Final Fantasy XI question

[Feanor727]

Preface: Yes, I'm a loser (wrt gaming). I only have a PS2 (30k series), and a P3-750 laptop.

Actual topic: Is it worth it? I'd have to track down a network adapter ($20), hard drive ($40), and game (~$30), and then pay however-much-per-month in fees. I used to enjoy playing Everquest back in 2003 when i had a decent computer, but I tend to prefer the solo MMORPGs experience. I'll be getting a PS3 and an iMac in mid-2009, but I'd like something to tide me over... Is it worth the $100 or so to get started in FFXI or should I just suck it up and wait?

 

[Nik]

The game is old and not a lot of people play it. Personally, I wouldn't touch FF11 with a 10 meter cattle prod. Yes, I did watch Ghostbusters last night.

I'm not sure which series the 30k is, but don't the slimline PS2s come with a built-in network adaptor? And why do you need a HDD for it? Memory card not big enough? I don't know enough about FF11 to understand why you'd need a HDD for your PS2.

I don't know much about the PS3, either. Is the PS3 compatible with PS2 games?

 

[Dumac]

I would say no. Even on PC, for a new person the world looks pretty much vacant. I imagine it would only be much worse on a PS2. Plus, that is a lot of money. Why not just put that money towards a decent rig? It's not as if MMOs are very heavy on system requirements.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

PC and PS2 and Xbox360 FFXI all connect to the same server and you can take your account to any platform and pick up where you left off, so it's got that going for it. Also when you do get a PS3 you can play it on that.

I played it for a bit, it was alright, nothing really got my attention, but maybe it was just my general lack of interest. You can track down the discs from ebay, and then go get a $4.99 starter pack for the online code.

 

[Dumac]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
PC and PS2 and Xbox360 FFXI all connect to the same server and you can take your account to any platform and pick up where you left off, so it's got that going for it.

Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[erwos]

The main problem with FF11 is that it is very group-oriented past a certain point, and assembling said groups can take... a while. I've heard the expansions were going to attempt to fix this design problem, but who knows?

Also, the game requires a hard drive on all platforms.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: erwos
The main problem with FF11 is that it is very group-oriented past a certain point, and assembling said groups can take... a while. I've heard the expansions were going to attempt to fix this design problem, but who knows?

Also, the game requires a hard drive on all platforms.

This.

The group thing is what might kill the game experience for you. That might not be the case if a lot more people were playing it, but as several have already stated there are few on the servers now.

 

[Feanor727]

Thanks for the info, peeps! I think I'll just suck it up, replay one of my older RPGs, and sink the $100 into my next upgrade.

 

[ZetaEpyon]

As a 6-year FFXI player, I can attest that a lot of the problems with finding groups and such have been ironed out in the last couple quarterly patches. That said, I do think that the game is on the decline in terms of user numbers and things of that sort. It is 6 and a half years old, after all.

For what it's worth, the PC version is only like $20 now, and a free month is included. That includes all of the expansions, too. If you end up liking it, cool. If not, you're only out $20.