Connection

Long time ago before I met players like Zeig/Tavera, there is a very close friend of mine in FFXI. He left FFXI in 2010 at lv80 cap due to credit card problem, and never come back. I found him been playing FFXIV, I've been trying to get him back to XI, but I failed to convince him. I couldn't understand why, now I more or less understand now.

I go back to FFXIV(once again) after leaving FFXI. Mostly because FFXIV is a lot more fast paced than FFXI, when I have 30min~1hr of play time a day it's much more enjoyable to play FFXIV than FFXI.

Plus FFXIV dev team seems to work harder than FFXI dev team, since they can't offer anything except 1500 heavy metal grind. w

So far I've been playing it for 2 weeks, I'd say it's a fairly enjoyable game atm, in fact even more enjoyable than current FFXI. At least for someone with so little play time, FFXIV is more enjoyable. I go back to old RPG fun of exploring the world/class/story, instead of huge gear grind fest(that 1500 heavy metal is just one ridiculous example). And since I'm not all that connected to FFXIV and didn't spend that much time on it I can log off anytime and enjoy RL a lot more as well.

I admit FFXI experience is pretty irreplaceable..... CoP, old dunes pt, hard fights like 3 mini expansion at lv 75, this and that, all the old good memory they don't exist FFXIV yet. But I personally don't want CoP and old dunes pt and such experience second time in my life. It's unique for the first time and hard to forget, but spending that much amount of time in a video game for satisfaction is also something I'm too old to do.

I don't have much connection with ppl in FFXIV, mostly because you don't really need that much connection. When I played FFXI, by the time I got to lv 11 and made it to dunes I already had some ppl on friendlist, and been interacting with them. I still have 0 ppl on FL in FFXIV, and rarely play with any specific player, after 1 year of creating my char.

On the other hand I still often chat with Ager/Zeig/Tavera on MSN after I left FFXI. I still checked my FFXI LS forums, still post on Alla/FFXIAH/BG/SE site once a while. Even though I no longer play, FFXI is still connected with me, I guess it's more or less part of my life.

I doubt FFXIV will offer that kind of unique FFXI experience, and I don't want it to. FFXIV should remain as a more causal friendly game that can be played for fun, without much dedication. And I truly hope that won't change(seeing ppl whining about FFXIV being too easy on SE forums makes me wonder why they won't go play XI and grind that 1500 heavy metals to begin with)

I sometimes still miss XI while chating with ppl on MSN, but another part of me don't want to go back and grind that 1500 heavy metal+27k alex at all. I'd rather explore the world, read the story, spend 30 min to lv my class the log off and wait for leve reset atm, and that's something I can't get in XI unless they release a new full expansion.

I kinda want to go back to XI and try to build/play with tanking BLU, which is something I wanna play with for a while. But I know if I go back to XI the first thing I wanna do is probably 1500 heavy metal/27k alex grind fest. I still have a connection with XI, but doesn't mean I want to play it. Very weird huh?

Regardless, personally I think 2~3 more update and FFXIV may beat FFXI in terms of enjoyment(for me at least), unless XI can come up with anything more than VWNM 1500 heavy metal grind fest, or stuff like neo nyzul neo salvage neo ZNM.

Anyways a list of stuff I've got it done in past 2 weeks:

Finally joined a pt and finished R25 dungeon quest. Got an unbreakable knuckles for my pugilist, my first ex/rare drop in this game ._.

Got camp crimson bark and the aetheryte(forgot the name) near it. While playing MGS with lv 80+ mobs on the way......who the fk put lv 80+ or even lv 90+ mobs all over the place in this game, when lv cap is only 50. Who'd go fight those super high lv mobs while they drops nothing - - Are they even killable? - -

Tried to complete R34 main story quest by running to Mor Dhona from Camp Crimson, but died on the way. DAMN LV 80+ MOBS, DAMN THEM.

Started lving Gladiator, currently R16. Since I realized I enjoyed Gladiator way more than pugilist....of course, I never enjoy THF and MNK in XI, how is it possible to enjoy a THF MNK hybrid class. On the other hand I might enjoy PLD in XI ._.

Otherwise it's just between doing leve and log off while waiting for leve reset. While sometimes lv up craft.

I will probably still go back to FFXI in the end, connection is connection, and it is connections that's been keeping me playing FFXI. But deep inside my mind there's a voice telling me don't go back to XI ever. Just let the good memory of XI stay in my mind and enjoy RL and other games now.