Should I bother...

[El Shaggy]

.. buying this game. Ive been putting it off since it came out. First off, I hate MMORPGs, the only one I ever played was Everquest 5 years ago and hated it. Boring/mindless grinding over and over and lame chat room atmasphere wasnt what I expected, I played it for a month. But I do feal like Im missing something by not playing this game. Ok anyway, does this game actual feal like your playing a Final Fantasy game? Or just some MMO square labled FF so people would by it.

Is it realy Final Fantasy?

[DMKA]

First off, I hate MMORPGs,
I think that would make the answer obvious.

[TheAbominatrix]

If you hate MMOs do NOT get this game. It's very MMO... it feels like a Final Fantasy game, yes, but its still the same premise as any other MMO. True, there's lots to do in XI, but I got bored of it very very quickly.

As for the chat room stuff... XI is mixed there. It's pretty easy to find people who are actually Role Playing, acting like their characters would and so on, but it's equally easy to find the typical internet types.

I felt it was a waste of money, as I just dont like MMOs.

[El Shaggy]

Yeah, I guess I'll stear clear of this one. Its just starnge that there is a final fantasy game out there that I havent played. Oh well, once FFXII come out Ill forget all about it..

[frotunda]

My friend was over the other day, and I showed him http://www.exploitsrus.com/ffxi_f.html It is a site with cheats, bugs, dupes, etc for final fantasy xi. He told me it was against the rules for ffxi to do this. Is this true? I am used to cheating on video games for my whole life, so I was sort of shocked to hear this.

[TheAbominatrix]

My friend was over the other day, and I showed him http://www.exploitsrus.com/ffxi_f.html It is a site with cheats, bugs, dupes, etc for final fantasy xi. He told me it was against the rules for ffxi to do this. Is this true? I am used to cheating on video games for my whole life, so I was sort of shocked to hear this.

You cannot cheat on online games, because you're interacting with other people. How fair would it be to them if you were cheating to get better stats, more gil, and so on?

MMO's try to keep the game fair so everyone can enjoy it, not be screwed out of everything by people who cheat.

[Markus. D]

Your limited in the beggining.

then once your up there in the mid levels, you start to really feel the atmosphere and story of it.... I havent really played it since what happened to my character, but I was really getting into it.

[escobert]

I also disliek grinding but, I know that once I get up to the higher levels the games much more fun so, I'm just pushing through it all :p

[Gwelenguchenkus]

I find it addicting. First of all, the game progresses like any other. At first you'll be soloing up to 10-12, then from there, there are a few options. You start partying with other people, and you start seeing a story develop around your nation as you progress through the missions.

You'll start to learn what parties work and which ones don't, and the ropes of everything. There are lots of quests, lots of ways to make money, and lots of things to do. Most people focus on grinding to 75, which is not the best approach, if you ask me.

There are a number of things that motivate you as you keep playing. New spells, new inherent abilities, new gear. But then there are certain things that open up, like the quest that allows you to ride chocobos at around 20-25. Even earlier than that, you'll gain access to subjobs, which allows you to level 2 jobs and keep one as your main, and one as your sub-main (half the level and spells). There are tons of missions and things to keep you interested throughout.

I know someone who has played this game 170 days, or 4080 hours since it's release in america, so there is definitely something there.

Besides that, there is the social aspect of it. When you are leveling crafting, grinding, looking for help, etc, you'll run across people. Eventually you'll set up a group of friends, a linkshell where you can all chat, and various things. This greatly enhances the game. And with the multitude of jobs and combinations, there is plenty of stuff to do.

Ultimately it comes down to preference. Some people don't like the reward system, and think the game is too harsh. Indeed it is harsh. It doesn't let you have everything so easily, you have to work hard. I think this is a good thing. For others who prefer simpler gratification, WoW might be a better choice.

Some people don't like MMOs. Although honestly I think that Everquest was a horrible MMO, many people disagree. Some people have played it for many years, and are still playing it. So really, you can't know if you like it unless you try it. Maybe this MMO will click with you, maybe not.