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I've read a lot of reviews of Final Fantasy XI, Square's first attempt at bringing the FF series online. There's always two things that jump out at you from these reviews:
Firstly: Cynical journalists are usually of the opinion that we just won't see Final Fantasy XI in Europe because Sony is dithering too much about releasing its Online Service. By the time gamers in the UK are all connected together via hi-speed cable they'll be using PS3s to play online.
Secondly: What IS the point? In every other Final Fantasy game there has been a quest, a purpose to all that levelling up, a reason for acquiring new weapons and magics. Because towards the end of the game there would be closure to the storyline and a massive boss fight. Then you'd get the credits. MMORPGs work slightly differently. You have the levelling up, the acquiring of new weapons and magics, but then what?
Unless there's a main quest thread in a game to follow through to the end there can be no ending, and like all other MMORPGs you get to the stage where eventually all you are doing is levelling up for the sake of it. The monsters all get easier to beat, you've got every rare item under the sun, you've seen all there is to see, and essentially all you have left is a glorified chatroom with graphics.
Then you've got the problem of server overload where 2000 players on the same server at one time (FFXI is said to be able to handle much more than this) creates the dreaded lag, not to mention the fact that everytime you go out to kill something to level up there's another group just ahead of you killing it before you get there.
PSW showed online footage from the Japanese beta test of FFXI on its demo disc this issue, sure enough it looks beautiful (if a little drab in places), but imagine logging in to play each day with the realisation that you've already seen all this? After a while, like many other MMORPGs, you end up standing in the middle of town chatting to your mates about the time you defeated the WoomlyGrub bare handed and what you did at the weekend whilst you eye up the local Mithraa talent and try to pull.
When it comes to online play for the PS2 I think football, racing, shoot 'em ups and beat 'em ups will rule the online genres, because you can compete and defeat. MMORPGs still have a bit of thinking to do before they can really come of age. I think Square jumped the gun a little bit.
Firstly: Cynical journalists are usually of the opinion that we just won't see Final Fantasy XI in Europe because Sony is dithering too much about releasing its Online Service. By the time gamers in the UK are all connected together via hi-speed cable they'll be using PS3s to play online.
Secondly: What IS the point? In every other Final Fantasy game there has been a quest, a purpose to all that levelling up, a reason for acquiring new weapons and magics. Because towards the end of the game there would be closure to the storyline and a massive boss fight. Then you'd get the credits. MMORPGs work slightly differently. You have the levelling up, the acquiring of new weapons and magics, but then what?
Unless there's a main quest thread in a game to follow through to the end there can be no ending, and like all other MMORPGs you get to the stage where eventually all you are doing is levelling up for the sake of it. The monsters all get easier to beat, you've got every rare item under the sun, you've seen all there is to see, and essentially all you have left is a glorified chatroom with graphics.
Then you've got the problem of server overload where 2000 players on the same server at one time (FFXI is said to be able to handle much more than this) creates the dreaded lag, not to mention the fact that everytime you go out to kill something to level up there's another group just ahead of you killing it before you get there.
PSW showed online footage from the Japanese beta test of FFXI on its demo disc this issue, sure enough it looks beautiful (if a little drab in places), but imagine logging in to play each day with the realisation that you've already seen all this? After a while, like many other MMORPGs, you end up standing in the middle of town chatting to your mates about the time you defeated the WoomlyGrub bare handed and what you did at the weekend whilst you eye up the local Mithraa talent and try to pull.
When it comes to online play for the PS2 I think football, racing, shoot 'em ups and beat 'em ups will rule the online genres, because you can compete and defeat. MMORPGs still have a bit of thinking to do before they can really come of age. I think Square jumped the gun a little bit.
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Final Fantasy XI may be the most amazing RPG to appear on a console but on the downside may fail at the same rate. Looking at the recent PSW disc it looks quite extraordinary but I'm curious to know if Square are continuing the series online or making FFXI unique, Either way FFXI will put the PS2 online capabilities to the test and about time to :-)
Bah...what is it with those litle dudes praying up to the camera....u really got to see this...it's weird!
hmmm...all i'm getting is some sort of thing were i can see these kind of sexy women with dog faces walking around....but thats it....and these little annoying things....the movie plays for a couple of seconds then stops. then plays...then stops....is this right?
isit live or just recorded?
i suppose u just have to wait for it to load?
FantasyMeister wrote:
> http://www.rpgdot.com/popup.php?popup=1&search=Final%20Fantasy
> &date1=2002-2-13&date2=2002-2-20
(remove space after
> Fantasy)
Third article down entitled: Final Fantasy XI Beta Video Stream.
> The link is in that one.
cheers mate
> http://www.rpgdot.com/popup.php?popup=1&search=Final%20Fantasy
> &date1=2002-2-13&date2=2002-2-20
(remove space after
> Fantasy)
Third article down entitled: Final Fantasy XI Beta Video Stream.
> The link is in that one.
cheers mate
http://www.rpgdot.com/popup.php?popup=1&search=Final%20Fantasy &date1=2002-2-13&date2=2002-2-20
(remove space after Fantasy)
Third article down entitled: Final Fantasy XI Beta Video Stream. The link is in that one.
(remove space after Fantasy)
Third article down entitled: Final Fantasy XI Beta Video Stream. The link is in that one.
I tried looking to see if the .com bit was wrong so i tried .org .co.uk and .net. And look what i found....how strange!
http://www.rpg.org/
http://www.rpg.org/
FantasyMeister wrote:
> I got the link to work in the end. I clicked through from an embedded link in
> RPG.com. All you see is the 1st person view from another character. I watched
> for 3 minutes as several characters just walked by or stood there chatting to
> each other.
Apart from that...nothing. I remember from playing Final Fantasy
> games that something is supposed to happen every few seconds or so, like the
> storyline, a quest, a fight, a game. None of that here. Just what looks to be
> a bunch of very bored beta testers.
where about is this link at rpg.com?
> I got the link to work in the end. I clicked through from an embedded link in
> RPG.com. All you see is the 1st person view from another character. I watched
> for 3 minutes as several characters just walked by or stood there chatting to
> each other.
Apart from that...nothing. I remember from playing Final Fantasy
> games that something is supposed to happen every few seconds or so, like the
> storyline, a quest, a fight, a game. None of that here. Just what looks to be
> a bunch of very bored beta testers.
where about is this link at rpg.com?
I got the link to work in the end. I clicked through from an embedded link in RPG.com. All you see is the 1st person view from another character. I watched for 3 minutes as several characters just walked by or stood there chatting to each other.
Apart from that...nothing. I remember from playing Final Fantasy games that something is supposed to happen every few seconds or so, like the storyline, a quest, a fight, a game. None of that here. Just what looks to be a bunch of very bored beta testers.
Apart from that...nothing. I remember from playing Final Fantasy games that something is supposed to happen every few seconds or so, like the storyline, a quest, a fight, a game. None of that here. Just what looks to be a bunch of very bored beta testers.
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