best equips i could have for my level, and many levels afterwards.


and for all those people that like to play their class a little differently, i invite you to come play WoW.

[Caciss]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

That's where falls the hardest after the crappy leveling and econonmy.

You're stuck on a stupid linear leveling path, or else no one will play with you. That's bull crap. I like to be able to customize, how I want, and raise my character, how I want, and still be able to have fun.

SO GO WITH WOW

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

The reason people didn't like you is because you were being a n00b by doing that and
making everyone have to work harder because you're too lazy to level a proper sub.

Most of the better players have no love for new players who think they can do whatever they want.

I should probably mention then that I had already been playing FFXI for half a year or so by then. Second, I had a warrior subjob because for one I needed to survive anytime I soloed, and I wanted to be able to level up my staff skill. Which you can't do, because the only acceptable job for staff weilding are the white and black mages, and if you are them people want you to sit back and use magic instead of throwing in a few hits of your own. Third, I shouldn't HAVE to follow a specific set of rules. They give the ability to choose your own job and subjob so that you can have the character a way you'd like. But the way some people are in this game, you're pretty much forced to be what everyone else wants you to be. Sure the White Mage's primary purpose is to heal your party, but that shouldn't have to be the only thing you can do. I know this has been said, but it's such a big deal it has to be mentioned again.

[Magus]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

So FFXI sucks, huh.

[Armored]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

Well, if you're playing with gloomy teh l33t, yeah

[Denmo]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

I just hit level 41 as a WHM tarutaru in the game. It wasn't until just now that the game got interesting. Up until now I've had to do nothing but constant partying and leveling, and that took me several days of gameplay (which translates to several months depending on your lifestyle.)

I want WoW, but I can't put down FFXI just yet.

[Nixon]

Re: WoW vs Final Fantasy XI

Hopefully Jehuty gave you my WHM armor. It was cool looking. Mavin gave it to me before he left.