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Graphics are great and play is fun and involving

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 134 / 146
Date: November 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First, that reviewer from Iowa who was complaining about the graphics is dead wrong. That person must have a slow PC or poor graphics card. The graphics are awesome on my Althlon XP 2400+, Radeon 9600 PRO. I turned up the game resolution so now the menus are smaller and don't take up so much space on the screen. You CAN use a gamepad as long as you program it using the configuration tool. I use my gamepad for most of the playing and when I want to chat, I just go to my keyboard and start yapping away. I also use the keyboard to target Party members in battle since it's easier (I'm a White Mage so most of the time I am curing or protecting in battle).

Also, I think the fact that walking from place to place takes a long time and that the game is a bit slower paced is a good thing. It makes it feel more epic. Let's face it, role playing games are not supposed to be fast paced anyways. I'd rather have a game that will last a year or more than one where I can "beat it" in a month.

Also, there's so many activities and quests to do in this game. I'm currently trying to increase my skill in clothmaking so I make gloves, hats, and clothes to sell. It can be frustrating at times to have to go out and collect the items you need, but in the end it adds another layer to the game, not just going out and fighting monsters for "world peace".

Plus, finding people to party with isn't all that difficult, as long as you can bring something to the group. Fighter-type people should strive to excel in fighting skills and get the best armor and weapons. Mages should go and buy all the magic they can. Finally, when in battle, people must "play their role". Fighters are supposed to fight in the front lines and engage the enemy directly. Black Mages are supposed to stand back and cast attack spells using the correct element. White Mages are supposed to restore hit points, cure poison and paralysis, and always make sure Protect and/or Shell is cast on every single Party member at all times. Mages also need to learn when to cast or when to conserve MPs. This being said, finding a party is easy.

In any case, I think this is one of the most involved games I've ever played. It's also one of the best, graphically and musically. The world of Vana'Diel is also one of the largest in size I've ever played (it takes like 10 minutes or so to cross the town running full speed). If you have a decent PC and you like RPGs and online games, get this one!

A view from a former MMORPG Player

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 110 / 116
Date: October 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This will give you an idea of how the game plays. Even though I explain it from the view of someone that has played an MMORPG before this game is easy to learn. If you are new to online games this is a great start.

FFXI in Japan has really gained a lot of popularity. It's been out over a year now. There are 20+ servers with over 2k players on each server during prime time. Just as much or more than EQ had for its time.

When you start the game you choose from 6 different classes. Warrior, Monk, Thief, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage. Really all this choice determines is the few newbie items you start with though.

You are actully level 1 of each class. You can change classes at any time in your home town. Each class levels seperately from the other classes. So you could be a level 7 warrior and decide you would like to try a mage and start at level 1 with that mage. You lose nothing for switching.

At level 18 you get to have a subclass. If you don't have a subclass you will suck. As you gain level your stats go up. You get your subclass level at 1/2 your main class level. Unless you have not leveled that class up to that level. You get all the abilities that class gets and access to all spells. You don't get the super ability of that class. Super Abilities can be used once every 2hr. This is stuff like 30 sec invincibility. 30 sec 100% evade. 30 sec infinate mana. 45 sec 100% crit hits. 30 sec no spell cast time. You also get a % of the stats your subclass has. Between 30-50%.

So You can me a white mage/warrior. Warrior/monk. Thief/black mage. Whatever you like. You can change this at any time. So if you decide your subclass has stuff you like more you can switch that to your main class.

At level 30 you can do quests to unlock 9 more classes. Bard, Ranger, Dark Knight, Palidan, Beastmaster, Ninja, Samurai, Summoner and Dragoon.

Leveling is similar to EQ.

Even con solo gives 100 exp. 2 man group each person gets 70. 3 man group each person gets 50exp. So it's definately best to group.

At level 40+ it you can get about 1 level a day. At level 50 you can doa quest to unlock the cap to make it 60. Currently the cap is 70.

Death = 10% exp loss. 2.5% if you get a res. It's DAoC style death. You lay there and can watch the action. You have 1 hour to get a res. When you go back to your homepoint (stones in towns/guards in land you control bind you) you return with all items on you. No coin loss. No bad effects.

There are quests similar to EQ quests. bring me 4 bat wings bla bla. These are great for making cash early on. You can sell 4 bat wings for 40 gold or turn them in for 150 basicaly.

There are missions that raise your rank (some items are only available to higher ranks)
This is the story behind the game. This is unlike any other mmorpg. There is no real story line you follow in current games. PoP story is kind of a start. PoP story isn't something that you started at level 1 though. The FFXI expansion lets you continue the storyline. It's not just some random new land that was discovered.

There is no PVP. There is a land control system. Each week it is reset (the monsters take it back over) By killing stuff in the zone and turing crystals in from the mobs you gain "Conquest points" These help determine who owns the land and you can spend conquest points on some nice items. PvP may be Added sometime in early 2004.

There are raid type mobs that take 9-18 people to kill. Some of these bosses sound nasty. 1+hr fights. Stuff that triple attacks and takes main tanks to 50%-10% life in one round. Kills any caster in one round etc. These are fought with "Alliances" Most I've seen are 18 people. You see everyones lifebar on yourscreen at once.

There aren't really guilds. You get an item called a linkshell. It lets you talk to anyone with the same linkshell. you can own multiple linkshells. The one you talk in is determined by the shell you are wearing.

Your charecter can be in EQ like "bazaar mode" all the time. There are also auction houses in town that let you enter an item and min price at which you will sell. Players then enter an amount. If it is higher than your min they get the item. These transactions are recorded for the public to see. So you can get an idea for the going rate of the item.

Dont listen to the other reviews

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 91 / 97
Date: March 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First of all, I've played this game since its release, and still do. I am above level 60 out of 75 levels. Most of the people who are writing negative reviews dont seem to have spent anywhere near enough time playing this game to properly review it.
Firstly, exp is not hard to get at all in this game. I see alot of people complaining that it is, I have no idea why. The first 10 levels of this game are the hardest you'll face, because most people solo, and its hard to party. You'll gain about 20-72 exp per kill, and need about 2000 exp to level. The good thing is, a death below level 10 will not set you back far, and its fast to recover your health and keep fighting.
Whoever said you can only gain 600-900exp a hour in a party, best case scenario, is WRONG. What the heck? That is ridiculous. I have had parties where I have gained 6000 exp in an hour, and this is above level 50, where it takes 10,000 to level. I remember gaining 2-3 levels in one sitting, above 50. Exp is very easy to get, in fact you'll find yourself interested in doing other things besides exp'ing, because its easy to just go back gain levels some other time. On a bad day, it might be hard to get into a party, but the game is so well-designed, you can just put your seek flag up, and do other things while you wait for a party, like craft items, or kill monsters for loot, or quests or missions.
Their is a very deep storyline in this game, that whoever said this game has no story obviously did not know about. You have to talk to the NPC's and townspeople! The story is hidden, you have to work to bring it out. The game pits 3 nations against each other for control of each area in the world. when you create a character, you choose which of the 3 nations to join (can be changed later if you want).
All in all, I've read alot of negative posts on here, and I think that these people just played one or two times, couldnt get past level 5, and gave up. I'll admit it takes a bit of work, but once you solo your way to level 10, the game will open up, and you'll have LOTS to do. I find myself constantly busy on the game, doing many other things besides leveling.
Just stick it out until you reach level 10, and the real game begins, because its easy to get a party, and everyone helps each other. By the way, maybe the negative posters did not know how to play the game well, and thats why they couldnt get parties or do well. It takes some common sense to play, but its not like you have to be a genius to know how to listen to someone's advice. You might find yourself not making friends if you act inapproitate.
And to the person who said you need to have HTML skills to make macro's or shortcuts... WHAT are you talking about? This game is very simple and easy to play, from the first day on, it has a great interface, easy to use, just set your keys to whatever feels comfortable.

The Best MMORPG to this date!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 64 / 73
Date: January 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Before I begin, as most customers want is proof,
http://www.gamespy.com/goty2003/pc/index17.shtml
http://www.gametab.com/pc/final.fantasy.xi.online/1973/

I hope that's enough proof for you, I'm not here to force
you to buy a game and I'm not here because of people's opinions,
I'm here to tell you facts of the game, from my personal
experience as a hardcore RPG Master, who've played countless
RPGs from the best to the worse and rate them where it always
come down that their battle engines always too easy and their
mini games bore me.

Simulated World
----------------------------------------
I will tell you this, FFXI has beautiful simulated animated
graphics, from the skies above, down to the deep sea, from
Birds to Bats, to running monkeys, the land is well natured,
down to pretty flowers to glowing bugs. It has a unique
weather system, which changes maybe at randomly or maybe
by the company, also it has a day and night system.
It also has special decorations on special events in towns
plus more (ie Christmas day? chirstmas trees? flying santa?)

Many more things to do than just fighting!
----------------------------------------
From fishing, gold mining, harvesting, logging trees to
cooking~! yes you can gamble and auction~! there's many more.
all minerals and each mineral can help you make something,
for example harvesting crops ,can help you make clothes, or
even food to cook, logging trees can help you make a flute
if you're a bard or even armoury.If that's enough for your
attention, you also get homes, that's right decorate your very
own house, make tables if you want, it's totally up to you.

Mix and Match Jobs if you wish and unlock other jobs
----------------------------------------
you also can get a main job and sub job, so you can have fun
mix and matching, want to be White Mage? and still be a Black
Mage? Ladies want to be like Yuna in FFX? you can look almost
like her, except for clothing, also you can be a Summoner just
like your favourate character, how about the Gents? you always
wanted be like the villans(ie Sephiroth)? you can be a Dark
Knight and use dark spells and exploding damage on your enemies
with your weapon.

Race (go here -> http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/citizen/)
----------------------------------------
This Game has it all right down to Races, for example Elvaan,
they look very simular to the Elves, I'm sure many people wanted
to play the pointy eared race here's your chance to enjoy your
fantasy along with your friends~!

Partying is a must when fighting at higher LvLs
----------------------------------------
please note as an MMORPG and you should know by now, all RPGs
made from Square Enix~! you MUST party up~! it's a must and
it's a fact, Partying brings more fun A~! and B, you should
know it's chaotic to fight alone~!

Do we need to fight?

----------------------------------------
speaking of which you don't even have to fight at all~!
you can enjoy the game as a towns person, you can happily be
the greatest cheff or whatever you wish to be and sell your
creative things to people.

Battle Engine (simple/complex?)
----------------------------------------
The Battle engine is from simple to complex, and I cannot
go into all of the details right here because FFXI is a very
huge game with countless features, I've only gave you some of
few, but the beauty of this game is, it can really train a
novice rpg player to a big hard core rpg master when you
accomplish your way up~! so if you're looking to be the best
RPG Master or you're just looking for fun, FFXI is the way to
go~!

Die Hard Role Playing Gamers
----------------------------------------
if you're a complex rpg master, and you're looking for the
best of the best, yes, Race does have effect to the jobs
you pick for them, the battle engine does have chain combos in
attacks and magic plus many many more features I cannot explain
here, lets just say it sure surpasses FFX battle engine, and if
you're going to make a party as you will already know as a Pro.
RPG gamer that the group positions in combat makes a difference.
Tankers(Paladin, Warrior etc) to the front, Casters to the back,
and depending on what skills/magic you use will make the enemy
either agressive(ie atk you as a caster for healing a member
maybe? all depends) or fearful (ignore you and continue to
focus on the tanker or whoever it wishes to attack) so if
that's the complexity you want, please read up, The game is for
everyone who loves RPGs and for those who like to enjoy their
fantasy online with friends and ofcourse you meet new friends too~!

Transportations
----------------------------------------
they are transportations many types right down to your
favourate Chocobo~! or go on an airship or ship of the sea,
or a portal to location npc, white mages and black mages can do
it also.

Billing info (cheap/expensive?)
----------------------------------------
Like I said this is only piece of the game, you'll have to play
it to know more and see more, this is just a generic idea to
show you the amount of fun you will have, and it's well worth
the price, some MMOGs(Massive Multiplayer Online Games) you
have to pay 25 to 40USD a month, just to get a good game to
play online, and FFXI is well worth the price. SO please ignore
those people who say this game is expensive because that's
quite silly, they should thank the company for not putting the
price expense as high as how the game is rated like some online
games. Anyways below shows you the billing info.
I was shocked when I saw the billing info, I was like
"Thank God" was really excited too, because I was praying
that it wouldn't be expensive after reading the features and
the jaw dropping graphics, so yes it's at a great price.

- FREE Subscription for 30 Days
- FINAL FANTASY XI: $12.95/month
- Additional Character: $1.00/month per character
- Tetra Master: $1.00/month

----------------------------------------
If you like all the facts of the game,
what are you waiting for?~! grab a copy while
the prices are hot, who knows what Amazon will do
if it's out of stock, hah hah ^_^ just kidding,
better be safe than sorry I'd say..
I'm sure having fun and I'm sure you will too~!
don't forget to tell a friend! ^_^
Please visit FFXI home site when you finish
the game.

Wonderful but weird

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 50 / 52
Date: November 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I never really thought much about Final Fantasy XI. I knew it was some online console game in Japan and wasn't particularly anticipating it. But a few friends were playing it so I jumped on the bandwagon and ordered it.

What a shock. I almost missed what is without question the best Massive Multiplayer game released for years.

The graphics are top notch and don't require a supercomputer to reach a playable level. The world is very original and large. The quests are involving and including "cut scene" videos that make you feel like the world is alive and involving. The first weekend after release was a major in-game halloween event.

But it's the gameplay that makes this a winner. The gameplay is just plain fun. The game has a very slow level curve and can be very harsh losing experience or even a level if you die. But it doesn't seem like a problem because fighting is such a pure pleasure! There are enough special attacks to keep everyone interested and attacks can combine with those of other members of the group to produce additional effects. Challenges are very well measured, offering a reasonable reward for work. Each class has a large number of things to do and is useful to a group -- you can also take a subclass at level 18 and can swap between classes at your house in the city.

Tradeskills are workable and in the game, requiring both purchased and quested materials. There's a great system for auctioning items. It has tools for finding a group.

Oh, and the game is bug free. Not relatively bug free. Not mostly bug free. It's bug free. Really. The only crashes I've heard of relate to some installation problems and issues with video card drivers. The game itself is flawless. Systems work. It doesn't crash.

That's the wonderful, now for the weird. This game is a Japanese market console game designed for the Playstation2 and it shows. Square Enix, the publisher, did a great job porting the game to the PC, but it is a copy of the client slightly adapted to the PC. It is not a separate game from the PS2 version and the controls and assumptions of the game come from a console market. Most players find the controls very confusing at first, but for me after a few days of play they became second mature. Along with controls, there's a small single text window -- again because that's what can be displayed on a PS2/television. You are making compromises. SE also did not introduce any new servers for the North American market and as a US player, I'm aware that I'm definitely a stranger in a strange land. It may also make finding a group difficult. You are also limited to a single character with your basic subscription; additional characters are $1/month for each. And you can only play on one server, which is randomly assigned which may mean creating and deleting until you find the one your friends are on (or they can buy an in game item called a "world pass" for you). None of these is in my opinion a major problem, but they do irritate a lot of players. If a player can't accept that this is the way it is, they won't be happy with FFXI. Pity for them. This is a winner.

Most Addictive Game Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 24
Date: October 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

A bit of background:

1) My girlfriend hates final fantasy
2) She hates online games
3) I hate MMORPG's
4) I was bored and signed up for the ffxi beta...

When the beta kit arrived, the Girlfriend said, "You can only play that 2 hours a night!"

Needless to say, when beta ended, we had a lv48 RDM, with most of the other jobs levelled to 10-25, a bunch of dead plants in the yard, and lost weight cause it was too hard to leave the screen to eat. (Yep, it's the FFXI Diet!)

Oh, yes, I said 'we'. The character is our child, a joint creation... the 2 hour rule was thrown out, of course, and we both played for hours and hours despite thinking we wouldn't get so involved.

An Excellent MMO

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: August 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Aside from the occasional spots of lag, I really have no complaints with this MMORPG. Many of the complaints of the other customers are gripes that you would have with any MMORPG: the leveling treadmills, lag, a large amount of time invested, its all there in any other MMORPG. For those who say you fight the same monsters, you have clearly not been a social person. The key to having great fun and leveling fast in this game is forming parties to fight hard monsters together. It is true that you will have to destroy a fair number of bumblebees and caterpillars until you reach about lvl 7, but then you will find a large number of people willing to party with you, and you get to see some of the big monsters that you see in the strategy guides and online screenshots. It doesn't even take THAT long to reach level 7 if you know what you are doing. I hit level 7 5 days after I installed the game. I personally find the leveling to be far less intense than other online games I have played, such as Runescape, and I overall find it to be the best so far. Just be prepared to put a lot of time into it.

Here are the starting races and classes:

Warrior: This is for a person who wants a very basic job. Pretty much in a party you will provoke the monster so the mages wont get attacked by it. Also be prepared to die for the party, if you dont like that idea then you are better suited for another class.

Thief: This is an excellent moneymaking class. You can steal things from monsters and use Sneak Attack for massive amounts of damage. Expect to solo for a little longer than most classes will. Good for someone who wants to hit hard but is not prepared to die for the sake of the party if things go awry.

Monk: Essentially a Warrior with lighter weapons that can attack more often. It is definitely a fun character to play.

White Mage: This is what the party lives off of. You heal your party members and as a result will gain massive levels, because everyone wants a WHM in their party! Just don't slack off in this job when it comes to healing or you will have a bad reputation later on.

Black Mage: These mages use elemental spells to do the main damage to the monster. They deal massive damage, so if you are a destructive fellow, WHM is for you.

Red Mage: Red Mages are a combo of WAR, WHM, and BLM. They can heal, do damage, and enfeeble while hitting the enemy on the frontlines. Excellent in later levels once you have procured a subjob.

Final Fantasy Fans Will Love this MMORPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'm a gaming madman. I've played well over 180 days of pure playtime on mmorpgs and probably approaching 365 if I haven't passed it already. That said I've probably played out at least half the mmorpgs out there.

But before I was playing MMORPGs, I was playing Final Fantasy. I'm the biggest FF fan there is, FF XI, disappointed me because it didn't have a "Final Fantasy" feel like you get in the rest of the single palyer series, but it only disappointed me because I was used to such great games in the FF series. This game feels like an MMORPG, not an RPG. Don't expect too much gameplay like FF. I was hoping the fights would feel like FF, but it's your standard Player vs Evil MMORPG battles.

However, I gave this game 5 stars, because even though it disappointed me when I compare it as part of the final fantasy series, I was impressed by it being an mmorpg. There are a lot of simpler elements in the game that hasn't been seen in other mmorpgs, like auction houses, weapon skills, magic bursting. Players knowledge, style of play, alertness, severely impacts how well a group does. I can't believe the difference when I party with a japanese group as compared to an American group. And yes, you have to play with Japanese players, which adds a whole new element to the MMORPG genre. I've never had to deal with people that didn't speak the same langauge on an hourly basis, it is definetely a good, new experience on an MMORPG.

Final Fantasy has tons of quests, and you can be your favorite job, anyone who wanted to be a ninja can finally be one(although it's not as kick ass as you might have wanted it to be, haha) FF XI: A good MMORPG with some familiar FF elements, but not enough to have a real "Final Fantasy" feel. If anyone has wanted to play an MMORPG or loves final fantasy, this game would be a solid buy.

Best Online Game EVER!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: November 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have played UO and Everquest and let me just tell you this, they are both childs play compared to Final Fantasy. Square just has the money and right programs who put all efforts in making this game the best. Final Fantasy did not win the title for best RPG for nothing. The work that is played into the series really show in this online game. I recommend everyone to play this game becuase it truly is ONLINE FANTASY! And let me just add THIS IS THE FIRST GAME THAT HAS REALISTIC LOOKING PEOPLE AND CHARACTERS!! THEY ARE ACTUALLY CUTE AND HOT!!!

Action, Adventure, and done with Style

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: October 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I must begin this review with one word, Wow.
This game, after my extensive previews and looks and insights on the mechanics and workings, I find to be simply amazing.
The player will find himself in the largest known world ever made in a video game. In fact, this world is SO large, that it makes Morrowind's world look tiny.
Not only is this place insanely large, but it is also incredibly detailed and beautiful as well, no one in their right mind will ever bore from simply sight seeing.
I simply have never encountered such a wonder; crammed inside a remarkable game.
The PC version will entail a $50 retail, while the PS2 version will be double that, because of a bundled Hard Drive. The disc will never have to be used again though. Insanely large game, and insanely cool.
There is a one month trial period of this game, because it is entirely online. If the buyer loves it enough, he or she will submit his or herself to the monthly fee of $12.95.
I might add, however, that the money will be ENTIRELY worth it.
Expect an awesome game that will rival and may even become the next Evercrack... pardon me, I mean Everquest.

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