Plagued with annoying issues....but amazingly addictive

When I heard that the latest Final Fantasy game was going to be online I wasn't particularly happy. This is a series of games that, I reasoned, had always been single player and should remain that way. When FFXI did come along it was also extremely expensive. Playing on the PS2 I needed to buy the game for $120, the modem, $50, and a keyboard $25. Not to mention the $12.95 per month to play and any extra characters at $1.00 each, added up to over $200 for the game alone after tax.

Having only ever played MMORPGs like Diablo and Diablo 2, this was an entirely different experience. Unfortunately, after my initial excitement with the game wore off and I was able to see the massive flaws that plagued the game. By no means is it a bad game, though, and ultimately it's up to the buyer to decide whether they think it's for them.

Probably my greatest problem with the game is that it forces the player to party. Not to just to level up, but for literally everything. There is almost nothing (aside from minor quests and of course, making money) that you can do by yourself in this game. What this adds up to then, is huge amounts of people shouting for help in Jeuno (the game's central city). This becomes annoying for people that do not have a large amount of high level in game friends wiling to help them out, and they will find themselves repeatedly begging for help or paying massive amounts of money for help. This is not just an occasional issue either, expect to need full partys/alliances (18 people) for all 5 pieces of your high level job specific armor, story missions, many quests, and raising your level limit cap.

Even worse, when you aren't doing any of the above events, expect to spend hours waiting around looking for a group to level up with. Most non-mage jobs except for Rangers and Paladins will rarely get invites. Rangers cause the most damage in the game and Paladins are needed to protect the other party members.

However many people don't become Rangers because of the game's second biggest problem, money making. Expect to spend hours at a time killing low level monsters over and over again for treasure that you can sell (farming). This is really the best way to make money as other methods such as mining, gardening, etc are entirely hit or miss with profitability. The crafting system is remarkably useless as well if you want to make money off of it early on. For starters expect to spend anywhere from 1-2 million right up to 40+ million to level a craft from 0-100 (crafting is really only profitable at 80+). Quite an investment considering the average farmer only makes 30 thousand per hour.

This party heavy system can, however, also be a great way to meet new people and friends. You can use the Playonline navigation tool to search for friends with similar interests as you. In addition, you can use a "linkshell" which is like a mini chat room within the game, for talking with other friends that have the same linkshell, or for organizing quests and missions.

The job system is fantastic, and being able to change your job or your support job at any time makes for some interesting combinations. Although only a handful of those combinations are considered "acceptable" in an experience party.

All in all I would love to be able to just walk away from FFXI and it's numerous headaches, but it just keeps drawing me back. Like the best MMORPGs, constant levelling up and moneymaking rewards you with better equipment and more admiration from fellow players. I do believe though that if you are an avid Final Fantasy freak looking to try an MMORPG, have TONS of spare time, and don't mind repetitive money making, this game will suck you in not let you go.