Final Fantasy Xi Online

I'm man enough that I can begin with an admission. Back in 1997,1 scraped together some cash and bought a PlayStation. I had some time on my hands (alright, I'd been sacked), so I also brought home Final Fantasy VII. Much to the amusement of friends and peers, that game was played to death. Every single secret was ferreted out, with nary a glance at a strategy guide. But after the full splendour of that success, the series held no further interest for me. At least not until Square Enix unleashed Final Fantasy XI, the first MMOG in the long-running series. The game has been available to Japanese PC and PlayStation 2 owners since late 2002, but only recently began beta testing elsewhere in the world on Windows platforms.

Art History

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Looking at this game coming down the pipe, it's easy to see a turf war brewing. On one side are the currently dominant titles, led by Everquest. Facing off is this upstart, with more than a dozen previous releases and literally decades of development to draw upon. Other entries in the series have sported everything from super-deformed anime characters to the more realistic designs of Final Fantasy X. The online adventure runs with the latter style, though to keep the vocal die-hards happy, the designers have included the Tarutaru, a gibberishspouting playable race of magically inclined bobble-heads to live alongside humans, elves and the like.

The game world is a blend of familiar and somewhat alien fantasy elements called Vana'diel, a fantasy land divided into three kingdoms. A great war has recently ended, leaving each government subtly jockeying for power. That's where you come in. Upon entering the game, you'll have to declare allegiance to one of the three. As you fight monsters outside of town, you'll increase the holdings of your homeland, in addition to lining your own pockets. The years of back story really shine through, as Vana'diel already feels like a fully developed culture with extensive guilds and plenty of history.

Not Just A Dead-End Job

There are two different task structures in FFXI. 'Missions' are state-sponsored jobs that form the bulk of the storyline, and offer rank rewards. Alternately, 'quests' are often errand-based affairs, doled out by NPCs in town. They're optional, but recommended. While many quests may be undertaken alone, missions run at a much higher difficulty, and will require you to party up with others. The need to share-gotten gains with others is far preferable to the loneliness of constant death.

Whether solo or party-based, battles are all real time, characterised by the garishly colourful weapon and spell effects that are the series' trademark. There's not another MMOG that looks anything like it, nor one that moves as quickly. FFXI has adapted the limit break system from Final Fantasy VII, which presents you with a third energy bar to watch, on top of health and magic points. In combat, the gauge increases with each hit and as it maxes out, various combo and special attacks become available. The meter tops out at 300 per cent, and the higher it gets, the more damage will be dealt by your devastating special attacks. Along with special job-related abilities, these specials are the core of combat.

Problem Solving

As you wander through the lush fields and streams and dank dungeons, some glaring omissions do presently stand out. Where, for instance, is the player killing, or the corpse-guarding? Fortunately, you won't have to track down your dead carcass when some punk bumblebee takes you apart, as dying is a relatively low-impact affair - simply costing some experience points, unless a kind mage is on hand to raise you from the dead. Dying is cheap, sure, but having to trudge back to battle is more fun when you're not preoccupied with the fear of looters.

Strangely, while the series has always been charactensed with strikingly colourful graphics, FFXI has a somewhat washed-out look. The palette is subdued, with the exception of brightly flanng spell effects. Many backgrounds are downright grainy, even using uncompressed textures. However, the consistently interesting designs do make the look easy to get used to. And surprisingly, most of my t me in the beta was lag-free. There will be a monthly fee, currently set to compete with EverQuest and the like. The fee will buy one character, but for-a small additional premium more can be yours.

Final Fantasy XI, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is the franchise's first (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), as well as the eleventh installment in the main series. Final Fantasy XI was the world's first cross-console MMORPG, available for Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360. Since its release in 2002, it has become the most financially successful title in the Final Fantasy series.Due to the nature of online RPGs, Final Fantasy XI differs in that the player is not the only hero. Instead, each player creates a customizable character and adventures through the world of with other players; leveling up, exploring, completing missions, quests, and much more. Leveling up requires a group of people working together in what is called a, with each participant contributing their own skills to help take down a foe and gain Experience points.

Battles occur in real-time, taking the system to a new level, which was emulated again to a certain extent in.At the game's peak, there were some five hundred thousand people playing Final Fantasy XI, utilizing over two million characters. With constant updates and added, is not a static world; instead, it changes and evolves with the passage of time.On April 3rd, 2015, the development team announced the conclusion to expansions, add-ons, and other major additions after November 2015.

Service for the PS2 and Xbox 360 versions ended on March 31, 2016, and the game can now only be played on the PC version. A free-to-play smartphone spin-off based on the world of Final Fantasy XI, was also released in Japan the same year, and ran for four years, terminating in April 2019.Square Enix has partnered with Nexon to develop a full-fledged of Final Fantasy XI. This version will not share servers or characters with the existing database. Contents Gameplay Basic gameplayPlayers start by creating a character which may be customized. They are able to choose, gender, facial features, hair color, and height.

Players must select one of three starter cities, the, the, or the, to pledge allegiance to and begin their journey.The main plot lines are advanced through, which are offered from city-states and several NPCs. Each expansion also comes with a new plot line to undertake. In addition to advancing the story, Missions also offer various rewards, such as items, Rank, and access to new areas.

Players may also take on various Quests, which are activities that are typically separate from the main plot line and flesh out the world. Quests also offer various rewards, and enhance a player's, an invisible status which affects NPC reactions to the player's character. All Missions and Quests are optional and can be undertaken at the players own pace.Battles take place within the game world. Monsters can be found roaming the land, and can be freely attacked. Some monsters may also attack the player. Enemies that are rare or tied to missions or quests are known as or NMs for short.

Many such enemies can be fought in the open world, but are often found exclusively in battlefields which are not as easily accessed.A 'Claim' and 'Enmity' system is used with regard to monsters. Once an aggressive action is taken against a foe, it becomes 'claimed' as part of the record of the character performing the action; this prevents any passersby from interfering. Others may help with the battle if a is formed. Partying allows selected players to group together and take down foes. The battle mechanics can also vary according to different gameplay systems. Additionally, the player may call for help to 'free' the monster from being 'claimed' so that anyone may target and attack it.Job systemCurrently there are available.

Players are not restricted to one class per character and can switch jobs whenever they like at designated areas, such as inside their. Players have to choose from six basic jobs available by default, but are able to unlock advanced jobs through quests once a standard job has reached level thirty.Each job has abilities and traits, which are typically gained automatically as the player levels up a particular job. Magic is treated differently, in that players can only learn spells through magic scrolls once they have reached the required level.Job abilities must be activated by the player in order to come into effect. They last a limited time and have separate cool-down periods before they can be used again. Additionally, each job has a that performs some extraordinary function to help in a dire situation. Players must use these special powers wisely because they can only be used once every hour under normal circumstances.Magic spells are like job abilities, except that they have casting time and typically require MP in exchange for shorter recast timers. Many magic spells are not exclusive to one particular job, but their effectiveness often vary according to the other abilities available to that class.

Only about half of all the jobs available are able to cast some form of magic.Job traits are passive abilities that are always in effect. Many job traits come in tiers, with a higher tier providing a stronger effect being unlocked as the level increases. Many common jobs traits are shared by different job classes.

However, their degree of effectiveness may vary depending on which tier the trait caps at for that particular job.The most unique part of the job system is the 'support job'. This system allows a player to augment their character with abilities, Traits, and spells from another chosen job at up to half the level of their current job. For instance, a level 20 could set as their support job. This allows them to use all Ninja abilities, traits, and spells up to that of a level 10 Ninja, while still primarily being a level 20 Warrior.However, there are some exceptions to the support job system. Special job abilities and other abilities deemed signature to a particular job (such as for Dragoons) are restricted to being used only when set on main job. Also, some adjustments have been made to lower the effectiveness of certain abilities when used on support jobs.Leveling and partyingLeveling up is based upon.

Experience points can be gained by several means, including defeating foes, completing Quests or Missions, and various other activities. Experience points gained from killing enemies is relative to the player's level; defeating monsters that are higher level than the player net more EXP, whereas monsters that are deemed 'too weak' will not give EXP at all. Generally, the most efficient way to gain Experience points with the intention to level up is to join an EXP Party. An EXP Party is a group of up to six people working together in order to bring down foes for EXP.The original level cap was 50. This was raised through version updates in increments of 5 to level 75 around the time of the English release in 2003. In 2010, seven years after the level was capped at 75, the level cap was slowly raised again, culminating in level 99 in December 2011.

Players who have reached level 75 and above can begin converting experience into Limit Points. These, in turn, grant which may be spent to gain additional stats, abilities, and traits.Partying is common to almost all gameplay systems as it allows each job to excel at their role, and subsequently kill harder monsters more efficiently than solo play. For instance, are not very powerful physically, but are capable of healing. Paired with a whose specialty lies in damage output, they can work together using each others' strengths—the White Mage can cure the Warrior while he brings down a foe, relieving the need to worry about his health—to defeat enemies faster. Killing hard monsters quickly in succession also grants a bonus to experience, known as a Chain.When in a party, monsters' aggressive actions are determined by an system.

Almost every action taken during a battle generates Enmity (commonly referred to as 'Hate') and whoever possesses the most Enmity will have the monster's attention, and subsequently be attacked. A key to succeeding in party battle is managing Enmity in order to protect vulnerable party members such as mages who typically have low defense. Players must pick and choose actions while thinking about how it will affect their Enmity, and therefore the entire group. Because of this, certain jobs are tasked with trying to create the most Enmity possible, in order to hold the monster's attention.A full party is 6 members, and up to 3 parties may come together to form an alliance, which can consist of a maximum of 18 players. Although open world battle content is limited to a full alliance at any time, many gameplay systems involving battlefields are designed to challenge even larger groups of players at one go.Depending on whether they are playing solo or in smaller groups, players may choose to summon or alter egos to aid in combat. Adventuring Fellows are AI-controlled NPCs that can be customized and even leveled up to suit the player's styles, whereas Trust alter egos are magical copies of various famous heroes in with specific moves and unique AI.Weapon Skills and Magic Burstsare a prominent feature in battle. Players gain, also known as TP, by dealing physical damage.

When the TP gauge reaches above 1000, players are able to unleash Weapon Skills to attack the enemy and in some instances receive beneficial effects. Although TP can be charged to a maximum of 3000, all TP is spent whenever a Weapon Skill is used, and are factored in to determine how effective that Weapon Skill is. When the appropriate weapon skills are used in succession, it results in a.Skillchains come in different power levels and result in additional damage on the enemy. Lower level skillchains can be chained upon further to result in stronger skillchain effects.

Building on this, players can deal additional damage by timing Magic spells immediately after a Skillchain occurs—this is called a Magic Burst. Skillchains and Magic Bursts add an element of teamwork to battles and are often required to take down the most challenging of enemies.SettingThe area of Vana'diel that is currently accessible to players, said to be about 1/4 of the world. Marked are the major continents and the five nations of the Enlightened Races. Main article:Final Fantasy XI takes place in the world of, a diverse planet with regions ranging from blinding-hot deserts to ice-cold glaciers. Vana'diel's inhabitants range from the and to simple fiends.Ancient lore states that Vana'diel was created as a playground for the Gods, who themselves were spawned from an enormous and sentient Crystal. For eons, the Gods joyfully played until eventually falling into a deep slumber.

It was during this slumber that the children of the Gods rose and flourished in Vana'diel, extracting gold from stones, traveling through the sky, building mighty cities, and giving birth to grasslands across the world.Eventually, the children longed to join their parents, and constructed a pathway to the Divine Entrance of Paradise. Enraged by such an insolent act, the Holy Gatekeeper smote the children, and cast their cities to the bottom of the sea.Shortly thereafter, the Goddess Altana awoke, and saw the ruin that had once been Vana'diel.

Filled with an emotion that the likes of a God had never felt before, sadness, Altana wept five divine tears. When the five tears fell upon the earth, they gave life to the five races of Vana'diel.However, the God of Twilight, Promathia, observed this act from his place in the shadows. Promathia saw fit to condemn her weakness and the life that arose from it. Promathia cursed the five races with eternal conflict among themselves by bringing forth their darkest attributes: the apathy of the, the arrogance of the, the rage of the, the cowardice of the, and the envy of the. He created terrible beasts and spread them across the world, commanding them to forever fight the people of Vana'diel and occupy their minds. Never again would anyone think to open the Gate of the Gods.Characters. Main article: TheThe player can create a character to play as through the use of the system.Playable racesFrom left to right: A Galka, Mithra, Hume, Elvaan, and Tarutaru.The five Enlightened Races of Vana'diel are available to play as:.

The Humes built their city, the, in the wastes of Gustaberg. They posses near-equal abilities in all fields, and are physically-basic compared to other races. It is the Humes' adaptability that has spread them throughout the lands, making them the most numerous of the five races. Humes are said to suffer from the sin of Apathy. The most imposing of all the races, the Galka possess towering, bulky physiques. Their home city was destroyed hundreds of years ago by the, making the Galkan people refugees.

Many have since settled in Bastok with the Humes; however, they are regarded as an underclass. Galkas are unique from other races in that they are all male and reproduce through reincarnation. They posses high Vitality and HP, but have the lowest MP of the five races. They are said to suffer from the sin of Rage. Native to the, the Elvaan are characterized by their tall, slender figures and large, pointed ears.

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Many Elvaan are deeply religious, possessing an unbreakable faith that is reflected in their everyday life. They are blessed with high Strength and Mind; however, also possessing low Intelligence. The Elvaan are said to suffer from the sin of Arrogance. The cat-like race of Mithras possess a gender imbalance, with a high ratio of females to males. As such, only women are allowed away from the safety of their homeland to adventure around Vana'diel. They possess excellent Agility and Dexterity, but lack Vitality and Charisma.

Mithras are said to suffer from the sin of Envy. The tiny Tarutarus' age is not reflected in their size.

Residing in the, the Tarutaru are famed for their discovery and development of magic, which they excel at, thanks to their high Intelligence. However, the small physique of a Taru means they have the lowest Strength compared to other races. Tarutaru are said to suffer from the sin of Cowardice.Story.