Is it possible to "beat" this game?

[Rad Bromance]

Like, is there a way to finish the story?

[Ouch!]

Each expansion offers its own storyline. The original game launched with three different plots to follow, each revolving around one of the three starting nations. You can completely all of these on a single character. Rise of the Zilart, the first expansion, has its own storyline as well, which, as I understand it, shares a bit of an ending with Chains of Promathia, the expansion which followed. Then there's Treasures of Aht Urhgan, which also has its own distinct storyline. Finally, there's Wings of the Goddess (storyline currently incomplete, but nearing completion as content is added in version updates) and the three "add-on scenarios" which have plots of their own.

You can complete all of these on the same character (except Wings of the Goddess which will hopefully be completely released soon), so you can complete the story in that sense. There will still be more to do, of course.

[Necronopticous]

I completed the main storyline of the original game and felt that I had "beaten" Final Fantasy XI.

[Del Murder]

There are various degrees of beating it. The original story ended when you defeated the Shadow Lord and achieved Rank 6. Or you could consider a level 75 character and attaining Rank 10 with your home nation as beating it. Or you could do that and also the expansion storylines, one of which hasn't been completed yet.

This is what I would consider 'beating' FFXI in terms of story:
Attain Rank 10 with all three nations.
Complete the Rize of the Zilart story missions.
Complete the Chains of Promathia story missions.
Complete the quest Apocalypse Nigh which ties the RoZ and CoP expansions.
Complete the Treasures of Aht Urhgan story missions.
Complete the Wings of the Goddess story missions. (unfinished)
Complete the Wings of the Goddess nation quests for all three nations.

[Mirage]

Yes, I too consider completing all the main storylines as beating the game. Beating all the super strong optional monsters and getting all the "leet gear" is just optional, like beating all the optional bosses in an offline RPG, and perform stat maxing in those games.

The process of stat maxing (which i include both gear maxing and leveling/meriting in) in FF11 is however a lot slower than in offline RPGs, and so is getting the necessary levels to complete the main storylines.

[Necronopticous]

This is what I would consider 'beating' FFXI in terms of story:
Attain Rank 10 with all three nations.
Complete the Rize of the Zilart story missions.
Complete the Chains of Promathia story missions.
Complete the quest Apocalypse Nigh which ties the RoZ and CoP expansions.
Complete the Treasures of Aht Urhgan story missions.
Complete the Wings of the Goddess story missions. (unfinished)
Complete the Wings of the Goddess nation quests for all three nations.

Oh, come on. The Shadow Lord is the last boss of Final Fantasy XI. What you've listed here is more akin to completely maxing out all of your characters and exhausting all bonus and extra content in any other Final Fantasy. Hell, in the time it would take to do all of that, you could do this in every other Square RPG that has ever been created. You don't have to play 8,000+ hours of Final Fantasy XI to "beat" it.

[Del Murder]

Oh come on yourself! FFXI is whatever you make of it, which is the beauty of FFXI. Don't get your panties in a bunch just because you never did all these things! If you feel beating the Shadow Lord is good enough then good for you. I don't.

I would say the equivalent to maxing out your character would be to have a fully merited level 75 character with the typical 'end game' equipment.

[Rostum]

Oh, come on. The Shadow Lord is the last boss of Final Fantasy XI.

Yeah... no. He's not.

[Ouch!]

As far as the overall plot of Final Fantasy XI goes, saying Shadow Lord is the final boss is like saying Edea is the final boss of FFVIII after you defeat her at the end of the second disc. The plot of Rise of the Zilart picks up immediately after you defeat the Shadow Lord. Calling the expansions, specifically Rise of the Zilart and Chains of Promathia, akin to extra content and maxing out one's character indicates a gross misunderstanding of the continuity of Final Fantasy XI's plot. If anything, the originally released plot, Rise of the Zilart, and Chains of Promathia are more akin to The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King as three parts of the same narrative. Both are those expansions are necessary to even understand what really happened with the Shadow Lord and how he came to be.

[Necronopticous]

So basically you guys are arguing that one cannot consider themselves having "beaten" a game that came out in 2002 until Square decides to stop milking it? I would argue, then, that your silly checklist up there is incomplete -- you cannot truly beat this game until you've finished the expansions that have not even been announced or conceived yet.

Of course the plot continues and thickens when expansion packs are released; that is how they keep you interested in story aspect of the game. I don't have to see Barret don corn rows in Advent Children to be able to consider myself having beaten Final Fantasy VII. Think about what you're arguing. I'm not trying to put down your favorite game, or hold a candle to your achievements in it.

[Del Murder]

I think beating it is subjective, and what you define FFXI as is subjective. If you never bought any of the expansions, then, yes, Rank 6 is the best you can do, since that is all FFXI is to you. But that's not really the whole of FFXI, it's a very small piece of it. At the very least the RoZ and CoP storylines, which build on the original, would be necessary to consider you truly 'beat' this game in my view.

If I quit the game before these future expansions came out I would still be satisfied, because that was not part of my FFXI world (though I would be tempted to come back and play it).

[Ouch!]

I think there's a very fundamental flaw with comparing any of FFXI's expansions to Advent Children. Since I've played Rise of the Zilart (and that content was available to you from launch unless you imported before the NA release), it's become very apparent to me that the story from the original Japanese release was incomplete and intended for expansion. I agree with Del Money. Rise of the Zilart and Chains of Promathia are so closely related to the events leading up to the "defeat" of the Shadow Lord, it's hard to say they're not necessary to complete the storyline.

I'll give you the add-ons, ToAU, and WotG, though. ToAU and WotG were written by a different guy than the previous expansions, and although the original writer came back for the add-ons, there's little attempt to really join them to the main narrative (although A Crystalline Prophesy does tie up some very minor loose ends).

[Rostum]

Considering Rize of Zilart came with the 'original' story, and that Rize of Zilart ties directly into it... I'd say that Shadow Lord isn't the final boss.

Plus, when you consider the date the OP posted this thread you have to consider what completed expansions are available; at this point in time to complete the game in terms of storyline you would have to complete all the currently complete expansions (original, RoZ, CoP, ToAU, the three mini-stories).

I'm not even sure why you're trying to argue this Necro, I doubt you could even give a flying smurf (something I notice in this forum with quite a few people). If the OP wants to complete FFXI, then I'm sure he'd want to complete expansions that are out, and by the time he would complete them then WoTG would be finished and I'm sure he'd want to complete that to get the most out of the story/experience.

[CimminyCricket]

I seriously have 2 copies of this game and I've done nothing more than create a character.

[Del Murder]

Not sure what that has to do with the topic.