EQ2 Opinions from FFXI players?Follow

Well, I havent started on EQ2 yet, but Ive been playing MMORPGS since UO beta (which was just before EQ1 went live), and Ive recently expeienced the same feelings about FFXI as you.

When I look back at the game, there are a few things that they definately did wrong.

Travel - I like how they added Chocos to keep true to FFXI, but honestly, it made the game boring as hell. The travel times consumed a lot of playtime and Im sure this discouraged a lot of people. Now there were warps from WHMs and BLMs, but when one wasnt around, the game became tiresome. Airships were also in the game, but you werent able to access those until much later.

Partying - While the partying idea is fun, FFXI did it to death. If you didnt have a party in FFXI, there really werent a whole lot of things that you could do. On top of that, many people spent hours upon hours waiting for a party. Another thing that turns people off.

Repitition - So you play the game to level 18...Get a subjob...and...do it all again?! I must have done some things in that game 5/10/15 times over and it just becomes so boring. For example, almost every experienced player had been through the Valkrum Dunes 10 times. Thats more that any player should.

These were just a few of my main concerns about the game. I had a few more, but these are some that stick out in my mind.

I guess the best way to say what I'm looking forward to in EQ2 is to list what I didn't like about FFXI. These will probably be pretty much the same as everyone else, but it's just my 2 cent.


#1. Travel. As others have said, traveling anywhere just took too long in FFXI. Even with the addition of Chocobos, the fluctuating prices to rent them, plus the 6 hour quest to be able to use them in the first place leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

#2. Partying. Being forced to party once you reach level 10-13 unless you were a Beastmaster really sucked. In other mmorpgs I have played, I like to party sometimes, but others I just want to go out on my own. This wasn't an option in FFXI. Also it gets boring having to 'camp' to level, I'd rather be on the move myself, camping is very dull.

#3. Enemies. Whilst partying, leveling and going to ever harder areas, you can't help but notice that the things you are fighting are the same models as you fought at earlier levels, just with different names. Square Enix really could have done better at this, they recycled way to much, it made leveling even less interesting.

#4 Uniqueness. It's impossible to be unique in FFXI for a few reason. Firstly, there isn't enough character models (for my liking), so you end up having citys full of clones. Secondly, every job pretty much had to get certain equipment at certain levels, or they were considered 'gimped', so every job looked the same. And lastly every party had to be built a certain way or it just could not be successful. Meaning even when in an area going to your camp, you'd run past partys that were exactly the same as you were.

#5. Everyone starting at the same time. Now I don't hold any grudge again Japanese players, but they did get FFXI along time before everyone else. So by the time NA and then EU got on, they already had an economy going and were high levels. It doesn't bother me that much, but no matter what I did ingame, I couldn't help think, "Japanese players must have done this thousands of times already", that took some of the fun away for me.


From what I have read and heard, EQ2 seems to be much better in those five points, that's why I am looking forward to it.

If I ever have to kill a tan coloured, buggy eyed rabbit again, it'll be too soon. Seriously, this was the major reason I couldn't stand FFXI after a month. I fought bunnies in Ronfaure W, LTP, V Dunes. I couldn't stand it to fight bunnies in 3 zones straight, every single time I got a new job. I ruined the game.

*raises hand*

I got to 70 monk. Sorry, probably should have mentioned that.

I agree, I'm a 65MNK 33WAR 33THF 33WHM 40BRD 26NIN 17BLM. I am not trying to bash this game, I'm just saying spending countless hours killing the same mobs so I can get a level, or make a key drop is just not exciting. The high level content is great, killing HNM and such, but only if you land yourself in a great HNM LS, in which case it is all popularity anyway.

The story is ok, but there realy isn't enough soloable content. And looking for a group as a 65 MNK makes me sick. How would you like to have to play for 7 hours to get 10 K experience points. 3 hours looking for a pick up group, and 3 hours of 3K exp an hour because you are in a pick up group.

I want to get to 75 as bad as the next person, but I wish the trip was more enjoyable.

Well im a 75rdm in ffxi and HNM are not that fun, it is becomes very repeatitive, you go to sky constantly to get trigger drops for gods and fight the same gods millions of times to get the uber drops, and the only god that looks different from all the mobs in the game is Genbu a big ninja turtle.

Not to bash on ffxi but it really is repeatitive, and ive been looking at the EQ2 fighting style it looks so much more fun than going into and dungeon and having mages sneak/invis all the melee and trying not to get aggro so you can sit at a camp for, god ive been at 1 camp for 8 hours before, and killing the same mobs over and over again.

Where as Eq2 from what i have seen anyways you get to walk around and kill mobs throughout the dungeon advancing and not sitting at one camp for endless hours

"FFXI: You can be any class at any time with one character.
EQ2: You can be any class with any race, but only one class per character.
I personally like the FFXI way of doing things here. Being able to switch and still keep the same character is kinda cool; Although FFXI is the ONLY game that has ever done that. "


SWG was the first game to do this FYI

Been playing MMO's a while myself, 3+ years on EQ (post luclin, FFXI since it launched in the states, and even UO way back when. Only reason I left EQ1 was cause I had a Bard max level and nearly toped off on AAs, a high levl BL and a high level mage. Wasn't much left to be done and got board of it, LDoN was a nice diversion but I wanted to try new things. FFXI was nice at the begining, but after a while the economy started to really get screwed up (maybe it was already this bad and I hadn't noticed it cause I wasn't looking at the right things). The switching roles was kinda cool, but it also took away as much as it put in IMO. 1 person who can be anything tends to wear on stuff after a bit. You have to have room for your red mage gear, then for your ninja equip, not to mention the black mage equip. then you need to suport the gear needs for all those suub classes you need to build. FFXI also has that xp grind feeling untul you get up to level 60, then you can finaly start some of the fun stuff. I havn't started EQ2 yet, will when the store opens today, but I am looking forward to it and I am hoping that SOE will deliver what they have been boasting about for the last year an a half. Here is keeping my fingers crossed.

some ffxi background:

i'm a lvl75 war with arguably the best gear for my job in the game(minus stuff thats insane(read noone has it yet) hard to get like relic weapon). ive been through almost all of the issues listed above, including inability to find parties, the language barrier, fighting the same mob over and over again, etc..

Now my question is, i've finally gotten past all of the leveling BS in FFXI, im at endgame, my character is awesome, and from what i've seen of EQ2 at my friend's place...it looks like a ton of fun. But all the reports i've seen of leveling and so forth have been of very early levels. As far as I remember FFXI was a blast to level from like 1-20/30ish, but after that it just SUCKS. What is the deal with EQ2's leveling system after the 'first hump', does it slow down tremoundously? Do you need to level with parties for a long long time mid-game in order to level? Now don't say its possible to solo but partying is faster, i've heard that before. HOW much faster is partying when you are trying to level?

I don't mind leveling if its fun to level, but after about lvl30, leveling in FFXI was just a chore and a half and that's my biggest concern with EQ2. Anyone that can shed light on levels past the novice stage of the game(if its even possible, i dont know what the lvl the beta was capped at) please let us hear what you thought.