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Will we finally hear more about the Final Fantasy XI remake next week?

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
On March 19th, 2015, Square Enix announced during a special press conference that they were partnering with Korean company Nexon to remake Final Fantasy XI for mobile devices. In April of 2016, Nexon released a few screenshots of their work in progress development of the game. It was confirmed that the mobile reboot would run on Unreal Engine 4. And then we didn't hear anything about the project until March of last year when in a letter to Nexon's shareholders they mentioned that the game is still in development and is being called Final Fantasy XI R.

Which brings us to today...

Next week during PAX East, Square Enix is holding a special Final Fantasy XI Fan Gathering - the first such gathering since the 2008 Fan Festival in Hollywood.

We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a Fan Gathering in Boston during PAX East! This is your chance to meet and talk all things FFXI with like-minded adventurers and old friends in historical Boston. Guests can enjoy drinks, snacks, and fun trivia with amazing prizes!

To make the event extra special, we will be joined by two distinguished guests from the FFXI development team, Director Yoji Fujito and Producer Akihiko Matsui. The duo will be on hand to host a Q&A session and special presentation. You won’t want to miss out!

Further details for this event will be announced at a later date, so please look forward to it!

Will we finally get some details on this long awaited but oft-forgotten about remake? Is it 100% mobile trash now, or can we expect a Switch port also? Does it have the original game's monthly fee associated with it? So many questions that hopefully are on the verge of being answered.

WeE14KD.png


Stay tuned.
 

Virex

Banned
Long awaited? The fuck are you talking about? 99% of the XI community don't give a shit, doesn't know it exists or doesn't want SE fucking with XI in any way or form. So I'd hard call it long awaited. It say long dreaded is more fitting
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
No. It's a fan gathering, not a news event.
I mean sure that's what they're calling it - but then why is this the first one in 12 years? And why invite the game's director and producer? PAX East itself is a fan event but there are also a lot of companies that will be sending reps and making announcements.
 

Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
I mean sure that's what they're calling it - but then why is this the first one in 12 years? And why invite the game's director and producer? PAX East itself is a fan event but there are also a lot of companies that will be sending reps and making announcements.

Feel free to set yourself up for disappointment.

Final Fantasy XIV has many fan gatherings (called exactly like that), even at PAX EAST. They're not used for news.

That's different from what Square Enix defines a "fan fest" that actually has a keynote with news.
 
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Pejo

Member
Meh, the mobile part kills it for me.
While I agree that mobile controls suck, FFXI isn't as control intensive as an action game. If the menu navigation is on point, there are on-screen macros, and you can do basic movements like adjusting to the flank/rear/front of the monster, I think it could be perfectly playable on mobile.
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Long awaited? The fuck are you talking about? 99% of the XI community don't give a shit, doesn't know it exists or doesn't want SE fucking with XI in any way or form. So I'd hard call it long awaited. It say long dreaded is more fitting
I mean waiting for information for the past 5 years and only getting small dribbles of details. Perhaps I could have worded that different and said "I've been waiting forever for more details on this" because I can see how it might come off as me speaking for a large group of players.

While I agree that mobile controls suck, FFXI isn't as control intensive as an action game. If the menu navigation is on point, there are on-screen macros, and you can do basic movements like adjusting to the flank/rear/front of the monster, I think it could be perfectly playable on mobile.

As someone who played the game pretty religiously for about 6 months at launch, and recently played through it again with my son (who was 2 when this first came out and he's now an adult), I'm interested to see if they could shake up the formula enough to make it even more interesting. The game is pretty archaic in it's implementation and could really use a UI / graphics / business model overhaul to make it more palatable for modern gamers. Bonus points if they can provide some sort of offline capabilities as well or local wireless multiplayer because I have my doubts about my son potentially being able to play this game with his children 20 years from now.

But I'm probably just dreaming and they'll turn this into some sort of MOBA and fill the game with microtransactions.
 
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C

Contica

Unconfirmed Member
I just don't understand this. If you're gonna remake such an old mmo, why not just preserve it for the future, make it playable offline with ai party or something, and then launch it on something a bit more flexible than phones. Put it on everything, treat it like a major release.

"Hey, you guys who never got to play XI? Here it is, have fun."

Should be a no brainer, but I guess not.

The original is still alive and well, isn't it? So what's the harm?
 

*Nightwing

Member
Gimme an offline upscaled instead of remastered ver and I'd pay $60 for it. Its already built for offline solo with trusts, not much investment needed to get it built... putting make-up and a tutu on a pig, but i want bacon not a ballerina!
 

Ceadeus

Member
I sure have not forgot it. I would buy an iPad for this. If it goes to Switch , well I would not have to buy an IPad XD

There totally is a market for such a good MMO on mobile.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
I'm still waiting for the offline version of FFXI.
 

Susurrus

Member
I'm still waiting for the offline version of FFXI.

I would totally buy an offline FFXI. The story was amazing and I would love to play through it again, but I don't have the time or schedule stability these days to invest into an MMO and its community these days. I'd even pay extra for the expansions (RoZ, CoP, ToAU, etc) as their own story mode.
 

Shifty1897

Member
While I agree that mobile controls suck, FFXI isn't as control intensive as an action game. If the menu navigation is on point, there are on-screen macros, and you can do basic movements like adjusting to the flank/rear/front of the monster, I think it could be perfectly playable on mobile.
My problem with mobile games isn't the controls, I just don't want to play games on my phone. I need my phone for other aspects of my life and games drain the battery quickly, have pause/resume issues, and the notifications form the other parts of my life constantly pop in while I'm trying to game (or, you turn notifications off and you miss out on that call or text you've been waiting for, it could be argued either way). Phone games are just a sub par experience to a handheld.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
My problem with mobile games isn't the controls, I just don't want to play games on my phone. I need my phone for other aspects of my life and games drain the battery quickly, have pause/resume issues, and the notifications form the other parts of my life constantly pop in while I'm trying to game (or, you turn notifications off and you miss out on that call or text you've been waiting for, it could be argued either way). Phone games are just a sub par experience to a handheld.

I’ve had some great times with mobile ports. Lunar Silver Star Story Touch, Ys, Chrono Trigger, Mass Effect Extraction, Dead Space, Adventures of Mana (which was fantastic on my iPhone). Streaming Metal Gear Rising, using a pop socket, and a Steam controller.

I’ve spent enough to have most of Square’s titles on my mobile device. FF Tactics, Chaos Rings I & 3 (3 had a Vita port), Final Fantasy 1-7 and 9, Romancing Saga 1 & 2, Valkyrie Profile, Dragon Quest, etc.

It’s not a bad experience. I do see your point in the reason to not want to use it. I use my phone at my job, so the last thing I want to do is use it again. I’ll take my handheld for a new experience. However, what I’m seeing are new experiences with Bluetooth controllers. iOS 13 supports DualShock and XBO controllers. Apple even sells Xbox and PlayStation controllers at their store (at least the one I went to today did).

I feel like the mobile phone is becoming a “second screen”. The idea that the phone is somehow just a scheduler is something the gaming industry is trying to fix. It’s not a Texas Instrument nor is it a flip phone with Snake installed.

I definitely would like to see Final Fantasy XI in a way that doesn’t take installing a separate client like PlayOnline, a subscription fee to manage, and possibly some type of solo experience. Mobile gaming could bring FFXI back and it could make it more appealing to those who want a solid experience without grinding for hours on end.

I would love to explore more than the Dunes and Juno. That’s about as far as I’ve ever gotten in FFXI and it was the beta on 360. I put so much time into that beta and I got to a level 20. I didn’t bother with it after that because there were too many other games. I’d honestly check it out again just for the nostalgia. I loved the Gustaberg theme and all the other music. I don’t exactly think I’ll ever devote a lot time or energy to an MMO. This on the other hand sounds very interesting. Having a world that a lot of people loved, playable, on a device that a TON of people use everyday. It’s so convenient when you don’t have the luxury of being at home in front of a TV. If I took a business trip, I could easily stream to a device if I didn’t have a TV. I feel like society’s busy lifestyles are allowing developers to make their experiences become more adaptable to the lifestyle.

It definitely feels like this mobile version has gone from excitement, to dead air, to now a small breath of life.
 
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Shouta

Member
I'm hoping the scenario means new expansion maybe? But at best it'll be something like the mini-epsiodes that they did ages ago
 

Belmonte

Member
If they did an offline FFXI remake it would be day one for me. No, it doesn't even need to be a remake, even a port would suffice.

I like FFXI art, gameplay and music a lot but couldn't stand the MMO feautres. It is a giant time sink, probably the biggest I ever saw. If they made offline, higher walk/run speed and chocobos in the beginning of the game, I would jump in.
 

Vawn

Banned
But why? Speaking of MMORPG FF, we have FF XIV and it's awesome.

FFXI and FFXIV were completely different experiences. I spent 6-7 years playing only XI and it nearly consumed my life.

FFXIV is not that same type of experience at all. I loved FFXIV, as long as I compared it to other FF games and not trying to duplicate the experience I got from XI.
 

Thabass

Member
Two very different games with two very different player bases. XI also still has new updates, expansions etc. And a fairly large player base as well.

Both can and should exist. I'm glad they're still updating the game and making it fun for those who enjoyed it. That said, I couldn't get into it as much and with that FFXIV exists. And that's where I'll stay put.
 

manfestival

Member
My issue is that it will probably end up like Black Desert Online Mobile where the game plays itself and is pointless to even play.
 


Another small update about the upcoming scenario. Still haven't said if it'll be a full expansion or something smaller, but they said they're currently working on the story with other staff members. They hinted that it could be related to the newest Siren quest that just came out.
 

Shifty1897

Member
I’ve had some great times with mobile ports. Lunar Silver Star Story Touch, Ys, Chrono Trigger, Mass Effect Extraction, Dead Space, Adventures of Mana (which was fantastic on my iPhone). Streaming Metal Gear Rising, using a pop socket, and a Steam controller.

I’ve spent enough to have most of Square’s titles on my mobile device. FF Tactics, Chaos Rings I & 3 (3 had a Vita port), Final Fantasy 1-7 and 9, Romancing Saga 1 & 2, Valkyrie Profile, Dragon Quest, etc.

It’s not a bad experience. I do see your point in the reason to not want to use it. I use my phone at my job, so the last thing I want to do is use it again. I’ll take my handheld for a new experience. However, what I’m seeing are new experiences with Bluetooth controllers. iOS 13 supports DualShock and XBO controllers. Apple even sells Xbox and PlayStation controllers at their store (at least the one I went to today did).

I feel like the mobile phone is becoming a “second screen”. The idea that the phone is somehow just a scheduler is something the gaming industry is trying to fix. It’s not a Texas Instrument nor is it a flip phone with Snake installed.

I definitely would like to see Final Fantasy XI in a way that doesn’t take installing a separate client like PlayOnline, a subscription fee to manage, and possibly some type of solo experience. Mobile gaming could bring FFXI back and it could make it more appealing to those who want a solid experience without grinding for hours on end.

I would love to explore more than the Dunes and Juno. That’s about as far as I’ve ever gotten in FFXI and it was the beta on 360. I put so much time into that beta and I got to a level 20. I didn’t bother with it after that because there were too many other games. I’d honestly check it out again just for the nostalgia. I loved the Gustaberg theme and all the other music. I don’t exactly think I’ll ever devote a lot time or energy to an MMO. This on the other hand sounds very interesting. Having a world that a lot of people loved, playable, on a device that a TON of people use everyday. It’s so convenient when you don’t have the luxury of being at home in front of a TV. If I took a business trip, I could easily stream to a device if I didn’t have a TV. I feel like society’s busy lifestyles are allowing developers to make their experiences become more adaptable to the lifestyle.

It definitely feels like this mobile version has gone from excitement, to dead air, to now a small breath of life.
Thanks for the well thought out rebuttal. Turns out I have a $1.00 Google play credit and Symphony of the Night just released, so I'll give mobile gaming with a Bluetooth controller a shot.
 

The Snake

Member
Nuts, was hoping official retro 75 cap server ala WoW Classic.

It's a nice thought, but A) the landscape would still be modern day (no wonderment of exploring a huge world in the early 2000's) and B) the game style has not aged well whatsoever. That said, I do have fond memories of those times.

Source: Have been playing XI on and off for nearly two decades like an abused spouse.
 

Belmonte

Member
You know what? I'm going to give another chance to FFXI. Let's see how much grind I can handle.

I always wanted to give it a go, but my previous brief experience with it was not good. But even if it is a MMO, it is one made in the golden age of Squaresoft, which is very dear to me.

Sucks I need to pay a subscription but I owe them some money because of the pirated CDs of my childhood. I'm in a third world country, original games had ridiculous taxes and I didn't had any money, sorry Square!

Wish me luck! I don't know if I will finish the main quest, I have a job and other games to play, but I want to play long enough to have an informed opinion about this game, even if it isn't in its original form anymore.

HDL6j5F.jpg


Damn, very complex to register the account in this game.
 

Bigrx1

Banned
Just started playing this a few days ago - it's a hell of an adjustment when you are used to more recent mmos but I'm having fun with it.
 

HEAVENSARMY

Neo Member
I'm still looking for people who haven't played Final Fantasy 11 or have played and can walk me through, show me must do side quests and be able to keep up or pace themselves with a live streamer. Meaning if you seen my FF14 I was moving through very slowly, this isn't a race. Here to enjoy the game play as a let's play for videos on YouTube.

I'm trying to find people around the time zone of 6pm ET to 10pm every night. This virus has people home so now is the time to start since I need people to beat this game, unlike FF14. Once I get back to work the schedule might change so I'm aiming for a chance now. {Please let me know if you are interested.
 

Belmonte

Member
I'm still looking for people who haven't played Final Fantasy 11 or have played and can walk me through, show me must do side quests and be able to keep up or pace themselves with a live streamer. Meaning if you seen my FF14 I was moving through very slowly, this isn't a race. Here to enjoy the game play as a let's play for videos on YouTube.

I'm trying to find people around the time zone of 6pm ET to 10pm every night. This virus has people home so now is the time to start since I need people to beat this game, unlike FF14. Once I get back to work the schedule might change so I'm aiming for a chance now. {Please let me know if you are interested.

If you are worried about being lost, here is a great guide about everything you need to know about FFXI. It separates the most useful activities based on your level:

https://www.bg-wiki.com/bg/Quicksta...Vt8BBrNNxWDy9UmQ9zol_F_VKuD44QF1c7Jp7KsuuIKKw
 

Pejo

Member
I always log in to the game during the free login events, but all I ever do is look at my blank macro sets since I didn't back them up, all the gear I need to micromanage around that probably is now worthless, and the fact that my friends list is empty, then I just go to Jeuno and/or Bastok and run around for a while then log out. I really wish I had some way of getting in touch with my old friends from the game to do like a coordinated power weekend to meet up and go do stuff we never finished back in the day.
 
I always log in to the game during the free login events, but all I ever do is look at my blank macro sets since I didn't back them up, all the gear I need to micromanage around that probably is now worthless, and the fact that my friends list is empty, then I just go to Jeuno and/or Bastok and run around for a while then log out. I really wish I had some way of getting in touch with my old friends from the game to do like a coordinated power weekend to meet up and go do stuff we never finished back in the day.
FFXI endgame farm is shitty. All you do is grind gear.

What’s worth your time is to finish the story quests, level alts, and hang out with friends

If you really want end game progression FFXI is probably not a game worth considering. Some people may be cool with it but it’s definitely not for me
 
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The Snake

Member
FFXI endgame farm is shitty. All you do is grind gear.

What’s worth your time is to finish the story quests, level alts, and hang out with friends

If you really want end game progression FFXI is probably not a game worth considering. Some people may be cool with it but it’s definitely not for me

Yeah one of these days I'd like to re-sub with a new character and just do story and nothing else. My years with the game are a fever dream of waiting and grinding and large gaps in between story, as well as a ton of really dull, repetitive endgame content. I understand the game has changed considerably making the story easy to access, so I'd love to do that some time.
 

HEAVENSARMY

Neo Member
If you are worried about being lost, here is a great guide about everything you need to know about FFXI. It separates the most useful activities based on your level:

https://www.bg-wiki.com/bg/Quicksta...Vt8BBrNNxWDy9UmQ9zol_F_VKuD44QF1c7Jp7KsuuIKKw

I can't use a worded guide during a live stream. Hence the I'm looking for people to guide me, people who know or people who want to play for fun. I played FF14 solo and it was a horrible/lonely experience that I don't want to do again. Playing MMO with people is way better than soloing, personal experience. So no, not worried about anything, just know what's needed for a huge MMO like FF11.

So callout again, looking for people, who want to play nightly at 6pm ET with a live streamer. It may be difficult to keep up or play as slowly as a live streamer. I will start in August or so since I got 2 people from 6 to 8pm. I may have to start with that even if it's not exactly what I'm looking for.
 
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