Start again...

Alright, so I played FFXI for about a week and decided I didn't have that kind of time, but lately my life is extremely open and I'm wondering whether or not I should start playing again.

So what I want is for someone to point out either how fun it is and that I should play or that it's really not worth the investment... I can't decide... It really looks like a cool game, and I already own it, but I just never got into it.

About how long did it take most people to actually get to, say, level 30 ish, or to where they felt they really were a part of the game?

I really love MMOs and I used to play Ragnarok Online a ton, but I just never quite got into XI

FFXI is a time sink and highly addictive. takes a little over a week to get to level 30 if you have 4-5 hours to spare in a day and it depends on the job you're leveling.

You're the only one really that can decide it's fun or not. I've been playing it for nearly 4 years and I still love it and I doubt I'll stop playing anytime soon.

alright so for you level 75 people how long would you expect to get to 75?

I knew a couple who got to level 75 in like, 5 months. It was insane. I've been playing for 3 years and the highest level character I have is level 69. BUT, I don't play that much. In fact, I don't think I've logged on in like a month. Not by choice, but just things got in the way of being able to play. It really depends on how much you play, how lucky you are with your parties, etc.

One year to 75 if you play somewhat regularly. 6 months if you are hardcore. I've been on about a year and at am 69.

FFXI is more of a long-term investment type of MMO. If you suddenly have a small bit of free time there are other MMOs that might be more satisfying. FFXI is designed for long-term commitment and hardcore players. There is much less to get out of it in the short haul. By the time your life gets busy again you'll either:

a) be too addicted and let it interfere
b) not have made enough progress to get to the meat of the game

I'd say that at least a year is reasonable for most people to get to 75. You mention 30 as being a spot where you really feel like you're part of it, but it's an old game without a huge influx of new players (compared to other MMOs). Most people are at the higher levels and content is geared totally toward them.

You can't get deep into nation story lines until your 60s at least. You can't finish Zilart until your 70s unless you get lots of 75 help and do it sooner. You can't finish CoP until you're 75... not even leeching off of people. You can get more out of ToAU more easily, but in the end you'll still need the levels to do the fights.

If you don't plan to play long term (2 or so years) or if you have plans at some point to ever have a busier schedule, you may want to just pass on this particular game. It's a great game and SE is making it better constantly (after years of apathy), but it's not at all for the casual gamer. I know some people enjoy playing it casually, but they are in the vast vast minority. I wouldn't expect most people to be able to handle such slow progression coupled with the elitism of such a hardcore game.

Thank you, that's the answer I really needed. I think I'd be better off trying to beat Final Fantasy VIII or something right now, or something like that.

Anyway, thanks