Final Fantasy XI

[SALvation]

Someone give me a reason to not buy this game. The subscription cost is not a valid reason. My belief is that if you think a MMOG should be free, you are completely clueless as to how business works.

The more I read, the more I like about it. Anyone here playing?

[[EvL]Dakota]

I decided to start playing it about 3 weeks ago and I love it. It's all I ever play now.

The only major problem I have with the game is the controls. It seems like the game was designed to be used with a controller instead of mouse and keyboard. Your also limited on what you can can change keyboard controls to. Almost every hot key has to be used by pressing ctrl or alt. (Example ctrl+e opens your equipment menu) I would guess that using a controller would be more comfortable when your playing a game that never ends but I feel like my reaction time is better with a keyboard and mouse.

Other than that I think the game is well worth it.

[SALvation]

What server are you on?

[[EvL]Dakota]

Siren

[Jive88]

i play it as well, great game. but yeha i dont like the controls either.

[Silent Sam]

Hmmm.... I'm trying to hold out till UXO arrives. But, I've read a lot of good reviews on FF XI.

How is it for the 'tedious half-hour run to get from A to B' or the 'mindless repetitive action till I level up' factor?

[[EvL]Dakota]

Well it is getting kinda long to get from place to place. Im currently lvl15 and at lvl20 you can get a chocobo license which helps a lot. There are also ships and airships to ride later in the game. As far as the leveling up goes. I actually solo a lot and after a while it gets a lot harder and you have you group up with people in order to take out the higher level enemies. However, the way the designed the game is that you have to group with people close to your level or you actually get a lot less experience. It is kinda good the did that though so someone who is lvl3 can't party up with someone lvl30 and get all the experience by them taking out the tough enemy.

[Silent Sam]

Starting to get antsy...this game sounds good and I dont know if I can hold out for UXO or WoW. :bandhead:

I applied for the WoW beta so if I'm not selected for that I think I'll cave in and get this game.

BTW, for anyone interested I think the WoW beta signups are still going on till the 6th of Feb. Sign up if yer interested:

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com

[Slice]

A handful of GODS have started to play a little while back. There is a post about it in the MMORPG's forum. I know nothing about these games but it is sparking my interest from what they have been telling me.

[medico]

Just to Clarify things..

Yes - FFXI can be (almost) played with a gamepad. And for soloing i find the gamepad to work very well.

As for keyboard ussage - yes the F1 thrugh F12 keys are premapped to game features.

So all user made macros (and the default macros) have to be bount to alt and ctrl F1-12

Personally I have gotten used to the layout (one hand on Numberpad) and can tranverse the menus and so on very very quickly now.

The alt and ctrl macros are perhaps a bit annoying. But now i have a Nostromo N52 programable controller for my other hand. :) and just set it to do the macros as needed.

Over all i find the use of menus/keyboard MUCH faster then the old Mouse needed interface in other MMORPGS. And thank goodness theres no Drag/drop Inventory management.

The game has issues to be sure.. but at least the game does not have the HUGE amount of annoyances you so often find in other games.

Well Just my .02 Gil.

:hmmm:

[SALvation]

Hey medico, nice to see you made it here.

For the controls, I found it MUCH easier to switch to the compact layout. That lets you use the WSAD keys for moving and the numpad 0 for targeting. I don't even use my mouse now when playing.

As for macros, I use CTRL/ALT with nums 1-0, not the function keys. Was that a typo or can you use the function keys for macros as well?

I'll be on tonight in the maze around 6:30 or 7 EST.