Is it possible to "beat" this game?

[CimminyCricket]

Absolutely nothing.

[Jibril]

You beat the game when you quartermaster a Ridill. The ending is all about your character getting exiled from you linkshell, but not before you flail everyone in Aery and get the last laugh. Best ending in the series

[Mirage]

The most dramatic and epic ending of any game.

[Jibril]

There's an epilogue about stealing the LS bank.

[Mirage]

I got that ending once, but I wasn't the main character.

[Rostum]

You beat the game when you quartermaster a Ridill. The ending is all about your character getting exiled from you linkshell, but not before you flail everyone in Aery and get the last laugh. Best ending in the series

This, lol.

[Super Christ]

I wish I could pound through the story - I don't doubt it's good, I actually thought the original Crystal Chronicles had a pretty good story, but the time investment is rather daunting - I'm still only at level 25 WHM, I can't even remember what rank, or how many years since I started.

[Yeargdribble]

It's sad that it's so difficult to do because FFXI has one of the greatest stories... period. In all of video games it's probably the best overall. It's so large and tied together. I'd point you to videos of every bit of the storyline, but without a real frame of reference, it doesn't really work. You can't just read about Castle Zvahl Bailey or watch a single CS of a small part of it. You need to cross that bridge for yourself the first time. You can't hear about locations in CoP or Aht Urghan. You have to have been there. ...man...